Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
- Oklahoma House Passes ObamaCare Nullification Bill; Legal Showdown Coming?
- One Man’s Fight Against Union Power
- Extremely Difficult to Keep Up With Economic Stupidity
- Merkel Coalition Doomed; Italy Exit Only a Matter of Time?
Oklahoma House Passes ObamaCare Nullification Bill; Legal Showdown Coming? Posted: 14 Mar 2013 03:50 PM PDT The US Supreme Court ruled Obamacare is constitutional. Legislators in the state of Oklahoma have a different idea. The New American reports Oklahoma House of Representatives Passes ObamaCare Nullification Bill. By a vote of 72-20, the state House of Representatives passed House Bill 1021, a bill that if signed into law would stop the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as ObamaCare) at the borders of the sovereign state of Oklahoma.Two Questions The two questions at hand are whether the state Senate will go along, and then if Republican governor Mary Fallin will sign it. Should that happen we will have a legal showdown on our hands. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com |
One Man’s Fight Against Union Power Posted: 14 Mar 2013 12:38 PM PDT This is a guest post about trials of Dave Bego, author of the book "The Devil at Our Doorstep," written by Ed Ring at UnionWatch, a non-partisan public policy watchdog group located in California. Entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley should pay close attention to the experiences of Dave Bego, the Indiana businessman who started a company from scratch. By 2006, after years of unrelenting toil and sacrifice by Bego and his family, Executive Management Services, Inc. (EMS) had expanded into 38 states and had 5,000 employees. Bego now had something so valuable it became an attractive target for unionization. Bego's story, which he has written about in two books and has turned into a one-man information crusade, is not unique. But his decision to fight back is very unusual, and his account of how his company was targeted has gone largely unreported. The details of his fight reveal a frightening lack of legal protection for company owners and their workers from union intimidation, as well as a dated, shamelessly abused set of exemptions shielding over-zealous union organizers from legal sanctions. A UnionWatch article from December 2012, "The Special Privileges And Exemptions of Public Sector Unions," references several compilations of how unions escape many of the laws that govern the rest of us, but hearing about what actually happened to Dave Bego makes it far less academic. It is conventional to assume that if somebody is critical of a union's tactics, they must be anti-union. But even Dave Bego, who fought the SEIU for years, believes that unions have a legitimate role to play in a capitalist democracy. Bego, in an ad placed in the Indianapolis Star, offered to hold a secret ballot election among the employees to decide whether or not they wished union representation. As stated publicly in this ad: "EMS is very willing to let its employees vote in a secret ballot election conducted by the federal government to decide whether they want to be members of your union or not… we have encouraged you to seek an election since your first contact with EMS" (see EMS ad "Dear SEIU, Please Fish or Cut Bait"). The problem unions have with a secret ballot election, apparently, is that the union might lose. When union representatives met with Dave Bego, and during all of their subsequent campaign of pressure and intimidation, what they wanted him to do was sign a "neutrality agreement" (view actual neutrality agreement presented to Bego). Here are highlights of what a neutrality agreement does:
What a neutrality agreement does is enforce the process known as "card check," whereby instead of voting in a secret election whether or not employees want union representation, the union organizers gather individual signatures on consent forms. Armed with the home addresses of every single employee, the union has three years to target individuals, one by one, until 50% of them sign the card. This process, currently only legal if and when an employer signs a neutrality agreement, would become law of the land if the union-supported, misleadingly named "Employee Free Choice Act" ever becomes federal law. Because the unions wanted Bego to sign a neutrality agreement, he refused on principle, because doing so would have denied his employees the right to a secret ballot election. That's when the troubles started. As summarized in Bego's book, "The Devil at Our Doorstep," the SEIU embarked upon a campaign of persuasion that relied on laws designed to give unions an advantage over employers. Here are some examples of rules that impose double standards on the conduct of unions vs. employers during union organizing campaigns:
In order to hold a secret election, the union has to get 30% of a company's employees to sign a petition asking for a vote. To do this, their operatives approached EMS employees – over and over – on their way to work, in the parking lots, and sometimes even followed them home. They enlisted the support of local clergy, who organized blockades of buildings where Bego's employees worked. Because EMS provides contract janitorial services, the unions organized demonstrations outside these buildings, intimidating the building owners in an attempt to get them to change vendors. They sent letters to the press and to EMS clients alleging "unfair labor practices" which in most if not all cases were without merit. Indeed, in November 2007, EMS filed a set of counter-charges (view EMS Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against SEIU), and in the subsequent NLRB hearing the ruling was in favor of EMS. Even the NLRB felt the union had gone too far. These "corporate campaigns" occur every day across America. Most employers cannot withstand the pressure from the unions. At one point, the union campaign against EMS included enlisting children on Halloween night to go trick-or-treating in Bego's neighborhood, and after being given candy, they gave each resident a union flyer: While Bego has managed to successfully fight the SEIU, at least so far, most people can't stand up to the intimidation that appears to be standard procedure for unions who operate a corporate campaign. Not only the company owners, but their family, their employees, their suppliers, and their customers face harassment. Sometimes this harassment escalates into vandalism and violence, with laws in place that create for unions a higher threshold before such acts become criminal. But the unions are lobbying for even more laws to assist them in their corporate campaigns. For example:
Eliminating unfair union advantages, currently built into federal law, would not necessarily eliminate unions. In a recent speech at an event sponsored by the Heritage Foundation (view speech – begins at 5:40), Bego emphasized that some workplaces probably would benefit from unionization. But unions must play by the same rules as the companies they negotiate with, employees should have a right to a secret ballot in elections concerning unions, and nobody should be forced to join a union. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs come from a variety of ideological leanings, but it is accurate to state that most of them support Democratic political candidates. Perhaps this, combined with their extraordinary personal wealth, blinds them to the agenda of unions, despite the fact that public sector unions already control California's state and most of its local governments and their unsustainable financial demands are contributing to the insolvency of those institutions. If the Silicon Valley business elite want to maintain control of the companies they founded, and preserve the vitality of the new industries they helped create, they should take a careful look at the proper role of unions in 21st century America. Because the rules governing unions and union organizing are at a tipping point. If union-friendly legislation continues to emanate from Washington D.C., and Sacramento, the Silicon Valley may find itself on the front lines of a battle for which they are entirely unprepared. End Guest Post The only way to stop such abuses is to curtail union priveleges especially public union privleges. Three Needed Solutions
Please support Senator Rand Paul's efforts on right-to-work legislation. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com |
Extremely Difficult to Keep Up With Economic Stupidity Posted: 14 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT I find it increasingly difficult to keep up with economically stupid proposals. Commenting on central bank foolishness is a full time job in and of itself. Factor in unions, Keynesian and Monetarist clowns, and I hardly get any sleep. Economic nonsense in France, Spain, and elsewhere in Europe sends the situation over the top. For example, I previously commented Housing Construction in France Lowest in 50 Years; Hollande Responds With Measures to Support Building "For the Public Good" Housing starts in France will fall to 280,000-300,000 in 2013, the lowest level in 50 years according to developer Nexity. The government wants 500,000 units per year. Housing Starts Insanity Reader Tim Wallace helps put that insanity into perspective. Wallace writes ... Hello MishIndeed, we do know how this would end. The US is currently running about 890,000 housing starts annually, on a seasonally adjusted basis. And Hollande wants an equivalent 2,380,952 starts "for the public good". US housing is distressed. However, France is in the midst of a bubble now burst, and it is beyond stupid to keep building anywhere in the face of falling demand. Next Case (Also From France) Via Google translate, please consider France to investigate Skype for failing to register as a telecommunications operator. After successfully extorting Google, the Government of Francois Hollande has its eye on Microsoft and Skype service.Reflections on "Unfair Competition" Corporations always consider it "unfair" when any other company can do things faster, smarter, or cheaper than they can. The buggy whip industry once protested cars. Today, land-line telecom companies have to compete with wireless and they don't like it. Now, we see protests about VOIP (voice over internet protocol). Technology marches on. But France does not like it. The French solution is to tax Skype because it has an "unfair advantage". This is an age-old unwinnable argument. Petition of the Candle Makers The ultimate irony is France's preposterous "unfair advantage" argument was lampooned by French economist Frederic Bastiat back in 1845 when he penned 'Petition of the Candle Makers'. In his article, candle makers were incensed that the light of the sun could be had for free. The sun's unfair trade advantage was to the "detriment of fair industries" who could not compete against the sun's price. Something had to be done to "shut off as much as possible, all access to natural light, and thereby create a need for artificial light" so that "industry in France will encouraged". How and Why We Forget the Obvious It is a simple statement of fact that the more goods and services we receive for our money, the better off we all are. The cheaper, the better! Time and time again we forget free trade and lower prices are a benefit! We forget because unions, socialists, and corporations forced to compete against the sun (or Skype), scream "unfair advantage" at the top of their lungs, via political contributions to politicians willing to "tax the sun" to be re-elected. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com |
Merkel Coalition Doomed; Italy Exit Only a Matter of Time? Posted: 14 Mar 2013 01:47 AM PDT About a week ago I started exchanging emails with reader Bernd who lives in Germany. He claims that the anti-euro movement in Germany is far bigger than mainstream media lets on. The question is who to believe, and I cast my lot with Bernd. I have been down this path twice before, the first with reader "AC" who is from Italy and called the rise of Beppe Grillo a year before mainstream media ever mentioned the guy, let alone treated him seriously. The second setup regards reader "Bran" who lives in Spain. Bran sends me most of the Spanish links that I translate. Currently I am 2-for-2 on who to believe. Nonetheless, let's first consider the other side of the story as presented in Tuesday's Eurointelligence report offering the following comments on a recent German poll that shows 26% of Germans would back anti euro-party. We want to caution readers not to translate the survey result by TNS-Emnid, according to which 26% of Germans would consider backing an anti-euro party, with the likely results to be achieved by the party that established itself this week – the "Alternative für Deutschland", run by a group German professors and journalists. The TNS-Emnid polls also shows that the support for an anti-euro party among 40-49 year old is around 40%.Why Bother? Really? Eurointelligence thinks the "Alternative für Deutschland" AfD party will only get 3% of the vote because there are plenty of "true Eurosceptic parties in Germany". Really? Let's tune in to reader Bernd who writes .... Currently Germany has 6 Parties in Federal Parliament: CDU, CSU, FDP, SPD, Green Party (Grüne), Left Party (Die Linke).Underestimating Backlash Bernd's scenario sounds quite plausible to me, just as I believed "AC" regarding the rise of Beppe Grillo. I asked Bernd for comments on the above Eurointelligence piece and he replied ... "For Reuters to quote Emnid pollster Schoeppner with a statement that most anti-Euro Germans feel well catered for by CDU or FDP is outright unbelieveable. I doubt that quote is true, because it makes absolutely no sense at all. There is no indication that CDU or FDP has any room left for anti-Euro types." Attempt to Stifle Discussion In another email, Bernd offered these thoughts on "Alternative für Deutschland" Mainstream media will do anything in their power to keep AfD out of any public discussion. Should that strategy not work, the media may spin a Neo-Nazi accusation which traditionally would be the death of any new party. However, the excellent names of the founders, and the fact that many of them are former CDU or FDP members makes that tactic highly risky.Four Time Bombs of the Chancellor Via Google translate from Der Spiegel, Wolfgang Münchau writes Euro crisis: The four time bombs of the Chancellor Until recently, everything went like clockwork for the Chancellor. ECB chief Mario Draghi had the euro crisis put an apparent end last summer - the purchase of government bonds calmed the markets. Merkel recommended Draghi as the savior of the euro.Quite a Change That is one hell of a change for Wolfgang Münchau who was optimistic about the Case for a grand coalition in Italy following the election. I am aware that almost every Italian political expert says this is not possible because of the confrontational style of politics and dozens of other reasons. I respectfully disagree. Italian parties have no experiences of a grand coalition, so much is true. Then again, the German politicians who entered grand coalitions in 1967 or 2005 did not either. Grand coalitions are certainly not a good way to govern countries over long periods because they leave radical fringe parties thriving in opposition. A grand coalition would leave Mr Grillo as the effective leader of the opposition. But grand coalitions can work well for a finite, predefined period, say for one parliamentary term.Münchau is co-founder and president of Eurointelligence which makes the Eurointelligence comment "You already have plenty of true Eurosceptic parties in Germany. So why bother?" all the more peculiar. If I am not mistaken (but I cannot find the reference) Münchau was not worried about Beppe Grillo before the election. Regardless, Münchau is now thinking clearly about the setup in Germany and Italy (in terms of what is likely), even though he objects to the idea. The best hope now is to get everyone on board for a peaceful dismantling of this doomed-from-the-beginning experiment, or it is going to splinter in a dozen pieces in the worst possible way at the worst possible time. Wine Country Conference I am hosting an economic conference on April 5 in Sonoma, California. Proceeds go to the Les Turner ALS Foundation (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Please see My Wife Joanne Has Passed Away; Stop and Smell the Lilacs for my association with the disease. To learn about the economic conference with world-class speakers including John Hussman, Michael Pettis, Jim Chanos, John Mauldin, Mike "Mish" Shedlock, Chris Martenson with guest moderator Lauren Lyster and other Special Guests, please visit Wine Country Conference April 5, 2013 Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com |
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