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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 19th on 07:13

These are my links for May 19th from 07:13 to 07:14:

  • Boeing-busting union admits: PAC $ buys access to politicians – The Machinists Union lodge in the Puget Sound — the guys whose complaint led to the National Labor Relations Board's decision that could force Boeing to shrink back from its expansion into South Carolina — has a new newsletter out asking members to allow a payroll deduction to the union's political action committee.

    The union explicitly states that such campaign contributions buy access. Here's the relevant passage:

    Q) What difference will my small contribution make when it takes so much money to elect a candidate?

    A) STRENGTH IN NUMBERS – By itself, your contribution does not mean much.  But then, your voice alone would not mean much in improving your wages, hours, and working conditions.

    When we pool our MNPL dollars, like we pool our strength in collective bargaining, we are strong. Collectively, MNPL money gains your Union access to officials, which is critical to get our issues addressed and ensure our input is heard.

    This is nothing scandalous. It's just unusually honest.

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    This is how the unions roll….

  • Charles Koch: Economic freedom key to improving society – Our government made a point of reforming its welfare policies for individuals but not for corporations. Cap-and-trade proposals, the health care bill, federal bailouts and "green" subsidies all favor a few businesses (usually large ones) at the expense of consumers, taxpayers and most other companies.

    Unfair programs that favor certain companies — such as the current well-intentioned but misguided suggestion that the natural-gas industry should receive enormous new subsidies — don't just happen. They are promoted, in large part, by those seeking to profit politically, rather than by competing in a market where consumers vote with their wallets.

    By contrast, we lobby against regulations or policies that would increase our profits at the expense of consumers. We believe in satisfying customers by competing on equal terms, rather than the government picking winners and losers.

    For example, because ethanol use is mandated, we were compelled to be in that business, so we chose to be in it in the most competitive way we could. We still oppose ethanol subsidies and mandates, even though some of our businesses would benefit from them.

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