In Madison, Wisconsin, where Democrats have fled to avoid voting on the governor-backed bill to bar state workers from organizing, demonstrators aren’t limited to progressive activists who support labor unions. There’s also this black Tea Party activist, who says, “I’ve been a Republican all my life, and I’ve worked with unions and union members and they’re all lazy. … I’m one of the one percenters. … And I’m also gay.” If I place a hair trimming of his underneath my pillow tonight, will I get a dollar in the morning?
Unicorns Do Exist
The Black Gay Tea Partier Against Organized Labor
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ousslander
I’ll save everyone one time. He is a self hasting gay and a self hating black man. Why else would he not support government unions. He must also have some sort of mental deficiency.
Also everytime a the tea party had a rally, the media loved to comment on the lack of minorities in their groups, funny how they are not doing the same to the “union” protestors. Guess it doesn’t jibe with their storyline
akn
Actually, it’s an oversimplification to say the governor’s bill “bar[s] state workers from organizing.” All it actually prevents the unions from doing is *negotiating* any issues other than wages (i.e. they wouldn’t be able to negotiate the number of sick/vacation days, health plans, etc.). In other words, they would be treated like 99% of private sector workers, who are also unable to negotiate the number of sick days their employers will pay for. The bill would also prevent workers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks and require them to pay a marginally larger percentage of their wages into their pensions.
None of these things about the bill bother me so much as the fact that it completely exempts police officers and firefighters. They are employees of the public too.
BeRealHere
I might not agree with him but I admire him for being his own person, and not falling into the gay black category leftists would demand of him.
alan brickman
does the slave quote from the bible apply here??..just saying…
Black Pegasus
What Sad and Pathetic sack of Shit he is!
I wouldn’t piss on this queen with a homeless man’s dick!
John
Good for him.
Codswallop
@akn: You know, “Thanks to those awful unions their workers aren’t treated as shitty as the rest of us and that’s not fair!” doesn’t exactly work as criticism AGAINST unions.
Immediately preceding this “budget crisis” Walker passed legislation benefiting the highest earners. Well, the interests of those highest earners are already MORE than looked after in our political system, thanks in part to their superior ability to donate money to political campaigns. The important part of the news story about Walker getting “pranked” by someone pretending to one of the Koch brothers isn’t so much what was said, but the fact that all it took was to get through to the Governor’s Chief of Staff and to the Governor himself was dropping the name of a billionaire. Do you think YOU could ring up the Governor’s office and get him on the line? Try it. I’ll wait.
The middle class has been shrinking for decades and today among industrialized nations the US has the #1 LARGEST division between its richest citizens and everyone else. But it’s the UNIONS ripping people off?! My ass.
The wealthy are well represented by our government and in our media, which is owned by the corporations whose leadership make up the economic elite. When their interests are threatened the entire Congress scrambles to make sure they feel no pain because if they offend their economic masters the money to continue being elected disappears.
So don’t talk about “wealth redistibution” and “class warfare” or how bad those awful unions are without addressing the MASSIVE redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the economic elite that’s been taking place for a LONG time. They can call up their the Governor or their Senator and get FAR better representation and their interests are served to a degree NO other groups’ are. And you know what? When the entire government is fighting over who gets to shine your shoes maybe you OUGHT to pay more for that level of “service.”
Codswallop
@akn: You know, “Thanks to those awful unions their workers aren’t treated as shitty as the rest of us and that’s not fair!” doesn’t exactly work as criticism AGAINST unions.
Immediately preceding this “budget crisis” Walker passed legislation benefiting the highest earners. Well, the interests of those highest earners are already MORE than looked after in our political system, thanks in part to their superior ability to donate money to political campaigns. The important part of the news story about Walker getting “pranked” by someone pretending to one of the Koch brothers isn’t so much what was said, but the fact that all it took was to get through to the Governor’s Chief of Staff and to the Governor himself was dropping the name of a billionaire. Do you think YOU could ring up the Governor’s office and get him on the line? Try it. I’ll wait.
The middle class has been shrinking for decades and today among industrialized nations the US has the #1 LARGEST division between its richest citizens and everyone else. But it’s the UNIONS ripping people off?! My ass.
whatever
@ousslander: uh, wisconsin is like 90% white. you’re gonna see lots of white faces there no matter who is out protesting.
OrchidIslander
@Black Pegasus: ” What Sad and Pathetic sack of Shit he is! I wouldn’t piss on this queen with a homeless man’s dick!”
Those are some pretty harsh words leveled at someone who has done nothing but possess views that are apparently different than yours.
I may not agree with him either, but as a man who happens to be gay and black, I’m always appreciative, but not necessarily supportive, of those in the minority whose perspective precludes them from walking in lockstep with the expected party-line group mentality.
Some gay people would do well to realize that the term “we are everywhere” isn’t just a convenient slogan. It also means some of us are where most of us wonder why and what for.
I applaud this guy, and the ultra unpopular Christopher Barron too, if for no other reason than they demonstrate that we don’t all think alike and we hold wide ranging divergent views.
Sometimes it appears that it is to much to ask that “tolerance” and “diversity” be applied to those who go their own way.
tjr101
I’m speechless. It’s way too easy to just throw an insult his way but he is entitled to his views no matter how deluded I think they are.
akn
@Codswallop: You’ll likely never read this since I’m a few days late in responding, but please know that I was not writing that to be critical of unions themselves. I certainly believe in the right of public workers to organize and bargain collectively.
I also don’t deny the undeniable and growing gap between rich and poor in America, and of course I’m aware that most Republican politicians push legislation that favors the most wealthy. I myself work for a non-profit and am situated well within the middle class, so I’m not sure why you’re trying to equate my comment with sympathy toward or familiarity with the Koch-led billionaire class.
As for the Wisconsin bill, all I wanted to say was 1) While I wouldn’t vote for it myself, I don’t think it deserves the simple black-and-white, good-versus-evil characterization that people are giving it, because from my perspective as a private-sector, middle-class, sub-six-figure earner the bill doesn’t seem all that bad, and 2) I object to the exemption of police officers and firefighters, who far too often receive much more favorable treatment than other public workers — a point you failed to address entirely despite the length of your tirade.
Did I say I support Gov. Walker? Did I say public unions shouldn’t exist? I apologize if I gave that impression, but my comment led you to certain assumptions about me that are simply wrong.
Lastly, please pull that enormous stick of sass out of your butthole and try replacing it with something more pleasant.
Thanks.