Hillary Clinton accepts support from one of the worst human rights abusers in the world--- Melanie Benjamin

On November 10, 2005, United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton sent a letter to George Bush urging him to take up the question of human rights with Chinese government officials.

The conclusion of this letter reads:

"...Finally, regarding worker’s rights, eighteen months after rejecting the AFL-CIO's Section 301 petition alleging China's repression of workers' rights was an unfair trade practice, the Bush Administration has yet to progress in raising the issue with China. The Chinese government has failed to make any significant reforms, either in its labor laws or enforcement practices. As the bilateral trade deficit with China soars, and American workers lose manufacturing jobs, employers take advantage of Chinese workers who cannot exercise their right to form independent unions and bargain. Unfortunately, the only concrete outcome of the high-profile visit by Secretary Chao to China in the summer of 2004 was a series of letters pledging more seminars, high-level visits, and dialogues on workplace issues. But this dialogue has yielded few, if any, tangible results, on issues of crucial importance, both to Chinese and American workers. U.S. concerns over worker’s rights should be re-emphasized during this summit.

I strongly support continuing efforts to improve the relationship on all levels between our country and China. It is to our mutual benefit to work together to address the range of challenges facing both of us. However, economic and social advances will be lasting only if they are built on a foundation of respect for human rights."

This letter from Hillary Clinton to George Bush is very interesting because in 2007, the same Hillary Clinton accepted a huge financial contribution and endorsement for her presidential aspirations from Melanie Benjamin--- one of the worst violators of workers' rights; and, one of the worst human rights abusers in the world.

Given that Senator Clinton, now a Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States is boasting Melanie Benjamin as one of her leading Minnesota supporters, one has to wonder if her concerns for human rights are more for political posturing (and financial contributions) than out of genuine concern.

Using Hillary Clinton's own measuring stick, Melanie Benjamin is one of the worst human rights abusers in the world; she heads up the Mille Lacs Band's casino operations which includes restaurant and hotel ventures employing thousands of workers employed in these smoke-filled casinos, all receiving poverty wages without any rights under state, federal, international, or tribal labor laws.

Hillary Clinton's own Party, the Democratic Party, has not whimpered a peep of protest as more than 2,000,000 casino workers all across the United States are employed under similar circumstances.

In over fifteen years, the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party which welcomes the likes Melanie Benjamin who is responsible for the worst human rights abuses and violates workers' rights routinely on a daily basis, has remained silent... with the exception of one lone DFL County Unit... the Roseau County DFL which took a principled stand at its most recent County Convention calling for casino workers in Minnesota to enjoy the protection of the rights all other workers in Minnesota are protected by. Although, leaders of the Minnesota DFL have not been able to locate this resolution.

Hillary Clinton has taken the financial contributions of Melanie Benjamin and the casino managements but can't bring herself to condemn the human rights abuses twenty thousand Minnesotans are forced to endure daily...

So much for Hillary Clinton and human rights.

It is noteworthy that one of Hillary Clinton's big boosters, in addition to Melanie Benjamin, is the AFL-CIO which has not once protested the Draconian conditions under which so many Minnesotans and workers all across this country are employed in the casino industry.

It is also noteworthy that Melanie Benjamin has hired some of the most brutal thugs to harass, intimidate, and beat-up casino workers attempting to organize; thugs from the Blackwater Agency whose dirty deeds are overseen by USIS--- the premier union busting company of choice for some of the largest corporations in the world.

I wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton for dog catcher.

I would point out as far as China and workers' rights are concerned... every worker in China has rights. Right now there are several Chinese officials awaiting having their sentences carried out for abusing workers' rights to a much lesser extent than casino workers' rights have been violated on a daily basis for the last seventeen years here in Minnesota without a single Democratic Party politician or a single leader of any AFL-CIO affiliated union taking any initiative to halt this intentional continuing abuse of working people.

Apparently the greed of these casino capitalists in quest of ever greater profits which are financing the political campaigns of Democratic Party politicians like Hillary Rodham Clinton is acceptable.

Oh... the sentence awaiting the Chinese officials convicted of violating workers' rights in China? The death sentence...

... While human rights/workers' rights abuser Melanie Benjamin is a welcomed addition to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign... yes, it is all about money, money, money.

I haven't even addressed the health problems of these workers employed in casino operations... heart, lung, and cancers from having to work daily in these smoke-filled casinos.

Shame on Hillary Clinton; Hillary Clinton needs a good dictionary to help her define human rights and workers' rights... not our votes.

No one had better come to casino workers telling us: Look at the choices for president... Hillary or a Republican; I will tell them where to go.

At some point working people are going to have to look at the pattern that has developed towards working people by the Democratic Party hacks and elected officials...

A pattern as distinct as the cancer cluster on the Iron Range... the same Democratic Party elected officials who have looked the other way as casino workers have been employed under these most atrocious and unjust conditions turned their backs on saving over two thousand union jobs and the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant which could employ thousands more working people in the years to come...

... and, they have looked the other way as casino workers get heart and lung diseases and the associated cancers.

Democratic Party legislators and political hacks projected the same lethal silence as a huge cancer cluster has been allowed to develop on the Iron Range over many years--- only in this case they told everyone including United States District Court Judge Miles Lord to keep his mouth shut because at stake were "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS"... only raising their voices in the most pathetic and opportunist manner for political expediency; rather than out of concern for the lives and well-being of working people.

Those employed on the Iron Range at Giant's Ridge would probably tell us this is all just "par for the course."

"Jobs, jobs, jobs" or "Profits, profits, profits?"

If these politicians were the least concerned about jobs and the health and well-being of working people, and their rights, these DFL politicians would have voted to save the Ford Plant where workers have struggled for years to win good pay along with fundamental protections in the workplace and healthy and safe working conditions.

Instead, these politicians will encourage Ford workers to go to work in smoke-filled casinos without any rights for the likes of Melanie Benjamin. No doubt Ray Waldron, Mark Froemke and other AFL-CIO officials will join behind Melanie Benjamin in picking up "Hillary for President" signs, parade around the state DFL convention hall like high school cheerleaders--- chanting "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary;" and, urge the rest of us to vote for Hillary Clinton and her acquiescence to the continued abuse of casino workers.

Make no mistake... a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue the deplorable working conditions casino workers are forced to endure.

Let me be perfectly clear: Hillary Clinton should be advocating the same rights for Minnesota's casino workers which she advocated for Chinese workers in her letter to George Bush. Anything less is sheer hypocrisy.

In conclusion, I point out that in less than two years since Hillary Clinton sent the above letter to George Bush, the Chinese government has made tremendous strides according to all concerned, including the International Trade Union Confederation--- the largest labor organization in the world, in bringing forward legislation protecting workers' rights, and human rights. During this same time frame, Hillary Clinton and her "dumb donkeys" have done absolutely nothing to improve the plight of Minnesota's more than 20,000 casino workers--- many of these casino workers employed by Melanie Benjamin under the most Draconian working conditions, far worse than anything in China.


*******

Minnesota Leaders Endorse Clinton

Not one of these so-called Minnesota "leaders" has ever condemned the daily abuse casino workers are subjected to. It is no wonder these "leaders" would not object to Melanie Benjamin being in their midst.

What kind of "leaders" sit in silence as 20,000 of their fellow Minnesotans are forced to go to work in smoke-filled casinos without any rights receiving poverty wages and without any voice at work.

Workers employed without any rights in the workplace have no rights in the communities where they live... I would encourage this well-heeled bunch of "leaders" to ponder this.

Mark Dayton sat next to Hillary Clinton all those years in the United States Senate and never informed her of the plight of his 20,000 fellow Minnesotans. Former Senator Mark Dayton wouldn't have taken his dog with him to work if smoking was allowed in Senate offices.

Prosecutor Gaertner wants to become the next governor of Minnesota but remains silent as twenty thousand of her fellow Minnesotans are forced to endure the most devastating working conditions causing health problems, including cancers, destroying working class families as she pontificates on radio and television her visions for Minnesota as she, too, ignores the plight of casino workers.

Yes, I am sure Hillary Clinton is grateful for the support she has received from this well-heeled bunch of uncaring politicians and political hacks who have begun to pander for favors...


6/29/2007

Minnesota Leaders Endorse Clinton

Hillary Clinton received the endorsements of more than 40 leading Minnesota officials and community leaders today.

"I sat next to Senator Clinton for six years in the Senate Chamber and I saw her experience, dedication and tremendous ability at work for all Americans," said former Senator Mark Dayton. "I know that she will be our party’s best nominee and our country’s best President."

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner said Hillary has the focus and resiliency needed to be President. "Americans are ready for change, and Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with the experience to do the job from her first day in office."

"I am grateful for the overwhelming support I’ve received in Minnesota," Clinton said. "With the help of these local leaders, we’ll take our message of change across the state and this nation."

Leading Minnesotans Endorsing Hillary Today:

* Mark Dayton, Former US Senator
* Susan Gaertner, Ramsey County Attorney
* Sandy Pappas, State Senator
* Nora Slawik, State Representative
* Sandra Peterson, State Representative
* Barbara Johnson, President, Minneapolis City Council
* Gary Schiff, Minneapolis City Council Member
* Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis City Council Member
* Dave Thune, St. Paul City Council Member, and Susan Thune, RN
* Colleen Landkamer, President, National Association of Counties; Blue Earth County Commissioner
* Ann Wynia, Former House Majority Leader
* Matt Entenza, Former House Democratic Leader
* Ember Reichgott Junge, Former Senate Assistant Majority Leader
* Joan Anderson Growe, Former Minnesota Secretary of State
* Emily Anne Staples Tuttle, Former State Senator
* Carol Flynn, Former State Senator
* Gordon O. Voss, Former State Representative
* Al Patton, Former State Representative
* Koryne Horbal, Former Ambassador to U.N.
* Betty Folliard, Co-owner Strategy Partners; Former MN State Representative
* Tom Foley, Former Ramsey and Washington County Attorney
* Joan Niemiec, Former Minneapolis City Council Member
* Vance Opperman, President, Key Investments
* Lois Quam, Business Leader
* Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
* Mohamed Jibrell, Somali Community Leader
* Hubert "Buck" Humphrey
* Jackie Stevenson, DNC Member
* Rick Stafford, DNC Member, Chair of the DNC's LGBT Caucus
* Elsa Leven, MN DFL Latino Caucus
* Mari Urness Pokornowski, Co-Chair DFL State Platform Commission
* Lynn Wilson, Chair, Olmsted County DFL
* Tammy Tesky, Vice President, DFL Feminist Caucus
* Megan Thomas, Former Chair, Stonewall DFL
* Cheryl Poling, DFL Party Activist
* Ruth Usem, Community Activist
* M. Kathleen Murphy, Women's Rights Activist
* Bill Pohlad, Film Producer & Michelle Grabanski Pohlad, Social Activist
* Susan Burns, Attorney
* Paul Cassidy, Minneapolis
* Jill Sletten, Public Policy Consultant
* Andrew Luger, Attorney; Former Candidate, Hennepin County Attorney and Ellen Goldberg Luger
* Sarah Youngerman, Minneapolis
* Rebecca Yanisch, Former MN Commissioner of Trade and Economic Development
* Lori L. Jacobwith, Consultant
* Patsy Green, Robbinsdale Area School Board Director
* Amy K. Rotenberg, Communications Consultant, and Mark B. Rotenberg, University General Counsel
* Paula Maccabee, Former St. Paul City Council Member, and Paul Maccabee, President, The Maccabee Group

My call for "accountability" in Minnesota State government continues to anger some...

Below is the blog I wrote on Monday, April 23, 2007. The title was: The "DFL Business Caucus" dominates the Minnesota DFL

Today I had a phone call from Lisa Sarne the secretary for Senator James Metzen's MN DFL dominated committee which voted against saving the St. Paul Twin Cities Ford Plant and over two-thousand industrial, manufacturing jobs.

Ms. Sarne has objected to the way I wrote about her taking of the minutes.

I have been hearing for almost three months now without let-up from DFL party hacks and legislators saying how unfair my blog was because the Senate "rules" permit minutes to be kept in the manner Ms. Sarne compiles them in a less than amateurish manner without any accountability to Minnesota voters--- the majority of whom are working people.

I will be happy to publish Lisa Sarne's opinion of all of this should she provide what she has to say in defense of her record keeping in writing to me as a courtesy to her and in the interest of gaining a better understanding of how our state government operates without any accountability.

Today Ms. Sarne suggested that if I wasn't happy with the manner she records Committee minutes that I should attend all committee meetings in person.

Unfortunately, because neither Senator Metzen nor his staff contacted me per my request to be informed of the time and place of this Committee meeting until half an hour before the Committee went into session I was not able to make the drive from Warroad to St. Paul to view this DFL sell-out of working people. Again, so much for democracy through manipulation in order to control in favor of big-business with the intent of prohibiting people from participating in the decision making process.

Here is my original blog... I leave it to the reader to determine whether or not I have fairly and accurately portrayed the problem...

The "DFL Business Caucus" dominates the Minnesota DFL

The “Business Caucus” of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party wants to silence progressive thought. The well-heeled “Summit Hill Crowd” and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce along with the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis have teamed up and been hard at work trying to stifle all discussion on single-payer, universal health care in the same manner that they have tried to derail the struggle to end this dirty war in Iraq, to revoke the permit to mine peat in the Big Bog, to keep the Ford Plant open, to halt predatory lending, and on the issue of global warming… in each and every one of these areas very serious problems relating to human needs and our living environment are at stake.

Yes, the "DFL Business Caucus" dominates the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party... But, there is no "B" in the name. "B" for business... make that double B for big-business.

There is a common thread that links these groups of the most reactionary elements in our state. That link is the drive for maximum corporate profits and these groups all have a vested interest in seeing to it that a real open and democratic discussion does not take place… to this end these powerful wealthy, corporate interests have engaged the services of one Merritt Clapp-Smith to carry forward the corporate anti-people, anti-environment agenda.

We have seen how Merritt Clapp-Smith has been made a cheerleader for the “Summit Hill Crowd” and she is closely associated with all of these very conservative and reactionary business interests… as a board member of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy which is nothing more than a front for the forestry, mining, and power generating industries who drag this organization out every time they want to create another environmental mess. Check it out:

http://www.mncenter.org/photos/mcea_board_of_directors/index.html

That is Merrit Clapp-Smith, board member in the orange shirt… this organization set out to disrupt our struggle to save the Big Bog--- our primary freshwater aquifer up here in northern Minnesota… Merritt Clapp-Smith is a past president of the Summit Hill Neighborhood Association and presently is a member of that board… it becomes very interesting to see how these business interests operate… Merritt Clapp-Smith, working with the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis chose a Catholic School community center in which it would be easier to control and manipulate the “public work” of the Ford Site Planning Committee rather than use the public facilities of the UAW-Ford-MnScu Training Center.

I have asked both St. Paul Councilman Harris and Merritt Clapp-Smith to provide us with some of their family histories, both have refused. There is ample reason to believe that both Merritt Clapp-Smith and Councilman Harris have a conflict of interest in the work of the Ford Site Planning Committee.

It is very interesting to note how Merritt Clapp-Smith fosters and advances the work of this extremely wealthy ruling clique composed of the “Summit Hill Crowd,” the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, and the “DFL Business Caucus.” It is this same grouping that has been in the center of being against everything that working people need in each of the issues I have noted. Make no mistake, on the issue of single-payer, universal health care this grouping has worked in the Minnesota Legislature to derail single-payer, universal health care movement in the exact same way that they have blocked the attempt to save the Ford Plant and the jobs of over two-thousand union workers.

Now, if this doesn’t send a clear signal to all of us working on these various issues that we need to come together in order to counter this powerful grouping of the well-heeled and wealthy I don’t know what ever will… but consider the fact that it is this very same conservative and reactionary bunch that denied Bishop Thomas Gumbleton the right to speak yesterday morning at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church… and it was this group’s favorite Bishop, Harry Flynn, who did their dirty work just as Merritt Clapp-Smith has been doing.

Finally we are getting a glimpse of how this undemocratic, corrupt little group works together in order to make the decisions over the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink and the jobs we have.

It is no wonder why Red Lake Gaming Enterprises has approached this little group with the idea of using its last gaming license to build a huge new casino along the St. Paul Mississippi River bank and why the Ford Motor Company wants to maintain ownership of this 15 acre parcel of prime real estate.

I think we need to ask how much DFL Chair Brian Melendez and DFL Executive Director Andrew O’Leary know about all of this… and we need to know why a DFL Senate Committee composed of eleven DFL members and only seven Republicans could not carry forward the legislation to protect the Ford Plant from the wrecking ball last Thursday in committee.

I would note that it is the very same DFL legislators, who are in fact the majority of the DFL caucus, whom have looked the other way in indifference as over twenty thousand Minnesotans go to work every day in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws… something that autoworkers may want to keep in mind as they apply for all those casino jobs that will be replacing their present employment with the Ford Motor Company.

Perhaps there is “an inconvenient truth” in all of this; that the well-heeled and the wealthy have created the game and made all the rules so they can profit at our expense exploiting our labor.

This is all very interesting indeed seeing how Merritt Clapp-Smith sits on the Board of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, the same organization that tried to stick a monkey wrench into the struggle to save the Big Bog from another crooked and corrupt deal involving Red Lake Gaming Enterprises trading off its opposition to peat mining for favorable consideration of a casino operation in International Falls… a dirty deal orchestrated by one of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy’s favorite DFL Congressmen… James Oberstar, who just happens to be a favorite Congressman of Harry Flynn and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce.

And the Saint Paul Police Department and the FBI want to know what I am doing three hundred and fifty miles from home sticking my nose into what is going on with the Ford Plant.

Oh, and on a final note: It took me over a year to obtain the letter signed by Red Lake Nation Chairman Butch Brun dropping opposition to peat mining in the Big Bog in return for the right of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises to build a new casino in International Falls… it will be relatively easy for me to obtain the birth certificates of Councilman Harris and Merritt Clapp-Smith to begin to explain their long term associations with the business and financial community in St. Paul… but if it took me a year to wrest this letter signed by Chairman Brun of the Red Lake Nation that was on file with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Minnesota DNR, the Koochiching County Board, the Red Lake Tribal Council, and in the files of United States Congressman James Oberstar… how long is it going to take me to research and obtain the records associated with the Ford Site Planning Committee and the present underhanded work of Merritt Clapp-Smith and the Ford Motor Company, this “DFL Business Caucus,” and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce?

Keep in mind… Ford Motor Company intends to bring out the wrecking balls in about a year.

I think there are members of the DFL Caucus in the Minnesota Legislature who know a lot more than what they are saying about how the Minnesota DFL is being manipulated and controlled by these business interests. It is time they save us all a lot of time and step forward and tell us what is going on.

It is time for the UAW’s Gettelfinger to put the full resources of the United Auto Workers Union into this struggle to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant and not sell autoworkers’ jobs down the river as he has done at Bradford-White; and it is time for the rail unions to do the same thing… not only with research, but to insist that the politicians who have been the recipients of campaign contributions of autoworkers and the rail unions now do their part in this struggle to save the Ford Plant which is closely related to all of these other struggles. Let there be no more “Dirty Thursdays” as Senator Cohen develops a new legislative approach towards saving the Ford Plant. It is time for Senator David Tomasonni, and Representatives Tony Sertich, Tom Rukavina, and Tom Anzelc to step boldly into this struggle and insist that there be unity in both the DFL controlled Senate and House.

We all know that the only way this Ford Plant is going to be saved is through public ownership of this plant… we are not talking about “mothballing” a plant structure, and the equipment inside of this plant… we are talking about keeping at least two thousand workers employed in an operating industrial production… this should be the focus of Senator Cohen’s future legislation and the UAW’s Gettelfinger should make this clear to Senator Cohen, Sertich, Rukavina, and Anzlc who will have to carry the ball for working people on this struggle… they have been dropping and fumbling the ball, now it is time for them to shape up before Ford and the Ford Site Planning Committee bring in the wrecking ball.

A lot can be done in one year, all is far from futile; the Ford Plant can be saved; but, if we are going to be successful we have a lot of work to do. Powerful influences of big money have to be overcome.

We prevented Red Lake Gaming Enterprises from building a new casino in International Falls with a door-to-door informational campaign, we have established casino worker organizing committees throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa, we have held off a Canadian corporation’s attempt to mine peat in the Big Bog, we got seventy percent of the delegates at the last DFL State Convention to go on record supporting single-payer, universal health care; we successfully beat back attempts in several home foreclosure cases without any help from the DFL in spite of all their talk about predatory lending… we can beat back the drive to demolish the Ford Plant if we take off the gloves and confront these powerful economic interests by bringing the Ford workers, the people of the Twin Cities, and all Minnesotans into this struggle.

If anyone doubts that the struggle for an end to this dirty war in Iraq is not closely related to the struggle to save the Ford Plant through public ownership, take a drive or a walk through the community surrounding the Ford Plant… the only sign supporting this dirty war in Iraq in the entire community was placed at the entrance gate to the Ford Plant by company management… the rest of the surrounding community is filled with signs to stop the war.

The UAW should consider putting as much into making this a full scale community organizing effort as what they put into supporting DFL politicians... this spring, let's see some yard signs sprouting up like dandelions insisting the Ford Plant stay open under public ownership with people going door-to-door talking to their neighbors in much the same way the UAW uses its resources to get out the vote on Election Day. Petitions, leaflets, rallies, and demonstrations... let's see organize labor marching through the communities like they marched around the DFL State Convention floor in support of Mike Hatch and Amy Klobuchar.

We can no longer afford to heed the narrow vision of those who want us to view all of these issues ranging from single-payer, universal health care to the Ford Plant closing to the rights of casino workers as somehow unrelated… the “Summit Hill Crowd” understands that all of these issues are interconnected, even if we do not… anyone care to ask Merritt Clapp-Smith or Councilman Harris their views on the war in Iraq?

Senator Metzen’s Committee met to consider Senator Cohen’s proposed legislation, SF 607 from 3:15 to 4:34 on Thursday, April 19, 2007 with fourteen of eighteen members of the Committee present and by the time the vote was taken for which the person responsible for taking the minutes conveniently left out how the remaining members voted from the minutes… the vote was recorded as seven opposed and three for. We must remember DFL Senator Metzen is the Chair of this committee made up of eleven members from the DFL and seven Republicans. How then, can a Party which claims to represent labor not pass this legislation [Note: at the bottom I have attached the “minutes” of the meeting such as they are as I received them from Lisa Sarnes; I have placed “minutes” in quotation marks because based upon what one reads one has to ask if Lisa Sarnes is competent to be the clerk of such an important Committee; or, was a political decision made to have the “minutes” kept in this fashion]?

Below is a link to the voice recording of that Senate Committee meeting which I received from Ms. Sarnes:

Dear Mr Maki,

Here is the information you requested-

To listen to the audio, copy and paste this in your browser. After scrolling past the blue boxes you will see that the very first meeting listed is the Business, Industry and Jobs Committee and that is the date you are looking for. I have also attached the minutes and the agenda.

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/media/media_list.php?ls=85&archive_year=2007&category=committee&type=audio#header

Lisa Sarne

Legislative Assistant

Senator James Metzen

Capitol 322

651-296-4370

How dare Democratic Senator Metzen not require that his own legislative assistant (LA), Lisa Sarne, who is responsible for taking the minutes of this meeting not record how each and every member of this Committee voted and who was absent at the time of the vote on this very important piece of legislation.

What does this tell us about the collusion of business interests and the DFL to deprive working class Minnesotans of their right to participate in the democratic process?

Perhaps Harry Flynn could enlighten us as to the meaning of the term “blasphemy;” because how else would you describe this conduct on the part of elected and public officials who preach to the rest of the world that we live in the world’s greatest democracy when these public officials can’t even maintain the proper minutes of a Committee meeting that was called for only one purpose… to vote on SF 607 and which lasted only one hour and nineteen minutes? Any secretary of a high school student council can, and does, keep better minutes.

There needs to be accountability.

The UAW leadership of Mr. Gettelfinger from Solidarity House first put forth the idea that “We need to elect Mike Hatch the Governor of Minnesota and the UAW’s delegates to the state DFL convention got up and danced around the convention floor for Hatch like a bunch of teenage cheerleaders at a high school football game at half-time; and, according to Gettelfinger by putting all of our eggs in the Hatch basket we will be all set and things will work out with the Ford Plant… our members will be taken care of.”

Well, Gettelfinger chose a loser in Hatch; and the UAW is poised to lose two thousand members in the Twin Cities.

Then we heard from Solidarity House we will resolve this in the state legislature… oh, how the UAW political action people heaped praise on the DFL caucus members who chaired the committee meetings in the House and Senate on this proposed legislation.

What has this groveling of the Gettelfinger bunch achieved to date? Not one thing of substance for Ford workers who will now have difficulty saving their homes from foreclosure as the parasitic and predatory lenders of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce and the DFL “Business Caucus” circle like vultures over road-kill.

Is anyone getting a clear picture here of how all of these issues are interrelated?

Who will pay their health care bills? For too long the Reuther bunch of which Gettelfinger is a member has put forward the losing proposition that the UAW will solve all of its problems by developing a cozy relationship with the employers; and, the politicians hand picked by these employers... the results of the Reuther bunch have been coming home to roost in plant closings, job losses, autoworkers suffering the consequences of the health care mess like the rest of us.

Now there is Gettelfinger’s great brain-fart: Interest Based Bargaining (IBB). I have photographs of all the campaign signs the UAW supported in the last election from the State DFL Convention… not one of these politicians, with the exception of Senator David Tomassoni, do we know showed up to support SF 607; not one.

A one hour hearing starts out with fourteen of eighteen members present with DFL’er Roger Skoe missing in action and probably out to dinner with his Republican colleagues and this committee ends up with ten members voting; seven to three in opposition to Senator Tomassoni’s motion to support! This is what passes for democracy? Where is the accountability in any of this.

The Republicans who knew their DFL colleagues didn't have the courage to support this legislation were so confident the DFL was opposed they were no-shows, not only for the vote but the hearing itself.

Look, the Republicans had nothing to do with defeating this most important piece of labor legislation that UAW members were counting on. The business controlled DFL legislators did the dirty work of their own volition.

Are the DFL members of this committee now going to have the political and moral courage to step forward to tell us why they left the committee hearing prior to the vote or voted against HF 607? Or, do we have to pry it out of them?

Rumor has it United States Congressman Keith Ellison apparently is awaiting a call from Walter Mondale to get his instructions on what to do about the Ford Plant closing. Mondale sure is taking his time to phone Ellison.

We have been hearing from the DFL leadership that they were unable to accomplish anything of importance for working people in the last legislative session because the Republicans had been in control… now, the Democrats are in complete control of the House and Senate here in Minnesota and they can not even get a very significant piece of legislation approved by one tiny little committee which they overwhelmingly and completely dominate.

We have faced the same thing on health care; and all of these other issues right on down the line. In place of Republicans we get DFL’ers like Leroy Stumpf, Frank Moe, Brita Sailor, and David Olin… big deal.

I went to a little party at the home of Bob Bergland for Ford Bell… David Olin was there. I said, “Oh, are you supporting Ford Bell for United States Senate?”… Olin walked me over into a corner where no one could hear and whispered very sofly, “Of course, or I wouldn’t be here.” I asked him, “Are you going to publicly endorse Ford Bell for the United States Senate against Amy Klobuchar?” He looked around to make sure no one was listening and whispered even softer into my ear, “Shhh, no one has to know I was here this evening, right?” This is the kind of two faced double dealing politicians that comprise the majority of the DFL caucus in both the Senate and the House… here in Minnesota, and in the United States Congress. How can working people accomplish anything backing these kinds of opportunist, back-stabbing, sleaze-balls?

Several days before the election Olin boasted to the media that he was more conservative than his reactionary Republican opponent… I would be willing to bet that Representative David Olin has formed a fast, lasting and deep friendship with Harry Flynn and the “Summit Hill” gang. And Olin was chosen to run by State Senator Leroy Stumpf whose claim to fame is that he has never voted against a piece of legislation that business is for; coincidentally… Roger Skoe and Leroy Stumpf are great chums; and Skoe doesn’t show up for the hearing on SF 607; coincidental? I don't think so.

That the Minnesota DFL is playing games as two thousand jobs in the auto industry go down the river so several thousand poverty wage jobs in a casino can be created is the epitome of what one would call a “sell out” and “betrayal” of working people considering the fact that the very same Democratic Party is also responsible for casino workers having no rights in Minnesota… and Wisconsin, and Michigan, and Iowa… and all across this country.

Yesterday these powerful economic interests silenced the progressive voice of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton… it is now up to us to carry Bishop Gumbleton’s message for peace and social justice out into the communities across Minnesota.

For three days Legislative Assistants have been scurrying about the State Capitol frantically seeking advice on “How should we respond to these questions Maki is asking now?”

I think rather than worrying about how these legislative assistants have been sent scurrying by their bosses trying to figure out how to prevent me from gaining access to information… someone should whip the DFL caucus members into line.

Tell Harry Flynn, Merritt Clapp-Smith, the Summit Hill crowd, the DFL Business Caucus, and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce to go to hell.

It is a sad day in Minnesota when working people get shafted like this… casino workers understand because we have been getting shafted like this by the DFL and the Democratic Party for a very long time.

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing

Red Lake Casino, Hotel, and Restaurant Employees’ Union Organizing Committee

And

Member of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party State Central Committee


Agenda and minutes of the:


Business, Industry and Jobs Committee

Senator Jim Metzen, Chair



Thursday, April 19, 2007

3:00 p.m. – Room 15 State Capitol



AGENDA



1. S.F. 607-Cohen: Motor vehicle manufacturing plant maintenance requirement.



Proponents: Bob Kailleen, United Auto Workers

Don Gerdesmeier, Joint Council 32 DRIVE

Phillip Qualy, United Transportation Union



Opponents: Mary Culler, Director of Government Affairs, Ford Motor Company

Cecile Bedor, City of St. Paul Director of Planning & Economic Dvlp.

Mark Moeller or Sandra Westerman, St. Paul Chamber of Commerce



BUSINESS, INDUSTRY AND JOBS COMMITTEE

SENATOR JAMES METZEN, CHAIR





Senator James Metzen, Chairman of the Business, Industry and Jobs Committee, called the meeting to order at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2007 in room 15 of the State Capitol.



The clerk noted the roll. The following members were present:



Metzen, Chair

Saltzman, Vice-Chair

Bakk

Bonoff

Carlson

Day

Gimse

Koch

Latz

Michel

Murphy

Scheid

Sparks

Tomassoni



The following members were absent:



Gerlach

Neuville

Rosen

Skoe



Meeting began with a quorum.



1. S.F. 607-Cohen: Motor vehicle manufacturing plant maintenance requirement.



The following people gave testimony in favor of S.F. 607:



Bob Kailleen, United Auto Workers

Don Gerdesmeier, Joint Council 32 DRIVE

Phillip Qualy, United Transportation Union



Questions and comments from the committee followed.



The following people gave testimony in opposition to S.F. 607:



Mary Culler, Director of Government Affairs, Ford Motor Company

Cecile Bedor, City of St. Paul Director of Planning & Economic Development

Mark Moeller, St. Paul Chamber of Commerce



Questions and Comments from the committee followed.



Senator Cohen and Phillip Qualy gave closing remarks in favor of S.F. 607



Senator Tomassoni moved that the bill do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.



The Chair was in doubt and called for a division.



The motion did not prevail.


The meeting adjourned at 4:34 p.m.


_________________________________

James Metzen, Chair

Business, Industry and Jobs Committee


_________________________________

Lisa Sarne

Committee Clerk

Posted by Alan L. Maki at 10:15 AM

Bush, the war in Iraq, and a troubled and war weary Nation

Bush has finally reached the conclusion the Nation is troubled and weary of the war in Iraq; pushing many political pundits to compare him to a war weary Lincoln.

Many are searching to find a "just war theory" to provide a moral and ethical cover for this dirty war in Iraq.

You can not compare Lincoln's very moral stance against the barbarism of the slave trade and the institution of slavery with Bush's intent to occupy Iraq for:

1. Oil

2. Regional domination

3. To support a bellicose Israel which continues to pursue a policy of treating Palestinians as if they have a non-human standing, much like the Native Americans of Lincoln's day.

Oh, ok, maybe there is a comparison between Bush and Jefferson Davis.

Going to war hurt Lincoln immensely... it cost this courageous and noble man his life... whereas Bush and his oil buddies... along with the CEO's of Halliburton, Blackwater and United States Information Services are making hefty profits from this war in Iraq without any personal risk at all.

I have studied the Civil War quite thoroughly, including visiting not only many of the Civil War battlefields in the South; I have spoken to many of the descendants who remain loyal supporters of slavery and the Confederacy in these communities... some of whom still hail Jefferson Davis as their hero as they look down upon Lincoln and have a great admiration for George Bush.

There is no "theory" of any kind which can justify what the United States is doing in Iraq, or Afghanistan, today; nor, the unconditional support for a bellicose Israel.

I am happy to see that morality and ethics is now entering into the discussion.

Lincoln had a conscience and really had to grapple with the human toll and suffering of the Civil War; I really don't believe George Bush has any concept of morality and ethical behavior in our modern world where dialogue and discussion over problems is considered the "norm" for most of humanity.

Many have pointed out that I have been using 21st century concepts of ethics and morality in judging those who settled Jamestown and introduced slavery to North America... now, I would encourage you to consider that peace through dialogue and mutual understanding and respect for one another is the morality of our contemporary world... there simply is no longer a place for theories that allow for "pre-emptive wars," certainly not pre-emptive wars that have been initiated based upon lies and deceit; I doubt you will find any theory, contemporary or otherwise, which would justify such a war.

Lincoln was very honest about the Civil War... he did not hide behind lie after lie after lie as George Bush does.

What did give Lincoln fits was the fact that Congress was allowing a large part of the Armed Forces to be engaged in a brutal campaign to exterminate Native Americans here in Minnesota and the Dakotas at a time he desperately needed these troops to help win the Civil War.

Bush's problems are all of his own making; Lincoln's problems were created by people with a mindset like Bush... but, you will probably accuse me of mixing the ethics and moralities over a one-hundred fifty year period... however, I have noticed that the military seems to have become dominated by generals of southern descent... I am thinking this may be something which requires some research to see if those who could not win the Civil War to continue slavery have risen to positions of great influence in the United States military establishment today as I have noticed a similarity in the way they think to those who continue to refuse to acknowledge the Confederacy lost the war and drive around with bumper stickers on their cars proclaiming their racism stating: "If we would have known; we would have picked our own cotton."

I would also note that this same military establishment frowned upon the man who exposed the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam teaching "ethics and morality" at West Point and other military academies... perhaps this is why torture, human debasement, and ignominy has been tolerated in Iraq, along with brutal and grotesque hangings very similar to the torture and mass hangings of Native Americans in Mankato, Minnesota which Lincoln so despised.

I would ask, why, at this present, advanced stage of human development any kind of "just war theory" would be needed when there isn't a single local, regional, or international problem which can not be resolved through dialogue and negotiation?

The fact is, no matter how morally and ethically wrong terrorism is no nation can wage "war" against terrorists--- it is simply an impossible task.

The only way to end terrorism is to deprive terrorists of the issues they claim "inspire" them to their immoral and dirty deeds... you apprehend and punish the terrorists as you would any other criminal as you try to resolve any legitimate problems they hide behind that are giving rise to their dirty deeds. You do not wage war against the people of an entire nation where you think these terrorists might be hiding out in holes in the desert or caves in the mountains.

Before even considering a "just war theory" which would involve military action it has to be determined if the military is the appropriate governmental department required for the job; to apprehend criminals--- terrorists--- you usually use the police who are supposedly trained for such tasks.

I find it quite amazing the FBI and the CIA can not locate Bin Laden after all these years especially since he was great chums with the CIA for so long and on their payroll, as were mafia hit-men.

After reading "The Family Jewels" I am thinking perhaps there is a slight problem with "ethics and morality" in our police agencies, in addition to our military, and the man in the executive office... perhaps Bush should have considered having a mafia hit-man slip Bin Laden the "pill" that was left over from the disgraceful attempted hit on Fidel Castro?

Actually, Daddy Bush, who was the head of the CIA, could have slipped Bin Laden the pill himself when he was wining and dining him... perhaps he was afraid Bin Laden would switch drinks with him.

Wouldn't this be a good time for Congress to consider impeachment?

Something to think about and ponder around the kitchen table.

"The Family Jewels" and the U.S. labor movement

Fidel Castro did the right thing in responding to "The Family Jewels." (see my previous blog)

Now, U.S. workers and union leaders should follow Castro's example because, in addition to the attempted hits made on Castro's life, what has come out in "The Family Jewels" is the "hit" made on U.S. workers and their unions as "The Family Jewels," with the disclosure which has gone without notice, that the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation--- working together--- were the controlling influence over both George Meaney and Walter Reuther; thus influencing the American and international labor movements to this very day.

Walter Reuther, Roy Reuther, and Victor Reuther were knowingly and willingly used by the F.B.I. and C.I.A. to disrupt the U.S. and international labor movements; for their "services" and deeds as dirty as any mafia hit man, they were paid very well.

The full story of this trail of dirty deeds and betrayals of the working class has yet to be told since most of the real and actual details involved in what have come to light in "The Family Jewels" have yet to be released and disclosed to the American and international public; however, from the mouth of Victor Reuther we gained a glimpse of what transpired.

I am somewhat surprised Fidel Castro did not pick up on this aspect of "The Family Jewels" because I am sure that when there is full disclosure of the hundreds of thousands of documents which will tell us the real story which the disclosure of "The Family Jewels" only kind of outlines, what we will find is that Castro and African leaders were not the only ones targeted for "hits;" the primary target of of all these dirty deeds was the working class movements in many countries.

The real story of how the C.I.A., F.B.I. and the Canadian Royal Canadian Mounted Police targeted the members and leadership of the Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers Union in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada needs to be fully disclosed; as does how the influence the C.I.A. purchased with George Meaney and the Reuther brothers both inside the U.A.W. and the C.I.O. together with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. affected the U.S. labor movement and the international labor movements.

In addition to Chile and now Venezuela, we see the dirty hands of the F.B.I. and C.I.A. involved in trying to promote the same kind of unrest in China which they created in Eastern European socialist countries and the Soviet Union which I assume are included in the "blacked out" portions of "The Family Jewels."

A Lansing, Michigan U.A.W. leader has already disclosed that both he and his wife were both recruited for this dirty work in the Soviet Union by being led to believe they would be helping "democratize" and "modernize" the Soviet trade unions but upon being given their duties in the Soviet Union quickly realized they were doing the bidding of the C.I.A. and F.B.I... talk about being duped.

Unlike the Reuther brothers who were eager to work for the C.I.A. in building a labor empire based upon class collaboration which required kicking the "reds" out of the labor movement, this Lansing U.A.W. couple was deceived and used because of their close association with the Communist Party, U.S.A. which was used by the F.B.I. and C.I.A. in carrying out their dirty deeds in undermining socialism.

As we have seen in the struggle for power now taking place in Venezuela the C.I.A. still has considerable influence in the top leadership levels of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. which remains involved in doing the dirty work for the C.I.A.

"The Family Jewels" at least provides us with substantiating the dirty deeds we all knew about but were never able to "prove" concerning the attempted hits made on the life of the heroic revolutionary Cuban leader, Fidel Castro; but, we do not yet know the "hit" the U.S. labor movement has taken as everything is still concealed, other than the fact that the corrupt George Meaney and the despicable Reuther brothers--- Walter, Roy, and Victor, were in fact employed by the C.I.A. and the F.B.I.

We have a very good idea what services George Meaney and Walter, Roy, and Victor Reuther provided to the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. (not to mention their invaluable services to the corporations employing millions of workers they were betraying while pretending to represent their interest while ripping off the workers by taking union dues as payment on the one hand, while on the other hand collecting their biggest pay checks from this cabal cobbled together by the C.I.A. and F.B.I.--- for undermining the standard of the very workers who believed their union leaders were working in their best interest.

The American working class needs to know the full and complete details of all of this in order to gain a better understanding and education of how U.S. imperialism operates.

The time has come to open up all F.B.I. and C.I.A. files relating to "The Family Jewels" by starting with the full disclosure of the dirty deeds carried out by the C.I.A., F.B.I., George Meaney and the Reuther brothers--- Walter, Roy, and Victor.

I hope Fidel Castro will use his influence and stature as an international leader to insist on full and open disclosure of all the files associated with "The Family Jewels."

For too long American workers have been hobbled in their understanding of how capitalism and its most decadent, barbaric, parasitic (and murderous) stage of imperialism operates in keeping its dirty deeds and machinations hidden from public view by a ruling class which has pretended and feigned ignorance of its dirty and disruptive deeds; worse yet, even when caught continuing on with their outright lies of denial with both the Castro hits and the Meany-Reuther payoffs now a matter of public record--- the full and complete story needing to be told.

Democracy requires no less.

We need to be aware, that these dirty birds in the C.I.A. and F.B.I. will be telling us what we have glimpsed from "The Family Jewels" in the way U.S. imperialism has operated is all in the past. Ya, sure; you betcha.

The Killing Machine; By Fidel Castro

Note: Here is the complete pdf file for "The Family Jewels" (It is 703 pages):
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB222/family_jewels_full.pdf


July 9, 2007

Reflections from a Target of the CIA

The Killing Machine

By Fidel Castro

It was announced that the CIA would be declassifying hundreds of pages on illegal actions that included plans to eliminate the leaders of foreign governments. Suddenly the publication is halted and it is delayed one day. No coherent explanation was given. Perhaps someone in the White House looked over the material.

The first package of declassified documents goes by the name of "The Family Jewels"; it consists of 702 pages on illegal CIA actions between 1959 and 1973. About 100 pages of this part have been deleted. It deals with actions that were not authorized by any law, plots to assassinate other leaders, experiments with drugs on human beings to control their minds, spying on civil activists and journalists, among other similar activities that were expressly prohibited.

The documents began to be gathered together 14 years after the first of the events took place, when then CIA director, James Schlessinger became alarmed about what the press was writing, especially all the articles by Robert Woodward and Carl Bernstein published in The Washington Post, already mentioned in the "Manifesto to the People of Cuba". The agency was being accused of promoting spying in the Watergate Hotel with the participation of its former agents Howard Hunt and James McCord.

In May 1973, the Director of the CIA was demanding that "all the main operative officials of this agency must immediately inform me on any ongoing or past activity that might be outside of the constituting charter of this agency". Schlessinger, later appointed Head of the Pentagon, had been replaced by William Colby. Colby was referring to the documents as "skeletons hiding in a closet". New press revelations forced Colby to admit the existence of the reports to interim President Gerald Ford in 1975. The New York Times was denouncing agency penetration of antiwar groups. The law that created the CIA prevented it from spying inside the United States.

That "was just the tip of the iceberg", said then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Kissinger himself warned that "blood would flow" if other actions were known, and he immediately added: "For example, that Robert Kennedy personally controlled the operation for the assassination of Fidel Castro". The President's brother was then Attorney General of the United States. He was later murdered as he was running for President in the 1968 elections, which facilitated Nixon's election for lack of a strong candidate. The most dramatic thing about the case is that apparently he had reached the conviction that John Kennedy had been victim of a conspiracy. Thorough investigators, after analyzing the wounds, the caliber of the shots and other circumstances surrounding the death of the President, reached the conclusion that there had been at least three shooters. Solitary Oswald, used as an instrument, could not have been the only shooter. I found that rather striking. Excuse me for saying this but fate turned me into a shooting instructor with a telescopic sight for all the Granma expeditionaries. I spent months practicing and teaching, every day; even though the target is a stationary one it disappears from view with each shot and so you need to look for it all over again in fractions of a second.

Oswald wanted to come through Cuba on his trip to the USSR. He had already been there before. Someone sent him to ask for a visa in our country's embassy in Mexico but nobody knew him there so he wasn't authorized. They wanted to get us implicated in the conspiracy. Later, Jack Ruby, --a man openly linked to the Mafia-- unable to deal with so much pain and sadness, as he said, assassinated him, of all places, in a precinct full police agents.

Subsequently, in international functions or on visits to Cuba, on more than one occasion I met with the aggrieved Kennedy relatives, who would greet me respectfully. The former president's son, who was a very small child when his father was killed, visited Cuba 34 years later. We met and I invited him to dinner.

The young man, in the prime of his life, and well brought up, tragically died in an airplane accident on a stormy night as he was flying to Martha's Vineyard with his wife. I never touched on the thorny issue with any of those relatives. In contrast, I pointed out that if the president-elect had then been Nixon instead of Kennedy, after the Bay of Pigs disaster we would have been attacked by the land and sea forces escorting the mercenary expedition, and both countries would have paid a high toll in human lives. Nixon would not have limited himself to saying that victory has many fathers and defeat is an orphan. For the record, Kennedy was never too enthusiastic about the Bay of Pigs adventure; he was led there by Eisenhower's military reputation and the recklessness of his ambitious vice-president.

I remember that, exactly on the day and minute he was assassinated, I was speaking in a peaceful spot outside of the capital with French journalist Jean Daniel. He told me that he was bringing a message from President Kennedy. He said to me that in essence he had told him: "You are going to see Castro. I would like to know what he thinks about the terrible danger we just experienced of a thermonuclear war. I want to see you again as soon as you get back." "Kennedy was very active; he seemed to be a political machine", he added, and we were not able to continue talking as someone rushed in with the news of what had just happened. We turned on the radio. What Kennedy thought was now pointless.

Certainly I lived with that danger. Cuba was both the weakest part and the one that would take the first strike, but we did not agree with the concessions that were made to the United States. I have already spoken of this before.

Kennedy had emerged from the crisis with greater authority. He came to recognize the enormous sacrifices of human lives and material wealth made by the Soviet people in the struggle against fascism. The worst of the relations between the United States and Cuba had not yet occurred by April 1961. When he hadn't resigned himself to the outcome of the Bay of Pigs, along came the Missile Crisis. The blockade, economic asphyxiation, pirate attacks and assassination plots multiplied. But the assassination plots and other bloody occurrences began under the administration of Eisenhower and Nixon.

After the Missile Crisis we would have not refused to talk with Kennedy, nor would we have ceased being revolutionaries and radical in our struggle for socialism. Cuba would have never severed relations with the USSR as it had been asked to do. Perhaps if the American leaders had been aware of what a war could be using weapons of mass destruction they would have ended the Cold War earlier and differently. At least that's how we felt then, when there was still no talk of global warming, broken imbalances, the enormous consumption of hydrocarbons and the sophisticated weaponry created by technology, as I have already said to the youth of Cuba. We would have had much more time to reach, through science and conscience, what we are today forced to realize in haste.

President Ford decided to appoint a Commission to investigate the Central Intelligence Agency. "We do not want to destroy the CIA but to preserve it", he said.

As a result of the Commission's investigations that were led by Senator Frank Church, President Ford signed an executive order which expressly prohibited the participation of American officials in the assassinations of foreign leaders.

The documents published now disclose information about the CIA-Mafia links for my assassination.

Details are also revealed about Operation Chaos, carrying on from 1969 for at least seven years, for which the CIA created a special squadron with the mission to infiltrate pacifist groups and to investigate "the international activities of radicals and black militants". The Agency compiled more than 300,000 names of American citizens and organizations and extensive files on 7,200 persons.

According to The New York Times, President Johnson was convinced that the American anti-War movement was controlled and funded by Communist governments and he ordered the CIA to produce evidence.

The documents recognize, furthermore, that the CIA spied on various journalists like Jack Anderson, performers such as Jane Fonda and John Lennon, and the student movements at Columbia University. It also searched homes and carried out tests on American citizens to determine the reactions of human beings to certain drugs.

In a memorandum sent to Colby in 1973, Walter Elder who had been executive assistant to John McCone, CIA Director in the early 1970s, gives information about discussions in the CIA headquarters that were taped and transcribed: "I know that whoever worked in the offices of the director were worried about the fact that these conversations in the office and on the phone were transcribed. During the McCone years there were microphones in his regular offices, the inner office, the dining room, the office in the East building, and in the study of his home on White Haven Street. I don't know if anyone is ready to talk about this, but the information tends to be leaked, and certainly the Agency is vulnerable in this case".

The secret transcripts of the CIA directors could contain a great number of "jewels". The National Security Archive is already requesting these transcripts.

A memo clarifies that the CIA had a project called OFTEN which would collect "information about dangerous drugs in American companies", until the program was terminated in the fall of 1972. In another memo there are reports that manufacturers of commercial drugs "had passed" drugs to the CIA which had been "refused due to adverse secondary effects".

As part of the MKULTRA program, the CIA had given LSD and other psycho-active drugs to people without their knowledge. According to another document in the archive, Sydney Gottlieb, a psychiatrist and head of chemistry of the Agency Mind Control Program, is supposedly the person responsible for having made available the poison that was going to be used in the assassination attempt on Patrice Lumumba.

CIA employees assigned to MHCHAOS ­the operation that carried out surveillance on American opposition to the war in Vietnam and other political dissidents ­expressed "a high level of resentment" for having been ordered to carry out such missions.

Nonetheless, there is a series of interesting matters revealed in these documents, such as the high level at which the decisions for actions against our country were taken.

The technique used today by the CIA to avoid giving any details is not the unpleasant crossed out bits but the blank spaces, coming from the use of computers.

For The New York Times, large censored sections reveal that the CIA still cannot expose all the skeletons in its closets, and many activities developed in operations abroad, checked over years ago by journalists, congressional investigators and a presidential commission, are not in the documents.

Howard Osborn, then CIA Director of Security, makes a summary of the "jewels" compiled by his office. He lists eight cases ­including the recruiting of the gangster Johnny Roselli for the coup against Fidel Castro ­but they crossed out the document that is in the number 1 place on Osborn's initial list: two and a half pages.

"The No. 1 Jewel of the CIA Security Offices must be very good, especially since the second one is the list for the program concerning the assassination of Castro by Roselli," said Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive who requested the declassification of "The Family Jewels" 15 years ago under the Freedom of Information Act.

It is notable that the administration which has declassified the least information in the history of the United States, and which has even started a process of reclassifying information that was previously declassified, now makes the decision to make these revelations.

I believe that such an action could be an attempt to present an image of transparency when the government is at an all time low rate of acceptance and popularity, and to show that those methods belong to another era and are no longer in use. When he announced the decision, General Hayden, current CIA Director, said: "The documents offer a look at very different times and at a very different Agency."

Needless to say that everything described here is still being done, only in a more brutal manner and all around the planet, including a growing number of illegal actions within the very United States.

The New York Times wrote that intelligence experts consulted expressed that the revelation of the documents is an attempt to distract attention from recent controversies and scandals plaguing the CIA and an Administration that is living through some of its worst moments of unpopularity.

The declassification could also be an attempt at showing, in the early stages of the electoral process that the Democratic administrations were as bad, or worse, than Mr. Bush's.

In pages 11 to 15 of the Memo for the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, we can read:

"In August 1960, Mr. Richard M. Bissell approached Colonel Sheffield Edwards with the objective of determining whether the Security Office had agents who could help in a confidential mission that required gangster-style action. The target of the mission was Fidel Castro.

"Given the extreme confidentiality of the mission, the project was known only to a small group of people. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency was informed and he gave it his approval. Colonel J. C. King, Head of the Western Hemisphere Division, was also informed, but all the details were deliberately concealed from officials of Operation JMWAVE. Even though some officials of Communications (Commo) and the Technical Services Division (TSD) took part in initial planning phases, they were not aware of the mission's purpose.

"Robert A. Maheu was contacted, he was informed in general terms about the project, and he was asked to evaluate whether he could get access to gangster-type elements as a first step for achieving the desired goal.

"Mr. Maheu informed that he had met with a certain Johnny Roselli on several occasions while he was visiting Las Vegas. He had only met him informally through clients, but he had been told that he was a member of the upper echelons of the 'syndicate' and that he was controlling all the ice machines on the Strip. In Maheu's opinion, if Roselli was in effect a member of the Clan, he undoubtedly had connections that would lead to the gambling racket in Cuba.

"Maheu was asked to get close to Roselli, who knew that Maheu was a public relations executive looking after national and foreign accounts, and tell him that recently he had been contracted by a client who represented several international business companies, which were suffering enormous financial losses in Cuba due to Castro. They were convinced that the elimination of Castro would be a solution to their problem and they were ready to pay $ 150,000 for a successful outcome. Roselli had to be made perfectly aware of the fact that the U.S. government knew nothing, nor could it know anything, about this operation.

"This was presented to Roselli on September 14, 1960 in the Hilton Plaza Hotel of New York City. His initial reaction was to avoid getting involved but after Maheu's persuasive efforts he agreed to present the idea to a friend, Sam Gold, who knew "some Cubans". Roselli made it clear that he didn't want any money for his part in all this, and he believed that Sam would do likewise. Neither of these people was ever paid with Agency money.

"During the week of September 25, Maheu was introduced to Sam who was living at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. It was not until several weeks after meeting Sam and Joe ­who was introduced as courier operating between Havana and Miami ­that he saw photos of these two individuals in the Sunday section of Parade. They were identified as Momo Salvatore Giancana and Santos Trafficante, respectively. Both were on the Attorney General's list of the ten most wanted. The former was described as the boss of the Cosa Nostra in Chicago and Al Capone's heir, and the latter was the boss of Cuban operations of the Cosa Nostra. Maheu immediately called this office upon learning this information.

"After analyzing the possible methods to carry out this mission, Sam suggested that they not resort to firearms but that, if they could get hold of some kind of deadly pill, something to be put into Castro's food or drink, this would be a much more effective operation. Sam indicated that he had a possible candidate in the person of Juan Orta, a Cuban official who had been receiving bribery payments in the gambling racket, and who still had access to Castro and was in a financial bind.

"The TSD (Technical Services Division) was requested to produce 6 highly lethal pills.

"Joe delivered the pills to Orta. After several weeks of attempts, Orta appears to have chickened out and he asked to be taken off the mission. He suggested another candidate who made several unsuccessful."

Everything that was said in the numerous paragraphs above is in quotes. Observe well, dear readers, the methods that were already being used by the United States to rule the world.

I remember that during the early years of the Revolution, in the offices of the National Institute for Agrarian Reform, there was a man working there with me whose name was Orta, who had been linked to the anti-Batista political forces. He was a respectful and serious man. But, it could only be him. The decades have gone by and I see his name once more in the CIA report. I can't lay my hands on information to immediately prove what happened to him. Accept my apologies if I involuntarily have offended a relative or a descendent, whether the person I have mentioned is guilty or not.

The empire has created a veritable killing machine that is made up not only of the CIA and its methods. Bush has established powerful and expensive intelligence and security super-structures, and he has transformed all the air, sea and land forces into instruments of world power that take war, injustice, hunger and death to any part of the globe, in order to educate its inhabitants in the exercise of democracy and freedom. The American people are gradually waking up to this reality.

"You cannot fool all of the people all of the time", said Lincoln.

Progressives and the Middle East; and "progressive" impostors

I received an e-mail that contained this:

The second reason that peace leaders fail to criticize the leading pro-war lobby is because of the influence of pro-Israel ‘progressives’ in the movement. These progressives condition their support of ‘peace in Iraq’ only if the movement does not criticize the pro-war Israel lobby in and outside
the US government, the role of Israel as a belligerent partner to the US in Lebanon, Palestine and Kurdish Northern Iraq. A movement claiming to be in favor of peace, which refuses to attack the main proponents of war, is pursuing irrelevance....

I agree completely with the statement: "A movement claiming to be in favor of peace, which refuses to attack the main proponents of war, is pursuing irrelevance...."

This question of "progressives" supporting the pro-war, right-wing policies of the Israeli government and the right-wing Israeli lobby here in the United States is a very basic and most important question, in my opinion, also.

I don't think it is so much real "progressives" that we are speaking of; but, rather, people who are posturing as "progressives" and who are opportunistically using the term "progressive" in order to cover-up their real agenda which is, in fact, a corrupt, reactionary, big-business agenda right down the line from supporting the war in Iraq and the Israeli bloodbath and subjugation and repression of the Palestinian people to a host of other reactionary items on their agenda that have nothing at all in common with progressivism which they are trying to pass off as "progressive" in order to hoodwink, us, and the American public.

Why might anyone be so dishonest?

Because, did you ever hear of anyone putting forward a "reactionary" agenda and getting elected to public office? Republicans have already cornered the market on "conservative."

In the Democratic Party, these reactionaries, which are clearly aligned with the likes of Hillary Clinton, Walter Mondale, Minnesota's United States Senator Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar and other opportunists of this ilk can get no where by describing themselves as "moderate," [a label they in fact attach to themselves] which means absolutely nothing to most people... other then they just kind of stand in the middle of the road like fools waiting to get run over... ever heard of anyone putting forward a "moderate" agenda and actually getting elected? Again, the distinction between the "moderate" label... and a "moderate agenda." Moderates never run their campaigns claiming a "moderate agenda," this would be the kiss of death at the polls. Instead they look to pass themselves off as liberals or progressives... the American electorate is clearly beyond, and to the left of liberalism, and is insisting on nothing less than a more radical progressive alternative to the reactionary Republican agenda. Hence these moderates have tried to hijack the progressive label in using it to dishonestly hide their real aims.

Obviously, if these people wrapped themselves in the "conservative" label, where they and their reactionary ideas and their pro-war agenda really belong, they couldn't make it to first base among Democratic voters... they would strike out at the polls every time; which had been occurring for many years if you recall.

Take a look at what these people have done... they hired a linguist, George Lakoff, who advised them, for a very handsome fee, that "packaging" is everything. Use slick packaging making any outlandish claim for a product, wrap it in fancy, smancy packaging and you will sell it.

In his popular little booklet which has paid off handsomely for Lakoff, "Don't Think of an Elephant!" Lakoff is very clear. Lakoff is only for "framing" issues for the purpose of bringing into the political debate progressive sounding policy directions, AND he emphatically advises these "moderate" Democrats to never, ever put forward any specific solutions to any problems. Read the book; see for yourself; this is all spelled out very clearly... and, very cleverly in order to try to suck us all in to "winning." What is won, though? The war goes on just like people go without health care working for a minimum wage that insures a lifetime of poverty.

Lakoff would like us to believe progressives can't really win on a genuine progressive platform which provides concrete solutions to the very real problems in our country and the world. Is Lakoff correct…? I say he isn't.

In fact, contrary to Lakoff's "theory" aimed at making a mockery of the science of linguistics, progressives can win; and, when putting forward intelligently framed progressive policy directions accompanied with real solutions to problems progressive do win in the United States like they do in any other country in the world. There are numerous current and historic examples.

With this book, "Don't Think of an Elephant!" Lakoff has hoodwinked many real progressives who should know better... however, real progressives have been desperate for finding a way to bring their ideas forward into the mainstream of American politics so even many real progressives have bought into Lakoff's advice dished out explicitly for this bunch of so-called "moderate" democrats... I can't stress this enough--- Lakoff's advice is tailored to these so-called moderates… not to real progressives except to lure us into a sinking ship. Moderates, who, if we examine their positions in regard to race issues, women's equality, peace, environmental and global warming, and most especially labor issues and on capitalism, we find these so-called "moderates" to in fact be very reactionary... again, Hillary Clinton is our prime example... in fact all the announced and leading Democratic candidates for President in the double-digits are prime and classic examples.

They could never get elected on their real pro-business, pro-war, anti-labor reactionary agenda. This is why, for real progressives to continue to advocate for the "lesser of two evils" is a losing proposition because all we end up getting is evil in one form or another; corrupt politicians whose goal is to drive down our standard of living and carry forward the aims of U.S. imperialism which means a never ending cycle of wars, along with social and economic injustices.

Maybe we should clearly define the basic hallmarks of real progressivism.

Real progressivism is based on a world outlook which holds that all life is sacred and war, in our modern world, is not a solution to local, regional, or international problems. Real progressives believe as Lincoln did--- that labor is to be respected and all forms of human exploitation, be it chattel slavery or exploitation of labor in any form must be rejected, and that labor is the superior of capital. Real progressives would never tolerate the Israeli occupation of another people's homeland and sit in silence in the face of the continued Israeli campaign of carnage and repression against the Palestinian people.

Jimmy Carter, who is among these "moderate" politicians has had the courage to break ranks and take a genuinely progressive stand on the Israeli-Palestinian question and has the moral courage to bring forward the concept that Palestinians are human beings like any of us... he hasn't really brought forward a specific "progressive" solution into the debate; at least not yet; however, and this is a very important "however," he does insist that dialogue is the solution to the problems in the Middle East rather than war... obviously for progressives, too, this is the basic, fundamentally necessary first step towards a lasting peace in the Middle East. We can live with a moderate who has the courage to join with us in advocating the first step towards peace.

Yet, Jimmy Carter has been viciously attacked by his moderate friends for taking this courageous stand.

For bringing forward my ideas about peace in the Middle East and speaking out against the continued Israeli carnage I have been targeted for the most vicious attack aimed at trying to silence me and drive me from the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party; this attack is pretty much summed up in an e-mail I received from a sitting judge, who wrote: "Maki, you must be fucking an Arab bitch." This was in response to my suggestion that a special meeting of the State Central Committee of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party be called to have a dialogue, discuss, and debate what our position should be on ending the carnage and bloodbath in the Middle East.

Unlike Jimmy Carter, we have a life-long, true and very real progressive like George McGovern who has brought forward in his "Blueprint" to end the war in Iraq which embodies very specific progressive solutions backed up by progressive policy directions which have been framed very well.

McGovern's "Blueprint" is like poison to these "progressive" posers and impostors who have deceptively, opportunistically and dishonestly wrapped themselves in the "progressive" label in the very same way the so-called patriots wrap themselves in the American flag and send everyone else off to fight their dirty wars as they reap the spoils and profits simply by clipping their Wall Street coupons without dirtying their hands.

To these "progressive" impostors and posers, George McGovern has committed the deadliest sin of all according to George Lakoff who specifically warns against: framing an issue from a progressive policy position, and then putting forward a real solution; solution is what we need to hone in on.

It would seem to me real progressives need to find a way to mature to the point where they can work with moderates like Carter when he brings forward a progressive viewpoint which sets forth a progressive "first step" solution aimed at ending this bloodshed in the Middle East on the basis of self-determination along with advocating full respect and equality for the Palestinian people... and who knows, Jimmy Carter may find an eventual home in the real progressive movement--- stranger things have been known to occur... he has displayed many exemplary humanitarian traits that coincide with real progressive ideals on numerous occasions since leaving public office.

Anyone can contrast the views of Jimmy Carter to those of his former Vice-President--- Walter Mondale, and see a very significant difference. Mondale has called for more wars... war against Iran... a pre-emptive strike against North Korea; continued unconditional support for the bestial and inhuman policies of an expansionist Israel. When it comes to being a "progressive," Mondale is the embodiment of a worthless charlatan and a fraud. Jimmy Carter on the other hand has been moving in a genuinely progressive direction on numerous issues... if he doesn't make the complete turn to progressivism; it is not for lack of trying… it may be for the lack of progressives reaching out a hand.

Getting back to George McGovern... the "progressive" impostors and posers have done a real number on McGovern--- so, what is new, they have been smearing him for years, five decades in fact... because he was an unflinching progressive political proponent of the New Deal and political ally of Frances Perkins, the feisty progressive Secretary of Labor in the New Deal government of Franklin Roosevelt who wasn't afraid to have friends like Communist Party leader Earl Browder; the heroic Communist Party member and leader of the West Coast Longshore Union, Harry Bridges; and, Minnesota's real progressives, socialist governors Floyd B. Olson and Elmer Benson and the Communist Party member of the United States Congress from the Iron Range, John Bernard--- all three overwhelmingly elected on the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party ticket in the 1930's.

In fact, when reactionaries tried to rattle her cage by quoting to her from Karl Marx' Communist Manifesto, a liking it to the social programs she advocated, Perkins responded by humorously saying she was glad to see someone agreed with her.

How do these "progressive" posers and impostors attack McGovern's "Blueprint" for ending this dirty war in Iraq? They again turn to smearing him; claiming "we" can't be associated with such a "loser" when in fact, long-time serving, continually re-elected United States Senator George McGovern, who wore his progressive label on his shirt sleeves and in the legislation he authored and in every speech he delivered, in every discussion with constituents would have won the presidency had not these very same "moderates," who now make the claim--- a knowingly false and dishonest claim--- of being "progressive;" if they would not have sat out the election twiddling their thumbs and picking their noses as they with-held the resources of the Democratic Party from McGovern which he would have needed in order to be elected President--- these "progressive" posers were responsible for McGovern losing and throwing our Nation to the vultures and the wolves who were already circling over us as if we were road-kill… as a result--- for over thirty-five years now the New Deal has been under attack, rolled-back, and pulverized.

In fact, these "moderate" Democrats now posing as "progressives," gave us, and the world, Richard Nixon--- not to mention giving us tens of thousands of American G.I.'s returned from Vietnam in body bags while killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese in who knows how many My Lai Massacres which has left our country deeply in debt to this very day.

Since then they have rolled over and acquiesced to the Republican big-business agenda.

It is not true "progressives" advocating support for the right-wing, warmongering policies of the Israeli government which fronts for U.S. imperialism like corrupt Native American tribal officials front for organized crime in the casino industry... and note who is among the first to endorse Hillary Clinton and who has been among the foremost defenders of the right-wing, warmongering, Israeli government here in Minnesota politics... one Melanie Benjamin... the head of a casino empire where thousands of workers are employed in casinos filled with second-hand smoke, without any rights under state, federal, or tribal labor laws and without any voice at work or in the communities where they reside--- all receiving poverty wages--- as the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party turns over its home page website to Ms. Benjamin to pontificate and lecture about human rights!

Imagine that... one who denies thousands of casino workers their most basic and fundamental human rights and calls for continued support for the reactionary policies of the Israeli government... and, what label is attached to Melanie Benjamin by herself and her friends in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party? You guessed it... she is a "progressive!" Not just any "progressive," but a "PROGRESSIVE!!!!" Melanie Benjamin is touted as a "progressive supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton." She joins Walter Mondale in being anointed to "progressive" standing in the MN DFL.

Now, figure this out... Minnesota DFL state representative Bernie Lieder boasted to the news media just days before the election that he was more conservative than his Bush-Cheney, war supporting anti-single-payer, universal health care loving Republican opponent, yet Lieder's campaign literature stated that he was a "progressive."

Progressives have in fact been a dominant force in American politics when truthfully asserting their progressive agenda for peace and social justice. Under the progressive banner the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party dominated the political landscape in Minnesota for years with a legacy that cannot be destroyed. Even Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty was forced to acknowledge in his keynote address before the last Republican State Convention that he could not break through this barrier of progressivism in Minnesota which has become, what he described, as a "tradition."

The New Deal Administration of the 1930's and into the 1940's was truly "progressive" representing Americans from all walks of life and was a marvelous progressive undertaking; brought to an end by Harry Truman--- the idol of these "moderate" Democrats.

There are the examples of progressivism from North Dakota and South Dakota; Wisconsin and New York and California.

We need to be careful we do not fall into the trap of allowing these phony politicians the opportunity to hijack real progressivism in the name of political opportunism. In fact, we don't even need the Hillary Clintons and this bunch of "progressive" posers and impostors.

What we do need to do, is carefully lay a firm foundation for a truly progressive movement with a well framed progressive agenda which includes real solutions to the real problems people are experiencing; again, I stress… "solutions." People are looking for solutions to all these problems.

Here in Minnesota the reactionary leadership of the Minnesota DFL which has deceitfully and dishonestly wrapped itself in the cloak of "progressivism" has tried to manipulate and control the peace movement by insisting that those who support the rights of the Palestinian people be excluded from the peace movement, as well silenced in the MN DFL if they dare to stand up and criticize the warmongering, racist, and repressive policies of the Israeli government.

The specific methods they use include forcing the "Progressive Caucus" to agree to support all candidates endorsed by the MN DFL. Why anyone would be so week-minded to agree to such shenanigans I will never understand.

We saw this at the last MN DFL state convention when the well known peace activist Charley Underwood decided at the last minute to challenge the nomination of Amy Klobuchar for United States Senate… he was given a "loyalty oath" which he agreed to: "Will you support the nominated candidate of the MN DFL if you do not receive the endorsement of the convention?" He responded, "Yes." Even though he knew that in spite of his excellent speech condemning this dirty war in Iraq--- even though he did not dare to criticize Israel's warmongering policies--- he knew he was not going to be nominated, and Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar would get the nomination. He and others from the Progressive Caucus and members of the State Central Committee were repeatedly warned they would be removed from their positions should they do otherwise. Well, I am still here; not only did I not endorse Klobuchar, but I urged people not to vote for her and I didn't vote for her myself. Even the popular, truly progressive, anti-war and pro single-payer, universal health care candidate, Ford Bell, who had been challenging Klobuchar, was done in by the Israeli lobby in the MN DFL.

Given that this is the way these "progressive" impostors and frauds maintain their control together with smear and hate campaigns progressives are going to have to consider some alternatives.

In my opinion, what needs to be done is that progressives need to use more tact. What we need to do is remain active inside the Democratic Party without fearing going outside of the Democratic Party to pursue our progressive agenda. Democracy requires such an approach. One way of doing this is for progressives to get behind a candidate in the primaries and, if not successful, have another candidate ready to move into the general election.

In fact, in West Michigan, a similar tactic successfully led to Richard Vanderveen being the first Democrat--- a progressive anti-Vietnam War Democrat--- in years to attain the 5th District Congressional seat after Jerry Ford held the seat for many years. (Vanderveen lost after the professional political hacks got their clutches on him and convinced him his populist progressive message was a fluke and he wouldn't win again without moving to the center--- sound familiar?; well it was losing advice; when he asked me what I thought, I told him he would lose if he budged from his progressive agenda.)

As progressives we should consider this tactic; it works. People have a right to vote for candidates that reflect their views… in the United States today people want to have a real progressive option… this is evident with the clear signs of let-down and disappointment when Democrats continued to cave in to Bush and Cheney after the last election.

There was clearly a time when there was the need to consider the lesser of two evils, in my opinion. This is not such a time. As progressives, we have the majority of humanity in all countries now moving along the progressive road--- this is our "protection." We need not fear the danger from the right to the extent we have to hold our noses every time we enter the voting booth whether it is for drain commissioner, county commissioner, state or federal elected officials; or the president.

What we need to do is strategize; and, we need to serve notice on these frauds and impostors posing under the guise of "progressivism" that we really do dare to step outside of the two-party system, and we dare to do so in a way where we dare to win… not worrying if these progressive impostors lose.

Part of our strategy that should be considered is running in very close and hotly contested races so that these progressive fakers know that we mean business. A big part of politics is demonstrating having the power to make or break other candidates. It is not of our making, or our fault, that these "progressive" posers can not win elections without our support… and, they can't.

There is no reason why peace and social justice organizations shouldn't be seeking ballot status. For instance, why shouldn't "Minnesotans for Peace and Social Justice" be on the ballot, and be fielding candidates for public office? I think the time is now.

I have been mulling this over for quite some time… anyone else thinking along these lines? If so, let's talk. We can get together around your kitchen table, or mine.

Alan L. Maki

Employee Free Choice Act isn't misleading, but Sen. Coleman's argument is

Employee Free Choice Act isn't misleading, but Sen. Coleman's argument is

http://www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_6243784?nclick_check=1

BRAD SLAWSON JR. and RAY WALDRON


Article Last Updated: 06/27/2007 06:56:06 PM CDT

There are, undoubtedly, a few things that we can all agree on these days. We all want to work hard and to support our families. We all want our kids to do better than we did. We all want a little piece of the American Dream.

And for most Minnesotans, that means having a good job that supports our families, offers access to affordable health care, and gives us the promise of a secure retirement.

Too many hard-working Minnesotans today are juggling two and three jobs just to make ends meet. They can't afford health insurance for their families, and they're having a hard time thinking about retirement, much less saving for it.

They're bone-tired, they want a fair reward for their hard work and they are interested in working together to improve their jobs and their lives. Not surprisingly, a recent survey conducted for the AFL-CIO found that 60 million workers would "join a union today" if they could.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that full-time wage and salary workers who were union members had median weekly earnings of $833 in 2006, compared with a median of $642 for wage and salary workers who were not represented by a union.

Unfortunately, it is pretty tough to form a union in today's workplaces. On average, every 23 minutes in this country, a worker is fired or discriminated against for his or her support of a union. A law that passed the U.S. House several months ago, the Employee Free Choice Act, would have allowed working people the freedom to form a union without the threat of termination or intimidation on the job.

This week, Sen. Norm Coleman voted against that law.

Analysts, from U of M Professor Emeritus Richard Levins to broadcaster Lou Dobbs, have said the Employee Free Choice Act is one way to start rebuilding America's weakened middle class. And Coleman voted against it.

He outlined the reasons for his vote in Tuesday's Pioneer Press, saying that he opposes the act in order to "protect workers' right to secret ballot elections."

Whoops. Those rights are safe under the Employee Free Choice Act. In fact, in April a group of union members met with a staffer in the senator's St. Paul office to explain that.

The Employee Free Choice Act does not deny workers the right to a unionizing election - it simply stops employers from forcing one. It does nothing to change the law that if one-third of workers want a National Labor Relations Board election at their workplace, they can still ask the federal government to hold one.

Nowhere in the bill does it repeal or restrict the provision of the National Labor Relations Act that workers now use to petition for a secret-ballot election - Section 9(c)(1)(A). Workers could continue to file an "RC petition" to request a secret-ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, just as they do now.

The senator knew - or at the very least had the opportunity to know -- that the Employee Free Choice Act would not limit secret ballot union elections long before he voted against the pro-worker bill Tuesday. Working Minnesotans deserve better.

Brad A. Slawson Jr. is chair of Change to Win Minnesota (CtW), an affiliation of unions. Ray Waldron is president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.





My response:

Brad Slawson and Ray Waldron should know about "misleading;" they have been misleading working people for years.

The "Employee Free Choice Act" will have little affect on workers in Minnesota until "at will hiring, at will firing" is repealed; Slawson and Waldron ignore this little fact because their friends in the MN DFL might get upset if they bring it up.

So far, neither Waldron nor Slawson has asked their friends in the MN DFL Legislative Caucus to repeal this hideous "at will hiring, at will firing" law. In fact, when I made a motion at the last two state conventions of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party to support repeal of "at will hiring, at will firing" Waldron "organized" his members to vote "no." This was the most organizing I have ever seen out of Waldron and it really stressed, and stretched, his organizing talent; so much so he hasn't engaged in any organizing activity since.

Reading Slawson and Waldron talking about union organizing would in itself be a big fat joke if not so sad... as thousands of Minnesotans are suffering as they point out, even if hypocritically so on their part.

Both Slawson and Waldron have sat in silence as more than 20,000 of their brothers and sisters continue to go to work in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights what-so-ever under state, federal, or tribal labor laws at poverty wages under the most atrocious and Draconian working conditions without any voice at work.

As long as this many workers are employed under such conditions they are a club over the heads of all workers in Minnesota... driving wages down and thwarting union organizing drives in other industries while making contract negotiations more difficult, and enforcing the negotiated contracts even harder.

Furthermore, Mr. Slawson's members are working--- at this very moment--- under terms of illegal "sweetheart" contracts on both the Grand Casino in Hinkley and Black Bear Casino south of Duluth... not to mention the Island Casino near Escanaba, Michigan and the huge new casino being built in Petoskey, Michigan... Mr. Slawson has agreed to not organizing casino workers in return for his members getting work on construction on these casinos. Not only this, Mr. Slawson has agreed to the most outlandish method of enforcing health and safety on these casino construction sites... he has placed management in charge of health and safety inspections instead of state and federal inspectors.

The only union contracts Waldron and Slawson are capable of negotiating are crooked and corrupt sweetheart contracts; many of the contracts covering their workers provide nothing more than poverty wages...

"Employee Free Choice" might help some workers organize but not as long as these two gentlemen head up the union movement in Minnesota where "at will hiring, at will firing" is the law.

By the way... "Employee Free Choice" is just like other labor laws as far as casino workers are concerned... it won't help these 20,000 Minnesotans at all... of course, this is of no concern to Slawson or Waldron who are more interested in making an attack on Coleman than on organizing workers. Perhaps Cerisi will provide the same kind of loyalty to working people as that shown by DFL'er Senator Metzen and his committee when it came to legislation to save the Ford Plant... again, Slawson and Waldron were silent as Ford began building its new Ranger trucks in Thailand under the watchful eye of Senator Dayton... and Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar has been silent. Neither Waldron or Slawson have come out in support of the only way of saving 2,000 union jobs at the Ford Twin Cities Plant... did either of these gentleman ever take the time to consider the tremendous organizing effort over many years that went into organizing this Plant? Does either gentleman take the time to consider how much resources it will gobble up from member dues to organize 2,000 workers in another industry or workplace/s--- even with the "Employee Free Choice Act?"

As for Slawson and Waldron being concerned about workers' health care, again, give me another break. If either Slawson or Waldron had one iota of concern for what kind of health care working people have access to they would pile all their members on buses and tell their friends in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party to get on with passing real single-payer, universal health care legislation; then invite the rest of Minnesotans to board buses to watch the Governor decide whether or not he will sign the legislation... of course, this would take some amount of organizing ability which both of these "labor" leaders seem to lack.

Before workers can organize in their workplaces they need union leaders who will back their efforts... with, or without, the approval from the bosses.

"Employee Free Choice Act" yes; plus, union leaders who dare to struggle, and dare to win.

Yes, Norm Coleman voted against the "Employee Free Choice Act;" but, Slawson's and Waldron's members continue to work under terms of "sweetheart" contracts on casino construction projects, and their members continue to sit at slot machines as we try to organize Minnesota's 20,000 casino workers and convince Minnesota's Democratic Farmer-Labor Party legislators that casino workers are entitled to the same rights and protections all other workers enjoy under state and federal labor laws, and casino workers are entitled to the same "voice at work" members of CtW and the MN AFL-CIO have.

At one time Slawson and Waldron were out campaigning to elect Norm Coleman; now they cry over the way he voted--- as they sit in silence as 20,000 Minnesotans go to work in smoke-filled casinos without any rights. And they don't even care that the "Employee Free Choice Act" will not cover casino workers.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing
Red Lake Casino, Hotel, and Restaurant Employees' Union Organizing Committee