The Pledge

THE PLEDGE….
“A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, and becomes surety for his friends” (Proverbs 17:18)
Growing up in NYC for most of my early education, a common occurrence took place every morning at school. All the kids would stand up, put their right hand over their hearts, and pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. When I moved from NYC to Eastchester, NY and then to Lansdale, PA the pledge followed me. I would assume that school age children everywhere in our nation recite the pledge. The pledge of allegiance is an example of a pledge that is unwavering and unmovable. The idea of a pledge is a solemn oath, a guarantee that you will stand by that notion through thick or thin. I use the pledge of allegiance to show an example of a pledge, the way I see pledges. A pledge creates fealty between pledge giver and pledge taker. Since, A United States Congressman is supposed to represent 666,000 Americans as a member of the house, or the entire state as a member of the senate. Oaths of Fealty to special interest groups prevent the Congressman from being responsible to their true oath. That is their oath to the people of their districts, states, country and the Constitution.
I feel that the lack of understand that many Republicans had in making these pledges to any far right group that would support them has created a destructive force in our Government. The one that has created the greatest damage to the political climate in the beltway is the oath to Grover Norquists “Americans for Tax Reform”. The pledge can be found here http://www.atr.org/...(1).pdf …this pledge creates an atmosphere in congress where Republicans cannot act to fix the economy, unless Grover Norquists wishes are enforced. The refusal to create any revenue let any absurd Bush Era tax cuts expire prevent the government from acting responsibly. How can you just cut spending and not expect any money to come in to replace it. It is absurd to believe that the economy exists in a box, as to say a never changing entity where one way is the only way to precede. The global economy requires nations to take an active role in their economic policies. No country on Earth could be taken seriously stating there will be no new taxes, no new revenue, nothing but cuts.
I wonder if these Republican congressmen realized that they were signing their legislative power away to the highest bidder. The party that claims to be responsive to the rights of individuals over government gave their vote away to special interest. The constituents of their districts get no say; Grover Norquist has become the de facto speaker of the legislative power of the GOP. If 660,000 representatives from a district that had a republican representative stated raise taxes, that representative would say I can’t, Grover Norquist wont let me. These pledges have no place in government. They take the power away from the people, the people is who you represent, not the special interest group.
I know Democrats aren’t innocent either in these special interest pledges, however, I do not know of any pledges that any democrat has made to any group that has caused such a strain on a elected official representing their district. I think these pledges are useless and should make their way out of the election process. A simple guarantee to the people would be sufficient. I, promise to represent my constituents to the best of my abilities placing nothing ahead of them but the best path for our nation. When the time comes in an ever-changing theatre of politics, I will represent you over party and special interest. This simple promise would help protect the people over special interest. A refreshing notion in the political climate of the United States.

Anti-Union Laws reach Pa.

In about a month the Pennsylvania house and senate will return to Harrisburg and the fall session will begin. At this very time there are 4 bills stuck in committee, 3 in the house, 1 in the senate. These bills, if they pass will strike at the very heart of labor rights in Pennsylvania. Modeled after Ohio's SB5, Wisconsin's budget repair bill, and other union striping bills which are being produced by Republican controlled legislative bodies throughout the country, the rights of workers are being attacked under the guise of so called right to work laws.
These laws do little to create jobs, or shore up the middle class.  These laws exist in states more likely to have a lower median income. 10 of the 14 states with right to work legislation have a median income of 45,000 or less; national average is 50,271. (us news world report 10/5/10. Only two of 13 states with median incomes of 55,000 or more are right to work states; Utah and Virginia. Pennsylvania is at the cusp of the low average, with a median income of 47,000 we should be looking for ways to push income levels up. These laws are blatant attacks against unions, not job creation measures.
The three bills in the Pa House Labor and Industry committee do little to create jobs. They weaken organized labor by removing fair share provisions, replacing them with right to work laws. Labor unions will no longer be required to represent all workers regardless of membership in the bargaining unit. In other words you will no longer have to pay fair share to union for representation, and you might be able to keep 20 bucks a paycheck. So you get twenty dollars more a pay, management gets more freedom to restrict your workplace rights. Republicans claiming to represent individual rights are frauds, these rights do not extend to the workplace unless you own or supervise that workplace. Minimal contributions for protection at work, guess it is a lesser of the evils.
The bill in the senate labor and industry committee is quite laughable if you ask me. This bill claims to protect your paycheck by preventing you from allowing private organizations from deducting from you paycheck. In other words, unions would no longer be allowed to collect dues from payroll deductions. This bill obviously violates my individual freedom to allow the union from collecting my dues, which as a dues paying member I grant them permission to withdraw. The hope of the Republicans authoring this bill is obvious. Remove automatic deductions, prevent simple dues collection, and starve unions of necessary funds for representation, contract negotiations and other vital union business. Republicans fire back that unions use these funds to fund political action that some of the workers might disagree with. This argument is furthest from the truth, yet, again our friends across the aisle either forgot to do all their research or left something out. Union dues and Union PAC funds are completely separate. When you join the union you get a separate card to fill out to donate extra money to the PAC, dues do not go to the PAC.
The term Right to Work is one of those creative ways to use language to deceive those you target. When you hear the term right to work you think, yeah nothing wrong with that, we all want the right to work. How can you oppose a persons right to work? By limiting person’s rights in the workplace, you limit their right to work. Don’t be deceived by language. The right to work is protected by unions. If unions were such a threat to the workplace, why is only 12% of the national workforce unionized. Unions prevent management from using a divide and conquer approach that will keep workers in line. It’s all about control and unions wrest some of that control to the workforce. Getting rid of every union won’t decrease unemployment, it will increase underemployment, which it seems is the goal of Republicans in this country. Whether it’s workers rights, minimum wage laws, or regulations. The Republican Party is after your rights in the work place. Hannibal is at the gates. The only response to this encroachment is unity. Divided we fall, united we stand.

NCL and the high price for contacting your family on cruises.

With Hurricane Irene making her way north, causing many states to issue "state of emergencies", NYC planning on shutting down transit, many agencies and businesses are preparing for the storm. While I write this issue my parents are returning home on the Norwegian Gem. The Norwegian Gem, a NCL cruise ship. They left on their cruise on sunday to Bermuda and are due back this Sunday, when the hurricane is supposed to set down in the NY area. 
Being concerned about my parents, my wife and then I called NCL. I called them because I was shocked what they told my wife. According to both customer service agents there is no information on the storm, but it will be updated. I can check the webpage to keep track, however, to contact my parents to make plans or any ship personnel for more information they need a major credit card and will charge me 7.95 a min. 7.95 a min to check on my parents, or to even leave a message. I'm not trying to call a sex line, I'm trying to prepare to pick my parents up in a hurricane after they probably spent around 3000 dollars on their cruise. Now they want just 7.95 a min, so I can prepare to pick them up. New York and New Jersey are considering closing roads, I might not be able to get to the port to pick them up, but for 7.95 a min I can prepare my parents.

In response to NCL's callous milk em dry approach to storm preparedness, I wrote a email to the Ed schultz show, left a tip at the ny daily news city tip desk, left a comment on the thomm Hartmann comment line, submitted a tip to thinkprogress and now I am writing my piece. I understand economics and business theory, however, I don't understand why they need to make a profit over this as well. Does human decency ever take the front seat to profit?.

Well you can help me, and progressmo shuffle tell NCL to waive this ridiculous 7.95 a min fee. Call NCL and say " let people get in touch with their loved ones, don't exploit the situation at 7.95 a min. 

Thank you for following progressmo shuffle, be safe during the storm.

ProgressMo Shuffle's observation on the Confederate flag.

As I was driving home from the gym, I drove down 4^th street in Lansdale and saw something that upset me. Every time I see this symbol, especially in northern states I get the same tingle down my spine. The symbol as you already may have guessed is the Confederate flag. Maybe because I have spent most of my life studying American history, this symbol evokes a greater reaction to me then most other white northerners. However, anyone who knows even a small amount of American history, should know what that symbol means.

The symbol that is the Confederate Flag represents the ideals of the antebellum south. One of the ideals that this flag represents is rooted in a hierarchy in society. That hierarchy elevates whites society above all others, especially African Americans who were enslaved by white plantation owners. The stars and bars represent the parts of our history that couldn’t be settled at the constitutional convention, these differences required four years of war and 660,000 American lives to be resolved on paper. I say, resolved on paper because the issue of race still pervades our society one hundred and fifty years after Richmond fell. Of the 660,000 Americans who fell during the Civil War 365,000 died for the Union, another 275,000 were wounded. One in four of the Union soldiers who fought in the war were killed or wounded. Furthermore, approximately 2% of the entire population of the United States died in the war, in comparison to today’s population that’s 6.2 million Americans.

Ninety or so years after the Civil War, that flag was resurrected to represent the segregationist. This flag was used to portray the intransigence of the white southerner to the gains of the civil rights movements.  When you see pictures of protestors from Selma, to the integration of Ole Miss, to the reaction from Brown vs. Board of Ed and George Wallace shouting “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” you see the stars and bars flying. This flag represents the struggle against that movement to create a more perfect union. If you are one who takes pride in the history of this struggle against inequality, then I guess this flag represents you.

Today, the Confederate flag is just as intrinsic to the struggle against a past that we constantly fight to rise above. Of the eleven states that seceded from the union from Dec 1860-mid 1861 ten of them have removed the confederate emblem from their state flags, Mississippi being the only one where the confederate flag remains. The most damning condemnation one could find against the stars and bars would be from African Americans. The best way to describe this feeling is from African American singer Ken Page “For black folks, the Confederate flag represents the same thing that the Nazi flag represents to the Jews. There is absolutely no difference when we look at it. Now, white folks try to explain it away like, 'Oh, it's OK.' But when you're black, it is not OK. It represents oppression and murder.”

This quote brings the reality of this symbol home to me. I am Lutheran, however, I am the first one in my family to be Christian. My family on my father side is entirely Jewish, on my mother’s side half. When I see a swastika, I see the attempt to destroy a race for no other reason then they who they are. The systematic oppression and destruction of a group of people, and the fight to maintain that way of life is what the Confederate flag represents. When I see a Confederate flag the first thing I think of is “just another ignorant white guy”. That flag pretty much poisons any debate or conversation due to its intrinsic association to subjugation of African Americans.

The history of the Confederate flag follows a dark path through the American identity. It represents the worst aspects of our culture, the greatest division in our union. It represents when compromise failed, when cooler heads did not prevail and instead of coming together for the betterment of our society we were driven apart. Howard Fineman, chief editor of the Huffington Post in his book “The Thirteen American American Arguments” stated “It took a civil war to free the slaves, and another century to ensure their civil rights, but no country has emerged more genuinely committed to the ideal of individual freedom for all. In part because we have shed so much blood for that prize.” Every ounce of that blood was shed to propel us past an issue that the founders could not compromise on. That flag represents what that struggle was against, not pride in ones heritage, but the struggle against Union. That union is what makes us great, everything that the Confederate flag stands against.

Response to Sen Coburn being grateful he can't carry on the senate floor

To Senator Coburn (R-OK)

It is a sad day when compromise, intelligence and political stewardship takes a back seat to fear and intimidation. In the opinion of most American, it is a great fact that you have to try to use your intellect on the floor of the senate. Americans are not as stupid as you think, maybe in northeastern Oklahoma appealing to violence is all you can do, but in the rest of America it is a losing battle. Americans want the great compromisers back in politics, not this cowboy frontier mentality that you can shoot your way out of everything. If you want to instill fear, instill the fear that without compromise the floors of congress will be as un-American as shooting those you disagree with. 

ProgressMo Shuffle

Pathway to new jobs.

With the debt crisis temporarily adverted Democrats and Republicans can square off on an important issue, jobs. While the debt crisis was an important issue, the cure for our economy is jobs. According to Paul Wiseman, an economics writer for AP, in the 2000’s US based Multi National Corporations (MNC’s) have added 2.4 million jobs in foreign countries all while cutting 2.9 million jobs in the US. These US based MNC’s ear well over 1.9 trillion dollars that could well be in the US economy, yet, if they create jobs it will most likely be in China, India or Bangladesh. (http://www.seattlepi..com/news/article/A-boom-in-corporate-profits-a-bust-in-jobs-wages-1542185.php) So, how do we get the 14.1 million unemployed Americans back to work?

During the height of the great depression the employment rate peaked at 25% No amount of tax cuts or corporate restructuring was able to solve the problem. Rather, the unprecedented investment in the US economy known as the New Deal did. One of the prominent focuses of the New Deal was infrastructure. Given the current state of American infrastructure I could not think of a better place to start. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American infrastructure system received a D rating. The ASCE recommended a 2.2 trillion dollar investment over the next 5 years to just fix our crumbling infrastructure. Kathy Caldwell, the 2011 president for the ASCE, projects that “for every billion dollars invested in infrastructure, 30,000 jobs are created” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/24/investing-infrastructure-create-jobs-and-stimulate-economThis investment in the US economy is a sure fire way to not only fix our jobless state, but fix the roads, bridges, dams, railways and other vital parts of the American infrastructure. For every 50 billion invested in American infrastructure, 1.5 million jobs would be created. This investment would be an investment in our future, not a corporation’s bottom line. This should not be confused with Obama’s stimulus package which was overinvested in tax cuts in a vain attempt to build consensus with the far right.

The US Chamber of Commerce states that 1/3 of the major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, 1/4 of our bridges are either obsolete or require updates, our air traffic control system needs a major overhaul. Due to these deficiencies, the economy is losing as much as 336 billion in lost growth over the next five years. The chamber also discusses how the successful completion of some 351 energy projects, could create a 1.1 trillion dollar spike to our economy, creating over 1.9 million jobs. (http://www.uschamber.com/infrastructure) From the numbers released by the US Chamber of Commerce, we can see how important a focus on American infrastructure would be.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in his filibuster on 12/10/10, regarding the collapse of the American middle class, stated: “We need to invest 850 billion over the next 50 years to get all of America’s bridges into good shape… there over 85,000 dams in America, and the average age is 51 years…the National Education Association estimates it would take 322 billion to bring America’s school buildings into good repair” (Senator Bernie Sanders; The Speech 134-35) This need creates many opportunities for growth. Not only will these investments create stability, they will create jobs and give Americans a way to support the economy. By investing in these growth programs, more Americans will work and have money to reinvest in our economy. Our country will be strengthened, our workers will work, our infrastructure will improve and corporations will have people to sell their products to.

President Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, stated “Smart businesses do not look at labor costs alone anymore. They do look at market access, transportation, telecommunications infrastructure and the education and skill level of the workforce, the development of capital and the regulatory market.” With the right investment into our nations infrastructure, we can once again be on the path of prosperity. It is every citizen’s duty to ensure the pendulum swings forward. The future is in our hands and the time is now. Let’s continue progressing towards that notion of American exceptionalism.