Reasons to Believe

Why Unions Are Dying

Less than 30% of American workers are unionized. Less than 15% work in manufacturing. Now, I'm not a big fan of unions, especially in light of what unions are doing to destroy GM and Ford and, thus their workers. But they have a role to play for the betterment of society. And it was the unions that got behind Ronald Reagan and made him President.

So, then, I have to ask: It takes what for a union to be shamed? A few days ago, the head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, former City Councilman Martin Ludlow, resigned in the face of allegations of misdeeds with union funds during his city council campaign. He did so with two dozen union officials applauding him and standing behind him. The man quit to face criminal prosecution - for deeds involving worker's funds - and the people he betrayed stand with him?

Much the same this morning. A school board candidate is unmasked as a thief who quite likely fudged his resume, yet the TEACHERS UNION stands behind him. If teachers stand behind a liar and a thief, how on earth are we supposed to trust them with teaching our kids any sort of values?

Unions are supposed to stand for higher ideals. They are dying because they stand only for themselves, and the horse they bet on in any given race.

Farm Workers With College Degrees

I went to dinner with Mel tonight and had a completely random thought. Mel is 13, soon to be 14, and we've known each other for going on five years. Mel is my Little Brother. I am his Big Brother.

His dad is a first class loser. He disappeared, for all intents and purposes a dozen years ago. His reappearances every 10 months or so are now more an annoyance than anything. Mel needs a good role model of what a man is as he fights through life in a gang infested area near Crenshaw and Slauson. Sad as it is, I was more a role model for him during my year in Iraq than his father will ever be.

Anyway, so while I was driving, I made an interesting connection.

Mayor Villaraigosa was in the Times this morning, making a big stink about high school drop outs being the next frontier in the civil rights war. What a bunch of political BS. This is a huge concern to me because Mel is in one of those statistics that ain't tracking too well over all. But his mom is wokring hard to keep him on the straight and narrow.

But then I made a connection. While driving to Mel's place, John and Ken of KFI radio were ranting about immigration reform. They made a statement to the effect that the influx of third world immigrants who will arrive as "guest workers" will destroy our middle class. And I have no doubt - frankly I am in fear - that they are right.

Which raises an interesting question in my mind. I mean, I totally believe that we must vigorously and rigorously enforce our borders and immigration laws. I know that Mama Juarez, my mother in law, worked her ass off in a factory for 25-plus years, earning a smidge over minumum wage because, in no small way, illegal immigration under cut her salary by creating artificial labor supply that skewed the curve.

But, if we truly believe that all kids should finish high school, and our ideal is that all kids should go to college (or at least a trade school), does that mean that we want college grads (or at least high school grads) as farm laborers? Somebody's got to pick the lettuce. And if we want the borders sealed and all kids to go to college, then somethings got to give.

But what?

I firmly believe in tight immigration.
I support giving all kids a shot at school.

Are the fields for the failures? Hm. I'm not sure. Perhaps I am grossly over simplifying things. Perhaps we need to accept that our hold hands and hum approach to life ain't realistic. On this one, I do not have the answers.

I look forward to yours.