#OWS

 Funny how Police have little problem arresting Occupy Wall Street Protesters, when you consider the Protesters are taking action on their behalf, as well as others of course.

   The Protesters seek a fair distribution of wealth, as in, Big Business pay your fair share.  Which can be directly traced to Police pay and benefits.  When Big Business pays its fair share, Police get the pay they deserve. More pay less worry. The less you pay the more the Police and their families suffer.  Freezes in hiring, elimination of overtime, cuts in their benefits and retirement.  The "Thin Blue Line" gets even thinner.  How safe are our streets then?

   When the Police kowtow to Rich people who think they're superior and above the Law it gives the impression of a Puppet Master pulling strings, or a Rich guy with pockets bloated with cash holding a sign that reads, "You don't get your scraps unless you do what WE say"! Looking at it as a matter of self interest, the Police are protecting the wrong people, merely because they hold the purse strings.

   The solution becomes very simple.  The Police are on the wrong side of the picket line.  Which begs the question, How long until they figure this out, or have they already?  If that's the case, I have to ask, will they cross the line and stand with the people and not the Corporations? How long before enough is enough?  What will it take for them to stand with their friends, family, and neighbors?  The family next door, the girl across the hall, their sons and daughters?

   How does one choose the side that won't let you into their neighborhood or building, unless you're wearing you're uniform, over the people you live with?

Bridges Tunnels and Roads, Oh My!

  I have said it before many, many times. And I'm not the only one.   Federal stimulus is needed to repair roads and bridges across this Nation.  I have driven extensively across America and have witnessed first hand the disrepair of our Nations infrastructure.

  I'm not saying I've been everywhere in this Country, or on every road and bridge but I don't have to.
You don't have to go far from home, no matter where you live, to see pot holes in roads and concrete crumbling on bridges and overpasses.  Eight years ago it was suggested to stimulate a sluggish economy.  Four years ago it was pleaded for by many as a means to kick start a recovery from  "The Great Recession".

  It should not take a bridge collapse like the one in Washington state to get Congress and the President talking about it again.  And it doesn't seem that is has!  The only people talking about it are the Press, Media, and working folks like you and me.  Everyone but the the proper authorities.

  It is very simple math, safe roads benefit everyone and come with no disadvantages.  Safe roads keep the American traveler safe, increase interstate commerce, and provide for the "General Welfare of the People."  Which is a term expressed many times by our founding fathers over two hundred years ago.

  So no matter what your political affiliation, you can not argue that the "General Welfare of the People" has, and always should be, at the forefront of everything this Country stands for.

  Federal stimulus for roads, tunnels and bridges has been a tried and tested means of economic stimulus.  And it remains that way even today.
 

The Tragic Events in West Texas

  Tragically the West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion has become a model example for what can happen if the Republican lead Congress succeed in their De-regulation Agenda.  It also points out the desperate need our Nation and our Economy has for strong united Unions.

  Unions have done more to limit dangers in our work place, and ensure work place safety for all Americans through Education and Legislation. 

  It is impossible to count the number of workers alive today thanks to the diligence of Unions.

  I understand a statement like this is easily dismissed, but before you do, ask yourself, would you rather have an actual number of workers who's lives were not saved, like in West Texas?  

The Part They Left Out of Falling Unemployment Benefit Applications

  As news of falling unemployment benefit applications begin to fan the embers of economic recovery, it's important to note that some of those numbers are people giving up on a system that has failed them.

  Some find jobs, low wage, part time work.  Which makes them ineligible for further unemployment benefits.  After a time they are laid off and have to re apply.  Going through the entire process of proving their eligibility all over again.

  The ones who don't find work are subject to repeated call backs to come in to unemployment to verify and re verify then verify some more, only to find out they are not getting a check because the 'hand off' of paperwork was missed by someone.  And you have to go back in to prove it wasn't your fault.  Then wait another week for a check you should have gotten this week.

  But it's okay. It's only money, right?  (Sarcasm) What is important to remember is, to just keep quiet, do what the people with all the money tell you to do, and be grateful for the crumbs they throw you.  After all we got Obamacare. (More Sarcasm)

  Yes people are finding jobs, but not the jobs of yesteryear.  Not even close.  Hundreds of applicants line up for the same job.  In many cases a job that does not offer enough to dig ourselves out of the debt we have unwillingly accumulated since the "Great Recession".  Yup they are officially calling it the Great Recession.

  Are unemployment benefit applications going down because our economy is recovering?  Yes I guess they are.  But it's also because people are walking away.  They're tired, worn down, and beaten.  Is it okay tor Society to sweep these people under the rug?  I don't think so.

  Some...feels like most actually, see them as bums or panhandlers.  When in fact they are the ones who have done everything asked of them, just like you and me.  And when they asked their elected officials to do something for them, those same officials were to busy arguing over who is to blame.

  To say giving up and walking away is not accurate.  It makes them sound like they had a choice, when in fact they did not.  I don't know of a way to accurately describe what happened to these people.  It's like trying to bale out a sinking boat with bucket riddled with holes.  Eventually you sink.

  The people we chose to send to Washington to run things are doing the exact opposite.  They are doing nothing.  If they had to enter the work force like the rest of us, they wouldn't be employed long with that kind of work ethic.

Paths

 
The first time I visited my family in Ireland, my cousin took me to a harsh and rugged piece of land that didn't seem capable of supporting human life . It was the home of my Grandfather, or at least the area where he was born and raised, and it was the most beautiful vista I had ever laid eyes on.

   It was both inhospitable and magnificent.  I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of gorgeous vistas, but none compared to that one.  My cousin then ask me, "Billy, did you ever imagine that you would be standing right here where it all started for us"?  He said "this is the land where all McLaughlins came from.  This is where our blood line goes back to a time even before last names were used".  I was so moved that I didn't realize I was speaking, and was surprised when I heard the word "No" come out of my mouth.

    I guess this snapped me out of what ever shock I was in, because I began to tell him I never expected to be anywhere.  I never thought in a million years I would have what I have, a home, a family, anything.  I always thought I would grow up and live on the same street, in the same city I was born in.  I never expected to have a wonderful wife, three amazing children, and a bevy of beautiful grandchildren.

   Our home is no Palace by any means but it is my Castle, and that's enough for me.  But that's what can happen in America. At least the America I grew up in.  A boy with very little education, no connections, and even less money can make a place for himself.  This is probably the main thing that separates us from the rest of the world.  It can not be done without work and for that we need jobs. Good jobs, with good benefits and the chance for advancement.

   This is something we are sorely lacking now a days.  This is why my Grandfather came to America.  When I was in Ireland, I walked along an old path that lead from the sea to the main town.  The English paid my Grandfather to take stones from the pebble beach and spread them out on that path, paving the road all the way to town.  Every day he would shovel stones into a 4 foot by 4 foot donkey cart and shovel it back out onto the path. And when he was done it needed replenishing, and he would start all over.  If he missed a day, he would be replaced, and lose that job.

    I look at Companies in America today and I see the same mentality my Grandfather wished to escape.  My Grandfather grew up in a world where his religion, culture and language were illegal, and work was a privilege, so you'd better be grateful for what you got.

    Congratulations Corporate America, you have guided us directly onto the path that caused the collapse of the British Empire.

The Right to Complain

   I can not believe the level of hatred and bigotry in this country.  While reading the business and economic news from various periodicals, I also look through the comments section per chance to find an intelligent and viable idea on how we as a Nation might proceed, to fix our woes and spur growth to create jobs.  Which are desperately needed.

   I usually find the same old blame game with some bright ideas sprinkled here and there.  But lately it's all been acrid slander spilling onto the page before me as if everybody at the party decided to vomit all at the same time.

   When did we become a Nation of complainers?  I understand the value of complaining.  Everyone needs something to complain about.  It's the natural order of things.  It helps to relieve stress when we're frustrated, angry and sometimes it's even helpful when we are bored.  You know, spices things up a bit.  But this is getting out of  control.  It's all the time.  Everyone is complaining and no one is doing anything about it.
There has to be a balance.  And the tone of complaining is astounding.  Vile, irreverent hatred coming from everywhere.

   It's often said that we have a right to complain.  If no one complained, we never would have had the American Revolution.  But to complain without action is fruitless.  By action I mean positive progressive steps forward.  Not holding our breath, stomping our feet, or even worse, do what ever it takes to get our way no matter who gets hurt.  Because I'm here to tell you,  complaining combined with negative hurtful actions is a cocktail for disaster.  I've seen the results of that for myself.  We all have.

   In the early hours of September 11th 2001 some 3000 people died in an hour and forty five minutes because of such a cocktail of closed minded hatred and selfishness.  Think about that for a minute.  1 hour and 45 minutes.  3000 mothers, fathers, sons  daughters, aunts, uncles, soldiers  firefighters, police, CEO's accountants, and janitors, gone.  For what?

   So we can cry about having to pay higher taxes?  So we can whine about who the real Americans are?  Did hundreds of thousands of families have their lives irrevocably changed so we could blame each other incessantly?

   We should be ashamed of ourselves.  If we as Americans were watching another country go through this we'd be disgusted and appalled at such childish behavior.  We should be honoring those men and women, as well as the military personnel who are fighting for us, and the ones that paid the ultimate price.

   We should be showing them that America is worth saving.  But instead we threaten Revolution and secession.  Running away from a problem never solved anything.  Working together will solve them all.

Divided We Fall

   There has been a lot of talk coming from Conservatives, GOP and Tea Party members about secession from the rest of the the Country. Blaming President Obama's win at the polls.  There seems to be a lot of hatred in this Country, for really no reason at all.  Certainly not any reason that can't be talked through and worked out.

   Some GOP Treasurer in Texas said the people who voted for Obama were maggots, Ted Nugent  referred to his fellow Americans as Pimps and Donald Trump called for a Revolution.  Seems he wants to march on Washington and take the Nation back by force.  That seems petulant to me, in fact it all seems petulant and childish to me.  And counter productive.  They are basically running away from their problems.

   I would have great difficulty voting for someone who runs at the first taste of defeat.  I don't recall anyone threatening Insurrection when George Bush Bankrupted America sending us spiraling into our worst Recession yet.  Nobody called Bush voters Pimps, or Maggots when he refused to invest in America, saying we are not Nation builders, all the while sending millions of dollars to build the Iraqi Nation.

   I'm not bitter about being temporarily laid off, or watching loved ones lose almost everything.  I'm even over the fact that I had to watch the quality of life of people I care deeply for drop to sub standard living.  One of the Tea Party denigration's called Obama voters "Cowards".

   Well that can't possibly be true because we are not running.  We didn't run four years ago, we didn't run eight years ago.  In fact we never ran, never threatened to run or secede.  We never called people names, belittled or bullied them in anyway.  In fact over the years we have behaved in the exact opposite manner in which we now find ourselves accused.

   And still we offer an olive branch, still we ask for our elected officials regardless of political affiliation, to fix this great Nation of ours.  This Proud Nation that we all love, that we have all Pledged our Allegiance to.

   We simply want to work for a decent wage.  Support our families, and have a quality of life that will ensure our well being.  Is having the right to marry the love of our lives to much to ask?  Is it cowardice to ask for the same pay as someone of the opposite sex?  Does having the means to support ourselves to a ripe old age make us maggots?  No, these things the GOP and Tea Party refer to, don't apply to us, they apply to them.

    Someone once said that what we fear the most, lies within ourselves.  I have always believed that in order to overcome your fears, you must confront them.  I don't know if that is true or not, but it might be as good a place to start as any.

Accountability

   I have been hearing a lot from groups like the Tea Party and Citizens for a better America on accountability.  Holding elected Politicians accountable for their actions.  Why? So no one ever decides to run for public office again.  So we end up with a Dictator State.  That's what will happen if they get their way.  We will see the biggest void in politics since the world was run by Monarchies.  We are talking about good men and women who decide to step forward to make our communities better places.  Everyone of them with the best of intentions  to serve the publics best interest and preserve our way of life for future generations.  Just because they don't have all the answers or make a bad judgement call, they want to punish them.  Utter stupidity! Do these groups have all the answers?  Have they never made a bad call under the impression they were making things better?  This is a completely idiotic idea!  For starters, we have an accountability measure put in place hundreds of years ago.  It's called not voting for a candidate you disagree with.  These groups are no longer grass root organizations with designs on making their neighborhoods better.  They are fronts for Big Business and Big Money, to make their lives better, not citizens lives better.  The people who join these groups don't realize they are being used as pawns by billionaires with personal agendas.  It's aggravating listening to them rant on about their moronic mission statements!  And it's almost impossible to avoid it, when they come knocking on your door with their questionnaires that are obviously one sided.  When you disagree with them they have the nerve to stand on your front step, on your own property and verbally attack and demean you.  If you don't believe me then go to their websites and read their agendas and mission statements.  At first they seem harmless and then they seem to make some kind of sense, but when you break it down sentence by sentence and think about what they are spouting, you realize they are the biggest bunch of bone heads since the Keystone Cops.  The only up side to that is, the Keystone Cops aren't real.  But I'm not sure these people know that.  The groups in question don't have the ability to make America Great, simply because the are incapable of bring people together.  Their focus is separating people.  Pushing them apart seems to be the real mission statement.  Dividing our Nation and feeding off of its polarizing effects.  What purpose could that serve?  It's like keeping a draw bridge in the up position all the time.  It keeps communities apart while allowing ships, shipments, and money flowing to the ones who are really in charge!

Congress Fiddles while Rome Burns

I will give Democrats credit for trying to move the Nation forward against a Tea Party Hi-Jacked Republican Congress. And I can't fault them for failing in their attempt.  It's difficult to reason with fanatics.  But that does not excuse them for ignoring and in some cases, lashing out against their own constituents. Americans are pleading for help and all we get is "it's not my fault" or "why don't you do something about it" or my personal favorite said to my face from a Candidate seeking my vote, "make yourself relevant".  All though unemployment has recently dropped, there are to many variables involved for it to be taken seriously. Students going back to school, and leaving summer jobs that are being filled by over qualified professionals that have been out of work for years. Add to that temporary seasonal hiring has started for the upcoming Holidays. All of which make for an inaccurate jobs analysis. As thankful as we are to be getting back to work, these are hardly the types of jobs that will put America back on track. And all the while Congress fiddles while Rome burns.  It's baffling that PACs, Super PACs and the Mega Rich are willing to give Millions of Dollars to get a Candidate elected, but not willing to spare one dime on economic growth. I wonder how many jobs could have been created with just the money the Koch Brothers alone have given?

Bill McLaughlin     

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Warning Lights

The American Economy wasn't built on hopes and dreams, and yet over the last ten years we have put so many of our own into it. Maybe it is! Maybe in some small part hopes and dreams are what's keeping it afloat until we can come together to fix it. It's kind of like an old Chevy I used to have. Every warning light on the dash was lit, and I knew in my head that it should have died miles back, but it just seemed to will itself on until I got where I needed to be. That was the Chevy's last trip. So I guess hope will only go so far. The rest is up to us.

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Employment

Despite how much we complain about our jobs or bosses, people really do want to work. We actually enjoy it. In fact we like to work as much as we like to complain about it. For most it's a paycheck, a means to provide food, shelter, and warmth for ourselves or loved ones. A meager attempt to offer a sense normality, and stability to an other wise dangerous and uncertain world. But for all of us, it brings a feeling of pride and self worth, to contribute to something greater than ourselves. To be a part of something bigger than we are, to be a part of the big picture. A chance to be someone.

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Joe is Joe

  All kidding aside, Joe Biden does care about America. Not just voters, it bothers him when Americans of all walks of life are in trouble, and rejoices when they are doing well. It may be hard to believe that a career politician cares, but he does. Take it from someone who knows Joe. No I have not had dinner at the Bidens,  he doesn't even know my name, but growing up in a small State like Delaware you get to know a guy without being his best friend, you can't hide secrets in this State. In Delaware we have a saying, when someones says "I know you from some where but I can't place it" we say, ''You do, this is Delaware after all". And that's true, talk to someone you don't know long enough and you will find someone in common, I guarantee it. Any way we see Joe all the time. Not just on the campaign trail, but around town. You know how during his campaigning he always says something about talking to people at stores or on the street. That is all true. I've talked to local politicians before, but Joe is the one that looks you in the eye, and you know he's listening. Tell him something happy or sad and he reacts like a human being would. I saw his eyes tear up when told a tragic story, and throw his head back and laugh hardily at a joke. Most other politicians just give you a fake frown and say that's a terrible story and I will change that when I get elected. He says silly things from time to time or makes gaffes, but we are used to that here, because we've seen Joes actions speak louder than his words. In fact they speak volumes. You may know about his career achievements, but most likely you don't know about his achievements outside Washington. Using his friends and influence to make a difference where it matters most, helping people. Getting Business' to donate equipment for volunteer organizations and professionals to freely give their experience to train Hot line Operators, are just some of the things he has done. If you think he's a goof or ill qualified, take the time to look up what he has done in and out of Washington. Like I said we are used to his verbal mistakes because he talks to you, and we value that more than being talked at. That's where we all end up eventually saying the wrong thing, because when your honest you are bound to offend someone. Like the saying goes "you can't please all the people all the time". As we say here in Delaware, "That's Joe"

Bill McLaughlin

We are the Government

    We have been hearing a lot lately from Politicians about who is right, who's wrong, who's doing a better job than who, and who is killing the Country. I still believe that anyone who goes into politics is doing it for honorable reasons, with the full intent to better the society in which they live. Sometimes they lose their way, some more than others, some end up selling out all together. But fundamentally they all start out meaning well. A radical change is sweeping America with a polarizing effect never before seen. Even during the Civil War our Nation was not as divided as we are today. Far Right Conservative Extremists and Extreme Left Liberals have stalemated National as well as Local Politics. Leaving no room for rational thought. Moderates both Republican and Democrats have lost their positions in Government. Knowledgeable , intelligent minds, capable of bringing this Country back on track, are gone or soon will be. The day President Obama was elected, the Tea Party publicly announced it will block every proposal the President puts forward. Going so far as to publicly threaten sitting Republicans to vote their way or face being voted out. And Liberals have sworn to stop Tea Party backed Republicans at every turn, tho not publicly as far as I know. So far both sides have done just that, very effectively. This is no way to run our Nation, be it on a National or Local level. As we have seen, America is dead locked, still suffering from our worst recession since the Great Depression. The jobs are not there, prices on everything from gas to milk is skyrocketing, and soon everyone's Taxes will be going through the roof if we don't decide on Bush era Tax cuts set to expire in January. John Adams once said "The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries" which simply put means no two people completely agree with each other but that doesn't mean we can't work it out. If open debate is the back bone of American politics, then compromise must be its savior.

Labor Day Parade

Wilmington, Delaware Labor Day Parade September 3, 2012

went off on time without a hitch. A light drizzle of rain started the

the Parade increasing as the participants marched on, ending

in showering downpour that did not dampen the spirits of those attending.

Among the Marchers were the AFL-CIO, Longshoremen, United Steel Workers,

University of Delaware Marching Band, as well as the Poly-Tech Marching Band,

just to name a few.

Among the Marchers were the AFL-CIO, Longshoremen, United Steel Workers,

University of Delaware Marching Band, as well as the Poly-Tech Marching Band,

just to name a few.

Also in attendance was Senator Tom Carper, always willing to ask questions

as well as answer them. Congressman John Carney was out talking easily with

everyone about the future of Delaware and Labor.

Dennis Spivack Candidate for Delaware Insurance 

Commissioner, talked about working with Labor, and Unions,

as well as Insurance coverage for women.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it so much, that it didn't look like they 

even were aware of the rain.

HYPOCRISY

The Tea Party has publicly announced they wish to return America back to the 1950's where it was strong and prosperous. An era in which every American citizen lived in fear of total annihilation  from tyrannical zealots and minorities were considered to be a burden on society and had no right to share in the American dream. Job well done Tea Party.

The Tea Party

When the Tea Party was first founded it was a grass roots organization with high ideals, and principals. I think that if you looked into it you'd see for yourself that it was admirable. That being said, it seems to have lost its way. Many of the day to day supporters and volunteers are good hard working people who still believe in the ideals of the organization, but the organization no longer believes in them. Tea Party leaders, and their donors have a new agenda. Money and Power...and lots of it. Secretly backed by billionaires, bankers, monopolies, and other Big Money. These powers behind the scene like it that way. The less you know the better. These Big Money backers are throwing millions at the political scene hoping to buy seats in Congress, the Senate, and even the Presidency. If they get their way all business in the U.S. will be deregulated, and they'll get to do what ever they want with no consumer protection. They will throw open the borders and have an endless supply of disposable labor, eliminate minimum wage, overtime pay, maximum hours worked in day, paid holidays, earned vacation, simply put Federal Labor Laws put in place to protect you. Not to mention the advancements in Women's rights. They have already threatened enough honest Republicans to vote their way or face being voted out. Subsequently they have managed to block almost every proposal our President has made to end the Recession and bring the American economy back on track. The stage for Big Money getting Bigger has been set. The Tea Party with their Puppet Masters pulling the strings have created the biggest division between Americans this Country has ever seen. Bigger even then the Civil War. I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory but you have to realize, I grew up in an America that was Free and United and nothing like the one we live in now.

Governor Christie

Well Governor Christie did it again. another speech all about himself. It's amazing how great he is. If you listen to him, he is always right and never wrong. It never ceases to amaze me how he's never to blame, it's always someone else' fault, no matter what it is. He was chosen to be the key note speaker at the Republican National Convention to tout the virtues of Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. But instead spent that time touting himself...as usual. What's it called when you compliment and insult at the same time? anyway he has a talent for it. Governor Christie repeatedly told the convention goers how he accomplished deeds that couldn't  be done with willing bi-partisanship, followed by a statement like, because we (Republicans) are better than Democrats. I don't think he gets what bi-partisan means. And the lies he spouted were just appalling. He said he cut Taxes. Truth is if you made a million dollars, you got $40,000 more back and if you made minimum wage you had to pay an extra $300. Christie bragged about how his Grandmother had to take three buses to get to work, just to put food on the table. Is that why he cut NJ Transit to the bare minimum? His father went to a publicly funded school on the GI Bill. So that explains why he cut public funding to schools. Christie proudly proclaimed how he took on the Teachers Union, and made the education system better. What he really did was promote teachers that promote children whether they learn anything or not, and punish educators who believe a student should learn to do the work required or face failure. I'm curious if this is the lesson the Governor's mother taught him when he said "my mother taught me hard work leads to success." Well Mr. Christie this may come as a surprise to you, but it won't to most, you are a Bully. You call people names, you shout at them instead of talk to them, and intimidate your way through everything you do. Society has put endless effort into eliminating Bullies, and people like you make that task almost impossible. Almost but not entirely, if a child can stand up to a bully, so can we.

Protect Our Rights

We Are One: Protect Our Rights, Demand Corporate CEOs Pay Their Fair Share

In Pennsylvania, and around our nation, corporate CEOs and the politicians they funded to win election are trying to cut essential services, programs and jobs. They're trying to erode our rights and bust unions - the only ones who can stand up to the ultra wealthy and fight for everyone else.

From the United Steel Workers Website

http://www.usw.org/action_center/economy/blog

Jobs and the Economy

Years after the official end of the recent recession, America is still in a jobs crisis. Not only has job growth in the recovery been slow, but the job losses came on top of decades of inadequate job growth, wage stagnation and growing inequality. The U.S. economy is increasingly imbalanced, with the top 1 percent holding more than 40 percent of the nation’s wealth.

The AFL-CIO is ready to work with anyone—business, government, investors—who wants to create good jobs and help restore America's middle class and challenge policies that stand in the way of giving America the chance to go back to work. The union movement is partnering with such organizations as the Clinton Global Initiative to find innovative ways to create good jobs that support workers and their families.

From the Website of the AFL-CIO

http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Jobs-and-Economy