By TRB
Welcome to the transfer point. This is that place and time in U.S. history when the Republican Party, its extreme right-wing tendencies enlivened by a large dose of the Tea Party philosophy of don't-fix-it-throw-it-out, have stepped forward in our legislatures across the land to tell the average American that the economy will now be balanced on their backs.
The Republicans are not hiding out, they apparently feel no need to be sneaky about anything. Just earlier this week the Republican legislators in Ohio sat upright, staring straight ahead in their little mahogany seats and voted against unions as catcalls and cries of ""Shame" nearly drowned out their words. The balconies around these legislators were filled to the extent that they could be while staying within safety laws. And every person in the balconies was against the Republican business on the floor. But they voted for the union killing-bill anyway.
This is the state of Republican Governor John Kasich, who has decided to make deep cuts in the budgets of the cities and towns in Ohio. He will cut state funding to schools. He will fire police officers, fire fighters and teachers. Make pay cuts for many who are left. Seven to eight million dollars in cuts in the next few months,
Kasich's plans are perhaps a more obvious transfer of wealth than most. As Armond Budish (D) state representative in the Ohio assembly said the other day, Governor John Kasich, this lawmaker so intent on busting unions and taking money from police officers, fire fighters and teachers to balance the budget, is also planning a tax break for Ohio's wealthy that could add up to $800 or $900 million over the next few years.
Perhaps not surprisingly, union killing is already beginning to lose its luster for many Republicans who have their eyes on the recall measures against the Republican legislators of Wisconsin. Those measures are gaining names so quickly that many believe Wisconsin will switch from Republican to a Democratic legislature when the recall elections take place this summer.
So the anti-union measures in Ohio passed, but just barely. The Ohio House passed them by nine votes, the Senate by one. And Gov. John Kasich signed them into law - but only for the time being. Nothing is easy for the Republicans, even in Ohio. The people of Ohio can take this law right off the books by placing it on the ballot. That they will do if they can collect 230,000 signatures over the next 90 days. No one doubts they can.
Providing an element of the pathetic, and the most likely eventually career-ending humor to these Republican shenanigans, is Maine's Governor Paul LaPage. This guy is right from central casting, or maybe too far to the right of it. It was brought to his attention several weeks ago that the Maine State Labor Department contained a wall mural, an artistic depiction of the history of labor in Maine. There were over 30 panels in this mural which was 36 ft. long. The Governor looked at it, thought it seemed too pro-labor - even though it was pointed out to him that the mural was in fact in the State Labor Dept. That wasn't good enough
Still the mural semed "too anti-corporate" to him. The artist Judy Taylor pointed out that years ago when the mural went up it was approved by a bi-partisan committee of legislators. And if you take a good look at it what you see is a historical look of the treatment of laborers down through the centuries in America. In one panel, children are seen working. It again was pointed out to the Governor that children did work in Maine, very young children right up until 1847 when child labor laws were enacted.
It didn't matter, the Governor would have his way. The mural was taken down to be stored. But then the Governor found some other "serious" matters that bothered him. Did you know that in the Maine State House some of the conference rooms are named after iconic Americans like Martin Luther King and Caser Chavez and even the first cabinet minister of Labor in America? The Governor didn't like this. He felt the names were too liberal. So he wants to change the names of the conference rooms.
The Maine governor, the same man who was offended by the mere depiction of children working, wants to lower the state minimum wage. But just for children. He also wants children attending school to be able to work 36 hours a week, four hours short of full time. But he didn't get his way on that one. Children will only be able to work for reduced wages during the school year for 24 hours a week.
In this state of seven percent unemployment an older man or woman who wants to work a few hours a week at some menial tasks, can no longer count on that opportunity, as the Governor has now made it possible to hire children for less than minimum wage. Their wages are supposed to increase to minimum wage after six months, but it's a good bet they will be let go so children can be hired behind them at the lower wage. It is after all a two dollar an hour difference. The minimum wage is $7.50 an hour. The new, LaPage-sponsored children's sub-minimum wage is $5.25 an hour.
Just South of the border of Maine in New Hampshire, the powerless but public relations foolish Republican legislators in the House passed a law stripping the unions of their rights. The Senate has already said it won't pass the law and New Hampshire's Democrat Governor has promised to veto it. It is as if the Republicans in New Hampshire are offering themselves up to take some of the punishment that's going to hit all Republicans, perhaps for more than just one election to come.
In Maine, there is already an effort to put on the ballot a right for voters to recall the Governor. That is how Governor Paul LePage has galvanized the voters of Maine. Many believe the national Republican Party is behind the curve in not realizing the threat of the anti-union moves in the states. Apparently, polls are showing that collective bargaining is seen as a "right" by many Americas, including registered Republicans, And by taking that right way, Americans are beginning to view Republicans as unfair. This could be the kiss of death. But, at least on the national level, they are trying not to panic. Yet.
Look at Republican Governor Rick Snyder in Michigan. He has been in office only three months and already most state voters want him out of office. His latest move in this sate of double-digit unemployment is to cut unemployment checks by six weeks. He has a 33 percent popularity rating, lower than the also low ratings of Ohio's unpopular Republican Governor Kasich and lower than Wisconsin's unpopular Republican Governor Walker.
Some look at what these Republican governors have done to fire fighters, police officers, nurses, teachers and even children and they wonder how they can sleep.
Others look at the opposition building against these Governors and Republicans in general and they wonder where these Repulicans are going to sleep.
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