Don't Drink the Tea. Think With the WE.
May
2013
10
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has built his political career on being a universally likable character. In a complicated political state, “Hick” went from brewpub owner to Denver mayoral candidate and from popular Denver Mayor to Governor of Colorado. In the eyes of Republicans, however, his reputational ubiquity has wilted...
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May
2013
10
Under the Obama Administration, the United States has entered into free trade agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. As to why these agreements were necessary, President Obama promised “greater U.S. access to the Korean auto market, significantly increased labor rights and worker protections in Colombia, and enhanced tax...
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May
2013
10
The AFL-CIO has released its annual “Death on the Job” report which indicates that while the workplace is getting safer overall much progress must be made to prevent deaths and occupational illnesses in the future. It is the 22nd year that the report has been released. At the heart of the issue is the Occupational ...
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May
2013
8
Records obtained by the Dayton Daily News reveal that Ohio is home to 2,230 bridges that have been deemed structurally deficient. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, government agencies are not properly funded to keep up with the repairs. Montgomery County Engineer Paul Gruner says continued repair and restoration delays only raise...
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May
2013
8
Last week, the Missouri Senate passed a House bill that aims to make changes to the way prevailing wages are calculated in the Show-Me State. The bill, HB34, passed along party lines in a 23-10 vote and now heads to the desk of Gov. Jay Nixon. The changes “would eliminate the prevailing wage in third ...
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May
2013
8
A recent Washington Post op-ed from two top economists highlights the need for apprenticeship to help U.S. workers gain a competitive edge. Stuart E. Eizenstat, a former adviser to Presidents Carter and Clinton, and American University economics professor Robert I. Lerman argue that a growing natural gas industry means manufacturing jobs could be...
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May
2013
8
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently met in Oklahoma City to talk about things progressives hate. But when attendees arrived they were greeted by something progressives love: hundreds of protesters. The “ALEC is not OK” campaign managed to roundup over 600 anti-ALEC participants for a successful action. The real...
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May
2013
7
The political spirit of Maine is fiercely independent. In 2010, many voters felt they were getting a unique leader in former businessman and Tea Party favorite for Governor, Paul LePage. Sadly, like many of his victorious 2010 Republican Governor peers — Scott Walker (WI), John Kasich (OH), and Rick Snyder (MI), for example — his ...
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May
2013
7
The controversial City Point Development in downtown Brooklyn, New York, faces increased legal problems stemming from the underpayment of construction workers. Elected officials, construction unions and community groups last week have filed an Article 78 lawsuit against developer Arcadia Trust which aims to shut the project down. Due to...
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May
2013
7
Following the controversy sparked by the RBC-iGate affair in which the Royal Bank of Canada was replacing Canadian IT workers with foreign counterparts in order to lower labor costs, the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced changes to the country’s temporary foreign labor program. The changes, made under...
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May
2013
6
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has unveiled a $12.62 billion infrastructure plan which he hopes will move the state’s economy forward by improving roads and bridges and revamping public transportation. It is part of his $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program which was passed by legislature in 2009. The program will support 439,000 jobs over the...
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May
2013
6
The fate of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s now infamous Act 10, which stripped collective bargaining rights from public employees, is still up in the legal air as the State Supreme Court decides if it should decide the constitutionality of the law. Two years after its passage and a year after the failed recall of Gov. ...
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