Call your Senator now to stop S.2123. The misnamed and egregious "Public Safety Employer-Employee cooperation act of 2007" was introduced by Senator Gregg on October 1 with enough Republicans (11 Republicans) to invoke cloture and pass the Bill.
The White House said it wanted flexibility on responding to Homeland security threats and was able to defeat the TSA screener amendment in the Homeland Security-9/11 Bill. The congress with S. 2123 is deciding that not all parts of NIMS under Homeland security can be flexible to meet a terrorist threat. Some parts of NIMS the Policeman and Fireman will be held to the break time and vacations that eliminate the very word "responder" from the American lexicon of our domestic security. Here is what the Bill says "
State and local public safety officers, as first responders, are a component of our Nation's National Incident Management System, developed by the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate response to and recovery from terrorism, major natural disasters, and other major emergencies. Public safety employer-employee cooperation is essential in meeting these needs and is, therefore, in the National interest."
How can the National Incident Management System even work with one of its most vital components out there in our local towns with its hands tied behind its back?
The bill S.2123 is an unfunded mandate on the states violating the 10th amendment. There was a man named Reagan who believed that smaller Government came about through devolution of Federal authority to the states not through this sham Bill thats take local power away.
Could it also be about union intimidation of Republicans? What Congressman Lynn Westmoreland saw directed against his own father?
"Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Florida for yielding, and when I came to the floor today, I didn't come here to speak; but, you know, my father was a fireman for 26 years for the City of Atlanta. In fact, he died in an alarm. I know what it is like for these firefighters to answer the alarms. He suffered a heart attack while turning off an OS&Y valve in a pit. It was 18 degrees that December morning. I know what it is like for those firefighters.
But, you know, my father never belonged to a firefighters union, and that is what this is. This is basically a union bill and payback to the unions. But, you know, Georgia is a right-to-work State. We have a 10th amendment to our Constitution. I was very disappointed to hear from the chairman that this thing passed out of committee 42-1. That breaks my heart. That really breaks my heart that those Republicans were on that side.I don't know what the majority thinks about the 10th amendment, but I believe very strongly in it. This has something to do with States rights. And I am sorry and I am very disappointed that this House will do this under suspension and there won't be any opportunity for amendments or this thing to be looked at.
I hope that the majority of the Members here will realize what is going on, oppose this suspension and bring it up under regular order."
Instead 98 Republicans voted for H.R. 980 the companion to S.2123 in the House.
It is a minute past midnight and we should not ever reward the Labor lords for their continued string of defeats in our workplace.
This Bill now stands to be passed by Congress and should be opposed by every free American who believes we should use all our resources in fighting the war to protect our homeland. Not one single Fireman or Policeman should be left behind.
Here are the 11 Republicans and 14 Democrats who co-sponsored S.2123 so far:
Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN-S2) Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE-S1) Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH-S2) Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY-S2) Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN-S1) Senator Susan Collins (R-ME-S2) Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT-S1) Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM-S1) Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH-S1) Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA-S2) Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA-S1) Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT-S2) Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL-S2) Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ-S1) Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD-S1) Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK-S2) Senator Patty Murray (D-WA-S1) Senator Barack Obama (D-IL-S2) Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR-S2) Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT-S2) Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR-S2) Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME-S1) Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA-S1) Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI-S2) Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK-S1) Senator John Sununu (R-NH-S2)
Again, call your Senator now and say no to S. 2123
This alert is sponsored by the National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights http://www.freeworkplace.org
He's dead, Red.
Well, Ronald Reagan was President of the Screen Actors' Guild ...
Maybe he's sending us a sign about the Writers' strike ...
Reagan is a slogan for the professional politicians.