I think the overtime pay cutting may be our best weapon against *

[ButterflyBlood]

that's what turned my mom completely against him (when she was kind of neutral before) and she doesn't even get paid by the hour. It's actually affects people directly and is something Bush can't really weasel out of, like saying the economy isn't really his fault. It's great to fuck over Bush and any Republican who voted against the Obey amendment. It's a real issue that'll be more effective than some bullshit one like gay marriages Bush will try to use, since as said before, it actually affects people.

[Andy_Stephenson]

1. Yes and the Democrats that voted for

or absent for the vote itself...Yes indeed...it is a great tool they have handed us.

[caledesi]

2. Oh yeah BB. I talked with 2 of my repug friends and

one of them didn't even believe it until I emailed the evidence. He went nuts and said if that bill passes he will NEVER vote repug again. The other friend was mad as hell too, but keeps saying it will never happen. I agree with you...this is the one that really rips right into what one considers their "rights that could never be taken away."

Bye bye *.

[ButterflyBlood]

4. I looked at what the freepers said right before the vote

and they were all shocked and saying things like "HOW? Bush could never do something like this!" Heads in the sand still, but a lot were saying this could cost him the election in 2004.

[Catshrink]

5. Jr. showed his hand...

he's goin' down. Big time. Once people start seeing the effects his policies have on their pocketbooks and their lives, those poll numbers will really tank. 'bye Jr. We didn't elect you and we sure don't want you.

[maine_raptor]

3. Just one on many, but

it's a "pocketbook" issue, so it's a keeper.

[Starpass]

6. Add it to one other thing "emerging"

Was glad to see that new issue of Time has a feature article on our jobs - as in WHITE COLLAR - being taken to places like India. For example, they showed how they can hire a great mechanical engineer there for $5,000 a year. When you start seeing wet yuppie pits, you know paradise is falling apart. Saw the fear in the eyes of my own high paid, professional daughter. The news is spreading and they can no longer comfort themselves with the belief that this is just a passing thing or that it's only lowly blue collar who probably are 99% overpaid anyhow. Thus, it's not only "overtime" pay the Dems need to yell about; they also need to show how Bush's corporate criminals are ripping the jobs out from under us---oh, by the way, Time said that now even a number of repuke congressmen are getting scared by this drain and beginning to wonder how the hell this country is going to economically survive. Pour me another round of them thar' "tax breaks"--it ought to take care of everything, don't ya' think???????????

[Samantha]

7. When I first read about this and went to the DOL's website

to read the new definition of "exempt" the administration is attempting to legislate, I couldn't believe it. Starts out with reasonable things, like supervises others, but as you read down the list, you see things like "interacts with customers." A person could work stocking shelves and occasionally go out front to greet a customer if the desk is not manned, and that alone would make the employee exempt. It will impact policemen, firemen, administrative personnel, technical people, almost everyone who mades over $23,000 annually. I decided if Bush* railroads this through, it alone could defeat him at the polls. I know a lot of people who are very angry.

Tonight on Capital Gang, it was also featured as an outrage of the week. The statement was made that Bush* had yielded to the pressure exerted on him by corporations, is that's the reason this is being pushed. The Republicans are giving it some obscene tag having to do with improving family reasons (comp time will allow employee to spend more time with family).

It's amazing how little publicity this has been given. On the other hand, I guess the corporations who own the media played a part in the lobbying for the change.

I didn't really think about it until I read your post, but perhaps the Dems (especially the no-shows) allowed this to pass in the House. They too know it will devastate Bush* in the polls. Give him enough rope ....

[Starpass]

8. You know what scares me about this??

This is the type of thing that would even make his rednecked white males go fucking ballistic and turn on him. Perhaps they wouldn't vote Dem; but they could turn to some third party candidate, etc. It also impacts lots of the sheep on the Christian right. They are told to pray and God will make them rich----and George taking away their overtime makes George look like "da devil"!!! So it just makes no sense. In other words, you can hide real brain busting things like "no WMD's, no nukes" etc., spin them and the believers will "beeeeleeeve". But sure as shit know when their paychecks shrink and they ask "how come I don't get my pay"??? Sooooo, are they cockey enough to do this because they know they have so many voting machines, etc. fixed that they could puke in the people's faces and they still would win, hands down????????? It gives me the creeps. It's a stupid move - maybe one he would make AFTER re-election; but why now???

[JanMichael]

9. Damned straight it is!

They are hitting people DIRECTLY in their wallet!

Basically attacking the one group of people that has been twisted over to their side in recent years.

It's a BEAUTIFUL HAMMER!

[Robbien]

10. This was the bill that was on the house floor when

Rove decided to distract us with the uranium report. Rove thought the uranium from Africa report was something that would be talked about for a couple of days and then we would move on. That is why overtime pay got little or no press.

[alaine]

11. It'll be the end of the 40 hour work-week as well...

Having to pay time and one half gave the CEO's pause about scheduling overtime, and now that that will be gone for all but the poorest (who may be having to work two jobs anyway to make ends meet) there's no incentive left to keep things at 40 hours, as most exempt people usually work longer than that. How can they do this to our jobs and rationally expect to have a strong economy when capitalism is driven by consumption. If we can't afford to consume, then I don't see how the economy won't just keel over completely.

[DieboldMustDie]

15. And if they can force people to work unpaid overtime...

what incentive do they have to hire more employees?

[tedoll78]

12. I know I'm pissed.

I was going to use overtime pay to save for retirement.

My middle-of-the-road parents are concerned. My soon-to-be ex-co-workers are livid.

"Take back the tax cut," they say -
"just give us our overtime pay."

[Upfront]

13. No Skills

Not near as big but shub just said the reason our jobs go off shore is American workers don't have the skills to handle them. This statement pissed lots of people off.

[jagguy]

14. I wish it were true

but it affects too few people to matter

[Robbien]

16. I don't know, this along with

job loss, offshore jobbing, open boarders with undocumented immigrants are all hot topics guaranteed to push buttons on most of the general masses. Not to mention privatizing of many jobs which hurt the unions. There are teeth in these issues.

[jagguy]

18. the jobs issue is FAR more significant than the overtime thing

that affects a boatload more people than the reclassification of exempt employees.

[JanMichael]

19. Take a look at the numbers.

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/underattack.cfm#bush

Fraom that site:

Under the Bush overtime scheme:

* Millions of salaried workers making between $22,101 and $65,000 who now are eligible to receive overtime pay could be reclassified as executives or administrative or professional employees—and would no longer qualify for overtime pay.
* Relatively low-salary earners who have supervisory responsibilities or management-related responsibilities would be penalized, as would workers with advanced education or specialized training. Some of the jobs affected are police, firefighters, nurses, retail managers, insurance claims adjusters and medical therapists.
* Employees not covered by the new rules also could be hurt: By reclassifying many of their workers as exempt from overtime pay, employers most likely would assign overtime only to them and eliminate overtime for other workers. Police and firefighters are among those potentially affected.
* Anyone making $65,000 or more a year likely would lose overtime pay, effectively eliminating many middle-income wage earners’ much-needed extra pay.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s own estimates, the Bush administration’s proposed rule changes could mean between 2.1 million and 3.3 million workers would face unpredictable work schedules because of an increased demand for extra hours for which employers would not have to pay time-and-a-half.

The Bush administration claims its plan would give overtime protections to more workers by allowing anyone who earns $22,100 or less to automatically qualify for overtime pay. But many of those workers, such as fast-food employees, already are covered.

Too few people to matter?

Think again.

[jagguy]

20. OK I though again

of the people that this impacts, the vast majority already vote Dem. Take a hard look at just who those people are, I already did.

Still too few people to matter.

[Noordam]

22. Think Nurses ---- think Standard 55 hour week no OT

think

a) the one that used to vote Repug.

b) Think of the group that did not vote in 2000

Me thinks that just the Nurses voting again * will kill him.


THINK OF THE NUMBER OF NURSES in FLORIDA ALONE!!!!!!!!

[Robbien]

23. Not all Nurses, just RNs and above, but also think techs

Xray techs, physical therapists, rehab workers, the list goes on and on. Most of these people are really busy working overtime and have a hard time voting. Take away their overtime pay and they will be busting down the voting center doors.

[JanMichael]

24. Not really.

It hits high enough to make some real impact.

I'd do the demos for you but it's midnight and I'm, well, drunk.

Plus it can be used to motivate the base that you so aptly pointed out:-)

[Robbien]

21. That first catagory will have a major impact on health care industry

The pay class of salaried with overtime covers a large part of medical professionals in hospitals. Healthcare lobbiests must have worked hard on this one.

[whathappened]

17. from down under

most these companys won't even hire a full time worker anymore , it is all partimers now on the low end of this work force , no benifits no nothing , just a small pay check you take home and wonder wtf was this all about , i just worked 38 hr. on this dam job and i have nothing , so the low end jobs are already screewed up , so now they are going after the ones who are just making a living and working the over time to boot to think maybe there will be a buck or 2 left this week for some fun , jr. will have a ball thinking how he just screewed the next one's on the latter

[Redleg]

25. Another Bush insult to people who work for a living.

Of course it will be soon forgotten by many folks since we have such damned short memories and Karl Rove will manufacture another war or some other crisis to keep our minds off our own business.

[Robbien]

26. Sorry but you are mistaken, this and other labor issues are personal

and won't be forgotton and go away. People who received overtime and now don't, people who saw their companies close when their jobs go overseas, people losing jobs because companies are downsizing; these people will remember. Their family and friends will remember. They number in the tens of millions. And places like DU needs to help keep this issue out front and center because the middle class is becoming smaller and smaller with every breath we take.