The anatomy of an $11 billion myth in New Jersey | NJ.com

Hello again everyone. I'm back after taking a week off that was greatly needed. I'll be adding some new and original posting very soon, but first I'd like to link up this January 16 post from The Star Ledger's Tom Moran.

Be sure to read this prior to watching this Sunday's edition of Face The Nation when host Bob Schieffer will interview New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Moran's column explodes the myth that Christie reduced the state's deficit of $11 billion dollars. The real story, according to Moran, is that the deficit actually rose despite the draconian cuts made by the Christie administration and the deficit will be almost the same for the next fiscal year.

In a related story, yesterday about 3,000 public employees and other union members rallied in Trenton yesterday in a driving rainstorm with 35 mph winds to show support for public employees in Wisconsin. Some protesters displayed their anger at Christie, who along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida's Rick Scott, and Ohio's John Kasich are at the forefront of an apparent assault on public employee unions' benefits and their right to collective bargain.



The anatomy of an $11 billion myth in New Jersey | NJ.com

"WAS IT REALLY THAT BAD....Before Unions?"

After seeing the reaction from the usual suspects on the right to the passage of a $26 billion bill that would save the jobs of tens of thousands of teachers, police officers, and firefighters- most of the righties want them to take big(ger) pay cuts, and "curses be those damned unions"- I thought I'd examine their reasoning by searching for the answer to the question....

"Was it really that bad before unions?"

When I need answers to life's questions, I know who to turn to......

Stephen Colbert!

Here, from way back in March 2006, Stephen talked about the "good old days", before those damned Bolshevik trade unionists destroyed America.... forever!!!.

Ahem!....if America was already destroyed in 2006, how is Barack Obama destroying it now? Or was there a glorious Golden Age that lasted all of two years that came crashing down in September, 2008?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Was It Really That Bad? - Before Unions
www.colbertnation.com
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AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Limbaugh Lies About Big Branch Mine: No, Rush, It Wasn’t Union

Rush Limbaugh, aka "America's Great White Gasbag", once again has demonstrated that he's not about to let the truth stand in the way of his version of the story.

Limbaugh has alleged that the United Mine Workers failed to protect their members, whom, he claims were among the 29 miners killed in the blast at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, owned and operated by the Massey Energy Company.

But here's the problem with statement....Upper Big Branch was NOT a union mine.

When challenged about his claim about Upper Big Branch being a union mine, click the video below to hear what Rush Limbaugh said, in his own words.





Alright, Massey did rehire 85 miners in the case mentioned in 2009.

But here's the deal....it was at the Cannelton mine, which is not even in Raleigh County, where the Upper Big Branch mine is located.

Even Fox News got that point right. Rush Limbaugh didn't.

And even if that was the case....how is the onus put on the UMWA for Massey running an unsafe mine? What kind of twisted logic is that?

And calling it logic of any sort is a stretch.

READ MORE....from AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Trumka: Washington Lacks Political Courage to Fix Nation’s Jobs Crisis

Richard Trumka, President of the national AFL-CIO, called out the leadership in Washington for lacking the political courage to address the jobs crisis in America at a speech before the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

READ MORE....from AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Click for AFL-CIO NOW Blog and for AFL-CIO Website.