Yesterday, I posed the question: "Is the Chamber of Commerce Using Bailout Money to Attack Workers?"
The Chamber took to their blog and ambiguously wrote, "No. No we are not."
It's well documented by Sam Stein at The Huffington Post that bailout recipients have been asked to funnel money to groups that are running anti-worker ads like the ones announced yesterday by the Chamber.
So I wrote, "Let me pose a more specific question: Is the Chamber actively rejecting money from bailout recipients?"
The Chamber responded:
Another one quickly answered, the U.S. Chamber continues to accept as members companies which receive both public and private funds. In addition we do not believe that the receipt of taxpayer money abrogates an individual or groups’ rights under the First Amendment.
My original answer to the original question still stands, beyond question.
Actually, it's not beyond question -- and Jonathan Martin at Politico agrees:
Adam Green over at OpenLeft pushes the Chamber of Commerce to say that they're still accepting dues from bailed-out companies.
The goal is to make the case that the Chamber is using taxpayer dollars to help fund their anti-EFCA campaign (of which they have launched new ads targeting moderate Democratic senators).
The Chamber's Brad Peck says they're not using bail-out money for the campaign.
I've asked how exactly they know that to be the case.
A bunch of folks have joined the Facebook group asking the same question, and have used the contact info posted in that group to email Chamber execs directly.
And last night, Anna Burger added SEIU's voice to this issue:
The Chamber of Commerce’s solution for fixing our economic crisis is to use funds from taxpayer bailed-out companies to fight smart economic policies that will restore balance to our economy and help rebuild the American Middle Class.
...American taxpayers have had enough. The Chamber of Commerce must stop accepting taxpayer funds to lobby against taxpayer interests.
It's a pretty cut-and-dry case.
Taxpayer money went to companies so they could rebuild their fundamentals. By the Chamber's now-admission, bailout recipients are giving some of that money to the Chamber (aka, not using it to rebuild their fundamentals). Then, the Chamber uses that taxpayer money to fund ads against workers in political swing states.
We'll now see if the Chamber is as oblivious to the PR disaster that is about to hit them as the Wall Street execs who used bailout money to redecorate their offices and pay bonuses were.
Maybe smarter heads at the Chamber will prevail, and they'll take this issue off the table by publicly rejecting money from bailout recipients. We'll see...
(Join the Facebook group to take action on this issue.)
I didn't pay taxes so they could be funneled to support a bunch of ignorant union-busters.
I couldn't believe my ears.
I've seen employer union-prevention tactics. Such actions would be criminal deeds in public elections.
It's high time those who produce receive a fairer proportion of the value of their production. Production has risen steadily for decades while worker income has remained flat. That is simply unjust.
Money doesn't have a name on it, Mr. Peck. If dollars coming from bailed-out companies are used to oppose EFCA, bail-out money is being used for the campaign. As simple as that.
BOYCOTT!
It worked for the United Farm Workers Unions.
Their wages and benefits went up after a long fight. They are still struggling in their fights, but their founder, Ceasar Chavez has a Park named in his honor in the capitol city of Sacramento. Downtown, not some burb park!
Rights need to be fought for and the struggle is never easy, if we do not fight and fight hard, the people of America, the ones that make the profit will not ever gain the rights they deserve. Those rights include the right to freely organize, negotiate a fair contract and for a more perfect partnership with management.
I thank god for my union and the lifestyle which it allowed for my family and the stimulus my family provided to our community was much larger due to that union membership. I am now disabled due to giving my body up for my employers in heavy construction for 35 years. I am recieving a small pension from my union as well as Social Security.
Franklin Roosevelt and all of the hard fights of my brothers and sisters before me have guaranteed that I can live in my older age. I hope my contributions of knowledge and support enabled those that came after me can do the same.
Right now American business could really use a good cheerleader and that is what the Chamber should be doing with its time, talents and resources.
http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com
Why do Republicans hate America?