Gasoline Insanity & A Brief Bit on The Corruption of Ron Littlefield
If It Walks Like A Duck:
I think, and this is just my opinion & partial speculation, that the story goes something like this: Ron gets funding from a Union, a Union that for years has been trying to Unionize City employees. Big supporters of the Union in the City turn out to be corrupt. Their former boss, Rob Healy, refuses to promote them and fires them instead. Corrupt employees use the Union to pressure Ron to pressure Rob to let the issue drop. Rob refuses. Ron realizing the potential sticky position he's now in, decides "no man, no problem" and moves Rob into a vacuous position with Outdoor Chattanooga. Rob Healy, while being a man of integrity, is also stubborn man and does his whole City Council song and dance. Ron then has warrant for firing Rob, making his Union backers very happy.
Unfortunately, the little problem of the corrupt/criminal Ron/Union supporters simply wont go away.
That's just my read on the whole thing.
Slate has a great article on the recent increases in Gas prices, and why its making politicians nutty (as if they weren't that already). It only gets better when you consider this. The government is going to give you an extra $100 bucks to alleviate the pinch of higher gas prices. That's what, two tanks of gas for your big SUV?
How 'bout this: you refrain from putting us further in debt and leave the market alone. Bust up OPEC (unlikely). Higher gas prices will force innovation. People can *gasp* drive less, or they can drive more fuel efficient vehicles. Close every oil power plant. Build nuclear.
Chattanooga News | By Josiah Roe | 12:08 PM
Comments
Frankly Josiah I am disappointed. I have never been in a union, however I support people's right to organize. Does that make me a corrupt / union supporter? I read the supporting link from the chattanoogan and noticed the campaign contribution is pre-healy's hire. Hum? Point being what does the union support have to do with corruption? Even if Ron is the worse mayor of Chattanooga that I can remember(for sure needs human resources help)? I guess my rose colored glasses are popular this spring.
best regards
Posted by: glenH at April 27, 2006 02:23 PM
with Ohio prices that, $100 only fills up my little Honda Civic, 3 times, although because i don't have to drive to work each tank lasts me over 2 weeks. So I guess it would be a good 2 months worth of gas!
Posted by: austina at April 27, 2006 03:14 PM
glenH: I don't see Josiah saying unionization is bad. All I seem him saying is that this particular union is corrupt - an assertion that has a depressingly high chance of being true. You're the only one who has said that unions are bad as such.
Posted by: ryan at April 27, 2006 03:18 PM
Yep, I'm a fan of unions in principle, didn't mean to imply that I wasn't. My apologies.
Posted by: JosiahQ at April 27, 2006 04:12 PM
The real issue here is not whether unions are inherently "bad." The issue is that this mayor operates in questionable ways (notice I'm careful not to use the word "corrupt" until or unless actual wrongdoing is determined). Just like the outdoor advertising dollars got him to completely change directions on signage rules, the appearance is that he operates in a "favors bought and owed" manner with regard to the support of this trade union.
Of course the gloating newsletter mention of Healy's firing doesn't help this union's image, but let's stay focused on the elected official and how he is or isn't performing in terms of his sworn duty.
Posted by: joe public at April 27, 2006 04:54 PM
Alrighty then, I am misreading what you wrote, with all the underlined links currupt-criminal ron-union supporters to the same story. I thought putting the unrelated issues together was an attempt to slander unions. littlefield is no friend of working folks, despite his statements about unions. I for one will vote against him, if we get another chance. O'Course corker was just as slimy, in tennessee anbody can be fired for any reason or none at all. More low wage conservative spew; he who has the gold writes the laws...
corker was smarter than ron, he used the human resources dept. to do his hiring and firing.
best regards
Posted by: glenH at April 27, 2006 07:19 PM
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