There were 20,000 union members in red gathered in the Loop yesterday for Labor Day.
AFSCME, the SEIU, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Chicago Teachers Union. I even saw a guy with a t-shirt from the Sprinkler Fitters Local 281.
There were two groups missing in action.
I’ve already let my unhappiness with the IEA no-show be known.
The other obvious absentee group was the Democratic Party.
A Chicago Labor Day rally with no Democratic Party present.
I may have missed seeing a wandering alderman or two.
But for the most part the Democrats Party was not there.
Of course the most obvious explanation is that the biggest little Democrat in town was the target of the anger of most of us that were there.
It can’t be good news for the Democrats to hear 20,000 union members marching down Clark Street chanting, “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Rahm Emanuel’s got to go.”
It was loud enough that they may have heard it in Charlotte as the national Democrats gathered for their infomercial.
Obama may have heard it in the White House.
But it’s just not about Rahm. Pat Quinn, who won his seat as Governor by 30,000 mostly union votes, has now become the most anti-union governor in memory, chased from the Illinois State Fair by angry union members.
Madigan. Cullerton. Forget about it.
Even little pikers like Alderman Carrie Austin feel compelled to pipe up.
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee, laid the blame squarely on Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.
“They’ve already decided this is what they’re going to do. I think they want to” strike, Austin said after an Il. Delegation breakfast hosted by the Chicago Federation of Labor.
“Karen Lewis, their president, says they want to. [She’s essentially saying], `I’m gonna show you.’ That’s what she projects….They don’t want to talk. They don’t want to negotiate. Not them–her. I don’t believe she wants to talk. That’s unfair to our children because education has to be more important than you getting an additional two percent.”
No Democratic Party pols at a Chicago Labor Day rally.
Memorable.
Fred Klonsky 
I sent Carry Austin a message giving her a piece of my mind as a CPS parent. I’ve pretty much had it w/ this blaming of the teachers and the union. Do they think parents are that stupid? We know who’s to blame, and it’s not Karen or the CTU, and we know who is actually on our children’s side, and it’s not Emanuel, Brizard or the Board of Ed.
From: sig lisowski <siglisowski@hotmail.com>
Date: September 3, 2012 9:59:38 PM EDT
To: “Klickna, Cinda” <Cinda.Klickna@ieanea.org>
Subject: Labor Day
Why the MIA for the IEA in Chicago today? Retired IEA member,
Thank you for your email.
I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I’m currently out of state at the Democratic Convention, but I understand thousands of IEA members participated in Labor Day events all over the state in the last few days, making a presence in their local communities.
I’m glad participation was high for the Chicago event and I hope you were able to attend, as I’m sure many IEA members did. In fact IEA Secretary-Treasurer Al Llorens was there.
IEA supports the CTU, passed a resolution of support at the NEA RA and I have sent good wishes to the CTU president.
Thank you for writing.
Cinda
Revelation 3:16
New Living Translation (©2007)
But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
So then because thou art lukewarm … I will spew thee out of my mouth – Referring, perhaps, to the well-known fact that tepid water tends to produce sickness at the stomach, and an inclination to vomit.
And–WHO is paying for Cinda to be in Charlotte (for the DNC “Infomercial” as Fred so aptly calls it; I call it “the-political-egotists’-funfest-at-the-expense-of-the-American- taxpayers-and-the-money-could-be-put-to-much-better-use” {same for the RNC Convention})–IEA members, from their dues? WHY is she in Charlotte? Is she the NEA President? What business does she have there? Oh, wait! She may be there to try to convince Quinn and Madigan to leave our pensions alone!
Yes! I’m SURE that’s why she went down there!! She’s down there to help us all!
So what are you gonna do Fred? Stay home on election day? Vote Republican?
This is the worst part of it. Why is it important what I do on election day as an individual if it is not connected in some way to a social movement? I live in a Democratic Congressional District, in a Democratic city in a Democratic state. Certainly my vote for president has absolutely no meaning at all since Illinois will go in the Democratic column. That is the undemocratic nature of the electoral college, or the periodic theft of votes. The question that should be asked by you and by all of us is what kind of movement are we building, which often finds Democrats as target, particularly in this state. Of course, I’m not voting for Romney. What am I gonna do? What I always do. Just try and do it better.
As a Republican in this state, it’s actually weird to read your post. Your party controls most everything in this state yet you seem to feel abandoned by your own people. Maybe those Democrats don’t want to face you b/c there’s no more money left. Both parties made promises they couldn’t actually pay for . . . then Blagojevich (with the votes of some Repubs I might add) passed a law suspending the requirement to pay the state’s portion. This happened just in time for the worst recession in modern memory. Where will the money come from now? Teachers and state workers are just doing their jobs. They deserve no animus. But isn’t the union leadership acting like those irresponsible politicians – fighting to continue unsustainable promises? Just a question I have . . .
It’s amazing how little you know Colleen. Yet you are willing to draw all kinds of conclusions based on this knowledge gap. The failure to pay into the state pension funds didn’t start or end with Blagojevich. It has proceeded for over 50 years under both Democrats and Republicans. The two year “pension holiday” did occur under Blago, but underpayments have been a perpetual practice in Springfield. The money will come from a tax system that is common in most states and the federal government: a graduated tax system where those who make more pay more. That combined with a restructuring of the debt would solve the problem without causing hardship for retirees and the state’s economy.
Shhhh. I’ll whisper. Sales taxes are regressive. They punish those least able to pay. A graduated income tax, which is in place in most states that have income taxes. Easier? What’s difficult about it?
Fred….Stop yelling! I agree with some of your ideas, but wouldn’t a revenue stream from a 1% sales tax that is earmarked to only fix pension debt be much easier? Then we spread the pain. If your worried about hurting seniors they can show an id to keep from paying. The poor could show a link card. The tax could end when the problem is resolved. Just an idea.
I really was tired of hearing about not paying into pensions being the Democrats fault. I agree, Madigan has been in power 14 of the last 15 Assemblys and way too long. However, from 1952-1980, Republicans & Democrats were 10/9. In the Senate it’s been 15/15 since ’52. For governors, it’s been Republicans 10/6 for terms. So it hasn’t been “the Democrats’ fault” for the pension mess.
I agree. A bipartisan robbery. That’s why we say, “Reform Springfield.”
Bob,,,,,, You have to deal with the now! i agree this problem has been around a long time, but the guys in charge for the last 10 years have done nothing. They have fiddled while Rome is on fire. I give no one a free pass, but to wait till the sky is truly falling to do something is ignorant at best, and criminal at worst. I am soon to retire. I have paid mine and I want what I was promised. End of story. To be told that I have been lied to after a 30 year teaching career is not right, and everyone knows it. I didn’t create the mess, and I don’t want to be told that I have to fix it. Fred….As long as people continue to buy into lies and keep electing the same people, Reforming Springfield is a joke!!!