Do I have the right to cast my one precious vote for the kind of country I want without being called names?

I was added to this glorious FaceBook page, "Baby Boomers 4 Obama," without my permission.

Now on this page I am told anyone who has the audacity to cast their vote for the kind of country they want is now considered a "spoiler."

This is an interesting point of view in a country boasting to the world that it is the greatest bastion of democracy where each and every vote is "dear" and "precious."

But, Democrats not happy with Obama could just as easily cast their votes for Jill Stein, thereby unifying the liberal, progressive and left vote bringing Jill Stein to the White House instead of Obama or Romney whose major distinguishing difference is that Romney is a vulture capitalist and Obama represents the venture Capitalists from the Wall Street crowd as we can see from his "bundlers." Oh, wait! A venture capitalist is a vulture capitalist! No difference at all there.

More to the point. Obama could just do those things he built his campaign around and then there would be no reason for voters to be in this quandary as to who they should vote for. Isn't this a new and novel concept?

In the meantime as Obama carries out his Wall Street agenda of wars, murder and mayhem abroad while sticking it to U.S. tax-payers to pick up the tab, as we get austerity measures shoved down our throats with food prices, electricity and home heating fuels soaring as the robbery at the gas pumps continues unabated; home foreclosures mounting with no end in sight and no prosecutions nor jailing of these Wall Street perpetrators of their crimes that victimize millions of families; college and university tuitions rising in an unending upwards spiral; with police violence and repression shown every night on the news as Obama has eroded our most basic and fundamental Constitutional Rights protected by what is left of the Bill of Rights--- have I left out any reason why people might be thinking of voting for a real progressive like Jill Stein?

Oh, yes; I forgot the bailouts of the bankers and auto industry and the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010" that we got from Obama instead of the single-payer universal health care system Obama said he was for in order to win the 2008 Primary Election.

Did I leave anything else out?

By golly I did. Obama has refused to enforce Affirmative Action in the billions of dollars of from his "stimulus funding" with unemployment among people of color, women and the handicapped soaring out of sight more rapidly than food prices in the super-market.

Now, do any of you Obama sock-puppets worried about a
"split vote" from "spoilers" want to provide me with your list of 244 reasons to re-elect this Wall Street charlatan who makes Elmer Gantry look like a Tibetan monk?  

Do I have the right. in this democracy--- or what purports to be a democracy--- to cast my one precious vote for peace, jobs, social and economic justice without being called names?

The Native Mob--- arrests too late, and no solutions to the problems giving rise to this violence

Why have the Minnesota government, FBI and other police agencies waited so long to start cleaning out these degenerates in the Native Mob after allowing them to terrorize entire communities for so long?

And why haven't the corrupt tribal politicians who have been using the Native Mob to enforce their rule been arrested, too?

These police agencies and the FBI are as corrupt and rotten as the Native Mob; more so because they tolerated this for so long.

Had these police agencies taken action when they should have ten and fifteen years ago, all these young people now being arrested would not have become involved in these violent, criminal activities.

And had there been the proper programs to give young people the kind of direction and opportunities in life--- like decent educations, the kind of recreation and sports programs all youth require as part of growing up and jobs with real living wages--- none of these gangs would even exist in the first place.

Where are the leaders of this Native Mob? Why aren't they being jailed?

Look at the Red Lake Indian Reservation--- the Tribal Chair, Floyd "Buck" Jourdain has surrounded himself with these creeps.

Then you have Archie La Rose at Leech Lake, the Tribal Chair. Prison authorities have been allowing him to campaign for office using the votes of imprisoned Native Mob members--- one has to wonder who is running the prisons, the wardens or the prisoners.

And then we have this Native Mob walking right into the Beltrami County Jail distributing drugs to everyone from guards to prisoners.

Had governments at all levels been doing their jobs creating a decent and caring society with the kinds of programs kids require, none of these young people would have turned to this violent and criminal behavior.

We need an explanation why this Native Mob has been allowed to freely operate on and off the Indian Reservations.

It's enough to make any concerned and caring person sick. What a dirty shame these young people are now being sent off to prison for dastardly, violent anti-social crimes when society and this rotten government let them down at a time in their lives when they were entitled to much better.

And what are politicians doing to correct the problems? Nothing.

Racist Democrats and Republicans are now using the perverted concept of sovereignty created by the National Indian Gaming Association to attack the Indian Nations

Racist Republicans in Wisconsin are now using the Indian Gaming Industry's perversion of sovereignty against the people of the Indian Nations. The evidence of this is right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZosKfHDiQo&feature=player_embedded

Roger Jourdain, the now deceased long-time Chair of the Red Lake Nation, was constantly pointing out that "sovereignty" and "Indian Law" were not intended to be perverted and twisted into being used by corrupt tribal politicians to take away the basic and fundamental human rights of Indian people.

With the corrupt tribal governments using "sovereignty" to deprive casino workers the right to organize unions in defense of their health, lives and livelihoods while forcing workers to endure smoke-filled places of employment causing heart and lung diseases, cancers and complications of diabetes; these corrupt tribal governments have opened the Indian Nations to these kinds of racist attacks.

Even, Tom Bakk, a racist Democratic State Legislator here in Minnesota, has argued that the increased pollution from the Polymet mining project will have less impact on humans than the smoke in the casinos.

These racist politicians are, in essence, taking the perverted concept of "sovereignty" created by the likes of racist rich white bastards like John McCarthy to justify the denial of human rights by Indian Gaming Industry to working people and in the process using the impoverished Indian Nations as a pool of cheap labor to drive down the wages of all working people which in turn pushes the profits of the corporations like the mining companies up; the Indian Gaming Industry, which most everyone now understands is nothing but a front for organized crime and a big slush-fund for corrupt politicians, has so perverted the concept of sovereignty that this perverted concept of sovereignty is now being used against Indian people.

The people to "thank" for having perverted what sovereignty is are those like John McCarthy who heads up the Minnesota Indian gaming association, the crooked and corrupt Stanley Crooks who heads up the huge Mystic Lake Casino empire and those like wife-beater Kevin Leecy who co-chairs the National Indian Gaming Association and Wisconsin's own Ernie Stevens, Jr., the Chair of the National Indian Gaming Association.

Racist Democrats and Republicans in both Minnesota and Wisconsin are now taking the perverted concept of sovereignty created by the National Indian Gaming Association to pollute our streams, rivers and lakes along with the air we breathe and the land we grow our food on as they destroy the wild rice and its related industry.

Now is a good time for everyone to sit down and redefine the issue of tribal sovereignty to what it is supposed to be: a defense of Indian people and Indian Nations, not to hurt and harm people in a continuation of centuries long racist genocide, but to defend the rights--- the human rights, which includes worker's rights--- of the Native American Indian peoples along with the ecosystems and environment we all share.

Enough of this racism.

Enough of this corporate greed.

A defense of real sovereignty for the Indian Nations is a defense of democracy and human rights, the environment and ecosystems important to ALL of us.

Do you believe Obama?

Everything Obama talked about could have been done already--- he can't blame Congress because we all saw how both Democrats and Republicans repeatedly stood and applauded--- right on cue.

Of course, everything, for some strange reason, can only be done after the election.

At best what Obama spoke about was minimal and would be of little consequence in ending the crisis of everyday living for most working people; at worst, Obama is Obama--- one big liar who will turn everything he makes sound good into one more boondoggle enabling Wall Street to feed at the public trough as he drags us closer and closer to one, two, three and more wars while sticking working people with the tab from which his campaign contributors--- Wall Street vultures--- will profit from... and, it is the worst we are in for.

Remember, it was Obama who built his base of support on two issues:

1. Peace--- in 2008 he was the candidate for peace; he got the Peace Prize and ever since we have been a nation at war;

2. Obama promised single-payer universal health care; once elected we got the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010."

Obama hired a gaggle of phoney leftists like Tom Hayden, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Barbara Ehrenreich, and Carl Davidson to help him sell himself as a progressive which we now know for sure he is not.

Will people fall for Obama's crap another time around?

Obama or Romney--- the exact same reactionary Wall Street agenda of wars abroad and austerity measures here at home to pay for the wars is going to continue.

Liberals, progressives and the left--- have you had enough?

We have five alternatives before us as we enter an intense stage of electoral politics:

1. We can drop out and abstain from participating in the class struggle--- don't vote and leave the fate of our democracy solidly without opposition in our enemy's--- Wall Street's hands;

2. We can vote for one of the "lesser evils," who appears to be Romney;

3. We can vote for Jill Stein/Green Party
< http://www.jillstein.org/ >;

4. We can vote for Rocky Anderson/Justice Party
< https://www.voterocky.org/home.html >;

5. We can push for Rocky Anderson/Justice Party and Jill /green Party to join forces and work like hell to break free from this two-party trap as we struggle to take power from these Wall Street parasites who will be putting on a multi-billion dollar show arguing with one another over whether they are "vulture" capitalists or "venture" capitalists--- when they are really nothing but the same greedy bastards coming back in 2012 to pick our bones clean. 

Check out the New Progressive Alliance--- working towards a united liberal/progressive/left political alternative:
< http://newprogs.org/ >

Please add your thoughts; circulate and share.

Carter: Gingrich's 'subtle words' have racist appeal

 

Carter: Gingrich's 'subtle words' have racist appeal ~ "Former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday charged Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich with crafting his campaign message in a way that speaks to prejudice. "I wouldn't say he's racist, but he knows the subtle words to use to appeal to a racist group," the former Democratic president. Carter said Gingrich's experience as a former congressman from Georgia prepared him to use rhetoric that would be more popular in the South, including within certain constituencies in South Carolina. Carter said Gingrich uses terms about welfare "that have been appealing in the past, in those days when we cherished segregation of the races." So he's appealing for that in South Carolina, and I don't think it'll pay off in the long run," Carter added. " ~

I like Jimmy Carter; he was a worthless president but in later years has substantially redeemed himself. But, now, in Carter, the Democrats have found a voice to call racists the racists they really are while remaining silent about the fact that Obama has substantially strengthened institutionalized racism because he has refused to enforce Affirmative Action. Since Carter the president only very meekly and weakly enforced Affirmative Action, I guess we should just be happy he has spoken out against the vile racism of Newt Gingrich--- but wait! Stop! Carter has referred to Newt Gingrich's vile racism saying it should be considered "subtle."

What is with these recent descriptions of racism as being "soft" and "subtle?"

And what is with people being unable to clearly explain Obama's refusing to enforce Affirmative Action as contributing to the strengthening of institutionalized racism?

It's kind of like we are being desensitized for the further use of racist language while simultaneously being prepared to accept politicians who do nothing to end racism.

Kind of sad, but these radical and incendiary words seem to be words we need to be hearing, now---

"A good job is as basic and important a civil right as a good education . . . which would require such [affirmative] action by law, was both necessary and right... would require federal contractors to show affirmative action' to meet the goals of increasing minority employment."

and---

"Neither the President nor the Congress nor the conscience of the nation can permit money which comes from all the people to be used in a way which discriminates against some of the people."

We really can't expect Obama and the Democrats like Jimmy Carter to go around talking like this; could we?

Radical, inflammatory and incendiary remarks like above stirring controversy and inciting social disruption.

Words uttered by an angry Malcolm X? No.

What about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Nah.

President Richard M. Nixon.

Kind of a sad commentary on politics in our country when we can't even expect former President Jimmy Carter and current President Barack Obama to speak and act on a level with the likes of Richard Nixon.

Gingrich's "subtle words have racist appeal."

What signal do you suppose the President of the United States refusing to enforce Affirmative Action sends to the white sheeted crowd? Maybe something like: "We won; we won."

The time has come to free ourselves from this two-party trap

The time is here to free ourselves from this two-party trap

by Alan Maki on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 10:25am

I think when people step forward and run for office as Jill Stein has done in running for president by putting forward our agenda for real progressive change, we shouldn't be concerned how "professional" they and their staffs are.

We should be willing to volunteer and pitch in to help fill the gaps.

It doesn't take that much for each and everyone of us to use our e-mail lists to send out information about Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson and Darcy Richardson.

Make a post here and there to sites we visit or normally post to.

Write letters to the editor and op-ed pieces articulating the anger of the majority of the people with the two-parties.

With almost 20,000 people participating on FireDogLake, hundreds of thousands more on FaceBook, if we all did our little part we would be able to become quite a formidable electoral force for real progressive change.

Look at it this way: We are each like one little snowflake, we don't amount to much--- but, together we are like a blizzard.

I also think we need to push very hard to get Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson to reach a "meeting of the minds" in coming together to create a "unity" ticket. We try to unite our various movements in spite of very large differences at times in order to achieve specific goals and objectives, and our activities in the electoral field should receive the same kind of attention.

I am for a Stein-Anderson or Anderson-Stein ticket with them announcing very quickly a cabinet that would consist of an even broad range of thinking from liberal to progressive and left from all regions of the country.

Many people fed up with this two-party trap would appreciate us forging a new political party bringing together the historic coalition which has won so much over the years--- and in this situation, finally breaking free from the Democrats and Republicans in challenging Wall Street for power would be an important accomplishment. Plus it would leave us with a strong movement to push forward for real change.

People should not write-off that it is not possible to win. There will likely be a few more parties capable of getting significant numbers of votes in the mix of things. In a four or five way race everything changes and with a focus on reflecting at the polls the historic coalition of liberals, progressives and the left we would form the largest POTENTIAL voting block--- hence we see the desperation and meanness of these Obama sock-puppets and their friends from outfits like the "Progressives for Obama" whose intent it is to bully us into silence. Let's not get demoralized and feel beat down before we begin to fight.

The die-hard Obama boosters want us to think the world will end if Obama isn't re-elected. This is why they don't want to go up against Romney. Because Romney, where he stands now, is no different at all from Obama. Should Romney get smart and move towards the domestic policies of Richard Nixon, Obama is in big, big trouble. Kind of strange and sad, but if one studies Nixon's record on labor, civil rights (especially Native American issues), the environment--- Nixon comes out light-years ahead of Obama; and, if one looks at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Nixon, while George Romney was at the helm, George Romney makes Obama entire cabinet look like a bunch of fascist morons.

Richard Nixon said: "A good job is as basic and important a civil right as a good education . . . which would require such [affirmative] action by law, was both necessary and right... would require federal contractors to show affirmative action' to meet the goals of increasing minority employment."

Tricky Dick Nixon, speaking of ending discrimination in employment declared: "Neither the President nor the Congress nor the conscience of the nation can permit money which comes from all the people to be used in a way which discriminates against some of the people."

Obama is sunk if Mitt Romney starts speaking in this way.

People still clinging to two-party politics will likely turn to Romney as "the lesser evil."

Most people will be turned off as Obama and Romney argue over who is the best candidate to carry on the "virtues" of this rotten capitalist system as they argue over whether or not Romney is a vulture capitalist or a venture capitalist.

Not to mention rising food, clothing, gas and home heating oil prices to together with continuing massive unemployment, rising student debt and tuition costs, unending wars and occupations with austerity measures being shoved down our throats with Social Security and all of our public institutions from schools to libraries and roads taking hits.

Under these circumstances we have the perfect opportunity to break free from this two-party trap. And if we don't seize this opportunity to at least build a lasting base for our third party alternative we will have lost a great opportunity. 

Such a political development would have the possibility of electing candidates at other levels--- local, state and congressional if some activists with an inclination to run for public office begin making plans now.

One such activist who has seen the opportunity here in Minnesota is Michael Cavlan who has come out swinging against the Democrats and Republicans. He has hitched his cart to the Rocky Anderson wagon--- good thinking in my opinion. Consider what impact a couple dozen campaigns like this across the country would have.

For those who live in areas of the country where it is hard to imagine a snowstorm; think of a little raindrop. One little raindrop doesn't amount to much--- but let it pour!

Kevin Leecy— wife beater and gambling kingpin; front-man for the mob

Kevin Leecy— wife beater and gambling kingpin; front-man for the mob
By: Alan Maki Saturday January 21, 2012 6:46 am	Tweet

This article [http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/137720973.html] was written by Kevin Leecy— a real creep, who not only beats the crap out of his wife (he was arrested, and convicted, for beating her unconscious), but works for some of the most violent and corrupt mobsters in the United States.

As Kevin Leecy is fully aware, not one single Indian or Indian Nation or their tribal gaming enterprises owns anything in these casinos or anything associated with these casinos— one family of mobsters owns the slot machines, another family of mobsters owns the restaurants, another family of mobsters own the bars, another mobster family owns the hotels and motels, etc. All that the Indian Nations own is one great big pile of debt which enables the owners of the slot machines to walk away with huge un-taxed profits.

The lawsuit filed by White Earth Indian Nation against one of the most violent organized crime families in the United States clearly demonstrates the ties between organized crime and this so-called Indian Gaming Industry where everyone profits, including the politicians, except for Indians. There was a huge settlement awarded but collecting on that settlement will be another matter.

For more background information see:

 

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/21/tribal-casino-settlement/

http://www.whiteearth.com/data/upfiles/files/Jan52011_2.pdf

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=339682

The only thing the Indian Nations own associated with these casinos is a huge pile of debt which is breeding massive poverty.

 

There is a huge price to pay for gambling with the mob:  

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/930823/archive_015665_3.htm

 

The price Indian Nations and Indian people pay for gambling with the mob is called P-O-V-E-R-T-Y; massive poverty.

Kevin Leecy, Marge Anderson and the rest of these crooked and corrupt tribal officials signing this statement— and, yes, they are all crooked and corrupt— force over 44,000 Minnesota casino workers and those employed in the related hotel/motel, restaurants, bars and theme parks to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled workplaces that would be violations of state and federal labor laws in any other places of employment here in Minnesota as he enables a bunch of rich white mobsters to abscond with the majority of the profits.

Who believes Leecy’s financial figures? Only those who allow themselves to be duped because they “don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth.” No one can check Leecy’s figures because no appropriate financial records are kept as recent court trials have shown. In fact, the people of the White Earth Nation were bilked out of over $700 million by mobster Anthony Medure— almost one billion dollars. And even with the winning of this law suit the White Earth Band will be lucky if they are able to take possession of an old dump truck from Anthony Medure.

I find it ironic that Archie LaRose, the Tribal Chair of Leech Lake Indian Nation, had the unmitigated gall to sign this opinion piece after his own father and mother were found to be stealing the casino blind. And how much did Melanie Benjamin steal from the casino operations without being prosecuted and here we have Marge Anderson signing this. And then here we have Floyd “Buck” Jourdain signing this while his drug dealing family using Red Lake’s casinos to push their filthy drugs from Red Lake’s three casinos and their Warroad Casino on Lake-of-the-Woods maintains a “party boat” that forces casino workers into prostitution .

This is a disgrace that the Minneapolis Star Tribune would allow this kind of opinion piece to be published without challenging anything that has been written— a bunch of lies intending to deceive by covering up the facts— all of which mirrors the corruption entailed in the Indian Gaming Industry intended to make a few wealthy dregs of society even richer directly off the poverty being forcibly imposed on the Indian people and all casino workers.

These casino operations create huge pools of cheap labor with their poverty wages, which other businesses appreciate because these huge pools of cheap labor push all wages across this state down.

Kevin Leecy and his battalion of high-paid lobbyists (And how many of these high-paid lobbyists are Native American— what’s wrong, there are no Native Americans qualified to do this lobbying? What qualifications for lobbying Minnesota politicians  does one need other than being able to carry around a brown paper bag full of cash and handing it out while putting a handful here and there into one’s own pocket?)

Leecy has a lot of nerve talking about problems of people living on Indian Reservations when he is directly involved in creating many of these problems while the politicians the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association back with huge bribes are directly responsible for creating the rest of the problems— problems ranging from:

1. Massive poverty (casino workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor— any school child understands this connection between poverty wages and poverty); over 300,000 people, the family members of those employed in these casinos and related businesses in the jobs Kevin Leecy boasts about creating are all poor.

2. Ill health from working day in and day out in smoke-filled casinos— heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes complications related to cigarette smoke.

3. Workers with no rights at work in the workplace— as we have seen, gaming officials and management harass, threaten to fire and fire casino workers who voice opinions and participate in activities contrary to those of casino managements. Hundreds of casino workers in Minnesota were fired when they clamored for casino workers to be included in Minnesota’s “Freedom to Breaths” legislation which our Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council led efforts to get enacted only to be left out of the protection by Minnesota legislators including those who call themselves ”progressive”  and talk about “containing health care costs.” For those like Minnesota DFL State Senator John Marty, containing the health care costs of 44,000 casino workers was not as important as receiving what is in the “brown paper bags” delivered by over thirty high-paid lobbyists at election time. It is all about “money, money, money;” the money being stolen from the Indian Nations and Indian people.

Kevin Leecy does not mention casino workers are forced to sign statements as the condition of their employment that they will not engage in union organizing lest they will be immediately terminated. Hundreds of workers have been fired from the huge Mystic Lake Casino operation for being engaged in union organizing. This is blatant illegal conduct on the part of Stanley Crooks who oversees Mystic Lake operations and because Stanley Crooks is such a great “philanthropist,” elected officials are willing to overlook this. Just forcing people to sign a statement as a condition of their employment that they understand they will be terminated should they be found to be engaged in union organizing is, in and of itself, blatantly illegal and in opposition to everything the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights stands for not to mention the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights which remain the supreme and over-riding laws of all the Indian Nations— all of whom fly the flag of the United States of America.

Why doesn’t Kevin Leecy tell us about the thousands of casino workers who have been fired for having done nothing wrong at all under the “at will” terms of employment— and how these casino managements will spend tens of thousands of dollars fighting to deny these workers unjustly terminated unemployment benefits?

Kevin Leecy doesn’t tell us how the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association lives. Why didn’t Kevin Leecy ask the Star Tribune to have his picture taken on the multi-million dollar estate of John McCarthy so Native Americans can see how this man lives at their expense?

And why didn’t Kevin Leecy and Marge Anderson tell us about the nifty little business John McCarthy, this rich white man, bought himself with the proceeds from Indian Gaming.

John McCarthy purchased Tony Doom Supply Company, a campaign supply specialty business.

John McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, hands out bribes— campaign contributions to all the Democrats and many Republicans— with one hand; and with the other hand he takes the money back for himself through Tony Doom Supply Company which produces campaign yard signs, pens and pencils, and sells the politicians their office furniture, etc.

Tax-payers pay for much of this luxury office furniture for their legislative offices at prices more than ten times it could be purchased from at any other office supply company… quite the scam McCarthy has going— the Minnesota Attorney General, Secretary of State and even Governor Dayton purchase office furniture and equipment from McCarthy’s Tony Doom Enterprises— as do politicians all over the United States who are bribed with the funds derived from Indian Gaming as their pay-offs for creating and supporting the “Compacts” which create and enable all of this corruption.

Kevin Leecy, Marge Anderson, John McCarthy— nothing but a bunch of swindling crooks stealing from Indian people while simultaneously pushing Indian people further into poverty.

By the way; is there a reason why the Minneapolis Star Tribune never questions Kevin Leecy, John McCarthy, Marge Anderson, Floyd “Buck” Jourdain or any of the other signers of this opinion piece as to how much they make? For the answer to this question, check out all the casino advertising in the Minneapolis Star Tribune— ditto for all the other newspaper, radio and television stations.

Kevin Leecy got let off for beating the crap out of his wife and the Minneapolis Star Tribune lets him get away with peddling these lies… it is all about money, money, money— the mobsters and the lobbyists along with newspaper owners and politicians just love money; their love of money supersedes the truth and addressing the problems of the people associated with poverty.

Any day of the week anyone can sit in a Beltrami County courtroom and see people having beat their wives like Kevin Leecy did being sent off to the state prisons;  yet here we have this guy writing an opinion piece that is nothing but unchallenged lie after unchallenged lie photographed in the Fortune Bay Casino in a nice fancy suit when he should be photographed in a prison uniform behind prison bars.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/137357813.html

 

 

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/137720973.html

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/137720973.html

Minnesota tribes are about more than gambling

www.startribune.com

Some Minnesotans refer to tribes not by their official names but by their casinos’ names, such as “Grand Casino” for the

Romney, Bain Capital, and the 2012 Election

Romney, Bain Capital, and the 2012 Election
By: Alan Maki Friday January 20, 2012 7:27 am	Tweet

Republicans are now attacking Romney by asking: Why would we vote for someone just like Obama?
I have wondered the same thing myself ever since Obama announced he was seeking election.

Only I asked the question a little differently.

I asked my fellow liberals, progressives and leftists: Why would we vote for Obama; he is no different from Romney?

And now Romney and Obama attack each other.

Obama calls himself a defender of “venture capitalism” while attacking Romney as a “vulture capitalist” and some of Romney’s own Republicans have seized on criticizing Romney as a “vulture capitalist.”

Romney himself is insulted being called a “vulture capitalist” and refers to himself as a “venture capitalist.”

In fact, “venture capitalists” are “vulture capitalists;” and, “vulture capitalists” are “venture capitalists.”

Proving once again there is no difference between Obama and Romney.

And in the meantime, Wall Street becomes uneasy that capitalism is being talked about at all because all this talk about capitalism makes people begin to question the legitimacy of a system that has functioned so well; functioned so well creating wealth for the greedy few as so many people are forced to suffer.

I can’t help but wonder why working people and all the victims of capitalism— including the racially and nationally oppressed and women— haven’t been quick to join in this discussion about capitalism which is now in its most savage, barbaric, cannibalistic imperialist stage?

Why have the unions been so hesitant to join in this discussion?

We are living in the “twilight of world capitalism” as this imperialist stage of capitalism was described by the great working class leader William Z. Foster, while the official voice of Wall Street, Alan Greenspan, refers to our times as being “the age of turbulence.

“Venture capitalist” or “vulture capitalist;” what we are talking about are a bunch of greedy Wall Street coupon clipping parasites for whom the capitalist system works very well at the expense of most of us suffering.

How is Barack Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s Wall Street war economy of venture/vulture capitalism working for you?

“Venture” or “vulture” capitalism— capitalism doesn’t work for most of us so why aren’t we discussing its replacement with a system that will work for everyone? Instead of this dog-eat-dog capitalist system we need a cooperative social and economic system, socialism?

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, was called a “Communist” for advocating “New Deal” reforms “straight out of ‘The Communist Manifesto’,” Perkins looked her attackers straight in the eyes and politely responded: “I would rather see programs helping people instead of remaining mere words on the pages of an old pamphlet.”

Today, we should have the same courage demonstrated by Madame Secretary Frances Perkins as we working people join this discussion and debate about capitalism.

Romney says, “It is capitalism and freedom that make us strong.”

Obama argues in response, “It is freedom and capitalism that make us strong.”

Can someone explain to me where we find the “lesser evil” between Obama and Romney?

They both admit to supporting a very evil— and collapsing— capitalist economic system in its twilight stage of imperialism that is giving us war after war while breeding racism, unemployment and poverty as quickly as maggots in the bottom of a filthy garbage can multiply.

Romney “worked” for Bain Capital. Bain Capital works for Obama.

I wonder why, since corporations are now persons, why Bain Capital just doesn’t run for president in 2012?

A message to Wisconsin liberals and progressives who are convening meetings across their state

A message to Wisconsin liberals and progressives who are convening meetings across their state:

I'm not a resident of Wisconsin; but, as Director of Organizing for the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council representing thousands of casino workers employed in Wisconsin trying to organize to protect their health, livelihoods and rights, I am wondering when Wisconsin liberals and progressives are going to do what good liberals and progressives should do, stand up for the rights of thousands of casino workers in Wisconsin employed in what is called the Indian Gaming Industry; an industry where all the slot machines and table games are owned by a bunch of rich white mobsters leaving the Indian Nations mired in poverty creating debt with the casino workers forced to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages and without any rights--- no rights at all--- under the same state and federal labor laws protecting all other workers? In return for delivering this anti-labor/anti-worker agenda to these casino managements, the Wisconsin Democratic Party is richly rewarded with millions of dollars in campaign contributions by tribal governments who are trying to focus people's attention away from the unhealthy smoke-filled casinos by drawing attention to the mining companies. But, does it really make any difference if people die from heart and lung diseases and cancers and smoke-complicated problems relating to diabetes caused by being forced to work in a smoke-filled casino workplace or if people die as a result of the mining companies pumping contaminating pollutants into the fresh water aquifers, streams, rivers and lakes we drink from and catch fish in, or harvest the wild rice from--- or pollute the air we breath along with the soil our food is grown on?

Thousands of your friends and neighbors are being forced to work in these smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights and it is time for you Wisconsin liberals and progressives to join with us in correcting this most atrocious and deplorable situation.

Quite frankly, I find it just a little hypocritical that many of you, especially union leaders, would selfishly ask us to defend your rights when you won't lift your voices or your little finger to defend our rights.

Just saying.

Racism in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party is orchestrated by the Governor

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton stacks an audience with workers color to promote his jobs bill---

In announcing his new bonding proposals which Dayton calls his "Jobs Bill," Dayton, at his press conference had a packed "audience" at this press conference. The audience was mostly workers of color.

For some reason, after I challenged what he was doing with this hand-picked "audience" which was supposedly most construction workers of people of color by asking a very simple question--- the photo has now been removed. Here is the question I asked under the picture:

If one goes out to any construction site in the state of Minnesota, where do you find this mix including so many workers of color?

Obviously, this "good liberal" governor who refuses to enforce Affirmative Action, knew that anyone could see the validity of my comment--- and the intent of the comment which was: come on Governor Dayton, enforce Affirmative Action like you promised so when people see Minnesotans at work, they actually see what this picture was meant to convey--- a fully integrated workforce as a result of the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

So, what was the governor's response to my comment? Our "good liberal" Minnesota Governor, Mark Dayton, removed the photo from his FaceBook page.

This has got to be one of the most vile acts of racism any public official has ever engaged in by trying to make people believe there isn't a problem of racism when it comes to employment practices in Minnesota. Totally vile. Totally disgusting. Instead of correcting this racist injustice here we have Mark Dayton, the Governor of Minnesota, trying to cover the problem up.

Needless to say, along with the photo being removed, my comments on the photo were also removed--- talk about "democracy."

Shouldn't Mark Dayton be forced to respond by explaining his despicable racist behavior?

Come on Governor Dayton, we need more than "proclamations" to end racism; we need the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

Mark Dayton appointed the racist bigot Mark Phillips to head up the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and now Dayton has turned around and reneged on his campaign promise to enforce Affirmative Action and close all the loop-hole enabling its enforce in Minnesota.

Come on, Governor Dayton. We need more than nice sounding proclamations; we need ACTION to end racism in employment.

This is the letter you received from me as a direct request from Micah Hinds to place my proposal to you in writing. Now you don't even have the courtesy or common human decency to respond:A letter I sent to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton insisting he enforce Affirmative Action per our agreement while he was running for office:

Proposal for a Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action

Goal and objective: A level playing field.

All the talk about a new Vikings’ Stadium, the need for infrastructure development and repair, talk of light rail and other large-scale public works and joint public-private initiatives and projects begs the question: What will be done to end racism in employment here in Minnesota that has historical roots combined with present indifference?

Fact: People without jobs are destined to be poor.

Unemployment, under-employment and poverty-wage jobs are the root of poverty.

Poverty is more than statistics. For living, breathing human beings, poverty means going without adequate food, clothing, health care, education, housing, and transportation.

When unemployment rises well beyond the “normal” levels for people of color, women and the handicapped, Affirmative Action as articulated and defined by Federal Executive Order Number 11246 must kick in unless we end up with large pools of unemployed in communities--- and on Indian Reservations--- of people of color which hurt us all, but no where near as much as it harms the victims of racism in employment.

These large pools of the unemployed serve to push down wages and living standards for everyone.

The enforcement of Affirmative Action will help make sure Minnesotans get the jobs funded by Minnesota tax-payers rather than workers from other states.

The enforcement of Affirmative Action will lead to encouraging and strengthening small businesses and entrepreneurship among minorities as minority contractors help recruit people of color through the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

Politicians who pander to the voices of bigotry, racism and hate often claim that advocating for the enforcement of Affirmative Action is so controversial that its enforcement creates divisions in society which tears apart our social fabric. In fact, issues like a new Vikings’ Stadium, as we have seen, are themselves very controversial.

Politics embodies controversy.

The Governor of Minnesota has the responsibility to provide leadership in the just struggle for the enforcement of Affirmative Action in a way that guides Minnesotans to creating a level playing field for everyone.

Governor Mark Dayton should establish “The Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action” and this Committee shall consist of: one member representing the Governor, one member each from the AFL-CIO & Change To Win, one member each representing the following firms: public relations, architectural, engineering, general contractors and minority contractors, with two members representing each of the following communities: Black, Native American and Hispanic with at least one member from each of these communities being among the unemployed; three women and one handicapped representative--- 18 members in total.

All members of this Advisory Committee shall participate, together, in at least one training session explaining the history, goals and objectives ofAffirmative Action and must be made aware of the present problems relating to how racism in employment has led to current social and economic problems in the specific communities of people of color, women and the handicapped.

This Advisory Committee shall present concrete goals and objectives in reviewing all public funding where there is any type of state involvement in funding and financing including proposals for bonding bills and any joint public-private ventures in which more than $20,000.00 in public funding is involved and/or more than 15 employees hired.

The loop-hole preventing enforcing Affirmative Action must be closed by the Governor and State Legislature refusing to participate in any township, city, county, state, park’s commission, school district, college or university where there is not an Affirmative Action Policy in place being enforced.

Affirmative Action must kick in when any project is first publicly proposed or there is significant public-private cooperation towards project development--- whichever occurs first; long before the first shovel is sunk into the ground.

It is up to the parties involved to implement Affirmative Action in a timely manner so as to prevent project delays which might lead to additional costs incurred by tax-payers. Where this is not done, any costs relating to project delays should result in fines levied at the direction of the Advisory Committee on the parties responsible.

Affirmative Action is the law of the land. For the victims of historic racist employment practices continuing today which results in the need for the enforcement of Affirmative Action, Affirmative Action is both a Human Right and a Constitutional Right.

The Governor of Minnesota has a Constitutional responsibility to see to it that Affirmative Action is enforced. This Advisory Committee provides the Governor with the tools to achieve the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

People should not have to resort to law suits, direct action and other means of protest in order to have their right to employment protected.

Everyone has the right to seek employment from a level playing field.

A means to enforce Affirmative Action on the Vikings’ Stadium (and all other projects stated above) in line with stated goals and objectives must be found before planning for this project proceeds any further.

I am submitting this “Proposal for a Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action” for consideration to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton upon request from Micah Hines, General Counsel to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, who requested I submit this proposal in writing to Governor Mark Dayton.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Contact information:

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/alan.l.maki

Copies provided to:
NAACP
Urban League
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
AFL-CIO
Change To Win
Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party
Republican Party
Green Party

Posted to:
FaceBook... http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150474417745086
Blog.......... http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/proposal-for-minnesota-governors.html


Preliminary response from Governor Dayton:

Thank you for contacting the Office of Governor Mark Dayton. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions about how we, together, can build a better Minnesota. A member of our staff will read your message promptly.

Note: Further responses will be shared. Please share your own concerns on this issue with Governor Dayton. Contact information:

To contact Governor Mark Dayton, please write, phone, fax or e-mail.

Mailing Address:
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Other ways to reach our office:


Telephone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay 800-627-3529
Fax: 651-797-1850

Contact the Governor's Office by e-mail:
http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/

--
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

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