Good work. Now put your boots back on. « Fred Klonsky

Good work. Now put your boots back on. « Fred Klonsky:

Good work. Now put your boots back on.

by Fred Klonsky

Representative Elaine Nekritz and Senator Dan Biss. Separated at birth. With apologies to Harpo.
Last night and this morning the news reports were all about the failed opportunity to fix the Illinois pension system.
They still don’t get it.
Fixing the pension system was never on the legislative agenda.
There is only one problem with the state public employee pension systems in Illinois: The political leaders refuse to raise enough tax money from their deep pocketed sponsors to pay their bills.
Hey. Springfield political reporters. Repeat after me: It is a revenue

Karen Lewis is under attack. But do you agree with her?

by Fred Klonsky

Chicago Teachers Union is under attack from the right wing again. But isn’t that where a real union leader should be?
At this very moment I still believe there is one party in this country — that is, the party of money, with two branches. Do not think for a minute that the wealthy are ever going to allow you to legislate their riches away from them. Please understand that. However, we are in a moment where the wealth disparity in this country is very reminiscent of the robber baron ages. The labor leaders of that time, though, were ready to kill. They were. They were just — off with their heads. They were seriously talking about that. I don’t think we’re at that point.The key is that they think nothing of killing us. They think nothing about putting us in harm’s way. They think nothing about lethal working conditions.
-CTU President Karen Lewis.