Ron Angle, on Business Matters, explains the connection.
"A large percentage of County Council is deeply involved with the unions, in one form or another. A few people like me are willing to stand up for what's right or wrong. The rest are afraid of unions. We live in a society now, where if you're in public office, you've got to fear the unions. Either you get in bed with them, to make sure you can get elected, or at least you accommodate them so they don't work against you."
"I didn't do that. That's why I'm out of office and I wouldn't change it to any other way. Frankly, the taxpayers of Northampton County have been raped for years by the unions of Northampton County."
Although Ron's defeat was the result of a perfect storm of bad news to bombard him over the course of a year, his stance against public sector unions certainly as a major contributing factor.
You see, public sector union members will vote, while the rest of you are busy working to pay for their pensions.
58 comments:
WOW O'Hare, I hope you earned your "Golden Bags" award for this piece of teabagger drival.
Ron Angle beat Ron Angle. His years of self centered theatrics finally caught up with him. In a District overwhelmingly Republican, he was rejected not becasue of any union but because he is Ron Angle.
Tell him to put his name on the ballot again, let's see what happens, shall we??
Funny how Ron Angle voited against all union contratcs when Reibman was County Executive but for contracts when John Stoffa was County Execuitve. That would include the PSSU contract that gave some of the members double digit raises.
Seems Angle picks targets of convenience. His convenience. That is what you get when you have a politican like Ron Angle that has no core principles or beliefs other than himself.
The only people to blame for bad public contratcs are the Adminstration. Stoffa has given away the store. The only union he seemd to notice was Gracedale. For his political purposes that is all he noticed.
There aren't enough union memebers to influence an at-large election. So Bernie, beg the Angler to run at large. He would maybe snag one of the Repulbican five spots and then he can sell his "vison" in the gneeral.
He won't do that because he is full of shit and you know it. So did the voters of Distct four, not known for their love of public unions.
Eventually every politcal entity that Angle has been elected to goes away, becasue voters tire of his brand of crazy
Most government employees hate their jobs and the public that pays for them. It's a top-down problem that starts with the ilk of the Grucela's of the world, who regularly demonstrate their hatred for taxpayers and set an example for the shiftless crooks we pay to do the public's business. Most of them are stealing from us because they feel absolutely entitled. This goes for unionized and non-unionized. The rare exceptions prove the rule.
Cry me a River!
I'd vote for Angle is a second. He has all the right enemies.
Angle is a blow hard! He got beat in his own district because the voters have had enough of his banter and cheap parlor games. He should be behind bars for forgery of his father's will! He stands up to unions? You have to be kidding me as the public sector unions in NorCo provide human service programs to taxpayers and families in need. This guy has lost all touch with the public. The only platform he stands on his the GOP, which is cut services and taxes and let all fend for themselves. The only raping Going on is him collecting a county pension!!!
Run Ron, RUN!
You'll get my vote and my support throughout your campaign.
Yin and yang..good and bad..a coin has two faces..unions are no exception. The dual nature of existence affects everything. Ron is right for the most part about union support during election time but the capitalists have deep pockets and their own agenda also. It is a tight rope walk to run on principle and not bow to either camp. The two party system does not allow for independents with good ideas to come to the fore simply based on their ideals and solutions.
Ron needs to make up his mind what he wants to be when he grows up. Another run for council..school board..gentleman land owner..farmer..tv personality..the choices are almost infinite. He's like the Yankees in baseball..you either love them or hate them..there is no middle ground.
851, we're talking public service unions. They aren't tilting at capitalists. They are waging war on taxpayers. Big difference.
You want good public service or marginal public service? You want to buy a Yugo or maybe a Ford? You get what you pay for. It's all relative.
Negotiate..don't pontificate.
Capitalism is concerned with ALL taxes..whether they be federal..state or local. They all impact a capitalists bottom line...profit and wealth.
You..I assume..live here in Pa. It is a Commonwealth..look it up and see what that term means historically. You may be surprised at what you learn.
It kills me that three are so many anonymous personal attacks at Ron from cowards unwilling or unable to address the substance of his remarks. Kinda' proves his point.
Without a union you are the type of people that would pay workers minimum wage,work them 50-60hrs per week give them no medical coverage a bullshit 401k for retirement no vacation days no paid holidays no sick time, the list could go on and on but Iam sure Bernie will find an Angle to talk around this statement.
C'Mon Bernie,
What a joke..Ron got beat back because of the all the crap he's pulled over the years and also because of his opposition to Gracedale..Ron had been elected to Council when the County unions were stronger than they are now, so that excuse is lame..Most non union folks in the County had no use for Angle either..Hope he does run for Council at large..Last time he tried that he got his a** handed to him..Let him stay in the slate belt and rot..
Workers need protection from abuse just like anyone else does. Equal protection under the law. It is a balancing act but one that truly benefits all.
I agree workers need protection. Career service regulations provide them.
Bernie your last sentence sums it all up.The union member will vote while the non union person works to pay for the pensions. Thank god for the unions that negotiated the work hrs for the people so they would be able to vote .The people that work for all the things and not be able to vote according to your statement should consider forming a union so they will be able to vote also.
When the people (voters)associate your name with scandal, they usually vote you out of office. When the voters see you as disruptive, obnoxious, an obstacle, and view you as indifferent to their needs, they vote you out of office. Calling some of our finest leaders in the community names, will turn off voters and throw you out of office. Bernie, it wasn't just Unions that went after Ron, it was the voters. They were tired of reading the nonsense about his private life in the newspapers. Sorry Bernie, you are way out of bonds on this issue. Ron could have been one o the best things that happened to Northampton County in recent years, but his ego got in the way. He likes to blow out your candle to make his shine brighter. Even now, he can't admit that the publicity he received about his private life and laying it out in the courts was detrimental to his stature as a Councilman. Ron could have been so great. Not God, but great.
Public unions are not the enemy. Communication and understanding of each sides concerns and needs goes a long way. I notice that things like healthcare in Easton are under control and actually less than before and that workers comp is down. These are the areas that the county doesn't address. The abuse is rampant. And us union members don't like it either. The only way you get the budget under control is to address the large exposures. Vacation and sick leave abuse, work-related injury and disability abuse, etc. Good union members odn't like the abuse anymore than the public. If Easotn can get their hands around these issues why can't the county. It's not just the revenue side of the budget. We have to cut the expense.
Bernie ask Angle how many contracts he voted not to approve while he was in office,this should be a good one.
You are not getting it. It's easy to attack Ron. Try attacking the substance of his remarks.
10:06, Thanks for the thoughtful response.
Hokie Joe, As I stated, there were numerous reasons for Ron's defeat at the polls, but his willingness to stand up to the unions was certainly one of them.
" He likes to blow out your candle to make his shine brighter."
Although this post is NOT about Ron, but what he said, I like the way you phrased the above sentence. I never read that expression before.
Bernie Ron only has substance when the economy is on the downturn where was he when it was good, no he just sat back and voted yes, yes yes.As they all did.
For the third time, this is not about Ron, but what he said.
Public service unions are most certainly the enemy. FDR warned of the danger of government employees who may elect their managers. He was so right. They goldbrick into their fifties and we carry them until they die. They and their paid for politicians are a very dangerous enemy.
Since the taxpayers are the customers, who else would pay their pensions?
If you don't want a service, you certainly don't have to pay for it. End the services, end the pensions.
Even if you switched them to a 401k (a 403b in non-profits), the taxpayer is still on the hook. They pay the matching funds (or all the funds) and then they pay the SSI and Medicare to care for them after their 403b is exhausted.
Can you elaborate on exactly how the PSU's are "raping" the taxpayer in NC? I'd like to know.
As a non-union resident of NC, I don't think the taxes are that bad. I fully expect to pay for courts, prisons, etc.
Dear 10:30,
You are out of your freakin mind. Wall street decimated everyone's pensions so the Repuklican party decided to blame it on the public sector unions..They get all their big bucks from wall streeters, so why not..Again, for the umpteenth time for you morons..Someone has to reward the unions with a contract..If they get a good contract or pension it was negotiated by an executive or a manager of some kind..Unions dont walk into negotiations and say, "this is what we want" and have it handed to them..Any contracts in Northampton County have been negotiated by the executive or someone he appointed...If Ron doesnt like the outcome, let him hammer Stoffa. Otherwise, he should shut the hell up already!!
401s are fine. Pensions are unsustainable. Easy to fix.
We're all in this together..for better or worse. Stop the blame game and come to an agreement..negotiate..partisanship!
Blame is the last refuge of people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions or their lot in life. Use your God given brains and think things thru. Ignorance in this day and age is not an option. Take some time to look at the world thru others eyes instead of only your own.
Ignorance is certainly an option for the teanuts and Fox news..They depend on people being ignorant so they can use fear to drive them into their manipulating hands..
I try to watch ALL the news channels..every day..to get all points of view. The BBC news is a good off shore look at us and the world. Perspective is called for if we are to solve the big problems.
Ignorance and want..remember the wretched twins hiding under Father Christmas' coat? Beware of those two and give them a wide berth..
Education and compassion are the antidote.
401s are fine. Pensions are unsustainable. Easy to fix.
Nonsense. They are only unsustainable if they are raided or mismanaged.
Excellent point 3:24. You are absolutely correct. The state Republicans passed a pension bill in 2001 under Ridge that couldnt be sustained , now the unions are being blamed for the mess they created..Give it a break already..
Angle is still relevant and his haters really hate that. He can drive discussion on any topic he likes. Fascinating.
Ah yes, private citizen angle carving out yet another brave stance with an overly simplistic analysis designed to appeal the the base instincts of the voting public.
Striving to remain relevant in defeat and distracting the public from his long trail of predation, he places the blame for all the world's ills real and imagined on that fierce, vibrant enemy, public sector unions. Are you kidding?
Both you and he are railing against an increasingly weakened segment of the work force. If only Unions were as strong and powerful a force as you imagine them to be one might understand the level of hatred you spew for fellow workers trying to survive in a world controlled by corporations who espouse the purity of capitalism behind the skirt of billions of dollars of tax credits (a euphemism for welfare).
I just wrote in Ron Angle for President and Ron Shegda for Vice-President on my absentee ballot. It could have been worse. I could have voted for the other candidates.
" an overly simplistic analysis designed to appeal the the base instincts of the voting public."
Gee, that sounds like the "Save" Gracedale crowd, who scared people into thinking the nursing home was being shut down and their loved ones moved two or three counties away.
"Both you and he are railing against an increasingly weakened segment of the work force"
This is complete baloney.
Public-sector workers have a union membership rate (37.0 percent and growing) more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers (6.9 percent).
It is one thing to disagree. It is another to spread disinformation.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
Life will be great when all unions are gone. The unions have done enough damage. Trust me it is for our own good. When have I ever loied!
Andrew Carnegie
Blame others for my Failure.
$immons must have read MEIN KAMPF as a CHILD!!!!
It would seem that the trade unions are in retreat but the jobs that are available and will be in the future are human services and government. SEIU and AFSCME and the USW/Teamsters are still viable and picking up the pace especially now in some southern states where they are historically right to work havens. Workers seek protection when they see they don't have a fair hand shake deal with the boss. They can't come close to matching corporate pac money with the new rules in place but they can get their people to the polls and that is where the voter id stuff becomes a hotly contested issue.
Must admit Bernie..that the tactic's used by Mario/and the employees was fear based and a bit misleading. It was effective and achieved their goal but it is only a brief respite at the moment. A stop gap measure in response to the sell yell. All is fair in love and war?
One thing is quite evident about your BLOG Bernie. That is....you don't get near the response on your articles about the community, history, current events, etc., than you get from writing an article about Ron Angle and Unions. It seems people love to bang Ron and the Unions. 51 responses. Compare that with your other stories.
The Gracedale referendum was a huge political event,historically speaking. A daunting undertaking at the grass roots level and it galvanized the county and led to Angle's removal from county government. That issue alone was the reason council is now tilted Democratic again IMO. The issue drove people to the polls especially the aged population.
Gracedale is one of many factors that led to Ron's loss at the polls. it did not galvanize the county, where turn out was low. It did galvanize the unions, who were scared to death. But you go ahead and tell yourself that it means that only Ds will be elected from this point forward.
Hokie Joe, Most of my posts are good for 10 or more comments. Some of them are just designed to be informative. If I write about Allentown, that's good for quite a few comments.
The fact that I get so many comments when I write about Angle is nothing new. He's a love 'im or hate 'im kind of guy. Unions hate him. Blue blood republicans hate him. The establishment hates him. But he still has a lot of support in many corners. And I am proud to call him my friend.
Personally, I hope he does not run for anything. He does not need to have all the crap dumped on him when that happens. We shall see.
Gracedale will be needed more then ever in the future.
Anon 4:07 amen. Something these clods don't get.
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