Peter Corrigan's Depressing Night

[ryan costa]

This election is not about the past it is about the future.

Dennis Kucinich is a man who lives in the past and looks to the past.

Peter Corrigan is a man who lives in the present and looks to the future.

Forward or backward? The choice is yours.

what is the future? where is the future?

I've always thought of Kucinich as some goofy futurist.

The recent tea party movement is built on fantastic and contextless grasps at the past.

[Roy Pitchford]

Kucinich is only a goofy futurist in that he's spotted the UFOs.

1. Kucinch supports (and is supported by) the unions. Unions are an antiquated construct of the Industrial Revolution and their membership/popularity have declined. Its bad enough that unions have turn their eyes overseas to regrow their ranks.

2. Kucinich worked to protect the Cleveland steel industry. Cleveland's time in the sun as a competitor in the steel industry has long since past, in part due to EPA over-regulation and over-ballooning union contracts which make it impossible to compete in a world market. Its time to look at industries in Cleveland that are strong and help them become better so they may grow the area's economy.

3. Kucinich's own House site says, "Learn why Cleveland is the capital of Polka, Bowling and Kielbasa." Huh?? I've lived here 20 years and these are 3 things I would never have attached to Cleveland.
I did some checking...the International Polka Hall of Fame mentioned on his site is in Chicago. The Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame is actually in the Cleveland area (good thing), but its in Euclid. Last time I checked, that was part of Congressional District 11, not 10.
Maybe its time to find some new stuff to focus on. Rock and Roll? Medicine?

My point, in case you don't see it, is that Kucinich would appear to want to try to return Cleveland to its past glory (strong unions, economy of steel, accordions) instead of focus on the up-and-coming which can create a new Cleveland.

[ryan costa]

1. Unionism is generally good. Certainly not bad. Unionization movements pop up all over the world. I'm sure you can be replaced by some 19 year old from taiwan for a third of the wages in about two weeks: why shouldn't we do that?

2. Protectiving the Cleveland Steel Industry is Good. Protecting the America Steel Industry is Good. Can Corrigan do that more effectively? Most industries can't even compete in the American Market: let alone the hypothetical global market. Globalism is a temporary disease that allows America to consume much more than it produces. that is all.

3. Cleveland, like many American cities, has a rich history of Bowling Allies, Polka bands and dances at the legion halls and churches, and Pierogies. You must not get out much.

What kind of instrumental dance music does Tim Corrigan endorse(for the Fugure)? how good are his dance moves? What does he want to replace Pierogies with? the Tacos of the Global Future? Big Macs? Anyone can open a polka museum: they don't need the endorsement of Rolling Stone Magazine or a professional sports league.

Kucinich is only a goofy futurist in that he's spotted the UFOs.

1. Kucinch supports (and is supported by) the unions. Unions are an antiquated construct of the Industrial Revolution and their membership/popularity have declined. Its bad enough that unions have turn their eyes overseas to regrow their ranks.

2. Kucinich worked to protect the Cleveland steel industry. Cleveland's time in the sun as a competitor in the steel industry has long since past, in part due to EPA over-regulation and over-ballooning union contracts which make it impossible to compete in a world market. Its time to look at industries in Cleveland that are strong and help them become better so they may grow the area's economy.

3. Kucinich's own House site says, "Learn why Cleveland is the capital of Polka, Bowling and Kielbasa." Huh?? I've lived here 20 years and these are 3 things I would never have attached to Cleveland.
I did some checking...the International Polka Hall of Fame mentioned on his site is in Chicago. The Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame is actually in the Cleveland area (good thing), but its in Euclid. Last time I checked, that was part of Congressional District 11, not 10.
Maybe its time to find some new stuff to focus on. Rock and Roll? Medicine?

My point, in case you don't see it, is that Kucinich would appear to want to try to return Cleveland to its past glory (strong unions, economy of steel, accordions) instead of focus on the up-and-coming which can create a new Cleveland.

[Roy Pitchford]

I must, first, congratulate you. This is the first post I've read of yours for some time that was concise and to the point. No mentioned of Cheney, Blackwater or how highways promoted the urban sprawl that killed the inner ring suburbs.

1. Unionism is, like most things, good if used wisely, but can become bad. Right now, I see many of them as corrupted bullies that are the albatross around the neck of otherwise successful industry.
How much cheaper would a GM car be if it wasn't for the massive union pension obligations?

What would our schools be like if the NEA put students first...


BTW: I highly doubt my job could be shipped overseas. Service-oriented jobs requiring face-to-face contact are pretty safe.

2. Corrigan, Kucinich or whoever is there shouldn't have to protect any company.

3. Actually, no, I don't get out much.

As for the rest...I don't know. I only know what Kucinich sings:

[Gary Rice]

As the risk of redundancy Roy, I've addressed the union video issue before.

Not only is it but a snippet of a longer address, but it appears to be essentially correct on its face. Unions do protect the right of due process and collective bargaining. That does not negate the many other positive things that unions stand for. The man was simply stating his opinion of what the primary purpose of that union was.

As a matter of principle, teachers' associations are perfectly capable of multi-tasking with regard to looking after the young people, as well as looking out for their own interests.

Unions protect workers from unfair and arbitrary treatment, and from having to accept unconscionable pay, and often unsafe working conditions. Unions can have, or contribute to, the establishment of pension funds, so that a relatively low paid person can retire with dignity and hopefully, with some semblance of medical care or disability protection, as well.

As for corporate pensions, as far as I am aware, nothing there happened that was not agreed to in contracts, and renegotiated over the years. Some corporations appear to have done better than others in that regard.

Workers are not slaves.

They have hard-won rights under state and federal laws.

And they intend to keep them.

As, I suspect, will they be keeping Congressman Kucinich around...

Just my opinion, of course....

Back to the banjo....

I like "Sixteen Tons", by the way. That's a good song, but I don't think you'd want to hear me sing it!

[ryan costa]

can you name any industry in america that got big without big government contracts/spending/ and or protectionism? check your premise. there is no libertarian history of america.

[Gary Rice]

By the way, what this big thing about "labels" that's been going on in this country in the last 20 years or so, anyway?

"Conservatives", "Liberals", "Moderates", "Libertarians", "Tea Party" people?

The list is much longer than that, I do believe...

Why would anyone want to put some sort of a "label" on their thoughts?

As for me? Depending on the topic discussed, I could probably come out on the side of any, or all of the above positions, or none of them....

I've never found a "label" posted on me either. I don't think that God put one on me. Maybe I missed out somewhere?

But...

I've never seen one posted on anyone else ether, except maybe those people who carry around those advertising signs, and at least they're PAID to do that.

So...I guess....my question would be...

If you're not PAID to carry some sign...

...why are some of you carrying one around?

Back to the banjo...

[Bill Call]

As a matter of principle, teachers' associations are perfectly capable of multi-tasking with regard to looking after the young people, as well as looking out for their own interests.

The Lakewood Teachers Aassociation contract has hundreds of words devoted to limiting hours of work and limiting contact with students. No mention is made about performance or accountability.

All of the recent tax increase for Lakewood schools will be devoted to the future increase in pension costs. All of it . And it still won't be enough.

Government unions are spending $100 million this election cycle in an attempt to make sure nothing changes. There is still some time left but not much.

San Franciscos pension cost have increased 26,000%!!!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 84886.html

http://prosfclearinghouse.wordpress.com ... s-release/

Government unions are bankrupting the country. The City of Lakewood is faced with a $5 million PER YEAR increase in pension payments. Unfunded pension obligations will overwehlm the entire economy.

Working Americans simply cannot afford to mortgage the future of the nation just so a select few can sit aroung playing the banjo.

[Stan Austin]

Bill Call wrote
The Lakewood Teachers Aassociation contract has hundreds of words devoted to limiting hours of work and limiting contact with students. No mention is made about performance or accountability.

Call me old fashioned but I sorta thought that performance and accountability were primarily on the shoulders of the student and his/her parents.

[Gary Rice]

Actually, I tend to walk around while playing the banjo.

When you sit, you tend to stiffen up.

If I, and other retired public school teachers happen to have a pension, it came at a serious financial cost for us along the way.

At least two thirds of our careers, we lived with abysmal salaries, and spent, not only as much time, or more, as so many business people did in college, but also needed to go back to college at our own expense, in order to re-certify.

(And by the way, our retired medical, vision and dental expenses are certainly not freebies, either)

Now that business is down, outsourced, or offshore, the crying towels have come out.

If we had been paid those six-figure salaries that so many similarly-trained business people received for the past 30 years, there might be reason to complain about teachers.

As for those "summers off" that teachers supposedly had? Don't even go there. Spending so many of those summers with extra jobs to make up for those low salaries, or spending so many long summer hours in those hot college classrooms....and while not being paid for it either, except in highly rare cases...teachers have certainly sacrificed, so that your children can learn.

For what may be the zillionth time, I repeat that teachers are paid a daily rate for days worked. They are not paid for the summer days when they are not on duty.

Hopefully, readers of this thread will see why unions are so important to the working person. If you look for any sympathy from certain people, you'll probably be looking for a long time...

And by the way, Stan is certainly on point. Performance and accountability does indeed rest with the student, as does teacher oversight rest with the school boards.

A union's responsibility rests with its membership.

Back to STROLLING with the banjo... (as well as volunteering with the schools, the senior citizens, writing for the paper, and trying to make a better world, whenever I can)

[Bryan Schwegler]

I recommend you all watch Waiting for Superman. Pretty eye opening and scary really. The entire system is broken.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I recommend you all watch Waiting for Superman. Pretty eye opening and scary really. The entire system is broken.

It is so refreshing to read.

Yes you are right, it is all very broken, and not really sure what we need to do, but
we really need to reset and calibrate from top to bottom.

Everything.

[Stan Austin]

Bill--- seems like your hero is doing the Republican/Tea Party down low. I just got a mailer doing an anti immigrant rant from him.
So, like "Corrigan" is an original settler of the Americas?

Guess the clown just had some left over dollars from various committees and decided to throw some sh** out there.

Stan

[Jerry Ritcey]

Bill--- seems like your hero is doing the Republican/Tea Party down low. I just got a mailer doing an anti immigrant rant from him.
So, like "Corrigan" is an original settler of the Americas?

All these darn Canadians sneaking across the border, taking all the good zamboni driving jobs...

[Stan Austin]