Tidbits – Aug. 29 – Reader Comments: Harris-Walz Campaign, Democratic National Convention and Gaza, Palestinian Voters, Uncommitted Voters, Youth Voters; Public Rail Now Campaign; New Resources To Teach About Central America; Cartoons; More…

Reader Comments: Uncommitted Movement a Success at DNC; Harris’ $5 Trillion Tax Plan; Labor, Harris and Trump; Change Biden’s Policy on Israel by Upholding the Law; Union Songs for Kids!; Support the Musicians of live television shows; Cartoons; more

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Tidbits - Reader Comments, Resources, Announcements, Shorts, AND cartoons - Aug.29, 2024,Portside

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Re: Why the Uncommitted Movement Was a Success at the DNC
 

Political strategist Waleed Shahid explains why the Uncommitted movement’s organizing at the Democratic National Convention should be seen as successfully moving the needle within the Democratic Party toward justice for Palestine.

If you like this article, please sign up for Snapshot, Portside's daily summary.

(One summary e-mail a day, you can change anytime, and Portside is always free.)

Susan Sherrell
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: Here Is the Speech That the Uncommitted Movement Wanted To Give at the DNC
 

Thanks to Portside for this useful speech which, sad to say, the Harris/Democratic Party was unwilling to allow to be delivered from those “uncommitted” delegates who, by their election, opened the way for Harris.

Daniel Millstone
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: Biden’s Gaza Policy Is a Liability for Kamala Harris. She Must Break With Biden Now
 

Will not happen. She will continue the policy of "calling for a ceasefire" while continuing the weapons supply.

Brian McLeod
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Need the Grassroots
 

I’d rather this than trump but I’m curious how you’re gonna get enough of a truly grassroots organizing campaign while Biden continues to arm Israel against innocents and Harris refuses to support an arms embargo. Seems like a nonstarter.

Dustianne North
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Never met ‘em - Trump's Project 2025  --  Cartoon by Mike Luckovich

 

Mike Luckovich
August 25, 2024
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

Re: Why Do So Many Workers Love Trump?

(posting on Portside Labor)
 

Racism and xenophobia are a part of why so many ordinary workers were won over to Donald Trump, but that's far from the whole story. A careful study breaks down how Trump spoke to economic grievances and personal experiences.

Susan Sherrell
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

      =====

To sum it up, Trump uses the real grievances of workers but usually displaces blame for their deteriorating lives on immigrants etc. But he also places some of the blame correctly on NAFTA and other neo-liberal policies. And he claims to like workers personally. (Haha). Will he improve their lives if he gets elected? Decidedly not. He is a clever con-man with a history of reneging on his debts and promises. However the Democratic Party must pay more attention to the economic deterioration in many working class communities and do less marginalizing of progressives in their ranks. Trump jumps right into the vacuum created by negligence of working class issues in favor of the military and finance.

Sonia Cobbins
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: Unpacking JD Vance’s Labor Record

(posting on Portside Labor)
 

And don't forget. Even in his phony worker Hillbilly Eulogy, he opposed reforming pay day loans which are straight out exploitation of the poor.

Lita Kurth

 

Re: Workers, Unchecked: The Case for Card Check This Labor Day
 

Good info about organizing a union.

Linda Page (she/they, her/them)

 

Re: Kamala Harris’ DNC Promises Depend on Filibuster Reform
 

So true!

Emily Filardo

 

Re: Kamala Harris’ $5 Trillion Tax Plan
 

Is there anything more vital and yet boring as tax policy? Here, via Portside, an analysis of the tax platform of Harris which (in brief) is to tax the rich and their corporations. Will Harris win? Even if she does, will we elect a congress progressive enough to resist the lobby power of the rich, their accountants, lawyers & lobbyists? What are you doing to tax the rich? 

Daniel Millstone
Post on Facebook

 

Tax Cuts  --  Meme

 

 

Re: Harris Girds for Battle With Trump Over Union Workers and Their Big Labor Bosses

(posting on Portside Labor)
 

Why are union leaders "big labor bosses" while the actual bosses are never called bosses? 

Kim Christensen

 

Re: Polling Shows Voters Want To See Action on Corporate Power
 

“The most notable finding is that when provided with a set of options, 61 percent of the polling respondents, including two-thirds of Democrats and 63 percent of independents, selected corporate greed as the main cause for rising costs they’re experiencing. The second-highest is government spending at 51 percent—an explanation certainly favored by Republicans—and behind that is the pandemic supply chain crunch at 46 percent.”

Joe Gray
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Trump Press Conference  --  Cartoon by Kevin Necessary

 

Kevin Necessary
August 13, 2024
Cartoon Tuesday

 

Re: Arkansas Court Removes Abortion Question From Ballot
 

The miserable GOP, running as hard as it can from its virulently anti-abortion record, has pushed pro abortion rights referendum from the Arkansas ballot. Oddly, the most recent Pew polling there suggests that, among voters in Arkansas, most adults think abortion should be illegal in most cases. But the GOP seems scared to face voters nonetheless. Thanks to Portside for sending this news along.

Daniel Millstone
Post on Facebook

 

Crime Wave  --  Cartoon by Pat Bagley

 

Pat Bagley
August 28, 2024
The Salt Lake Tribune

 

Re: Israel Will Collapse Within a Year if the War of Attrition Against Hamas and Hezbollah Continues
 

Our Israeli relatives told us that the public school system there is in free fall because teachers are paid so poorly. They had to get special lessons so their girls could learn about decimals and fractions. That is what happens to people on the ground in nations who use all the national wealth to pay for military means to assert control and distract from corruption. It is beyond horrible for Palestinians, and also leads to social decay for the oppressor nation.

Sonia Cobbins
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: Harris Can Change Biden’s Policy on Israel Just by Upholding the Law
 

The law in question has been on the books for more than a decade. It prohibits the United States from assisting any unit of a foreign security force that commits “gross violations” of human rights.  But it has never been applied to Israel.

Beth Emma Goldman
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

 

Re: World's First Lung Cancer Vaccine Trials Launched Across Seven Countries
 

CUBA a has had a lung cancer vaccine for years. They also have a lower infant mortality rate. 

Stephanie Chastain

 

Boeing Starliner  --  Cartoon by Nick Anderson

 

Nick Anderson
August 26, 2024
Pen Strokes

 

Re: Bring American Communists out of the Shadows — and Closets
 

See my short story, "The Family Nude", which does exactly that.

Judith Mahoney Pasternak
Paris, France

 

No Tax on Tips  --  Carton by John Darkow

 

John Darkow
August 16, 2024
Columbia Missourian

 

Bill Clinton’s claim that since 1989, Democratic presidents have created 50 times more jobs than Republican presidents is true

 

“Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, America has created about 51 million new jobs,” Clinton said. “What’s the score? Democrats 50, Republicans 1.”

Author: Erin Jones
Published: 6:12 PM EDT August 22, 2024
Updated: 1:15 PM EDT August 23, 2024

FOX43 - Harrisburg, PA

On Aug. 21, former President Bill Clinton shared some seemingly implausible statistics about job creation in the United States. He claimed during his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, that since 1989, 50 times more new jobs were created under Democratic presidents than under Republican presidents.

“You’re going to have a hard time believing this, but so help me, I triple-checked it,” Clinton said. “Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, America has created about 51 million new jobs. I swear I checked this three times, even I couldn’t believe it. What’s the score? Democrats 50, Republicans 1.”

Clinton was implying that 50 million jobs were added under Democratic presidents while only 1 million were added under Republican presidents.

Multiple people on social media suggested that Clinton’s claim was correct. Here’s what we can VERIFY.

THE QUESTION

Is it true that since 1989, Democratic presidents have created 50 million jobs while Republican presidents have created just 1 million jobs, like Bill Clinton claimed?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, since 1989, Democratic presidents have created 50 million jobs while Republican presidents have created just 1 million jobs, like Bill Clinton claimed. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Former President Bill Clinton’s claim that America has created 50 times more jobs under Democratic presidents than Republicans since the end of the Cold War in 1989 is true.

The number of jobs created in the U.S. from January 1989 to July 2024 was 51.6 million nonfarm jobs, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.

Around 1.3 million of those jobs were created under Republican presidents — George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and about 50.3 million jobs were created under Democratic presidents — Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

While Clinton’s claim is accurate, it also leaves out certain factors that are outside of a president’s control. For example, there were significant job losses reported during the Great Recession when George W. Bush was in office and in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic the last year of Trump’s presidency. 

 

Union Songs for Kids!  by Labor Heritage Foundation

 

“I teach my grandchildren to stand up for themselves and care about others,” says longtime labor activist Karen Nussbaum (9to5, SEIU, Working America/AFL-CIO). “That’s Union 101.  But how do I teach them they are part of a long tradition of fighting alongside others for what’s right?  How do they learn they are from a union family? Union songs for kids!  If they’re singing ‘you can’t scare me, I’m stickin’ to the union’ at 5, then you’ve got them for life. “ 

That’s why Labor Heritage Foundation is making these kid-friendly union -- and union related -- songs available to you here.  Play them for the young people in your life and they’ll learn to “stand tall” and that there is, indeed “power in a union.”

For the young ones in your life, Union Songs for Kids!   Just in time for Labor Day.

My grandkids love to listen to songs in the car and I want them to know they are connected to the union movement, so out of that was born Union Songs for Kids!  Working with Labor Heritage Foundation, we've put out a playlist that is upbeat and fun.  My grandchildren are harsh critics but they didn't ask me to skip a single song.  A special favorite was Lisa Simpson singing "Union Strike Song" followed by "9 to 5".  They already liked Ziggy Marley's "Walk Tall" and my unorthodox favorite is Joan Armatrading's "Eating the Bear."

Email us at info@laborheritage.org to add your favorite union songs; as Pete Seeger always said, “Carry it on!”

Like Harry Belafonte said, “When the music is strong, the movement is strong.”

 

Climate Talks for Everyone - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Climate Change - Building the Climate Movement - Virtual - August 31  (Climate Educators, Peace and Climate Justice group, Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance)

 

The Speaker Series: “Climate Talks for Everyone” provides you with everything you ever wanted to know about climate change and taking action. Listen to presentations about the science behind climate change, its impact on our planet, and what you can do to help.  This is brought to you by your Climate Educators CAT cosponsors below including the Peace and Climate Justice group (sign their petition here.)

Start: Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET
End: Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET

A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP
Host Contact Info: jason.nazcca@gmail.com

Join us for an inspirational talk on Building the Climate Movement with activist and researcher Zach Brown, PhD.

Zachary grew up surrounded by the wild lands, abundant seas, and retreating glaciers of Alaska. After a field season studying seabirds in the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, he became hooked on climate science. He undertook multiple research expeditions to the polar seas, the world's fastest warming places, ultimately earning his doctorate from Stanford University. Making the leap from climate science to climate action, Zach hiked and paddled 2300 miles home to Alaska to found Tidelines Institute, an education and leadership nonprofit, where he now serves as co-executive director.

 

Support the Musicians of SNL, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert  --  New York City  --  September 4  (American Federation of Musicians)

 

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is calling on all union members and allies to join the “Rally for a Fair Contract” to support musicians working on live and taped TV shows. The rally will take place on Wednesday, September 4th, from noon to 1:00 PM at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, between 48th & 49th Streets.

Negotiations for the Live TV and Video contract are scheduled to begin on September 4th. The AFM aims to negotiate a contract that truly recognizes the value and contributions of these dedicated individuals, many of whom are involved in iconic shows such as Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

It is essential for us to stand united to secure a fair contract for the thousands of musicians who contribute to various television shows.

It is essential for us to stand united to secure a fair contract for the thousands of musicians who contribute to various television shows.

Please RSVP your attendance and confirm your t-shirt size.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Let's come together to support our fellow union members and ensure a fair deal for all musicians. Show your solidarity with musicians! 🎸🎤
#afmmusicians  #musiciansunite  #FairContract