Actually, these bastards are going to end up hanging themselves on a couple of points (not my words, but family deeply involved in the legal business as lawyers and law professors).
First, there is a little point of technicality called the “Equal Protection Clause(s) of the U.S. Constitution, which pretty pointedly states that it is not exactly legal to try to deny guaranteed rights (under the constitution) from any one group of citizens. This is what ultimately torpedoed much of segregation (and Jim Crow laws) in the Deep South, and why the attempts to impose a modern day equivalent in Arizona are unlikely to survive a constitutional challenge. Trying to deprive these state union members of legally recognized rights, in organizations that are recognized as legitimate under both state and federal laws, is going to set off a whole minefield of legal issues, and could extend way beyond just the rights of union members to seek representation for collective bargaining purposes. Such as the rights of any number of groups to organize and hold meetings about common points of interest. Not too great an extension to say that if this bullshit can fly (what the Spotted Wanker is pushing in WI) than some other governor with a rubber stamp legislature could turn his attention to stripping rights from gays. Or blacks. Or Jews. Or whoever the hell these goons feel like ganging up on. That is why the poem from the 1930s has never lost any of its power…”first, they came for the trade unionists, but I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a trade unionist…” (apologies if this quote is not completely accurate or otherwise misstated) )
Second: the little abomination that the Gang of Five on the Supream Court gave us a year or so ago (Citizens Inebriated) actually contains a little bouncing betty of its own that could very well go off in the faces of Govs Wanker, Sacitch, Krysty, and J.O. Daniels. Since this ruling extended the concept of “personhood” to both corporations and unions, to try to deny them any right to operate within the legal framework that they were organized under deprives these “persons” of the freedoms of speech, association and movement. Which means (once again, quoting law school trained family) that either the courts have to uphold these rights for the unions (as individual “persons” as guaranteed by the Federal (and most state) constitutions, or they have to declare that these attempts at stripping or limiting union rights have to apply to major corporations, also.
It was a nice idea. Today the unemployment rate is hovering above 9 percent—better than it would have been without the stimulus, most experts agree, but still painfully high. Why didn’t we get more for our money?
While liberals and conservatives alike blame the stimulus itself—It wasn’t big enough! It was never going to work!—the problem may have more to do with how the money was spent. It’s not enough just to inject money into infrastructure, because not all transportation funding is created equal—or at least, it doesn’t create jobs at an equal rate. As any infrastructure policy wonk can tell you, money spent on fixing up existing systems or building mass transit delivers more jobs, and faster, than building new highways. With their wallets bulging with their federal allowance, the states were allowed to spend $26.6 billion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money however they saw fit.
A new study shows that most states didn’t end up making the most of the windfall. The report by the transportation research group Smart Growth America found that states spent more than a third of the money on building new roads—rather than working on public transportation and fixing up existing roads and bridges. The result of the indiscriminate spending? States missed out on potentially thousands of new jobs—and bridges, roads, and overpasses around the country are still crumbling. Meanwhile, the states that did put dollars toward public transportation were richly rewarded: Each dollar used on transit was 75 percent more effective at putting people to work than a dollar used for highway work.
The government meant to get the biggest bang for its buck, with “shovel-ready projects.” But building miles of new roads requires planning, land acquisition, and other lengthy steps that put fewer workers on the job immediately.
Mandel Ngan / Getty Images
The government, of course, meant to get the biggest bang for its buck. The stimulus bill forced states to spend their allocated cash quickly, which was intended to get them to fund maintenance needs—“shovel-ready projects”—that had already been identified. Building miles of new roads, on the other hand, requires planning, land acquisition, and other lengthy steps that put fewer workers on the job immediately.
Some states did that. Sue Minter, Vermont’s deputy transportation secretary, says a longstanding “fix-it-first” policy for infrastructure and bipartisan collaboration shaped Vermont’s decisions about how to use the funds. The state spent all of its highway money on system maintenance, with a small amount going to mass transit. (Minter, a Democrat, was a member of the state legislature at the time.) “This shot of money into our economy was very, very significant. It’s part of the reason we have a relatively low unemployment rate,” she says. Only 5.8 percent of Vermont residents are out of work, one of the nation’s lowest rates. State research shows that ARRA funding employed 11,000 people—a small number overall, but a significant one in a small state. Minter says the maintenance was important for keeping economic growth, particularly in tourism, strong.
Other states, however, took a different tack. Arkansas used 81 percent of its money for new projects and none on transit; it also has a higher unemployment rate than Vermont. And unlike other states near the bottom of the list, just 38 percent of its roads are in good condition, according to a report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a trade organization.
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
bench craft company
Bill Keller: Fox <b>News</b> Viewers 'Among The Most Cynical People On <b>...</b>
New York Times editor Bill Keller hit out at Fox News for the second time in as many months—only this time, he went after people who watch the network. As The Cutline's Joe Pompeo reported, Keller made the comments during an event at ...
Florida's Teacher Union Fight: the Next Wisconsin? - FoxNews.com
Florida is becoming a potential new battleground for union rights. New Republican Governor Rick Scott is proposing that teachers in his state contribute five percent to their pensions. Florida teachers rank 47th in the country in salary ...
Newt Gingrich: Fox <b>News</b> Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'
ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...
No comments:
Post a Comment