Occupy Wisconsin's People's Agenda items for United Wisconsin's Recall Walker listening sessions

We got invited to one of the "People's Agenda" meetups set up by United Wisconsin here in our County. For people who worked on the Recall petitioning somewhat. Here in our county, we even started much earlier, doing the "pledge to sign" thing during the waning summer months. 

With that set-up, I thought I'd see what ideas that Occupy Wisc. people think should be put on this "people's agenda" for the governor candidates to chew on. I'll tell you what *I think* the governor candidates should be saying/doing, and maybe you chime in too.

--First off, the being-honest-about-the-jobs-situation that I already posted below. It's not the Governor job to make the capitalists "look good" about "creating X jobs." If the Gov. realizes that s/he's up against global capital trying to drive down wages and conditions, she/he should just say that.

Rather than us getting sucked into the "jobs created? jobs lost each month?" game, here's what should be getting measured, and I believe, publicized by the Governor's office and Workforce Development office under a new governor:

We need to be tracking the income level of a) new "jobs" and b) the moving average of state wages taken in aggregate. How many people per month are entering the Barbara Ehrenreich "Nickel-and-Dimed in America" labor force? c) What's the moving average number working, without having health insurance coverage?

I think we'd all be surprised, unnerved by the results, if they were compiled in that way. Now why would a governor want to publicize potentially bad news? Because it's ridiculous the way the Recall race has slid into a P.R. campaign about how many "jobs created" vs. "lost" or what the unemployment rate has become, month by month.

The real measure that means anything is, "what is the condition of the working class (99%) in our state, and the important question, what can be done to uplift this?" A raft of crappy new part-time, no-benefit jobs isn't going to cut it.

--2nd, big thing: Set up a new Ombudsman office with the first task being to prevent as many foreclosures as possible. Even have staff members liaison with Occupy our Homes efforts -- or even go and join the occupations to make a public point that we won't tolerate any more homelessness forced by banks.

3rd, health care: Find ways to end the huge long waiting list for BadgerCare, and if that means taxing more corporations, do it. We can't have two castes of people, one with okay health care and the other with no health care because they're not working or their job is to shitty to provide it.

--Any other ideas?  Here's what we gots, so far:

From Jim (Stevens Point):  "Environment environment environment! We can feed. clothe and house everyone, get then a great job but if the water is undrinkable and the northwoods is a big hole what kind of life would we have?"

From Erik (Urban forester, Stevens Point): "Separation of corporate & state and perhaps a Wisconsin State Bank or other way to keep resources, goods, and services in WI strong & less reliant on Federal Reserve system."

From Erik (Stevens Point) "Also, an investigation/tribunal of sorts for civil liberty offenses committed by the outgoing Gov., Fitz'es, and the Fitzwalkerstan Reich during public open meetings and Capitol proceedings. The outlawing of video and camera recordings in the Capitol Assembly chambers, closing of the Capitol, and many unwarranted arrests and detainments have provoked further inquiry to protect previously Constitutionally-protected rights

From Jim (Stevens Point):  "How about fining walker's sorry ass for those violations of the State Constitution. I'm thinking a fine the size of all the corporate contributions he's received. After he's on the street w/o power let's see how many super rich bail him out with contributions to his debt to society. And in my alternate reality he has to sit where the capitol pigeons most like to shit until the fine is paid.

From Casey (Stevens Point):  "Immediately remove all subsidies to industries that harm the earth. Turn all workplaces into self-managed worker democracies.

Redistribute large land holdings to communal organic agriculture production. Stop managing our publicly owned forests as tree farms for the timber industry.

Convert all hospitals into self-managed free clinics.

Ban administrative positions in our university system: Give students and professors full autonomy on how they will be educated.

Get rid of the police: all they do is patrol poor neighborhoods and fuck with minorities, while corporate tyrants destroy the planet and pillage communities overseas and in our own state.

Return more land to our indigenous friends.

Convert Wal-Mart parking lots into raised bed garden plots and turn the inside into distribution centers for all the free food that will be grown. Convert luxury hotels into free housing for the homeless. Convert golf courses into permaculture food forests.

No more military bases, boot camps, or recruitment centers in Wisconsin. Free the prisoners of the war on drugs.

Allow people to grow their own medicines.

Is this stuff reasonable considering the US and Wisconsin State government's dark, evil, genocidal and ecocidal past? YES. Will it ever happen through the election box? NO.

SMASH THE STATE. SMASH CAPITALISM. FOR THE PLANET.FOR INDIVIDUAL HUMAN FREEDOM.

We thought we were being a bit radical by saying the "poor and the super-poor" amount to about 1 in 3 Americans, or just over 100 million peeps.  Now look at this, Frances Fox Piven, noted author in sociology and political science:

"I think the most reasonable estimate is that one out of three Americans are now poor. The official poverty line in the United States is set much lower than it is in other rich countries.."  For the rest of the story, see below link:

America's ‘Inexcusable’ Indifference to Extreme Poverty -- Frances Fox Piven Speaks

Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug LaFollette: return to the "Wisconsin Idea."

Yes, you are correct:  We're printing a press release, just as received.  -Anon00

For Release
March 15, 2012
Madison
For more information contact
Amanda Ney, Press Secretary
920-585-2995

Let's renew the Wisconsin Idea

Secretary of State Doug La Follette today called for a return to the Wisconsin Idea “The Wisconsin Idea was based on the premise that government was most effective when controlled by voters, not special interests,” La Follette noted. “In turn, the University of Wisconsin was utilized, providing ideas most of us now take for granted, including workers’ compensation, child labor laws, forest and water conservation.”

Robert La Follette, who served the state as governor and then senator, was part of that progressive movement. He was not alone. “Many people in what was then the Republican Party, embraced the Wisconsin Idea. Indeed, many of the progressive programs adopted by other states and the Federal Government have their roots in the Wisconsin Idea,” La Follette said.
“Today, there are those who think our government is best served when controlled by special interests and corporations. Do we want a state and a country of the corporation, by the corporation and for the corporation? I certainly don’t, and I don’t think the people of Wisconsin do either,” La Follette said.

That doesn’t mean we should not welcome corporations in our state, he emphasized. “We have many corporations that value our natural and human resources, and treat them with respect. They operate with the same civility I’ve called for in our political arena—treating one another as we would want to be treated.

Let’s renew the Wisconsin Idea, using the best ideas from all our institutions, with the control ultimately in the hands of citizens. And let’s make it as easy as possible for all citizens of Wisconsin to vote.”

Contrary to what our current governor says, Wisconsin is not broke, the Secretary added, noting that Wisconsin has abundant natural and human resources as well as financial wealth.
“I propose our taxes, the money we all contribute for services, be fair and equitable,” said La Follette. Wisconsin citizens don’t mind paying for police and fire protection, for good roads, mass transit and education if the tax system is fair. Much of our current infrastructure of roads and bridges and water treatment facilities are in need of repair. “Let’s get to work and revitalize them for us as well as the next generation. Agriculture and tourism, to name just two industries that provide jobs in our state, depend on good infrastructure.”

A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that the most prosperous countries in the world are not those with the greatest natural resources. They are the countries that invest in education. Their investment pays dividends in innovation and new technology. “Think about that,” La Follette said. “Wisconsin had an outstanding school system for decades. Yet the current administration has slashed millions from education. We should be investing in education, from k-12 to our universities and technical colleges.
La Follette said he would utilize the resources of the university and Center On Wisconsin Strategy [COWS] to develop programs and policies to move our state forward--a renewed Wisconsin Idea.
♦
That doesn’t mean other states don’t have good ideas. The Democrats and Republicans in the state of Oregon recently passed a new health-care plan designed by Gov. Kitzhaber who is also a physician. His bold plan promises to save millions, yet provide health care to those people who can’t otherwise afford it. Like many of Wisconsin’s ideas that were later adopted around the country, Oregon’s plan could become a model for other states, including Wisconsin.

And in Massachusetts the Home and Community-Based Services program allows for eligible frail seniors, people with intellectual disabilities, young children with autism, and adults with traumatic brain injuries to get needed health care and support services at home rather than in an institution--and saves money as well.

“Wisconsin has a long tradition of innovation. Let’s keep the Wisconsin Idea alive,” La Follette said.

Dick Gaughan- Song and the Working-class Movement

Long video on YouTube, worth a listen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6X1qPc0riE&feature=youtu.be

Parecon - Check out Participatory Economics

http://www.zcommunications.org/topics/parecon

Tuesday Feb 28, 2012 9:36 am

Driverless Trains and the ‘Mine of the Future’: Are Workers Becoming Obsolete?

By Kari Lydersen

Remote controlled stackers and reclaimers moving iron ore at Rio Tinto's Port Dampier operations in western Australia's Pilbara region in March 2010.   (Photo Amy Coopes/AFP/Getty Images)

In a futuristic scenario decried by labor leaders and mining opponents, trains hauling iron ore across vast stretches of Australia’s Pilbara region will by 2014 be operating without drivers. It’s part of the mining giant Rio Tinto’s “Mine of the Future” program, which also includes driverless trucks, autonomous drills and other remote-controlled or robotic equipment replacing manpower.

The company recently announced it is reviving plans put on hold during the economic crisis and investing $518 million in the driverless iron ore trains, which along Rio Tinto’s 1,500-kilometer network will be the world’s first automated long-distance train system. Rio Tinto also reportedly recently bought 150 driverless dump trucks for Pilbara mines. Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh was quoted saying the trains will help the company deal with a shortage of skilled workers. About 500 train drivers will lose their jobs, though Rio Tinto has said they will be retrained for other positions.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union leader Gary Wood saying that even if those drivers keep their jobs, in the long run automation will mean serious job losses—especially if or when the demand for building materials chills:

People talk about reskilling but you don't need a team of truck drivers to sit and operate one computer…Without a strong demand for iron ore there will be a definite loss of jobs … Over ten or twenty years we are going to see a significant demise of these lesser skilled job opportunities.

Wood says he expects battles over automation to push nonunion Rio Tinto workers to unionize. In June, Rio Tinto train drivers for the first time won the right to collective bargaining.

Opponents of proposed new Rio Tinto projects in the United States think the “Mine of the Future” project means locals should not believe promises of well-paying jobs. In Superior, Ariz., where Rio Tinto is trying to open a massive new copper mine, during a reporting trip last fall many local residents pointed to company materials touting the Mine of the Future and said they feared that robots, not humans, would be doing many of the jobs if the mine opens.
Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future website mentions the Resolution Copper project in Arizona as a place where automated boring equipment would facilitate the digging of extremely deep shafts and tunnels needed for the “block cave” method they plan to use. A Resolution Copper spokesman said the Mine of the Future is specific to Australia, and that the proposed Resolution Copper mine would bring many jobs to Arizona.

Automated driverless locomotives are already common inside rail yards in the U.S., a major point of contention for workers and union leaders, who say these locomotives not only cut out union jobs but endanger union workers in the rail yards. They point to a number of rail yard fatalities and injuries where automated locomotives were in operation. (On the flip side, a lawsuit filed on behalf of injured passengers and railroad employees alleges BNSF and Metrolink were negligent in not investing in an automatic braking system that attorneys say could have avoided a fatal 2002 head-on crash.)

It is unclear whether Rio Tinto’s driverless trains are seen as a safety risk in Australia. Much of the territory they will be crossing is desolate. Some miners see automated machinery in mines or on open pit mine sites as an occupational safety risk. But automation can also replace or reduce the need for human workers in some dangerous tasks and areas, proponents say.  

Rio Tinto’s website says the Mine of the Future:

…is designed to create next generation technologies for mining operations that result in greater efficiency, lower production costs, improved health, safety and environmental performance, and more attractive working conditions.

Automation has of course played a central role in reshaping manufacturing over past decades, leading to more efficiency, lower prices and job losses in countless industries. But automation of massive tasks like extracting tons of ore a mile below the ground and shipping it cross-country still seems mind-boggling and alternately awe-inspiring or threatening to many people.

A large Utah copper mine run by Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott is slated for several new automated systems, including using sensitive machines to sort valuable minerals from waste rock and using automated tunnel-boring machines.

At the Kennecott site, Rio Tinto is partnering with a Norwegian company called TOMRA that specializes in using sensors for automated recycling and food processing and a British company called e2V to develop sorting machines, which will use radio waves and microwaves to instantaneously decide which ore has enough copper to be worth recovering. It is not clear whether job losses due to automation are expected at the Utah mine.

A Reuters story about Rio Tinto’s Australian operations says:

Rio Tinto says it wants to avoid forcing workers to toil beneath the scorching heat of the Pilbara, but automation also enables it to overcome a shortage of skilled labour. The shortage has been fuelled by a boom in mining and energy investment, with $230bn worth of projects under way or approved in Australia. Salaries have sky-rocketed to the point where a truck driver can earn more than $100,000 a year.
At least half of Rio Tinto’s 500 train drivers may lose their current jobs, with the rest to be used on about a fifth of the network that will still need drivers. But the company said no one would be laid off as it aimed to retrain workers for new roles. Trade unions oppose automation, but their influence in the Pilbara has waned as Rio Tinto and rivals such as BHP Billiton have switched to contract labour.

Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low

Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/03/2012 08:51 -0500

• BLS
  Publish Post
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Unemployment
• Withholding taxes

A month ago, we joked when we said that for Obama to get the unemployment rate to negative by election time, all he has to do is to crush the labor force participation rate to about 55%. Looks like the good folks at the BLS heard us: it appears that the people not in the labor force exploded by an unprecedented record 1.2 million. No, that's not a typo: 1.2 million people dropped out of the labor force in one month! So as the labor force increased from 153.9 million to 154.4 million, the non institutional population increased by 242.3 million meaning, those not in the labor force surged from 86.7 million to 87.9 million. Which means that the civilian labor force tumbled to a fresh 30 year low of 63.7% as the BLS is seriously planning on eliminating nearly half of the available labor pool from the unemployment calculation. As for the quality of jobs, as withholding taxes roll over Year over year, it can only mean that the US is replacing high paying FIRE jobs with low paying construction and manufacturing. So much for the improvement.
Chart below shows it all - that jump is not a fat finger!

And Labor Force Participation:

This is the largest absolute jump in 'Persons Not In Labor Force' on record...and biggest percentage jump in 30 years.

Chart: Bloomberg