VOICES Spin cycle

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‘Tis the season. Political candidates and parties are in full spin cycle, preparing for this fall’s election. It seems that the higher the office at stake, the more hype voters have to endure. In presidential election years, the hysteria, distortion and downright lies seem to know no bounds. Along with candidates, political action committees (PACs) and political parties, we have the huge and growing issue of independent expenditures-the so-called 527 organizations (named after the IRS code that defines the rules under which they operate) that are set up to support or oppose a candidate. Continue Reading

VOICES What are the real facts behind the Franken anti-union ads?

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We have all seen it on TV dozens of times; and it sure looks sinister. Al Franken opposing what we all hold dear: the secret ballot regarding a proposed new labor law! Well, it finally got my attention to the point that I thought it may be well to understand what this (proposed) new law is all about; who supports and who opposes it; and how and why it is being funded. To start with, it is best to eliminate all the subjective discussion, and go straight to the language of the bill. Here it is (at least the controversial portion), The Employee Free Choice Act:
(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. Continue Reading

VOICES Hard lessons from Beijing about air pollution

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The images are unforgettable – a huge city, filled with millions of people, with a thick, choking shroud of air pollution, obscuring the newly constructed sports facilities for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Those who shake their heads and comment, “that could never happen here,” when they see these images on television or in a newspaper may be surprised to know that it is happening here in Minnesota, even as you read this. While Minnesota has no cities as massive as Beijing, and we don’t use high sulfur coal to heat and fuel our homes and factories as freely as the Chinese do, our large metropolitan areas do have one thing in common with the smog-clogged capitol of the world’s largest nation: in both places, tailpipe exhaust is a major source of air pollution and a serious risk to resident’s health. Here in the North Star State, vehicle emissions are the single largest source of outdoor air pollution. While our geography and weather often help the exhaust from our vehicles to blow off before air quality alerts are issued, things are changing. Continue Reading

VOICES Hate can kill people

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On Sunday morning children were performing the musical “Annie” in their church when a man took a shotgun out of a guitar case, opened fire on the audience and killed two adults, injuring seven others. Was this a random act of senseless, tragic violence? Senseless, tragic violence, yes. Random, no. The tragedy happened at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN, well known for its liberal worldview and social activism. Continue Reading

VOICES Rebuilding campus

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The Minneapolis City Council’s approval on Friday [July 25] of Doran Development’s plans to renovate the Dinkydome represents another move by private developers to cash in on the student housing market. Our reaction is that the plan, like others, is not in the best interest of students or independent businesses around campus. Doran’s founder, Kelly Doran, told the Star Tribune in December that rental rates in the renovated complex would range from $700 to $850 per bed. Pricey rates like that only add to the nightmares of the housing hunt for students, many of whom are already crunched by rising tuition, book costs, gas prices and a generally rickety economy. Expensive housing on campus forces low-income student off campus, where cheap houses and apartments – already hard to come by – are oftentimes managed by incompetent landlords who neglect upkeep, compliance and the law in managing their properties. Continue Reading

VOICES: Summer camp forever

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Once upon a time, some girls from around St. Paul looked forward to summer because that meant going to Ojiketa Campfire Girls camp. Fifty years later, the group has expanded to include campers and counselors from over a period of about 15 years, and they still look forward to summer camp. Of course the camping experience is a bit different today. The women jokingly call it “Camp Alice” because they get together at Alice Magnuson’s cabin up north (they decline to be more specific). Continue Reading

VOICES | Angry at Obama

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In a recent column, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert wrote, “I’ll say this about Senator Obama. He sure raises people’s hackles.” Leaders who represent change tend to do that. Herbert continued, “I’ve never seen anyone so roundly criticized for such grievous offenses as giving excellent speeches and urging people of different backgrounds to take a chance on working together. How dare he? And 200,000 people turned out to hear him in Berlin. Continue Reading

VOICES Single-mom guilt

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“You can talk about backups and community and all of that is very important, essential,” said Jane, a former neighbor of mine who has thought a lot about choosing single motherhood. “But in the end, what it comes down to is you. Are you strong enough to be IT for a child or children? Are you willing to sacrifice a large part of who you were, pre-kids, to meet their needs? If worse comes to worse, can you sit alone in a waiting room while your child is in emergency surgery? Continue Reading

The Big Lie being spread about EFCA

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In recent weeks, you may have seen ads on TV or news releases or letters to the editor in your local newspaper bashing “big labor” and the Employee Free Choice Act. The EFCA is federal legislation — passed by the U.S. House but stalled in the U.S. Senate — that will make it easier for workers to organize unions. Both the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation have united to make passing EFCA a priority for the new Congress in 2009. In attacking the EFCA, opponents distort the facts and charge that the legislation would end secret ballot elections in union organizing drives. Not true. Continue Reading