Author Archive
Yep, That Makes Sense
Why shouldn’t teachers be paid more? Because the Bible says it would be wrong, according to an Alabama Republican state legislator.
Really.
“It’s a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher’s pay scale, you’ll attract people who aren’t called to teach,” said State Sen.
Shadrack McGill, who was quoted in Dekalb County’s Times-Journal.
See, teaching is a calling, not something a good teacher would do for money. Raising a state legislator’s pay, though, is cool with the Bible because it makes for less vulnerability to corruption. “He needs to make enough that he can say no, in regards to temptation.”
Wonkette does a nice job of explaining it here.
‘The Help’ Actors Receive Top SAG Awards as Union Boards Vote to Merge
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The red-carpet glamor and prestige of the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards last night put the pre-Oscar spotlight on the cast of “The Help” in the theatrical motion picture category, with actors themselves choosing the best of the best.
“The Help” cast also was recognized with Viola Davis taking the award for best performance by a female lead and Octavia Spencer receiving the honor for best supporting female actor. Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) was credited with best performance in a male leading role and Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”) took the award for best supporting actor. Top television performance awards went to Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Lange, Betty White and Kate Winslet, with television ensemble honors taken by “Boardwalk Empire” and Modern Family.” Mary Tyler Moore received SAG’s highest honor, the 48th annual Life Achievement Award. See the full list of awards here.
This year’s awards came as the national boards of SAG and AFTRA (Television and Radio Artists) in separate meetings over the weekend approved a merger between the two mega-entertainment unions. SAG National President Ken Howard said the agreement, which will be voted on by members in February and March, is a “terrific outcome.” Read the rest of this entry »
Breaking: Indiana House Passes RTW
Moments ago, the Indiana state House passed a “right to work” for less bill by 55 to 41. The issue now moves to the state Senate, where it’s expected to be taken up and voted on next week. The Senate previously passed a different version of the bill.
Working Hoosiers by the thousands have been rallying in opposition to “right to work” for less each day and plan to keep it up as Gov. Mitch Daniels and his Republican statehouse colleagues push to ram through the measure.
Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma and Gov. Daniels have been ramming the so-called right to work bill through even after the voters have made clear that they want a public referendum on the controversial anti-worker measure. Only one-third of Indiana voters favor passing the RTW for less law and a whopping 69 percent of Hoosier voters say that the Indiana General Assembly should slow down the process to allow more debate. An overwhelming 71 percent of respondents want to give voters—not the legislature—the final say on this controversial legislation.
Follow all the action at #inunion.
Maybe Child Labor Cures Cancer, Too?
Here’s the latest Republican justification for child labor: It prevents obesity.
Hat tip to Laura Clawson at DailyKos, who spotted this one: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, worried that the Department of
Labor wants to limit child labor on family farms, said:
It’s interesting that this child labor bill goes against Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity initiative. How can kids be active if they are limited by this law?
Gee, I don’t know. Maybe they could…play?
Ind. Republicans Can’t Seize Dems’ Pay
Republicans trying to ram through a “right to work” for less bill in Indiana cannot seize the pay of Democratic House members who are staying off the floor to filibuster the measure, a judge ruled last evening.
A Marion County judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the seizure after three of House Democrats challenged Republicans’ decision to fine filibusterers $1,000 a day by stealing their pay. The ruling allows the fines to be levied but blocks withholding paychecks.
The fines are the latest moves by Republican state legislators and Gov. Mitch Daniels to ram the “right to work” for less bill into law. Earlier tactics included temporarily shutting the protesting public out of the statehouse and reneging on an agreement to take up an amendment putting the issue to a statewide vote.
Hoosiers, 71 percent of whom support putting “right to work” on the ballot rather than having it forced through the legislature, have been making their voices heard at the statehouse in Indianapolis. They’re turning up the heat with lobby days planned Monday and every day next week.
Follow the events on Twitter with the hashtag #InUnion.
Gov. Daniels: Against ‘Right to Work’ Before He Was for It
Look what just came to light! Here’s a video clip of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who’s now teamed up with statehouse Republicans to ram into law a “right to work” for less bill, telling a Teamsters Local 135 stewards dinner back in 2006 that he opposes “right to work.”
“We can’t afford to have super wars over issues that might divide us….I have said it over and over again, and I’ll say it again tonight: I’m a supporter of the labor laws we have in the state of Indiana and I’m not interested in changing any of them—not the prevailing wage law and certainly not a ‘right to work’ law….”
Ugly in Indiana
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Keep your eye on the Indiana statehouse today, where Republican House members are doubling down on their push to pass a “right to work” for less law. House Democrats offered a range of amendments to the bill, including a move to put the anti-worker legislation on the ballot for a public referendum—an idea 71 percent of Hoosiers support.
Despite an earlier agreement to allow the amendment to be introduced and debated, last night the Republicans declared it unconstitutional, adjourned and promised to slap a $1,000 fine on any Democrat who filibuster the bill in today’s session by staying away.
This exercise in cut-throat politics by Indiana Republicans isn’t their first. Expect more ugly today.
Follow the action on Twitter with the hashtags #INunion and #INlegis.
Indiana Statehouse ‘No Longer the People’s House’
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Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration will limit the number of people who can assemble in the statehouse beginning Jan. 1—a move that Indiana AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott says creates a “policy to shut out the voices of dissent and limit access to government to only those they favor.”
IndyStar.com reports state security agencies have capped the number of people who can be in the statehouse in Indianapolis at any one time to 3,000, including about 1,700 employees—a fraction of the number who have turned out at the statehouse to protest proposed “right to work” (for less) legislation.
Time to Ring In…2001?
Maybe a lot has changed in the past decade–back then we didn’t have YouTube to bring us hours of enjoyment of cute babies and kittens–but working men and women today are taking home about the same size paychecks we did back then.
Take a look at the National Employment Law Project’s new video–and have a safe and happy New Year 2001.
Really, What Do These Guys Have Against the 99 percent?
Think Progress has a good round-up of the Republican presidential candidates’ tax-the-99%-apalooza here.”
