U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
Sec. of State
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(D) George Stern
(D) A. Gonzalez
(R) Sheri Davis
40%
40%
30%
State Treasurer
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(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
30%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Somebody
80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Somebody
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
May 07, 2009 03:20 PM UTC
39 Comments
I’m finding myself thinking that was kinda sexy.
Occasionally I hear allusions to “Westerners” in these here parts, and particularly “Western Democrats,” a special breed raised under open skies and with horizons as far as the eye can see (about 20 miles, less smog and pollution). The implication is that some new political philosophy has taken root west of Cheyenne Wells that goes heavy on Rugged Individualism, Self-Reliance, and a few other choice attributes originally brought by our Rugged Ancestors in the bottom of their covered wagons. G’yup, Scout!
I’m curious about this phenomenon. Does it include the promise of cheap, or free, land, distributed by the government via the Venture Capitalists building a transcontinental railroad? Is it supposed to suggest that dry land dirt farmers git by without agricultural subsidies? Or that exploiting natural resources is done independent of government policies–example: free highways for cars–to the oil industry?
My real question is whether Democrats and Republicans hereabouts all believe their own propaganda about being different, forging a “new way” independent of the nasty old unions-vs.-owners (and related versions) battles of the fading industrial past?
One obvious example of this mythology is that it allows politicians to pin the label “Democrat” on their cowboy hats while inside their cranial orbs they’re thinking like, and acting like, Republicans. Is that just Western Democrats being Western Democrats, or is it a case of false and misleading labeling?
I’m just asking.
with being in a political culture that wasn’t cleaved by the racial tension of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, as the Northeast, Midwest and South were.
But sure, there’s a “don’t fence me in” quality to both parties here that doesn’t underly the Democratic-Republican divide elsewhere.
I’m sure you’re right about the “don’t fence me in” mentality, but I would argue that same sense underlies the notion that “it’s my coal and I’ll burn it if I want to” sentiments of Republicans everywhere, bein’ Kissin’ Kousin to the “It’s mine, all mine, and I don’t wanna pay nothin'” mentality of the Cut Taxes Regardless party. In other words, I don’t really see anything distinctly “Western” about these attitudes–just Republican, whether wearin’ them cowboy boots or Cole Haan loafers (while slumming only–never to The Club!). Where are the Democrats hereabouts, and what do they believe in?
did you see that?
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what’s the story ?
can anyone provide an update ?
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not a strike.
He was talking with a caller who’s husband is facing strike duty.
She had all kinds of details about him walking the strike line/picket line, drawing strike pay, hours of duty mandated by UFCW. Apparently the UFCW makes it workers work the strike line for 4, 6 or sometimes 8 hours and they can be scheduled for night duty too.
She also claimed he wouldn’t be able to draw unemployment and without it they’d be forced to shop at Kings while they faced personal bankruptcy.
Maybe someone has more details from a workers perspective, what choices they are facing, etc…
Until and unless Good Democrats buy food for them at other chains. A bit here, a bit there… job done, very little expense. Most certainly Democrats should be lining up for a mass boycott of at least one of the two big chains, Kroger (King’s)or Safeway, swearing solemn oaths on a pile of Bib lettuce to resist shopping there for at least 4 weeks after they settle with the union. Been awhile since we’ve had a chance for a good old fashioned labor war…and nothing like food suppliers to set the stage!
Pick one of the two and ask everyone to not go to that one. It could put emmense pressure on that one to settle.
I plan on continuing to shop at both.
Kroger’s performance in 2007 met or exceeded our goals and demonstrates that our strategy is working as we continue to deliver value to both our customers and our shareholders. Total sales for the year increased 6.2% to a record $70.2 billion. After adjusting for the extra week in fiscal 2006, total sales increased 8.2%. Most of this increase was driven by strong identical sales growth, which is an important measure of our plan’s success.
Kroger’s identical supermarket sales growth last year, excluding fuel sales, was 5.3%, surpassing our original target of 3 to 5%. Each quarter we raised our target to reflect the sales momentum throughout the
year.
Net earnings for the year were $1.18 billion, or $1.69 per diluted share. This equates to 15% growth after adjusting for the extra week in fiscal 2006.
So, my question to the reader is, Who makes thia happen? Is it the line workers in the store who provide excellent customer services? Is it the middle management that designs the layout, schedules inventory/deliveries/variety of product? Is it the janitors who always present a clean and orderly store that causes the consumer to return and return as loyal customers? Is it the shareholders who take their dividends? Who makes Kroger who they are today?
fuck it with that kind of a cash machine, he can just Pinnacolize’em.
Interview with Kirby Dick about his new film Outrage at Salon.com:
http://www.salon.com/ent/movie…
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no thanks
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I enjoyed Kirby Dick’s last documentary expose This Film Is Not Yet Rated, which was about how the Motion Picture Association of America chooses how it rates movies (G, PG, R, and the box-office damning NC-17). It had political overtones. But this film looks to be explicitly political (although when I say “explicitly” I don’t expect anyone to garner any sexual gratification out of it). It might contain propaganda, like Michael Moore films, but what’s wrong with that?! I like films that take a viewpoint, challenge beliefs.
But I have a question on the whole strike thing..
Say for sake of argument, the union members decide to go on strike.(I believe that would be an excessively stupid thing to do in this economy, but lets put that aside)
Once the workers are on strike and the company has brought in temporary workers to fill the need, is there anything that requires the company to have to go back and talk to the union, or can they company just say bite me, and not work with the union at all and just continue on with temporary workers who will become the new employees.
It would appear to me that as long as there are enough willing “temporary” workers, the company would probably rather to that and wash their hand of the union (of course until the new employees vote to become unionized and the whole cycle starts again)
Not knowing the law and labor relations stuff, I figured I would throw this out there.
OK, have at me….
the employer is required to negotiate in good faith with the union. So they have to at least pretend and not actually say bite me.
http://law.jrank.org/pages/109…
It is only illegal to permanently replace striking workers when they are striking over unfair labor practices.
Google National Labor Relations Act
It does kind of validate my thoughts though, that the Grocery Stores could, in effect, say bite me to the unions and not go back to the bargaining table.
The way I see it, typically strikes resolve themselves over a relatively short period of time due to both parties feeling the pain and being willing to negotiate. The companies typically lose money due to the fact that there are no workers to manufacture their products or provide their services, and the union workers feel the pinch as they are not getting their paychecks, so both are motivated to go back to the bargaining table to resolve their differences.
However, in the current economic climate, I could see that strategy backfiring badly. If the grocery stores find that there are enough, or more than enough, workers willing to fill that demand, then aside from the training costs, I could see them making an active decision not to go back to the table and work with the unions since they will effectively be feeling very little pain. Effectively this would allow them to shed the unions very quickly, of course there is the potential backlash from other unions affiliated with the stores that are currently not on strike showing their solidarity which could effectively shut down their operations in other more skilled positions. (I am assuming that the meatcutters, bakers, etc are in a different union, though I am probably wrong).
I just see that with the high numbers in unemployment, that this could blow up in the unions faces and effectively cause their own members to be out of jobs.
As Emma Anne correctly points out, there is also a requirement in the NLRA to negotiate in good faith. If you do not negotiate in good faith, (i.e., if you replace the striking workers too soon) then that becomes an unfair labor practice on its own.
…of the vulnerability of supermarkets to consumer retaliation. I don’t think delivery drivers, for example, can be compelled to cross picket lines. I know
consumersWesternDemocrats can’t be compelled to buy groceries at the struck chains. Then there are other tactics that could cause a good deal of bad blood… could be back to Olden Days of Pop the Grocer taking things off the shelves for you so as not to have lotsa filled-to-the-brim grocery carts without their, ah, customers anywhere to be found (“Labor organizer called, had to rush before I could check out, sorry.”). Etc.The problem is, where else can we shop? Wal Mart? Albertson’s? Neither choice helps UFCW Local 7.
I didn’t cross the picket line during the last UFCW strike. But I still need to eat. So I ended up buying from scab shops.
It’s symbolic support at best. And that makes me sad.
I meant to suggest (1) a program to help strikers put groceries, from somewhere else, on their tables via some sort of a targeted food bank–literally shopping elsewhere and bringing food to the picket lines.
(2) I would think the major point during a strike is to boycott the companies being struck. Buying at
Walmart orTarget, Whole Foods, Albertsons, etc. doesn’t help Local 7, no, but it might help persuade Kroger and Safeway (assuming they are the only two being struck) to come to a settlement sooner.During a strike, the struggle becomes tactical, and it’s time to come to the aid of our brothers & sisters both positively and by hurting the enemy in whatever way is possible in the short term–both things in concrete ways. Time to drop the rhetoric and spring into action. This doubtless requires going out of the way and paying real cash money. Ain’t nothin’ gotten for free. Afterwards it’s time to consider other boycotts or actions to support organizing efforts.
The advantage of labor actions in the food business is that it’s immediate to all of us and easy to join the fight.
It would be good, therefore, if Local 7 assigns someone to keep participants on this and other blogs fully informed as to what’s happening. Alternatively some wikijournos can go out, inquire, and report back. Solidarity and all that; how sweet the sound!
CostCo, Super Target. But the longer trip only works for the weekly shopping. When you need a can of tomato sauce in 5 minutes you’re left with Safeway or King Soopers.
…that argument doesn’t lead to a can of tomato sauce followed by some pasta, and oh, yeah, maybe some mushrooms, and….
If you care, you don’t go in. Period, full stop, end of story. If you care to the extent you’re willing to drive 4 extra minutes/kms/miles but not 6, well, that’s how much you care. Ever wonder what you believe vs what you say you believe? There are chances to find out every day; here’s another one.
I now understand that Albertson’s is on the list alongside King’s and Safeway with a deadline of midnight Saturday, May 9. Hopefully it doesn’t come to a strike. The sweet sound of Solidarity can grow damn tiresome damn fast when there’s no $$$ comin’ in. But if it does come to that…it’s a case of shell out or shut up.
Has Hick unequivocally ruled out running for Guv next year? Just wondering…..
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While the woman in the video might be able to travel in Somalia (doubtful, but possible,)
the guy would be arrested (or worse) for wearing the wrong color of skin.
cf, http://www.garoweonline.com/ar…
where a Japanese journalist is arrested for being Japanese.
Note that this occurred in Puntland, in the relatively stable north of the country.
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Here’s a nice mashup of Faux News’ hatchet jobs and what was REALLY said
oops, did we cut that out ?
It’s kind of a close call, in my opinion. The point Fox was making was that Obama was inserting empathy in as a factor. So the clip was accurate and the commentary from Major Garret fair. Were they obligated to insert the other stuff? Not really. I don’t think Major mischaracterized the argument.
It should be noted that the first two clips, if you believe them to be biased, were not made by reporters. They were made by Hannity and Ingraham, who are more moderate versions on the right than Olbermann or Madow are on the left.
But you won’t hear Media Matters complain about them.
I’ve been a member of NATAS (Emmy awards) for several years, and I’ve judged a LOT of spots.
This is the best spot on voting that I’ve ever seen!
I was wondering all the way to the end. But, yeah, it hit a memorable public service note.
On another note, you’ve probably already heard jokes about it in the past, but I never realized until now that the acronym for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is SATAN spelled backwards.