Public Employee Unions, Kagan's Nomination, and the Gulf Oil Spill

Reader Comments
Back to blog

“A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” Revelation 8:9. While the Gulf oil spill may not be the fulfillment of that prophecy, the Gulf oil spill does show that something like that could happen. The idea isn’t so farfetched. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20.

Robert Holt of TX 5:38PM June 29, 2010

When the shiite hits the fan, its coming, obviously, these union, fat-assed worthless, lazy POS's will get their rectums handed to them by the fierce, hardworking private sector working joes that have the strength and fortitude to rid the nation of their pox.

Charles Daly of IL 10:43PM June 12, 2010

For years I've tolerated complaints from radio personalities, political reps, and private individuals who whine and moan about the salaries government employees get paid per hour as compared to the employees in the private sector. And the same individuals, complaining about how much retired government workers are compensated from a states fund. Many individuals in the private sector who complain about the unions and their contracts could also benefit from these plans if they had a mind to. But I guess because they were able to attend expensive universities, they may feel that it is not fair that people with less education, in some cases are earning more than they. IT'S NOT FAIR!!! I'm certain they cry. But there was a time when government workers were looked upon as less educated, and earned pennies compared to the employee in the private sector. The American worker before the 1930's, including children regardless of age, had no benefits or protection. There were no increases in salary, no medical coverage, state health plans, welfare, or social security, and if hurt on the job you were fired. And when a person got to old .. they were fired. The only kind of worker the employer of the early 1900's wanted was one that could produce, with no breaks or benefits seven days a week! And when the workers finally got tired of being abused and worked like animals for 12 or more hours per day for pennies, they organized and it was only through unionizing and defeating the money hungry employers and their hired thugs, that the union workers began to realize the benefits of a decent standard of living, increases in salary, and .. thank God, a retirement plan for their old age. But the retirement programs in unions are not free. A portion of the employees salary is deducted every payday and invested into a retirement plan until it is time for that individual to retire. So it's not like many assume, that it is free, it is not and NO MONEY from a state is being used. If it were not for the retirement plan in union contracts, you would have seniors in their 80's and 90's dying on the job, and in the streets. Don't blame unions for the influx of new employees from the private sector who want to better their lives and for the financial problems that states are currently experiencing. Blame the politicians who waste millions of tax payer money on PORK programs and travel expenditures for themselves and their families, in the pretense that it's in the interest of their state. And the selfish hungry employers in the private sector who give preferencial treatment and salaries to family members and friends. And to this day still do not want to spend money providing benefits for their employees, and also by taking advantage of them by not compensating them with a decent salary that reflexs an employees experience. I hope this bit of information will be taken to heart by those who ignorantly speak of unions and what they know nothing about!!!

BORN AMERICAN of CA 10:13PM June 06, 2010

As I listened to the radio announcer speaking to a caller it brought back memories of when I was standing in line at the unemployment office. Well anyway .. let me get back to the caller. She mentioned that she went to the Dept of Motor Vehicle to review some info related to the rules of driving. She searched the lobby for a pamphlet related to the rules she had in mind. But to her disappointment all the pamphlets were written in a foreign language. Well, she continued her search for a pamphlet that was written in english, and in not finding any, she gave up and got into the information line. After an hour, she approached the clerk and mentioned that she had searched the lobby area for a pamphlet in english but couldn't find any, did the dept run out of english pamphlets? The clerk (as the caller described the response) assumed that she was of a certain ethnicity and mentioned that there were pamphlets in other languages. The caller pointed out that she wasn't interested in a pamphlet in another language, only in english. Well back and forth she and the clerk went, as she demanded a pamphlet in english. Then, a supervisor came to her rescue and she finally got a pamphlet that was written in english. And, what should have taken only 15 minutes, took her approx 2 1/2 hours because no pamphlets were available in english. Now getting back to my experience at the unemployment office. I was standing in line waiting to (receive what I had invested in through my earnings) my unemployment check. As I inched forward towards the clerks window, I noticed that the clerk servicing the line next to mine, in less than a second would look at the recipient and would ask in spanish for their personal info, and on it went. Well, I guess one recipient in the line didn't appreciate the assumption that he didn't speak english and loudly scoulded her that this was America and that she shouldn't assume because a person has the appearance of a certain ethnicity it dousn't give her the right to speak a foreign language first, and then english second. Suddenly, an outburst of applause and cheers followed from many in the various lines, where the scoulding could be heard. Can you possibly blame Americans from criticizing that their America is being transformed into a country they don't recognize, when even the government printing office prints literature in a hundred different languages. Only encouraging immigrants to not read english, or simulate into the American system. But more discouraging is that thousands of immigrants who are citizens and don't read english depend on relatives or friends, to tell them who to vote for which many times will determine the outcome of an election. The Obama admin is an example of a failed admin that had won the election through racial issues, and the pitting of the poor against the wealthy, thus dividing the American system and its citizens. Only english, should be written and spoken first in all government facilities.

BORN AMERICAN of CA 11:16PM June 05, 2010

Mr Hyde of Lakeland, Tennessee and a number of others who have so opined that safety is lax in the Marshall islands fleet simply don't know the facts.
The Marshall Islands fleet (third largest in the world) is the only fleet to be white listed by both the Paris and Tokyo MoUs, which are made up of the various port states in Europe and Asia. The MI flag is also the only major flag state to be listed on the US Coast Guard Qualship 21 list which acknowledges excellence in safety and environmental compliance. In fact, the MI has been on that list for five consecutive years.
BP has nothing to do with the Marshall Islands. Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon, chose to flag with the Marshall Islands Registry because of its excellent safety record and because its inspectors and technical personnel are available worldwide. This global reach is needed for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) which may be off the US coast one month and then off Brazil, Norway or in the Persial Gulf the next.
I know all this because I'm a journalist covering the maritime industry.

Walter Buchanan of VA 3:14PM June 01, 2010