Op-Ed:
Slicing Salami
While Wallet-Walloping
Oregonian-Worker Pockets

Productivity-Plundering Potent Portent for State.

Photo courtesy: koshermealstogo.com

(SALEM) - Salami --no matter how well-sliced and presented-- is still sickening stuff for those whose stomachs demand real essential nourishment. Then there’s that pervading smell, too...

That’s why national productivity and worker-gain measures --the most meaningful in the book -- are so revealing for many in Oregon revisiting the campaign for the Governor’s command-post.

“Death of The American Middle Class” is not a new-novel title, but an extremely threatening next-step negating the road we once felt led firmly to Oregon’s future.

Authoritative reports clearly corroborate that inwards-feeling of most “middle-class” Oregonians that “SOMEbody is wallet-walloping !” while they are working harder than ever -- right on the money, too. (No pun intended !)

Although national-level nasty-news statistics don’t drop precisely on our Oregon pattern, the potent damage-done here in the last three decades is completely clear.

Read-’em-and-weep “with own eyes”, here’s short-quote/stuff from not ONE but FIVE authentic, authoritative nationally-recognized reports; mirroring magnificently precisely the same reflections from realities well-recognized now even by retarded politicians seeking to propagandize for self-protection.

Those are few in Oregon, but include candidates for more-than-one Oregon office; and those presenting that proven-dangerous initiative wrapped as Measure 48, despite 13-year Colorado-debacle--

So sickening to all that the GOP-cult candidate can’t stomach it himself...but won’t oppose it,either.

This mirror-mounted monstrosity reflecting the Colorado collapse is manipulated to cut off APPROPRIATIONS rather than incoming State REVENUES --but that means nothing to numerous Oregonians left in the lurch --AGAIN !!

Life-blood cut-off is still “discouraging” -- to say the least-here leaving the rest to your information from friends-and-neighbors.

No wonder Rich retreats when faced with direct challenge from an experienced labor-representing attorney; now well-placed to understand Oregonians and essential demands for a REAL difference. (No stop-watch malarkey-needed !)

Who else contended, conferenced, cooperated, and compromised rationally with GOP-partisans and delayed pretensions while possessing “the Salem Arena”?

Why settle for ANY “newbie” with no State experience, who must learn-on-the-run, being extremely careful of where-he-puts his PLEDGED-feet? Otherwise he might stumble and stall-out.

With plans still silently-UN/surfaced ? -- despite Scheining-light supervision from cult-cabal home-base ?

OR is that part of the overall national-plan, now so obvious for all to see ? (See any national report on Internet.)

How avoid a damaging re-run IF “the new leader” comes from that same confrontation-as-weapon “political-hate”-group, with that same “It’s all-out WAR !” basic-operating pattern.

That’s built-in life-protocol for corporate attorney success.

See Chapter Five, THE ARGUMENT CULTURE: Moving From Debate To Dialogue, by Deborah Tannen; ISBN 0-965-60915-4, for “adversary-organized system” detail, demolishing democratic dialog-approach.

SInce all FIVE reports cited are so full of solid data, easily-understood, and cumulatively mean-more than any one can by itself, I wont attempt to summarize for you, but will append here my own working notes isolating and defining the impactful points from each.

This demonstrates our pattern for producing Op Eds, with materials measured to bring meaning into readable form for your cogitation -- something no survey can ever do since it avoids the absolute necessity of professional judgment, substituting only unknowable bias from unknown persons.

Here are my notes, presented point-by-point from sources-cited:

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OCPP:

New Poverty, Health Insurance Data

The typical Oregon household’s income remains stuck well below its level of a few years ago, despite a strong economy, according to new statistics released today by the U.S. Census Bureau and analyzed by OCPP. The share of Oregonians going without health insurance for a year or more also remains high, and poverty has not improved.

“Oregon’s economy is doing great, but the prosperity is not being widely shared,” said Michael Leachman, policy analyst for the OCPP. “Oregonians should be proud of the economic growth they are producing, but they should also wonder why they aren’t seeing more of the benefits,” he added.

The OCPP analysis of Census data released today shows that the current strong economic recovery has not restored income or health insurance to the levels that existed prior to the last downturn in 2001.

Read and download OCPP's news release, Economic Growth Failing to Improve Incomes for Typical Households, Health Coverage, or Poverty. (www.ocpp.org) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OREGONIAN Edit Page B-9 8/29/06
“Exposing the myth of the ownership society”
Marie Cocco - Washngton Post

1. Conservative political claim of “Ownership society” is myth.

2. More than half of U.S. households own NO STOCKS even in mutual funds or 401-K accounts.

3. Two of three who DO are below $5,000 start-level.

4. Top ten percent own EIGHTY percent of ALL stocks-held.

5. Net worth of wealthiest climbed consistently since ‘1962 from 162 x the median to 190 x the median...unheard-of event.

6. Wages are stagnant OR shrinking nationally.

7. Increased productivity has been manipulated to feed corporate profits to unprecedented levels ever anywhere.

8. Corporate chieftains reward themselves with eye-popping pay packages and benefits, manipulating corporate boards easily.

9. Conservatives’ claim of “Ownership Society” is silly slogan seducing unthinking belief in political myth flying in face of realities.

10. “Rounding up usual suspects”, including “greedy union members and rapacious officials’” with others and ongoing trends is political manipulation perverting realities.

11. Tax-slashes for the rich and tax benefits by rates, loop-holes and other evasions for corporations are “the heart of the matter.”

(GO “see with your own eyes” on OREGONIAN website.) +++++++++++++++++++++++++

NT TIMES per CNNMoney.com
Cited in speaking truth to power
from carolyn@carolynbaker.org

1. Wage gains lagging behind inflaton for nine out of ten, up to and including $80,000 per year, 90th percentile.

2. Employee pay lowest since 1947.

3. Corporate profits highest share since 1960s.

4. Median hourly wage down two percent since 2003, an unprecedented drop indicating dangerous further loss.

5. Top one percent including CEOs got 11.2 percent, up from

8.7 percent in last decade, 6 percent thirty years ago.

6. Employee pay now lowest share of GDP since the government started collecting data in 1947.

(Available as PDF from HCR on direct request.) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Federal Reserve Conference
Jackson Hole, just concluded
“Global Trends May Hinder U.S. Efforts to Curb Inflation”
by Edmund L. Andrews, NY Times

1. International trends threaten U.S. economy in multiplying ways and unprecedented dangers.

2. Low-cost exports from China fueling U.S. dive deeper into debt internationally while consumers dive deeper in multiplying channels, with savings-, in any form, dropping to precarious levels.

3. “Uphill money” flowing from relatively poor nations, including China and India as huge newcomers to world economy, may suddenly reverse -- with calamitous consequences probably unavoidable for Western nations and Europe.

4. Precarious U.S. stance includes startlingly-low interest rates relating directly to ongoing housing and business futures, in danger of debacle if “uphill”-flow interrupted or terminated.

5. China’s low-cost manufactures motivating and manipulating U.S. trade and economy --and now seen as beginning ominous reversals.

6. Millions of newly-organizing workers in China and India now seeking own share of just-now accessible changes and income-levels, leading to further unknown and unknowable activities and economic dangers to Western one-time leaders.

7. Fed forecast or “soft landing”, dependent on 2 percent inflatiion-control, seem as probably futile and becoming dangerous in face of looming irreversible realities --no matter how politically convenient in light of onrushing national election pressures within Bush regime.