Archive for Blog

How fitting that as New York City recently came to a halt because of a strike by the transit union, the 100-year-old Industrial Workers of the World union (IWW or Wobblies) has come back alive after being left for dead. The New York Sun is today reporting that the radical socialist union, which currently has 2,000 members in North America, has resurfaced in New York convincing workers to walk of the job on Monday at a wholesale company. Maybe the workers (many who are illegal immigrants) were inspired... Read More→

It’s no big surprise that über-liberal Christine Quinn was going to become the next speaker of the New York City Council. She had a great relationship with former speaker Gifford Miller, and has steadily risen through the Demo ranks in NYC since working for State Senator Tom Duane when he served in the City Council. But did it have to happen while I still live here? I became aware of Quinn while managing Stephen Evans’s 2003 campaign to free the 3rd Councilmanic district from her grip.... Read More→

This morning inflation hit home when I purchased the New York Sun and learned they raised their price 100%! Actually it’s not that big of a deal, it was originally only a quarter.  Read More →

Finally got around to seeing Syriana, which has been getting raves reviews around the country, and I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed. This ensemble piece is meant to be an exploration into the state of affairs of the world’s oil industry, and was made by the producers and writer of Traffic, an ensemble piece meant to be an exploration into the state of affairs of the world’s illegal drug trade. There has been some political back and forth about whether Syriana is an indictment of... Read More→

I don’t know how it happened, or who is responsible for putting me on such a politically perverted mailing list, but I have recently received an invitation to join the American Civil Liberties Union. Naturally, I reject such an invitation outright. Far from being the even-handed organization seeking to redress legal greivances that it was originally intended to be, the modern ACLU is little more than a sounding board for the American Left. And the letter that accompanied a request for a donation... Read More→

When the most recent unemployment data was released earlier in the month, it had shown that the United States unemployment rate was 5%. In an economy as large as ours with a population as big as ours, a 5% unemployment rate is not only amazing (5% is generally considered to be full employment for a country) but is half of most other developed nations like France and Germany. When the U.S. had fallen into a brief recession after the .com crash U.S businesses from small to large were quick to go... Read More→

Dennis, My head is still shaking over your comments. In your final three paragraphs I couldn’t help but notice your belief that the workers of America are somehow not being treated fairly or paid sufficiently enough because of the exploitation by their employers. Yes in the early days of the industrial revolution there was obvious signs of exploitation and unions helped bring it to the attention of government but that has all been taken care of thanks to hundreds of labor laws that hang in our... Read More→

Dennis, Nice points except you fail to realize that every company in this country without a union is able to accomplish the same things. There is nothing you list in your points that the MTA can’t get without a contract. For instance: 1. As someone who manages pensions, I can tell you that companies do not have to give their employees a contract to get vesting periods for their employees on their pensions. I have dozens of clients who have pension plans both defined benefit and defined contribution... Read More→

Can you believe that the Times published the photos of undercover officers? I only wish the Times would act as professionally as I know our police officers would if called to the Times HQ or to Sulzberger’s house.  Read More →

and disagree with Nick here about the contracts for public employee unions. The fact is that the MTA gets a number of things in a collective bargaining arrangement: 1. Uniform vesting periods for pensions and other benefits as a necessary precondition to payment of those benefits Not only does this provide inducement for people to remain on the job, but without meeting the preconditions, the MTA wouldn’t have to pay anything (or much less) 2. A steady stream of trained labor for a unique... Read More→