Disaster (Radioactive) Debris Burning: Now It's Labor Union's Turn to Say "Yes, Let's!"

There is always "the first".

It's not just the mayor of a small city in Shizuoka who happens to own a waste processing business, or large cement companies eager to accept and burn at their plants in Saitama Prefecture. Please welcome the labor union in Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, Rengo Ehime with 50,000 members, as the latest entity to strongly support burning the debris in their prefecture to help Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures "recover".

From Nankai Broadcasting Company (2/17/2012):

連合愛媛は、東日本大震災で発生した大量のがれきの処理について、愛媛県内での受け入れ実現に向けた取り組みを求める要請書を県に提出することを決めました。

Rengo Ehime [Labor Union Ehime] has decided to submit a request to the Ehime prefectural government to come up with the plan to move forward in accepting the disaster debris from the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami in Ehime.

　これは、１７日開かれた連合愛媛の執行委員会で決まったものです。東日本大震災で発生した震災がれきを巡っては、東京や山形などが受け入れを実施していますが、原発事故による放射性物質の影響などを理由に多くの自治体は受け入れに消極的な対応となっています。要請書案では、被災地の仮置き場に積み上げられた震災がれきが復興・再生の妨げになっているとして、県に対し、一刻も早くがれきの受け入れが実現するよう取り組むことを求めています。連合愛媛は週明け早々にも、要請書を県に提出することにしています。

This was decided on February 17 at the steering committee of Rengo Ehime. Tokyo and Yamagata have already started accepting the disaster debris, but most municipalities are reluctant to accept because of the effect of radioactive materials [on the debris] from the nuclear accident. The request states that the disaster debris piling up in the temporary storage yards in the disaster affected areas is the impediment to the recovery and renewal, and that the prefectural government should come up with the plan to facilitate the acceptance of the disaster debris into Ehime as soon as possible. Rengo Ehime plans to submit the request early next week.

Tokyo Shinbun reports (in print version only) that there is hardly any sign of the disaster debris in the disaster-affected areas being perceived as the impediment to recovery by people in the disaster-affected areas themselves. The facts are apparently none of the concern for the labor union in Ehime; it's the idea that matters, or what the labor union thinks it must be. In that, the union is not alone, either.

Ehime Prefecture takes up the northwest quadrant of the island of Shikoku, facing the Setonaikai, the Inland Sea of Japan. Temperate climate, famous for Ehime mandarin oranges (called "satsumas" in the US, as the orange originated in Satsuma, today's Kagoshima Prefecture). The prefecture has a nuclear power plant at Ikata, on Sadamisaki Peninsula, the narrowest peninsula in Japan jutting out toward the island of Kyushu.

By the way, the entire peninsula is sitting right along the largest fault in Japan, the Median Tectonic Line. If the prefecture is that bold to build a nuclear power plant by the largest fault in the country, I suppose burning a bit of radioactive debris is nothing.

(From Wiki, the MTL in Japan, in red; Sadamisaki Peninsula in black circle)

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Dem Senator Wants Taxpayers to Bail Out Union Pensions

to the tune of $165 billion so that the union workers get to enjoy the cushy pension for now, the future, the eternity.

Union Pension Bailouts are Coming (Rick Manning, 5/19/2010 GetLiberty.org)

"Just when you thought that Congress might have run out of bailout ideas for politically-favored groups along comes Senator Robert Casey’s (D-PA) bill to bailout union pension funds.

"Operating under the benign sounding title, “Create Jobs and Save Benefits Act of 2010”, Casey’s bill is actually nothing more than a transfer of approximately $165 billion in Big Labor’s pension debt over to the U.S. taxpayer.

"...Moody’s rating service has found that large multi-employer pension funds are underfunded by $165 billion. This includes funds that either pay or secure the retirement for many Teamsters, AFL-CIO and SEIU members and other large, politically connected unions. Not surprisingly these unions are using the clout gained from spending their cash on politics rather than pensions to demand a taxpayer bailout.

"Enter Senator Casey and his House cohorts in crime, Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Pat Tiberi (R-OH), who have a solution. Keep the benefits for the members of the Multi-Employer Pension Funds the same, but have them guaranteed by the Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

"Who guarantees the PBGC? You guessed it, you and I, the American taxpayer. Just another proposal pushing one set of favored constituents over the rest that ensures the dizzying growth of our nation’s deficit continues unabated.

"...Incredibly, among the eight House Republicans who have joined Pat Tiberi in supporting adding $165 billion to our national debt to bail out the irresponsible management of these pension funds are: John Linder (GA), Peter Roskam (IL), Thaddeus McCotter (MN), Steven LaTourette (OH), Jo-Ann Emerson (MO), and Aaron Schock (IL). [All Midwestern states. Not surprising.]

"...It always sounds good to say that you are helping preserve people’s pensions, unfortunately in this instance, Casey, Pomeroy and Tiberi would ask the vast majority of working American’s without a defined pension to put less into their personal retirement account in order to preserve the status quo of union member retirees.

"...This is a seemingly elegant solution that instead could be the tipping point that our debt-stressed economy from which our debt ridden economy is never able to recover." [Emphasis is mine. Read the whole article at the link above.]

Don't you love it? It's an organized robbery and we are told it's for the good of the country. (And Floridians want to execute a man who stole $4 socks.)

The bill, "Create Jobs and Save Benefits Act of 2010", can be found on Thomas; the bill number is S.3157.

Needless to say, Teamsters is all out in support to rob the fellow non-union Americans. They sure have gotten very bold ever since their champion reached the White House.

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Oregon Vote on 'Tax the Rich': Public Unions vs The Rest of Us

Oregon is voting today to decide whether to raise taxes on higher income earners to pay for schools and other public services. Public employee unions are in favor, as the new taxes would help secure their jobs. Businesses are against, calling the measures "job killers".

How will the people in Oregon vote? After all, this is a state known for its anti-tax tradition.

Last-minute voters could decide tax Measures 66, 67
(1/25/2010 The Oregonian)

"After a bruising campaign and weeks of voting by mail, today's big tax election may be decided by an onslaught of last-minute voters such as Courtenay Morton and Neil McManaway, two Portlanders who were among a steady stream of voters dropping off ballots Monday at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

""The election is going to be close enough that those who are still wrestling with a decision and sending in their ballots can have a significant effect," said Pat McCormick, spokesman for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, the main group opposing Measures 66 and 67.

"Tuesday is the last day to vote on whether to increase taxes on higher-income earners and corporations to pay for schools and other state services. Ballots, which have been in the hands of voters for nearly three weeks, must be deposited in one of nearly 300 drop-box sites across Oregon. It's too late to mail them to meet Tuesday's 8 p.m. deadline." [The article continues.]

According to the article, the turnout seems unusually high (62 to 64%). The state is divided into two opposing camps: public employee unions (teachers, firefighters, policeman, etc.) vs the business community.

Public employee unions has raised more money ($6.8 million) than the opponents ($4.6 million) in support for the measures. Teachers union has contributed millions of dollars.

If these measures are to be passed, Oregon will tie with Hawaii for the highest personal income tax rate in the nation, the highest capital gains tax, and the highest minimum corporate tax. Read this article from LA Times for more details.

The LA Times article features a young woman carrying placard that says "Protect middle class, preserve vital services". Can't argue against that, can you? But at what price? Vital to who? They are the services that the taxpayers pay, but at some point the taxpayers would rather have less or no such services than pay through their noses.

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Labor Unions Are For B.O's Health Care Reform, Again

after winning concession from the White House. Sounds too familiar.

The so-called health care "reform" as proposed by the administration and the Democratic Congress, which should be really called "the plan to force people to purchase health insurance plans at inflated price for the reasons known only to the politicians", is "on" again after all, because powerful labor unions are "on board" again after winning a major concession after the Wednesday's negotiation at the White House (what a surprise).

Under the concession, labor union members will be exempt from the so-called "Cadillac tax" (40% tax) on high-cost health care plans until 2018. The deal is worth $60 billion, and it will reduce the amount to be raised by "the Cadillac tax" from about $150 billion to $90 billion.

Why would labor unions care about "Cadillac" insurance plans (i.e. plans valued at $8,900 or more for individuals and $24,000 or more for families)? Because many of the plans for their members do fall into that category - older workers and women.

In 2008, the union membership rate for public workers was 36.8%, while the membership rate for private workers was 7.6%. The national average was 12.4% for all workers. Of public workers, the local government workers (teachers, librarians, fire fighters, police) had the highest membership rate at 42.2%. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Union Member Summary, January 28, 2009)

So, this concession mostly benefit unionized public workers, particularly the government workers. Non-unionized, private-sector workers will get to pick up the tab in one form or another. It will make a nice gimmick to encourage more private workers to join the union or form a union at their workplace.

(Let me suggest how they would fill the gap of $60 billion: tax cosmetic surgeries (botox, hair transplant, etc.) done for the members of Congress at 100%.)

The Obama White House made concessions to the pharmaceutical industry and health insurance industry, and now the labor unions.

What are the concessions to the rest of us? Anything? (I'd love to have the right to not participate.)

For more on this concession to the labor unions, read:

Unions will dodge O's health tax (1/15/2010 New York Post)
White House scores key labor deal (1/14/2010 Politico)

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Labor Union Is Against the Senate Bill

... what's going on here?

Unions will oppose Baucus bill unless it's changed
(10/13/09 AP via MyWay)

"WASHINGTON (AP) - About 30 unions will run a full-page ad in newspapers Wednesday announcing their opposition to the Senate Finance Committee's health overhaul bill, a top labor lobbyist said.

"The ad will state that unions will oppose the measure on the Senate floor unless improvements are made, according to Chuck Loveless, legislative director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

"The ad will state, "Real health care reform and nothing less," Loveless said.

"Labor has been a major Democratic ally in the health care debate but is unhappy the legislation lacks a publicly run insurance plan and would tax expensive policies in an effort to drive down costs. Officials also want it to prevent insurance companies from refusing to cover some people and to force employers to cover their workers.

"The Finance Committee voted Tuesday to approve the bill, the most conservative of five health overhaul bills congressional panels have written this year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., plans to combine it with the Senate health committee's more liberal version and bring it to the full Senate in perhaps two weeks.

"Besides AFSCME, sponsors included the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America. The ad will run in The Washington Post, USA Today and Capitol Hill newspapers. "

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