WSLC Reports Today -- June 27, 2006

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WSLC Reports Today
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Links are functional at date of posting, but sometimes expire. Some links require free registration. WSLC Reports Today links to stories of interest to organized labor; some positive, some negative. The intention is to inform.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27 ▪ Urge Sens. Cantwell, Murray to oppose estate tax rollback
▪ In yesterday's Columbian -- Super-rich should stop grousing, pay taxes (Bender column) -- With America at war and the U.S. government bleeding red ink, with our state's schools and other pressing needs underfunded, and with the gap between rich and poor at historic levels and growing, could there be a worse time to consider repealing estate taxes?!
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Stealth amendment shouldn't mean death to estate tax (op-ed) -- The latest estate tax "relief" bill would cost -- $760 billion, which is debt financed -- and benefits only the ultra-richest families. Why would Murray and/or Cantwell take a such a huge step to further enlarge and entrench the financial aristocracy? Will they do it for a timber industry tax break?

Political news:
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Candidate McGavick goes on offensive over Safeco (Virgin column) -- His web site now touts his success at turning the insurer around, accomplished largely by laying off 1,200 people because of failed acquisitions and other management mistakes. He says, "the hardest choice of all: We had to let some people go." (Some = 1,200.) An even harder choice than that "hardest choice" would have been to accept a reasonable paycheck for himself amid these layoffs and the company's $1 billion loss that year. Instead, he made the easy choice: raking in $10.8 million. He's done pretty well since then, too: taking $26.5 million in 2003-2005. And then, he took a $28 million golden parachute to leave Safeco and run for U.S. Senate. Read on: Meet Mike McGavick.
▪ In today's Yakima H-R -- Holmquist seeking move to Senate

Local news:
▪ In today's Olympian -- State clarifies union religious exception -- A new attorney general opinion has created a buzz, but the WFSE says it doesn't change how things have been working.
▪ Today from AP -- Labor-desperate cherry growers tap teens -- Growers filed more than 700 job orders for cherry pickers last week, a 20 percent increase from last year.
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review -- Council delays wage initiative by sending it to attorney for review

National news:
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Medicare drug benefit codifies the right to plunder (Harrop column) -- There are two possible explanations for the Medicare drug law, which we now learn will cost $1.2 trillion over its first 10 years. One is that the president and Congress had no idea what they were doing. That's the charitable take. The other is that it was premeditated taxpayer rape.
▪ In the Spokesman-Review -- Job-based health care overdue for checkup (op-ed) -- SEIU President Andy Stern and Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA) don't agree on much, but both say it's time to replace the central arch of the U.S. health care system: the link between health insurance and work.
▪ In yesterday's Walla Walla U-B -- Backlog for legal immigrants is far too long (editorial)
▪ Today from AP -- 47,600 workers accept offers to leave GM, Delphi
▪ Today from AP -- Las Vegas could get 12,000 jobs with MGM Mirage megaproject
▪ In today's Wash. Post -- Work on 2007 federal pay raises may come later rather than sooner
▪ Today from AP -- Judge won't release Hoffa affidavit used to get search warrant

News We Couldn't Resist Linking To:
▪ Today at CBS.com -- Rush Limbaugh detained at airport for smuggling illegal Viagra -- 'Nuff said.

Earlier this week: MONDAY, 6/26
Last week: Monday, 6/19 -- Tuesday, 6/20 -- Wednesday, 6/21 -- Thursday, 6/22 -- Friday, 6/23

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2006
Urge Sens. Cantwell, Murray to oppose estate tax rollback

On June 8, the U.S. Senate voted 57-41 against permanent estate tax repeal. That was an important victory, but amazingly, now there’s going to be another vote on the estate tax. Last Thursday, the House voted to sharply cut the estate tax, losing 75 to 80 percent of the revenue it generates. The Senate will vote on this HR 5638 in the next few days.

The Senate vote will be extremely close and Sen. Cantwell and Murray are critical swing votes. They need to hear from you NOW.

More than 99 percent of us will never pay the estate tax because it falls on only multi-millionaires and billionaires. Gutting our nation’s most progressive tax would cost $800 BILLION over 10 years, making our already enormous deficits worse and forcing further cuts to vital services like health care and education.

CALL TO ACTION: Call Sens. Cantwell and Murray today to oppose HR 5638! Urge them not to give millionaires a huge debt-financed tax cut that shifts the tax -- and debt -- burdens even further to the rest of us and our children. Tell them:

"Don’t cut the estate tax. Please vote 'No' on HR 5638, and any other measures that sharply reduce the estate tax." Add a personal message about who you are and why you oppose estate tax repeal. Leave a full message and your number if you do not reach the staff person.

1. Call Senator Cantwell’s Chief of Staff in WASHINGTON, DC: Michael Meehan 800-308-4667, michael_meehan@cantwell.senate.gov, or Senator Cantwell’s Chief of Staff in Seattle: Kurt Beckett 206-220-6400, kurt_beckett@cantwell.senate.gov

2. Call Senator Murray’s Legislative Director in DC: Lesley Turner, or her Aide on Taxes: Joshua Jacobs at 800-404-5865, lesley_turner@murray.senate.gov , Joshua_Jacobs@murray.senate.gov

3. Please copy, paste and forward this message to people you know. For more information on the estate tax, visit the United for a Fair Economy web site at: http://www.faireconomy.org/estatetax/four_ways.html. For more information on HR 5638, see http://www.cbpp.org/6-20-06tax.htm.

Thanks for taking action TODAY on this important issue.

If you have news items regarding unions or workplace issues in Washington state that you would like to see posted here, please submit them via e-mail to David Groves or via fax to 206-285-5805.