Blue Collar Common Sense

I grew up in a union household. My father was welder and a member of the local pipefitters and steamfitters union. My mother was a union welder too until she became a stay at home mom. They both built troop transports in Oregon during World War II. She was Rosie the Riveter.

My grandfather was a union organizer in the coal fields of southern West Virginia during the 1920's, so my union roots go pretty deep.

Today I read something that made me proud of those roots. In an Executive Council Action the AFL-CIO has issued a statement of Support for the Full Inclusion and Equal Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the Workplace.

Now I generally think of myself as a moderate. During my campaign for the State House of Representatives I followed the party line of trying to avoid the issue and saying the people were going to decide at the polls. This was the weasel way out, for which I deeply regret my complicity.

My opponent labeled me a liberal and an opponent of Kentucky's constitutional amendment. Like I said before, I consider myself a moderate, but in Fayette County, Kentucky this view will class me as an ultra-liberal that wants to destroy families. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I do know this form of legalized descrimination is not right.

I know that what is legal is not necessarily fair or moral and I agree with the AFL-CIO statement:

"The FMA (Federal Marriage Amendment) and its state counterparts threaten the rights of working people by creating an environment across the nation that is hostile to the rights of domestic partners, regardless of their sexual orientation."

This amendment, the same can be said for state versions, does not protect families or marriage, it demeans and marginalizes both.

Art of the Deal

Yesterday in Sandy Hook we saw the art of compromise in action. Governor Fletcher and House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, along with other politicians, gathered to announce the new prison would be a state run operation.

Fletcher and the Republican leadership had wanted to out source the prison to a private company paying lower wages and worse benefits than state jobs. This being Adkins home district, he had a lot of political capital invested in bringing state jobs to Sandy Hook.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader:

"Fletcher said yesterday he has "absolutely no plans for going back" to study privatizing the prison again. "It is in the best interest of Kentucky and the best interest of the taxpayers to operate this facility with the prison guards being state employees," Fletcher said. "

But it was also in the best interest of Ernie Fletcher and Rocky Adkins.

What we have here is a political compromise. Fletcher needed to pass a budget and a tax increase, regardless of how bad a budget or inadequate the tax increase. Adkins had a need to bring the pork home.

You don't get something easily through the House if you antagonize the Majority Leader (Adkins), so Fletcher made a deal. But rather than let Adkins take all the credit, Fletcher shows up to make the announcement.

The is a classic example of real world politics, Kentucky style. Now let's see if Fletcher keeps his promise of not going back to out sourcing the jobs.