by on 09.30.2009
By Anastasia P
I’ve been meaning for a while to write a diary about Ohio’s Democratic Senate primary and the candidate I support: Jennifer Brunner.
What Georgia10 wrote earlier today about Alexi Giannoulias has prompted me to get off my ass and do it — because what she said of him can be said of Jennifer too. I quote:
"Too often in politics, elected officials refuse to proclaim simple truths. They proclaim poll-tested promises. Fancy slogans. Muddled answers. They are advocates for their careers rather than advocates for the middle class ... So it was refreshing when I met Alexi last year, because he doesn't fit the mold of a typical politician. He doesn't just "get it" in terms of policy, but he understands that how an elected official takes a certain position -- with courage, conviction, and respect -- can be just as important as the position itself."
That pretty much describes Jennifer. Her campaign manager described her at a recent volunteer meeting as "a female Paul Wellstone," and I think that’s fairly accurate.
Right now, I see a lot of us getting frustrated by our elected representatives — even those we’re pretty sure agree with us on progressive issues — being vague, wishy-washy and elusive, lest they say something that offends anyone anywhere. We’re seeing them refuse to be courageous, even when much courage isn’t involved — as in refusing to advocate unequivocally for a strong public option when polls show that most people favor it. That’s why I think it’s crucial to elect Jennifer.
When George Voinovich officially decided to retire early this year, Jennifer announced her candidacy. From the beginning she has been straightforward about her positions and hasn’t cloaked them in a veil of weasel words. She introduced herself to the national stage with an essay on Huffington Post in June on what some would consider a treacherous topic: gay marriage. She’s for it. Without hedging. Has been since the late ’80s. That’s because she believes that everyone should have the same rights, no exceptions. Since then, she’s done more columns for HuffPost. She’s done some live blogging at Firedoglake. And she’s posted some diaries here (I dropped a suggestion to her web guy that she try to find some time when she can stick around for a while and answer some questions).
She’s been a relentless advocate for health-care reform, foregrounding her support for a strong public option, posting releases like "The public option isn’t optional in health care." Her latest salvo was here was a call for a moratorium on the death penalty in Ohio while we re-examine it. Perhaps it’s not the hottest issue of the day at DailyKos but with another botched execution in Ohio, it’s been on some peoples’ minds, and it opens her up to "weak on crime" ads from her Republican opponent. But she just doesn’t care. She says what she believes is right.
Source: DailyKos (blog)
by on 09.07.2009
. . . Labor Day will always be just another long weekend for most people – me included. The real meaning of Labor Day, however, is to honor the worker. The millions of people working hard over the course of lifetimes to build the middle class of America. The strength of our country, really.
Jennifer has spent the weekend – today included – traveling around the state promoting reforms that would ensure the security of working and retired union and salaried employees’ pensions and urging Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
Brunner states:
“The men and women of the labor movement are the foundation of the middle class. It is critical that Congress pass legislation that would give labor and management trustees the tools they need to protect pension funds and weather the severe economic downturn we have experienced.’’
Reforms are desperately needed so that those who built the economy that the fat cats crashed are protected from consequences they not only couldn’t foresee, but were powerless to stop. All they could do was spend a lifetime working as hard as they could for their families and their retirement.
I don’t talk to my dad much about his retirement. He spent a lifetime applying his considerable craft in management at General Motors. All that I care about now is that he is home in Kentucky and incredibly happy about it. My last visit left me worried when he mentioned his life insurance policy (much of which he paid for) was reduced by some 1,000%. The benefit went from some security to just about enough to bury him. All this wonky policy stuff does have an impact on real people. We have to remember that. . . .
Source: Plunderbund (blog)
by on 09.04.2009
U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner plans to spend Labor Day weekend traveling through Ohio, promoting reforms designed to ensure the security of working and retired union and salaried employees' pensions and urging congressional leaders to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). "The men and women of the labor movement are the foundation of the middle class," Brunner said. "It is critical that Congress pass legislation that would give labor and management trustees the tools they need to protect pension funds and weather the severe economic downturn we have experienced."
Among the pension fund changes she called for:
* Extend the amortization period to repay liabilities of the pension fund from 15 to 30 years. The option to extend the repayment time would give benefit plans more time to recover from recent investment losses in the nation's stock market.
* Allow distressed plans a temporary exemption, reduction or delay from paying insurance premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) if they take meaningful steps to rescind future or unpaid increases in retiree benefits and increase current contributions to their plans. This is intended to prevent existing plans from folding or being terminated and placed in trusteeship by the PBGC, easing the stress on the PBGC and improving individual worker retirement income security.
* Clarify and specifically adopt the right to rescind unpaid post-retirement benefit increases. When the stock market inflated in the late 1990's and into the year 2000, many plans significantly increased retiree benefits in line with the earnings on investments. Under existing law, a retiree's benefits cannot be decreased after the date of retirement. Congress should clarify that benefits that would or do increase after the date of retirement can be rescinded before they are paid or accrued. The change would not alter benefits or payments being currently received by retirees, but would give pension plans the flexibility to adjust future benefits when there is an economic downturn.
Brunner also plans to spend Labor Day weekend continuing her push for Congress to adopt the Employee Free Choice Act. Although Sen. Ted Kennedy's goal of winning passage of meaningful health care reform has dominated the news lately, Brunner noted that Kennedy also served as the main Senate sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.
"The surest path to economic recovery is a strong middle class, and the surest path to a strong middle class is passage of the Employee Free Choice Act,'' Brunner said. "The Act will allow employees to collectively bargain with their employers in a meaningful way without delay promoting long-term benefits for our communities. Unions of the 21st century ‘get it' that they can effectively work with employers to maintain and improve profitability while strengthening the quality of life for their members and their families. Unions have shown themselves to be effective partners with business in getting our economy back on track, and the Employee Free Choice Act fosters this collaborative and worthwhile partnership," said Brunner.
Source: Read more
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