Petitions

http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135%257E27922%257E2828159,00.html

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Don't sign those petitions

Hell will freeze over before state Sens. Dick Ackerman, Dennis Hollingsworth and John Campbell send out a letter stating: "Every month corporate executives take millions of dollars out of the dividends of shareholders for political purposes without shareholder approval. Join us to stop this abuse."

However, I just received a four-page mailing from the above Republican senators imploring me to sign a petition to get an initiative on the state ballot making it illegal for California unions to participate in the political process by using dues to advance the interests of members.

The Enterprise-Record has reported twice the courts have ruled illegal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to repeal the California Nurses Association-sponsored "safe hospital nursing staff ratios." Of course, corporate hospital associations are major contributors to Schwarzenegger and have fought safe ratios.

Only a few short months ago Enloe Medical Center administrators trumpeted how their union nurses exceeded national hospital safety standards. To Enloe's current credit it is making every sincere attempt to comply with the 1:5 nurse/patient ratio.

So, in the near future when you're walking out of Safeway or Wal-Mart and some guy, sent by Schwarzenegger and his gang, shoves a petition in your face to "prohibit unions from taking money out of the paychecks of public employees," tell him you'll gladly sign the petition when there's legitimate campaign finance reform protecting ordinary working citizens from big-money interests that take dollars out of shareholder dividends for political purposes.

Bert Marshall, Chico

No Problem.... my Hubby is a teacher and I am pre-nursing student.... Ahhnold is definitely not on our side.

http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135%257E27922%257E2828159,00.html

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Don't sign those petitions

Hell will freeze over before state Sens. Dick Ackerman, Dennis Hollingsworth and John Campbell send out a letter stating: "Every month corporate executives take millions of dollars out of the dividends of shareholders for political purposes without shareholder approval. Join us to stop this abuse."

However, I just received a four-page mailing from the above Republican senators imploring me to sign a petition to get an initiative on the state ballot making it illegal for California unions to participate in the political process by using dues to advance the interests of members.

The Enterprise-Record has reported twice the courts have ruled illegal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to repeal the California Nurses Association-sponsored "safe hospital nursing staff ratios." Of course, corporate hospital associations are major contributors to Schwarzenegger and have fought safe ratios.

Only a few short months ago Enloe Medical Center administrators trumpeted how their union nurses exceeded national hospital safety standards. To Enloe's current credit it is making every sincere attempt to comply with the 1:5 nurse/patient ratio.

So, in the near future when you're walking out of Safeway or Wal-Mart and some guy, sent by Schwarzenegger and his gang, shoves a petition in your face to "prohibit unions from taking money out of the paychecks of public employees," tell him you'll gladly sign the petition when there's legitimate campaign finance reform protecting ordinary working citizens from big-money interests that take dollars out of shareholder dividends for political purposes.

Bert Marshall, Chico

The measure that they are trying to get on the ballot is for unions to get permission from those public employees before they can use dues money collected for political lobbying or donations to candidates, etc... It is not to stop it, just to require that the unions obtain permission from their members, which actually sounds like a good and fair idea , especailly since so many of the public employees have no say over whether or not they pay dues to keep their job. It seems only right that they have some say over how their dues money is spent.

You sound very angry. Perhaps you should look into this matter further before you get so upset.

The measure that they are trying to get on the ballot is for unions to get permission from those public employees before they can use dues money collected for political lobbying or donations to candidates, etc... It is not to stop it, just to require that the unions obtain permission from their members, which actually sounds like a good and fair idea , especailly since so many of the public employees have no say over whether or not they pay dues to keep their job. It seems only right that they have some say over how their dues money is spent.

You sound very angry. Perhaps you should look into this matter further before you get so upset.

Hmmmm.... I didn't think I sounded angry or upset......

I do think that Ahhnold is not acting in the best interest of the people of the state of CA, in which I reside. In my opinion, to which I am allowed, Ahnold has taken a very public opinion against teachers and nurses. The article posted is not the first bit of info I have read on the subject. Our household gets mail frequently on from the governator (we live in CA). and my husbands Union.... I read it all, call me informed.

Perhaps you might want to do a little more research about the Ahnold on your own.

Hmmmm.... I didn't think I sounded angry or upset......

I do think that Ahhnold is not acting in the best interest of the people of the state of CA, in which I reside. In my opinion, to which I am allowed, Ahnold has taken a very public opinion against teachers and nurses. The article posted is not the first bit of info I have read on the subject. Our household gets mail frequently on from the governator (we live in CA). and my husbands Union.... I read it all, call me informed.

Perhaps you might want to do a little more research about the Ahnold on your own.

If you are informed... then did you just choose to misrepresent the proposal for the ballot(which is not one of the governor's) regarding public employee unions to be required to obtain the member's permission to use dues money for political purposes? The measure is about giving employees a choice. Not all union members share the same political agenda as their unions. Would you not agree?

If you are informed... then did you just choose to misrepresent the proposal for the ballot(which is not one of the governor's) regarding public employee unions to be required to obtain the member's permission to use dues money for political purposes? The measure is about giving employees a choice. Not all union members share the same political agenda as their unions. Would you not agree?

NEWSFLASH....... I did not write the original post.... it was an ARTICLE of interest posted here, written elsewhere.

I do, however, have the right to respond with my opinion.

We will not agree on the union issue as I feel unions reps are elected by the majority of union members..... thus giving them a voice.

My low opinon of the governator, has been duly earned.

His opinon about Nursing and Teachers, and the unions that represent him, has been widely publicized. He is NOT supporting Nurses and Teachers and I will NOT be supporting him for ANY cause.

If you wish to believe that he does not have influence in this cause, then that is certainly your right. I believe otherwise, and there is NO amount of debating that will change my mind.

So back to the original programming......

NEWSFLASH....... I did not write the original post.... it was an ARTICLE of interest posted here, written elsewhere.

I do, however, have the right to respond with my opinion.

We will not agree on the union issue as I feel unions reps are elected by the majority of union members..... thus giving them a voice.

My low opinon of the governator, has been duly earned.

His opinon about Nursing and Teachers, and the unions that represent him, has been widely publicized. He is NOT supporting Nurses and Teachers and I will NOT be supporting him for ANY cause.

If you wish to believe that he does not have influence in this cause, then that is certainly your right. I believe otherwise, and there is NO amount of debating that will change my mind.

So back to the original programming......

My apploogies to you, you are right. The misrepresentation of the facts goes to Spacenurse, not you.