NFL Owners: 'Who Neds $4 Billion?' and Oher Negotiating Tales

By Tracee Hamilton
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 9:14 PM

The most ridiculous statement I've read this week came from Charlie Sheen. (In fact, most of the ridiculous statements made in America so far this week have come from Charlie Sheen.)

Sheen's statement was this: "Yeah, I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off, and your children will weep over your exploded body. Too much?"

Moammar Gaddafi called; he wants to know how to score some of that Adonis DNA.

The second-most ridiculous statement I've read this week came from Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations, in the wake of Judge David S. Doty's ruling that the NFL was not, after all, entitled to collect as much as $4 billion from its television partners during a potential lockout.

Midwest Union Battles Highlight Debate over Improving Schools

By Nick Anderson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 11:15 AM

INDIANAPOLIS - The Republican faceoff with labor unions in the Midwest and elsewhere marks not just a fight over money and collective bargaining but also a test of wills over how to improve the nation's schools.

Various GOP proposals to narrow labor rights, dismantle teacher tenure and channel public money toward private schools raise a question: Should states work with teacher unions to overhaul education or try to roll over them?

Like many Democrats, President Obama wants collaboration. He has preached teamwork with unions even as he pushes harder than any of his predecessors to get bad teachers out of schools and pay more to those who excel.

Killing Workplace Rights: ‘Un-American’

by Tula Connell, Mar 2, 2011

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) gave a powerful statement this morning on the House floor in which he described the real agenda of anti-worker governors, state lawmakers and Republicans in Congress who are targeting America’s working families through the guise of budget-cutting. Some snippets below, but you gotta watch his full speech.

The Republicans are taking a real problem, a serious problem, that of the budget deficits and long-term debt in this country, and they are assigning it to a fake cause. Under the guise of cutting deficits, they say the working people’s union rights and workplace protections must be eliminated.

ABC Series ‘Made In America’ Features U.S. Products

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2011

Check this out. ABC World News this week is spotlighting products that are “Made in America.”

Recognizing the connection between a strong industrial base and a vibrant economy, the feature on American-made products asks, “how we can bring jobs back to the U.S.?”

To focus on the importance of buying Made in USA goods, ABC is attempting a reality show-style experiment: “Is it possible for an all-American family to live life with only all-American products?”

‘Sad Day for Ohio’ as Anti-Worker Bill Passes 17-16

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2011

“Today is a sad day for Ohio’s middle class”, said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga, after the state Senate passed by a 17-C16 margin Senate Bill 5, which would remove the freedom of public employees to bargain for a better life.

The bill now goes to the state House.

”Ohio senators have shown they would rather push a partisan agenda to punish the middle class than work on solutions to our jobs crisis,” Burga said.

Westboro Baptist Church Wins Supreme Court Appeal Over Funeral Protests

Communicator's comment: I believe in free speach but as a U.S. VETERAN, I believe this is going too far!

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral must yield to First Amendment protections for free speech. All but one justice sided with a fundamentalist church that has stirred outrage with raucous demonstrations contending God is punishing the military for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

The 8-1 decision in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., was the latest in a line of court rulings that, as Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion for the court, protects "even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."

The decision ended a lawsuit by Albert Snyder, who sued church members for the emotional pain they caused by showing up at his son Matthew's funeral. As they have at hundreds of other funerals, the Westboro members held signs with provocative messages, including "Thank God for dead soldiers," `'You're Going to Hell," `'God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11," and one that combined the U.S. Marine Corps motto, Semper Fi, with a slur against gay men.

How Democrats Can Become Relevant Again (And Rescue the Nation While They're At It)

Robert Reich.
Fmr. Secretary of Labor; Professor at Berkeley; Author, Aftershock: 'The Next Economy and America's Future'
Posted: March 2, 2011 11:53 AM

Republicans offered Democrats two more weeks before the doomsday shut-down. Democrats countered with four. Republicans held their ground. Democrats agreed to two.

This is what passes for compromise in our nation's capital.

Democrats have become irrelevant. If they want to be relevant again they have to connect the dots: The explosion of income and wealth among America's super-rich, the dramatic drop in their tax rates, the consequential devastating budget squeezes in Washington and in state capitals, and the slashing of public services for the middle class and the poor.

Wis. Voters File Recall Petitions Against Anti-Worker Senators

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2011

This morning, voters from around Wisconsin took the first steps toward taking their state back by filing recall papers against eight Republican senators who have backed Gov. Scott Walker and pushed his partisan attempt to take away collective bargaining rights for thousands of teachers, nurses, librarians and other workers.

In a statement, Wisconsin workers said Walker and the Senate Republicans are not reflecting Wisconsin values. Instead, they are doing away with decades of bipartisan cooperation in government. Walker claims he wants to give our children the “tools they need,” but in reality, he has taken a baseball bat to their future. His budget is wrong for Wisconsin, the workers said.

“He is attacking education, seniors and working families by putting the budget burden on their backs. Meanwhile, he is asking for no shared sacrifice from the extremely wealthy and corporations who funded his campaign.”

NAACP Image Awards to Showcase Support for Workers Under Attack

Halle Berry will be one of the stars participating in the NAACP Image Awards.

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2011

Attendees and participants at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards this weekend will showcase their support of American workers and families. NAACP officials will wear red, white and blue ribbons to show that they stand in solidarity with workers struggling to maintain collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and dozens of other states.

NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock said:

“As we celebrate the contributions of people of color in film, literature, music and television, we will be wearing ribbons to show our support for the workers and families protesting in statehouses across the nation. The NAACP remains committed to helping public employees keep their collective bargaining rights, fair pay and appropriate benefits.”

Diplomatic Solution Evading NFL, Players

By Mike Lopresti, Gannett

News from the labor front. And this isn't even Wisconsin. The game of chicken continues in the NFL between the owners and the players, with the countdown to a possible lockout in its final three days. Anyone got any bright ideas?

Maybe we could use famous treaties as inspiration for a cease-fire in the bickering-for-billions. There was the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Fitting, since these combatants have been at it that long. In the 1980s, the NFL endured two strikes, replacement players and star quarterbacks on the picket line. The more things change, the more they … never mind.

The Treaty of Tordesillas allowed Spain and Portugal to divide the world's riches. That ought to ring a bell for the players and owners.

Judge David Doty Rules That NFL Will Not Have Access to $4 Billion in Television Revenue During a Lockout

by Jeff Howe on Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 8:43PM

The NFL's owners had a massive leg to stand on with their leverage in the event of a lockout. But on Tuesday night, David struck Goliath with a paralyzing blow.

U.S. District Judge David Doty, who has presided over cases involving the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the collective bargaining agreement for nearly two decades, ruled on Tuesday that the NFL will not have complete access to $4 billion in television revenue during a lockout, according to multiple reports. The NFL also acknowledged Doty's ruling.

As far as the labor dispute is concerned, this is extremely encouraging news. Prior to the ruling, the owners were set to receive their greatest source of revenue regardless of whether or not there were games in 2011 -- many league sources have said the NFL made $8 billion each of the last two years. Because of that, they had the luxury to sit back and relax until the players met their demands, if they so chose.

This doesn't mean the two sides will reach an agreement before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Thursday night, but it will absolutely add to the owners' urgency to get it done. They were financially prepared to kick it by the fire for two seasons, but without the TV revenue, they'll be in a similarly dire situation as the players, who weren't going to make a dime during the lockout, whether they were under contract or not.