Listen to the two latest ‘Alternative Visions’ radio shows, hosted by Dr. Jack Rasmus, on the Progressive Radio Network. The first show, airing September 18, interviews guests Steve Early and Carl Finamore who attended the recent AFLCIO convention in LA . The show focuses on the topic of Union-Community Alliances and the AFLCIO’s recent discussion on creating new forms of partnerships between unions and community groups. The second show, that airs September 25, interviews immigrant rights and labor activist, Alan Benjamin, on new realignments of immigration rights groups in progress given the collapse of the Immigrant Rights bill in Congress and Obama’s refusal to take executive action on behalf of immigrant rights.
Both shows and interviews are available for download on the progressive radio network, accessible at http://prn.fm/category/archives/alternative-visions/. The shows are also archived and available at alternativevisions.podbean.com.
1. September 18 show: ‘The AFLCIO Convention & New Union-Community Alliances
Show Description: ‘Dr. Jack Rasmus welcomes two long-time union officers, Steve Early of the CWA and Carl Finamore of the Machinists, who attended the recent AFLCIO convention where delegates recently discussed and voted on whether to bring community groups (NAACP, La Raza, Sierra Club, etc.) into the union federation as a new kind of membership. Both Steve and Carl have more than 30 years each of experience in the US labor movement, which they bring to the discussion. Jack introduces the show and discussion with an explanation of the dimensions of the deep decline in union labor in the USA, its failing organizing and bargaining strategies at the company level and the political level with its alliance with the Democratic Party, as well as the consequences of both. Steve and Carl discuss the resolution and scope of the decision at the AFLCIO convention to forge a deeper partnership with community organizations. How can union labor stop and reverse its slide? Jack and guests debate whether some kind of new grass roots organizational structure uniting labor and community organizations must occur if union labor in the US is to survive and grow.
Guest bios: Steve Early is a retired, long time staff representative for the Communications Workers of America and an author of several recent books on the US union movement today, including ‘Embedded With Organized Labor’ and ‘The Civil Wars in US Labor’. Carl Finamore is a former president of Local 1781 of the machinists union representing workers in the airlines industry and a frequent writer to various magazines and blogs on labor and other issues. Check out both their recent articles on the widely read blog, Counterpunch.org, on the recent AFLCIO convention and other labor topics.’
2. September 24/25 show: Immigrants Rights Movement at Historical Juncture
Show Description: Dr. Jack Rasmus invites long-time immigrant rights and union activist, Alan Benjamin, to discuss current and possible realignments in immigrant rights groups’ strategies in the wake of the collapsed Obama legislative proposals in Congress. Benjamin explains in detail the onerous provisions of the recent immigrant rights bill that is now dead on arrival, the new emerging demands of immigrant rights groups’ as 400,000 a year deportations continue under the current administration. Jack and Alan discuss the just formed ‘United Front for Justice & Dignity’ this September 7 of 100 founding members from 40 different groups, and the AFL-CIO convention’s recent internal debates over resolution #4 vs. resolution #23. New directions in grass roots organizing and new demands by immigrant rights groups for Obama to enact immigration reform by executive order are considered. The demands of the recently formed ‘United Front for Justice & Dignity’ above can be viewed at http://www.todopoderalpueblo.org.
Guest bio: Alan Benjamin is a delegate to the San Francisco AFLCIO central labor council, a long time union member, and a leading activist with several groups advocating rights and citizenship for 11 million undocumented workers in the US.
Access both shows for download at:
http://prn.fm/category/archives/alternative-visions/.
or at:
Dr. Jack Rasmus @drjackrasmus
Jack Rasmus 
August 24, 2013
PROBLEM: Unauthorized visitors
DEFINITION: Unauthorized visitors are those persons who enter a country without legal authorization and those who overstay their authorized period.
CAUSES, REASONS, AND PROVENANCE: The main reason for unauthorized visitors is that people want and hope to improve their lives and the lives of their families and will gravitate to those situations where the economics provide the incentives to make the change.
DISCUSSION: I think all would stipulate that anyone has the right to attempt to better his or her conditions insofar as those efforts do not infringe upon the rights of others.
Each nation has the right and obligation to establish immigration laws for the orderly and rational assimilation of authorized immigrants.
Do the following comments provide justification for unauthorized immigration?
1. Unauthorized immigrants are looking to better their situations.
2. Unauthorized immigrants provide inexpensive labor and are hard workers.
3. This Nation was built upon immigrants.
4. It is virtually impossible to find and deport 12,000,000 unauthorized immigrants.
The answers to the above four should be an unequivocal “no”.
If anyone disagrees with that, I will appreciate his or her reasoning for a “yes” response.
RECOMMENDED “COMPREHENSIVE” SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM:
A foolproof system must be devised, implemented, with substantial penalties for non-compliance that will verify a person’s legal authorization to work in the United States.
The concept of “anchor babies” should be eliminated, either by a pragmatic interpretation of the 14th Amendment (displaced the disputed Civil Rights legislation of 1866, which was passed by Congress over Andrew Johnson’s veto, and which was proposed by Congress six months after the 13th Amendment had been ratified), by Congressional legislation in accordance with Section 5 of the 14th Amendment, or by a Constitutional Amendment, that could and should be passed by the House and Senate and ratified by the requisite 38 states within a year.
There should be a $4.00 (arbitrary) per gallon increase in the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel, at the pump.
A tax credit would be allowed any U.S. taxpayer (who possesses a valid driver’s license and submits proof of vehicle registration and proof of insurance) in the amount of $2,000.00 per year (10,000 miles @ 20 MPG = 500 gallons, thus, 500 X $4.00 = $2,000.00).
Ancillary benefits would include that this federal excise tax would be collected from all visitors, authorized and unauthorized, and this would stimulate purchasers of new vehicles to demand more mileage efficiency, i.e., there would be no need for the government to force manufacturers to increase mileage efficiencies. The marketplace would be effective.
Federal legislation should be passed that would eliminate all minimum wage laws. The “minimum wage” concept should be replaced with a massive expansion of the EITC regulations, which would cover all U.S. taxpayers who are older than 17 years of age.
Another benefit would be that labor costs would be shifted from “above-the-line” to “below-the-line”, making our industries more competitive.
CONCLUSION: If the above changes were legislated, a substantial number of unauthorized visitors would conclude that it would be better to end their visits, since the economics of remaining in the United States, without authorization, would be substantially diminished.
After a year, the situation should be reviewed and adjustment should be made to further the resolution of this serious matter.
It is logical that a newborn should assume the nationality of the mother, regardless of the venue of the birth, therefore, the strategy of a mother, who has no authorization to be in the U.S., giving birth in the United States should be of no consequence.
This is a nascent effort at offering a pragmatic and rational solution to this serious matter.
NOTES: This will be a process, i.e., not an overnight solution. I will appreciate all comments, critical as well as supportive, with the former being most appreciated if rational reasons are included.
Representative Sherman is aware of this article, has promised a response and has failed to do so. We, the People are begging for leaders, not pure politicians who have embedded within their DNA the need to withhold the truth.
TO RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS ARITCLE OR TO OFFER YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR REQUEST AND COMMENTS TO:
mikiesmoky@aol.com
mz
Last modified: July 24, 2010
Last modified – June 29, 2013
Last modified – August 24, 2013
___________________________________________________________
THE FOLLOWING IS A RESPONSE TO A COMMENT TO THE ABOVE:
(modified on August 24, i.e., not included in original response,)
June 13, 2013
Phunyfarm,
Thank you for your comments and perspective.
My comments should be and are meant to be the beginning of a serious
“problem-solving” discussion of this extremely serious matter.
Most respond negatively to the excise tax with the perception that they couldn’t
afford $8.00 per gallon. Apparently, those do not understand the tax credit,
until they stop yelling at the idea long enough to have it explained to them.
Additional benefits would be that all visitors would pay the $8.00 per gallon,
which would benefit our tax receipts, AND purchasers of automobiles will demand more efficient vehicles (the tax credit would expire within 5-10 years).
The EITC would substitute for minimum wage laws ONLY for American citizens and those with legal authority to work, here. The rationale for the 18yo
requirement is to provide a disincentive for high school students to leave school early.
The lack of a minimum wage and increased expenses (gasoline) would make it
difficult for those visitors who decided to stay rather than go back to country
of origin. All “visitors” should be welcomed to come and enjoy activities…., then go home and live happy lives.
Again…., these thoughts should be discussed and “fine-tuned”.
At a Townhall Meeting a couple months ago, I gave a copy to my Congressman, Brad Sherman. Before I handed it to him, as I walked up to him, he shook my hand and exclaimed that I want to change how our government functions and have 17 different causes. We have had a number of discussions and he has NEVER disagreed with me. At a “coffee”, last year, he came up to me and whispered that he was closer to my ideas than any one else in Congress.
The unfortunate factor is that he is a politician. Mr. Sherman is possibly one of our most intelligent and knowledgeable people in Congress and I like him, but he does not appear to be that which We the People are begging for, a leader, and, as with almost all politicians, he has the DNA embedded within that enables him to withhold the truth, at best.
He told me to write my phone number on the item I gave him (Illegal Visitors), but has not called nor has any of his staff.
UPDATE: Late June, I spoke with Scott, Rep. Sherman’s top campaign person, who was going to review the above and get back to me.
Finally, on July 11, since Scott had not called me, I called him and expressed my displeasure with his failure. The conversation (admittedly, more of a monologue by me) lasted about 15 minutes. Again, he has failed to follow-up.
mz
TRADE AND SERVICE UNIONS
DEFINITION: A number of persons joining together for some common purpose.
TYPES OF UNIONS: Private and public
FACTS: Private and public unions negotiate with employers to obtain specific goals for those persons being represented.
Subjects for negotiations include wages, benefits, and working conditions.
If negotiations result in additional costs to an employer:
a. A private employer will absorbed those costs or will pass some or all to the customers.
b. A public employer will have its “rainy-day” funds reduced or will raise additional revenue from its taxpayers.
ANALYSIS:
a. If a private employer absorbs additional negotiated costs, margins will be affected, which will reduce taxable income, which will cause a reduction in the value of the employer’s business. If the employer passes on the additional costs to its customers, it would be inflationary and the customers would have less spendable funds for other expenditures, which may adversely affect the economics. In most instances of higher costs, those costs will be passed on to the customers.
b. If a public employer raises additional revenue from its taxpayers, the taxpayers will have less spendable funds and that may adversely affect the economics.
c. When a politician, economist, or anyone else calls for high-paying union jobs, they are implying that there be a shift of wealth from customers to the high-paying union jobs.
mz
mikiesmoky@aol.com
February 26, 2011
Would like to know more about what is happening to college graduates in the U.S. as it pertains to jobs. What fields of study are hiring, what fields are not and how are college graduates fairing in the U.S. job market?