Teamster Boss Jimmy Hoffa Presents The Ugly Side Of Organized Labor At Obama Speech, Refers To Tea Party As "Sons Of Bitches"

With another Labor Day upon us, pro-labor advocates in Alaska are once again attempting to resuscitate flagging support for organized labor. Union leadership has weakened the position of organized labor by focusing on job protection at the expense of job creation, and has compromised its political integrity through its sometimes-incestuous political relationship with the Democratic Party.

In an Anchorage Daily News column entitled "We benefit because unions fought for workers' rights", progressive maven Shannyn Moore cites her own personal connection to organized labor by referring to her grandfather's membership in the United Mine Workers. Some of her own ancestors fought at what is called the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia, where UMW workers organized a militia to combat police and strikebreakers backed by corrupt mine operators. She also cites recent labor troubles in Anchorage, to include the continuing dispute at the Anchorage Sheraton along with a new dispute involving Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utilities (AWWU) as "proof" that workers are "under attack".

Another ADN pro-labor column entitled "Unions helped secure benefits, fair pay for all" is authored by Alaska AFL-CIO president Vince Beltrami. Beltrami reminds us that Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 after the deaths of 13 workers and injuries to an additional 57 workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. marshals who were mobilized by railroad owners in the now infamous Pullman railcar strike. Fueled by the heat of passion, the enabling legislation was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. Beltrami also weighs in at length about the Sheraton and AWWU disputes, and suggests that unions are looking out for the interests of all workers, not just union members (conservative talk-show host Dan Fagan frequently disputes this contention, citing local project labor agreements that require workers to join unions to be employed on such projects). Beltrami notes that a working middle class is absolutely essential to a functioning democracy, and concludes that organized labor is still the key to maintaining a working middle class.

But while Shannyn Moore and Vince Beltrami represent the respectable side of organized labor, an uglier, more sinister side was placed on full display prior to a speech by Barack Obama in Detroit. Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa warmed up the crowd, and called on workers to get involved in opposing Tea Party-aligned lawmakers in November 2012. To Obama, he said “President Obama, this is your army, we are ready to march. But everybody here’s got to vote. If we go back, and keep the eye on the prize, let’s take these sons of bitches out.”



Of course, by using such extreme rhetoric, Hoffa has just ensured that wherever Tea Party-affiliated candidates get elected, organized labor is likely to be frozen out. The remora-like attachment that union leaders maintain to the Democratic Party minimizes their influence with Republicans. Many Republicans are likely to conclude that there's nothing they can do or say to satisfy union leaders, and so they'll blow off organized labor altogether.

The unions have behaved in a particularly abusive fashion up in Wisconsin. Not only did union members invade the capitol building during their protest over Gov. Walker's proposed cuts, but local union bosses in Wausau led by Marathon County Labor Council AFL-CIO President Randy Radtke told Republican lawmakers they were not welcome at the city's annual Labor Day parade. After a public backlash, the union officials recanted.

Comments posted to The Blaze indicate that Jimmy Hoffa does not speak for all union members, or even for all Teamsters. To wit:

OlefromMN Posted on September 5, 2011 at 3:15pm:
I have no problem living in the truth. Mr. Hoffa is not going to like the truth too much. I did not choose to become a Teamster. It was a requirement for the position I hold. It pays like crap and offers no real benefits. But it’s a job to keep me afloat during the term of Obama.

OlefromMN Posted on September 5, 2011 at 2:48pm:
I just ran the math through my head of my shop. Of 10 union employees, I can all but guarantee that 6 are Tea Party “friendly” and only 1 is a union loyalist. Not good math for Mr. Hoffa.

Defiant530 Posted on September 5, 2011 at 2:35pm:
Bring it boys !! I’m In a union and Not by choice, “We the People” will burn you down, and how many of your so-called members will actually follow and do as you say ? I’m betting no more than 25 to 30 % of membership…..Most union members look at the union as nothing more than a JOB and nothing more,they don’t buy the lie its a paycheck and nothing more ….you arrogant idiots!!! WE SURROUND YOU !!

U.S. Treasury Inspector General Audit Indicates Illegal Immigrants Collected $4.2 Billion In Refundable Tax Credits In 2010

Think illegal immigrants aren't getting freebies? Think again? On September 2nd, 2011, the Washington Post, using the politically-correct term "undocumented workers" in the headline, reports on an audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration which concludes that the Internal Revenue Service allowed undocumented workers to collect $4.2 billion in refundable tax credits last year. Not only is this quadruple the $924 million from 2005, but the IRS says it lacks the authority to disallow the claims.

The details are contained in the Inspector General's report, which was actually published back on July 7th, 2011. But only now has the issue received public scrutiny, with Fox News the only other national media outlet to pick up the story. The highlights:

-- Illegal immigrants who don't get a Social Security number are allowed to file a tax return using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). The IRS says it has no legal authority to demand that those applying for an ITIN prove their legal status upon application.

-- The abuse centers around the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). The ACTC is the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The CTC can reduce an individual’s taxes owed by as much as $1,000 for each qualifying child. Unfortunately, the ACTC was liberalized. Before 2001, filers needed to have three or more children to qualify. But those requirements were subsequently eliminated and the allowable refund for each child doubled.

-- Data showed that 72 percent of returns filed with ITINs instead of SSNs claimed the child tax credit. It is well-known that many illegal immigrants seek to breed as much as they can while in the U.S. to produce multiple anchor babies.

Recommendations: The Inspector General published six different recommendations in the audit report; each recommendation includes management's response embedded in the report (after the jump).

Equality Works Launches Campaign To Get Gay Nondiscrimination Ordinance On The Anchorage 2012 Municipal Election Ballot

The gay rights group Equality Works has filed an application on September 1st, 2011 to launch a petition campaign to get a prospective nondiscrimination ordinance on the ballot for the Anchorage 2012 Municipal Election to be held on April 3rd, 2012. The end result would be to get applicable sections of the Anchorage Municipal Code updated to include the phrase "sexual orientation or transgendered identity" on the laundry list of protected classes; employers and proprietors would still be allowed to maintain separate-gender restrooms and to impose reasonable dress codes upon employees.

The municipal clerk's office has 10 days to approve the proposed ballot initiative application; upon approval, the group must collect 5,871 signatures from Anchorage voters within 90 days to get the initiative on the ballot. The group is calling this the One Anchorage Campaign, but they use the Equality Works website. These same people were behind the unsuccessful attempt to get Ordinance #64 passed in 2009; the drawn-out political battle for Ordinance #64 is chronicled in this series of posts.

Primary media sources are the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Dispatch; the pro-gay blog Bent Alaska also addresses this at length. Here are links to the two significant documents:

-- Official press release from Equality Works
-- Proposed petition, which includes specific sample ordinance.

The case for an ordinance: One Anchorage Campaign spokesman Trevor Storrs says this initiative would ensure that gay and transgender Alaskans, who work hard and play by the rules, will have the exact same legal protections as any other Anchorage resident. To buttress their case, they plans to release more supporting documentation in coming weeks, to include specific examples of discrimination via personal stories and public opinion data.

The case against an ordinance: Alaska Family Council President Jim Minnery continues to dispute the need for such an ordinance. He says Anchorage is already a tolerant community and opines that the campaign is really about gays getting affirmation of their lifestyle. Minnery does consider the proposed initiative a potential threat to religious liberty; he does not believe that someone who believes the practice of homosexuality is wrong should be required to "check their beliefs at the church door" and be forced to provide services to gays or lesbians. Minnery says there is no organized effort by social conservatives to oppose the ordinance campaign yet. Catholic Anchor has yet to publicly sound off.

Minnery's concerns are not without merit. While there's no evidence that Equality Works is using this initiative as a Trojan Horse to promote homosexuality as a preferential lifestyle and to censor debate, there's no guarantee that either they or some other group won't impose additional demands in the future. It has been the tradition of the civil rights cartel to use "reasonable" bills as Trojan Horses for more intrusive legislation later on; their premise is "what's theirs is theirs and what's ours is negotiable".

Update On The Kevin Thornton Murder Case; Three Of The Assailants Charged With Second-Degree Murder And Criminal Group Activity

The state of Arkansas is moving quickly to dispense swift and stern justice to the murderers of Juneau's Kevin Thornton. Since my previous post on July 28th, 2011, three of the four perpetrators have been named, while charges against an unnamed 14-year-old have been dropped. The three are Timothy Tyler Norwood, 16; Clinton Lavon Ross, 16; and Richard Shelby Wyback, 17; all will be tried as adults.

The Malvern Daily Record reported on August 27th, 2011 that in addition to second degree murder charges against all three perps, they will also be charged with engaging in violent criminal group activity, since they attacked Thornton as a group. There still has been no motive established or disclosed for the July 21st attack on Thornton. The next review of the case is scheduled for October 3rd.

Juneau gave Kevin Thornton an impressive sendoff. On Monday August 8th, a vigil was held for him at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Then on Tuesday, they celebrated the Mass of the Resurrection at St. Paul for the repose of Kevin’s soul and the consolation of his family, friends and classmates. Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Roman Catholic Diocese of of Juneau and Southeast Alaska published a column in the Juneau Empire in which he spoke of the conversation he had with the pastor in Malvern into whose church Thornton was taken after the attack. He noted that the people of Malvern are experiencing both anger at the perpetrators and sorrow, primarily for Kevin and his family, but also for the parents and families of those who killed him.

Visitation and another funeral Mass was held on Wednesday, August 3rd in St. Mark's Church in Attleboro Falls, MA. The actual interment will be private.

According to the official obituary, Kevin Thornton is not only survived by his parents, William and Darlene (Legg) Thornton of Juneau, but also by by a sister, Katie Thornton of Juneau; grandparents Charles and Doris Legg, aunts Roberta Legg, Laurie Lawes and Sandra Legg-Forgiel all of North Attleboro, MA, aunt Cynthia Moore of Pawcatuck, CT, uncle John Thornton of Middleboro, MA, aunt Janice Thornton of Weymouth, MA, uncles James and Gerard Thornton of Hanover, MA and numerous cousins. There's an active guestbook.