buddha bear, about your union...

“Dem Labor leader arrested for racketeering

By PAT MILTON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 17, 5:19 PM ET

NEW YORK - The president of the nation's largest municipal labor council was arrested on federal racketeering charges Tuesday, accused of stealing more than $2 million from the state, labor unions and even a Little League fund.

Brian M. McLaughlin, a seven-term Democratic state assemblyman and president of the New York City Central Labor Council, has been under investigation for several years.

He surrendered Tuesday morning and was released on $250,000 bail after a brief appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis. McLaughlin and his lawyer, Jonathan Bach, declined to comment as they left U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

"Everyone should keep in mind that Brian McLaughlin has not been convicted of a crime and will be afforded the opportunity to respond to and defend himself against these allegations," said the labor council's executive board chairman, Denis M. Hughes.

The labor council is an umbrella group of unions that has supported Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

In a 186-page indictment unsealed Tuesday, McLaughlin and others are accused of engaging in racketeering from 1995 through 2006 by using money collected for union activities to instead pay personal expenses, including credit card bills, rent and home improvements.

The indictment alleges McLaughlin committed mail fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and labor bribery by diverting money from various funds he controlled.

Among the funds identified were McLaughlin's political campaign committee, union accounts meant to provide benefits for union members and even contributions meant to support a Little League baseball program.

The indictment also alleges McLaughlin and others misappropriated funds from the state by creating fictitious jobs on his legislative staff and submitting false expense forms.

Among the expenses named in the indictment were more than $4,100 to maintain a boat in Tuckerton, N.J., and $4,200 for Long Island country club membership dues.

The indictment accuses McLaughlin of combining with others, not named in the indictment, to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful payments and things of value from street lighting contractors and other companies in the street lighting and traffic signal industry.

It also focuses at one point on a housing development created in 1950 by union leaders and electrical industry management that resulted in more than 30 large apartment buildings. As part of the development, residents created the Electchester Athletic Association Inc. to run a youth sports programs.

The indictment alleges McLaughlin used his position as state assemblyman to direct state money to that athletic association, then defrauded the association of more than $95,000.

Meanwhile, the indictment noted, McLaughlin continued soliciting donations to the athletic fund with sponsorship forms thanking the contributor and concluding with the message: "A CHILD IN SPORTS STAYS OUT OF THE COURTS!"


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_re_us/labor_leader_arrest

############################################


Typical”

“Only the lonely
Dum dum dum dum dee doo wah”

“Union thug, criminal, Defeatocrat...gonna be gone in two days.”

“Typical brainless personal attack from MarkO that has nothing to do with the thread subject.

Wasn't MarkO crying about the Terms just a few minutes ago???
[VBG]”

“Please Mr. Greasy, elaborate on this "personal attack" statement.”

“Maybe he was talking about himself?”

“Read the "Terms" and try to understand them, MarkO.
last edited: 10/17/06 9:58:25 PM”

“That's a non-answer.

I'm singin' Roy Orbison, what are you talkin' about?

Did you think I was callin' you "lonely"?

How is that a personal attack?”

“Why don't you try making a relevant comment on the thread subject rather than your usual angry attacks?”

“Posts of the following nature are not acceptable in Trail Talk:

* Posts that encourage the use of illegal substances
Hmmmm, nothing here.
* Posts of a strong sexual nature
Nope.
* Posts that demean a country, nation, religion, or particular group of people
Uh uh.
* Posts that express physical or verbal threats towards another poster
Hmmmm, not.
* Many posts of the same message within a short period of time on a single thread
Uh.......no.
* Creation of multiple off topic threads within a short time period
No
* Purposefully trying to mislead other posters through the use of a spoofed username
Nothing here.

I can't think of an angry Roy Orbison song.
Some of them are sad in nature.”

“You really should see someone about this angry obsession you have for me, MarkO.”

““Why don't you try making a relevant comment on the thread subject rather than your usual angry attacks?"

The thread subject is to demean Buddha Bear and other union members and supporters.

The spirit if this thread calls for ridicule as it is intended to unfairly trash good people.”

“You really should see someone about this angry obsession you have for me, MarkO.”

“ROTFLMAO...okay we have all heard the hilarious jokes about Union Thug Protesters who protest pay rates in various places and when it is checked we find the "
protesters" are out of work students or other useful idiots. The best part is we find the protesters are not even being paid the Minimum Wage (LOL)...

Here is a cutie about protesters in Atlanta, protesting Cox Communications...one of their brilliant number is photographed READING the Atlanta Constitution...( a subsidiary of Cox)...LOL...and the Union Thugs wonder why we don't take them seriously.

http://boortz.com/slideshows/3770/1.html”

“

Hell, this guy may as well be at work. Typical hard working union man here.”

“Dang!
..and I just knew Bubba Bear was going to condemn this guy! LMAO!”

“Ya gotta love it

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/11/birdwatching_government_style.html

The solution to diseases is radiating the chicken...the union wants to hire people to watch the dead chickens (not that you can see the salmonella) because that means more union workers.”

“Great Day Today!

I had a first unfair labor practice filed against me!

Woooooohoooooo!

And before the Axis of Idiots rails on me, I need to say..... they'd all be backing me on my ULP.

Oh the IRONY!”

“No, we side with Big Business at every opportunity. haha!”

“I watched the Discovery Channel on Flight 191 (I think) the DC-10 that crashed outside of Ohare...the cause...Maintenance screwed up...American Maintenance is...UNION>

OH BB. Pretty cool what did you do to get filed?”

“I got a better one BB. I got a step 2 greviance filed against me because I was cleaning bend break dies and moving them from one rack to another in order to free up a rack for the our new service parts group. I had to stop in the middle of my work.

The guy that filed the greviance didn't even want to do the work. In fact another union guy had to come over and finish the work. All he did was pull the dies of the rack put them on a pallet and didn't relocate them. 2 weeks later the guy that filed the grevance couldn't find a die. Had he let me finish the the work I started he would have know right where to go.

Oh and guess who didn't help him find the lost die?

Me”

“And therein lies the fundamental problem with unions.”

“Yes they all think that engineers just want to take their work away. Hello idoit's if I take all your work away guess who doesn't have a job? Once again ME. It was really stupid what I was doing wasn't hurting anyone or denying anyone any work. In fact at the time the plant was running 7 days a week 3 shifts. The guy they got to move the dies in place of me had to be pulled off production work lost incentive pay for the day.”

““I watched the Discovery Channel on Flight 191 (I think) the DC-10 that crashed outside of Ohare...the cause...Maintenance screwed up...American Maintenance is...UNION"

Yeah!!
My sister was at the airport at the time.
Let's blame her...............or me, since I'm a union guy!!

Sorry XL-ency, but the supervisors are the one's responsible.....or irresponsible.
That's like blaming labor for the auto companies turning out crappy cars.

Ya see, its all about responsibility.
I could teach you all about that.......and raising kids too!!”

“flasher - sometimes individuals file grievances that the majority of union members and/or the leadership of the local don't support. However, by law, it's the union member's right to file it, and the union leadership is obligated to argue on thier behalf.

ULP - Can't say right now, but it does involve a 26 year employee seeing her kid before he went to the War in Iraq. I might even call Rush with this one!”

“Sorry XL-ency, but the supervisors are the one's responsible.....or irresponsible.
That's like blaming labor for the auto companies turning out crappy cars.

And you recommend giving the supers ALL the credit when things go right too, right???”

“LOL...it is responsibility, a term that MarkO understands Nought.

I am sorry but an entire team was using a forklift to remove the engines...they ALL knew that was not approved. The Entire TEAM blew that.”

“I love it. Its the supervisors and engineers fault when everything goes wrong.

Yep your right our engineers just are not as smart as Japan's thats why the auto industry is struggling. All I know in Toyota when you want to make and improvement and reduce cycle time you don't have all the Union BS to worry about in acheiving your goal.

I used to work for Allsteel (HNI on stock exchange) 2nd largest office furniture manufacture in the US. No union and when I wanted to get on a fork truck, run a test part, move work around, or get on a welding fixture I just asked the operator to step aside. If I wanted to go and work the line to get an idea of what the work was really like before I changed it I just did it.

At Case and now Deere if I walk around with a part (which is legal) I get worried. If I pick up a wrench to make an adjustment I can't. If I want to design a small tool and make it myself guess what nope no way.

I can here you union guys now by saying if I do any of that I take away work. Well I would think Maintance and tool makers would be better served maintaining the tools and machines in the plant vs working on my silly little protypes.

Last bit I have to say is Unions HAD their place in history. They got employee's better wages, benifits, and safety. But most of this is goverment regulated now a days that they have kind of out lived their usefullness. Funny thing is OSHA guidlines where followed more closely in the NON-Union Allsteel than the UAW Deere and Case.

If five years at Allsteel there was 17 recordables and 2 lost times.

6 months with Case and 6 with Deere. 3 lost times and close to 80 recordables.”

“LOL..everytime I hear someone put down the American Engineers and Scientists I remember the story the Soviet defector told us about a meeting to discuss the Reagan SDI idea.

In the middle of the discussion a Soviet Major (KGB) stood up and said, "Soviet Scientists say there is no way to make a rocket system that will shoot down another rocket, and since our scientists are much better than the Americans we feel the idea is unworkable."

To which one of the Generals replied,"Comrade if our scientists are so much better why were the Americans driving cars on the moon in the 1970's?"”

“I had a very interesting conversation on the phone with a union shil tonight. The results are interesting as well.

I'll have to post the whole thing tomorrow though.”

“So last night this chick from the caregivers union calls me and tells me there's a big hearing at the state capitol where they will decide weather to cut the budget or not (and oh how they are looking to screw us on this deal!) and could I show up to show support and some intimidation. Her exact words, not mine. STRIKE ONE

So we get to chewing the fat about the areas where care giving is weakest and what might be done about it. They had sent me a card and she explained that because care givers in Ohio can't formally unionize yet the card is just a show of support to get it on the floor to be discussed and it is just to show they aren't stuffing the ballot box like Bush did. STRIKE TWO She did apologize and said "Sorry I don't know if you like Bush or not.". I said I voted for him twice but it didn't mean I liked him.

Then she finally asks me how I feel about unions. Oh boy, here we go! I was very honest with her about my anti-union views and I expressed the reasons why I felt unions were redundant and more harmful than good. She remained calm. I then told her that, while I do not believe in or support unions I do believe in freedom and worker's rights to at least decide for themselves weather they want a union explained that she could count on my full support to get the unionization to a vote to give the workers the right to choose. I wouldn't join a union or even vote for a union but I'll stand up for those who do want it if they choose.

Overall it was a very positive experience. I was very impressed with her honesty about what their union could be expected to provide or how far they could go in getting this that or the other. She explained their main job was giving the independent care givers a voice just like the corporate old folks homes have.”

“Um if she is a union THUG her main job is keeping her job. In 1980ish we had a friend who was a Union Thug for the Airline Pilots union. They had just voted to pay salaries to all striking pilots from other airlines.....Two weeks later Delta or Eastern went on strike...(LOL) WHOLE NEW GAME WHEN THE DINERO IS COMING OUT OF YOUR POCKET>

But the myrmidons who make up union members will go along...bleating like sheep to a slaughter.”

“I wouldn't say she was a thug per say but her line of thinking was a bit predictable for a union member. The union wasn't her main job as she is a care giver full time.”

“Sorry but BAAA”

“Your job has some sort of state funding?”

“She had you down in the count 0-2?! lol! I appreciate your cordialness with her Nigal, and your support on letting people vote on it. Regardless of what happenes, hopefully everything comes out for the best.”

“laq so does yours...and pretty much everyone's. So what is your little Sophmoric (know what that means>?) revelation.”

“I agree that state-funded care-givers should not be allowed to unionize.”

“sig heil!”

“SEIG...you twit. (LOL)...thanks Budder brear, good to know how long before you gave up and went Nazi...(LOL)”

““Your job has some sort of state funding?”

yes. I am a private contractor so I am not a state employee though.”

“"Your job has some sort of state funding?”

yes. I am a private contractor so I am not a state employee though."

I thought you were private; that's where I didn't get why funding from the state would impact you, or your company. Thanks for clarifying.”

“Toyota to Build $1.3 Billion SUV Plant in Mississippi (Update3)

By Alan Ohnsman and Gopal Ratnam

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp., the fasting- growing automaker in the U.S., plans to build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in Mississippi to meet soaring U.S. demand.

The factory, due to open in 2010, will make about 150,000 Highlander sport-utility vehicles a year, Toyota said at a briefing with Mississippi politicians today. The plant site is in Blue Springs, 20 miles northwest of Tupelo, and will be the company's first in the state.

The announcement follows Toyota's 11th straight year of rising U.S. sales, including a 13 percent gain last year. Toyota is importing a record number of autos from Japan to supplement North American production, rekindling fears among company executives about a U.S. political backlash.

``Toyota clearly needs more capacity in North America with its level of sales growth,'' said Yoshihiro Okumura, a general manager at Chiba-gin Asset Management Co., which manages the equivalent of $365 million in assets in Tokyo.

The plant will be built on a 1,700-acre site and include metal-stamping operations. Toyota expects to employ 2,000 people.

Mississippi offered incentives worth $296 million, Toyota North American President Jim Press said in an interview today.

The automaker's American depositary receipts fell $4.06, or 3 percent, to $132.97 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 4:01 p.m. They've fallen 1 percent so far this year.

Political Allies

By adding a plant in Mississippi the Toyota City, Japan- based company gains political allies, including Republican Trent Lott, the U.S. Senate's minority whip, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, a former Washington lobbyist and past Republican party chief.

Democrats in Congress, including Michigan Representative John Dingell, have criticized Toyota for benefiting from Japanese government ``currency manipulation'' that gives a ``strategic advantage.''

Lott, speaking at the Tupelo press conference, said Mississippi would be a strong ally of the Toyota City, Japan- based company.

``We are warriors on your behalf,'' Lott said. ``I can assure you we will look after your interests.''

Toyota sold 2.54 million autos in the U.S. last year and overtook DaimlerChrysler AG in 2006 to become the No. 3 automaker in the U.S. That included 1.18 million cars and light trucks built in Japan, the most ever brought into the U.S. by any manufacturer.

Pursuing GM

Toyota, which may surpass GM as the world's biggest automaker as early as this year, increased capital spending by 1.4 percent to a record 1.55 trillion yen ($13.1 billion) from a year ago to expand production this business year.

Toyota's U.S. market share rose 2.1 points to 15.4 percent in 2006, aided by its Corolla compact car and the Prius gasoline- electric hybrid car. GM's share fell 1.6 points, and Ford Motor Co.'s dropped by 1.1 point.

The Highlander is currently only made at Toyota Motor Kyushu Inc. in southern Japan. Toyota annually sells about 150,000 Highlanders in the U.S. and Canada. The model competes with GM's Chevrolet Equinox, Ford's Explorer and Honda Motor Co.'s Pilot SUVs.

A plant in Mississippi, a relatively low-cost state, ``makes perfect sense,'' said Catherine Madden, who forecasts automakers' production plans for Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts.

``Highlander has been screaming to come over to North America since that's where most are sold,'' Madden said. ``They also need another plant to address their rising imports, which have gotten quite high.''

`Less' Than Nissan's

Mississippi Governor Barbour said the package was ``a little bit less'' than Nissan Motor Co. received in 2000 for its auto- assembly plant in Canton. About half will go for infrastructure improvements, and ``an enormous amount'' will be used for worker training and education, Barbour said.

The incentives should be approved by the state legislature ``within days,'' Pete Smith, Barbour's spokesman said.

In 2006, some 46 percent of Toyota, Lexus and Scion brand autos sold in the U.S. were imported from Japan, up from 38.4 percent in 2005 and 37 percent in 2004. By comparison, Honda and Nissan each sourced about 80 percent of the vehicles they sold in the U.S. from North American plants.

Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo, about halfway between Memphis, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. The region has attracted auto-assembly and parts factories over the past decade as textile and furniture makers have moved offshore. Asian automakers have set up most of their factories in the southern U.S. because of lower labor costs, a limited union presence, and an established network of parts suppliers.

Nissan, Japan's third-largest automaker, operates the only auto plant in Mississippi, in Canton. The state lost a bid last year for a new Kia Motors Corp. plant that went to Georgia.

Honda, Japan's No. 2 automaker, operates factories in Alabama and Ohio and will open one in Indiana. Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest automaker, has a plant in Alabama.

Toyota last year opened its sixth North American auto plant in San Antonio and is building its seventh in the Canadian town of Woodstock, Ontario. The company has said it plans to be able to build 2 million vehicles a year in North America by 2008, up from about 1.5 million in 2006.

``Between now and 2010, we're going to be adding about 600,000 units of capacity'' in North America, Toyota's Press said. ``We'll consider more growth. It will depend on our sales and market conditions.''


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aiEZilfE9UxA&refer=asia


****************************************

Thank You, Bubba Bear, for your continuing efforts to keep plants out of your State and driving them into ours!!!!”

“I thought it was funny this year with Toyota coming into NASCAR and all the died in the wool race fans saying, "That's a Jap car. It ain't got no place in NASCAR.". Of Ford, Chevy, Dodge and Toyota the Toyotas are the only ones actually made here and not in Mexico and Canada.”

“So BB.
I really like the new union advertising campaign. Nice job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3mw49mk_x0

Disclaimer: It's video with sound. If you are at work I'd suggest you wear headphones.”

“Ha Ha! Gotta love that old grainy 70's film footage”

“That was excellent.”

“I gotta find the photos I took of a DOT crew (motto DOT becuase we couldn't pass the baggage checkers test) it was a ten mile stretch of lanes closed.

We come upon five guys, three talking, one looking at a book and the fifth...I swear to God...laying down on the pavement like he is on the beach.”

“The nice thing about living in a backwater State like Arkansas is that we don't have many sophisticated unions like that.

We do have the teachers union (BB's mobsters). Every year the worst performing school district in the State holds a sickout for more benefits. Really thinking of the students.”

“But but but....what I like sitting around with my finger up my ass? Oh yeah, I can join a union, go to work, get paid way above the national average to have my finger up my ass. LOL!”