People Before Profit blog

Three Connecticut leaders to be honored Dec. 3

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 05:52:00 +0000

Three progressive Connecticut leaders will be honored on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. at an annual reception whose theme this year is “Carry the People’s Election Victory Forward!”

Merrilee Milstein, former Northeast regional deputy director of the AFL-CIO, will be recognized for 35 years as union organizer, public official and activist, always in the forefront for a better world.

Roger Vann, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Connecticut, will be recognized as a steadfast fighter for civil rights, equality and democratic rights for all.

The Rev. Emilio Hernandez, community organizer with Connecticut Center for a New Economy, will be recognized for uniting clergy on behalf of those whose voices have not been heard.

Special guest Michael Bayer, state treasurer of Vermont’s Progressive Party, will address “Building Independent Political Action on behalf of Working Families.” The Progressive Party was inspired by Congressman Bernie Sanders, who is a founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is newly elected U.S. Senator from Vermont.

The event will celebrate a year of activism against the war in Iraq and for immigrant rights and workers’ rights, reflected in major get out the vote efforts by labor and community groups which changed control of Congress. Projections will be made for next steps to change the direction of the country and achieve an end to the war, good jobs and health care.

The program, to be held at the New Haven People’s Center, 37 Howe Street, will include poetry, music, an international holiday gift table and a home-cooked light supper. The annual reception is hosted by the People’s Weekly World in Connecticut on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the Communist Party USA. Suggested donation is $10 or whatever you can afford. For information call (203) 624-8664.

Stop Goodyear's use of scab strikebreakers

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:52:00 +0000

Your efforts are critical in helping to maximize the exposure of the USW's Goodyear advertisement featured on Youtube and helping to spread the word about our strike far and wide. Please be sure to view our Goodyear ad, then register on the site, give it the highest rating possible, and share/forward it your friends, family, and others.

Algiers [New Orleans] Tenants Challenge Illegal Thanksgiving Evictions, Appeal to Prominent Landlord

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:47:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHAT: Press Conference and Speakout WHO: Woodlands Tenants and Supporters WHERE: Woodlands Apartment Complex, Sandra Drive, Algiers WHEN: 3 PM Wednesday, November 22

Contact: Soleil Rodrigue, Legal Coordinator, 504-717-7324

Algiers [New Orleans] Tenants Challenge Illegal Thanksgiving Evictions, Appeal to Prominent Landlord

At the start of the holiday season over 100 families are preparing to fight for their homes instead of preparing turkey and all the trimmings. Just a few days before Thanksgiving tenants of the Woodlands, an Algiers apartment complex, were greeted by constabl es with eviction notices in hand. Now the families, including many young children and disabled persons, are too worried to celebrate, fearing they may soon be homeless. Instead of shopping and cooking they spend their evenings in meetings, planning strategies to save their homes. Now they speak out on their struggle and strategy.

A delegation of tenants visited the Baton Rouge home office of their new landlord, the Johnson Properties Group, LLC, Tuesday to request a meeting and deliver a message on behalf of the residents. They shared documentation of the improvements made in the last several months and a strongly worded letter calling on the new owner to 'do the right thing' and honor the tenants' residency, among other requests. The delegation was accompanied by Kwame Asante, Executive Director for the Louisiana NAACP, and Don Paul, the Chief of Operations of Common Ground, the New Orleans based non-profit that managed the property for the past fiv e months.

The trip was just one facet of the campaign developed by tenants and supporters, which includes everything from legal action to direct action. While the past few days have been stressful, organizing for the battle has brought tenants into a close-knit alliance. 'I don't have children,' says tenant Dianne Stewart. 'But I come over to every meeting so I can stand up and fight for those babies.'

This week tenants garnered the support of former relief volunteers nationwide as well as the backing of several organizations dedicated to social justice. Together they are appealing to the new owner, Soundra Johnson-Temple, a prominent Baton Rouge resident with a long history of leadership in social and human services, to meet with the tenants. 'The affordable housing and community services begun by Common Ground are right in line with the values of Louisiana Health and Rehabilitation and the Harmony Center, two of Ms. Johnson-Temple's best known endeavors,' says Don Paul, Chief of Operations for Common Ground.

The group is certain that mediation, which is being offered freely by Community Mediation Services of New Orleans, can offer both sides a mutually beneficial solution to the conflict.

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Janitors in Houston prevail

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:25:00 +0000

HOUSTON – Houston janitors tentatively settled a strike on Nov. 20 and reached an agreement for a three-year contract. The agreement includes wage increases as follows, “$1.15 increase the first year, $1.00 the second year, and $0.50 the third year.” This will mean an increase from $5.30 an hour to $7.75 an hour over 3 years.

Also included was an agreement on health care, “The third year is when single payer health insurance will kick in and janitors will pay $20 per month into that plan. It is a plan designed and managed by SEIU and we are hoping to get all of our members nationwide on this plan.” The agreement also includes two weeks paid vacation per year and six paid holidays. There is also a grievance procedure in place and all striking workers will get their jobs back with no discipline actions.

On the day before the strike settlement, the AFL-CIO-affiliated Labor Council for Latin American Advancement held a food drive near Harris County AFL-CIO headquarters in an act of solidarity with the striking janitors. The food drive was called by Angela Mejia, president of Texas LCLAA.

The strike started on Oct. 23 and was very difficult since their employers fought back hard. SEIU employed a wide range of tactics to pressure the employers to do the right thing. Tactics included rallies, picket lines, prayer vigils, marches, acts of civil disobedience, and lawsuits.

Several acts of civil disobedience resulted in stopping Houston traffic. These acts also resulted in arrests and horrendous acts of police brutality. On Nov. 17, 44 people were arrested and many were assaulted by mounted police officers. One 83-year-old janitor was injured and taken to a hospital by ambulance.

Janitors from around the country came to Houston to join the strike. Javier Morillo, president of SEIU Local 26 in Minneapolis as well as SEIU President Andrew Stern joined the strikers.

Support was registered from around the world. Labourstart, a UK-based international labor website, mounted an e-mail campaign focused on the CEO of Chevron. The Chevron building in downtown Houston was the site of an act of civil disobedience in which 14 union organizers and janitors handcuffed themselves to the front door.

SEIU represents 5,300 janitors in the Houston area. About 1,700 participated in the strike.

Political leaders from around the country supported the strike including Congressmen John Lewis and Al Green. Organizations including Harris County AFL-CIO, Houston NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference also supported the strike.

The janitors’ victory shows that with unity and solidarity workers can win, even in union-resistant Houston.

America Has Spoken: No One Who Works Should Live in Poverty

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 05:21:00 +0000

When voters decided it was time to change the nation’s direction and give Democrats the majority in the Senate and House, they also paved the way for the first increase in the federal minimum wage in a decade.

Says Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.):

America has spoken, and the new Congress will listen. If there’s one message from this election that emerged loud and clear on a domestic issue, it’s raise the minimum wage. No one who works for a living should have to live in poverty!

Kennedy, along with senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), joined AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and minimum wage activists this afternoon to celebrate the passage Nov. 7 of minimum wage hikes in six states—and the promise of swift congressional action. Speaking at the event, Alicia Russell, head of ACORN’s drive to pass a minimum wage ballot initiative in Arizona, said:

The new Congress should listen and raise the federal minimum wage as soon as they get to work.

Clinton said the 110th Congress will take action quickly:

The new Democratic led Congress will soon deliver on its promise to the American people.

In addition to the Arizona passage, voters in Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio all approved raises in state minimum wage rates above the federal level of $5.15 an hour, where it has been stuck since 1997. A Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration have blocked several attempts to give the nation’s lowest–paid workers a raise.

Says Sweeney:

It’s nothing short of immoral that while shamelessly blocking attempts to raise the federal minimum wage for low-wage workers, the Republican Congress gave itself nine pay raises since 1997—a total $35,000 more than in 1997.

Early on, we understood that a problem this big deserved a national solution, but the Washington of Tom DeLay and Bill Frist wasn’t listening to working people, so we took it on, state by state. The AFL-CIO unions, along with ACORN and other community allies, took bold steps and helped pave the way—state-by-state and piece by piece—toward wage reform through our America Needs A Raise campaign in 19 states.

That not only led to victory in the six ballot measures, but 13 other states this year raised their minimum wage through legislation. On Wednesday, minimum wage activists chalked up another win when the Illinois state Senate approved a bill to raise the state minimum wage to $7.50 an hour and protect it against inflation by indexing it to the cost of living. The Illinois House will next take up the bill. Says Illinois AFL-CIO President Margaret Blackshere:

We cannot wait to see if President Bush will finally agree to sign a federal minimum wage increase under pressure from a Democratic-controlled Congress.

The Fair Minimum Wage Act, which Kennedy will reintroduce in the new Congress, would raise the federal minimum wage by $2.10 over two years—to $7.25 an hour. In the House, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) will introduce a similar bill, and newly elected House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promises action in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January.

The Bush administration claims it will take a new bipartisan approach during the next Congress, but President Bush has indicated he expects some sort of business trade-off in any minimum wage legislation, and business groups don’t plan to roll over. This year, Bush and Big Business vigorously backed a minimum wage bill that included pay cuts for tip-earning workers and huge tax breaks for million-dollar plus estates. Recent news reports indicate business groups will seek a rerun of the “tip-credit” pay cut.

One expected vote against a Senate bill without any corporate giveaways is Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. He told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he not only voted against the Arizona minimum wage measure but also opposes a clean minimum wage bill in the Senate.

Nov 16, 2006 blogaflcio.org

Dangerous drug given to wounded soldiers

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 05:17:00 +0000

BALTIMORE — A blood-coagulating drug designed to treat rare forms of hemophilia is being used on critically wounded U.S. troops in Iraq despite evidence it can cause clots that lead to strokes, heart attacks and death in other patients, The (Baltimore) Sun reported.

Recombinant Activated Factor VII, which is made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, is approved in the United States for treating forms of hemophilia that affect fewer than 3,000 Americans. It costs $6,000 a dose.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a warning last December that giving Factor VII to patients who don’t have the blood disorder could cause strokes and heart attacks. Its researchers published a study in January blaming 43 deaths on clots that developed after injections of Factor VII.

However, the Army medical command considers it a medical breakthrough that gives front-line physicians a way to control deadly bleeding. Physicians in Iraq have injected it into more than 1,000 patients, reported The Sun, which makes its first Sunday edition available Saturday afternoon.

“When it works, it’s amazing,” said Col. John B. Holcomb, an Army trauma surgeon and commander of the Army’s Institute of Surgical Research. “It’s one of the most useful new tools we have.”

Critics strongly disagree.

“It’s a completely irresponsible and inappropriate use of a very, very dangerous drug,” said Dr. Jawed Fareed, director of the hemostasis and thrombosis research program at Loyola University in Chicago and a specialist in blood-clotting and blood-thinning medications.

Military doctors said patients requiring transfusions of 10 or more units of blood have a 25 percent to 50 percent chance of dying from their injuries, and there is enough evidence of the drug’s effectiveness to continue promoting its use.

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bailey, a trauma surgeon deployed this summer as senior physician at the American military hospital in Balad, Iraq. “Patients who are hemorrhaging to death, they get the drug and it stops. Factor VII saves their lives.”

However, doctors at military hospitals in Germany and the United States have reported unusual and sometimes fatal blood clots in soldiers evacuated from Iraq, including unexplained strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in the lungs. And some have begun to suspect Factor VII, The Sun reported.

Contacted Saturday by The Associated Press, an Army spokeswoman, Mary Ann Hodges, declined to comment immediately on the report because she had not seen it.

Doctors say determining the precise cause of blood clots is rarely possible, making it difficult to establish definitively whether Factor VII is responsible for complications. And military doctors caution against drawing any conclusions from individual cases.

Officials at Novo Nordisk said complications don’t mean the drug is too dangerous to use.

“It’s really not a question of an absolute safety level, but rather a ratio of benefit to risk that has to be established,” said Dr. Michael Shalmi, vice president of biopharmaceuticals for Novo Nordisk.

“We’re making decisions, in the middle of a war, with the best information we have available to us,” said Holcomb at the Army’s Institute of Surgical Research.

Marketing of soda to school kids

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 05:13:00 +0000

Dear EarthTalk: The marketing of soda to school kids was a big item in the news this past year. What’s so bad about soda and where can I find healthier alternatives that still have the “fizz?”

Soft drinks can be found most anywhere in the world, but nowhere are they as ubiquitous as in the United States, where 450 different types are sold and more than 2.5 million vending machines dispense them around the clock, including in our schools. The American Beverage Association says that, in 2004, 28 percent of all beverages consumed in the U.S. were carbonated soft drinks.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises a 2,000 calorie-a-day limit as part of a healthy lifestyle, and no more than 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. However, between 1994 and 1996 Americans were averaging about 20.5 teaspoons a day, or 68.5 pounds of sugar a year. Over the past 16 years, the amount of sugar in American diets has increased by 28 percent, with about a third of it coming from soft drinks. A single 12-ounce can of soda has around 13 teaspoons of sugar, usually in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

Some nutritionists say that consuming high-fructose corn syrup causes weight gain by interfering with the body’s natural ability to suppress hunger feelings. Currently, 64.5 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight, 30.5 percent are obese and 4.7 percent are severely obese. According to Dr. Sonia Caprio, a Yale University professor of pediatric endocrinology, “The reality is that there is epidemiological work done in children as well as adults that links obesity and Type 2 diabetes with the consumption of sodas.” In response to such concerns, the nation’s largest beverage makers—including Cadbury Schweppes, Coke and Pepsi—agreed in May 2006 to halt nearly all soda sales in public schools. Beginning in 2009, elementary and middle schools will sell only water and juice (with no added sweeteners), plus fat-free and low-fat milk. High schools will sell water, juice, sports drinks and diet soda. Diet sodas use artificial sweeteners, which add little or no calories, though some, such as aspartame, have been embroiled in controversy for years over their questionable health benefits and even possible links to cancer.

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, lauded the move in a an appearance on The Early Show: “Soft drink companies have been marketing what we call liquid candy in high schools and some middle schools for many years now. It will be great to get rid of them.”

For those who can’t do without their soda pop, natural varieties are growing in popularity and can be found at most health food markets. Many use cane juice to sweeten, because it is less processed but has many of the nutrients found in sugar cane. Others add no sweetener and instead let the real fruit ingredients do the job. Popular brands include: Steaz, a less carbonated but flavorful drink available in eight flavors; R.W. Knudsen fruit spritzers, which contain only sparkling water and natural flavors and juices and come in 16 flavors; Santa Cruz Organic sodas, which taste like fresh fruit juice with light carbonation and are made with organic ingredients in 10 flavors; Izze, which offers seven flavors that contain 100 percent pure fruit juice and sparkling water; and WaNu beverages, which taste like slightly less carbonated mainstream sodas.

CONTACTS: American Beverage Association, www.ameribev.org; Center for Science in the Public Interest; www.cspinet.org/new/200605031.html.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

What is the most environmentally friendly way I can wash my car?

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:58:00 +0000

Dear EarthTalk: What is the most environmentally friendly way I can wash my car: doing it myself or going to the local car wash?

Few people realize that washing our cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally un-friendly chores we can do around the house. Unlike household waste water that enters sewers or septic systems and undergoes treatment before it is discharged into the environment, what runs off from your car goes right into storm drains—and eventually into rivers, streams, creeks and wetlands where it poisons aquatic life and wreaks other ecosystem havoc. After all, that water is loaded with a witch’s brew of gasoline, oil and residues from exhaust fumes—as well as the harsh detergents being used for the washing itself.

On the other hand, federal laws in both the U.S. and Canada require commercial carwash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into the great outdoors. And commercial car washes use computer controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps that minimize water usage. Many also recycle and re-use the rinse water.

The International Carwash Association, an industry group representing commercial car wash companies, reports that automatic car washes use less than half the water of even the most careful home car washer. According to one report, washing a car at home typically uses between 80 and 140 gallons of water, while a commercial car wash averages less than 45 gallons per car.

If you must wash your car at home, choose a biodegradable soap specifically formulated for automotive parts, such as Simple Green’s Car Wash or Gliptone’s Wash ‘n Glow. Or you can make your own biodegradable car wash by mixing one cup of liquid dishwashing detergent and ¾ cup of powdered laundry detergent (each should be chlorine- and phosphate-free and non-petroleum-based) with three gallons of water. This concentrate can then be used sparingly with water over exterior car surfaces.

Even when using green-friendly cleaners, it is better to avoid the driveway and instead wash your car on your lawn or over dirt so that the toxic waste water can be absorbed and neutralized in soil instead of flowing directly into storm drains or open water bodies. Also, try to sop up or disperse those sudsy puddles that remain after you’re done. They contain toxic residues and can tempt thirsty animals.

One way to avoid such problems altogether is to wash your car using any number of waterless formulas available, which are especially handy for spot cleaning and are applied via spray bottle and then wiped off with a cloth. Freedom Waterless Car Wash is a leading product in this growing field.

One last caution: Kids and parents planning a fundraising car wash event should know that they might be violating clean water laws if run-off is not contained and disposed of properly. Washington’s Puget Sound Carwash Association, for one, allows fund-raisers to sell tickets redeemable at local car washes, enabling the organizations to still make money while keeping dry and keeping local waterways clean.

CONTACTS: International Carwash Association, www.carcarecentral.com; Simple Green, www.simplegreen.com; Freedom Waterless Car Wash, www.freedomwaterlesscarwash.com; Puget Sound Carwash Association, www.charitycarwash.org.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

CARTOON

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 09:29:00 +0000

Stem cell amendment win provides lessons

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:59:00 +0000

Missouri voters narrowly approved Amendment 2, 51 percent to 49 percent, making Missouri the first state to amend its constitution to protect stem cell research and therapies allowed by federal law.

At issue was the use of embryonic stem cells (SC) in research and therapies. They provide great potential to treat many debilitating human diseases. Led by the nationwide anti-abortion forces of the Catholic Church, evangelical Protestants and the religious right, the opposition flooded the media with misinformation and distortion. Aiding was the PR firm Creative Response Concepts of Alexandria, Va., which helped defeat John Kerry in 2004 with the insidious Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign.

Both sides appealed to strong emotions. A dramatic television ad showed a weeping teenage girl who sold her eggs to pay for a college education, unaware, the ad said, that she might never be able to bear a child or “might even die.” Amendment 2 clearly outlaws gainful purchase or sale of eggs.

An equally dramatic TV ad, this one supporting Amendment 2, showed Michael J. Fox with obvious loss of muscle control from Parkinson’s disease. This fatal illness afflicts 2 percent of persons over 65. His presentation was cruelly ridiculed by Rush Limbaugh. Parkinson’s is caused by death of dopamine neurons in the brain and is expected to be one of the first diseases curable by embryonic SC.

Why Missouri? Funding for all biotech research in the state has been stalled for three years by the threat of anti-stem cell laws. For example, the 25 percent of the state’s tobacco-settlement money ($40 million) earmarked for life-science research in 2007 was spent elsewhere because of the battle over stem cells.

Opponents in the state’s Legislature vowed to criminalize the research if Amendment 2 failed. Thus, universities, health professionals, progressives and disabled citizens were joined by corporate interests, including major supporters of the Bush administration, who recognized that the failure of Amendment 2 would have a severe impact on the economy.

This was a split between business interests and fundamentalist religious groups. Business interests had used those religious groups to win past elections.

There were also opposing positions among progressive groups. The Green Party of St. Louis opposed Amendment 2. It feared that “low-income women of color would be targeted” for eggs, funds for low-income health care would be diverted, and “SC research would bankroll the biotechnology industry.” The Green Party has opposed biotech funds for genetic engineering in agriculture.

In contrast, the Two Rivers Greens, affiliated with the Green Party U.S. and the Progressive Party of Missouri, supported Amendment 2.

Many lessons can be drawn from this unusual campaign. First, we live in a capitalist economy. The driving force of production is profits. However, it does not follow that all production is destructive. Tobacco products and weapons production are destructive, but safety windshields and new medical treatments are beneficial. Good or bad, the blind forces of profit-potential dictate their development. Advances in science and technology can lead to great benefits for mankind; stem cell therapies are a good example.

Second, the contradictions between the means of production and the social relations of production tend to become more extreme with the increased complexities introduced into production by new technologies. Stem cell therapies may eradicate some fatal diseases and extend lifetimes. However, this will increase the need for an adequate health industry, which is already grossly inadequate. The battle to save Social Security and Medicare will become more intense with a burgeoning older population.

Third, progressives should support what can benefit society from new technologies. Amendment 2 carefully guards against exploiting women or cloning humans, but problems, such as benefits being restricted to the wealthy or efforts to exploit women, will persist in a profit-driven economy. However, we cannot base our judgment on these anticipated conflicts.

Finally, in many campaigns there will be diverse social and political crosscurrents of support and opposition. Resulting collaborations provide an opportunity to educate people that the basic solution for eliminating the destructive societal forces is to transform the economic system to one that is based on production for beneficial use rather than for profits.

David Kennell (kennell @ borcim.wustl.edu ) is professor emeritus of molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis.

THIS WEEK IN LABOR

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:56:00 +0000

Postal workers protest service cuts

Bundled up in winter coats and hats, Postal Workers and supporters marched outside the downtown Minneapolis post office on Nov. 2 to protest plans to close several facilities and reduce service. The demonstration was one of several nationwide as details of Postal Service consolidation proposals became public.

Closures are driven by demands from large corporate mailers who presort their ads. They want lower rates at the expense of residential and small businesses customers, Jerry Sirois, Postal Workers’ Minneapolis local president said.

If the plan is implemented, it would gut and consolidate nearly 140 postal facilities across the country, said Sirois, moving operations far from the communities they serve — in some cases more than 100 miles.

With the main post offices of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Mankato closed, operations would be consolidated at one facility in suburban Eagan, the American Postal Workers Union said. The results nationwide, APWU adds, would be delays in service, with mail that used to be delivered in two or three days taking five or six days.

— Barbara Kucera, Workday Minnesota

Raytheon machinists on strike

Raytheon demands that workers shoulder more of their health care costs and that new workers not get traditional guaranteed pensions forced 1,900 workers, represented by Machinists Local Lodge 933, to strike the firm’s Tucson, Ariz., missile systems plant Nov. 6.

The strike, approved in a mass meeting that drew more than 1,000 workers, came after the profitable munitions maker refused to budge in lengthy talks with the union.

IAM noted that, thanks to government defense contracts, Raytheon’s second-quarter profits rose by 54 percent in 2006 compared to 2005. Raytheon announced a 41 percent increase in earnings per share.

“We are disappointed that Raytheon would choose to reap huge profits from the war effort, and then attack their workers,” said Bobby Martinez, Local 933’s directing business representative. “Many of our members haven’t had a raise in six years.”

Minnesota Legislature goes union

At the opening session of the Minnesota Legislature next year, one of every six lawmakers will be unionists.

The new DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) unionist lawmakers in the State Capitol in St. Paul include 20 teachers, members of Education Minnesota, the joint AFT-NEA affiliate in the state.

Those teachers are joined by, among others, Erin Murphy, director of the Minnesota Nurses Association and Tom Anzelc, former legislative lobbyist for the Laborers.

And new U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (DFL), a high school teacher and Education Minnesota member from Mankato, beat incumbent Gil Gutknecht (R) in the 1st District that stretches across the state’s southern tier of agricultural counties.

Unionists from both AFL-CIO and Change to Win locals “placed more than 1 million phone calls, distributed over a half-million work site flyers and knocked on thousands of doors to help take back the Minnesota House and the U.S. House,” state AFL-CIO President Ray Waldron said.

“Our challenge will be to make sure these new majorities produce gains for working families on the issues we care about: jobs, education, health care and transportation.”

SEIU kicks off 2008 campaign

No sooner was the 2006 election over and done with than the Service Employees, with more than 1.4 million members, said they would start organizing for 2008’s presidential race.

“This campaign will be our largest effort ever to elect a president who puts working families first,” said Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. She said her union’s members would educate voters about working family issues — and which candidates stand up for them.

Burger also set goals of surpassing SEIU’s 2004 effort, when it was still in the AFL-CIO. That year, its members made 7 million phone calls, knocked on 10 million doors and distributed 6 million worksite fliers, she said. That year, SEIU first backed former Gov. Howard Dean (D-Vt.) after interviewing him in a series of worker forums. Burger said SEIU would host similar forums leading up to the 2008 race.

Steelworkers file NAFTA complaint against Mexico

The government of Mexico violated the NAFTA labor side agreement when it removed the leader of the National Mineworkers Union from office, the United Steelworkers charged Nov. 8. The USW has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation, accusing Mexican labor authorities of violating both Mexican and international law when they withdrew legal recognition from Mexican union leader Napoleon Gomez Urrutia last February.

The USW signed a solidarity pact with Mexico’s Mineworkers in 2004. In 2005 the Mexican union supported a strike by Arizona copper miners against Grupo Minero Mexico, a Mexican multinational corporation.

USW President Leo Gerard vowed that the Steelworkers and the international labor movement would continue to put pressure on Mexico’s incoming president Felipe Calderon to respect international labor law and end interference in the Mineworkers union.

This Week in Labor is compiled by Roberta Wood (rwood @ pww.org). Press Associates Inc. contributed.

Workers Correspondence

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:20:00 +0000

Contract gains for New York teachers

In November 2005 New York City’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) ratified a contract that contained a number of givebacks to the city. These included a longer workday, a longer work year and the loss of certain grievance rights. The contract aroused deep opposition among the membership and demoralized many workers.

In the year since, the UFT has made several changes in its contract strategy. The leadership set up a 300-member negotiating committee that included many school-based members and representatives of several opposition caucuses in the union. Over the summer, the UFT was the driving force behind the formation of a municipal labor coalition.

By the fall, the coalition had formulated its proposals and decided to designate the UFT as a lead union in citywide negotiations. The two sides announced a tentative agreement Nov. 6, eleven months before the expiration of the current contract.

Though the proposed agreement does not get back any of the concession made last year, there are some solid points won by the union. The contract will run for two years, during which time the top teacher salary will pass $100,000 for the first time. All members will receive a 7.1 percent salary increase.

The city will make a $750 one-time lump sum payment that is pensionable on Jan. 2, 2007.

The union won a new five-year longevity increase in 2008; the first longevity increase is now 10 years. An important guarantee covers those workers charged with corporal punishment or verbal abuse. The new agreement reads, “If accusations ... are not substantiated, all records relating to these accusations will be immediately expunged from the employee’s personal file.”

Some members of the UFT are willing to support the agreement even though there have been no changes in the givebacks lost in 2005 if the UFT commits itself to organizing and mobilizing the membership between now and 2009, when the proposed contract ends, to win a strong contract. People feel that the union has gone backward long enough and that the time has come to move forward again.

— David Cavendish

David Cavendish is a New York City teacher and a UFT activist.

Right wing ousted in Arkansas

Voters here delivered a resounding defeat for the GOP on Nov. 7. In the state House of Representatives, Democrats now have a 99-36 majority. One of the biggest state House victories was Rep. Lindsley Smith’s re-election in Fayetteville’s District 92. Smith handily defeated her Republican challenger in a 72 percent landslide. Cephus Richard II, the GOP nominee, criticized Smith for her efforts to add sexual orientation to the list of characteristics protected under Arkansas’ civil rights law. Smith went on the offensive and answered Richard by saying she was “against discrimination,” and that she “would vote the same way again.”

A key part of Smith’s victory was the support of AFSCME Local 965 which represents the workers at the University of Arkansas, where Smith is an assistant professor. Members of Local 965 have been hitting the streets knocking on doors and making phone calls for weeks to turn out the vote.

Ending 10 years of GOP domination of the governor’s mansion, Democratic Attorney General Mike Beebe defeated Asa Hutchinson, Bush’s undersecretary for homeland security. Beebe took 56 percent of the vote in a four-candidate race.

An election-eve visit by President Bush seems to have only doomed Republican candidates even further as trends suggest Arkansas voters are increasingly questioning the Iraq war.

Ultra-conservative state Sen. Jim Holt was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor against Bill Halter, a former Clinton administration official. Holt’s campaign focused almost exclusively on his reactionary positions on such issues as abortion rights, immigrants and gay marriage. Holt said that a proposal to raise the state minimum wage to $7.25 amounted to “socialism.” Holt lost by more than 100,000 votes.

When results started coming in on election night, union member Fillan Ferguson-Rivers said, “I am feeling as if I have just awakened from a six-year nightmare.” Ferguson-Rivers, who is a university staff person and a sociology grad student, continued, “Finally, the American electorate has begun to impose some checks on our government.”

Another big boost to turnout in the district was a pre-election rally for peace held just two days before the polls opened. A coalition of peace activists, student groups, churches and political parties organized a demonstration under the slogan “March for Change, Vote for Peace,” which brought out hundreds to rally at City Hall. Though most in attendance were not fans of some of Arkansas’ conservative Democrats, there was widespread agreement on the need to defeat the most right-wing Republican candidates.

— C.J. Atkins, Fayetteville, Ark.

C.J. Atkins is a member of AFSCME Local 965.

Texans were great

I worked as an elections clerk Election Day. It was a busy day, and very rewarding. Two little old ladies came to vote. One was born in 1914 and the other in 1925.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry squeezed back in for another term with just 39 percent of the vote. Chris Bell, the Democratic candidate, had 30 percent, and the two other independents had 18 percent and 12 percent. Polls suggest Bell could possibly have won if the vote had not been split. He is a wonderful man and labor really tried to help him win.

We had the usual block walks, phone committees, rallies, etc.

The outcome in Texas was different because Democrats lacked the financial resources to run expensive commercials about national issues, said Perry’s pollster.

Democratic consultant Glenna Smith, who has run two previous gubernatorial campaigns, said the election results show Texans are tired of Republican governance. Democrat Nick Lampson won the bitter race to succeed former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The 22nd CD was one of the most competitive House races in the country, as the GOP waged a last-minute battle to hold the seat in the Republican-leaning district after DeLay resigned from Congress.

While officiating, I just teared up watching these majestic old Texas women exercise their right. As they left with the great granddaughter of the oldest woman, the other clerks and I wept with respect and admiration.

— Pat Burnham, Houston

Pat Burnham is an IBEW member in Houston

WORLD NOTES

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:10:00 +0000

Philippines: Labor group protests repression

On Nov. 6 the Philippine labor confederation Kilusang Mayo Uno filed a complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s government with the UN International Labor Organization. Citing violations of freedom of association and the right to organize, it noted that during five years of Arroyo’s presidency “we have seen a tremendous increase in trade union and human rights violations.”

“Sixty-four trade union leaders, members or supporters have been killed,” the labor group said. “Most of them were KMU members.” The petition also noted a total of 770 political killings in the Philippines during the same period.

KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod sees “a deliberate policy to prevent the workers’ from assessing their rights and fighting for better wages.”

South Africa: UN links water shortages to inequality

“Dripping taps in rich countries lose more water than is available each day to more than 1 billion people, ” reads a report issued Nov. 9 in Cape Town by the UN Development Program. The report goes on to summarize stark human inequalities, such as the fact that 500 people possess more money than do the world’s 416 million poorest people. The report, titled “Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis,” focuses on the skewed distribution of water. Accessible at www.undp.org.tr, it demonstrates that 1.1 billion people — two-thirds of them earning less than $2 a day — drink unclean water and 2.6 billion lack toilet facilities. The result is diarrheal disease, which annually kills 1.8 million of the world’s children. A reporter interviewed a resident of Foreman, outside Durban. There, “8,000 people make do with two water pipes and two sets of latrines for men and women respectively.”

Mexico: Victory for same-sex couples

In a victory for equal rights, Mexico City’s Legislative Assembly overwhelmingly approved a law that will extend legal recognition to same-sex couples.

The legislature, in a 43-17 vote, approved the law Nov. 9. Five deputies abstained. The law, championed by the left-wing Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) which governs Mexico City, will provide same-sex couples with the same legal status and rights as opposite-sex couples.

According to PRD deputy Victor Hugo Cirigo, the new law “is a great achievement for the struggle to construct an inclusive society that respects the freedom of their members to be who they are, without stigmatization, rejection or exclusion.”

Alejandro Encinas, Mexico City’s governor, has 10 days to approve the law or recommend modifications. Encinas, a member of the PRD, is expected to approve the law.

The right-wing National Action Party vowed to challenge the equality law before Mexico’s Supreme Court.

Julio Roman and Edgar Cortes, presidents of the Foundation for Support for Sexual Diversity and the Lesbian and Gay Collective, respectively, said the new law will benefit nearly 700,000 gays and lesbians in Mexico City who are in the closet because they fear discrimination or persecution on the job, at school or in civic life.

Austria: World unionists join forces

A major transition among world labor groups unfolded in Vienna on Nov. 1 as the newly formed International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) gathered for its inaugural session. The day before, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labor, meeting separately, were dissolved. Unions affiliated with each group came together in an organization that now represents 166 million workers and 309 affiliated unions from 156 countries.

Eight national union organizations without previous international affiliations also joined the ITUC. According to reports on the ICFTU and LabourStart web sites, speakers invoked the ravages of corporate globalization as the rationale for the formation of a new organization to defend workers’ rights.

Guy Ryder, former ICFTU general secretary, was elected to the same post with the ITUC.

Japan: Big turnout for left-wing festival

Over 200,000 people participated in the 39th annual Akahata Festival, named after the million-plus circulation newspaper of the Japanese Communist Party, on Nov. 3-5 in Tokyo.

Activities included concerts featuring rock bands and folk musicians, dancing, exhibits, open-air theater, storytelling, comedy sketches, sports competitions, board games and film showings, in addition to speeches and lectures by activists in the JCP.

A major theme this year was the nationwide battle to protect Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which bans the country from developing the capacity to wage war abroad. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo sharply criticized Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s willingness to bow to U.S. pressures to make such a change.

“Article 9 is a treasure of the Japanese people and the common asset of all Asian peoples,” he said.

During the festival 142 people joined the JCP, including large numbers of young people. One new member from Yamanshai Prefecture said, “I want to change this society in which life hinges on money.”

World Notes are compiled by W.T. Whitney Jr. (atwhit @ megalink.net). Tim Pelzer contributed.

UN condemns U.S. blockade of Cuba, again

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:07:00 +0000

In what has become an annual exercise, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution Nov. 8 censuring the U.S. blockade of Cuba. This year the resolution, introduced by Cuba, won the support of 183 nations — a new high — with only four opposing votes: the United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands and Palau. Micronesia abstained.

Every year since 1994, more than 100 nations have voted to condemn the U.S. blockade. Since 2000, the number has reached more than 167. In 15 years, the U.S. has never gotten more than three other countries to join it in opposing the resolution.

Before the vote, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Ronald Godard told the General Assembly, “We maintain this embargo to demonstrate our continuing call for economic and political freedom for all Cubans.” In a striking show of disbelief, the Assembly delegates burst forth with loud applause when the final vote tally flashed on the UN tabulation screen.

The Bush administration this year earned one other defeat on Cuba. Prior to the voting on the resolution, the right-wing Australian government dutifully introduced a motion calling upon the Assembly to add a U.S.-devised amendment to Cuba’s resolution, referring to “valid concerns about the continued lack of democracy and political freedom in Cuba” and calling upon Cuba to “respect human rights.”

That maneuver, aimed at diverting attention from the worldwide rejection of the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, failed by a vote of 126-51. Of the 126 negative votes, 115 came from members of the Non-Aligned Movement. And Australia went on to vote in favor of the Cuban anti-blockade resolution.

Afterward, Cuban spokespersons said the U.S. had used pressure, threats and even blackmail in a campaign to secure friendly votes, urging delegates, if necessary, to abstain or be absent from the voting. The Ivorian delegate, for example, bowing to U.S. threats to veto the continuing presence of UN peacekeeping troops in Côte d’Ivoire, was away from his desk when the Cuba vote was called.

Speaking on Cuban television the next day, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque lauded the UN vote as recognition of the Cuban people’s steadfastness and of the “moral authority and prestige of Cuba and the accomplishments of its revolution.” He saw the result as gratitude for Cuba’s “internationalism and willingness to share what it has with other countries.”

He added, “The support and solidarity shown our country was impressive. Representatives from many delegations came to congratulate us.”

In an earlier speech before the UN vote, the Cuban foreign minister emphasized the negative aspects of the U.S. application of the blockade to other countries who wish to pursue economic relations with Cuba, and restrictions placed on imports of food and medicines. The U.S. purpose, he contended, has long been “to break us through hunger and disease.” He condemned U.S. policies as genocidal and as violations of international law.

Perez Roque’s speech is noteworthy for its review of Bush administration schemes to recover U.S. control over the island, as manifested by plans released in May 2004 and again last July. He also reviewed Cuba’s record of solidarity, particularly medical support, for the peoples of the world. The speech is available at www.granma.cu/ingles/2006/noviembre.

Reflecting upon Cuban successes, Perez Roque reminded the Assembly delegates “and particularly the U.S. delegation” of the words of Cuba’s national hero Jose Marti: “Trenches of ideas are worth more than trenches of stone.” Said Perez Roque, “It is those trenches of ideas that have made the noble, generous and heroic people that I represent here invincible.”

atwhit @ megalink.net

Sanders win highlights independent politics

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:57:00 +0000

News Analysis

BURLINGTON, Vt. — When Bernie Sanders, the eight-term independent congressman and self-described “democratic socialist” from Vermont, swept to victory in the race for U.S. Senate last week, it was the culmination of 30 years’ work building an independent political base.

That his victory was accomplished with the full support of the Democratic Party shows just how powerful that base has become.

When Sen. Jim Jeffords announced his retirement last year there was never any doubt that Vermonters expected Sanders to take his place and become their voice in the fight against the anti-worker, pro-corporate and pro-war policies of George W. Bush.

Sanders first became involved politically as the candidate of the Vermont Liberty Union party for Senate and the governor’s office in the seventies. When he was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 (by 10 votes) as an independent, it was considered a fluke by traditional politicians. In fact, it was the result of a grassroots organizing campaign by working class, student and left voters who had come together in the Burlington Progressive Coalition.

After Sanders’ four terms as mayor, the political scene in Burlington was transformed, with independents, socialists, environmentalists, women’s rights and civil rights advocates showing what could be done when government was directed at meeting the needs of working people and their families instead of catering to the rich and powerful.

In 1988, Sanders ran for Congress and came in second in a three-way race, with a 2 percent margin between him and the eventual victor. Two years later, after more grassroots organizing, he won and has been there ever since.

Most importantly, Sanders has been effective. He has built alliances on issues that include both Democrats and Republicans, and no other congressperson has passed so many roll-call amendments, amendments that are actually voted upon. He is one of the founders of the House Progressive Caucus and its first chair.

Sanders’ winning formula is always the same: hundreds of volunteers, meetings with panels of local activists in town halls and church basements, and a straightforward commitment to the needs of working Vermonters.

His campaign says his volunteers knocked on 70,000 doors in the last six months, and he drew support from all sectors of the population, especially working people and farmers who have traditionally voted Republican.

While he got almost two-thirds of the vote for the Senate, a landslide, the Democrat running for Congress got just over 50 percent, and Republicans won every other contested statewide office.

The political independence that Sanders represents is more than the career of one man. The current mayor of Burlington, Bob Kiss, is the city’s third Progressive mayor. (Progressives have held the office for all but two of the last 27 years.) The Progressive Coalition, and now Progressive Party, have elected city councilors and maintained a working majority for most of that time. And Sanders’ campaigns have inspired many other grassroots activists to run for office.

In 1999, the Vermont Progressive Party was born. While Sanders is not officially part of the VPP, there is no doubt that his successes convinced many that an alternative to the political parties of big business was possible. In three elections, Progressives went from two Burlington seats to six seats from around the state, half of which are from rural, formerly Republican districts.

Sanders showed that if you talk to working people about the issues that matter to them, and stand up for them despite the pressure from corporate interests, they will vote for independents or Progressives.

This point has not been lost on the two major parties. The Democratic Party, which had opposed Sanders until they gave up running candidates against him as a waste of time, enthusiastically supported his candidacy this year. In fact, they let him win their primary and then decline their nomination so he could continue to run as an Independent.

This shift reflected both the fact that political leaders like Sen. Patrick Leahy and former Gov. Howard Dean realized that unity against the Bush administration was the first priority, as well as a recognition that Vermonters would accept nothing less than an independent voice against the war in Iraq and the pro-corporate policies that have dominated Washington for so long.

Several Democratic legislators have moved to the left because they see that voters will support such policies, and the Progressive Party is gaining strength and support around the state. The movement towards political independence of working Vermonters, family farmers, even small business people, continues to broaden and gain strength.

Drive with style

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:35:00 +0000

Santa Claus stops by early

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:25:00 +0000

Already, the PWW’s friends have raised over $100,000 in this year’s fund drive, attaining half of the $200,000 goal earlier than expected.

“Each week brings us a step closer to 100 percent of our goal,” said Pam Saffer, who is coordinating the PWW’s fundraising efforts this year. “We’re looking forward to reaching our national goal in the next six weeks.”

Contributions have ranged from $1 sent in by a prisoner who reads the paper and passes it around to his friends, all the way up to $5,000.

“Contributions of any amount count,” Saffer said.

The state where readers have given the most so far is New York, where the PWW’s friends have raised $20,000, more than 50 percent of their $39,000 goal. The second highest group is the Northern California friends, who have turned in well over $14,000, or 71 percent of their goal.

On top of that, several districts have far surpassed the 50 percent mark. The Central and Southern Minnesota Friends of the PWW have already raised 90 percent of their goal, for example. George W. Bush’s home state, Texas, has proven that its residents are willing to fight the Bush agenda: they’ve raised $2,040, or 82 percent of their goal.

The People’s Weekly World’s editorial board is extending special congratulations to New Mexico’s Friends of the PWW. That state has become the first in the nation to complete their goal. To fulfill their goal, the PWW’s New Mexico friends sent in a $600 check, with a note attached: “More to come.”

Apparently, Santa Claus, in the form of the PWW’s readers and friends, is planning to return again.

dmargolis @ pww.org

PWW election coverage shines

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:22:00 +0000

Sometimes you have to blow your own horn so people know about your accomplishments. This is one of those times.

I can say — unabashedly — that the People’s Weekly World played an outstanding role in informing and activating readers around the midterm elections. Going through the archives, it’s amazing to see how many stories were right on target:

• Jan. 7: “A resolution for 2006: Take back Congress”

• Feb. 25: “Wave of voter outrage could swamp Republicans”

• March 11: “S. Dakota passes anti-woman law”

• April 1: “Republican voters jumping ship on Iraq occupation”

• April 15: “Today we march, tomorrow we vote”

• May 6: “Senate Republicans feel street heat”

• June 10: “Campaigns to raise the minimum wage sweep the country”

• July 29: “Despite stem cell veto, scientists and patients fight on”

• Aug. 5: “GOPers back Democrat for Congress”

• Sept. 2: “Labor’s election plan: Turn up the turnout!”

• Sept. 16: “Black Caucus: End war, rebuild New Orleans, vote Nov. 7”

• Sept. 16: “Latino leaders push voter turnout”

• Sept. 30: “Take Back Ohio’ moves to high gear”

• Oct. 7: “Flood of sleaze engulfs GOP”

• Oct. 21: “It’s about ‘turnout, turnout, turnout’”

• Oct. 28: “Voter revolt could topple GOP”

The question for you is a simple one. What would be the impact on the country’s political struggles if the People’s Weekly World had a larger readership?

You can help answer that question by donating to the annual fund drive. By reaching $200,000, the People’s Weekly World can increase its readership and influence and continue its unique and insightful coverage. If you have already given, thank you. I hope you will give again. If you haven’t yet given, I hope you will consider doing so today.

The sample of headlines shows our unique emphasis on issues moving the public, the role of labor, African Americans, Latinos and women as key electoral forces, plus, with our writers being in the midst of the struggle against the ultra-right, all of this puts the People’s Weekly World far ahead of the curve in news and analysis.

This is the kind of tuned-in newspaper our country needs to guarantee that the victory at the polls is turned into real life improvements for working families and children. Please make a donation of $1,000 $500, $100, $50, $25 or what you can afford. You will help build momentum for more victories and bring us into 2007 on fighting footing.

talbano @ pww.org

CARTOON

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:59:00 +0000

BOOK REVIEW: Railroading Economics examines the mythology of the market

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:58:00 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Conservative laissez-faire economists argue that an economy governed by private ownership and competition, untainted by government intervention, is the best way to run an economy. However, California State University economics professor Michael Perelman, in his penetrating “Railroading Economics,” demonstrates that in the United States, business and government long ago rejected the laissez-faire model.

In the late 19th century, intense competition, rapid technological innovation and falling prices led to economic downturns, bankruptcies, falling profits and wages, and widespread human suffering. This pattern characterized the railroad industry, for example, where wild expansion, fueled by cutthroat competition, led to chaos, overbuilding and bankruptcies.

In manufacturing, competition frequently resulted in prices falling below production costs. It also resulted in “overproduction,” a glut of unsold goods. As a result, some economists argued for protectionism, limits on competition and the formation of cartels and monopolies to impose order on the market. They identified competition “as a source of inefficiency.”

Early U.S. capitalists such as J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford also distrusted free-wheeling competition, believing it led to chaos. They set up monopolies and cartels to limit competition. Perelman says that a similar process occurred in countries like Japan and Germany.

But forming monopolies didn’t put an end to the business cycle, as the Great Depression of 1929 made plain. Perelman argues it was only the surge in economic demand and the increased role of government economic planning associated with World War II that pulled the capitalist economy out of its crisis in the 1930s.

In order to avoid sliding back into another depression in the post-war years, many business leaders lobbied for continued government economic planning and intervention in the economy. They ultimately won the day. Unbridled competition became a thing of the past.

Contrary to what mainstream laissez-faire economic theory says, what prevails in the U.S. is a form of regulated capitalism. “What prevents the economy from running off the rails every few decades is a combination of government regulation and anti-competitive behavior on the part of business,” says Perelman.

As a result of this contradiction, he wryly notes, mainstream economic theory is littered with abstract mathematical theories and technical jargon that do not reflect the real world. Moreover, he says, “[s]ucceeding as an economist requires one to write in such a way that even most economists are incapable of understanding.”

Conventional laissez-faire economics is divorced from reality, “a pseudo-science that stands in the way of human betterment.”

“Railroading Economics” is valuable not only for its insightful account of U.S. economic history and its critique of mainstream economic theory, but also for its analysis of the current U.S. economy.

Perelman argues that overpaid lawyers and investment bankers dominate the American corporate elite. Over the years, he says, they have wasted billions of dollars on corporate takeovers and shutting down productive plants instead of encouraging productive investments. Due to shareholders’ demands for high dividends, a short-term investment mentality dominates corporate managers, making long-term productive investments nearly impossible.

As a result, “increasingly fewer people in the U.S. perform work that results in useful goods and services,” and many U.S. corporations now function more like banks than producers of real goods. In fact, the huge stock market is a reflection of U.S. economic decline, as investors who see little to gain from productive investment turn to speculation.

Perelman foresees a bleak future for the U.S. if it continues on the same path.

Perelman has a clear, understandable writing style that makes the work accessible to all. “Railroading Economics” is an impressive critique of the mythology of the free market.

Railroading Economics: The Creation of the Free Market Mythology

By Michael Perelman

Monthly Review Press, 2006

Softcover, 238 pp., $20