UPDATED Friday @4pm – Includes some new information
NEBRASKA HAS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LEGISLATION SITTING IN COMMITTEE!
WHAT: Counter-Rally
Countering Moveon.org “Save the American Dream” Labor Union Rally
WHEN: NOON
FOR: Support Nebraska Legislation to Reform Collective Bargaining Laws
WHERE: UPDATED – Gather at base of north steps of the Capitol
We’re grateful that the Capitol Commission is allowing us use of the space so that this effort may be conducted in an orderly manner. Please read important information below!
(OLD INFORMATION: We’ll gather at the Centennial Mall across from the State Capitol, Lincoln, Nebraska)
Click HERE for maps of the Capitol area, parking garages downtown, and driving directions
PLEASE RSVP by clicking HERE –
and PLEASE help out by forwarding this to friends (see email icon, below)
PLEASE DRESS WARMLY! Forecast = 27degrees
912 Omaha began this effort by calling for a counter-rally by their membership to Moveon.org’s call for supporters of labor unions to hold rallies at every state capitol this Saturday, February 26 and there is one scheduled this Saturday at the Nebraska State Capitol (on the west side by the Lincoln statute) in Lincoln at noon.
While we cannot find any notice of the event on any of the websites of local unions or supporting groups, the moveon.org Lincoln event formerly http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=238&id=&search_distance=200&search_zip=68507&submit=Search page showed 75 RSVPs as of 10pm Thursday night and a Facebook page for the event showed as many as 50. These events seem to have sprung up quickly and RSVP rates online are typically lower than turnout (how much varies).
If you believe that government spending must be reined in, that government employee compensation, health care benefits, and pensions should be no more generous than that received by employees in the private sector, then come down and show your support for collective bargaining reform.
If you are skeptical that this issue is having any negative effect on Nebraska, PLEASE read below.
OUR PLAN: We will gather on the Centennial Mall because we are NOT attempting to get involved directly in the labor union rally. I explicitly urge you NOT to do so as it will only lead to trouble. Our purpose is to gather together in whatever number chooses to show support for reforming collective bargaining. (If you are skeptical about participating, see this article or this Facebook posting.)
We are unlikely to stay outdoors for the entire length of the labor union rally; we will likely keep our program brief and those who are interested in hearing more detailed information about the legislation on this issue and its status will be invited to join us indoors downtown at a location we will announce at our gathering on the Mall.
NEBRASKA HAS MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AS WISCONSIN AND OTHER STATES
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like SERIOUS action is going to take place in Nebraska on this issue – READ TODAY’S ARTICLE IF YOU NEED SOME EVIDENCE.
The information below can be supported and examined in greater depth by reading some of our articles on the subject, which are listed further down.
- Nebraska has a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall – by population, it’s proportional the $3.5 billion shortfall in Wisconsin.
- Nebraska’s Retirement System – the government employee pension fund – has been bailed out several times in the past two years because many government workers’ pensions are not tied to market value, they are guaranteed benefits regardless of the market, unlike the 401k plans for workers in the private sector.
- In order to “balance” our State budget, we have taken in a great deal of Federal stimulus funds, most of which was used to bailout the pension funds, as noted above, with the rest going to education (sold by Congress as “saving teachers’ jobs), and Medicaid.
One of the reasons Nebraska’s unemployment rate is so low is because too many people work for government in our State:
- 17% of Nebraska’s workforce is employed by State or local government
- In Lincoln, 24% of the workforce works for State or local government.
- In Omaha, 15% of the workforce works for State or local government.
AFFECTING TAXPAYERS:
Nebraskans are overtaxed…our top marginal income tax rate is as high as states that lost population in the past ten years; several studies in the past decade have shown that our taxation structure is suppressing business activity.
Nebraska’s two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha, have increased taxes in the past year because their budgets are in trouble. In Omaha, two tax increases were imposed to cover increased costs of a labor union contract. Lincoln’s telecomm tax was raised in 2010 to increase revenues, making it the highest in the United States; 24% of cell phone, landline, and other telecomm bills is taxation.
GiN Articles:
Wisconsin Legislation: Union Busting or Common Sense?
Collective Bargaining Advocates Protect Their Own: Who Protects Taxpayers?
Comment on GiN Site Reveals Troubling Attitudes of Too Many
Hearing Testimony: Collective Bargaining By NE Gov’t Obstructs State Spending Caps
NOT Surprising: Public Support Growing for Ending Collective Bargaining by Public Employees
Public Employee Unions: Breaking State and Local Budgets
ACTION ALERT: Big Turnout Needed at Capitol on Monday Feb. 7th
Reduce Government Budgets: Contact Senators About Worker Wages and Benefits
Budget Buster Fix: Prohibit Collective Bargaining by Public Employees
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