Newspaper Still Beating Anti-Labor Drum

Tweet

The Janesville Gazette, under the guise of objectivity continue to try to take down organized labor via the Big 3 bail-out. Like much of the traditional mainstream, the paper published a story on Friday by one of their own writers about the local view regarding Thursday’s defeat of the auto bailout package. The writer primes up the anti-labor pump with this……

JG Excerpt:
Representatives of labor, the auto industry and lawmakers apparently came close to a deal on the $14 billion package, but it reportedly went down in flames when the United Auto Workers, which represents workers at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, refused to agree on wage concessions in 2009.

That’s not exactly how everybody saw it. It could have easily read just as well like this……. ”Representatives of labor, the auto industry and lawmakers apparently came close to a deal on the $14 billion package, but it reportedly went down in flames when Senate Republicans, representing low wage Conservatives and other special business and stockholder interests, refused to help the Big 3 unless the automakers agreed to turn their backs on their employees and pension obligations.”

No less partisan and no less objective than what the Gazette wrote.

In the long run though, I believe this was the best thing to happen to the automakers. If the Treasury steps in with help under conditions from the TARP, it will mean the Republican anti-labor policies were not only rejected, but their attempt to dismantle the $25 billion environmental/fuel efficiency program for future automotive development was also defeated. The future just grew a shade brighter for the middle-class and any chance for the American auto industry to succeed.

On another subject, the newspaper on Friday actually headlines an editorial with this “To Plow or Not to Plow? That’s a tough question.” In what town or city would anyone consider that to be something to seriously debate over? Should we plow snow off of our streets? Well, we don't want to spoil anyone now, do we? Except in Janesville where it appears money stands in the way – or the lack of it. If Janesville had electable leadership and genuine ward representation, the people would be calling for someone’s head for the condition of the ice rinks we call side streets. But because authority is delegated by a team of academic hires – well, that’s different. Let’s sing “Kumbaya” and enjoy the snow….it’s Wisconsin and it's Christmas. Let's all hold hands while we're at it.

With a decision on Janesville’s “comprehensive growth plan” coming soon, a more reasonable question to editorialize about would have been this: What’s more important, more miles of streets we can’t afford to plow, or the expanding tax base that refuses to pay for it?” Now that's really a tough question.