Legislative

While the media is now rightly focusing on deeply disturbing allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, I want to draw your attention to another reason why the Senate should deny him a lifetime appointment to the high court: His extreme anti-worker views.

The Michigan legislature escalated its war on working families earlier this month, when it repealed the state’s prevailing wage law. This follows its passage of “right to work for less” legislation in 2012 as another blow to the living standards of all Michigan workers.

For all the reservations many of us had about him, I think it’s fair to say that every OPMCIA member was pleased that Donald Trump proposed investing $1 trillion in revitalizing America’s infrastructure during his campaign for president. All of us applauded when he proclaimed, “We will build the next generation of roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, sea ports and airports that our country deserves.”

Less than one month after unveiling an infrastructure plan that he claims will leverage $1.5 trillion in new construction, repair and maintenance, President Trump is trying to block the $30 billion Gateway project, potentially killing thousands of jobs building an urgently-needed new rail tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New York and New Jersey.

On February 12th, President Trump finally announced his infrastructure plan. He proposes to spend $200 billion in federal funds over the next decade, using it to leverage another $1.3 trillion from state and local governments and the private sector, for a total of $1.5 trillion.

It’s a simple truth that “you can’t win ‘em all,” whether it comes to sporting competitions or elections. But you can “lose ‘em all” if you don’t show up to play — and if you don’t vote. And you will “lose ‘em all” if your family, friends and union brothers and sisters don’t vote either.

The tax giveaway bill that’s scheduled to go before the House and Senate this week for final passage is only Phase I in the Donald Trump/Paul Ryan/Mitch McConnell/Koch Brothers war on working families.

In my last column, I discussed how President Trump’s tax cut bill takes the $1 trillion he promised to invest in America’s infrastructure and gives it away to giant corporations, millionaires and billionaires instead. But that’s only one of many ways this monstrosity of a bill would damage our nation.