May the Gargoyle Be With You - Follow my blog on your site or Google reader

Thursday, July 10, 2008

My Reality Check on Reality Check

wcco.com - Reality Check: New Ad On Unions Organizing Workers:
"Pat Kessler (WCCO) The air war is on in the U.S. Senate race with Minnesota's largest labor organization demanding that Republican Sen. Norm Coleman condemn a TV ad it calls demeaning to workers.

If you're a fan of the Sopranos this sarcastic ad is darkly humorous. Soprano's Mob boss Johnny Sack doesn't like Coleman."

Here's what you need to know:

The 'Reality Check' story says the ad links organized crime to unions -- in fact it does no such thing ... it shows a man in a suit saying he doesn't like Coleman because he's a 'hero'.

Unless you watch 'The Soprano's' -- no one I know ever did ... and I've got quite the group of associations ... you would never have linked this 'organized crime' image with Unions.

Jimmy Hoffa did that for me (even the FBI thought so) -- and the union officials that my father has had to work with over the years as a business owner. And the ones my brothers have had to deal with while looking for jobs -- my own son had applied to work at a local grocery store as a cart pusher and was told that in order to get the job he had to join the Union --- that's wrong --- that's extrotion -- that's organized crime .... its just as bad as a street gang.

My opinion of Unions have come from watching the local stories about the airlines mechanic strike and how they harrassed/battered/damaged property of replacement workers -- they even tried to block these people from earning a wage that they didn't want.

My opinion of Unions comes from union workers I've known who have been forced to go on strike when they didn't want to because the Union said so -- even in matters that didn't effect them directly. A former neighbor was a member of the mechanics union at the airport and when the pilots went on strike their Union 'hinted strongly' that they should slow down their work as a way to show support for a fellow Union even though they are usually at odds with each other.

I would never have gotten from the ad that this man was supposed to be a 'mob boss' -- in fact I thought he represented a big-business man....that's all. Plus when you think of it ... Coleman is from New York -- when he started running for Mayor of St. Paul he was a democrat .. he didnt' like the way the party was going to he switched to republican --- he's a much better republican, btw --- and the democrats in the state went absolutely NUTS.

One of the first things you heard around the state was questioning as to whether Coleman had mob ties being from NY. There were all sorts of accusations that flew around on talk radio (and not the local 'conservative' one -- at the time I listened to the other one that has been around since the invention of radio in the area -- you know which one).

It also needs to be said that WCCO television (and radio ... wink wink nod nod) have extreme liberal leanings -- they always endorse the democratic candidates and tend to take their side in matters. Very rarely will you find an episode of 'Reality Check' when it comes to politics that will favor a Republican candidate ... very rarely.

ALSO:
the story itself says that the employers had the right to ask for a secret ballot ... does that make sense to anyone?? wouldn't you think that it would be a good thing to take the power of the secret vote for a Union out of the hands of the EMPLOYER, who one can assume is against it, and give it to the EMPLOYEES?

FACT: the bill supported by Coleman gives Unions more power and will help form more Unions (a fly-in-your-face move for Coleman in my opinion) ... 'Reality Check' places this fact in such a way that it does not give Coleman this bit of credit, instead it is placed in such a way as to distort it to look as if Franken deserves the credit.

FACT: the bill Franken supports does make public assessible sign up sheets available ... public, as in fellow employees will be able to see who voted against the union - also employers can see who does want a Union. Now to me -- that seems like a bad thing.

And that's MY reality check.

No comments:

USGS Earthquake Monitor

Buttons, Buttons, We've Got Buttons!

The Current State of the US Stock Market
Visit The Greenhouse The WeatherPixie
Click here to join MonthlyDishcloths Click to join MonthlyDishcloths
Subscribe to cheysuli
Powered by groups.yahoo.com

I'm gingergargoyle

gingergargoyle

This is the 3D me. Make your own, and we both get Coinz!

Traffic Cam Widgets