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August 13, 2008National/PoliticalOhio voting law may be a boon for Obama supporters Never mind the last days of the presidential campaign. The busiest days for Barack Obama's campaign in this perennial swing state are likely to be a month before Election Day. Ohio has created a window in the election calendar that would allow residents instant gratification — register one minute, vote the next. It's also given the campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain a chance to bank thousands of first-time voters during that Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 window. ... Allowing voters to cast their ballots weeks before Election Day is a growing trend. More than a dozen states permit early voting, and more than two dozen provide an absentee ballot to any registered voter for any reason. The battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico allow voters both options. Republican Trio Crosses Party Lines To Back Obama (no link) A trio of Republicans have defected from their party's likely presidential nominee and kicked off an effort to garner support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The group, called Republicans for Obama, is led by two moderate Republicans -- James Leach, a former U.S. representative from Iowa, and Lincoln Chafee, a former U.S. senator from Rhode Island -- along with Rita Hauser, a prominent fund-raiser for President George W. Bush. Deficit for July Exceeds Wall Street Prediction The federal budget deficit soared in July, pushed higher by economic stimulus payments and $15 billion in outlays to protect depositors at failed banks. The Treasury Department reported (.pdf) that the deficit for July totaled $102.8 billion, nearly triple the $36.4 billion deficit recorded in July 2007. Most Corporations Don’t Pay Income Taxes: GAO Most corporations, including the vast majority of foreign companies doing business in the United States, pay no income taxes, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday. During the eight-year period covered by the report, 72 percent of foreign-owned corporations went at least one year without owing taxes, and the same was true for 55 percent of domestic corporations. ... The report said about 80 percent of the companies studied paid no taxes because they didn’t generate any profit after expenses. Money-losing companies can legitimately owe no tax, and others can use provisions of the tax code to lower or eliminate their liability. CBO Estimates Pentagon Has Spent $85 Billion on Contractors The use of private contractors in Iraq by the U.S. military is far greater than in past conflicts and has cost the government $85 billion through 2007, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday. CBO estimates that, as of early 2008, there were at least 190,000 private contractors or subcontractors working on U.S.-funded projects in the Iraq theater, which includes Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Most of the work performed by contractors, according to CBO, deals with logistical support, construction projects, food services and providing petroleum products. The report examined data from 2003 through 2007. Health Benefits Inspire Rush to Marry, or Divorce ... In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, it is not uncommon for couples to marry, or even to divorce, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly. In a poll conducted this spring by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research group, 7 percent of adults said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation cautions that the number should not be taken literally, but rather as an intriguing indicator that some Americans “are making major life decisions on the basis of health care concerns.” State/LocalState employees pick labor union State employees chose a conglomeration of three different labor unions as their official employee organizations on Tuesday. Colorado WINS — a group sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) — was chosen by five of seven occupational groups that took part in the election, gaining an overall total of 60 percent of the vote. Related article from the Denver Post: State workers choose Colorado Wins. 500 state workers rally for cost-of-living raises / Members out in force to support union contract negotiations Times might be tough for the state, but they're tough at home, too, more than 500 state workers said Tuesday. Members of the Washington Federation of State Employees gathered at the Capitol to support their team in contract talks with the governor. On the minds of many was the slumping economy, which opened an expected $2.7 billion shortfall in the state's 2009-11 budget. Related item from Adam Wilson’s blog at the Olympian: This could be awkward Fight for 150 IDOT jobs may wind up in court Next stop: court. An hour after the bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted unanimously Tuesday against moving 150 state transportation jobs to southeastern Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he’s going ahead with it anyway. That left Springfield officials and state employee unions opposed to the transfer searching for their next move. .... The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees represents about 100 employees at the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety, which Blagojevich wants to move to Harrisburg. “We certainly will be exploring every option,” said AFSCME deputy director Roberta Lynch. “We don’t know what all of the legal issues are, but we are certainly looking into them.” Time to stand up, says Rutherford Although it may appear to some that Gov. Rod Blagojevich may have taken a personal verbal shot at State Sen. Dan Rutherford, the Republican from Chenoa thinks something else. "I think there may have been a miscommunication somewhere," Rutherford told the Daily Leader Monday. "He wants the Capital Bill and I voted for it." Rutherford said July 4 that his intent is to make the governor follow the rules and he will fight to keep Pontiac Correctional Center open. ... Another factor in dealing with the prison situation is that AFSCME, the union PCC guards are affiliated with, has been working without a contract since July 1. According to Rutherford, Pontiac Correctional Center isn't the only item open on the budget chopping block. Rutherford said the governor has threatened to cut money to state parks, including closing Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield. 1,000 workers face ax: Daley adviser / If unions don't sacrifice it will be worse, source says Mayor Daley will be forced to lay off at least 1,000 city employees to solve Chicago's worst budget crisis in a decade -- and union concessions will simply determine "how far north of 1,000" the cutbacks will be, a mayoral adviser said Tuesday. Layoffs to Affect Services Duluth employees and residents are grappling Tuesday with the news coming out of the Mayor's Office--that up to 217 employees could be laid off by September. Mayor Don Ness said after the layoffs go into effect residents will notice a difference in services, specifically Parks and Recreation. ... Employees we spoke with today did not want to go on camera, but said the mood at city hall is tense. People continue to do their jobs--all while not knowing if they'll have one by the end of the week. "I think most of them are in shock," said Deb Strohm, city employee and AFSCME spokesperson. Strohm said speculation is mounting. Related articles: News Tribune: City of Duluth employees await fallout from layoff plan CBS 3: Duluth Cuts 217 City Workers Board of Education ratifies agreement / Food service workers remain in district Although Holly food service workers will remain in the district, they will take a pay cut. ?On Monday, the Board of Education ratified a two-year agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 202. ?Outsourcing approximately 20 food service worker positions to save the district $200,000 was discussed earlier this year. Gary Shimer, AFSCME staff representative for Council 25, had said the union came up with approximately $200,000 in savings, in order to save those jobs from being outsourced. NYC mayor: City workers should pay more for health New York City's public workers should pay more for their health benefits given the "new economic reality," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Tuesday, adding co-payments encourage people to make wiser choices. ... That will have to be negotiated with the Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella group of unions. New York City now is negotiating a new contract with one of its biggest non-uniformed unions, DC 37, whose accord expired in March. Union seeking residency rule Members of District Council 37 aren't the only city workers frustrated about the deadlock over residency requirements. City lawyers who are part of the Civil Service Bar Association have been waiting patiently for the opportunity to live outside the five boroughs. Their situation is especially frustrating because attorneys who work for the city Law Department are allowed to live just about anywhere. Madison County hires D'Amato's consulting firm ... Except for resolution No. 2, the rest of the 33 resolutions passed without comment. No. 2 was to abolish a full-time social worker / child welfare position replacing it with a full-time caseworker and a senior caseworker, also full-time. The board voted for the change and when Chairman John Becker asked the audience for comments, Russell Stewart, CSEA president for white collar workers addressed the board.Stewart expressed concern about the elimination of the social worker and recent vote eliminating staff in the probation department. Editorial: Sniping across the hall ... Last week, the Legislature weighed a proposed local law that would give 4 percent raises to Vanderhoef and the other full-time county workers, including eight department commissioners, the county clerk, district attorney, medical examiner and sheriff. Those positions have not had raises since 2005. The only other county employees not to get a raise this year are the part-time legislators. Various union and management raises had come recently. The negotiations, especially with the Civil Service Employees Association, had put an unpleasant spotlight on Vanderhoef as scores of union T-shirt workers would fill the Legislature chambers demanding his action on a long expired contract. Take-home car battle back in court The battle over city-owned take home cars goes back to court Tuesday. Last week, lawyers for the fire and blue-collar unions fought for the return of nine take-home vehicles to Buffalo city employees. A judge ruled the take home cars for members of the AFSCME union must be returned to them by five o'clock Tuesday. Legislator floats idea to help cover rising retiree benefit costs City and county officials Tuesday welcomed the idea of a state-run investment fund that would help local governments pay for the mounting cost of retirees' health care. At a House Pensions and Investments Committee meeting, Chairwoman Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, floated the idea of a fund to which local governments could contribute to help pay for health care, life insurance and other benefits for public-sector retirees. The fund is only an idea for Texas, but it's an approach that some states are using to deal with a national accounting standard that requires them to disclose the long-term costs of public retiree benefits and how they plan to pay for them. Bound Brook council adopts amendment for cuts to close $500G budget gap BOUND BROOK —The Borough Council adopted the 2008 municipal budget amendment Tuesday night that included possible layoffs and other cuts to close a $500,000 budget gap. ... Dan Smith, who serves as the president of the public works union, AFSCME Local 2168, pled for the jobs of his fellow public works employees. “During the flood many of us left our flooded homes to serve the borough,” said Smith, who is a lifelong resident. “Your cuts may look good on paper but the cleanliness of the town will suffer.” Council rejects union contract The city and its second-largest union will head back to the bargaining table this week after the City Council rejected a new agreement Monday, saying they had problems with the size of the proposed salary increase and new clothing allowance. In a 5-4 vote, councilors rejected an 18-month contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that includes Department of Public Works, library and City Hall employees. IASD: AFSCME takes issue with teachers' contract Custodians, secretaries and cafeteria workers crowded the Indiana Area school board meeting Monday, asking the board to reconsider the health insurance provisions of their labor contract. Leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said the members were shocked in June when the board ratified a contract that maintained the health benefits for the teachers' union. Negotiations Resume Between Huntington and Union Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, International Fire Fighters and Fraternal Order of Police will go back to the bargaining table with city leaders. Fire fighters will meet with members of the Felinton Administration on Wednesday followed by police officers and members of AFSCME on Friday. Newark City Schools to increase some employees' pay, not administrators Some Newark City Schools employees will be receiving 1 percent raises, but district administrators will not, after the Board of Education voted on recommendations Tuesday night. The employees who will receive the raise are Ohio Association of Public School Employees members and exempt classified employees. The employees include people from secretaries to bus aides to mechanics and more -- anyone who is not a certified teacher. Florida takes over care at 3 nursing homes The state is taking over direct management of nurse's aides and food workers at three veterans' nursing homes, including one in Pembroke Pines. The 208 employees now work for a contractor, North Carolina-based PhyAmerica Government Services. But as of Aug. 29, PhyAmerica is laying them off, according to a notice filed Tuesday with the state labor department. .. The PhyAmerica employees can apply for the new state jobs, said Courtney Heidelberg, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. ... ''It's more cost effective, it's better quality of care for our residents, and our employees get better benefits,'' she said. |
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