Farewell

This will be my last blog post as president of IAFF Local 341.  After October 3rd 2013, Local 341 will have a new president so I won't be using the title anymore. If you liked reading my blog, you can follow me on my new blog Caynon the Barbarian.

It is election time at the union hall. History dictates that since it is a presidential election cycle we will experience higher than usual ballot returns. Everyone who is going to vote does so during this cycle.  If you’re me and you’ve been asking for member participation non-stop for years this is as good as it gets. There is a quiet comfort in democracy.

I’m a big believer in the democratic process. So, when asked about the election I have the same answer for everyone, “When it is all said and done, I have no doubt that the membership of Local 341 will absolutely get the leadership we deserve.” I think that (leadership) should be a continuation of my service to our members. Time will tell.

Better days

Last week was a difficult week.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tragic events in Boston and West. I am deeply saddened by the senseless loss of life and injuries sustained by people who were merely going about their business. As a temporary resident of the Boston-Cambridge area (during the Harvard Trade Union Program), I know just how special that city is and, like so many of you, I have friends and family touched by the fire and explosion in West, TX. These events serve to remind us all about the fragility of our place in the universe. I pray this is the beginning of a better week for us all.

Why is US Healthcare so expensive?

YOU NEED TO READ THIS: http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/20/what-makes-health-care-so-expensive/

In a July 4, 2012 article about Houston City Council member (and commited Tea Bagger) Helena Brown, Terrance McCoy of the Houston Press made the following astute observation: It's one of the profound oddities of American politics that in the elections that actually affect the tangible world around us, when pragmatism should trump ideology, when representatives can shape the communities we inhabit rather than dictate platitudes according to party screed, people simply do not vote.

Charting Middle-Class Decline

"Draw one line on a graph charting the decline in union membership,then superimpose a second line charting the decline in middle-class income share, and you will find that the two lines are nearly identical." - Journalist Timothy Noah in his book, The Great Divergence

We have each others back