ALEC front man indicted for corruption in Georgia

Remember when loony Georgia state lawmakers tried to make it a felony not just to picket, but to conspire to picket? Fortunately that attack on basic rightswas defeated by our brothers and sisters at Local 728 in Atlanta, along with the Tea Party, faith leaders, community groups and other labor unions.

Well, Sen. Don Balfour was one of the leaders of that attack. He's a front man for ALEC, the corporate dating service for state lawmakers. 

Or used to be. Now he's been indicted on 18 counts of corruption, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jim Galloway writes:

A Fulton County grand jury has indicted state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, on 18 counts associated with alleged misuse of his legislative expense account, the Attorney General's office said Friday.

He also accepted money from ALEC:

The American Legislative Exchange Council awarded “scholarships” totaling $4,792 to Balfour from 2005 to 2009, records show. Corporate donors — including petroleum, pharmaceutical, utility, tobacco and health-care interests — funded the scholarships, which were meant to cover the costs of airfare and lodging to attend ALEC functions. The donations generally are not disclosed as lobbyist gifts, since ALEC does not have a registered lobbyist in Georgia.

It's unclear whether accepting those gifts (or lying about them) was part of the indictment.

That bill to criminalize picketing, by the way, was an ALEC bill. Jobs With Justice reported last year:

Georgia State Senator Don Balfour recently proposed legislation (SB 469) aimed at destroying labor unions, debilitating effective dissent and criminalizing planned peaceful direct action....The bill shares characteristics of model legislation from ALEC, an out-of-state, secretive, corporate-funded council that hands state legislators laws designed to benefit CEOs.

Let's just say we hope justice is served.

Author of Georgia bill criminalizing picketing is under criminal investigation

Looks good with stripes.

Karma is a bitch, isn't it?

Remember Don Balfour, the Georgia state senator who almost pushed through a bill that would make it a felony to conspire to picket (we're not making this up)?

Well, now he's being investigated ... for committing a crime. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports,

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has launched a criminal investigation of state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, for filing false expense reports, state law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.... 

The Senate Ethics Committee fined Balfour $5,000 for filing inaccurate travel reports to claim expenses. Balfour was also told to repay about $350 to the state for the lapses... 

Balfour was accused of billing the state for mileage while out of town on lobbyist-funded trips, and for failing to create a subcommittee to audit all senators’ reimbursement vouchers. 

Balfour, who had acknowledged mistakes in filing reimbursement claims, in March returned nearly $800 to the state based on a couple of instances. He then amended other reports after an analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found eight additional instances where Balfour claimed reimbursement on days lobbyists reported buying him meals or lodging in other cities.

We imagine our valiant brothers and sisters at Teamsters Local 728 in Atlanta aren't terribly upset by the news. They fought long and hard to defeat Balfour's heinous effort to destroy workers' right to free speech. 

Woo-hoo! SB 469 killed in GA!

At midnight in Georgia we celebrated a tremendous and unexpected victory for labor, civil rights groups, religious groups and the Tea Party. The heinous SB 469 bill -- anti-union, anti-free speech and un-American -- died when the legislative session ended.

We're relying on our fabulous tweeps in Georgia -- @erictheteamster (Teamster Eric Robertson), Teamster @JimNichols and @JennAudrey (Jennifer Kauffman of the AFL-CIO) -- for the news. The bill would have criminalized picketing and interfered with a worker's right to decide to join a union.

Last night @jennaudrey tweeted:

Sine die! Georgia session over and anti-free speech bill #SB469 is dead! #WeAreGA! #1u #stateSOS #p2 #ows

We were up against a powerful enemy. The bill was sponsored by four members of ALEC, the corporate conspiracy supported by the Benedict Arnold Koch brothers. ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) writes bills for state lawmakers that are good for corporations and bad for ordinary people and democracy. SB 469 had ALEC's fingerprints all over it. Here's the New York Times' Paul Krugman recently on ALEC:

What is ALEC? Despite claims that it’s nonpartisan, it’s very much a movement-conservative organization, funded by the usual suspects: the Kochs, Exxon Mobil, and so on. Unlike other such groups, however, it doesn’t just influence laws, it literally writes them, supplying fully drafted bills to state legislators. In Virginia, for example, more than 50 ALEC-written bills have been introduced, many almost word for word. And these bills often become law.

Many ALEC-drafted bills pursue standard conservative goals: union-busting, undermining environmental protection, tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy. ALEC seems, however, to have a special interest in privatization — that is, on turning the provision of public services, from schools to prisons, over to for-profit corporations. And some of the most prominent beneficiaries of privatization, such as the online education company K12 Inc. and the prison operator Corrections Corporation of America, are, not surprisingly, very much involved with the organization.

What this tells us, in turn, is that ALEC’s claim to stand for limited government and free markets is deeply misleading. To a large extent the organization seeks not limited government but privatized government, in which corporations get their profits from taxpayer dollars, dollars steered their way by friendly politicians. In short, ALEC isn’t so much about promoting free markets as it is about expanding crony capitalism.

In defeating SB 469, Teamsters Local 728, led by President Randy Brown and energized by organizer Ben Speight, deserves huge props. They did extraordinary work bringing attention to this attack on our rights and reaching out to allies in the community. Without them, SB 469 would have passed through the House and Senate like poop through a goose. A handful of people made an enormous difference.

A big lesson from this amazing victory is the power of social networking -- especially twitter -- to inform and mobilize allies you didn't know you had. You may not find more passionate or effective tweeters in the union than Eric and Jim. It's hard to imagine this victory without twitter. So folks, get tweeting!

Awesome anti-SB469 rally with Tea Party, labor, civil rights, faith groups



Debbie Dooley at today's news conference.

Our brothers and sisters in Atlanta are rocking the Statehouse Dome right now with a rally against the anti-worker, anti-free speech bill that could pass today. It's high drama on the last day of the session. They're shouting "We own the Dome" in protest against Senate Bill 469.

SB469, an ALEC-related union-busting proposal, would criminalize picketing and let the government interfere with a workers decision to join a union.

Teamsters from Local 728, firefighters and members of the AFL-CIO were joined at a 10 a.m. news conference by Debbie Dooley of the Atlanta Tea Party and Dr. James Lowery, former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The alliance between the Tea Party, labor unions and civil rights groups is like catnip to the news media. More than 200 people came to the news conference, according to Eric Robertson, political director for Local 728. (Follow him @erictheteamster).

We gleaned some news conference highlights from the tweetosphere:

Debbie Dooley of Atlanta Tea Party spoke opposing #SB469 - this bill a violation of constitution, we will remember your vote #weareGA #1u

#SB469 is class warfare! - Georgia Firefighters Union

#SB469 would not allow churches to assemble peacably. We are calling on the Christian church to stand up for freedom and justice. -@IWJ

Georgians are urged to come to the Statehouse any time between now and midnight, when the session ends. Tweets our brother Jim Nichols,

kill SB469 come out to the Gold Dome. Tell the 1% Free Speech is not for sale #weareGA #union @OWSAtlanta

Today's Teamster News 03.29.12

JOBS Act benefits financial criminals (Opinion)  Marketwatch  ...Criminal minds must be working overtime now, because the new legislation — which seemingly every investor- and consumer-protection group has railed against — effectively makes it open season on small investors...
US employs Vinnie the Kneecapper to collect student debt  Automatic Earth   ...With $67 billion of student loans in default, the Education Department is turning to an army of private debt-collection companies to put the squeeze on borrowers. Working on commissions that totaled about $1 billion last year, these government contractors face growing complaints that they are violating federal laws...
Bill banning picketing of homes unites unlikely Ga. coalition of tea partiers, labor unions  Associated Press   ...State lawmakers must decide Thursday on the final day of their session whether to pass legislation that targets labor unions. A range of groups who don't often agree with organized labor — libertarian tea partyers, small-government Republicans, anti-abortion activists and others — want it rejected, saying the bill fixes a problem that doesn't exist and would harm their free speech rights, too...
Mitt Romney amuses Wisconsin voters with yarn about Michigan losing an auto plant  Detroit Free Press   ...Mitt Romney told a jokey anecdote on a conference call today with Wisconsin primary voters that had Michigan – and the closing of an auto plant – as part of the punch line...
Public safety concerns amid probation cutbacks  ABC 7   ...The Teamsters Local Union 2011, which represents most Florida corrections officers, filed an administrative petition, challenging the decision on grounds it violates Florida law and endangers its communities. Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott calls the decision regrettable, noting "folks are generally better behaved when they know they are being watched."... 
Teamsters join in the protest against selling off Ontario Northland assets  Timmins Times   ...Queen’s Park has alternatives to selling off the 106-year-old Ontario Northland Railway and killing jobs and negatively impacting thousands of lives in Northern Ontario, according to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees, which represents 200 ONR workers...

Teamsters, Tea Party fight SB 469 in GA

Last week's rally against SB 469.

This will get their attention: The Teamsters and the Tea Party will join together at the Georgia state capitol to fight an anti-free speech bill that could be enacted tomorrow.

Senate Bill 469 would criminalize picketing and let the government interfere with workers' decision to join a union. It has already passed the House and is headed for the Senate floor. Tomorrow is the last day of the Georgia legislative session.

Our brothers and sisters at Local 728 in Atlanta are urging all those who support workers' rights and free speech to come to the Capitol tomorrow. A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. outside the Statehouse. So far, the speakers include Debbie Dooley, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, and Charlie Flemming, president of the Georgia AFL-CIO. Plenty of Teamsters will be there too.

We Party Patriots notes

:...what has been quite interesting about this issue, is that SB469 has brought together labor unions and the Tea Party, as well as the Occupy movement. They all agree it is an utter bastardization of American values and Democracy.

Now it gets even better as the Atlanta Tea Party has issued the following call to action and has invoked Martin Luther King. Take that, people who call the Tea Party racist.

Live in Georgia? Click here to tell your state Senator to vote no on SB 469.

GA rally against SB 469 gets great news coverage

We almost forgive the mainstream media for lowballing the crowd estimate (as they always do) at Saturday's rally in Atlanta against SB469, the un-American, anti-worker bill to criminalize picketing and let the government interfere with workers' right to choose union membership.

The Associated Press also picked up the story:

Union members protesting Saturday say the bill unfairly criminalizes non-violent demonstrations. Teamsters union members, the Southern Center for Human Rights and the Sierra Club are among groups that organized the protest.

As did the Atlanta Journal Constitution, CBS News and other local media.

Hats off to our brothers and sisters at Local 728 who made this happen!

Today's Teamster News 03.18.12

Year-over-year Change in Public and Private Payroll Employment  Calculated Risk   ...American bosses added 2.021 million jobs in the year ended in February. That's a 1.5 percent job growth pace. It's the fastest bout of hiring since January 2007...
Barriers to Change, From Wall St. and Geneva  New York Times   ...Financial institutions, eager to maintain their profitable status quo, have lobbied hard against change. As a result, too-big-to-fail institutions have become even bigger and more powerful...
Under Siege, Wis. Gov. Walker Faces Defeats, Blunders—and Looming Recall  In These Times   ...People are upset about the state’s terrible economic performance, the governor is under investigation in a John Doe probe, he faces a recall election this spring, and people are really upset by all of his cutbacks," Kraig added...
Pension Case Headed directly to Florida Supreme Court  WCTV   ...In another setback to Gov. Rick Scott and the other defendants, and another victory for Florida’s public workers, the First District Court of Appeal has granted the Florida Education Association’s request that last week’s pension decision be certified directly to the Florida Supreme Court for final determination. ... “This could help hundreds of thousands of middle-class Florida families who have seen their incomes tumble while the governor and legislative leaders handed out tax giveaways to corporations.”
Hundreds gather for Capitol rally against bill on unions  Atlanta Journal Constitution   ..."This is an extreme attack on our basic democratic rights," said Ben Speight of Teamsters Local 728, who attended the rally. "It's also an attempt to bankrupt and destroy our unions."...
Coors Is Tasteless, Say Teamsters on St. Patrick's Day  Teamsters Joint Council 7   ...More than 100 Teamsters marched in the St. Patrick's Day parade today to raise awareness about anti-immigrant behavior, worker abuse and discrimination by DBI Beverage, the distributor of products by Coors Brewing Co. in Northern California...

GA Teamsters rally keeps working spirit alive

Our Teamster brothers and sisters in Atlanta are raising hell about a heinous anti-worker bill to criminalize picketing. The video above was posted just last night at a rally against Georgia Senate Bill 469, which will be voted on tomorrow.

Our Teamster brother Chuck Stiles from Local 728 in Atlanta says SB 469 is not just anti-worker, it's anti-Christian:

This bill will destroy our first amendment rights. This bill would prevent churches from protesting adult book stores, crack houses etc that try to move into our communities and civic organizations would be prohibited from engaging in actions to prevent landfills in our neighborhoods. Your organization or church could be fined 10000 per day and convicted of conspiracy under this poorly written bill.

Four Senators, all members of the Benedict Arnold Koch brothers-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, filed the legislation on Feb. 21. ALEC, a corporate bill factory, has tentacles that spread throughout all 50 U.S. statehouses. It's crucial to strangle the bill in its Georgia cradle. Otherwise it will pop up everywhere.

Many believe SB469 was introduced in retaliation for a sit-in at AT&T's regional headquarters to protest the layoff of 740 workers.

A Feb. 28 hearing on the bill drew a huge crowd of community, elected, labor and faith representatives. Atlanta Progressive News reported:

SB 469, an anti-union and anti-protest bill, would turn nonviolent civil disobedience into a felony punishable by imprisonment for one year and a fine of ten thousand dollars for organizations and one thousand dollars for individuals. It also has provisions intended to weaken unions...

"People I know voted for you folks because they thought you were for less government, but this is big government run amok for a few. I will be in every church I can in south Rockdale County telling them what somebody is trying to do to Christians. Christians in here [on the committee] not letting us exercise what we all hear about on right-wing radio every day, let’s go back to the Constitution," Chuck Styles, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said.

The groups opposing the bill include Georgia State AFL-CIO, Georgia ACLU, Sierra Club of Georgia, Occupy Atlanta, 9 to 5, Interfaith Workers Justice, Health Care Now, Jobs with Justice, Georgia Stand Up, Georgia Trade Up, Metro Atlanta Labor Council, A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Georgia Federation of Teachers, Communication Workers of America, United Auto Workers, SEIU, IUPAT (Painters), Sheetmetal Workers, Operating Engineers, and (last but not you-know-what) Teamsters.

Big props to our brothers and sisters at Local 728 who are leading the fight to keep the working spirit alive!