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September 9, 2010
Obama's 'new stimulus' another union pay-off
I guess it doesn't matter that two-thirds of the stimulus originally earmarked for infrastructure ("shovel ready" projects supported by all!) lies dormant in federal coffers, "infrastructure" is a poll-tested sound-bite from Government Heaven. "Roads, rails, runways" is a catchy motto which sooths the electorate with images of Men at Work.
But, as with All Things Obama, there's more than meets the ear, and no one knows sleaze like Michelle Malkin who writes:
Here's the rub: Not all workers are equal in Obama's eyes. And most of them will remain "idled" by the Democrats' own design. The key is E.O. 13502, a union-friendly Executive Order signed by Obama in his first weeks in office, which forces contractors who bid on large-scale public construction projects in excess of $25 million to submit to union representation for its employees.
The blunt instrument used to give unions a leg up is the "project labor agreement (PLA)," which in theory sets reasonable pre-work terms and conditions -- but in practice, requires contractors to hand over EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING CONTROL, to pay inflated, above-market wages and benefits; and to fork over dues money and pension-funding to corrupt, cash-starved labor organizations. These anti-competitive agreements undermine a fair bidding process on projects that locked-out, non-union laborers are funding with their own tax dollars. And these PLAs benefit the privileged few at the expense of the vast majority. In the construction industry, 85 percent of the workforce is non-union by choice.
This was predictable. I can think of no instance in which the president gilded an offering - "My plan will lower health premiums by $2500 per/household" - that didn't crash upon scrutiny. The more he blusters, the more he flubs; the more he commits to failure, pandering to grievances, the more he becomes impotent. Mr. Obama exists in two worlds: one made up of real Americans whom he mocks, and one made up of utopian schemers. One feeds on fact, one feeds on foolishness. And it's apparent to all which he prefers.
Greg Halvorson is the founder of Soldiers Without Boots, and hosts Freedom Warrior Radio on Blog Talk Radio.