S.African unions in talks to end 15-day walkout

(AFP) – 8 hours ago

JOHANNESBURG — Striking South African public sector unions were locked in talks Wednesday over a fresh wage offer to urgently end a 15-day-walkout, though some had already rejected it, officials said.

Unions were to report back to members on the improved offer put on the table after President Jacob Zuma ordered his ministers to negotiate a solution to the stoppage that has paralysed schools and hospitals.

“I know for a fact that some of the unions have rejected the offer, that they will not sign at all,” said Chris Klopper, chairman of the Independent Labour Caucus, one of the labour umbrellas representing 1.3 million workers.

The government and unions were to meet again later Wednesday to discuss a way forward, but one of the biggest striking unions said it has refused the latest proposal.

“We have rejected the offer,” said Sizwe Pamla, spokesman for the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), which has 244,000 members.

Continue reading Union Solidarity forces South Africa government back to negotiating table →

An Update on the US Economic Crisis

by Randy Shannon

Treasurer, PA 4th CD Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America

Rampant speculation, asset bubbles and corruption led to a crash of the Japanese economy in 1990. Like the U.S. government today, the government of Japan was controlled by the banks. The government of Japan liquidated the savings of the people of Japan, most of which were in Postal Savings accounts, to bail out the crooked banks. This bailout wrecked the economy and took ten years to overcome. The economy of Japan is still struggling at a very low growth rate.

The U.S. government bailed out the crooked banks with $13 trillion of debt that obligates future generations to a long term economic recession. The bankers oppose any measures that would require the U.S. government to increase its debt beyond the debt already incurred to rescue themselves.

Thus stimulus spending to get production and employment going is opposed or gutted with tax cuts. Businesses with debt that they are able to service are seeing their debt called by the banks, forcing the businesses into bankruptcy.  Infrastructure projects are not funded or underfunded while millions of construction workers are idle. Over 840 small and community banks are official “problem banks” facing foreclosure, not rescue. The Republican and Blue Dog Democrat neo-liberal majority is reluctant to extend unemployment benefits.

Continue reading Japan’s Lost Decades 1990-2010: The U.S. Sequel 2008-??? →

UAW’s Bob King, Jesse Jackson lead Detroit

Aug. 28 March for Jobs, Peace and Justice

August 28, 2010
http://detnews.com/article/20100828/METRO/8280383

SANTIAGO ESPARZA
The Detroit News

Detroit — The chants of thousands of people demanding jobs filled the air downtown as UAW President Bob King and the Rev. Jesse Jackson led the crowd to Grand Circus Park.

The UAW and Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition announced the Rebuild America: Jobs Justice Peace kickoff today at the downtown park.

Jackson said the focus of the initiative is to ensure policy makers put people first when making decisions. The initiative calls for a moratorium on home foreclosures, a push for job creation and for ending armed conflicts overseas.

“Detroit and Michigan are ground zero of the urban crisis,” Jackson said. “It’s time to enact real change for working families and all America.”

About 30 percent of Detroit is unemployed, Jackson said. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., also said Detroit was chosen as the kickoff site for the campaign because it is at the heart of the nation’s economic fight.

Continue reading Detroit Mass March for Jobs with UAW and Jesse Jackson →

Dear Alliance Member:

Social Security is turning 75 years old this month, and we are throwing a party to celebrate! Additionally, we will be releasing a report on the impact of Social Security here in Pennsylvania. You are invited to attend the event on Wednesday, September 1st at 2:30pm at the Community College of Beaver County’s Learning Resource Center, in Monaca, PA.

Congressman Jason Altmire will be in attendance to join the celebration.  Birthday Cake will be served! You are welcome and encouraged to bring your family and friends of all ages who support Social Security!

Celebrating this milestone for Social Security is important, as there is a growing chorus among politicians and the media to cut Social Security benefits in order to reduce the deficit – or to privatize the program – each of which will hurt seniors, people with disabilities and children. Of course, Social Security did not cause the deficit; it is paid for with special taxes on our wages. If you paid in, then you and your family earn the right to benefits. This is an excellent chance to show Congressman Altmire that seniors in Western Pennsylvania support Social Security, and we won’t stand to see it cut!  We look forward to you joining us.  Please RSVP to Alliance staff member Adam Swope at 202-341-7821 or aswope@retiredamericans.org, if you plan to attend, or have any questions.

*WHO:* The Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans and like-minded seniors, with special guest Jason Altmire
*WHAT:* A Birthday Party for Social Security
*WHEN:* Wednesday, September 1st at 2:30pm
*WHERE:* The Conference Room of the Learning Resources Center
Community College of Beaver County
1 Campus Dr.
Monaca, PA 15061
Campus Map:   http://www.ccbc.edu/nu_upload/CampusMap2010.pdf
*WHY:* Because Social Security is under attack and needs our support!

I hope to see you there.

In solidarity,

Jean Friday
President
PA Alliance for Retired Americans

Follow the Alliance online:
Become part of a progressive grassroots movement!. Join the
Alliance:
http://www.retiredamericans.org/index.php?tg=articles&topics=6&new=0&newc=0

———————————-
Alliance for Retired Americans
815 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
http://www.retiredamericans.org
———————————-

Note: PDA members wishing to attend please contact Randy Shannon 724 462 3469.

“If any of the recommendations cut or diminish 
Social Security in any way, 
we will stand firmly against them.”

Dear Friend,

As PDA continues its work through summer 2010, we are pursuing an aggressive progressive agenda in support of economic and social justice and a call for the end to war funding. We have joined with our allies to fight for this nation’s social insurance safety net programs—Social Security and Medicare—in the face of cries by conservative groups and other non-progressive types to cut benefits and raise the retirement age as a mechanism to somehow put a dent in the federal deficit.

In July, Medicare celebrated its 45th anniversary, and in August 2010, Social Security turned 75. We joined a group of our single-payer, Medicare for all allies in contacting every Congressional office with information about the incredible success and viability of Medicare. Then we targeted our progressive friends in Congress and asked more of them. We asked for clear and public support for protecting and strengthening both Social Security and Medicare.

Continue reading Congressional Progressive Caucus Pledges to Defend Social Security →

Ryan Grim

ryan@huffingtonpost.com

Alan Simpson: Social Security Is ‘A Milk Cow With 310 Million Tits’

Alan Simpson believes that Social Security is “like a milk cow with 310 million tits,” according to an email he sent to the executive director of National Older Women’s League Tuesday morning. Simpson co-chairs the deficit commission, which is considering various proposals to cut Social Security benefits.

Simpson’s email, which OWL chief Ashley Carson released publicly, (PDF) was sent in response to an April blog post Carson wrote for the Huffington Post. Carson criticized Simpson for repeatedly describing his Social Security opponents as “Pink Panthers,” arguing that the description had sexist connotations.

His email is peppered with exclamation points and condescension. At one point he urged Carson to read a certain graph, “which I hope you are able to discern if you are any good at reading graphs.”

Simpson concludes by implying that leading a major organization dedicated to the interests of middle-aged and elderly women is not “honest work.”

Continue reading Friends of Jason Altmire: “Social Security is a Milk Cow with 310 Million Tits” →

A Way to Make Social Security Solvent for the Next 75 Years

By Sen. Bernie Sanders
August 22, 2010

Sign the Pledge: Hands Off Social Security!

Published by the United States Senate Website for Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator for Vermont.

See related: Letter to National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter DeFazio.

Social Security just turned 75, and all across the country, people and senior organizations are celebrating this enormous achievement. Before President Franklin Roosevelt signed the law on August 14, 1935, about half of the senior citizens in America lived in poverty. That began to change on January 31, 1940, when the first monthly retirement check, for $22.54, was issued to retired legal secretary Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vt.   <!– [more] –>

Today, more than 52 million Americans, including over 124,000 Vermonters, receive benefits. For three quarters of a century, Social Security has been a great success doing exactly what it was designed to do. During that entire period not one American who has been eligible for Social Security has failed to receive benefits they were entitled to receive. That’s a pretty good record. Today, Social Security not only provides retirement benefits to seniors, it provides support for the disabled and widows and orphans.

Continue reading Note to Jason Altmire: Let Wealthy Pay Social Security Tax instead of Cutting Our Benefits →

The Neoliberal Attack on Social Security

by Alan Nasser

Among Obama’s principal tasks right now are to reverse his dwindling popularity and to bolster the Democrats’ chances in the the upcoming fall elections. These are not unrelated objectives. He’s got to get people to perceive him as on their side with respect to things that matter, and matter big, to the electorate, and to credibly distinguish himself from the Republicans on these same issues. After all, the cardinal political objective of liberal Democrats is to keep Republicans out of office.

Rasmussen Reports reveals that Obama’s popularity has plunged in the last three months As of Sunday, 43 percent of the nation’s voters “Strongly Disapprove” of his performance as president. Obama’s weekly radio address on Saturday was an effort to endear himself to the gullible by showing that he defends their most fundamental interests against clear and present Republican danger. With titanic irony, he chose Social Security as the issue that makes the difference.
Continue reading Corporate Democrats Campaign against Privatization Now but Plan to Cut Social Security after the Election →

By John Mulcahy

How to Deal with the Blue Dog

and Still Defeat the Republicans—

PDA Breakfast Meeting Discusses the 2010 Election

 by Carl Davidson

About 40 seasoned Progressive Democrat activists from the 4^th CD gathered on Aug. 7 at the Candlelight Lounge in Economy, PA for a two-hour breakfast discussion. The hot topic of the day was the District’s Blue Dog Congressman, Jason Altmire, and what to do about him in the upcoming election and beyond.

It was not an easy question. The people in the buffet line putting tasty scrambled eggs, sausage and home fries on their plates were a cross section of Beaver County’s best political fighters—steelworkers, trade union organizers, African-American community leaders, retirees, postal and construction workers, teachers, social workers and day care workers, and a few candidates and local elected officials. Almost all of them had worked very hard four years ago to replace the GOP’s right-winger, Melissa Hart with Jason Altmire in Congress. While there was little naiveté about politicians in this dining room, they had still expected more from Altmire, especially given the distressed condition of the working class and small business in the area.

Continue reading What to do about Blue Dog Cong. Altmire: PDA Holds Breakfast Discussion →