The UAW's Money-Squandering Corruptocracy

This arouses my curiosity. I may have to dig into the local union reports and see what they have been up to!

By Michelle Malkin
December 31, 2008

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The UAW golfed. While carmakers soak up $17 billion in taxpayer bailout funds and demand more for their ailing industry, United Auto Workers bosses have wasted tens of millions of their workers' dues on gold-plated resorts and rotten investments. The labor organization's money-losing golf compound is just the tip of the iceberg.

Last week on my blog (michellemalkin.com/2008/12/16/money-pit-the-uaws-gold-plated-golf-course/), I noted that the UAW owns and operates Black Lake Golf Course -- a "championship caliber" course opened in 2000 that's part of a larger "family education center" and retreat nestled in 1,000 acres of property in Onaway, Mich. Spearheaded by former UAW president Steve Yokich, the resort also includes "a beautiful gym with two full-sized basketball courts, an Olympic-size indoor pool, exercise and weight room, table-tennis and pool tables, a sauna, beaches, walking and bike trails, softball and soccer fields and a boat launch ramp." Like everything else we're subsidizing these days, the UAW's playground is a money pit. The Detroit Free Press reported earlier this year that the golf course (valued at $6 million) and education center (valued at $27 million) have together lost $23 million over the past five years. While membership in the union has plummeted, the UAW retains assets worth $1.2 billion.

Curious about how the UAW will be spending my money and yours, I sifted through the union's most recent annual report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor which you can find at (http//www.unionreports.gov). Who knew hitting the links was so central to the business of making cars?

You can read a lot more here,http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/mmalkin/2008/mm_12311.shtml

What Has government Done to Our Money

The paragraph below is from the book "What Has government Done to Our Money" written by Murray N. Rothbard. This is exactly what our government is doing. On top of taxing us, they are printing more money to do things such as send us stimulus checks and bail out financial institutions and the auto industry. Lets not forget the fact that our elected officials give themselves raises with the money that's created from thin air. See post below. I urge everyone to read this book. It is short, simple, yet very effective in pointing out the folly of our present monetary system.

Taxation, however, is often unpopular, and, in less temperate
days, frequently precipitated revolutions. The emergence
of money, while a boon to the human race, also
opened a more subtle route for governmental expropriation
of resources. On the free market, money can be acquired by
producing and selling goods and services that people want,
or by mining (a business no more profitable, in the long
run, than any other). But if government can find ways to
engage in counterfeiting—the creation of new money out of
thin air—it can quickly produce its own money without
taking the trouble to sell services or mine gold. It can then
appropriate resources slyly and almost unnoticed, without
rousing the hostility touched off by taxation. In fact, counterfeiting
can create in its very victims the blissful illusion of
unparalleled prosperity.

Betty Gets A Pay Raise

I am sitting at home today because there is no work and Betty McCollum and Congress are getting a $4700 pay raise.

It sure is good to know that there is one, yes, just one congressman we know will refuse such a raise in this miserable economic time. His name, Ron Paul.

Thank You Ron Paul. It's good to know that someone in Washington has some integrity.

Here is a link to my post about their $4100 pay raise last year.

http://jungbauer2010.blogspot.com/2008/01/betty-mccollum-gets-pay-raise.html

Firearms prohibitionists take their meddling to people’s living rooms

This is from the Duluth News Tribune by Russ Stewart

A week before Minnesota’s firearm deer season I visited my 86-year-old father. He regaled me with an entertaining stream of tales from his 70 years as a deer hunter in the north woods. He lamented his failing eyesight and then rose from his ancient recliner and went to the closet where he keeps his guns. He took out a battered old case and handed it me. “I want you to have this.”

I knew what was inside. A Savage model 219 single-shot 30-30 rifle. My father bought it in 1944 for $12. It’s well worn after more than 60 years of hard use. It was an honor to be given such an heirloom. Over the past few years my father has passed on most of his modest collection of firearms to his children and grandchildren. It is his way of passing on our family’s heritage.

However, if some people had their way, my father would be a felon the next time he passed on a firearm to a family member. These people complain about a so-called “gun show loophole,” which, if you were to accept the rhetoric of firearm prohibitionists, is responsible for an endless stream of death and carnage.

In truth, attempts to close the “loophole” are really attacks on cherished freedoms that have been quietly enjoyed by millions of Americans since the founding of our nation. With the exception of those unfortunate residents of a few nanny-states, citizens of the U.S. always have been able to gift, buy, sell and trade firearms without the interference of government.

But if people like Duluth’s Joan Peterson, a member of the national board of trustees of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (and the author of the Dec. 9 Local View commentary, “ ‘Gun show loophole,’ still open in Minnesota, must be closed”) are able to enact their legislative agenda, this liberty will be extinguished. The sad part is that if they are successful, crime rates would be unaffected. It is well established that only a tiny fraction of guns used to commit crimes come from gun shows. But that doesn’t stop the prohibitionists from scaring people with exaggerated stories.

Peterson wrote that we need to pass a law to “require unlicensed sellers to perform background checks on buyers at gun shows and other venues.” What she didn’t write was that these “other venues” include my father’s living room. The proposed legislation requires a background check for every private firearm bought, sold or gifted. So when Peterson claimed the proposed law “wouldn’t change anything for law-abiding citizens,” she was simply wrong.

Another thing firearm prohibitionists won’t tell you is that in order for a universal background check system to be effective, every gun would need to be registered with the government.

There are those who would take offense at my use of the term “prohibitionist” to describe members of groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Northland Million Moms, but actions speak louder than words. While speaking of “reasonable gun laws,” they advocate a program of incremental prohibition of private firearm ownership.

Our nation already has more than 20,000 laws relating to firearms, and 99 percent of them are an affront to liberty. As new laws are introduced in response to Brady Campaign scare tactics, I am reminded of the words of Ben Franklin: “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.”

I’ve got news for the prohibitionists of the world. My father won’t give up his freedom to pass on his legacy without government interference — and neither will I, nor will my family, nor my friends. Nor will millions of other freedom-loving citizens. The passage of a new set of gun-control laws would simply create a new class of felons out of formerly law-abiding citizens.

And that may have a set of unintended consequences all its own.

RUSS STEWART of Duluth served two terms on the City Council and is a professor at Lake Superior College.

A Response to a Letter from the President of General Motors

I had to check this out when I received it in an email from a friend. So I went to snopes.com and lo and behold it checks out 100%. Gregory Knox speaks his mind and tells it like it is. Below is a letter from Troy Clarke, President, General Motors North America followed by the response of Gregory Knox, President, Knox Machinery, Inc.

Next week, Congress and the current Administration will determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis. As an employee, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.

Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.



Troy Clarke

President

General Motors North America


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Gregory Knox,

In response to your request to call legislators and ask for a bailout for the United States automakers please consider the following, and please also pass this onto Troy Clarke, the president of General Motors North America for me.

You are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has bred like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping the nation, awaiting our new "messiah" to wave his magical wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream"…

The dream is over!

The dream that we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities…and that still the masses will line up to buy our products.

Don't tell me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM , Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM's and Tier ones for 3 decades now throughout the Midwest and what I've seen over the years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Mr. Clarke, the president of General Motors, states:

There is widespread sentiment in this country, our government and especially in the media that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management. It is not…

You're right – it's not JUST management…how about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass…so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time…for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour week.

How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics…for putting out too many parts on a shift…and for being too productive (mustn't expose the lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?) Do you really not know about this stuff?!?

How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea:

"over the last few years …we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors."

What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!?

Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them?

The K car vs. the Accord?

The Pinto vs. the Civic?!?

Do I need to go on ?

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades.

Time to pay for your sins, Detroit.

I attended an economic summit last week where a brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money." Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems, but despite what people like George Bush and Troy Clarke would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day and something else would happen where there had been greedy and sloppy banks new efficient ones would pop up. That is how a free market system works. It does work if we would let it work.

But for some reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work that we need the government to step in and "save us." Save us, hell! We're nationalizing and unfortunately too many of this once fine nation’s citizens don't even have a clue that this is what's really happening but they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams yeah – THAT'S important!

Does it occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades now in this country?

How can that be???

Let's see:

Fuel efficient…

Listening to customers…

Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul…

Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr W Edwards Deming 4 decades ago...

Ever increased productivity through quality, lean and six sigma plans…

Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy"…

Efficient front and back offices…

Non union environment!

Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into, my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did at their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way), I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work them through.

Radical concept, huh…

Am I there for them in the wings? Of course – but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults.

I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government.

Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins.

Bad news people – it's coming whether we like it or not.

The newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away" I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the vote count was tallied…"we might not do it in a year…or in four…" where was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for the office?

Stop trying to put off the inevitable.

That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000.

People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits.

That job driving that forklift for the big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year.

We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe.

That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home!

Let the market correct itself people. It will. Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it is a nation that appreciates what is has and doesn't live beyond its means. Gets back to basics, and redevelops the work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world and probably turns back to God.

Sorry don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news."



Gregory J Knox

President

Knox Machinery, Inc.
Franklin, Ohio 45005

Ted Nugent: Gun-free zone a crime unto itself

Law-abiding citizens shouldn't end up defenseless victims

By Ted Nugent, Texas Wildman

Sunday, December 14, 2008


There is no bigger advocate for criminal control than me, so long as we do not go about manufacturing criminals out of otherwise law-abiding people.

Enter New York Giants player Plaxico Burress. He accidentally blew a hole in his leg with his Glock handgun while in a New York City nightclub. His list of crimes against responsible gun handling is too long to share with you here. He's a Numbnut of the Year award winner.

Ah, but this is even more idiotic: New York City is going to throw the Sullivan Gun Law book at Burress for merely having a handgun.

Only a select few people are given permits to carry a gun in the Big Apple. For this, Burress could get quite a few years at the Cross Bars Hotel.

Criminal thugs, of course, are not deterred from carrying guns by New York City's draconian gun laws. Mayor Blowhard Bloomberg and other Big Apple elected buffoons who forbid NYC citizens from defending themselves are complicit in turning innocent, law-abiding citizens into defenseless victims.

By review: Gun-free zones, are a murderer's dream zone.

With the recent Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, Burress' legal sharks should argue that New York City's restrictions violate the Second Amendment.

While the media spotlight has been on Burress, a little-reported story is more telling.

St. Louis Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe stated that people should indeed get guns and carry them in order to protect themselves, as cops clearly can't be everywhere. His point is undeniable.

Our Founding Fathers wrote extensively about a person's right and obligation to carry a gun for self-defense. To be unarmed and helpless is irresponsible. In the eyes of everyone I know, it is unforgivable.

The world watched in horror as terrorists in Mumbai, India, killed almost 200 people and wounded more than 300 others. The unarmed victims were slaughtered like defenseless sheep. It took Indian SWAT teams hours to even begin to respond and more than three days to finally wipe out the killers. I like bad guys wiped out before the carnage.

Attack coming soon

Terrorism and security experts all expect America to be hit again soon. While I salute President Bush, our intelligence agencies and lawmen who have prevented these monsters from attacking us for eight years, we all know such an event is not a matter of "if" but "when." Therefore, it is incumbent for our laws to allow us the means to protect ourselves from these terror monsters.

Imagine terrorists simultaneously attacking a number of hotels in Manhattan, or an event at Madison Square Garden or Central Park. As good as they are, it would take hours or days for the New York City's finest to kill or capture all of the terrorists.

Now try to imagine the same scenario if New York City residents were allowed to carry guns to protect themselves. At least they would have a fighting chance. Not today.

Thanks to its well-body-guarded mayor and other anti-freedom bureaucrats, New York City residents would be as helpless as the victims in Mumbai.

Prosecuting Burress and others for carrying a gun sends a message to terrorists: "Come to the Big Apple. We're defenseless."

Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and televison show host. Contact him directly at tednugent.com.

More Nugent articles here,

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/opinion/nugent.html

Shop at Sears!

Subject: Sears - Christmas shopping has already started

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice.Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? Bylaw, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Pass it on.

Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is,the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:Dear Customer:

Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.

Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!

It's verified ! By Snopes.com at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp

Pioneer Press on 39A House Race

By Nick Ferraro
Pioneer Press
10/31/2008 11:18:54 PM CDT

DFLer Rick Hansen is seeking a third term in Minnesota House District 39A, which covers West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Lilydale, Mendota and parts of South St. Paul and Eagan.

He faces Bill Jungbauer, a West St. Paul carpenter who is best known politically for his unsuccessful run at a state Senate seat in 2006. More recently, he served as a GOP national delegate in St. Paul.

Hansen, 45, is pushing his experience and track record of "responsive, community-based leadership," while Jungbauer, 51, is hoping voters can relate to his "blue-collar background" and make him the first Republican to serve the district since 1988.

Hansen, who took over the seat in 2004, points to how he helped provide property tax relief for West St. Paul and South St. Paul by pushing for an increase in local government aid.

As the only Dakota County member of the bonding committee, Hansen said, he was able to secure $1.4 million from the 2008 bonding bill for the North Urban Trail connection in South St. Paul, as well as money for projects at Inver Hills Community and Dakota County Technical colleges.

Hansen also said he has worked on several transportation issues, including getting the Robert Street Corridor study on track to connect with the Central Corridor light-rail line and meeting with residents to discuss sound barriers along U.S. 52 and the possibility of a pedestrian bridge over Minnesota 110 in Mendota Heights.

"These are all current issues that are not covered in the transportation bill but are the types of things a legislator does by working with the agencies to help to solve problems," he said.

Hansen is chair of the Legislative Audit Commission. A small-business owner, he is a member of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Jungbauer was a political unknown before challenging Jim Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul, for the District 39 Senate seat. He entered that 2004 race, he said, "because no one else would, and I felt it would be unpatriotic for a man to run unopposed."

Having been a carpenter for the past 30 years, he said, he can relate to voters.

"I feel the pain of filling my gas tank and heating my home and feeding the family and paying the tax man," he said. "I don't believe it takes courage to raise taxes, but it takes brains to balance a checkbook and cut spending where it's needed, which is something they don't know at the Capitol."

Jungbauer writes on his blog that he's "influenced by Teddy Roosevelt and Ted Nugent." Like Hansen, he belongs to several hunting-related organizations.

He said a top concern is "removing roadblocks to affordable energy."

"Environmentalists have filed lawsuits to stop the construction of transmission lines from the Twin Cities to wind farms in southern Minnesota, as well as the Big Stone II project in South Dakota," he said. "The courts must be urged by the Legislature to deal with this issue in an expeditious manner so that the people of Minnesota may enjoy affordable energy in a timely manner."

Jungbauer serves on West St. Paul's Park and Recreation Board and the city's Environmental Committee.

Great Halloween Cartoon

Vote NO on the Tax Increase!