WEDNESDAY, MAY 3  ■  Bush launches back-door assault on Hanford, DOE workers -- The Bush administration has announced that it will no longer reimburse DOE contractors for the costs of traditional, defined-benefit pension and medical plans for new employees.

Priorities of Government news:
■  In today's Washington Post -- Bush, GOP leaders agree to extend expiring tax cuts -- The deal would extend tax cuts on dividends and capital gains, among other things. Borrow-and-spend Republicans want more wartime tax breaks for the rich despite running up $760 billion in unpaid bills in 2005.  In one year, they racked up $156,000 of debt for every man, woman and child in America.   For a family, it's like having a $750,000 mortgage -- and no house.
■  At AFL-CIO blog -- Social Security: The sky is not falling -- The new trustees' report places the Social Security shortfall at $4.6 trillion over the next 75 years.  That's about ONE-THIRD the cost of Bush's tax cuts over the same period.  Eliminating the tax cuts for just for the top 1% of Americans -- people who make more than $400,000 a year -- would save that much.

Immigration news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Blaming the immigrants is not the answer (María Chávez op-ed) -- Not many of us could sit back and watch our children or elderly parents suffer hunger and destitution without doing something to ease their suffering and improve their lives. Missing from so much of the immigration debate is the humanity of the undocumented immigrants who are making sacrifices most of us cannot even imagine.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Mexican leader to visit Seattle -- Trade and immigration will be on the agenda when Mexico President Vicente Fox makes a visit to Seattle this month to meet with the governor, business leaders and people in the local Latino community. (More on Fox.)
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Advocates for immigrants turn their sights to Congress
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Message of the march -- What message did Congress hear?
■  In today's LA Times -- Unions helped organize "Day Without Immigrants" -- Organized labor's money, muscle and mobilizing expertise played an instrumental role in Monday's marches. For unions, the stakes in changing the nation's immigration laws are enormous.
■  In today's NY Times -- After immigration protests, goal remains elusive (news analysis) -- Although the outpouring has drawn comparisons to the civil rights movement of the 1960's, questions remain about whether the protesters can translate their passion into political results.

Local news:
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Teamsters reach garbage-contract agreement with Allied Waste 
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Judge tosses liquor tax, but cigarette tax stays -- Don't look for a $1.33-per-liter discount just yet, though... the state is appealing to the state Supreme Court.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Swedish plans changes in Ballard -- Citing weakening financial performance, it has again proposed closing most services for seriously ill patients, turning the 163-bed hospital into a "comprehensive ambulatory center" focusing on outpatient procedures.
■  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Legislature must build flexibility into state budget (editorial)
■  In today's Oregonian -- Wage case could set precedent -- A state-imposed minimum wage for Oregon construction workers at public-private projects is being challenged in court.

Political news:
■  In the Seattle Weekly -- GOP debt goes away -- The state Republican Party has quietly eliminated a $1 million bill from their legal bid contesting Gregoire's election.  In March, the BIAW paid $235,000 worth of skimmed workers' compensation rebates, and then Davis-Wright-Tremaine wrote off $276,000 of its bill.  Says Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz, whose party is still saddled with $600,000 in debt from the trial: "The BIAW is a corrupt political organization."
■  At AFL-CIO Now -- "Awesome" union campaign lifts Ohio write-in candidate to huge win

National news:
■  In today's News Tribune -- Huge plan to protect ports moves forward -- A key congressional committee approves Sen. Patty Murray's far-reaching port security bill that could lead to screening of all cargo containers headed to the United States. (Will Wal-Mart block it again?)
■  In today's Investor's Business Daily -- Massachusetts health care law may be model for the country
■  In today's NY Times -- An ugly side of free trade: Sweatshops in Jordan -- An advocacy group for workers contends that some apparel makers in Jordan have engaged in human trafficking.

The following statement was released today by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney:

The Bush Administration has launched an unprecedented back-door assault on financially healthy pension plans at the Department of Energy (DOE), exposing its agenda to destroy the defined benefit pension system. Last week the DOE announced that it will no longer reimburse contractors for the costs of traditional, defined-benefit pension and medical plans for new employees. In addition, DOE will encourage these federal contractors to switch from defined-benefit plans to 401(k) or other defined contribution plans for current employees.

With retirement security fast becoming a goal that is beyond the reach of most Americans, the federal government should sustain and promote secure, reliable pensions for all workers, and especially those who are employed in the nation’s defense, developing, manufacturing, testing and clean-up of nuclear weapons. 

It is disgraceful that we are jeopardizing the retirement security of workers to whom we entrust our national security.

If the Bush Administration is willing to take aim at the pensions of nuclear weapons workers, whose pensions will be next?