GOVERNMENT & UNIONS - A BAD PARTNERSHIP

While Americans are planning "tea parties" to show opposition to the uncontrolled spending and taxation by President Obama and Congress, the people in power in Washington are rapidly accomplishing their plan to obtain control over all sectors of our society.  The administration's blatant grab for control over private industry is nothing less than UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

President Obama forcing the resignation of General Motors CEO, Rick Wagoner, is just a precursor of future events.  This company was given billions of taxpayer bailout dollars last fall.  Since then the company's financial position has continued to deteriorate.  President Obama is quick to publicly blame the CEO, but he fails to mention that the United Auto Workers Union has been a significant contributor to the problem.  The union has continued to be unwilling to accept contract terms that would contribute greatly to the financial recovery of GM.

GM's profits have been decimated by labor union demands for high wages and benefits.  The average autoworker costs the company over $70 per hour!  The problem will continue as long as the auto manufacturers are unable to set wages at reasonable market levels that will allow the company to make a profit.  Foreign non-union auto manufacturers in the US, such as Toyota, have continued to make profits without bailout funds and have kept people employed.  They can produce cars for much less than GM and other unionized auto manufacturers.  If GM had simply filed for bankruptcy protection, the labor contracts would have legally come under the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court, and could have been restructured to preserve jobs at reasonable wage levels.  The taxpayers could have saved billions of dollars!

The labor unions contributed heavily to President Obama's campaign, as well as to the campaigns of many other congressional candidates.  Now it's "PAY BACK" TIME!  The unions want control over major industries, like the auto industry.  When they have control over who can be hired, what they will be paid, when they will work, etc., the unions have control over the company.  Add the federal government's move toward control over private companies like GM, and it makes a very comfortable bed for the unions.

Historically, the unions abused their power and lost popularity and support from the American work force.  The unions were more concerned about the dues paid to them, and the union leaders' quest for power and control, than they were about the well being of their members.  Unions historically protect unproductive workers and wage levels not sustainable by employers.  Unions often perpetuate a lack of worker motivation and individual achievement.  Unions have been struggling for decades to regain their former glory, and now President Obama is helping them to accomplish this.

The Obama administration's support for labor unions coupled with the administration's grab for control over private industry, is evidence of a plan to inject socialistic ideologies into our government and private sector at every turn.  The Constitution gives them NO power to do this.  In many cases, the Constitution specificially prohibits some of these actions.

If we keep going down this road, our economy and our nation's future will be in a downward spiral toward socialism.  Our Constitution will become just a historical document that our children will learn about in American history class, but that doesn't really have any relevance to their way of life.

Attend the tea parties; make your voice heard to your elected representatives in government.  But, most important, use your VOTE to elect people who will act responsibly, protect our individual freedoms, and preserve our Constitution. 

Our Constitution under Attack!

The recent taxing of the AIG bonuses by the Congress is unconstitutional.  In Article 1, Section 9, paragraph 3 of the US Constitution it states that: "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed."  A Bill of Attainder is a legislative act that singles out one or more persons and imposes punishment on them, without benefit of trial.  Such actions were regarded as odious by the framers of the Constitution because it was the traditional role of a court, judging an individual case, to impose punishment.  The Bill of Attainder clause was intended, not as a narrow, technical prohibition, but rather as an implementation of the separation of powers, a general safeguard against legislative exercise of the judicial function - or more simply - trial by legislature!

James Madison wrote:  "Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation.  (Federalist Number 44, 1788)

 AIG bonuses were only some of the overall bonuses that were given to employees of companies that accepted federal funds.  While we may not agree with the bonuses, we can't allow this unpleasant situation to be used as a way to 1) gain control over private business, 2) destroy "contract" law, and 3) destroy parts of our Constitution.   The AIG "scandal" is a huge diversionary tactic to take our attention away from the real issues, like excessive government spending and the fast march toward socialism and government control.

Congress and the Obama administration are attacking the validity of our Constitution in numerous ways:  gun control, federal control over the private sector, failure to enforce legal immigration laws. The list could go on and on.  The federal government is now making huge grabs of power away from the states, private industry, and from OUR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.  They are destroying the Constitution in bits and pieces.  Once our Constitution is unenforceable, we have lost the freedom that our founding fathers provided for us and that so many have shed their blood for.

We are in dangerous times and it requires that each one of us stand up for our Constitution. Don't believe the rhetoric.  Search out the truth.  Make your voice heard!