Jackson County Democratic Committee

In February Karl Rove wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing the spending of money on flu preparedness. Sen. Susan Collins pulled flu preparedness from the stimulus package. Now a few weeks later we are confronted with a potential pandemic.

Contemplate Republican fecklessness while you consider the the contents of an email I just received from my priest.

The Swine flu is like a typical flu-like symptoms with the most common presentation being a respiratory flu.  Medications (Anti virals) are working thus far to reduce symptoms though as the virus progresses, it will become more resistant to our most common anti-virals.  Precautions are just like our regular flu each year – wash your hands, use good hygiene such as sneezing into your elbow not your hand, cover your cough, if you are sick stay home, if you are at risk to get sick easy then avoid large public gatherings, get rest!  If folks develop symptoms and have been to Mexico or in contact with someone who has been to Mexico within the last 10 days, call your doctor to be screened for Swine flu and stay home until your symptoms pass or the doctor clears you of the flu.  So far no confirmed cases have been reported in KC region or in Missouri but there were two confirmed cases in central Kansas.

Transforming the KCMSD into a district that works to provide educational achievement for all scholars isn’t a fantasy that well wishing and positive thinking will make appear. But it is a reality that we have the collective power to create. To unleash that potency, we must first be aware of the current results and acknowledge our role in their creation: 1 in 4 KCMSD scholars is literate and numerate at grade level and we are responsible for having created that. Only when we fully own where we are (the current conversation & current results) can we then create where we want to be (the new conversation & new results).As we accept responsibility for our district, the new conversation grows. Our scholar engagement, community engagement, faculty & administration, and governance cultures transform — and along with them, new possibilities for each of our scholars emerge. Across the district, classroom by classroom, neighborhood meeting by neighborhood meeting, board meeting by board meeting, we hear the new conversation’s urgent whisperings. As it grows louder, we see clearly “what’s working”, “what’s not working/what’s next” and hear the cultural transformation inherent in each.You now have a choice: contribute to the dominant conversation by doing what you’re already doing and, in so doing, ensure that we continue to create more of what we already have. Or commit to the creation of the new conversation (whether in partnership with initiatives like BE 1! or through other means) — the only path that leads to the transformation of our schools, our community and our region.

Finally, in the meetings and discussions of the school board, there are two competing conversations: “I am not to blame for what is not working in the district” and “We are fully responsible for everything that is working and not working in our district.” One of these conversations inspires a sense of accountability for each and every one of our scholars and the other does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of school board members. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, that can begin to transform the conversation: to what extent do I see myself as the cause of the problem I’m committed to fixing? And after that: what promises am I willing to make to my peers? These questions, when pursued with the affirmation of their intent rather than the condemnation with which they can be interpreted, empower us to create the transformation we seek.

Within the faculty and administration discussions concerning the school district, there are two competing conversations: “I will teach those students that want to learn” and “We are responsible for the educational achievement of all of our scholars.” One of these conversations generates a culture where anything is possible for our scholars and the other does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of our faculty and administration. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, that can begin to transform the conversation: how do I benefit from the KCMSD being the way it is now? And after that: what assumptions would I have to let go to create the learning environment my scholars need? These questions, when pursued as an access to opportunity rather than as an indictment of the past, create new openings for action and inspire us towards the transformation we seek.

Well it has been 100 days and sadly the Republican party has said NO to every proposal.  I can’t wait for a legitimate policy debate to break out.  Of course, that won’t happen as long as the Republicans vocabulary is limited to one two letter word.

Video provided by AmericansUnited

We are excited. Governor Granholm is a progressive voice for the people of Michigan and has fought tirelessly on behalf of the most vulnerable of her state.  Governor Granholm has shown real progressive leadership in these tough economic times. Michigan is much like Missouri, we share the same values, and common sense approach to our toughest problems. As Democrats we know the 3 biggest hurdles facing our economy right now. Health Care, Energy Independence, and Education. In Michigan it seems Democrats and Republicans have found ways to work together for the betterment of Michigan.
“By supporting our workers today and diversifying our economy for tomorrow, we are moving in a determined fashion day-to-day to shape the next Michigan,” Granholm said in her weekly radio address on April 17^th. Michigan is a state that is working hard to diversify. Instead of persecuting the working men and women of this manufacturing state during this transformation Governor Granholm is leading the way and retraining her citizens. She knows that without a diverse and qualified work force Michigan will fail to compete.

Our “leaders” in the Missouri General Assembly have seemed to forgotten that. The legislative session is almost over. With 3 weeks to go the General Assembly is going to be tackling some of the toughest economic issues in the history of Missouri and with a GOP that at best is incompetent in addressing the needs of the citizens of our state and at worst questionably ethical. To say that I have concern is an understatement.

That’s why I showed up at Organizing for America’s “listening tour” last night at Bishop McCann. It was wonderful to see so many activists still fired up and eager to get involved and be the change they wish to see in the world. There were some really smart ideas that were talked about; over and over again people yearned for a way to connect the President’s Agenda with their own community needs. I stressed in my group how important it was to get involved locally. The problems we face in Missouri are national problems. Our stories are not that different from the stories of the people of Michigan. Can the Missouri GOP find away to work with Governor Nixon on the most pressing needs of our time? I hope so.

I really look forward to Truman Days. It is a great time for us to get together as Democrats and celebrate all of the accomplishments we have made. Truman Days is our premier fundraiser and the money we raise this weekend will help us elect Democrats here in Jackson County. Representatives that understand the need to change the path we are on. Representatives that really stand for the values of the people of this state. That is the best way we can help President Obama pass his agenda. It is not enough to elect Democrats at the top of the ticket; we must elect them at the bottom too. People voted for the Democratic Agenda, in Missouri we overwhelmingly elected Jay Nixon. We need your participation. Join us at Truman Days, help us raise a little money, help us make a difference.

Embedded in the community conversation about our school district, you can hear two competing conversations: “I see no hope for that district” and “We believe in what is possible for our district’s scholars and we will act on that belief.” One of these conversations leads to a culture of excellence for our scholars and one does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of our community — at work, at church, in our neighborhoods and in our homes. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, can begin to transform the conversation: how have I contributed to us having the KCMSD we have now? And after that: what gifts do I have that I have not been using to support the scholars of the KCMSD? These questions, when seen through the spirit of restoration with which they’re shared (rather than a spirit of retribution), empower us to assume ownership of our school district rather than endure the experience of being a victim of it.One movement that seeks to inspire these very questions is rapidly gaining speed: BE 1!

 Cross posted from Show Me Progress

Congressman Roy Blunt (r – lobbyists) and former Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman (r) wrote competing teabagger Twitter posts. First Sarah Steelman:

Looking forward to speaking at the Tea Party in Camdenton this evening! Power to the People! 7:30 AM Apr 15th from web

Speaking at the tea party in Camdenton was great fun last night! Lots of freedom loving peole who care about this country. 2:03 PM Apr 16th from mobile web

Roy Blunt:

I issued a statement today about the outrageous Homeland Security report. 11:53 AM Apr 15th from mobile web

I hope this report encourages more participation in the Tea Parties. 11:54 AM Apr 15th from mobile web

What, nothing about outrageous cigarette taxes in New York City as a spark for populist outrage? Power to the People!

Here is a “conversation” between Chris Matthews and Tom DeLay on tonight’s Hardball. The Texas governor thinks Texas might want to secede.  DeLay says there is a way for Texas to force the US Senate to kick Texas out of the Union.  Matthews thinks it is crazy talk.

I know a lot of folks are appalled by the idea of Texas leaving the Union, but I ask you, would we really miss much?  What do you think?  Should we show Texas the door after we remove all the Federal assets?  I mean, look at who they have sent to Washington lately:  George W. Bush, Phil Gramm, Tom DeLay, etc.   Would we really lose much if they left?

National research describing what is required to bridge significant gaps that exist between subgroups of scholars point to similar conclusion with a key one being this: scholar engagement. Without a highly motivated learner, the entire process of education begins to breakdown. Our entire system of education must be transformed such that the lust for education inherent in all children is nurtured and encouraged. Scholars must tap into their motivation to engage and own their educational experience — and as the adults in the system, we must reorganize our system of education to accommodate this need. The need for scholars to be highly engaged, highly motivated learners underscores the first of four cultural transformations necessary to turnaround our district. The culture of scholar engagement must transform from “I am not responsible for what happens in this building” to “We are engaged in this school and it is engaged in us.” One group that has taken ownership of this transformation is the recently formed KCMSD Student Government. Honor their ownership in this way: when they call you, answer the call.We must always remember that whatever cultural norms our scholars have, they inherited from us. They are not the cause of what’s not working in this district. We are. So whether or not our scholars create this cultural vision as their guide, all adults that live, work, worship or play within the boundaries of the KCMSD must create cultural transformations of our own. 

Listening to our scholars, our teachers, administrators, parents, union members, neighborhood leaders, community residents, businesswomen and men, civic leaders, titans of industry and more, you can hear the same thing: the precursors to wholesale cultural transformation. The cultural norms surrounding this district must be transformed to provide educational achievement for all scholars. That transformation is coming in four key sectors: scholar engagement, community engagement, faculty & administration, and governance. When the conversations guiding these four areas are transformed, we will be a district and a community that consistently provides our scholars with all that they deserve. As our school district returns to workability, so too will our local and regional economy. The fates of our communities and our entire region are inextricably interwoven with the fate of the Kansas City Missouri School District. We can choose to restore both.To understand the culture of an institution, you need to listen to the conversations that describe it. As we transform the conversations, the behaviors and actions of the people within the district will be transformed as well. Over the next four posts, I’ll share the conversations that can be heard surrounding scholar engagement, community engagement (our families, neighborhoods and civic leaders), administration & faculty (our curricular and instructional leaders) and governance (our elected board of education leaders that serve as the connectors between community engagement and faculty & administration). In the final post, I’ll begin to discuss what’s next for us as a community if our choice is to create a school district that works for all scholars.

I am the guardian of a 16yr old that is a scholar in the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD). A friend that knows me well understands my passion for public education. Despite this understanding, she still recently asked the all too familiar question, ‘why is he in a KCMSD school?’ Here are some facts:

• I could send him to a private school
• I could send him to a charter school
• I could homeschool him (though we might kill each other)
• The KCMSD has challenges
• As a whole, the KCMSD is not doing well
• As a community, we deserve to be angry about this injustice
• Anger won’t restore the KCMSD; engaged Kansas Citians will 
• The KCMSD has several very good schools
• It is very possible for scholars to get a solid education from the KCMSD
• I am willing to do whatever is required to ensure that he gets a great education no matter which school — public or otherwise — that he attends

Given this lineup of realities, I choose to stand in solidarity with the multitude of families that have chosen the KCMSD for their scholars as well. Whether through the African-centered campus, Lincoln Academy or any of the other strong academic institutions within the KCMSD, learning for deep understanding and to high expectations happens here every day. While some progress has been made, obviously, we have a long way to go. Better is still never good enough. It will require great effort to transform our district into an oasis of opportunity. But the same effort will be required to turn our neighborhoods into communities of choice. If we are strong enough to commit to one, then we would be wise to commit to both — indeed, I do not believe either will occur apart from the other. To succinctly convey my perspective on this topic, I say this:

• To those who have chosen to give up on public education: Though I have heard your pain and understand many of your concerns, I will not stand with you. Public education is the last hope for too many of our neighbors. I cannot see a way to divorce myself from them without allowing all else that I believe in to become estranged as well. 

• To those who are thinking of giving up on public education: Hold hope. There is no end to what is possible when a community of people choose to BE 1! We must join the legion of sisters and brothers that are creating new possibilities for our schools. Collectively, we will find our way through this darkness. And the light we bring will shine brightly on all Kansas Citians. 

• To those who choose to stand for a viable KCMSD: I proudly stand with you.

For too long there have been perceptions that Democrats can’t or won’t work with “Big Business”.  Not true.  Democrats are problem solvers.  Democrats are compassionate and realistic.  Democrats realized along time ago that to solve the complex issues of our time, we must work together to build a consensus.  Most Republicans just don’t get it.  Instead of working with the Governor and with business to create a solution that would work for Missouri the GOP under the leadership of Speaker Ron Richard (R-Joplin) are just plain obstructionists.

Do they even have one viable legislative accomplishment regarding health care this year???

I cant help but feel frustrated.  The evidence is there.  The people of this state want heath coverage. they want it now.  1 in 3 Missourians are not insured. 1 in 3.   The hospitals get it, big business gets it, the Democrats of this state get.  When will the GOP get it?

Jackson County its time to stand up.

Health care costs are a major cause of economic downturn. We may have lost a major manufacturing facility because our health care is so expensive. Health care costs are driving the “big 3” out of business.  Un-insured and underinsured Missourians are raising the rates for all Missourians.  The fiscally responsible theing, the morally responsible thing would be to work with the Governor to bring healthcare back to the table to ease the burden on our companies and hospitals.  Having a progressive hatlh care solution will drive an economic recovery for the state and attract business not drive it away.

Stand up Jackson County.

The struggle over EFCA has implications for all of us. Anti-labor memes circulate into “out state” Missouri in places where there may not be as high a percentage of labor households, but nevertheless has an impact on everyone.

Crossposted from Show Me Progress.

Ah yes, lazy media acting as a stenographer. So much work, so little time.

Yesterday’s Warrensburg Daily Star Journal published a lead editorial which perpetuates anti-labor myths:

4/1/2009 9:30:00 AM
Do not abandon secret ballot vote

Jack Miles
Editor

Unions and their friends in Congress are wrong to want to change the law so that union voting must be done publicly rather than by secret ballot…

…But, no, secret ballots are not the way to do so.

Democrats should abandon the idea of forced, public voting on union issues. The idea is unfair and repugnant to freedom-loving Americans.

Do you think the paper is hyperventilating some?

From the AFL-CIO:

The Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers, not corporations, to choose whether and how they want to form a union. It would give workers a fair chance to form unions to improve their lives by:

• Guaranteeing that if a majority of workers wants a union, they can have one, allowing them to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation;

• Providing mediation and arbitration for first contract disputes; and

• Establishing stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first contract negotiations.

[emphasis in original]

Do you wonder where the “destroy the secret ballot” meme comes from?

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

…Union Recognition – Secret Ballot Elections and Card Check Coercion

Organized labor is trying to deprive workers of the ability to choose whether or not to be recognized by a union through secret ballot elections. Workers’ rights to make this important decision in private and free from coercion need to be strengthened, not weakened. Read more about the Chamber’s efforts….

What’s organized labor’s view?

IBEW in 2004:

…Many unions prefer card-check to the NLRB process because it is usually faster. Also, during a representative election ampaign, one in four employers fire at least one worker for union activity and half of all companies threaten to close plants if workers choose union representation…

Labor Notes:

Card Check: Can It Organize the Unorganized?
Created Oct 23 2008 – 7:12pm
Kim Moody

Employers do everything in their power to make sure workers don’t get a chance to vote for a union. They flout labor law, making a joke of the familiar National Labor Relations Board procedures where the government’s job is to oversee a “fair fight” election between the union and the boss.

As a result, unions have embraced neutrality agreements and card check procedures as an alternative road to growth. Since the mid-1990s their use has accelerated.

Several studies say the win rate for card check is about 70 percent, compared with 55 to 60 percent for recent NLRB elections….

From The Newspaper Guild (CWA) (2004):

…Unions have criticized the board in the past for moving too slowly and for a management-oriented tilt. Scholars attribute much of the problem and delays to the Taft-Hartley and Landrum-Griffin Acts, pushed by the GOP in the 1940s and 1950s, and to the negligible penalties faced by companies that ignore the law. But this statement was more pointed, alleging that the Bush-appointed NLRB majority has compiled “a long list of offenses against workers’ rights.” Among them:

• The board’s June 15 party-line decision to consider the legality of immediate challenges to card-check certification of unions. Unions now use card-check to get around the slow NLRB processes and management delays—and around provisions that restrict union, but not management, access to workers.

But the board, for 42 years, has said that once it certifies the union as the workers’ representative, the union has a year—after all appeals are exhausted—to bargain for a contract before the union’s legitimacy can be challenged. After that year, dissenters can push for a decertification election. The Bush GOP majority, at the request of the anti-worker National Right to Work Committee, asked for briefs on killing that one-year grace period, called a “recognition bar,” the AFL-CIO said.

“The Republican majority on the Bush NLRB seems intent on undermining voluntary recognition (card-check) agreements and the important rights they protect,” the executive council added…

It would appear that card check already happens, it’s just a matter of at who’s discretion. Is the current discretion “democratic”? Just asking.

The bill amends 29 U.S.C. § 159.

Here’s what’s in the bill as proposed:

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1409

…To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes…

…SEC. 2. STREAMLINING UNION CERTIFICATION.

(a) In General- Section 9(c) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 159(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, whenever a petition shall have been filed by an employee or group of employees or any individual or labor organization acting in their behalf alleging that a majority of employees in a unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining wish to be represented by an individual or labor organization for such purposes, the Board shall investigate the petition. If the Board finds that a majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for bargaining has signed valid authorizations designating the individual or labor organization specified in the petition as their bargaining representative and that no other individual or labor organization is currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit, the Board shall not direct an election but shall certify the individual or labor organization as the representative described in subsection (a)…

“…The idea is unfair and repugnant to freedom-loving Americans…”

Here’s something that should be repugnant to freedom loving Americans: harassment and intimidation.

Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, United States House of Representatives
Hearing on “Strengthening America’s Middle Class Through the Employee Free Choice Act”
February 8, 2007
Statement by Teresa Joyce, Cingular worker and CWA union member

…At AT&T Wireless, we had absolutely no say on workplace conditions, including wages and benefits. Our raises were determined by favoritism and seldom a reflection of our work. Some years, we would receive as little as a two-cent increase. On top of this, workers had no real means for reporting unfair treatment by supervisors. When we approached upper management about unfair treatment and inadequate pay, our requests fell on def ears. Frustrated with the companies’ neglect and indifference, my co-workers and I decided to come together to form a union with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) to bargain for fair raises, affordable health care benefits and respect at work.

Once word reached management that we were trying to organize, they did everything they could to stop us from exercising our right to form a union. Our supervisors constantly threatened that AT&T Wireless would leave our town and that we would lose our jobs. They also claimed that if we did succeed with our organizing efforts, our union dues would be so enormous we may actually need two jobs.

My co-workers and I would distribute union flyers in our break room and place posters on the walls with information about the union. Supervisors would immediately gather the information and dispose of it. Management wanted to deny other workers the opportunity to make an informed, educated decision on whether or not to join a union. They wanted to control the information workers received and instill fear through constant threats and lies about the union. At one point, one of the managers went so far as to park her car at the front entrance of a building where my co-workers and I were holding a union meeting. Deeper into our organizing campaign, management began to drive out our most outspoken union supporters for so-called “bad attitudes” and other flimsy charges.

Despite the company’s on-going intimidation tactics, we continued our organizing efforts. Having had past experience with unions and knowing what a difference they could make, I was especially active in the fight to unionize at AT&T Wireless.

Months into our organizing struggle, we heard that Cingular Wireless was going to purchase AT&T Wireless. At some point during the merger, several co-workers and I sat in on a conference call with Cingular Wireless executives to talk about what the merger would mean for former AT&T Wireless employees. When asked about our organizing efforts, Cingular CEO, Stan Sigmund, revealed he had a good relationship with CWA and assured us that each AT&T Wireless call center employee would be able to choose whether or not they wanted union representation, free of employer interference. I was overjoyed. It was a relief to know that we could finally speak openly about the union without the fear of employer retaliation.

Shortly afterwards, the harassment and intimidation stopped. We were free to distribute union literature to other workers during our break and were even allowed to set up a table in the break room with information on CWA. We made posters, put out flyers and made phone calls about the benefits of joining a union and having a say on wages and work conditions. In 2005, a majority of us voted for the union by signing authorization cards and on Sept 6th, 2005 we were officially recognized as CWA members. Management even helped us arrange a cookout at the call center to celebrate…

[emphasis added]

So card check is okay if the employer says so, but leaving the choice to the workers who want to organize is not?

Question: Isn’t it really “undemocratic” to keep the choice of how workers organize from workers and reserve it exclusively to employers? Just asking.

Oh, by the way, Ike Skelton (D) is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“…The idea is unfair and repugnant to freedom-loving Americans…”

From the Economic Policy Institute, Issue Brief #249, January 29, 2009 [pdf]:

…What would it be like if a political campaign were conducted under the same rules as NLRB elections?

NLRB election campaigns more closely resemble sham elections in totalitarian countries than elections for public office in the United States or any other democracy.

Imagine an election where an incumbent president, governor, or mayor can:

• Force voters to attend his campaign rallies.
• Threaten to fire his opponent’s supporters or deny them raises.
• Prevent his opponent from campaigning in the daytime.
• And, if an opponent wins the election anyway, delay that person from taking office.

Even if this campaign concluded with a secret ballot, few if any Americans would say that this was a free election…

[emphasis in original]
(Hat tip to David Kendrick, Secretary – Business Manager, Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO)

As for the Warrensburg Daily Star Journal:

Meta: the Warrensburg Daily Star Journal and bloggers

3/18/2009 12:42:00 PM
Bloggers offer news, but scope too narrow

Jack Miles
Editor

…But bloggers, in general, are not journalists. Bloggers often offer one-sided opinions, not news…

Project much?