Lee Quandt stood up to house leadership and was removed from all committees. Lee is a lifelong NH resident, veteran of military service, married father of three, who worked in NH Department of Corrections for a full career, volunteered in the union, and ran successfully for state rep-- a position which pays only $100 a year plus mileage to and from the state house.As a state employee, I was pleased to work with Lee Quandt on inter-agency issues of mutual concern when I worked at YDC and he was at DOC. As a member of SEA-SEIU Local 1984 and an elected member of the council on which he also served, I continued to admire his energy, dedication, and knowledge. As a member of the SEA Political Education Committee, I have been glad to vote in favor of endorsing him as a state representative candidate. Both he and I are retired state employees, and I applaud his continued work for the benefit of NH citizens with his service in the legislature. It is a shame to see people unfamiliar with the needs and traditional operation of NH, ignoring the experience and expertise of those who do know. There is a reason NH is both one of the highest income states and one of the lowest-spending states, and people like Lee Quandt are a major part of it. Lee Quandt represented his fellow employees well when they elected him to represent them in the SEA. He represents his constituents well as a state representative. I think that the voters are paying attention, and in the next election cycle we'll see an end to bullying and radical proposals destroying the NH way of life, and a return to the civility and bipartisan cooperation we hold dear. Lee, I thank you for your service. |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Republican NH Rep. Lee Quandt
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thoughts on libertarianism and unions
Today I went to a hearing in Concord on the so-called Right-to-Work bill. The word "libertarian" came up a couple of times, and was misused both times, by people speaking for and against the bill. I was an "early libertarian"; I knew Murray Rothbard; I worked on the Hospers campaign and many more, and was either the first or the second secretary (I think someone else served briefly, stopped attending meetings, and I was asked to serve and did) of LPNH. I ran for various political offices. I was one of the people who helped LPNH get ballot status, was registered to vote as a Libertarian, ran for office as a Libertarian, and then watched Howard Wilson cost the party that status. I watched the party get and lose status again. I watched the party forget the roots of libertarianism and be taken over by Republican neo-cons who called themselves Libertarians
Libertarianism originated in France, in the 1880s. It was a workers' movement, in which people would voluntarily band together and work together in syndicates, sharing skills and resources to produce goods and services in voluntary association and working to dismantle the state.
Corporations are anti-libertarian creations, artificial people protected by government fiat. They cannot exist in a libertarian society. Unions, as voluntary associations for a shared purpose, can exist. Religious organizations may exist on the same basis of voluntary membership. It is an ideal of libertarianism that the state will no longer exist, but that's utopian. Libertarians generally accept the idea of a limited state to provide for defense from force and from fraud.
Given the current structure of society, many libertarians work for government, because government is the major employer of educated and skilled workers. Only 47% of US adults have full-time jobs. Almost half of full-time jobs are in Federal, state, county, municipal, school districts, or the US military. A majority of professional, technical, and paraprofessional workers work in the government sector or the non-profit sector. Most unskilled workers work in the for-profit sector.
Labor unions are, as they always have been, libertarian organizations. No one has to join one; only about 9% of US jobs are unionized. Workers choose to organize a union, elect leaders, set budgets, pay dues, and negotiate contracts. Employers choose to whether the union will be able to assess fees from workers who do not join, to cover the cost of negotiations and grievance arbitration; they can accept or reject this in negotiations. Neither the union nor the employer can coerce the other. (My sister applied, in New Jersey-- a heavily unionized state-- for an accounting position. The employer, eager to hire her, offered in addition to the advertised pay and benefits to pay her union initiation fee up-front for her and her union dues on a continuing basis. She accepted.) Federal law requires that the union represent everyone in the workplace, whether they are a member or not or a fee-payer or not. These "free-riders" cost unions time and money and often build resentment among workers.
If someone chooses to work for a unionized employer, such as the state of NH, that's a choice. The new worker is given information on the union, and after they complete their one-year probationary period, must choose whether to join the union or to pay agency fee, as the employer and the union agreed in the contract. Many workers choose to join sooner, since the union offers free or heavily discounted legal services, scholarship programs, credit cards and student loan options and mortgage programs,, insurance programs, and emergency help, along with various discounts on goods and services, as part of the association benefits for members. Members may choose to voluntarily contribute to a union PAC for political activity.
Labor unions are libertarian organizations. Union membership is a libertarian choice. Right-to-work is an anti-libertarian bill.
Libertarianism originated in France, in the 1880s. It was a workers' movement, in which people would voluntarily band together and work together in syndicates, sharing skills and resources to produce goods and services in voluntary association and working to dismantle the state.
Corporations are anti-libertarian creations, artificial people protected by government fiat. They cannot exist in a libertarian society. Unions, as voluntary associations for a shared purpose, can exist. Religious organizations may exist on the same basis of voluntary membership. It is an ideal of libertarianism that the state will no longer exist, but that's utopian. Libertarians generally accept the idea of a limited state to provide for defense from force and from fraud.
Given the current structure of society, many libertarians work for government, because government is the major employer of educated and skilled workers. Only 47% of US adults have full-time jobs. Almost half of full-time jobs are in Federal, state, county, municipal, school districts, or the US military. A majority of professional, technical, and paraprofessional workers work in the government sector or the non-profit sector. Most unskilled workers work in the for-profit sector.
Labor unions are, as they always have been, libertarian organizations. No one has to join one; only about 9% of US jobs are unionized. Workers choose to organize a union, elect leaders, set budgets, pay dues, and negotiate contracts. Employers choose to whether the union will be able to assess fees from workers who do not join, to cover the cost of negotiations and grievance arbitration; they can accept or reject this in negotiations. Neither the union nor the employer can coerce the other. (My sister applied, in New Jersey-- a heavily unionized state-- for an accounting position. The employer, eager to hire her, offered in addition to the advertised pay and benefits to pay her union initiation fee up-front for her and her union dues on a continuing basis. She accepted.) Federal law requires that the union represent everyone in the workplace, whether they are a member or not or a fee-payer or not. These "free-riders" cost unions time and money and often build resentment among workers.
If someone chooses to work for a unionized employer, such as the state of NH, that's a choice. The new worker is given information on the union, and after they complete their one-year probationary period, must choose whether to join the union or to pay agency fee, as the employer and the union agreed in the contract. Many workers choose to join sooner, since the union offers free or heavily discounted legal services, scholarship programs, credit cards and student loan options and mortgage programs,, insurance programs, and emergency help, along with various discounts on goods and services, as part of the association benefits for members. Members may choose to voluntarily contribute to a union PAC for political activity.
Labor unions are libertarian organizations. Union membership is a libertarian choice. Right-to-work is an anti-libertarian bill.
Monday, April 4, 2011
If public employees could talk
Public employees sign confidentiality agreements.
Public employees may only access information needed in the performance of their duties.
Public employees have access to a great deal of information. In some cases, a public employee dealing with a citizen or legal alien asking for a public service can see:
Name changes, SSN, birthdate and birthplace, citizenship status, work authorization
The wage record, in some cases going back as much as 50 years
Employment and unemployment history
TANF history
SSI history
Local welfare history
Income and assets, including earnings, subsidies, savings, investments, and property
Tax history
Mental health history
Disability status
Criminal record
Educational data
Student aid including grants and loans
Family status, including marriages, divorces, births, deaths
Household composition
Child support information
Military history and/or VA status
Medicaid, Medicare, and.or SCHIP records
SNAP and other nutrition program history
Section 8 or other housing program
Credit history, including bankruptcies
etc. etc. etc.
Since public employees are under confidentiality agreements, they can't announce that the legislator, alderman, counter demonstrator, or letter-writer is developmentally delayed or mentally ill, that they have no visible means of support, that they have been fired from every position they've ever held, that they are not in fact a veteran as they claim, that they have bad debts, that they have never paid a penny of Federal income tax, that they are on SNAP, or drawing unemployment, or not paying their child support. Public employees have to be discreet.
Public employees have to take it when they are maligned.
But if public employees could talk, a large number of very vocal rascals might quietly resign from public life and slink away.
Public employees may only access information needed in the performance of their duties.
Public employees have access to a great deal of information. In some cases, a public employee dealing with a citizen or legal alien asking for a public service can see:
Name changes, SSN, birthdate and birthplace, citizenship status, work authorization
The wage record, in some cases going back as much as 50 years
Employment and unemployment history
TANF history
SSI history
Local welfare history
Income and assets, including earnings, subsidies, savings, investments, and property
Tax history
Mental health history
Disability status
Criminal record
Educational data
Student aid including grants and loans
Family status, including marriages, divorces, births, deaths
Household composition
Child support information
Military history and/or VA status
Medicaid, Medicare, and.or SCHIP records
SNAP and other nutrition program history
Section 8 or other housing program
Credit history, including bankruptcies
etc. etc. etc.
Since public employees are under confidentiality agreements, they can't announce that the legislator, alderman, counter demonstrator, or letter-writer is developmentally delayed or mentally ill, that they have no visible means of support, that they have been fired from every position they've ever held, that they are not in fact a veteran as they claim, that they have bad debts, that they have never paid a penny of Federal income tax, that they are on SNAP, or drawing unemployment, or not paying their child support. Public employees have to be discreet.
Public employees have to take it when they are maligned.
But if public employees could talk, a large number of very vocal rascals might quietly resign from public life and slink away.
If public employees could talk
Public employees sign confidentiality agreements.
Public employees may only access information needed in the performance of their duties.
Public employees have access to a great deal of information. In some cases, a public employee dealing with a citizen or legal alien asking for a public service can see:
Name changes, SSN, birthdate and birthplace, citizenship status, work authorization
The wage record, in some cases going back as much as 50 years
Employment and unemployment history
TANF history
SSI history
Local welfare history
Income and assets, including earnings, subsidies, savings, investments, and property
Tax history
Mental health history
Disability status
Criminal record
Educational data
Student aid including grants and loans
Family status, including marriages, divorces, births, deaths
Household composition
Child support information
Military history and/or VA status
Medicaid, Medicare, and.or SCHIP records
SNAP and other nutrition program history
Section 8 or other housing program
Credit history, including bankruptcies
etc. etc. etc.
Since public employees are under confidentiality agreements, they can't announce that the legislator, alderman, counter demonstrator, or letter-writer is developmentally delayed or mentally ill, that they have no visible means of support, that they have been fired from every position they've ever held, that they are not in fact a veteran as they claim, that they have bad debts, that they have never paid a penny of Federal income tax, that they are on SNAP, or drawing unemployment, or not paying their child support. Public employees have to be discreet.
Public employees have to take it when they are maligned.
But if public employees could talk, a large number of very vocal rascals might quietly resign from public life and slink away.
Public employees may only access information needed in the performance of their duties.
Public employees have access to a great deal of information. In some cases, a public employee dealing with a citizen or legal alien asking for a public service can see:
Name changes, SSN, birthdate and birthplace, citizenship status, work authorization
The wage record, in some cases going back as much as 50 years
Employment and unemployment history
TANF history
SSI history
Local welfare history
Income and assets, including earnings, subsidies, savings, investments, and property
Tax history
Mental health history
Disability status
Criminal record
Educational data
Student aid including grants and loans
Family status, including marriages, divorces, births, deaths
Household composition
Child support information
Military history and/or VA status
Medicaid, Medicare, and.or SCHIP records
SNAP and other nutrition program history
Section 8 or other housing program
Credit history, including bankruptcies
etc. etc. etc.
Since public employees are under confidentiality agreements, they can't announce that the legislator, alderman, counter demonstrator, or letter-writer is developmentally delayed or mentally ill, that they have no visible means of support, that they have been fired from every position they've ever held, that they are not in fact a veteran as they claim, that they have bad debts, that they have never paid a penny of Federal income tax, that they are on SNAP, or drawing unemployment, or not paying their child support. Public employees have to be discreet.
Public employees have to take it when they are maligned.
But if public employees could talk, a large number of very vocal rascals might quietly resign from public life and slink away.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)