Rift Between Labor and Environmentalists (Tom Steyer) Threatens Democratic Turnout Plan

New York Times ^ | May 16, 2016 | JONATHAN MARTIN

[reaganaut1]

Two of the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituencies, labor and environmentalists, are clashing over an effort to raise tens of millions of dollars for an ambitious voter turnout operation aimed at defeating Donald J. Trump in the November election.

The rift developed after some in the labor movement, whose cash flow has dwindled and whose political clout has been increasingly imperiled, announced a partnership last week with a wealthy environmentalist, Tom Steyer, to help bankroll a new fund dedicated to electing Democrats.

That joint initiative enraged members of the nation’s biggest construction unions, already on edge about the rising influence of climate-change activists. The building-trades unions view Mr. Steyer’s environmental agenda as a threat to the jobs that can be created through infrastructure projects like new gas pipelines.

The dispute, laid bare in a pair of blistering letters sent on Monday to Richard L. Trumka, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., underscored the tensions between the two pillars of the Democratic coalition.

For decades, organized labor was among the most powerful forces on the left, financing Democratic candidates and reliably delivering working-class votes, and political foot soldiers, for the party in crucial states and districts.

But with blue-collar white voters shifting to the Republican Party and Democrats growing more reliant on higher-income voters and liberal donors like Mr. Steyer, environmental activists are increasingly muscling out unions.

[reaganaut1]

Steyer was instrumental in stopping the Keystone Pipeline. Private sector unions are figuring out that environmental extremism will throw their members out of work.

[Paine in the Neck]

Steyer, after already making billion$ from coal, is now hell-bent on positioning himself at the nexus of gov’t enforced global carbon trading. He expects to reap hundreds of billions in fees if he can con the world into uselessly taxing carbon to save itself from non-existent global warming.

[Behind the Blue Wall]

Man, they’ve left themselves wide open for Trump to drive a huge wedge between the construction trade unions and public employee/service sector unions. I hope his team is jumping all over this.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I live in an area populated almost entirely by Democrats, with a large number of them being union members.

Seeing a lot of Trump yard signs out there.
Just sayin’.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Trump needs to say something along the lines of:

"You union guys could be getting a ton of overtime laying pipe out in Nebraska and the Dakotas - but your union bosses and the tree hugging Democrats don't want you to do that".

Bonus points for the double entendre.

[central_va]

“This is a hill to die on, and if the sane states don’t fight back on this one, we might as well just completely surrender the republic today. It’s either that or eventually seeing the people rise up in a way we haven’t witnessed for many years.”

You said "laying pipe". Tee hee.

[headstamp 2]

Both parties are for sale to the highest bidder. Its an old story.

[headstamp 2]

The Democrat coalition is developing a few cracks.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The Democrat coalition is developing a few cracks.

And one major fault line....Blacks vs. Hispanics for the title of "#1 Most Favored Put-Upon Minority".

Blacks really DO NOT LIKE Hispanics, and vice-versa. The old Leftist pablum about how only Whites can be racists gives them both cover. Trump's call to send the illegals home resonates with a HUGE % of Blacks. The Dems have one foot on the dock and the other on the Titanic with this.

[JimRed]

Reminds me of a really delightful confrontation a number of years ago in our area. The topic of the hearing, ocean dumping of non-toxic wastes well offshore. The eviroweenies protesting the plan; the thugs from the union covering the tugboat and barge workers demanding that it be permitted. Hard left beating up on far left; what fun!