Ghost materialized in the lobby with a tablet in his hand…a real tablet, chiseled, not one of those iPatty things. Dread Lord, This came to my attention via Facebook from a Gen X’er. I find his gibberings to ooze obsequiousness … Continue reading →
Non-Chicago readers—which is most of you—will recall that a long-time Chicago icon is now gone. Dominick’s grocery stores, which had one or two stores in every neighborhood and suburb, closed its doors for good last week. The problem, very simply, … Continue reading →
Regarding minimum wage, our own GorT mentions: The argument from one side is with that amount of profit why can’t Walmart (and ostensibly other companies like it, but apparently Walmart is the target of the season) pay its employees more … Continue reading →
Operative MR has been working on a secret project for us, the nature of which shall not be revealed, named Project Shoot Down ISON. She takes time out from her busy schedule to write in. Please note especially her first … Continue reading →
A Primer on Union Types There are basically three different types of labor unions. There are trade unions, who are the oldest, consisting of your electricians, masons, plumbers, carpenters, and so on. These men and women serve a serious function, … Continue reading →
Public sector union members thoughtfully and politely discuss the possible reduction of their pension benefits with the taxpayers footing the outsized and ever-growing bill. Detroit’s public sector unions are squealing like stuck Irish pigs about their pensions being treated as just another unsecured … Continue reading →
To liberals, utilizing the political process to thwart public sector union excesses is exactly the same as the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocents. Also, U R HITLER, DAMNED RETHUGLIKKANS! There is nothing more pleasing to ‘Puter than watching courts and legislatures … Continue reading →
After 20 long years of sleeping on the job, those Detroit pensioners earned their pensions! It’s not fair to fault them for their greed and incompetence just because their avaricecratered one of America’s greatest cities. Fox News has an article … Continue reading →
If you have spent any time in Chicago in the last 100 years, the name Dominick’s is synonymous to you with grocery shopping. Dominick DiMatteo started the chain in 1918, which eventually expanded into a 130 store empire all over … Continue reading →
President Obama was just down the road from GorT’s non-castle residence yesterday and his speech included this little excerpt: So are his “handlers” slapping their foreheads? Is the crowd so stupid that they don’t realize what he just said? For … Continue reading →
Detroit’s bankruptcy is, as Idiot-in-Chief Joe Biden would say, “a big f*cking deal.” It’s a big deal not only for the people of Detroit, who most certainly have the most to gain (or lose) from restructuring the failed liberal city’s … Continue reading →
As we celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of this site going public (at least in this time stream for GorT), each of us has been asked to post our individual favorite essay or submission over the years. While this post has … Continue reading →
Not to undo the entire crux of Dr. J’s rational polemic, in which he says that non-letter grades are indeed desirable for little ones, allow the Czar to quote himself: And certainly simpler systems work for K-3 because kids are … Continue reading →
O Mighty Czar, At risk of further inciting your wrath, I have an observation regarding the “standards-based scoring” post. This final Kuzniewski quote: The zero is the most damning of grades because it’s the lowest and has the most significant … Continue reading →
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is headed by Karen Lewis, who spends no time in classrooms. Of course, you likely think the Czar is criticizing her teaching experience; in fact, she appears to have spent little time in classrooms as … Continue reading →
To hear Progressives tell it, unions today are still the same stand-up-for-the-little-guy voluntary association of pure-minded do-gooders from the halcyon days of the Great Depression. You know. Like the beneficent United Auto Workers union responsible in 1937 for illegally occupying a privately owned business, … Continue reading →
Louisiana’s Gov. Bobby Jindal and itslegislature provided their state’s children education vouchers, freeing poor children from the invisible but lifelong shacklesof a “separate but equal” education just assurely as the Supreme Court did decadesearlier in Brown v. Board of Education. Louisiana recently … Continue reading →
Mrs. ‘Puter prepares to trap theescaped frog by, uh, … . Never mind.Dang, Mrs. ‘Puter’s hot, though. Did you know that according to the United States Department of Education, public school teachers molest children at nearly 100 times the rate of Roman … Continue reading →
The Czar cannot promise that all aspects of Chicago Public School (CPS) politics will be very interesting, but today’s CPS strike is intensely fascinating if largely inside baseball. Here is our assessment. Never let a crisis go to waste, even … Continue reading →
The democrats have tried to spin the Scott Walker recall election in a number of different ways. Many of GorT’s liberal friends on Facebook like to point out that the Republicans outspent the Democrats in some skewed proportion – some … Continue reading →
Man, what a hangover. Czar and ‘Puter were up for two days straight, celebrating Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s historic beat-down of labor unions with the fine serving wenches at the Leaping Peacock. Before you get all “‘Puter’s a sexist pig,” … Continue reading →
To: Confucius, Œ.V., ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛, ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛, Kyrgyzstan.From: J, M.D., D.Sith., Castle G, Plateau of Leng, Wisc.Subject: 5 out of 6 ain’t badAll the rest of us have posted today, no pressure, big guy. Ok, fine, as Volgi, Confucius* should take a … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin wishes to extend his congratulations to Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch on their victory last night. Your Mandarin is also pleased with the overall outcome of this recall effort and the ongoing impact it is … Continue reading →
Nothing brings out the best in New Yorkers like school district budget season, and this year’s no exception. Just to keep the bare-knuckled brawls from becoming mundane, this year many Upstate districts are structurally bankrupt as a result of the … Continue reading →
Today the National Labor Relations Board dismissed its case against Boeing. Now this was a long time coming, as the case against Boeing, as Boeing, by wanting to open a plant in the right-to-work (and red) state of South Carolina … Continue reading →
Even saints have limits to their patience. The Царица, whom by now all of you know is a public school teacher in a very dicey suburb outside Chicago, has quietly and with much dignity absorbed the slings and arrows of … Continue reading →
Professor Mondo is seeing it everywhere, too. But is ridiculing the unfocused, college socialist pablum really hypocritical after complaining about the Tea Party, as one of his commentators suggests? No. Where is Samuel Jackson to dismiss the entire OWS crowd … Continue reading →
So what have the unions been up to? That is, besides telling Obama that he should not count on their support in 2012? Man, that guy can annoy anybody. Dread, awful, all-knowing-but-I-tell-him-stuff-anyway Czar, Saw this on NRO’s Corner from Kevin … Continue reading →
I’m going to borrow a topic from an email by GorT, Sr., lifting some of his points and expanding upon them.Around 1910, the United States recognized that people were moving from rural to urban areas and they wanted a literate … Continue reading →
Governor Andrew Cuomo has fast-tracked new, test score based teacher evaluations. Teachers’ unions have predictably reacted by saying, “ZOMG! OH NOES! UR KIDZ IZZ GUNNA BE TEH DUMMER BCUZ WE R BING EEVALYOOATED!!1!eleventy!!“ ‘Puter was listening to his local NPR … Continue reading →
Democrats in Massachusetts voted overwhelmingly to deny future collective bargaining by police, fire, teachers, and other public sector unions. Thus spake local AFL-CIO president Robert “Robber” Haynes: It’s pretty stunning. . . . These are the same Democrats that all … Continue reading →
Here’s ‘Puter’s stupid question for the day. Assume that a public sector union contract has expired so that there is no continuing obligation between the employer and the employees. Assume further that the public unions refuse to acknowledge economic reality … Continue reading →
Well, by now you have heard that Justice David Prosser of Wisconsin has somehow produced over seven-thousand votes that were lost under highly questionable circumstances. Although at the time of this writing his opponent has not conceded, there seems to … Continue reading →
The Царица, as most of you know, is a school teacher. Not surprisingly, many of her friends are as well. Last Sunday, we were at a birthday party for one such teacher’s little daughter, R. The mother asked the Царица … Continue reading →
According to The Christian Science Monitor’s Mark Guarino, today’s local elections in Wisconsin are all about collective bargaining: Election Day in Wisconsin, Tuesday, is becoming yet another chapter in the ongoing debate over the collective-bargaining power for unions in that … Continue reading →
Yawn. Well, that’s better than a sigh, right? Anyway, apparently, there will be massive liberal protests across the entire nation on April 4th, to teach the bastards in Wisconsin a lesson not to mess with them! Or so say a … Continue reading →
Wisconsin’s union lackeys, through Dane County (home of Madison) Democrat county district attorney Ismael Ozanne and Dane County Court judge Maryann Sumi, got a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Gov. Scott Walker’s union -taming legislation. Here’s hoping Gov. Walker … Continue reading →
Byron York writing in today’s Washington Examiner pens this column, excoriating AFL-CIO head honcho Richard Trumka for equating unions’ lavish benefit packages to Blacks’ struggle for civil rights. You ought to read the entire column. It is patently offensive that … Continue reading →
Well, we must all be busy today. Anyway, The Corner’s James Sherk provides a state-by-state rundown of initiatives to curtail public union power, particularly with regard to collective bargaining. Eight states are lining up behind Wisconsin, with surely more to … Continue reading →
‘Puter is a genius. Then again, you already knew this. ‘Puter has determined how to restore Governor Cuomo’s proposed $1.5 billion in cuts to education funding in New York. All the state legislature has to do is agree to repeal … Continue reading →
Not so much a reply, but a follow up to dear ‘Puter’s takedown of a Time magazine letter to the editor. Thanks to Geep, the Czar was able to read the union boss’s’’ let’ter, and discovered, to no surprise, that … Continue reading →
Here’s ‘Puter’s update to this post, as promised. ‘Puter had intended to merely post an update to his earlier post, but in re-reading the letter, ‘Puter decided it required a post of its own. The letter’s author is Mr. Bill … Continue reading →
When the New York Times’ official position on public sector unionism and the damage caused thereby is closer to ‘Puter’s than to the unions’, the party’s over for the unions. Read the entire editorial, and be amazed. 'PuterAlways right, unless … Continue reading →
Public sector unions generally, and the Wisconsin teachers’ union specifically, have lost the first battle in the emerging war over taxpayer funded salaries and benefits. Despite the unions’ misplaced yet fervent belief, the public was not swayed to their side … Continue reading →
A few distant friends on Facebook were referencing the Catholic teachings regarding “social justice” with regards to unions. It started with a pointer to this piece by the Archbishop of Milwaukee: Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki, archbishop of Milwaukee and … Continue reading →
There’s a very good set of articles on the front page of the City Journal website. Check ’em out. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Back in July, 2009, the Czar lectured on how to eliminate unions. Basically, it consisted of four steps: Encourage investment in new industry that has not been unionized. All right, Wisconsin (led by Gov. Scott Walker) has done this by … Continue reading →
Gormogon Operative JS sent a coded message to ‘Puter utilizing as a cipher the number of purely gratuitious shots of Teri Hatcher’s rack on Desperate Housewives. JS writes: Have you chimed in yet about Unions and Wisconsin? I would’ve thought … Continue reading →
Paul A. Rahe over at Ricochet has a fantastic analysis of the Wisconsin situation, including step-by-step proofs for the following two claims: 1. The Gov. Scott Walker can only continue to look better the longer this goes on. 2. Ultimately, … Continue reading →
Look at the size of the crowd in Madison. Here is the great news: this is the pro-Walker crowd, counter-protesting the union thugs who have swamped the state building. Think this crowd is bigger? Looks like. And sure hope so. … Continue reading →
The worst part of this account is that nothing in it really surprises the Czar. Basically, this report confirms your suspicion that the protestors in Madison are hired thugs intent on causing real problems. The tea party plans to rally … Continue reading →
Two quick items you might have understandably missed in the news. 1. Union membership is down, nationally, by over 600,000 members versus last year. This downward trend continues and places union popularity back to 1930s levels (pre-New Deal!). Expect next … Continue reading →
Kevin D. Williamson at National Review’s blog The Exchequer has a post that ‘Puter really cannot improve upon. Mr. Williamson writes concerning the Republicans’ nascent plans to address looming state insolvencies: And I see one big opportunity: This is the … Continue reading →
Listen to a couple of union members talk when they think no one is listening, and they will bash and trash the union for what it is. Hypocrisy? Hardly—unions are generally manned by very nice, decent, hard-working folks who are … Continue reading →
There are some uncharacteristically good public sector union takedowns going on recently. Here are links to a few of them: Megan McArdle discusses New York’s myriad, liberal-caused budget problems, including but not limited to union benefits. The WSJ editorial board … Continue reading →
The Czar has often said that scientists tend to be political idiots. Not all, mind you, because that would be an exaggeration. Probably only 99.995% of them, which is easily in the millions. There is of course an unabashed streak … Continue reading →
…here’s Fred Siegel in City Journal. What Zernike doesn’t grasp is the class dynamics of the Tea Parties—a revolt in the name of self-government against the pretensions and failures of the best and the brightest. The Tea Partiers believe that … Continue reading →
Businesses aren’t hiring. Unemployment is stuck at nearly ten percent. Americans believe the recession is still in full swing, regardless of what the pointy heads at NBER say. The Obama Administration is talking about raising taxes. Unintended, though eminnently foreseeable, … Continue reading →
Look for the union label on your state and local tax increase, writes Stephen Malanga: The sight of rich people pleading to be taxed more has attracted attention to the November ballot initiative. But otherwise, support for the ballot measure, … Continue reading →
Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →This weekend we celebrate Labor Day in a country divided between two kinds of workers. The first is the private-sector worker, the vulnerable one who rides the business cycle without shock absorbers. The second worker, who works for the government, … Continue reading →
Well in yet another example of a teachers union putting its “members’” needs ahead of the students, we have this story about the Milwaukee teachers union and their fight to get taxpayer-funded Viagra back. According to the article a consultant … Continue reading →
Unless you live in the area, you may not have heard that Chicago’s Union of Operating Engineers (150) and the Laborers’s District Council have been on strike for almost three weeks. If you live in Chicago, you know all about … Continue reading →
Issue #1: Taxes Country #1 has a “13% flat tax” (albeit not a strict flat tax) and is doing away with capital gains taxes on long-term investments starting in 2011 – largely to attract more investment into domestic businesses. Country … Continue reading →
The pseudonymous Publius blogging at Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government must have been reading ‘Puter’s anti-union screeds since The Gormogons inception. Witness the evidence, here. How else to explain the obvious similarities in style and subject matter? And, as an aside … Continue reading →
Here’s a Democrat (Mickey Kaus, blogger extraordinaire and quixotic Democrat candidate for Boxer’s U.S. Senate seat in California) for whom ‘Puter might be able to vote. One who recognizes the destructive, corrosive, corrupting force that is public sector unionization. That … Continue reading →
Gormogon Operative D.T. writes in, tangentially on ‘Puter’s hot man-on-man love for Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ). D.T. asks: In reading about your beloved Governor Christie (pbuh) and the effupedness of the NJ budget, I’ve been meditating about the overwhelming burden … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s been doing some more thinking about unions. ‘Puter knows. He’s a broken record. If you don’t like it, get your own danged blog where you can write about Hello Kitty, unicorns and gay pride parades. If you do, send … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s governor, David Paterson (D-NY), snuck a little noticed provision into his budget proposal for next fiscal year. Fortunately, the New York Post decided to actually read the budget before legislators vote on it. The provision requires state social service … Continue reading →
In today’s New York Post, we learn a public sector union leader, one Chris Mesley of the Albany (NY) police officers’ union, committed a major gaffe. That is, Mr. Mesley told the truth. He said, referring to the union’s contract: … Continue reading →
Ah, Moe Lane. Is there anyone who puts it better? Today, Mr. Lane notes New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s (R) recent excoriation of the Garden State’s bloated budget. Check out his post, here. You’ve got to read the entire thing; … Continue reading →
Building on today’s (apparent) theme of government profligacy, here’s another article from National Review detailing the disconnect between government pay and the overall economy. In his article Kent Osband lays out a statistical case against government employee pay and benefits. … Continue reading →
Actually, that’s not entirely true. Dems just love unions more. They’d happily run a school bus over a highway paved with kids to keep their union masters satisfied. And, most of all, Dems love creating a permanently dependent, infantilized, Democrat-voting … Continue reading →
Illinois pension funds are broke, and its pension obligation notes (used to finance current pension obligations) are rated junk. As John Derbyshire notes in ‘Puter’s post immediately below, many pension obligations are guaranteed by law or constitution. Here’s ‘Puter’s serious … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s been thinking about public sector unions for years now. As a result, he’s got a number of half-formed ideas banging around in his head, just trying to get out. Here’s one that’s been trying to cohere for some time … Continue reading →
Longtime Gormogon operative Joe Tetreault sent ‘Puter an interesting little union-related tidbit from his neck of the woods. It seems the local firefighter’s union leader couldn’t keep his hand out of the charity funds. You know, the funds used to … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s pretend girlfriend Megan McArdle* has an excellent post on unions and merit pay over at her site at The Atlantic. Essentially, unions are set up to reward mediocrity by valuing years in service and degrees, rather than success in … Continue reading →
Ban labor unions in the public sector, and ban any government defined benefit retirement plan. Ban both of these items today, and you undo 50 years of severe damage wreaked on state budgets across the land. Heck, most state budgets, … Continue reading →
New York City’s public libraries are unionized, likely because of the high risk of death and dismemberment from paper cuts acquired in reshelving books. The New York Times, of all places, takes notice of one of the library workers’ contract’s … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s second to no man in his schadenfreude at the New York Times’ self-destruction the Czar aptly cites below. However, the NYT actually hits one out of the park today, calling the state legislature dysfunctional, and blaming New York’s financial … Continue reading →
Aside from the Czar. David Horowitz at Newsreal wonders aloud whether Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, runs our country. Sadly, Mr. Horowitz, the answer appears to be yes. Read the whole thing, and weep. 'PuterAlways right, … Continue reading →
The Mandarin is away on business, standing in the middle of a desert, covered in white dust, with a silver coat on and huge goggles, holding a clipboard while watching a large fiery red cloud mushroom upwards while muttering approvals … Continue reading →
A Boeing plant in South Carolina voted to oust its union, by a vote of 199-68. This means that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is done, gone, out. It of course means that a new or different … Continue reading →
Or, “‘Puter Is Always Right: Unions Overplay Their Hand Again.” Here’s a little roundup of union news from around teh intarwebs that you may have missed if you were out having a life this weekend. Support for labor unions falls … Continue reading →
In his Labor Day speech, President Obama said that paid leave, minimum wage, and Social Security “all bear the union label.” Indeed they do: 1. Paid leave was intended to prevent minorities from grabbing white jobs when the jobholders went … Continue reading →
As if the thought of having to deal with a socialized single payer government run healthcare system wasn’t enough to keep you up at night, now you can stare up at the ceiling contemplating having to see a unionized doctor. … Continue reading →
Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s there were a series of commercials that looked to promote the idea of purchasing union made products. They even had a little jingle “Look for the Union Label” that all of the … Continue reading →
To read the Czar’s review of HR 3200, pages 401-500, please click here. You know, in a weird twist of irony, the Czar had surgery done on his foot quite recently. He hobbled into a small, community clinic, paid $20 … Continue reading →
Brave Gormogons front-line fighter Jeanne takes a moment from her insidious plot to take over the news media from within to write the Czar on pages 1-100 of HR 3200. Go back and look at P. 65, Section 164. It’s … Continue reading →
…was the Republican son of ex-hippie, earnest-liberal parents. But that’s only the kind of stuff that happens in sitcoms, not to Commie celebrity royalty. Or does it? Get your mind around… Arlo Guthrie, Republican. ’Puter, come for the shock value, … Continue reading →
Here in beautiful Upstate New York, we have local school districts. And by local, I mean that there are 21 separate school districts in ‘Puter’s county alone. Each one of these school districts is funded primarily by property taxes and … Continue reading →
Ah, Michigan. You almost make ‘Puter feel good about living Upstate. Almost. Detroit’s public schools are in the hands of a turnaround specialist, and seem destined for municipal bankrutpcy (Chapter 9, for those of you keeping score at home). And … Continue reading →
Something vexes the Czar. Unions. Most people who work hard for a living understand that unions are bad. Maybe once they helped prevent worker accidents and so on, but no longer. We have agencies in place that do better for … Continue reading →
Huzzah. The Czar took some vacation with his lovely Царица, and took the Цесаревич (who has been learning a lot about Lincoln) and the younger Царевич (who likes trains, a lot) to Springfield, Illinois. Among our many stops, about some … Continue reading →
Oh teachers. Never ending font of mirth and delight. From the below list, pick one teacher to educate your child. 1. Crystal deFanti who sent her kids home with a DVD that included (inadvertently, she claims) a six second clip … Continue reading →
Just a little update to ‘Puter’s earlier anti-union screeds. The U.S. Senate is preparing to tax everyone’s health care benefits. Unless, of course, you’re a federal employee or a union member. Yes sirree! Voting Democrat certainly ushered in the most … Continue reading →
New York state is facing a huge budget crisis. The state projects a $17.9 billion shortfall in the 2010 fiscal year. The state is increasing taxes and fees like mad. Leaving aside for the moment the wisdom of continuing runaway … Continue reading →
Not really. It’s all about lining the union pockets, students be damned. Why is it so oppressive to require teachers to pick up a small portion of the tab for their gold-plated pensions? In New York, as mentioned earlier, state … Continue reading →
In this article on Human Events.com, Jed Babbin discusses a proposal by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) that would exempt union members and their families from paying the new proposed tax on employer provided healthcare benefits. It is incredible that 7% … Continue reading →
