Michael Pellegrini's Blog and Rants and Stuff

Union Busting In Wisconsin

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:35:18 -0800

There are some things you just never expect to see. Shrimp ice cream. World peace. An openly gay republican president.

Or, workers in the United States facing the loss of their collective bargaining rights.

“The right to bargain collectively is at the bottom of social justice for the worker, as well as the sensible conduct of business affairs. The denial or observance of this right means the difference between despotism and democracy." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in an address to the Senate, May 8, 1937.

These rights have been a mainstay of US labor law for nearly 80 years, first coming into being as part of Roosevelt's New Deal legislation in the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 - later codified as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Public employees gained bargaining rights somewhat later - in the case of Wisconsin, about 60 years ago.

Now the government didn't just grant employees the right to organize out of benevolence; no, these rights were hard won with the blood of workers.

The 50 years leading up to Roosevelt's New Deal were filled with costly and often exceptionally violent strikes. Many workers and not a few scabs died. Employers lost millions in productivity.

Labor's Bloody History

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:26:22 -0800

The period in American history leading up from the Civil War to World War II was particularly violent and bloody for labor. It was through that struggle that many of the very most basic rights we enjoy today came about. These include:

Abolition of clihld labor

The eight hour day

Unemployment insuance

Social security

The right to form and join unions, and bargain collectively

To give a glimpse of the background that led up to these changes, here's a list of the major strikes that took place in the United States from after the Civil War on (courtesy of Wikipedia):

1850-1899

New England Shoemakers' Strike (1860)
Molders' Lockout (1866)
Anthracite Coal Strike (1868)
Troy New York, Collar Launderesses' Strike (1869)
Lynn Massachusetts, Shoe Workers' Strike (1872)
Tompkins Square Riot (1874) (New York.)
Coal miners strikes of 1875

Conservatives Declare War On Unions - Public Employee Unions to Be Outlawed in Wisconsin

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:22:57 -0800

This week in Wisconsin, conservatives are making perhaps the single biggest assault on collective bargaining that's taken place in the last 60-80 years.

The republican-controlled Wisconsin state legislature is trying to take away the collective bargaining rights of state, county and municipal workers.

These takeaways include:

Automatic yearly elections where 51+% of all employees in a bargaining unit would have to vote in favor of union representation or the union would be decertified;

No more union shops where membership or an equivalency fee are required as a condition of employment;

Would limit wage increases to a small percetage based on the increase in the cost of living;

Would force employees to pay nearly 13% of their healthcare costs;

Reduces employers pension contributions.

And those are just the highlights. Basically, it would do away with public employee unions in Wisconsin.

No subtlety or subterfuge here. This is an open frontal assault on workers - union busting on a grand scale, like hasn't been seen in this country in 60-80 years. And conducted by a state government, no less.

For the full details of the legislative changes Click here

The unions involved have already agreed to make the wage and benefit concessions. But even so, the republican controlled legislature insists on pressing ahead to repeal their collective bargaining rights. Governor Walker says he will not back down.

No, they're not being subtle at all. It's obvious that their real agenda is to do away with unions. Money is not the real issue. It's worker's rights.

The battle is on!

Wisconsin employees have been fighting back hard, with union members holding massive demonstrations at the capitol in Madison on a daily basis. They've been staying away from their jobs, conducting mass sick-outs.

The Tea Party has also been busy conducting its own counter demonstrations. Based on this, we can only assume that doing away with unions will become a mainstay of the Tea Party platform all over the US. Not that I can say I'm surprised.

If conservatives are successful at outlawing public employee unions in Wisconsin, then emboldened, it's a given that similar battles will soon be fought in every state.

A number of other states (OH, IN, NJ and others) are already looking at enacting similar laws in the next few months for their public employees. But that's likely to just be the start.

If it can happen in Wisconsin, it can - and will - happen anywhere. And potentially it won't be limited to just public employees.

You better believe almost every private sector employer in the country is watching with great interest, just wishing they could do the same exact thing.

No union is immune from this sort of attack. Any successful attack on union rights in the US diminishes our power collectively. And it moves each other union just that much closer to having to fight these same battles themselves.

This is the time to mobilze!

Local public employee unions are planning rallies here in Washington, and I'm sure elsewhere. I urge everyone to get out and show your support for public employees.

And if you can't, send bucks: Myself, I sent $100 to the Wisconsin State Employees Union. I think I'll send more next week. If you'd like to donate, here's a link to the Wisconsin AFSCME website, Click on the "Donate" link there -

I also hope all unions will send groups to Wisconsin to demonstrate solidarity.

Let's have a nationwide sickout this Thursday in support of union rights!

We need to nip this movement in the bud right now before it spreads. Our own future depends on it!

An Injury To One Is An Injury To All.

Yes on Initiative 1082 - Let's help the BIAW and the insurance companies get rich!

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:52:37 -0800

One of the most asinine initiatives in Washington state this election has got to be 1082 - the initiative to privatize the state worker's compensation system. The primary sponsor is the Building Industry Association of Washington - Dino Rossi's erstwhile masters - and the large insurance companies. (Rossi is pictured at the right, with his head up his ass, as usual).

So far, the BIAW has spent a reported $500, 000 on its Yes-1082 campaign - a staggering sum of money. But it's nothing compared to what they potentially can make if 1082 passes. Here's a detailed look.

It's all about offering better "case management" than Labor and Industries. Which translated, means screwing legitimate claimants - denying or delaying valid claims - just to save the insurance companies a buck.

Here's a story about my experience with Safeco Insurances claims management practices.

But wait, there's more: one of the main insurance companies that would take care of Worker's Comp in Washington state if this passes is AIG.

That's right, AIG - the company whose top notch management is so great that the US taxpayers had to come up with $85 billion to bail them out rather than have the company go bankrupt. The same AIG that, right after receiving the $85 billion bailout, sent their executives on a week-long retreat at the St Regis Resort in Monarch Beach California at the cost of $433,000 - of taxpayer money.

So let me get this straight - the BIAW wants to privatize the state Worker's Comp system - to save us all money - and to carry out this task, they're going to use AIG, the company that managed itself into bankruptcy, and sends its executives to $433,000 retreats at public expense?

Sure that sounds reasonable.

Run Dino, Run....

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:57:17 -0800

Spokane, WA (AP) - Perennial candidate for big business, Dino Rossi (R – Spokane), seen at right with his head up his ass, as usual, is off and running again, this time for the US Senate.

Foiled in his two recent attempts to claim the governorship of Washington state, Rossi decided to attempt to capture Patty Murray’s (D - Seattle) Senate seat this time.

“That bitch is going down!” Rossi was heard to have said last week, following a press conference. “All those homo liberals in Seattle are gonna eat their words. They stole the last governor’s election, now we’re gonna make 'em pay!”

Always popular with big business and conservative republicans, Rossi was the number one homeboy for the Building Industry Association of Washington in the last governor’s election. This time for his Senate campaign, he’s branched out and broadened his support to include right-wing religious nuts, greedy millionaires and other fringe lunatics.

Asked what his platform was going to be, if elected, Rossi said, “We’re gonna take the country back for the real Americans – the rich, white, Christian people like me. All those liberal homo assholes are gonna have to move back to California, or something. Yee-ha!”

Go Sarah, GO!

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:07:17 -0800

Des Moines, IA (AP) - In a bold, audacious move, the Republican party today announced their dream ticket for the 2012 presidential elections - Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell.

Governor Palin, the failed vice-presidential candidate in the 2008 elections was elated. "I can see the capitol from my house," she was heard saying.

In a joint press conference early today, Governor Palin and Ms O'Donnell announced the main points of their platform:

· Christianity will be made the state religion for the United States
· Abortion for any reason will be outlawed
· Corporate taxes will be reduced to 1% or $10, whichever is less
· And a whole lot of other important stuff

According to Ms O'Donnell, another important piece of legislation they'll pursue is a new federal law making masturbation and adultery class three felonies.

"Masturbation is the devil's work," said O'Donnell following the press conference. "It's evil, and is no different than adultery. Sex is something sacred and should never take place outside the holy bounds of matrimony. I think masturbators should be shot on sight. Or maybe have their peckers cut off."

Asked about her qualifications for office, Governor Palin stated, "I learned a whole lot, let me tell you, in the last election. I think it was a mistake for me to run on Senator McCain's ticket. If it had been me and Chrissie together then, it'd be a different story now - no Muslim in the White House now, let me tell you." She went on to add, "John's a nice guy but he's kinda weak kneed and he caved to all those godless liberals that want to turn our country into a socialist state. That was a mistake, and it's one I aim to correct."

"America needs strong leadership. Strong Christian, leadership, and that's what Chrissie and I will bring to the table. We'll put this great country back on the path to righteousness."

"Masturbation is the devil's work," added Ms O'Donnell, "and we must punish these sinners."

When asked about her response to the high US unemployment rate, Governor Palin said, "Perhaps if everyone will just tighten their belts and pray, we'll get better. Although I really don't understand what all the fuss is about - there really are plenty of jobs around. Why all my friends have jobs. Don't yours?"

"Masturbation is the devil's work," chimed in O'Donnell.

Click! Network Responds

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:41:43 -0800

And yet another open letter to Click! Network management:

One of your people called me a few days ago to talk about DOCSIS 3.0

I'm sorry, I don't recall his name.

He was under the strong impression Comcast just rolled out DOCSIS 3.0 here in Tacoma in December 2009.

WRONG.

As I told the guy, Comcast rolled out DOCSIS 3.0 here in the Seattle Tacoma area slightly over a year ago - mid-December 2008. Check out this thread on dslreports.com and please note the posts' date: DOCSIS 3.0 available in Tacoma

Yes, that's right: Comcast rolled out DOCSIS 3.0 in Tacoma in mid-December, 2008. The first post in the thread is dated 12-19-2008.

And you guys thought the roll-out had just happened? Seriously? And according to what the guy told me, you're just now getting ready to ask the city council for money to build-out a DOCSIS 3.0 system?

This really disturbs me.

How on earth could you people have missed a major market event such as that?

The guy I talked to told me that the vast majority of your customers are at the Res 1 level, so that was another reason Click saw no real incentive to upgrade. Well duh! You ever suppose the reason all your customers are at Res 1 is because the other products are so inferior that anyone interested in real bandwidth and real value will go to Comcast?

Take another look:

Current Comcast prices:
1 Mbps down and 384 Kbps up - $24.95 per month
15 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up - $19.99 for 6 months then $42.95 per month
20 Mbps down and 4 Mbps up - $52.95 per month
30 Mbps down and 7 Mbps up - $62.95 per month
50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up - $99.95 per month

Click packages:

3 Mbps down and 256 Kbps up - $32.95 per month - "Res 1"
10 Mbps down and 768 Kbps up - $42.95 per month - "Res 2"
15 Mbps down and 768 Kbps up - $62.95 per month - "Res 3"

With price and speed differences as shown above, what incentive exists for the discerning customer to choose Click? Hometown loyalty? You offer BAD deals. Not even mediocre, but actually bad. Click is a terrible value. A vastly inferior and over-priced product.

What you have remaining - the core Res 1 subscribers are obviously the people who don't care. And you still have no $24.95 price point package to compete with Comcast.

But by ignoring the market and allowing yourself to be non-competitive, you've driven away many other people who would otherwise subscribe.

I'm really concerned that your current management is running Click into the ground, and squandering the investment made by the people of this city.

Things must change, and quickly.

Is Click! Network Trying To Commit Suicide? Looks That way...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:45:07 -0800

Comcast started offering DOCSIS 3.0 connections here in the Seattle-Tacoma area over a year ago. Where is DOCSIS 3.0 for Click customers?

An open letter to Click! Network Management

Sirs:

Comcast started offering DOCSIS 3.0 connections here in the Seattle-Tacoma area over a year ago. At the time Comcast premiered it's product here, I called Click! customer service and was assured you were "working" on our DOCSIS 3.0 upgrade and that it would happen sometime relatively soon.

Well it's a year later, and we still have no upgrade. Comcast customers get twice (or more) the bandwidth we do.

Put this another way - say both Click! and Comcast were selling electricity. Click! sells 10 kWh for $62, but Comcast sells 30 kWh for the same price. That's what we have with internet bandwidth - Comcast gives their customers double or triple the bandwidth for the same exact price.

And this is a city owned utility! Why should Tacoma residents - who own Click! - pay more for their internet through their own utility? If anything, city utility prices should be less expensive!

Is Click consciously trying to commit business suicide? Are you completely unaware of what the competition currently offers, not to mention what they're planning? Check out this article. Comcast is planning to offer 250 Mbps service - in the next year or so! And then: read this more current article from CNET.

I would hate to see you guys lose all your customers because you can't offer competitive packages...

Current Comcast prices:

1 Mbps down and 384 Kbps up - $24.95 per month

15 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up - $19.99 for 6 months then $42.95 per month

20 Mbps down and 4 Mbps up - $52.95 per month

30 Mbps down and 7 Mbps up - $62.95 per month

50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up - $99.95 per month

Click packages:

3 Mbps down and 256 Kbps up - $32.95 per month - "Res 1"

10 Mbps down and 768 Kbps up - $42.95 per month - "Res 2"

15 Mbps down and 768 Kbps up - $62.95 per month - "Res 3"

At every price point, Comcast has a better product. Every one! And their $62.95 product is insanely better...

You don't even have any comparable products at the high and low ends of the range. Stupid, stupid, stupid! This is particularly so, when you could easily throw together a competitive low-end product (designed to woo people away from dial-up) without any network modifications at all!

I've got Res 3 from Advanced Stream (one of the Click! ISP's), but you don't even provide the advertised 15 Mbps down - mine tops out at just over 11 Mbps down and .76 Mbps up.

With Comcast for the same price, I could get nearly triple the downstream bandwidth and almost 10 times the upstream!

This must change.

I am a loyal Click! subscriber - I've been with Advanced Stream for almost eight years.

Yes, I am a very vocal critic. But it really pains me when I see Click! make continual marketing blunders like this - blunders that could spell the end for city owned internet service - and I feel compelled to speak out.

It makes me think perhaps TCI (which became ATT@Home, then later Comcast) knew what they were talking about when they predicted doom for the city of Tacoma if Click! came into being. Please don't let their prophesies come true.

If the competition is selling gas for 30 gallons for $62 and you price your gas at 15 gallons for the same price, how many customers are you going to have at your gas station? This is Marketing 101.

I believe competition is a good thing - it fosters lower prices - and that's one reason I want to see Click! continue. I really would hate to see us lose our hometown broadband service, but unless you can offer competitive prices and products, your days are numbered.

Please start offering competitive prices and speeds before all your customers jump ship!

Mike Pellegrini

Port of Tacoma - NYK Deal - Money Mostly Well Spent

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:02:47 -0800

Like I said in the last post, I don't usually read the Tacoma News Tribune. It's a scandal rag, owned by the McClatchy organization.

Last week, I couldn't help looking at their story on the Port of Tacoma - a copy was lying there on a table at work, open to the story, Port of Tacoma's Blair Development: Millions to nowhere. So reluctantly - knowing that with a title like that, it couldn't be a good story - I read on.

In the article, they tell the story of the development of the proposed new container terminal for NYK.

Briefly, in 2007, the Port of Tacoma signed a deal with the shipping line NYK, to provide them a new dedicated 168 acre container terminal in Tacoma, located on the tip of the Blair Peninsula. Integral to building the new terminal was relocating an existing terminal, Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE), and the demolition of existing buildings, as well as the cleanup of some toxic waste sites.

Because the Port didn't own all the property necessary for the project, it spent some $146 million on property acquisition and demolition.

In 2007 when the deal with NYK was inked, the economy was going great guns. All the projections - which were accepted pretty much universally - held that Chinese imports would explode in the coming years, with cargo growth rates reaching as much as 25% a year. The big fear, up and down the West Coast, was that we would not have enough dock space or the infrastructure available to handle the glut of Chinese cargo coming in.

Tacoma News Tribune - A Newspaper Only In Name

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:10:28 -0800

I don't generally read the Tacoma News Tribune. It's a McClatchy "newspaper" - and I use that term loosely. McClatchy rags all seem to tout the McClatchy line - they're anti-labor, right-wing, rags with a very specific, narrow agenda. I guess you could say they're the print equivalent of Fox News.

When McClatchy bought the TNT from the Baker family years ago, one of the first things they did was engineer the breaking of the newspaper's union - pretty much just as they've done at most all the other McClatchy rags. That kinda set the tone for everything else.

I stopped reading the TNT - cancelled my subscription - when they came out with a story about longshore workers in Tacoma, about the longshore casual selection process. The story was quite biased and the editorial that followed was a sniveling, whiny piece of drivel - motivated by what was obviously the fact that the editor's kid must not have gotten a casual card and the editor was pissed.

When you intimately know a subject - I am a longshoreman in Tacoma - then it's easy to separate fact from fiction. The story about ILWU Local 23 was severely biased. And if the TNT promotes lies about that, then I have to figure the rest of their coverage is similarly biased.

So like I said, I quit subscribing.

I did pick up an occasional Sunday paper - mostly for the ads. And I continued to read the online version - for the local news.

Then a few months ago, the paper published yet another whiny, anti-labor editorial that was blatantly untrue and biased - and since then, I quit reading the online version.

Time Magazine 2009 Person of the Year - George W. Bush

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:15:37 -0800

Editor's note: We came within about an inch of this actually happening. Let's not forget!

We’re lucky to have secured a pre-release excerpt from the new Time Magazine issue set to be on newsstands the week of December 21, 2009 – Time’s Person of the Year edition.

2009 Person of the Year

Selecting the Person of The Year is always a tough call, but given the recent political developments in the United States and the world generally, this year was somewhat easier and we were unanimous in picking George W, Bush as our 2009 Person of the Year.

It’s easily demonstratable that George W, Bush has made life much safer for God fearing Christians the world over, and on that basis alone, our choice for Person of the Year was easy.

In the turmoil following the terrorist bombing of the 2008 Democratic National Convention – which precipitated the loss of all the top Democratic Party leadership including nominee Senator Barack Obama – George W. Bush boldly took charge, suspending the presidential elections, declaring martial law.

By immediately rounding up all the godless heathen terrorists – Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, homosexuals, anarchists, liberals and the like – the United States is now finally enjoying the peace and safety we deserve.

Passings - Farrah Fawcett and Whacko Jacko

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:18:52 -0800

I was saddened to hear of the death of Farrah Fawcett. She was a really classy, beautiful and talented lady.

Conversely, on hearing Michael Jackson died at about the same time, I think I felt relief. My reaction was along the lines of, thank god, another psycho pedophile has been taken out of action.

When Farrah Fawcett debuted on TV, a lot of people dismissed her as just another pretty face - one of the "Charlie's Angels." It was hard to draw a different conclusion back then - face it - Charlie's Angels was the Baywatch of the mid-70's. The whole premise of the show was to put beautiful women in improbably situations to showcase their good looks. Not much plot. Terrible writing and acting. But great looking babes. It's a TV show formula that's been proven to work, over and over.

Reinforcing that no-talent/beautiful airhead impression was the iconic poster she did - and the hysteria about her trademark hair.

But then to the amazement of everyone, she left the show after only a year.

Save KPIG! - An Open Letter To Mapleton Communications

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:11:35 -0800

Sirs:

I'm a regular KPIG listener. I live in Tacoma, WA, and listen to the internet stream. I've been a regular listener pretty much since KPIG went live online. In the 70's, I lived in the Santa Cruz area and was a big fan of KFAT.

I'd like to register a protest concerning Mapleton's decision to do away with live DJ's at KPIG on the overnight shift.

KPIG is the last of what sadly is a dying breed - a radio station run by actual human beings, rather than programmed by computer-generated playlists with voice-over's from talent located on the East Coast or wherever.

The reason KPIG has been so successful is that it fills a unique niche - there really aren't any other stations where the DJ's actually choose much of what gets played. This is the last living remnant of "Free-Form FM" radio, a style popularized in the 60's and 70's which has since faded.

I particularly like the fact that the DJ's often play a lot of cross-genre music, not always sticking to a pure Americana format. Perhaps Laura Ellen deliberately designed the Americana genre loose to accommodate DJ choices? If so, that was a brilliant stroke.

But the balance of radio is a ClearChannel wasteland.

It seems the majority of radio today is mainly of the "satellite radio," variety - which is sanitized, homogenized, filtered, and re-packaged - to the point where every station, regardless of genre, sounds almost completely the same. All playing the same 40 songs (of whatever genre) over and over and over and over...

I abhor that kind of radio. I refuse to listen.

If you do away with live DJ's, then you've destroyed the one element that makes KPIG unique. KPIG would become just another radio station. It would lose that quirky, eccentric, unpredictable goodness that makes KPIG what it is.

I am aware of the realities of running a business. Perhaps you could cut executive/clerical/administrative staff, instead? Have everyone in management tighten their belts?

Or, another possibility might be offering a live, CD quality stream on a subscription basis. NOT Real Player. If that venture failed in the past, it was because of the bloatware/spyware/malware that Real builds into all their products - I refuse to install any Real product on all of my computers. The period when the internet stream was offered only on Real was the only time I have stopped listening to KPIG.

But surely there are other stream-casters that you could work with? Put up a CD quality stream with a company other than Real and I'll buy a monthly subscription - and I'm sure many others will as well.

Thanks for bringing KPIG to the world. Please don't tear down what Laura built!

Sincerely,

Mike Pellegrini
Tacoma, WA

Chris Lapenski - 1970 - 2007 - In Memorium

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:25:53 -0800

He who burns brightest burns quickest.

Chris Lapenski died in a motorcycle accident on the morning of Monday, August 13.

He was 36 years old, a longshoreman, riding his Suzuki Hayabusa – the fastest production bike in the world, capable of speeds close to 200 MPH.

He was on his way to work at TOTE that morning, and according to reports, might have been racing another bike (the other rider denies this) at speeds around one hundred miles an hour. Supposedly, the other bike briefly lost control swerving into his path, which in turn caused Chris to lose control. He came off the bike and impacted a wooden post.

This is a tragic loss.

Chris lived more in his 36 years than most people will ever live in double or even triple that period of time.

I worked with Chris at Evergreen for the last seven or so years. Chris was a good friend. I’m really going to miss him.

Chris was so vibrantly alive, I’m having problems accepting that I’ll never see him again. It’s hard to believe that he won’t come bursting into the room in a just a few minutes, wide-eyed, with some new story to tell.

He really was a great storyteller. He must be particularly upset that he won’t be able to tell the story of his last ride – I know he’d make the story a good one. “Man, you gotta hear this…”

Everything he did was larger than life. He was the consummate sportsman. He took no small bites.

Chris knew more about the Evergreen terminal’s operation than just about anyone else. He was an expert at any and every job on the terminal. When you had a problem with something on the terminal, Chris was the person you went to for a solution.

Chris occasionally displayed what some interpreted as arrogance and impatience, but the truth of the matter was that he was smarter and quicker and often more knowledgeable than most all of those around him. Even so, he was always eager to share his knowledge with anyone who asked.

Chris lived and breathed his Hayabusa. His cycle magazines are lying all around the office here. In his off moments while working, he’d almost always be on some website or internet forum dedicated to Haybusas. He’d always be calling you over to look at some new video or web page about a Hayabusa.

No one wants to die, but I’m sure if Chris had been offered a chance to pick the manner of his own departure, it would have come down pretty much as it did – doing something he truly loved.

It’ll never be the same here at Evergreen without him. His loss leaves a giant hole in all our lives. We’ll all miss him terribly.

My condolences to his family.

Our prayers are with you Chris.

America: Disgraced then Reborn

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:52:48 -0800

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, America was reborn today, when Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president.

After eight years of disgrace and shame, Obama’s election and inauguration rings in a new era for the United States. An era of hope, and of pride in our country.

Those qualities have been absent from our vocabularies for quite some time.

Since its inception in 1776, the ideals of America have shone forth like a beacon all across the world: freedom and equality; Liberty and justice for all; the land of the free and the home of the brave. Lofty ideals, those.

But these ideals were buried in a shameful, disgraceful, degrading time, where under George Bush, America became the world’s bully – invading a sovereign nation – Iraq – for no just reason or provocation; they were buried by George Bush manufacturing his phony “War On Terror” which was designed solely to expand and solidify his power base; they were buried when George Bush moved America closer and closer to becoming a police state, where we were tricked into giving up freedoms in the name of security; they were buried when George Bush tried and nearly succeeded in setting up an imperial presidency, where the president and his cronies were above the law of the land; they were buried when under George Bush, big business was turned loose to rape the environment and pillage the citizenry – all but destroying the US and world economies.

George Bush trashed it all.

But finally, the tide is turning.