Labor gears up for key governors races

Politico ^ | 8/30/09 | ALEX ISENSTADT

[kingattax]

Organized labor is betting big in Virginia and New Jersey, where two critical off-year gubernatorial races are taking place in November.

In New Jersey, where Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine trails Republican Chris Christie in the polls, the AFL-CIO earlier this month unveiled a web site slamming Christie for promoting an “economic agenda threatens the middle class.” The New Jersey Laborers’ Union, another Corzine backer, is set to open an on-the-ground offensive that will include assistance from affiliates in other states as well.

In Virginia, Creigh Deeds has been flooded with more than $600,000 in campaign contributions from unions since winning the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nomination in early June.

Last week, the AFL-CIO launched its first major salvo in Virginia, organizing an all-day canvass in support of Deeds in Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke, featuring workers armed with talking points slamming Republican Bob McDonnell for supporting “the rejection of $125 million in federal assistance for Virginia’s unemployed workers.”

For labor, it’s an all-out, no-holds-barred effort in both states aimed at pushing Corzine and Deeds over the finish line.

[HokieMom]

The good guys in the Virginia race (Republican slate)

http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/ for Governor

http://www.billbolling.com/ for Lieutenant Governor

http://www.cuccinelli.com/ for Attorney General

[arthurus]

ACORN will be hard at work in both states to test their methods in the Big Time. They will use results to adjust their tactics for 2010.

[donna]

OFFICIAL TIME:
HOW TAXPAYERS ARE FORCED TO PAY FOR UNION ACTIVITIES
The Heritage Foundation
Government Integrity Project Report No. 12
April 7, 1997

Last June, {1996) the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Social Security, chaired by Representative Jim Bunning (R-KY), investigated the use of official time at the Social Security Administration (SSA).

An audit by the General Accounting Office (GAO) presented during the hearings revealed that the cost of union activities had doubled from an estimated $6 million in 1993 to $12.6 million in 1995.11

In other words, money placed in the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for retirement and other benefits was diverted instead to pay for federal employee union activities.12

During this period, the number of employees who worked on union business full-time grew from 80 to 146, and--in this agency alone--over 1,800 employees were authorized to perform union activities during on-duty hours.13

Moreover, the GAO suspects that these figures are understated: "Because of limitations in SSA's reporting system, it is not possible to estimate actual time spent agencywide for any reporting period."14

So old, the link is broken: http://www.heritage.org/library/categories/govern/gip12.html

[elk]

Every sane person in Virginia had better get to the polls for this election. If you have a freedom-loving neighbor (in Northern VA, I don't have many of those, but in case you do in other parts of VA), make sure they get to the polls.

Unfortunately, usually the ones busy living life aren't part of organized thug groups, don't have strong-arm tactics, and don't funnel illegal voters and funds to their candidates, so we instead must get off our duffs and volunteer and vote.

[HokieMom]

We’re working on it!

[Kenny]

Every sane person in Virginia had better get to the polls for this election. If you have a freedom-loving neighbor (in Northern VA, I don't have many of those, but in case you do in other parts of VA), make sure they get to the polls

The citizens of VA need to worry about the polls before elections day. Volunteer to help with voting. Scrutinze the absentee ballot process and voter ID process. Now's the time to stop the fraud.