Thoughts for Labor Day

****Hedge fund financiers, such as the ones behind Democrats for Education Reform, who support programs to weaken teachers unions and privatize schools and say "we need to do it for the children" should subject themselves to a bit of transparency. Were the companies they took over, the jobs they eliminated or exported, the taxes they evaded, and the huge commissions they extracted for doing these things also done "for the children." The children of those who lost jobs as a result of their actions, or saw their wages and salaries slashed, might question their sincerity. *****In a just world, Barack Obama, and much of the Democratic Party with him, would be defeated in the upcoming election for betraying the nation's teachers and much of organized labor with them But because much of the Republican Party has been taken over by people who are racist, sexist and Bat Shit Crazy, even people who once swore they were going to sit out this election n are now planning to vote for the President and work for his re-election. Never in my life have I seen such a strange situation. It makes me acutely uncomfortable to work for candidates whose policies I despise to stave off a take over of the country by people whose core values are opposed to everything I have stood for during the last 50 years. To quote Marvin Gaye "Makes me Wanna Holler, Throw Up Both My Hands." *****Just made my contribution to the Chicago Teachers Union Solidarity Fund. This is in keeping with my commitment to fund grass roots initiatives which will pay dividends in terms of protest and resistance AFTER this election is over. *****i have no problem with sacrifice if sacrifice is shared. But if sacrifice for the many is accompanied by enrichment of the few, I think it's time to flip the script.