Rick Scott Wins Worst Governor Ever Poll

The Transport Workers Union of America have awarded Rick Scott the title of "Worst Governor Ever." Scott beat out fellow Republican governors Rick Perry, John Kasich and Scott Walker. Transport Workers cited Scott's restrictions on voting as the main reason for him winning.

Scott beat out former Fox News pundit and current Republican governor John Kasich. The man is is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Kasich kills the brains cells of every person in the room when he speaks.

Update: It appears that the Transport Workers Union of America will try to present Scott's award to him in person.

After Worst Governor Ever election results are certified this week, Governor Scott will soon be inaugurated as The Worst Governor Ever, live in person, officially kicking off his term as America’s Worst Governor Ever.

Police Angry at Rick Scott

The Broward County Police Benevolent Association is not happy with Gov. Rick Scott going after unions. They are showing their displeasure by holding the "Party to Leave the Party."

The Broward PBA wants to send a message to the Republican Party, the governor and the Republican-led legislature-- those that are wreaking havoc on the lives of public employees--that we will not sit idly by and take it. Supporting the GOP means supporting those that are working hard against your interests and those who believe that labor unions are bent on destroying America.

On July 16, we want you, our members, your friends and your family, to leave the Republican Party. Law enforcement, firefighters, teachers and other public employees are invited to join us in switching from the Republican party to the party of their choice. Those who are not registered voters are welcome to come register so their voices can also be heard. Reg- istering or switching parties takes two minutes. All you need is a government-issued ID like a Florida Driver's License or a Florida ID.

There is one more legislative session before the 2012 elections--let's put them on notice.

Festival for Florida’s Future

The AFL-CIO is staging the Festival for Florida’s Future at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. The event is in response to Gov. Rick Scott's leadership as governor. The AFL-CIO is urging citizens to become active Scott's agenda and protecting Medicare. The event will have live musical entertainment.

STATEWIDE, FL – On Saturday, June 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., families from across the state will celebrate what it means to be a working Floridian. Instead of focusing on creating jobs and addressing high unemployment, Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature proved that they are out of touch with real Floridians, the families living paycheck to paycheck, the retirees surviving on meager state pensions, the unemployed searching for jobs that are not there and students working their way through college. The Festival will combine activism, education and music while serving as a kick-off for a sustained campaign to organize and mobilize working people from all backgrounds and walks-of-life, to demand meaningful action by the state Legislature and make a difference in the lives of all Floridians.

At the festival, attendees can participate in workshops to learn how they can fight for Florida. They can participate in direct actions such as writing letters and recording video messages. They can also register to vote in the upcoming elections in 2012. A diverse range of speakers and live music will entertain families throughout the day. There will be a supervised play area for children, so busy parents can participate in the numerous activities. There will be a food court, educational booths, and various building trades will have their mobile demonstration units on hand to showcase their expertise. Please visit http://festival.fightforflorida.com/ for more information.

When: Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 10AM – 6PM
Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds
4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32808
Highlights: KIDS KLUB: Bounce houses, obstacle course, toddler area, face painting, X-BOX truck, fire engine
TRADE DEMO’S: Crane operation simulator, Solar Truck, etc.
RAFFLE: Flat screen TV and other prizes
Speakers & Live Music:

NOTE: All Speakers will be available via live video feed from the event. Please tune in at FightForFloridaLive

10:00AM Ethno Tek Members of the Musicians Union of Orlando
11:00AM Speakers -Silvia Peres, Immokalee Worker & Lily Ekelsen, NEA , VP Silvia Perez, Immokalee farmworker with translator. Since she came to this country, she has been working under extreme work conditions and low pay. Only able to continue in the hopes that her children will have greater opportunity, through quality public education. Now this legislature is cutting more and more, and ensuring that great teachers go elsewhere.
11:30AM Mother Shockers Members of the Musicians Union of Orlando
12:30PM Speakers – Elton and Barbara Wright Husband and wife schoolteachers who, after receiving advanced degrees, teaching for nearly 20 years, including summer school and tutoring, still don’t come close to $100K per year combined. They have a disabled teenage son and now must face a 6% cut their family income, due to changes in FRS.
2:00PM Speakers – Fred Barr & Magda Torres Public sector worker who has lost job and house will talk about how to deal with bills piling up, children suffering and how the 2011 Legislature spent their time giving tax breaks to the rich and beating up public sector unions, instead of creating jobs for the Floridians who are out of work. Magda Torres, radio personality, will highlight some of the stories she hears on her radio show every day and draw connections.
2:30 pm to 3:20 pm Plan B
3:35 pm to 4:25 pm Josh Lamkin & Automatic Heat 2010 Suncoast Blues Challenge Winner, 2011 IBC Semi Finalist
4:40 pm to 5:30 pm The Pitbull of Blues Band 2010 Orange Blossom Blues Society Central Florida Blues Challenge Winner, 2011 IBC Semi Finalist

Workshop Topics:
Speaking to Power: Using your Story and Voice to Fight Back!
Tech Me Over: Online Communication Tools and Resources
Labor Community Solidarity: Why Coalition Building Matters
Labor to Neighbor: How to Build a Grassroots Network in Your Neighborhood
Fighting for Fair Food: The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Florida’s 21st Century Farmworker Movement
Awake the State: Best Practices Panel
Why Grandma isn’t Dead: Stopping the Destruction of Medicare and Social Security
Affordable Health Care Act
Activist Recruitment: Engaging People in THEIR Political Program
Running for Office 101
Other: Reserved parking and special interview area for media

Unions Get Shafted

Enough Florida Republican Senators were sane enough not to want to repeat Wisconsin by passing the pointless union paycheck check off legislation proposed by corporatist Jon Thrasher. The union fee check off was offered by the Florida House to the Florida Senate. The Senate accepted. This will only affect state union employees.

Mike Williams, president of the AFL-CIO, said private and public unions will band together to fight this.

"They have to resort to behind closed door deals to accomplish what they can't get done in the open,'' said Mike Williams, president of the AFL-CIO, whose union is one of several at currently impasse with the state over wages and benefits agreements with state workers. "It's an abuse of the system.''

He said that rarely does the state and labor organization come to agreement without coming to an impasse, so he predicts that if this provisions stays in law, the future strategy in all collective bargaining negotiations will be to force all negotiations to impasse and then have the legislature settle it and ban all union dues check offs.

He said that if lawmakers think they can divide the coalition of labor groups by targeting just state workers in this provision, they are wrong. "The coalition is are steadfast in focusing on a unified front,'' he said.

Below is the document of the House offer to the Senate. The only good news is a 5 percent wage increase has been proposed. State workers haven't received a pay increase since 2006. The bad news it needs Rick Scott's approval.

Load Doc

AFGE Urges Members Not to Vacation in Florida

John O’Grady, president of American Federation of Government Employees, told members not to vacation in Florida because of its right to work policies.

“In a show of solidarity with our brothers and sisters, we are also recommending that any employees that do vacation, boycott those states that have taken anti-labor or anti-union positions such as Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin,” the AFGE statement said, according to Politico this morning.

The American Federation of Government Employees represents employees of the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is lobbying the Florida legislature to pass the Payment Protection Act. The legislation would forbid union members from voluntarily given a portion of their paycheck to their unions for political activities. The legislation is merely designed to bust up unions.

Republican Union Busting

Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce wants union leaders to take an economics course.

"This is a sincere offer," he said. "I'm willing to pay for 100 union leaders to go through an Economics 101 class so that they have a basic understanding of how this economy works."

Unions are withdrawing money out of Regions Bank, Bank of America, PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank and Wachovia. The banks are member of the Chamber of Commerce. Unions are doing this in protest of the Paycheck Protection Act.

What unions are doing is classic political activism. After Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a Alabama bus. A boycott ensued. On June 4, 1956, the segregation of buses was ruled unconstitutional. The boycott also financially hurt white Montgomery, Alabama businesses. I doubt the union protests will be as successful. Unions are doing this because Wilson supports legislation that would financially destroy the right to collectively bargain. Unions don't need an economics lesson to understand that Wilson wants to lower wages and benefits.

The Palm Beach Post correctly pointed out that Republicans in the Florida legislature are using the legislation has political payback. Republicans don't want unions to be able to collect dues to engage in political purposes. Yet Republicans in Tallahassee have no problems in restarting the once banned Leadership Funds. The hypocrisy is staggering. Grover Norquist publicly said Republicans will break groups that don't back the GOP.

GROVER NORQUIST: "We plan to pick up another five seats in the Senate and hold the House through redistricting through 2012. And rather than negotiate with the teachers' unions' and the trial lawyers and the various leftist interest groups, we intend to break them."

Legally, the Payment Protection Act makes no sense. Laws are suppose to protect life, liberty and property. Who is harmed from a union member giving a voluntary deduction to the AFL-CIO? The Supreme Court ruled in Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission that government can not limit profit or non-profit corporate expenditures on political activity. The Payment Protection Act is designed strictly to limit union expenditures on political activity.

The Payment Protection Act will eventually be signed by Gov. Rick Scott. The legal challenges will begin after that.

Republican Hypocrisy on Campaign Money

Fort Lauderdale police officers came out with a video asking Floridians to help stop SB 830. The bill's purpose to to financially destroy unions.

Labor and Employment; Prohibits a state agency from deducting from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of an employee organization or contributions made for purposes of political activity. Prohibits a county, municipality, or other local governmental entity from deducting from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of an employee organization or contributions made for purposes of political activity, etc.

Unions negotiate better wages and working conditions for their members. So for Republicans to merely label politicial organizations is a simplification.

There is also the hypocrisy of Republicans attempting to restrict political contributions. Conservative columnist George Will and the Supreme Court have argued that political contributions. Republicans are suddenly against the free speech when the money goes elsewhere. Apparently, Republicans believe it should be illegal for unions to be able to set up a political contribution system. Yet, that is exactly what Republicans in the Florida legislature did with its leadership funds.

The passage of the so-called leadership funds bill, HB 1207, will strengthen the clout of legislative leaders, allow them to work outside the purview of the party and, for Republicans, outside the the influence of the governor. In 2012, all legislators must run in newly drawn districts. Proponents argue the measure will increase ``transparency'' because they would give citizens the opportunity to view campaign finance activity, which is currently obscured by party reporting.

Leadership funds were banned 21 years ago when Democrats, in charge of the Legislature then, were embarrassed by a perception of pay-to-play politics. Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, said that lawmakers are headed down that path again.

"People just want you to be honest with them,'' he said. "This bill isn’t about transparency...This is about winning elections.''

It is about the Republicans able to keep to caucus in line with the promise of campaign money. Unions giving money to Democrats hinders the Republican cause. What the union-busting and leadership fund bills have to do with creating jobs is beyond me.

Quote of the Day

"I support unions and I support the idea that everybody pay their fair share."

Stephen King, author and former teacher.

King participated at a Awake the State rally in Sarasota. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that Awake the State protesters outnumbered tea partiers 10 to 1.

Bonus quote from King.

"Maybe my next horror novel will star Rick Scott," King told the cheering crowd.

Meet Mark Wilson: FL Chamber of Commerce President

Florida Chamber of Commerce president Mark Wilson made the claim that unions were busing in protesters from around the country.

"We've see the images on television: government unions from around America staging protests in Wisconsin," chamber president Mark Wilson says in a radio ad that began airing March 3, 2011. "They're not fighting for ordinary citizens, but grappling for power and money. Unfortunately, Florida is next on the union bosses' hit list. They're busing protesters to Central Florida right now to harass your courageous representatives."

Politifact rating this claim a pants on fire lie. Florida unions are not busing in protesters. Progress Florida and Susan Smith are organizing the Awake the State rallies and I doubt they could buy pizza for the protesters. This may come as a shock to Mr. Wilson but progressive activism doesn't pay as well as being the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

What I was struck most was by this portion of Wilson's statement.

"They're not fighting for ordinary citizens, but grappling for power and money."

That begs the question: what is Mr Wilson fighting for. Excuse me but when did the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce become a working class hero. Remember these comments Wilson made to the St. Petersburg Times after the Chamber was successful in funding the 2010 Florida Republican victories.

"If we don't have a good three or four years … then we've blown it," Wilson said during a legislative briefing before 50 area business leaders in Tampa on Tuesday morning. "This is our time in the business community to do what we do best."

It doesn't sound like Mr. Wilson is fighting for Tom Joad. Wilson is fighting to cut (the already low) state corporate tax and make employees pay a bigger portion into unemployment insurance. Wilson wants to pass on a tax increase to working class people to pay for a tax cut in unemployment taxes to corporations. I ask again, whose interest is Mr. Wilson fighting for.

Awake the State Rally on Tuesday

This Tuesday, there will be an Awake the State rally at Lykes Gaslight Park. Several Tampa area unions are sponsors of the event.

SIGN WAVING & MARCH at 4 PM

Corner of Kennedy Blvd and Willow St
(Next to Wal~Mart Dist: 1mi)

RALLY AT 5 PM Lykes Gaslight Park
Downtown Tampa, corner of Kennedy Blvd. and Tampa St.

Conservative Pundit Union Members

What does Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity have in common? They are all members of the American Federation Television and Radio Artists union. The AFTRA is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.

A representative from Beck's camp denied the claim, but a source within AFTRA confirmed to AlterNet Friday that O'Reilly, Limbaugh and Hannity were indeed union members.

O'Reilly confirmed on-air that he is a member of the AFTRA. Limbaugh and Hannity have been mum on their union status.

In the same segment where O'Reilly blamed government financial woes on union benefits, he not only said he was an AFTRA member, but that his membership had benefited him in the past. "On a personal note, I'm a member of a union, AFTRA, and when I was working at 'Inside Edition' some years ago, the King World company tried to renege on pension benefits," said O'Reilly. "AFTRA took them to court and the case was settled. If the shop had been non-union, we might have been stiffed."

Sadly, O'Reilly only likes unions when it benefits gis personal self-interest.

Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll on Unions

A WSJ/NBC poll found 62 percent of respondents found it "totally unacceptable" to take collective bargaining away from public sector unions. 77 percent of respondents support public sector unions having the same rights as their private union counterparts.

Respondents would like public union members to pay more into their health care and retirement benefits. That is something unions will haggle over. Ultimately, there will be some give with public sector unions.

The whole point of collective bargaining is to bargain. What Scott Walker is proposing is to not even allow public sector workers to come to the table. That means governors like Walker could layoff employees or eliminate benefits without notice. The truth is public sector workers make less than private sector counterparts doing the same job. Walker and other Republicans are living in a fantasy world be suggesting public sector workers are super rich. Ask your postal worker how many yachts he has and see if he doesn't look at you like you are insane.

The Reason Foundation released a study claiming public sector workers are paid more than the private sector. The Reason Foundation is funded by Board of Trustees member David Koch. Gov. Walker made national news by being punked by a bogus Koch. The New York Times reported Koch is funding Gov. Walker's effort to abolish collective bargaining. The Reason Foundation can hardly be considered an unbiased third party.

1,000 people were surveyed for the poll. There is a 3.1 percent margin of error.

Joel Award: Barack Obama

It is time to give out the Joel Award. The award goes any celebrity, pundit, blogger or politician that purposely contradicts himself or herself.

On the campaign trail in 2007, Barack Obama said he would march with union members if their collective bargaining rights were threatened.

“And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.”

During his trip to Wisconsin, Obama said he wasn't paying attention to what is going on. Obama also said all sides had to make "some adjustments to new fiscal realities."

Read more »

Photo of the Day

Wisconsin protesters have fun at Gov. Scott Walker's expense.

Javier Manjarres Claims Harassment by Union Members

Javier Manjarres claims two union members blocked him from getting video of Charlie Crist being interviewed. I have no beef with Manjarres, but I want to confirm that these are actually union members. I remember serial union victim Phil Parlock staging several fake attacks on himself. An infamous attack at a 2004 John Kerry rally was done on Parlock and his daughter by a man identified to be his son.

Manjarres is a well known conservative blogger. He tweeted this post to me and others, incuding Erick Erickson of RedState.com. Erickson hasn't run with Manjarres' post... yet. It remains to be seen if Erickson will.

For what it's worth: Manjarres runs one of the more interesting conservative blogs in Florida. I have linked to posts at The Shark Tank because there was useful information. Manjarres is also a conservative activist. I am going to take his claim of harassment by union members with a skepticism. If the claim is true then is true I am more than happy to defend Manjarres' first amendment right to conduct journalism. If it is bogus then I will report it as such.

Update: Manjarres can never be accused of being a Crist supporter. Her is a video from March of this year titled "Rubio Thanks Javier Manjarres and Patrick Castronovo for their work!"



Update: Manjarres sent me this tweet.

Nope. Mitch (Perry) at Creative Loafing was asking the question when it went down..clearly you can see what they are doing.

Meet & Greet With Dan Gelber

Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber is having a meet and greet with supporters this Saturday. Florida House Rep Rep. Audrey Gibson and Rep. Mia Jones will also be at the event. Get more information at Gelber's campaign web site.

When: Saturday, August 14, 2010
12:00PM-2:00PM

Where: Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local 234 Apprenticeship School
489 Stevens Street
Jacksonville, Fl. 32254

It is a good sign to see Gelber getting ssupport from a union and black elected officials. Gelber is wisely reaching out to the base.

Gelber Receives SEIU Endorsement

Florida Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber has received the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union. The union is for health care workers and supports quality care for patients.

Florida Pipe Trades Endorses Dan Gelber

The Florida Pipe Trades union has endorsed Democratic Dan Gelber for Attorney General.

“The members of the Florida Pipe Trades are proud to endorse Senator Dan Gelber in his campaign for attorney general,” said Florida Pipe Trades union rep John Lindstrom. The union endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate earlier in the month.

“During these challenging times, we need Dan’s leadership and passion to advance real solutions that will help families across Florida,” continued Lindstrom. “And with Dan’s extensive legal background and experience in protecting Floridians, we will have an attorney general prepared to maneuver the complex legal challenges ahead.”

The Florida Pipe Trades has previously endorsed Charlie Crist.