Breaking free from the two-party trap. We have some excellent examples.

We have quite few successful examples of socialist politics we can build on here in the United States as we break free from this two-party trap. Tony Benn is one such example. We have to get socialism on the table for discussion here in the United States because capitalism is going down hard and it's going to collapse in a big heap right on top of us if we don't take up the struggle for the socialist alternative.

Here is one fine example of a people's politician who has never shied away from advocating socialism... as William Winpisinger, the former president of the International Association of Machinists, used to call such socialists, "seat of the pants socialist."

In my opinion, Tony Benn is right up there with our former socialist Minnesota Governors Floyd Olson and Elmer Benson and the former Premier of Manitoba, Howard Pawley who wrote a great book, "Keep True," Tommy Douglas of Canada's socialist NDP and Winnipeg Communist City Council members Jacob Penner and Joe Zuken.

Leftists in this country are going to have to stop thinking there is nothing we can learn from people's politicians around the world if we are going to break free from this two-party trap.

https://www.facebook.com/tonybennfilm

Here is a thought for the day.

"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people." Tony Benn

Green energy and "jobs, jobs, jobs;" not so fast because your electric bill may go up quicker than unemployment will go down.

Haha... we have people on the left trying to package and sell us on green energy as the solution to our problems in the same deceitful way they packaged and sold us a "face in the crowd," Barack Obama.

If you haven't see the movie, "A Face In The Crowd" you might want to watch it now.

Once again they ask us to rally around green energy in the name of "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs."

An interesting development. It seems loss of profits are getting in the way of expanding wind and solar power with a big loss of jobs:

http://china-wire.org/?p=25578

This "little" issue of multi-national profits is something no one talked about at the climate change rally this past weekend.

Not only were corporate profits not addressed as a hurdle and stumbling block to green energy production; but, the one other important aspect not being discussed is the fact that the more wind-generators and solar production of electricity brought on-line through the power-grid the higher the price consumers are being forced to pay.

Here in northern Minnesota our electric bills have more than tripled in the last five years because coal-fired generators are becoming cleaner and more wind-generated electricity is coming on line through the power-grid.

The obvious solution to all of this is nationalization of the power-generating industry which Minnesota's socialist governor Floyd B. Olson warned--- over 75 years ago--- was going to be necessary.

Anyone can look at the profits and huge salaries of these executives in the power-generating industries and see that we are not paying more for the production of electricity; we are paying more so Wall Street coupon clippers can reap bigger profits and the managers and CEO's can have huge salaries and bonuses.

None of this is being discussed by any of these environmental organizations because their foundation-funding would come to an end.

So, who does that leave to place nationalization of the energy producing industries on the table for discussion? The politicians receiving the bribes from the manufacturers of wind-turbines and solar panels and coal-fired and nuclear power generating industries? Ya, sure; you betcha.

If you and I don't take the initiative to bring forward the nationalization solution nobody will... our electric bills for cheaper produced electricity will just keep going up and up and up as CEO salaries and profits reaped by the Wall Street coupon clippers soar.

We can see from this article workers and those getting the electric bills are paying the price for continued profits before people and the environment.

Bottom line: Capitalism can never be green.

And yet never mentioned by Bill McKibben are profits, electric bills and workers' rights and livelihoods. Go figure while you are trying to figure while you try to figure out how you are going to feed your family, put gas in your car to get to work (if you are lucky enough to still have a job) and still pay your rising electric bills.

No wonder so many people are going nuts in this country trying to figure out how to make ends meet.

Someone should ask Bill McKibben about all of this and at the same time ask him why he refuses to talk about the need for peace as the main way to begin finding solutions to global warming and climate change since Wall Street's very profitable military-industrial complex and wars leaves in its wake the largest carbon foot-print of all.

Haha--- the laugh is on us if we buy into all this green bullshit the way it is being packaged and peddled.

The kind of progressive movement we need.

My Letter to the Editor gets published in the International Falls Daily Journal, the largest circulation newspaper in northeast Minnesota which is an industrial town centered around the forestry industry:

http://www.ifallsjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/america-needs-employment-act/article_426a8fec-6680-5a32-81f0-5b6a10b9a757.html

We need to talk about how peace is related to full employment since these dirty wars kill jobs just like they kill people and how fighting climate change creates some jobs--- but, we also need to talk about how a National Public Health Care System will create over twelve-million new jobs and a National Public Child Care System would create another three-million new jobs and how we need to open all the closed mines, mills and factories to begin producing what we need for an environmentally sound stable economy which puts human needs before Wall Street's greed.

We need to discuss re-establishing the WPA, CCC and CETA in order to take care of aging infrastructure, combat the effects of climate change and make sure people are properly trained while working in WPA and CCC programs and projects.

And what about the fact that the huge military-industrial complex leaves behind the largest carbon footprint of all? Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that peace is provides a bigger way to fight climate change than switching over to new kinds of more energy efficient light-bulbs; both are necessary but that which yields the most potent results needs to be included in the discussion of the remedies--- and so far the importance of peace has not entered the climate change movement because certain forces want to keep peace out of the discussions about both climate change and jobs even though peace is the key to solving climate change and unemployment and getting the kind of public health care and child care systems working people are entitled to.

Why isn't it possible to shape a progressive agenda on all of these factors instead of just approaching the problems in a piece-meal fashion as if all these factors are somehow separate from one another when they aren't?

And why the failure to advocate the need for a working class based people's party which would articulate such a progressive agenda?

Full employment is possible and we need to see to it that the government becomes legislatively responsible for full employment.

Half a million jobs from fighting global warming is good; but, what about the fifteen million more people who are unemployed and those forced into poverty because the miserly Minimum Wage forces poverty on working class families and drags all wages down just like this unemployment is doing?

A Labor Network for Sustainability needs a much broader agenda based on the reality of the dire straights warmongering Wall Street coupon clipping parasites have placed us in making it a requirement that in the process of fighting for these reforms we are challenging Wall Street for political and economic power with working class power.

Let's get these issues properly framed so we can unite the working class in the kind of struggle creating a sustainable economy and world will require if we are going to survive.

Economic stability and prosperity for all along with sustainability in a complex world requires peace and full employment where everyone has access to health care and child care as we combat climate change and global warming; and, it is on this basis we need to build a united working class people's movement capable of defending this kind of progressive initiative where people work, in the streets and at the ballot box.

Great Grey Owl from my living room window.

I'm snowbound already and more is on the way.

Dean Baker makes the case for a just minimum wage then creates a lie to explain why it isn't possible.

This is an interesting article by Dean Baker (see link at the very bottom) on the minimum wage; however, his conclusion is based on myth and not factual so in essence he is acknowledging what the minimum wage should be but claiming it can't be done because of some kind of "harm" it would do to the economy.

Typical crap coming from the well-heeled, Obama-supporting middle class crowd always making up excuses while pretending otherwise why workers aren't entitled to real living wages right here and now.

Dean Baker recently advocated we should bring in doctors from other countries to push the profits of doctors down. More muddle-headed middle class bullshit when what is needed is a National Public Health Care System putting doctors on the public payroll. All we need to do is go through the urban areas and Indian Reservations and tell the kids if they do good in school we provide them with free university and promise them $50,000.00 a year adjusted for inflation jobs as doctors and we will have all the doctors we need who will really care about the quality of care they provide to working people.

Dean Baker and the over-paid muddle-headed middle class crowd who are apologists for the Democrats can't think like this when it comes to health care or the minimum wage laws.

No worker, not ever, should be forced to work for less than the actually cost of living. This fallacy that we would face some kind of run-away-inflation is just that: a fallacy and a lie. Let the government control prices to prevent inflation. In fact, if the government was doing its job it would be rolling-back prices which are only high as a result of monopoly price-fixing with inflation being further caused because of government spending on militarism and wars--- obviously peace is the solution to this aspect of inflation.

Anyways, here is what Dean Baker has to say about the minimum wage which is all true except for his claim we can't raise the minimum wage to a real living wage right now; typical of how these Obama supporters muddle excuses with information containing "kernels of truth" which they then fabricate into big, fat lies as excuses justifying their reforms benefiting the working class being allotted piece-meal in incremental steps.

The minimum wage should be legislatively tied to all cost of living factors monitored by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics indexed for inflation and re-calculated quarterly with the release of this information. Very simple.

If business doesn't like this then let the government roll-back and freeze the prices and the Minimum Wage can be reduced significantly. Of course, we can help these tear-shedding employers out even more if people have free health care, free child care and pre-schools, free public education through university, etc.

And if we had peace with full employment we would never have to worry about inflation provided the monopoly price-fixers understood this was going to be a crime with stiff jail time.

 http://www.nationofchange.org/minimum-wage-who-decided-workers-should-fall-behind-1361290219

My letter to Justin Amash, 3rd Congressisional District, Michigan on House Resolution 65.

Congressman Justin Amash,

I support your "No" vote on the non-binding resolution; however you say other action is required.

What specific action do you think is required?

I don't think any kind of punitive action is justified. The Chinese get along just fine with North Korea and we should look to see what it is the Chinese and the North Koreans do to get along so well and implement the same relationship with North Korea.

There are no "punitive" nor "military" measures which will result in peaceful relations with North Korea. Why should the North Koreans accept being bullied by the biggest bully and most powerful country in the world (the United States)?

I would suggest you gather together a fairly large group of people from all walks of life and go to North Korea to find out exactly what it is going to take to end this insane military build-up in the Pacific Region.

Right now a brand new naval base is being constructed on Jeju Island in South Korea. This construction should be halted; the inhabitants on Jeju Island don't want it so why should our tax-dollars be paying for this naval base which can only heighten tensions between North Korea, South Korea and the United States and even China? See: http://savejejunow.org/

Anyone can see that the Jeju Island naval base is intended to be used as a base of expanded NATO operations intended as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The fact of the matter is, North Koreans want the right to develop their country with socialism. If the facts be known, most Koreans--- North and South--- would like the freedom to develop their country, a united Korea, peacefully with a socialist political and economic system.

The United States government oversaw the murdering of tens of thousands of Koreans in the aftermath of World War II for no other reason than these people were Communists and anti-imperialists and then the United States government propped up the most undemocratic, reactionary and repressive South Korean governments to continue policies of what was best for Wall Street's greedy, parasitic interests making South Korea a haven for cheap labor for the multi-national and cheap natural resources including: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead. Not to mention huge hydro-power potential.

I would point out that those Communists and anti-imperialists who were murdered under the instructions of U.S. President Harry Truman and supervised by the United States military were the very people who helped us route the Japanese imperialists from their country.

Again, I support your "NO" vote on House Resolution 65 but note that in the name of "bi-partisanship" the House has shamefully voted in the same way to support the Israeli killing machine as it continues its murderous pogroms against the Palestinian people.

Your "NO" vote on House Resolution 65 was good but your ambiguity as to what now needs to be done to enable the American people and the North Korean people to live in peace and friendship guided by the principles embodied in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights needs to be specifically stated.

Alan L. Maki

Where are the jobs?

I sent this "Letter to the Editor" to the newspaper... please consider sending a similar letter of your own. Let's take these politicians to task every time they talk about "jobs, jobs, jobs:"

Once again with President Barack Obama's State of the Union Speech we got another politician hypocritically talking about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs."

If just one job was created every time some politician opened their mouth and started talking about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" we wouldn't have any unemployment in this country and everyone who wanted to work would have a decent, living wage job.

So, what is the main obstacle to full employment? Accountability from the very politicians who mouth the words "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" whenever they want to get elected, re-elected or want thunderous applause then go about their business forgetting about jobs as they go looking for their next bribe from a Wall Street lobbyist who views unemployment as the way to keep all wages down which pushes profits up.

What we need in this country is a real "Full Employment Act" which mandates--- by legislation and law--- that the President and the United States Congress must maintain full employment as part of their responsibility to the American people.

What good is a government that gets us into war after war but can't even assure full employment for the very people it taxes?

Wars cause government debt and deficits; peace and full employment eliminate debts and deficits.

We need the re-establishment of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) not these dirty wars.

Rebuilding the Communist Party Club by Club by Club.

These pieces of information will help you better understand the problems we are having in the Communist Party USA. In May I will be traveling across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan meeting with people who have indicated an interest in joining the CPUSA but who have doubts about helping us rebuild the Party because the National Office has been hijacked by this small clique of about 60 revisionists headed by Sam Webb who wrote the talk below delivered by Erwin Marquit and Webb's own presentation to a Party cadre training school showing how he is trying to shape Party cadre in his own revisionist image of being subservient to the Democrats.

Here in Minnesota our Communist Party Clubs are considering running a few candidates for statewide office in 2014 and 2016 with three objectives in mind:

1. Rebuilding the CPUSA community, shop and campus clubs.

2. Bringing a real progressive program before Minnesotans.

3. Engaging people in a dialog about what kind of working class based progressive people's political party for peace, social and economic justice will be required to challenge Wall Street for political and economic power.

The progressive movement has been very weak and lacking a stiff back-bone to stand up to Wall Street and its two parties. We think our Party Clubs will help to strengthen the back-bone of the progressive movements seeking real change.

As many of you have noticed the mainstream media continues to make a big deal about Obama's State of the Union Speech claiming it was focused on "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs."

As I travel and discuss issues with people I will focus on the need to make government responsible for full employment through a legislative mandate similar to the "Full Employment Act of 1945" which was supported by Henry Wallace, the Communist/left led trade unions and passed the U.S. Senate by a huge margin only to be opposed by President Harry Truman his Wall Street pals and defeated by a similarly huge margin in the House.

Without the government becoming legislatively responsible for full employment we will never reach full employment and high unemployment leaving millions of working class families in dire straits and poverty will become the "new normal" because as the President of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Board has stated, he foresees an unemployment rate of around 8% being the new normal in the years to come.

Please notice in the talk below by Sam Webb he makes the outrageous and false claim we can't have job creating programs while at the same time putting an end to government debt and deficits.

In fact, we can do both and full employment is the key provided we have huge government programs putting people to work solving the problems of the people--- National Public Health Care System, National Public Child Care System, WPA, CCC and CETA type programs; provided these programs and projects are funded with a "peace dividend" and special taxes levied on the wealthy, corporate profits and Wall Street transaction. Others make the outrageous claim that full employment creates inflation.

The message coming from our Communist Party Clubs leading into the 2014 and 2016 elections is going to be sharp and clear: a government that can't provide any human being who wants to work with a decent job at a real living wages isn't worth a damn.

Check out the blog on full employment I have created:

http://fullemploymentnow.blogspot.com/ 


This was a presentation made by the leadership of the CPUSA to the recent International Meeting of Communist Parties:

http://solidnet.org/usa-communist-party-usa/3139-14-imcwp-contribution-of-cpusa-en

And this is Sam Webb; the leader of the group who has hijacked the National Office of the CPUSA:

http://cpusa.org/making-change-by-looking-at-the-world-as-it-is-marxist-methodology-10/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cpusaMain+%28CPUSA+Front+Page%29&utm_content=FaceBook

For Sam Webb, Obama has just some "weaknesses" and "shortcomings." For most progressive-minded people Obama is a warmonger shoving austerity measures down our throats to pay for Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars.

The goal and objective of our Communist Party Clubs is the same as always: to empower workers to become the leaders for the progressive change we seek.

We are preparing a leaflet:

"Robbing the Poor to Fatten the Rich; a worker's guide to wages, prices, inflation, profits, unemployment, taxes, government budgets & debts and deficits, full employment, peace and war; the country we have, the country we want."

We are also preparing a statement for workers to sign on to:

"What Do Working People Want? We Want Peace and Full Employment"

-- 

Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

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

Should the NDP support CETA?

A battle within the New Democratic Party in Canada is shaping up over the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. Will organized labour stand for the NDP's Mulcair entering a trade agreement that will force austerity down the throats of Canadian workers and drastically slash living standards in Canada? If Mulcair and the NDP support CETA they can kiss all chances of winning national power good-bye. What a shame this would be. What CETA is really all about is assuring Canada a greater role in its development as an imperialist nation.

Is it in the interest of the socialist New Democratic Party and Canada's working class to have Canada become a stronger imperialist nation than what it already is? Definitely not.

We see the terrible price the American people and the U.S. working class is paying for the "pragmatism" of labor leaders supporting U.S. imperialism and for Canada to continue down the road of imperialism the cost and consequences to Canada's working people will be a disaster, too.

It should be noted that the U.S. CIA's labor front group, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), of which the Canadian Labour Congress and the AFL-CIO are prominent and leading members, continue to push workers towards acquiescing--- if not outright support--- for Wall Street's, Bay Street's and the Square Mile's (and the rest of the G-8/G-20) imperialist agenda in undermining the the influence of the most militant anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and pro-socialist unions affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions and hundreds of other unions just as militantly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and pro-socialist without any international affiliations.

All of these so-called "trade agreements" are intended to weaken labor, further intensify the exploitation of labor and enable cheaper extraction of natural resources, processing of natural resources and manufacturing in maximizing the profits of the multi-national corporations.

Any union leader who pushes such "trade agreements" as being beneficial to the working class either is a dim-wit or collaborator with management and no political party supporting such agreements can be seen as pro-labor or a friend of labor let alone a working class based political party.

Thomas Mulcair, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party shouldn't even be considering supporting CETA and anyone contemplating supporting or voting for the NDP (which should be each and every worker and every single union along with anti-imperialists in Canada or anyplace else in the world) should let Mulcair know he shouldn't even be entertaining ideas about supporting Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union.

Progressives and socialists work to weaken and defeat imperialism not prop it up and strengthen imperialism because we know the harm imperialism brings to working people everywhere so Thomas Mulcair's search for a position regarding CETA becomes something anti-imperialists from all countries need to be aware of and speaking out on.

It is when issues like this come up working people need some kind of organizational structure crossing borders in order to collaborate and strengthen the anti-imperialist movements.

For the Wall Street crowd the United States Postal Service is too public to save.

The United States Postal Service is being set up to fail as a public institution so an excuse can be found to privatize it.

If we had politicians working for the good of the people U.S. Postal Services should have been expanded to include a publicly owned Internet Service Provider and a publicly owned National Banking System. And the U.S. Postal Service should have expanded into the larger parcel delivery like Fed Ex and UPS. Had the U.S. Postal Service been enabled to expand small profits large enough to finance something like a National Public Child Care System could have come from this while saving the American people a lot of money, pain and misery. The pensions for U.S. Postal employees should have been consolidated with Social Security with everyone on Social Security receiving the same good pensions postal employees receive--- the additional funds required should have come from an increase in the payroll tax which would be insignificant compared to the benefits with the increase falling heaviest on employers.

Instead of looking to do what is good for society as a whole, these Wall Street bribed politicians we have sitting in Congress whose only constituents are the parasitical Wall Street crowd, they have enabled the wholesale robbery and gutting of the U.S. Postal Service choosing to allow their corporate friends who are bribing them to profit from the very services the U.S. Postal Service should have expanded into.

In addition, instead of lowering the price of postage for first class mail they lowered the price of postage on corporate junk mail and advertising which should be subjected to higher rates than first class postage--- again, everything is done backwards to serve corporate interests instead of the people.

The American people are being ripped off left and right so corporations can profit while our public institutions are driven into the ground and replaced with private for-profit businesses. 

Once again we have seen where the unions have failed to promote policies in line with what society needs and have tried to defend the interests of postal workers in a very narrow and short-sighted way and once again we see this very backwards thinking on the part of labor leaders who refuse to place all options on the table for their members to consider has left the very workers they claimed they were defending without jobs.

When are union leaders in this country going to learn they can't win anything by sucking up to management?

If unions are going to win they have to ally their members with what is good for the entire working class.

We have seen what the results are of this "sucking up to management" trade union policy very clearly with what is going on with the long, painful demise of the U.S. Postal Service; which, if it continues without massive intervention by the people the result will be a complete end to one of our oldest and most important public institutions--- and when these crooked and corrupt shysters sitting in the White House and in the halls of Congress are done we will be paying $5.00 to mail a letter instead of 50 cents.

Obviously, the Congressional Progressive Caucus has been out dining on a corporate paid lunch while all this has been going on since no progressive alternative has been advanced.

Contrary to what all these political hacks, Wall Street bribed politicians, the over-paid pundits and muddle-headed well-heeled middle class "economists" and fuzzy-headed professors are saying--- there is nothing the private for-profit sectors can do that publicly owned enterprises can't do better.

Strengthening and expanding and developing new public institutions and enterprises is the only way we are going to be able to extract ourselves from the social and economic crisis we find ourselves mired in which is not of our making. 

We are confronted with a failing U.S. Postal Service; less service, higher rates--- when the solution to saving the U.S. Postal Service is expanded and new services with lower rates.

I do find it interesting that the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has not added its voice to the public dialog on this most important issue concerning the future of the U.S. Postal Service (and thousands of jobs here in Minnesota) which, if allowed to go through as Obama and Congress plan will result in a lower quality of life for Minnesotans. Rural Minnesotans and people living on Indian Reservations are likely to suffer the most.

Women and people of color--- last hired, first fired--- are likely to suffer the most from losing these real living wage jobs with the United States Postal Service.

For the Wall Street crowd the United States Postal Service is too public to save.

I do find it interesting there is never a war too expensive to fund; but, when it comes to the U.S. Postal Service the politicians decide they need to be miserly and penny-pinching.

-- 

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

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

Letter to Minnesota State Representative Erin Murphy.

On Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 7:55 AM,

Alan Maki wrote:

Minnesota State Representative and Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party House Majority Leader Erin Murphy,

I appreciated receiving your rapid response phone call in response to my e-mail regarding these three issues suggesting you personally understand there is in urgency to these matters; but, for the time being, I would prefer we keep everything in writing. I am sure you can understand this given the importance of these three issues to Minnesota workers.

Perhaps you could tell me if these three issues were brought forward and discussed in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's Legislative Caucus meeting the other day? If so; what was the gist of the discussion concerning each issue and the decision? Can we expect the DFL with its super majority to take swift action on these three issues?

Several legislators have told me they don't expect to see any action on these three issues because the DFL has such a "full plate." However, with the issue of rescinding/repealing "At-will Employment" legislation I am kind of "first in line" with this issue as I did bring it before the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's State Convention over ten years ago where it received around 50% support, not quite enough for the resolution I introduced to pass like the Single-payer Universal Health Care Resolution I wrote finally passed; which all of you legislators seem to be ignoring even though you have this new super majority where the Republicans have no say.

I think these three issues are of such importance, and I am convinced from talking with Minnesota workers across the state, that these issues are of primary importance given the fact so many Minnesotans lose their jobs through the unjust firings provided by the law through "At-will employment" which gives an employer already with the upper-hand unjust control over workers in their places of employment; and, given the fact we see the trauma and tragedy working class families are experiencing as a result of the American Crystal Sugar Company lockout of 1,300 union employees and complicating the situation by bringing in scabs/replacement workers to do their jobs as a way to circumvent the collective bargaining process--- if the DFL does not act in a swift and responsible manner now that these issues have been properly framed and brought to your attention as I did with my previous e-mail to you--- and your phone call to me demonstrated you do understand the relevancy of these issues; but, apparently, neither you nor any members of your DFL legislative caucus understand the URGENCY of action required on these three important issues--- I have decided to take the following steps:

1. I have sent my first e-mail to thousands of people so they know these three concerns have been placed before you.

2. I will now begin to contact all these organizations and individuals always telling us we need the kind of super majority of liberal and progressive Democrats elected to public office so we can accomplish these kinds of very goals and objectives.

3. I will prepare MN DFL Precinct Caucus Resolutions to be discussed and acted at every Precinct Caucus meeting across Minnesota.

4. I will begin to initiate a discussion as to whether or not we need a new political party in Minnesota in line with the kind of party the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party was prior to its demise/merger with the Democratic Party.

One would think that you would have learned a bit from Minnesota history the chaos and violence that is spun by employer lockouts and the use of scabs during labor disputes and strikes--- there is a history of more than 100 years to present to look at in which any person with a sense of justice would have to conclude Minnesota needs anti-lockout and anti-scab legislation lest the employer initiated violence returns with the rage of the first union organizing drives in forestry, mining, transportation, auto and now this new form of corporate blackmail and terrorism as working class families are being subjected to in this American Crystal Sugar Company lockout as scabs have been replacing workers since day one of the lockout. As you are fully aware, the lockout is fact becoming the weapon of choice by employers across North America in both the United States and Canada. Minnesotans are in a position to put an end to these employer lockouts if the DFL with its super majority acts.

I am sure you are aware both British Columbia and Quebec have anti-scab legislation and the Canadian Labour Congress is adamant in seeing to it that every province enacts
anti-scab legislation as it pushes for more uniform national legislation.

I am going to be very frank and blunt with you, Representative Murphy. As I talked with people about this people suggested that a letter should be sent to you and and the members of the DFL legislative caucus providing you with the opportunity to act on these three issues.

My intent from the beginning was that we needed to look beyond the MNDFL for political solutions to the problems of working people. Personally, I have had more than I can stand from the MNDFL as far as the way you have betrayed casino workers in the Indian Gaming Industry. So, it has been as a courtesy to others I write and communicate with you. On the pother hand, if there is any possibility at all in seeing a resolution to these three issues without having to spend a lot of time, energy and resources doing things that may not be required, I am eager to to work together with you as your phone call suggested you are ready to do in finding a resolution through legislative remedy to these three issues.

If you still wish to meet to discuss these three issues, I would be happy to do so provided several other people concerned about these problems with whom I am working would be part of any such meeting.

Sincerely, 

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

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

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

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

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

Cc: All members of the MN State House and Senate
      Shar Knutson, President, MN AFL-CIO

Why does the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with it super majority continue to do nothing for workers?

Why does the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with it super majority continue to do nothing:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/188136771.html?refer=y

I just spent two days talking with locked out workers in the Red River Valley--- the American Crystal Sugar Company lockout of some 1,300 workers. Every single worker I spoke with along with members of their families supported the three pieces of legislation I have proposed. These are working class families who overwhelmingly support and vote for Democrats and they now expect this kind of very basic pro-worker legislation from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer Labor Party's super majority.

If anyone doesn't believe me that there is overwhelming support for Minnesota Democrats to enact the following legislation they can go ask Minnesota workers themselves:

1. Anti-lockout legislation.

2. Anti-scab legislation.

3. Repeal and rescind "At-will Employment" legislation.

Want to contact Minnesota Legislators? Here are their e-mail addresses; just copy and paste:

rep.jim.abeler@house.mn,
 rep.tony.albright@house.mn,
 rep.susan.allen@house.mn,
 rep.mark.anderson@house.mn,
 rep.paul.anderson@house.mn,
 rep.sarah.anderson@house.mn,
 rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn,
 rep.joe.atkins@house.mn,
 rep.bob.barrett@house.mn,
 rep.mike.beard@house.mn,
 rep.john.benson@house.mn,
 rep.mike.benson@house.mn,
 rep.connie.bernardy@house.mn,
 rep.david.bly@house.mn,
 rep.kathy.brynaert@house.mn,
 rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn,
 rep.karen.clark@house.mn,
 rep.tony.cornish@house.mn,
 rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn,
 rep.greg.davids@house.mn,
 rep.jim.davnie@house.mn,
 rep.matt.dean@house.mn,
 rep.raymond.dehn@house.mn,
 rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn,
 rep.david.dill@house.mn,
 rep.zachary.dorholt@house.mn,
 rep.steve.drazkowski@house.mn,
 rep.ron.erhardt@house.mn,
 rep.roger.erickson@house.mn,
 rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn,
 rep.dan.fabian@house.mn,
 rep.andrew.falk@house.mn,
 rep.tim.faust@house.mn,
 rep.peter.fischer@house.mn,
 rep.david.fitzsimmons@house.mn,
 rep.mary.franson@house.mn,
 rep.mike.freiberg@house.mn,
 rep.patti.fritz@house.mn,
 rep.pat.garofalo@house.mn,
 rep.steve.green@house.mn,
 rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn,
 rep.bob.gunther@house.mn,
 rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn,
 rep.laurie.halverson@house.mn,
 rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn,
 rep.rick.hansen@house.mn,
 rep.alice.hausman@house.mn,
 rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn,
 rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn,
 rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn,
 rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn,
 rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn,
 rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn,
 rep.jeff.howe@house.mn,
 rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn,
 rep.jason.isaacson@house.mn,
 rep.brian.johnson@house.mn,
 rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn,
 rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn,
 rep.tim.kelly@house.mn,
 rep.andrea.kieffer@house.mn,
 rep.deb.kiel@house.mn,
 rep.ron.kresha@house.mn,
 rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn,
 rep.ernie.leidiger@house.mn,
 rep.ann.lenczewski@house.mn,
 rep.john.lesch@house.mn,
 rep.tina.liebling@house.mn,
 rep.ben.lien@house.mn,
 rep.leon.lillie@house.mn,
 rep.diane.loeffler@house.mn,
 rep.kathy.lohmer@house.mn,
 rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn,
 rep.tara.mack@house.mn,
 rep.tim.mahoney@house.mn,
 rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn,
 rep.paul.marquart@house.mn,
 rep.sandra.masin@house.mn,
 rep.joe.mcdonald@house.mn,
 rep.jay.mcnamar@house.mn,
 rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn,
 rep.carly.melin@house.mn,
 rep.jason.metsa@house.mn,
 rep.rena.moran@house.mn,
 rep.will.morgan@house.mn,
 rep.joe.mullery@house.mn,
 rep.erin.murphy@house.mn,
 rep.mary.murphy@house.mn,
 rep.pam.myhra@house.mn,
 rep.michael.nelson@house.mn,
 rep.jim.newberger@house.mn,
 rep.jerry.newton@house.mn,
 rep.bud.nornes@house.mn,
 rep.kim.norton@house.mn,
 rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn,
 rep.marion.oneill@house.mn,
 rep.michael.paymar@house.mn,
 rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn,
 rep.joyce.peppin@house.mn,
 rep.john.persell@house.mn,
 rep.john.petersburg@house.mn,
 rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn,
 rep.cindy.pugh@house.mn,
 rep.duane.quam@house.mn,
 rep.joe.radinovich@house.mn,
 rep.paul.rosenthal@house.mn,
 rep.linda.runbeck@house.mn,
 rep.tim.sanders@house.mn,
 rep.shannon.savick@house.mn,
 rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn,
 rep.dan.schoen@house.mn,
 rep.joe.schomacker@house.mn,
 rep.peggy.scott@house.mn,
 rep.yvonne.selcer@house.mn,
 rep.steve.simon@house.mn,
 rep.erik.simonson@house.mn,
 rep.linda.slocum@house.mn,
 rep.mike.sundin@house.mn,
 rep.chris.swedzinski@house.mn,
 rep.paul.thissen@house.mn,
 rep.paul.torkelson@house.mn,
 rep.mark.uglem@house.mn,
 rep.dean.urdahl@house.mn,
 rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn,
 rep.joann.ward@house.mn,
 rep.john.ward@house.mn,
 rep.anna.wills@house.mn,
 rep.ryan.winkler@house.mn,
 rep.kelby.woodard@house.mn,
 rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn,
 rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn,
 rep.nick.zerwas@house.mn,
 sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn,
 sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn,
 sen.bobby.champion@senate.mn,
 sen.kevin.dahle@senate.mn,
 sen.jim.carlson@senate.mn,
 sen.greg.clausen@senate.mn,
 sen.kent.eken@senate.mn,
 sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn,
 sen.vicki.jensen@senate.mn,
 sen.foung.hawj@senate.mn,
 sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn,
 sen.melisa.franzen@senate.mn,
 sen.jeff.hayden@senate.mn,
 sen.jim.metzen@senate.mn,
 sen.tony.lourey@senate.mn,
 sen.roger.reinert@senate.mn,
 sen.rod.skoe@senate.mn,
 sen.melissa.wiklund@senate.mn,
 sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn,
 sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn,
 sen.dan.sparks@senate.mn,
 sen.david.tomassoni@senate.mn,
 sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn,
 sen.katie.sieben@senate.mn,
 sen.chuck.wiger@senate.mn,
 sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn,
 sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn,
 sen.roger.chamberlain@senate.mn,
 sen.carla.nelson@senate.mn,
 sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn,
 sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn

A burlesque entertainer comes in for scathing criticism while the Indian Gaming Industry gets no comment

There is no lack of hypocrisy on the part of those who recently criticized a young burlesque entertainer who has been an activist in the Occupy Wall Street and Idle No More movements and struggles. I find it very interesting, and very hypocritical, of these critics--- many of whom are now holding Idle No More events in the casinos of the Indian Gaming Industry and even taking funding from these casino managements while overlooking the fact that so many Native Americans and workers of all races are forced to work in these loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages and without any rights nor voices at work in an industry where a bunch of wealthy white mobsters own ALL the slot machines, table games, hotels,motels,bars and restaurants.

Perhaps someone who has led the attacks on this young burlesque entertainer can explain the duplicity and hypocrisy in letting the Indian Gaming Industry off the hook since, other than the United States government, state governments and corrupt tribal governments, there is no greater perversion of treaty rights, sovereignty and Indian culture than in this Indian Gaming Industry where a bunch of wealthy white mobsters continue to be allowed to run off with all the profits.  

And what about all of these casinos getting away with selling in the casino Gift Shops all these "Native Crafts and Jewelry"... manufactured in China?

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

Liberal Democrats in Minnesota have a super majority; it can't get any better for Democrats.

Democrats in Minnesota have a super majority; Republicans have no say about anything.

Why isn't organized labor insisting the Democrats enact:

1. Anti-lockout legislation.

2. Anti-scab legislation.

3. Repeal and rescind "At-will Employment" legislation.

Let the dirty Republican rags like the Pioneer Press, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Duluth News Tribune howl as they complain about "over-reach" and let the Republicans cry.

What is the obstacle to Democrats passing three very simple pieces of legislation that won't cost tax-payers one single penny?

What was the reason MNDFL Chair, Ken Martin, refused to allow these three issues to be tabled for discussion at this past Saturday's Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's State Central Committee Meeting as 1,300 American Crystal Sugar Company workers remain locked out of their jobs here in the Red River Valley?

Does anyone think voters would respond with anything but a big "Thank You" to the Democrats for taking this kind of legislative action? No.

So, what is the obstacle here?

Obviously here in Minnesota it is liberal Democrats who hold the upper hand beginning with Governor Mark Dayton; State Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (who boasts of having come to politics straight out of the Building and Construction Trades Unions) with nothing but liberals backing him up:

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/index.php?ls=#leader;

Liberal Democrat Paul Thissen is the Speaker of the House; and liberal Democrat Erin Murphy is the House Leader for the Democrats.

No where, not ever could a more liberal bunch of Democrats ever be elected here in the United States... not to any other state legislatures nor to the United States Congress.

So, if Democrats are ever going to be able to be counted on to address the needs and problems/solutions of working people here in Minnesota--- or anyplace else in the country--- right here and now is where this will be done; correct?

Every single problem any working person or their unions and other organizations have ever brought before these very liberal Democrats the answer has always been:

We would like to help you out but these damn Republicans won't let us help you; give us a solid Democratic majority and we will take care of you.

Are these Democrats with their super majority now taking care of the needs of working people?

If not; why not?

If Democrats won't do what workers elected them to do; who will?

Should progressives be thinking of convening a conference intending to build a new working class based people's party?

Really; no three issues could be more worthy of swift legislative action. No need for discussion. No need for debate. Just straight forward and straight up legislative action:

1. Anti-lockout legislation.

2. Anti-scab legislation.

3. Repeal and rescind "At-will Employment" legislation.

Draft the legislation; push it through the appropriate committees; bring the legislation to the House and Senate floors for approval and let the liberal Governor Mark Dayton put his name to these three pieces of legislation.

How long should this take? No longer than it took the Republican super majority in Michigan to pass Right-to-Work-for-Less legislation--- three pieces of pro-worker legislation all about justice with no financial burden to tax-payers; three days, tops.

No money for a not-for-profit health care system; but...

Minnesota Democrats who have refused to support single-payer universal health care or a public health care system are now going to invest over one-half billion dollars in the private, for-profit Mayo clinic.

For less than this amount of money the state of Minnesota could create a for free public primary health care system serving the needs of all Minnesotans simply by taking over abandoned buildings to be used as health care centers.

The now abandoned St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant situated on the beautiful picturesque banks of the Mississippi River could become the most modern specialized public health care center in the world rivaling the for-profit Mayo Clinic which would be more centrally located in the heart of Minnesota's most populated urban center.

Old factories are being turned into all kinds of apartments, offices and for-profit health clinics all over the United States and around the world as Democrats and Republicans sit idly by cheering on the demolition of abandoned factories here in the United States so real-estate developers and construction firms can profit in one way or another.

One billion dollars of tax-payer money pumped into the private for-profit Viking football stadium along with public infrastructure improvements required for the Stadium; one-billion dollars for a bridge over the St. Croix River that could be built for one-quarter of the cost built more modestly as a public works project leaving the for-profit sector out; a now abandoned St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant subsidized by tax-payers to the hilt the last 85 years to the tune over four-billion dollars (in today's dollars) and these elected public officials whose counterparts in Washington squander trillions of public dollars on senseless barbaric wars complain there is no money to create a National or State Public Health Care System but somehow always manage to use our public funds to invest in for-profit corporations from which we, as tax-payers, get nothing in return.

Tax-payers even funded the Ford Dam on the Mississippi River adjacent to the Ford Plant supplying Ford's operation with power for free with taxpayers even footing the bill to upgrade the hydro plant's new turbines and even building the thirty-million dollar training and research center attached to the plant all of which is scheduled to be bulldozed over leaving tax-payers to continue paying this unpaid debt for another thirty years.

Mark Froemke is crying because he doesn't think i have a right to be commenting on the American Crystal Sugar lockout.

I have received a lot of private messages and e-mails suggesting I shouldn't be talking about the "internal problems" of the labor movement while workers are fighting for their rights, their jobs, the survival of their union and to protect and defend their living standards.

Mark Froemke is the biggest cry-baby of all. He is the one who led workers into this mess and now he would rather no one discuss the mess.

I don't buy this line of thinking at all because it is when workers are in struggle is when they draw the best conclusions when everything is fresh in their minds.

The time to analyze is now not later so the mistakes can be corrected--- if not by the leaders than the rank-and-file. Workers have a right to mull over all views. To suggest workers can't think during a struggle is a bunch of crap. This view that all critical comments should be withheld until after the struggle is over only serves the interest of the most bureaucratic union leaders who are generally the most corrupt, too.

The fact is, the local and international leadership of BCTGM is notorious for sucking workers into these kinds of no-win lock-outs and the leadership snuffs out rank-and-file activists who question any of this.

This lockout has gone on for some eighteen months. There is now only one thing left to salvage--- the union. And the longer this lockout continues the more difficult it will become to salvage the union.

We know this from past history. If we look at the lockouts that have gone on for long periods of time like this many workers are forced to find employment elsewhere and the scabs then are brought into the union. What kind of union do you end up with--- if the union is even left standing--- if you have a union full of scabs.

The United Steelworkers have had to deal with this on the Iron Range for several generations now. Anyone can see how this has retarded the union's militancy.

it is simply dishonest for union leaders to fail to put ALL options on the table for workers to discuss and decide how they want to proceed when facing a lockout by management.

Workers should have had the right to at least discuss the occupations of the plants as one of their options.

It was at the point where the leadership of BCTGM prevented this full discussion that these union leaders put the union and members' jobs at risk.

Everything these union leaders have done since has been too little and too late and done wrong.

Obviously these union leaders from the local union leaders right on up the ladder to Richard Trumka thought they had cultivated a very cozy relationship with management. Anyone can read their statements. These statements are there in writing. And they really expected the Democrats like Congressman Collin Peterson who "represents" the area with these plants and the self-proclaimed big-time liberal billionaire Democratic Governor Mark Dayton to bail them out.

And now this same BCTGM leadership lacks the courage to hold these politicians accountable by insisting this Democratic super-majority passes anti-lockout and anti-scab legislation.

I don't mind going out and leafleting the supermarkets in solidarity with American Crystal Sugar Company workers but that doesn't mean I have to keep my mouth shut about these "leaders." If they were leading this struggle from a position of working class consciousness this would be different.

I would note that these same BCTGM "leaders" who resent workers thinking about their situation and what others have to say are the very same union officials who try to silence progressives voices in general be it inside the Democratic Party or outside the Democratic Party or during other struggles.

I would note that it was Mark Froemke, a leader of this BCTGM union and a Vice-President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO who stuck his nose into quashing a resolution calling on the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's State Convention delegates to support rescinding "At-will hiring; at-will firing" which is the main impediment to union organizing in this country. Froemke also stuck his nose into the struggle to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant as he "lobbied" labor leaders and activists not to support trying to save the Plant and two-thousand UAW jobs through public ownership. I could go on and on about how Froemke stepped in and nominated Collin Peterson who is nothing but a Republican pretending to be a Democrat because the management of American Crystal Sugar wanted Peterson elected because they own him even though a peace activist was poised to get the nomination--- and Froemke was a registered voter in North Dakota at the time!

So, we all have a right to have a say and bring forward our views regarding this lockout.

Will members of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's State Central Committee sip coffee and tea loaded with scab American Crystal Sugar?

Here is an article from Minnesota's leading labor newspaper. Not so much as a mention concerning the need to have legislation banning employer lockouts and the use of scabs. If the unions and workers aren't going to bring these demands forward, does anyone think these worthless Democratic Party politicians still ordering American Crystal Sugar for their coffee and tea and cafeteria deserts are going to?

http://advocate.stpaulunions.org/2013/01/24/with-lockouts-on-the-rise-state-lawmakers-weigh-social-economic-impacts/

There is a Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party State Central Committee meeting tomorrow; will any of the members of the MNDFL State Central Committee bring forward the need for anti-lockout and anti-scab legislation? Quite doubtful. Like one member of the State Central Committee just wrote me: "... I better look to see what kind of sugar I will be putting in my coffee but knowing you, you will have someone at the meeting ready to put my picture on your blog..."

Note: I just called the "Daily Grind Coffee House" the site of this "informal DFL gathering listed below and asked them if they use American Crystal Sugar; the person answering the phone proudly stated: "It's the only kind of sugar we use."

I wonder how long they will be so proudly making this proclamation?

(763) 537-6305

Coffee with DFL State Outreach and Inclusion Committee
When
Sat, February 2, 8:30am – 9:30am
Where
The Daily Grind Coffee House - 4801 W Broadway Ave, Robbinsdale, MN 55422
Description

(763) 537-6305

DFL Business Conference
Business will include the election of State Party Officers When Sat Feb 2, 2013

Saturday, February 2

DFL Business Conference
8:30am

Coffee with DFL State Outreach and Inclusion Committee
When
Sat, February 2, 8:30am – 9:30am
Where
The Daily Grind Coffee House - 4801 W Broadway Ave, Robbinsdale, MN 55422
Description

Fellow DFL State Central Committee Members:

On behalf of the DFL State Outreach and Inclusion Committee you are cordially invited to 'Coffee with the Outreach and Inclusion Committee' an informal gathering among fellow DFL'ers to meet and socialize with current members of the Outreach and Inclusion Committee including Congressional and State Party O&I Officers.

This is your opportunity to talk with Outreach Officers from across the state, and to hear first hand about the work the Outreach and Inclusion Committee is doing for you! We hope that you can join us before the business conference and that you will also consider attending one of the state party training sessions (for any questions and to RSVP for training sessions; please contact Vicki Wright, vwright@dfl.org) prior to the Business Conference beginning at 9:30 AM.

So come grab an early morning cup o'Joe before you head over to the Business Conference.

RSVP: Eric Margolis (aao@dfl.org) by Friday Feb 1st 2013

9:30am

State DFL Trainings: VAN and Convention Chair
When
Sat, February 2, 9:30am – 11:30am
Where
Robbinsdale Middle School Classrooms 132 and 134, 3730 Toledo Avenue, N, Robbinsdale, MN
Description

For any additional questions and the RSVP, please contact Vicki Wright, vwright@dfl.orgvwright@dfl.org>

1. TRAINING SESSIONS KEY:

VAN

* My Voters vs. My Campaign
* Voter Profile
* Making Lists
* Turf Cutting
* Blast Email

CONVENTION CHAIR

Overview of the procedures for:

* Officer elections
* Constitutional amendments - debate and voting
* Candidate endorsement
* Other tips for running an effective convention

State DFL Trainings: VAN and Convention Chair
For any additional questions and the RSVP, please contact Vicki Wright, vwright@dfl.orgvwright@dfl.org>

1. TRAINING SESSIONS KEY:

VAN

* My Voters vs. My Campaign
* Voter Profile
* Making Lists
* Turf Cutting
* Blast Email

CONVENTION CHAIR

Overview of the procedures for:

* Officer elections
* Constitutional amendments - debate and voting
* Candidate endorsement
* Other tips for running an effective convention

--
When Sat Feb 2, 2013 9:30am – 11:30am Central Time
Where Robbinsdale Middle School Classrooms 132 and 134, 3730 Toledo Avenue, N, Robbinsdale, MN

With lockouts on the rise, state lawmakers weigh social, economic impacts

advocate.stpaulunions.orgLockouts have gained popularity among Minnesota employers looking to flex their muscles in contract negotiations with union workers, but state lawmakers yesterday began examining the impact these p...