The Albuquerque Journal has endorsed “Right to Work” for New Mexico. This is welcome news. Hopefully the Legislature will take notice and that efforts to bring this needed reform to New Mexico will be bi-partisan. Nationwide, at least, support is incredibly bi-partisan for “Right too Work.”
A few notes from the editorial: “Right to work doesn’t threaten unions; it simply forces them to compete for members rather than have captive, dues-paying members delivered to them.”
The editorial concluded saying:
New Mexico needs to diversity its economy:
1. If it wants to insulate itself from the effects of federal inaction/error. (Can you say sequestration? How about furlough?)
2. If it wants to establish a more vibrant jobs sector that employs New Mexicans and draws folks from other places interested in careers beyond the basic functions government provides.
A key to that diversification is being able to compete for employers and employees alike. And that should not be an R vs. D battle. Lawmakers should seriously consider right-to-work legislation as one piece of a broader economic reform package when they return to the Roundhouse next year.
And here is the polling from Gallup on support for right to work across partisan lines:
Comes now the Albuquerque Journal to add its name to the list of those who do not understand so-called “right to work for less legislation.” As far as spending massive amounts of their members’ money supporting political candidates over the objections of rank and file union members, please research the impact of the “Beck Amendment” on such practices. And while you’re at it, check with your friendly neighborhood corporation and ask how often it has polled its employees to get their opinion on which candidates the corporation should support with the dollars generated by those same employees’ hard work. Is it possible that the corporation invests some of its profits in candidates who are working against the best interests of those employees?
It’s fascinating to me to watch mega-wealthy individuals such as Steve Forbes, who never met a corporate tax-cut he didn’t like, caring so much about the working class, that he supports “right-to-work-for-less” legislation because he thinks unions are victimizing their members. If Mr. Forbes really cared about his employees he could prove it by giving all his lowest paid workers a hefty wage increase and a voice in their working conditions. If someone is paying themselves $Billions but can’t “afford” to pay a living wage, they need to rethink their business plan and readjust their personal priorities. Jefferson warned us about the evils of corporate power. His prophetic words are becoming more prescient every day. How much longer are the folks on the wrong side of the steadily increasing gap between the wealthy and everyone else, going to tolerate this growing economic inequality? When they wake up to what’s being done to them, the 10%, the 1% and especially the 0.1% better watch out.
I don’t care about inequality and neither should you. Are living standards rising for all Americans? The fact is they are. More slowly than they could be absent a slew of misguided government policies (the education monopoly to name just one), but in general, our material existence is getting better all the time whether you are rich or poor.