Mollification Fails Again
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
If Republicans would pay more than just lip service to the ideal of a free economy, we would not have episodes like this:
The federal government today established new guidelines for considering a worker a supervisor, a decision organized labor says will exclude millions of Americans from joining unions.This whole episode could have been avoided had the Republican Party, in control of both houses of Congress since 1994, succeeded in abolishing the National Labor Relations Board and repealing the various labor laws that give unions a stranglehold over so much of the economy -- and the ability to send so much money from the pockets of Republican voters to fund Democratic candidates.
In a long-awaited healthcare case involving a group of Michigan nurses, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that "charge nurses" should be considered supervisory staff and thus not covered by a federal law allowing union representation.
...
Union leaders denounced the 3-2 decision, saying it would strip at least 8 million workers of their right to have a union by reclassifying them as supervisors in name only.
"Today's decision is the latest in the Bush-appointed NLRB's legal maneuvering to deny as many workers as possible their basic right to have a voice on the job and improve their living standards through their union," AFL-CIO labor federation President John J. Sweeney said.
And even had the Republicans not succeeded in dismantling that part of the welfare state by now, were they at least fighting to do so, boldly stating their principles in the process, union thugs like John Sweeney would at least have to give some sort of argument to back up their claims that Bush is trying to keep the workers down. In fact, today's ruling would probably be hailed as a good first step in the right direction.
Instead, Bush and his party are only earning small tactical victories against the unions, ceding the moral high ground. Sweeney knows in such a context that this is a minor setback at worst. And Sweeney can be smug in the satisfaction that Bush and company are hiding behind lawyers' robes rather than fighting the good fight. In fact, he can use them to look good, turning his tactical defeat into a moral victory.
Such are the consequences of attempting to mollify a public one assumes too dim-witted to grasp a case for repealing labor laws -- by not fighing them openly and forcefully.
And political types think that principles get in the way of power!
-- CAV
2 comments:
Even as Governor of your state, Mr. Bush waged battle with the most understated but powerful union in the land -the American Bar Association, which behaves exactly like labor unions and represents them all thruough the American Trial Lawyers Association.
Tort reform was difficult and accompished in your big state with bipartisan support, as I recall.
The largest lobby in Washington, DC (by magnitude of treasure spread around during campaign seasons) continues to be our friends, the lawyers.
Coincidentally, their profession infests most of the U.S. Senate, monopolizes the Judiciary, is over-represented in the House, and often heads the Executive branch.
If any other profession had as much influence in the outcome of legisltion favorable to its own growth as this group, it would be charged by lawyers with racketeering influence and corrupt organization, tax evasion and anti-trust crimes. Yet, every year we overlook this bunch, and it grows and corrupts our society like termitic parasites.
Our military chain of command is now infested with thousands of them. If we had retained the proportion of lawyers to troops that George Washington had in the military, there would only be 17 lawyers. We had 40 times that number in the Navy alone back in 1968 and since the Gulf War the number has grown by 10% annually.
No wonder terrorists believe they will exterminate us.
Before the Republican Party, in control of both houses of Congress since 1994, can even think about abolishing the National Labor Relations Board and repealing the various labor laws, the "noveau mob" with its concentrated powers must be checked and regulated. Gus, has anyone you know figured out how we can do that?
Corrupt? In many states lawyers cannot be disbarred even for conviction of a felony without the state supreme court's approval. No other profession, including doctor's is singled out for such protection. Criminals get early release, concurrent sentences, and possible parole. Recidivism is great for trial lawyers. See what they have managed to bargain for their "union."
Disclaimer: Not every lawyer is rotten or corrupt. There may still be a decent, idealistic one teaching in Canada, or driving a cab.
Vigilis,
Your central point seems to be that Bush could do tort reform in Texas, but not at the national level due to the preponderance of corrupt, powerful lawyers in Congress.
But I did not blame all of this on Bush. Much does lie with Congress, including many of its Republican members.
And some of the blame lies with the people who keep electing big government types to Congress.
Everyone who wants something for nothing from the government is guilty here. And as you point out, it is a huge job. It will ultimately require cultural change, which will not occur until more people insist on rational political debate and protection of their individual rightys. That is, someone must stand up for principles.
I'm not laying all the blame on Bush, but he and his fellow Republicans do serve as a fine example of how not to make the changes we need in our society.
Gus
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