H2O Maniac Mini-Survey

[H2O Man]

Briefly: before retiring, I worked in human services in rural, upstate New York. The county that I live in has an overwhelmingly large number of registered republicans. And most of the republicans holding elective office have been caught in a time warp, and inhabit a 1950s state of mind.

For example, during contract negotiations in the 1990s, while discussing the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, one Town Supervisor stated, “We don't have many Negroes here, so it ain't a problem.” In serving as the vice president of our union, I found communicating with people of this mind-set at least as difficult as talking with any psychotic client.

During the time I served, there was one period of extreme tension during what was supposed to be contract negotiations. It is, of course, impossible to actually negotiate, when only one side has any intention of negotiating in good faith.

While county workers are not allowed to actually go on strike, we did have a period where workers marched during their lunch times, and attended various board meetings in large numbers. My specialty was working with local and regional media (newspapers, radio, and television) to present our side of the issues to the general public. We eventually “won,” though certainly not a great deal.

Today, some former co-workers contacted me with some concerns about issues not unlike what we faced in the '90s, but with the potential to become a smaller version of Wisconsin. And it is not just a handful of ignorant republicans in local office that are causing concerns among hard-working, experienced union employees. Although we have a democrat serving as governor, there are likely to be serious cuts in funding to human services and similar agencies. There is currently a union vs management dispute brewing, which may serve as a fuse of sorts. Obviously, my former associates were asking for my assistance for organizing a community-based response in support of the public employees.

My question to you: Do you know of similar conditions brewing in your area? I ask for a variety of reasons; among them, this appears to be an organized, wide-spread program that republicans are stirring up between now and 2012.

Thank you in advance to any insights that you may contribute.

Your friend,
H2O Man

[Luminous Animal]

1. I wish I could help. I live in San Francisco and though we fight budget cuts...

it's an entire different story from those having to deal with a Republicans agenda.

Good luck Mr. Waterman.

[H2O Man]

7. Thanks.

I'm glad for you. I wish that there were more members of the democratic left here. But we will make do with what resources we have.

I'm thinking the attack on public employees/unions is the second step in a coordinated republican attack. Teachers were first.

[stevedeshazer]

2. I am fortunate to live in a state dominated by Democrats

As you probably know, my wife has been a social worker (juvenile justice counselor) for more than 30 years.

My opinion is that this is a disease that will spread rapidly throughout states with recently elected Republican officials. I further opine that this disease is being spread via the Koch brothers. It's no coincidence that their big conservative confab in Rancho Mirage, California was held just weeks before this group of governors (Walker in Wisconsin, Kasich in Ohio, Christie in New Jersey and Scott in Florida) started hippie-punching unions and trying to destroy them.

This is no doubt a coordinated effort.

My wife, a few months before I met her more than thirty years ago, was among the AFSCME strikers in Oregon who walked out on their jobs. They were out around six weeks, the first strike by public employees in Oregon history.

The strike was settled when the union agreed to concessions like working an extra half-hour a day and opening up the Pandora's box of paying part of their health care costs and forgoing some scheduled wage increases.

In return, the state set up our public employee retirement system, which allows my wife to retire (soon) with a decent pension at around 70% of her current pay. She has a masters degree and worked hard for it. She and the other strikers settled for less than she could make privately for the security of pension benefits.

These Republicans want to screw all of us. No doubt about it.

Bottom line is, the pain will be inflicted on states with new teabagger politicians. Hopefully, elections will contain this festering mess next year.

People won't stand for it. I think we're getting close to critical mass for worker revolt, but for now my state is safe.

[H2O Man]

9. I agree.

The social novocaine is wearing off. People are feeling the pain, and waking up to recognize who their enemies actually are.

[RagAss]

3. I live in Florida H2O Man, we need an army to liberate us.

[H2O Man]

12. Yeah.

Florida is definitely a target state. It will probably begin to get a lot uglier there in late March and April.

[EFerrari]

4. I get so confused over how the Republicans plan to smear the president

as a union support to get votes, my brain sputters to a stop. lol :)

[Warren Stupidity]

5. NH: teabagautocracy looking to cut and gut

edumacation and everything else that reeks of socialmalisticism. They are going after pensions and health care benefits for all public employees.

[whyzayker]

6. I'm CSEA in Binghamton

Human Services....which fight are you referring to? PM me if you'd rather.

[Octafish]

8. Michigan's ''New Kind of Republicon'' Gov. Rick Snyder is applying the same old sauce.

From Michigan Radio Networks:

Protests are already being planned to oppose Governor Rick Snyder's budget proposal and other plans for emergency financial managers. The Michigan AFL CIO says it will be gathering members in Lansing on Tuesday to send a strong message to state legislators against what it calls their anti-union, anti-democratic emergency manager bills. The union says the proposed state budget will place cities and schools in emergency situations and emergency financial managers will be used to wipe out all collective bargaining and remove locally elected officials. The group will meet at Central United Methodist Church just across from the Capitol at nine AM on Tuesday.

There are still more than a few decent Republicans here. The current crew hasn't shown themselves to be any part of decent.

[Me.]

10. I Live In That 'Bastion Of Liberalism' That Mourning Joe Rants About.

And am fortunate enough to have satisfying political conversations with my neighbors, even the more conservative ones who are at least sane and level headed. Now at one of the companies I work with I was shocked to learn that they voted for * and we had a lot of 'you've got to be kidding me' type of conversations. But by the time he left office they were sick to death of him too. With Obama, they are not in love and for some of them I suspect it has to do with race but with most they are just sick to death with the state the country is in. I would guess that if the cons keep behaving the way they have, they will lose the votes of even the former * supporters. We have more arguments about Bloomberg than anyone and even he is wearing thin on them. So all in all I do more yelling at the TV than the people around me.

And where family is concerned, many are teachers or work for the government so any issues we had in the past are rapidly evaporating.

[npk]

11. Where I live in Georgia, metro Atlanta.

Most people seem content to go with the belief that unions are too powerful and have been too powerful for decades and that the financial woes of most states, including Georgia, should be laid at the feet of those government workers and there benefits. Of course government workers have less access to unions in this state and the even the ones that do know that they are by no means represented by the population to the extent of other more pro union states to the north. I would like to see more people understand that unions have made workers rights stronger in every state, including Georgia. Sadly with so much far right dogma preached in this state I don't see that happening for a long time, if ever.

[Iris]

13. I think you're on to something

"Calling all tea party and grassroots conservatives in Wisconsin! This is your moment. Your state is ground zero in the fight against the unions. We win there, we win everywhere."

First thing you see at http://istandwithwalker.com/

[Tsiyu]

14. Tennessee is having issues too

I'm hearing of a big march March 5th in Nashville.

[myrna minx]

15. Had Governor Dayton not win, Emmer would have launched

the same attack on Minnesota. They had the blueprint ready. This is a nation-wide coordinated effort.

[H2O Man]

16. Exactly.

There is definitely a blueprint ready, and they are planning to institute it, one or two states at a time. People need to be prepared to take the offensive.