The Rally in Harrisburg (and two letters)

I’m fired up.  Standing in the middle of a thousand cheering union supporters on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg was a morale booster.  We heard from a teacher, an environmentalist, a social worker, and a 92-year-old woman and former union worker from Wisconsin, who talked about the importance of sticking together.  

The crowd included young and old, black and white, men and women--all of us aware that the governor’s proposal in Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing the budget.   Its purpose is to destroy unions.  By going after public unions first, he hopes to split the union movement.  At the rally it was clear this tactic would not succeed.

One of the speakers noted that Governor Corbett said “Pennsylvania is not Wisconsin.”  Perhaps not, but I thought the sign “Wisconsylvania” was close to the mark.  After all, Corbett has proposed vouchers to weaken public schools, the closing of the state stores, and a “Right to Work for Less” law.  

Rally participants had hundreds of signs, most of them homemade.  My sign said “Governor Walker:  David Koch on Line One.”  Linda’s sign said “The Right to Organize is Fundamental.”  

I have not heard if the other rallies, scheduled for the state capitols of all 50 states, were successful, but the one in Harrisburg certainly was.  We were told that this would be a long hard struggle, but union organizing has always been a long hard struggle.  A positive note is that we have friends and allies across the state. 

About 25 Tea Party followers across the street shouted and heckled, even during the invocation.  Why a group that often wears revolutionary hats would want to ally with large corporations, union busting governors, and enemies of the middle class is beyond my understanding.

Two views on the state budget, one smart, one not-so-smart

The Times News (Feb. 26) printed two letters on the budget crisis.  “Missing out on state revenue” by Billy O’Gurek, Chair of the Carbon County Democratic Party,  notes that a severance tax on natural gas production would bring in much needed funds to the state.  He also points out the Governor Corbett received almost a million dollars in campaign donations from natural gas companies. 

Next to Mr. O’Gurek’s letter is a “legislative review” from Representative Doyle Heffley.  The “review” is not a review, but an advocacy piece pushing the sale of liquor stores.  Heffley ran as a family values guy.  Evidently he thinks that a proliferation of liquor stores is in keeping with family values and a one-time windfall represents good government management.

Both letters can be found at <www.tnonline.com> for Feb. 26.  Click on “letters.”