We have to ask why the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with its super-majority is not using this veto-proof majority to defend and expand the rights and improve the living standards to the same extent Republicans in North Carolina are using their veto-proof super-majority to attack the rights and livelihoods of working people. Watch this and think about what the Minnesota Democrats could be doing, but aren't--- we need an explanation for their inaction because this inaction isn't any more acceptable than what these disgusting racist, right-wing, anti-labor Republicans in North Carolina are doing:
http://billmoyers.com/segment/
http://billmoyers.com/segment/
Minnesota Democrats have the opportunity to establish a real living Minimum Wage based on actual cost-of-living, indexed to inflation and periodically increased to provide a constantly improved standard of living for working people.
This would be the most important thing Democrats could ever do with their super-majority.
Why isn't everything progressives have been seeking being brought to reality by the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party?
This would be the most important thing Democrats could ever do with their super-majority.
Why isn't everything progressives have been seeking being brought to reality by the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party?
We need to hold forums and workshops all over Minnesota to build the kind of movement required to advance our progressive agenda because Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and his Democrats are as cowardly as North Carolina Republicans are viciously aggressive.
It is unfortunate that labor leaders here in Minnesota who can't organize their way out of a thin, wet paper bag who consider collective bargaining the art and science of delivering employers--- public and private--- nothing but concessions are now joining with these Democrats being bribed by employers to agree to one more poverty Minimum Wage.
There are two major sources of poverty:
1. Poverty wage jobs.
2. Workers without jobs.
This Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has done nothing to change any of this.
When racism is coupled with poverty wages and unemployment this becomes a living nightmare for hundreds of thousands of people of color as real life living conditions on any northern Indian Reservation clearly provide proof.
Yet we still have a governor who refuses to make the enforcement of Affirmative Action mandatory by taking a very simple step of requiring proof of the enforcement of Affirmative Action before any public spending is allocated for bonding proposals requiring his final approval.
There is a very racist aspect and edge to those politicians in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and their front organizations like TakeActionMinnesota pushing for a $9.50 Minimum Wage because most people of color, especially Native Americans, have been forced by racist discrimination into the lowest paid jobs for generations.
These same politicians pushing for the Minimum Wage to continue being a poverty wage are the very same politicians who have blocked the enforcement of Affirmative Action.
Women, especially single mothers, are victims of discrimination, too, as long as the Minimum Wage remains a poverty wage.
The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with its super-majority, which doesn't look like it will last past the next election, has an opportunity to take a major step towards eradicating poverty in Minnesota by making the Minimum Wage a real living wage tied to all cost of living factors--- no worker should be expected to work for less.
Common sense tells us workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor.
The Democratic Party politicians and candidates are already out and about campaigning on a platform of "jobs, jobs, jobs" but the only jobs the DFL has created have been poverty wage jobs with a very few exceptions.
And Minnesota Democrats have not lifted a finger to stop the pension fund swindles of those employed in the taconite industry.
When racism is coupled with poverty wages and unemployment this becomes a living nightmare for hundreds of thousands of people of color as real life living conditions on any northern Indian Reservation clearly provide proof.
Yet we still have a governor who refuses to make the enforcement of Affirmative Action mandatory by taking a very simple step of requiring proof of the enforcement of Affirmative Action before any public spending is allocated for bonding proposals requiring his final approval.
There is a very racist aspect and edge to those politicians in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and their front organizations like TakeActionMinnesota pushing for a $9.50 Minimum Wage because most people of color, especially Native Americans, have been forced by racist discrimination into the lowest paid jobs for generations.
These same politicians pushing for the Minimum Wage to continue being a poverty wage are the very same politicians who have blocked the enforcement of Affirmative Action.
Women, especially single mothers, are victims of discrimination, too, as long as the Minimum Wage remains a poverty wage.
The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with its super-majority, which doesn't look like it will last past the next election, has an opportunity to take a major step towards eradicating poverty in Minnesota by making the Minimum Wage a real living wage tied to all cost of living factors--- no worker should be expected to work for less.
Common sense tells us workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor.
The Democratic Party politicians and candidates are already out and about campaigning on a platform of "jobs, jobs, jobs" but the only jobs the DFL has created have been poverty wage jobs with a very few exceptions.
And Minnesota Democrats have not lifted a finger to stop the pension fund swindles of those employed in the taconite industry.
How is it these same Democrats can move the most heinous projects like peat mining and sulfide mining forward so quickly but can't work with the same rapidity when it comes to improving the lives of working people.
Give these Democrats and Republicans a piece of your mind--- if you can't attend in person, give them your thoughts in writing but share those thoughts with your friends, fellow workers and neighbors, too:
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 10:00 AM
Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs
Room: Local 49 Training Center, 40276 Fishtail Road, Hinckley, MN 55037
Chair: Rep. Ryan Winkler
Agenda: The committee will hear public testimony answering the question, "How is Minnesota’s economy working for you?"
To testify please contact Committee Administrator Matthew Bergeron at matthew.bergeron@house.mn.
Matthew Bergeron, J.D.
Committee Administrator
Health & Human Services Policy
Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs
MN House of Representatives
State Office Building #361
(651) 296-5413
Matthew.Bergeron@house.mn
Committee members can be found here:
Democrats campaigned on the promise they would bring Minnesotans a Minimum Wage that is a real living wage... as everyone knows, there is only one way to establish a living wage and that is by tying the Minimum Wage to All cost-of-living factors...
Look how quickly Dayton and the Democrats came into action to push a new Viking's Stadium down our throats with a blitzkrieg--- why isn't the exact same political muscle being flexed to bring forward a real living Minimum Wage that can be used as a model for the rest of the country?
Why don't we get the same action out of these Democrats when it comes to ending poverty?
Look how quickly Dayton and the Democrats came into action to push a new Viking's Stadium down our throats with a blitzkrieg--- why isn't the exact same political muscle being flexed to bring forward a real living Minimum Wage that can be used as a model for the rest of the country?
Why don't we get the same action out of these Democrats when it comes to ending poverty?
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