Labor Day 2005

It’s been a long time since this holiday shifted from one honoring workers to one that honors capitalism. The ads are filled with Labor Day sales, and not one mention of the workers who make those products. The ones who make ALL the products we use, the roads we drive on, the houses we live in, the sales clerks themselves.

The CCMA certainly would not want to remind Americans that a minimum wage job, worked full-time, at $5.15, pays an annual wage of $10,712. After mandatory deductions for Social Security (because that is certainly way elow the cap of $93,000) of $819.64, that leaves $9,892.53. That’s $190.24 a week. Sure can’t build much of a bank account with that.

We’ve seen what happens to the poor in any emergency. In the past year alone, in just New Orleans, during Ivan and Katrina, they got left behind to fend for themselves. The ultimate, and unwilling, participants in bush’s “ownership society”

And when Congress reconvenes tomorrow, what is their primary concern? Katrina? the plight of the poor? I don’t think so:
from the Washington Post
GOP Agenda in Congress May Be at Risk
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301065.html

Republican leaders intended to return to work with a dream agenda for small-government conservatives: permanent repeal of the estate tax, an extension of deep cuts to capital gains and dividend taxes, the first entitlement spending cuts in nearly a decade, and the advent of private investment accounts for Social Security…

…House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) said he has every intention of pushing forward with the tax and spending cuts and Social Security legislation. Hurricane-related legislation will not be controversial and "may mean we work on a Friday or two," he said…

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The president bush has just announced that he is appointing john roberts to the position of Chief Justice. rehnquist died in case you missed it.

During his announcement, bush made mention of the fact that he was confirmed by “unanimous consent” to the Court of Appeals in Wash. DC. And you know the republicans are going to use that fact during confirmation hearings. Now that’s a consequence the democrats didn’t think about when they rolled over for bush.

We’re already witnessing the results of bush’s policies in Iraq, the Gulf states, the economy. In fact, like his businesses, every one of his policies have ended in failure. Spectacular failure in some cases.

So, how about a little opposition? Forget about about your pockets a moment, and think about America. Take a look around. We’re taking the tubes. The American people are done with bush, his policies, and his allies. And the democrats who continually cravenly ally themselves with those polices? Well, they’re done with you. They may not know it yet, and the democrats certainly don’t know that yet. But take a look at what happened in the recent election in Ohio (yeah, Ohio). the republican candidate barely won against a democrat who had the courage to actually oppose the bush and his minions. These are not times for caution.