Thursday, July 19, 2012

BRING JOBS HOME

► At AFL-CIO Now — Tell your Senators: Bring Jobs Home — The U.S. Senate will vote TODAY on the Bring Jobs Home Act (S. 3364 [formerly S. 2884]). Make your voice heard in the battle to stop corporate tax breaks for firms that export American jobs overseas and reward companies that bring jobs home. Call your senators at 888-659-9401 and urge them to support the Bring Jobs Home Act. With more than 6 million manufacturing jobs lost through offshoring in the past decade, it’s time to reverse that trend with the Bring Jobs Home Act. The bill will cut taxes for U.S. companies that move jobs and business operations to the United States and end tax loopholes that reward companies that ship jobs overseas.

ELECTION

► In today’s Olympian — McKenna raises $6.88 million, passes Inslee— McKenna has raised $6.875 million so far, while Inslee has raised just over $6.8 million — giving the Republican a slight $70,000 edge. But McKenna also has nearly $3.59 million cash on hand, compared to just over $2.7 million for Inslee, and is better positioned to get out his message after the primary.

► From AP — McKenna campaign staffer resigns over tweets making fun of Asians, old people

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — 1st District Congress race tightens for 2 Democrats — Suzan DelBene (the labor-endorsed candidate) has moved into a virtual tie with Darcy Burner atop the pack of Democrats vying in the primary, according to a new poll. Burner received support of 12% to DelBene’s 11%. The other Democratic candidates — Steve Hobbs, Laura Ruderman and Darshan Rauniyar — and independent Larry Ishmael failed to get into double digits.

► At PubliCola — Mom strikes again; hits Burner this time

► From AP — State Senate candidate sought to have court records sealed— A couple of months before Brad Toft emerged as the only Republican in a crucial state Senate race for GOP Sen. Cheryl Pflug’s open seat, he pressed officials to seal records from a past court case. In a signed letter, Toft seemed to suggest that he wasn’t the same person cited in the court files, saying that he shared a name with one of the parties but arguing that “the specific identity of the defendant is unclear.” Now, Toft admits that he was the defendant in the case.

► At Politico — Study: Millions in Voter ID nightmare — One in 10 ELIGIBLE voters do not have the proper photo ID required to cast ballots under new voter ID laws in the 10 states studied. More than 10 million eligible citizens live 10 or more miles from an office issuing the proper photo IDs and about half a million of those voters don’t have access to a vehicle.

► From Bloomberg — Unions gain under Citizens United decision they seek to overturn — U.S. labor-union leaders are taking advantage of a Supreme Court ruling they are fighting to overturn in their drive to elect Democrats this year.

► At Politico — Ann Romney: We’ve given enough— Ann Romney dismissed concerns about her husband’s tax returns Thursday, contending that the two of them have “given all you people need to know.”

EDITOR’S NOTE — “What do you mean ‘you people’?”

LOCAL

► In today’s Seattle Times — 10,200 jobs added, but state’s unemployment rate flat at 8.3% — The state’s workforce has grown by more than 10,000 jobs for two months in a row. Over the last 12 months the average job growth was 7,316. Last month, the private sector added 12,000 jobs while the public sector lost 1,800.

► From AP — Drinkers finding cheaper liquor over Oregon border — Oregon liquor sales surged 35% in June at stores near the border with Washington, backing up anecdotal reports that shoppers from Washington have been crossing the border to escape higher liquor prices resulting from an initiative that voters approved last year.

ALSO at The Stand — Liquor privatization’s false promises exposed (June 5)

► In today’s Seattle Times — Offer of traffic fixes fails to win over Port on arena— A day after Seattle and King County called for a partnership with the Port of Seattle to pay for road improvements in Sodo, mostly for freight trucks, the Port reaffirmed its opposition to an NBA/NHL arena in the neighborhood.

BOEING

► From AP — United, Boeing settle on 787 delays; 160 737s ordered — United Airlines has settled its dispute with Boeing over the delayed 787 jet, although the airline isn’t saying how much the compensation is worth. United also disclosed on Wednesday that it has options for 160 more 737s, which would more than double the size of its 150-jet order announced last week.

NATIONAL

► In today’s NY Times — Postal Service set to default on billions in health fund payments— Missing the health care payment will not cause immediate disaster, nor will it affect current retiree benefits. The Postal Service will still be able to pay its employees and buy fuel for its trucks to deliver mail on time. Postal unions, which have opposed both the House and the Senate overhaul bills, said Congress should simply relieve the Postal Service of its obligations to pay into its future retiree health fund, which they say is already well funded.“This is an artificial crisis created by the Congressional mandate that the U.S.P.S., alone among all agencies or companies, pre-fund its future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years,” said Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. “This unaffordable burden accounts for 85 percent of all the Postal Service’s red ink. If lawmakers fix the problem they created, the sharp cuts in service they want to impose on Americans and small businesses would not be necessary.”

► At AFL-CIO Now — Buying value, not volume, lowers health care costs — The AFL-CIO, several unions, employer groups and a number of large corporations — all major purchasers of health care benefits — are working together to bring down the cost of health care and improve quality through a new Buying Value initiative.

► In today’s NY Times — Detroit mayor confirms cuts to workers’ pay, benefits — Over the objections of union leaders and a majority of City Council members, the City of Detroit is cutting the pay and toughening work rules for many of its unionized workers.

► At Huffington Post — The problem isn’t outsourcing. It’s that big business is disconnected from the well-being of most Americans (by Robert Reich) — Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital is no different from any other global corporation — which is exactly why Romney’s so-called “business experience” is irrelevant to the real problems facing most Americans. Without a government that’s focused on more and better jobs, we’re left with global corporations that don’t give a damn.

T.G.I.T.

► The entire staff of the Stand is taking Friday off, so in this special Thursday edition of T.G.I.F., we give you “Cats and Dogs” by Seattle’s own The Head and the Heart. Enjoy, and have a great weekend — brought to you by the Labor Movement.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 9 a.m.