Posted on 08/01/2006 8:36:38 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
It's making for a very politically charged election cycle, and a lot of people are just looking for someone to blame, and few organizations are better than misdirecting blame than unions.
-- Feel free to ignore the long and arguably off topic rant about these companies and unions that follows. --
Neither the companies or the unions are blameless. Both have negotiated in bad faith for so long and both are more interested in blaming the other than fixing problems. I really don't see a solution to the situation other than for the courts to simply quit extending them bankruptcy protection and let the companies fail and their assets be sold off.
If that happened, another company might be able to buy those factories and actually make money running them, but for that to happen they would really need to be able to start over, rather than be burdened with the baggage of the union and even a rehashed version of their current agreements.
Unfortunately, for capitalism to work, failure must be possible.
While the union members collectively have a large share in the blame for their own misfortune, the union leadership works very hard to shift all the blame to the companies and to Republicans, and to whoever else they can gain some advantage by blaming.
It's human nature to always want someone else to blame, and as the Union leadership tells them, the workers are the Union, so blaming the Union is blaming themselves, and it's much easier and more comforting to blame someone else.
So the Unions are working very hard to use what power they still have to get people elected that will give them more power.
They are working hard to undermine companies that have been very effective at discouraging unionization. Walmart is one of their most obvious targets, and they have spent millions here on their misleading campaigns about how Walmart is harming everyone by not forcing more comprehensive health care programs on their employees rather than having benefits that are competitive with other companies with which they compete for employees.
The unions are losing ground, and they know it. They are desperate to extend themselves into more markets because they have destroyed the industries in which they have had a strong presence and they either need to expand watch their power die out along with the companies they have bled dry.
The unions need to find a way to convince workers that they are valuable to them, and that's hard to do in a competitive and growing economy.
Good economies and low unemployment are great for workers, but bad for unions. Workers only have a need for unions when things are bad. Therefore good economic times, happy workers, and plenty of jobs are not in the best interest of the unions. Instead, they support Democrats who's socialist policies not only support unions through legislation, they create the environment where workers feel they are needed at the same time.
That's pretty much the nature of liberal economic policies. They offer people enough to make them dependent, but not enough to make them satisfied.
If they screw up and actually give people enough to make them satisfied they will have undermined their own system. The inefficiencies in their policies that the create while trying to remove people's options so they remain dependent on the system add up with the lack of motivation created by a system with little choice and little to no reward for productivity.
A happy socialist society is a rotting and decaying one.
An unhappy socialist society is more exploitive, but more sustainable.
A capitalist society is actually less exploitive, but it presents workers with more risks, though also on average considerably better rewards as well.
Don't get me wrong. There was a time I loved Columbus. It was solidly conservative.
Changing demographics have killed it. But conservativism is alive and well in the surrounding counties, where Bush won big.
I still like Columbus even now.
It's 10 Million times better than the $hithole I used to live in Pennsylvania....and that was a solidly conservative town too.
I agree with you.
There is no way a conservative, patriotic American votes for a left wing socialist any time, for any "reason".
I would add: Or stands aside when one is trying to get into office.
I'm no fan of DeWine or Voinovich, but I am amazed people complain about those two (who DO vote our way the majority of the time) after all of the years of Metzenbaum and the Spaceman. Doesn't anybody freaking remember the job Metzenbaum did on Bork?? Does anyone think DeWine would have trashed Bork like that? Rest assured Sherrod Brown would!
An honest answer. Thank you
Welcome.
I think you overrate short north and german village. What kept columbus from being flint was john mcconnell at worthington industries who built the arena district. Also the state capitol helped. Nationwide insurance, Wendys, the Limited/Easton were also big players.
Ohio outside of columbus is struggling economically. Ditto for Michigan. the incumbents are in big trouble in both states as a result.
that is why I think dewine is in trouble as is granholm and stabenow up north.
The Short North archways don't work?!?
True - nice idea, pointless waste of money, and they quit working about 6 months after completion of the project.
Our tax dollars at work.
The Short North really isn't that bad, yes parking sucks, but when the weather is nice folks can park in a downtown lot and walk the 2 or 3 blocks back over the freeway.
As for the "homo" problem, it really doesn't bother me so I seldom even notice, but both GV and the short north are being invaded by hetros in the form of young professionals and empty - nest couples. Not as bad as you'd think.
What are your thoughts on the county moving the Clippers over by the Arena? - I'm torn, sure it will be a very nice place to see a game but it will be more expensive and lose that "central point" feeling.
The circle of counties around Cincinnati is great as well.
You have that wrong. The homos are called Logcabin Republicans which means that they are Republicans. I never understood that either until I read it on FREEPERS. Homos are Republicans...stumps me too...
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