OWS: Mission Accomplished - Truckers say "Thank You 99 percenters"

[Caligari]

RE: the OWS port shutdowns-
An open letter from the truckers-
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews...upy_the_ports/

We are the front-line workers who haul container rigs full of imported and exported goods to and from the docks and warehouses every day.

We have been elected by committees of our co-workers at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma to tell our collective story. We have accepted the honor to speak up for our brothers and sisters about our working conditions despite the risk of retaliation we face. One of us is a mother, the rest of us fathers. Between the four of us we have six children and one more baby on the way. We have a combined 31 years of experience driving cargo from our shores for America’s stores.

We are inspired that a non-violent democratic movement that insists on basic economic fairness is capturing the hearts and minds of so many working people. Thank you “99 Percenters” for hearing our call for justice. We are humbled and overwhelmed by recent attention. Normally we are invisible.

Entire letter here



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[Caligari]

Here is a related article on the shutdown-
http://www.alternet.org/story/153413...st_coast_ports

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[crockett]

Well lets see the Right wing spin that one..

I used to deal with a similar situation, but no where near as bad as they describe theirs. I used to do high speed internet installs for Road Runner.

We were also considered "contractors" by the employers meaning we had to cover pretty much everything but the supplies to do the installation.

When I started we "only" dealt with the internet installs and only worked with the computers. We didn't run any lines as that was a different contractor. I used to make about 2k+ a week which wasn't bad for what I was doing.

Every year they redid the contract that we had no say in and they "always" added more work and paid less. They would give us a bump for something that we rarely ever bill but would lower the stuff that was billed regularly.

When I started I used to do 4 maybe 8 installs a day to make a average of 2k a week. By the time I stopped I was doing 7 to 8 full installs which included doing the wiring work for both TV & internet to make about 1,2k if I was lucky.

I did it for 5 years before I had enough and now days the average guy is down to around 500-600/week. Meanwhile your price for cable TV & intenet never go down..

So this sort of practice is common in other industry's as well. I was fast enough that I could average decent money per hour, but some of the other guys were out there barely making $10/hr if you figured what they billed & the time they worked.

[Failed]

I didn't even respond in the other thread that made this look like it was an attack on the 99% by the OWS, because no matter what you say, no matter what fact you present, you will never open a closed mind.

[Caligari]

Good story Crockett, of course the right wing simply tried to tell half the story and pointedly demonzing the OWS in today's Yahoo article about the shutdown.
It's no surprise though because Yahoo/ABC has been dishing out the most ridiculous anti-OWS propaganda yet.
Some of it's so bad it's funny...

Originally Posted by Failed

I didn't even respond in the other thread that made this look like it was an attack on the 99% by the OWS, because no matter what you say, no matter what fact you present, you will never open a closed mind.

You're right it's pointless, which is why i started this thread

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[DaddyHalbucks]

"Thank you" for stopping their trucks and costing them money?



What a load of propaganda.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by crockett

Well lets see the Right wing spin that one..

I used to deal with a similar situation, but no where near as bad as they describe theirs. I used to do high speed internet installs for Road Runner.

We were also considered "contractors" by the employers meaning we had to cover pretty much everything but the supplies to do the installation.

When I started we "only" dealt with the internet installs and only worked with the computers. We didn't run any lines as that was a different contractor. I used to make about 2k+ a week which wasn't bad for what I was doing.

Every year they redid the contract that we had no say in and they "always" added more work and paid less. They would give us a bump for something that we rarely ever bill but would lower the stuff that was billed regularly.

When I started I used to do 4 maybe 8 installs a day to make a average of 2k a week. By the time I stopped I was doing 7 to 8 full installs which included doing the wiring work for both TV & internet to make about 1,2k if I was lucky.

I did it for 5 years before I had enough and now days the average guy is down to around 500-600/week. Meanwhile your price for cable TV & intenet never go down..

So this sort of practice is common in other industry's as well. I was fast enough that I could average decent money per hour, but some of the other guys were out there barely making $10/hr if you figured what they billed & the time they worked.

That sucks. I know there are injustices but here is another situation that is often over looked.

A person is self-employed. Their business has been steady for years and their pay has been about the same. The government then decides to increase his licensing fees each year. Then the government decides to increase the cost of registering his trucks. Then the government decides to increase his property tax on both his business property and his home property. Then the government decides to increase the tax on gas. Then the government decides to increase the sales tax. Then the government decides to mandate he buys health insurance that costs more than what he is buying now. Then the government decides to raise the unemployment tax. Then the government raised his regular taxes. Then the government took away some of his deductions, closing those evil loopholes. Then the government raises the toll on the road he travels everyday.

See you could always find another job that paid better but you can never not pay the government more when they want it.

[tony286]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

That sucks. I know there are injustices but here is another situation that is often over looked.

A person is self-employed. Their business has been steady for years and their pay has been about the same. The government then decides to increase his licensing fees each year. Then the government decides to increase the cost of registering his trucks. Then the government decides to increase his property tax on both his business property and his home property. Then the government decides to increase the tax on gas. Then the government decides to increase the sales tax. Then the government decides to mandate he buys health insurance that costs more than what he is buying now. Then the government decides to raise the unemployment tax. Then the government raised his regular taxes. Then the government took away some of his deductions, closing those evil loopholes. Then the government raises the toll on the road he travels everyday.

See you could always find another job that paid better but you can never not pay the government more when they want it.

But we have some of the lowest tax rates in over 50 yrs.

[tony286]

another thing my insurance for my wife and I is up to $750 a month and it had been going up every year before obama was president. And thats not a fancy plan and it has over a 5 k deductible.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by tony286

But we have some of the lowest tax rates in over 50 yrs.

If someone has built a lifestyle around a tax rate that is X% than the government raises that rate their quality of living goes down. That is like saying the adjustable rate predatory loans were ok because they were the lowest rates in 50 years.

[porno jew]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

"Thank you" for stopping their trucks and costing them money?



What a load of propaganda.

yes hard to believe that people sacrifice for things they believe in. not everyone is s selfish little narrow minded insect.

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by Caligari

Here is a related article on the shutdown-
http://www.alternet.org/story/153413...st_coast_ports

.

Clearly an unbiased source... You know when you spew this kind of stuff and quote little known sites run by some unemployed prick from his parent's basement you look kind of... Silly.

[JFK]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

"Thank you" for stopping their trucks and costing them money?



What a load of propaganda.

I was thinking along the same lines, they have delivery schedules to keep.............. I say BULLSHIT

[Failed]

Originally Posted by Rochard

Clearly an unbiased source... You know when you spew this kind of stuff and quote little known sites run by some unemployed prick from his parent's basement you look kind of... Silly.

Do you think any of the mainstream media, ANY of them are unbiased? They are owned by extremely wealthy individuals, some by the 1%. The agenda and interests of those owners are always present in the stories. Just as any owner, of any company, makes his agenda the priority in that particular company. Just because it's a well-known media outlet does not make what they print accurate or unbiased.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by tony286

But we have some of the lowest tax rates in over 50 yrs.

That's what I keep hearing. And yet...I pay more in gasoline taxes at the pump than people did 50 years ago (remember that was going to take care of keeping our highways maintained...lol). I pay more local taxes then people did 50 years ago. I pay shit tons of state fees and licensing that is outrageous. I pay more property tax than people did 50 years ago too.

If I have it so good...then why am I sweating at the end of every month? Why did I have to cash in my entire retirement SEP plan to pay my taxes last year?

Yet...I make too MUCH money to get a break in any way.

I wonder how much tax I'm paying for every dollar I earn. Both income AND sales tax and hidden "taxes" in the forms of licensing and fees. I'd be willing to bet that out of every dollar I earned I don't actually get to keep very much at all.

The govt. is taking in so much revenue that it's mind boggling. And spending it even faster:


Notice that during the Bush years the federal revenue actually rose dramatically in 04, 05, 06, and 07 because the economy was roaring.
Then the crash of late 08 and 09 dipped it. Now it's going back up again.

Problem is...the govt. just won't stop spending money it doesn't have.

[tony286]

Note to Rochard alternet.org is not a small site.

[Caligari]

Originally Posted by tony286

Note to Rochard alternet.org is not a small site.

LOL, Jesus could tell him personally and he wouldn't believe it

No biggie, I made this thread for anyone who wanted to get beyond the Yahoo corporate smear "news" and give them an alternative to the wall street based propaganda.

Hats off to Barry X-Lovecam for originally posting the article in the poseur thread.

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[Operator]

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by Failed

Do you think any of the mainstream media, ANY of them are unbiased? They are owned by extremely wealthy individuals, some by the 1%. The agenda and interests of those owners are always present in the stories. Just as any owner, of any company, makes his agenda the priority in that particular company. Just because it's a well-known media outlet does not make what they print accurate or unbiased.

I'm guessing... That a mainstream news source is a little bit less biased than a website no one has ever heard of.

[ThunderBalls]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I'm guessing... That a mainstream news source is a little bit less biased than a website no one has ever heard of.