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Democrats Must Fight for the 99% to Win in 2012; Randy Shannon; Progressive Democrats of America – PA 12th CD Chapter; April 18, 2012.
You can learn more about BCR’s leftster management here.
From 2004 to 2008, the BCT published at least 17 letters from Mr. Shannon. I found none since 2008. You can find my critiques of those letters here, here, here, here, and here. In addition to what you learned about Mr. Shannon’s positions here and in his letters to the editor, consider the following exchange on a fellow BCR member’s Facebook wall (9/27/11).
Lefty #1: “Capitalism has to go. Merely taxing/regulating always fails in the end.”
Mr. Shannon: “Divide and conquer. Take down the crazy bankers first.”
Rather than a full-blown critique, below are my comments about selected excerpts. For those portions I did not address, I recommend you do some fact-checking if you plan to use the info. For that matter, don’t accept what I write either. It’s important for all of us to do our own research to learn whom we can and can’t trust.
“United Steelworkers Union President Leo Gerard kicked off a one week labor campaign to mobilize union voters behind their endorsed candidate, Democratic Congressman Mark Critz.”
Contrary to what Mr. Shannon appears to say, I’ll go out on a limb and guess a lot of “union voters” don’t endorse either Mr. Altmire or Mr. Critz. It would be more accurate to say any candidate endorsed by any “labor union” is endorsed by labor-union management, not necessarily people forced to pay union dues.
“Meanwhile the 1% is paying the lowest tax in modern history while scheming to liquidate Social Security.”
[RWC] Based on 2009 federal income tax data, the top 1% (AGI greater than $344,000) of filers paid 37% of the total and the top 5% (AGI greater than $155,000) paid 59%. The bottom 50% (AGI less than $33,000) paid 2.3% of the total. For tax year 2009, 58,603,938 filers (41.7%) had zero or negative tax liability. If you think that’s bad, it gets worse. The Tax Foundation continues, “In 2008, 25 million tax filers received $51.6 billion in EITC [Earned Income Tax Credit] benefits. Of this amount, $50.5 billion was refundable in excess of their income tax liability. Also in 2008, some 25.3 million filers received $30.7 billion in child tax credit benefits, with more than 18 million of these filers getting $20.5 billion in refundable checks. Many families are eligible for both the EITC and the child credit. These are not refunds of overpaid tax; they are payments to people who have already gotten back everything that was withheld from their paychecks during the year.”
“The only way Critz can win in November against a wall of Republican money is with a ground game that depends on mobilizing working class voters in the 12th district with a robust program for change. Critz will have to take more progressive positions in order to mount a credible campaign against the Republican candidate.”
[RWC] I always get a kick out of lefties complain about “a wall of Republican money.” I mentioned USW spending on ““Political Activities and Lobbying” above. The AFL-CIO is another example. According to their Department of Labor LM-2 forms, AFL-CIO management spent over $29.6 million in 2010 on “Political Activities and Lobbying.” Representing employees is simply a fund-raising chore labor union management must endure to provide funds for its lobbying and political activities. In the 2004, 2008, and 2010 federal elections, Democrats outspent Republicans. In the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama spent about $730 million, over twice what John McCain spent ($333 million).
As for the “robust program for change,” I thought that’s what we got in 2008.
As for “Critz will have to take more progressive positions to mount a credible campaign against the Republican candidate,” I hope he does. As I’ve noted before, Southwestern Pennsylvania Democrats aren’t exactly Kucinich Democrats or anywhere near as far to the left as BCR’s management.
“Let’s recall a passage from the first Inaugural Address of President Franklin D. Roosevelt:”
[RWC] First, let’s look at another quote: “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and if I am wrong … somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises … I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started … And an enormous debt to boot.” - Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s Treasury Secretary during the Great Depression, testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee in May 1939.
Now, let’s go back to St. FDR himself. In a 1937 letter to Luther C. Steward (President of the National Federation of Federal Employees), FDR wrote, “… meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the Government. All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.” Likewise, George Meany (first president of the AFL-CIO, 1955-1979) opposed collective bargaining for public-sector employees.
“Obama’s chances for victory in 2012 will depend on how far the progressive majority …”
[RWC] “[T]he progressive majority?” Seriously? According to a 2011 Gallup poll, “40% of Americans continu[e] to describe their views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.” Since 1992, “liberals” have never been higher than 22% and “conservatives” have never been below 37%. In fairness, a lot of lefties call themselves “moderate” because they don’t like to be labeled as “liberal,” “progressive,” et cetera.
As reported in The American Thinker, the last Battleground Poll before the 2010 elections showed a similar result though the magnitudes varied. “In every single one of the last nineteen Battleground Polls over the last decade, about 60% of Americans describe themselves as ‘conservative,’ while about 35% of Americans describe themselves as liberal. The October 25, 2010 Battleground Poll is no different: 62% of Americans described themselves as ‘conservative,’ and only 35% described themselves as ‘liberal.’ Only 2% of Americans call themselves ‘moderate,’ and another 2% of Americans were unsure or refused to answer. This anemic response of ideological neutrality is completely consistent in all nineteen Battleground Polls.”
“This attack on the right to vote happens while the same far right five is radically changing the Constitution by ruling that corporations are people under the law and have the right to unlimited funding of political speech.”
[RWC] Contrary to lefty claims, treating corporations as a person (aka corporate personhood) in certain circumstances is nothing new in American law and goes back to at least the early 1800s. I learned “corporations are people under the law” in certain circumstances in grade school (St. Titus) and high school (Center Area), long before “the far right five” were on the Supreme Court. Corporate personhood is one reason the federal income tax applies to corporations.
As for “corporations have … the right to unlimited funding of political speech,” Mr. Shannon “forgot” to mention the same ruling applied to labor-union management. Citizens United v. FEC was about the ability of anyone to take out their own ads, commercials, etc. expressing their position regarding candidates and issues. Direct contributions to federal candidates remain illegal for corporations and labor unions.
As for “This attack on the right to vote,” Mr. Shannon is referring to requiring photo ID to vote.
“Rick Santorum was campaigning vigorously for the far right tea-party agenda.”
[RWC] This statement says far more about Mr. Shannon and BCR management in general than it does about Mr. Santorum.
OK, I’ve had my fill of BCR for now. These folks are exhausting.
In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity. <g>
© 2004-2012 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.