drkirk

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    • Fri Apr 4th 21:39 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      American Axle Strike: Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing
      Andy,

      I have enjoyed this dialog so I would like to rebut your last piece. I really don’t know you personally so I cannot comment as to whether you help people or not but I am reasonable enough to know that there are certainly CFP’s that do help people. Harry did enlighten me even if some of the lessons were a little backhanded and along the lines of, watch out for crooks that are so-called financial “professionals”. You could probably help those lazy Union workers wisely invest all that cash they cheated those companies out of for the day when they drive their jobs out of the U.S. if you really want to help someone although the Union members that have read your article may be hard sells.

      You are just plain wrong when you say I think I am better than you! I am no better than any man or woman. But when you write such a negative story concerning Unions with such a grandiose aura I just cannot accept it. You are entitled to your opinion as am I but I must admit I do clump financial professionals close to lawyers & used car sales people. Sorry I just don’t trust people that earn their money that way as much as I do with say a Farmer, Teacher, Autoworker or Construction worker. It’s like cutting wood for heat. That is honest hard work. You probably are an okay guy but why must you slap Union people so hard? Were you not a Union member when you worked those other jobs? If so do you feel no loyalty or compassion? And for the life of me I can’t figure out why you wrote the article in the first place. Is this supposed to help someone make a decision on which fund or stock to invest in or just the venom, as you call it, of envy on your part?

      I don’t blame the “man” because I am the “man”. I will not run or quit because my past will not let me you see. Just because the quarterback fumbles the ball doesn’t me I won’t block for him on the next down. If my Union or my partner “GM” isn’t doing what I think they should be the last thing I am going to do is run or quit. I must stay and do all I can to correct it because the guy in the mirror won’t let it be any other way. If it means going on strike then I will. No way would I quit the Union because as soon as I did my voice is GONE! I need to make the company profitable and I won’t be able to make that happen when I see a quality or safety concern that will cost my company losses I won’t be able to say so for fear of some type of punishment. I do have many shortcomings for sure but not when it comes to job performance, aptitude or attitude. I AM the guy you want on your team because I will do whatever it takes to make us succeed! I believe in team ball exclusively but that doesn’t mean I can or will just sit back when something needs to be addressed.

      Regarding my shortcomings, last time I checked (Jan 2008) my wife and I recorded a net worth of close to a million dollars with around $425,000 in various types of 401, 403 & Roth retirement investment vehicles. That doesn’t include the pension I hope to draw. The kind the airlines put back onto taxpayers through bankruptcy re-structuring and throwing into the P.B.G.C. But be very aware! The money is not what it’s about. Remember the five kids I mentioned. My Eight year old summed it up best on his birthday last month when I asked him what the best thing about his birthdays is. He said “gee Dad everybody is coming over that’s what”. Thanks to the Unions collective bargaining I can spend time with family and the stress is lowered because I can still afford college for them if I plan appropriately.

      Andy. When your clients lose money on your advice do you refund your fees? Do you offer any guarantees on your investment strategies? Do you get paid only if the funds increase in value? If so then I would say that you earn your keep regarding the stress you seem to have from performance issues. We take our lumps when necessary. See V.E.B.A. And I certainly understand the stress of running your own business as you mentioned health care, vacation, pensions and liability for yourself and your employees. I must question your thinking process though as you tell me I do not need the Union. I have an electrical contractors license but when it came time to stay at GM or go out on my own it seemed completely financially irresponsible to put my family’s future what would be “at risk” in my mind. That seems like poor advice to me from you I must say.

      I would tell you based on the pressures you face in your chosen lifestyle I think you should found the United Certified Financial Planners Union because the stress you have cannot be healthy for you, your family, your employees or your clients. You too can live a 50’s lifestyle through the miracle of collective bargaining. Andrew Horowitz, President UCFPU. I love it! Now tell me who is the dreamer?

      Also I will tell you that you have helped! So thanks for that. Your article has forced me to think about why I feel the way I do and your comments regarding your job and family stresses have solidified my resolve in Unions and ignited a fire in me that have taken me from passive to aggressive as my old self would have never responded to your article in the first place. It has been therapeutic for me and I will look for more opportunities to promote collective bargaining and fight the good fight for what I truly think is right for you too.

      You know Andy I kind of skirted the issue of bigotry with you last time and ironically on the 40th anniversary of M.L.K.s death while he supported sanitary workers strike, I would ask you to examine your thinking because Unions do parallel civil rights. Is it possible you are a bigot? If not okay but I do believe many anti-union folks arguments are rooted simply in bigotry. I do not want to accuse anyone or play race cards but would I like to throw it out for conversation. If that is the case, in my mind there are some serious issues to consider.

      P.S. Do you think GM stock is a good buy right now?
      View article »
    • Thu Mar 20th 13:51 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      American Axle Strike: Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing
      Gee whiz Andy. No need to get your panties all bunched up. What’s the matter? Hit a nerve or something? Is it because I disagree with you I amount to some type ignorant reptile of the snake variety. That little scenario about the B class shares did happen right in my kitchen. Harry was his name. Nice old southern gentleman. Says real matter of factly to us “won’t cost you anything” Forgot to mention back loaded B shares I guess. Well I apologize if I hurt your feelings Andrew. Mr. Horowitz

      But let’s get things straight here. You are the one who asks “How long do we allow unions to lose jobs for Americans?” Well let me start with this. As a member of the UAW for 32 years and the IBEW almost as long I take that very, very personal. Yeah I’m biased as hell. Here is where I come from. I walked my first picket line at age 9 in front of Tempo Grocery, Adrian, Michigan in 1967 to support Cesar Chavez and the farm workers to get DDT banned. Been on a few more pickets since then but I will tell you I don’t think it was enough. Ever since Reagan busted PATCO blue collar people have been taking a lickin. My dad came from Alabama alone at age 16 from a family that was dirt poor, with no chance at an education. Our family followed and he, my mother and his brother built the Union and the Democratic Party in our area along with many other southerners who knew it was the only way to make any kind of life for their families. You ever walk a picket line? Stand up for what you believe? Worried what’s going to happen if you walk but more worried what will happen if you don’t. Mom wept for days when J.F. K. was murdered. My parents were party delegates and we went to Chicago in 68 to the Democratic National Convention to support Humprey with our hearts still heavy because another assassin had laid waste to Bobby Kennedy.

      An answer to your question you asked. “You are one of the kind or gents that feels that nothing is fair. Everyone else has more and they do it by cheating. Do I have that right?” And as long as you started the yelling “NOT TO READ YOUR BOOK “Let me scream this out. I AM THE LUCKIEST GUY ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH! Life has been more than fair to me. I have a wonderful wife that teaches 3rd graders, five beautiful children, one a Veterinarian, a U of M grad working in chemical research, a Teamster and the other two having happy lives as far as I can tell. None of it I believe would have been possible without the Union supporting us in so many ways. But don’t lull yourself into thinking we don’t work around my house or at work. Sis carries grad school debt for about 100 grand and I drive a 1991 Chevy Astro @ 300,000 miles on the odometer and no heater. But what about others like our members at Axle. Are they not deserving enough? How much does it cost for food, safe housing, clothing, transportation, health care, college,

      The thing with me is I do not have a very fond affection for CFP’s due to the experience I had with Harry. Call me a venomous if you want but this is my perception. You guys make your money like vampires sucking the blood from working people investing their hard earned wages with you and taking your cut off the top whether they make money or lose every penny. Then to have the audacity to blame Unions who are the support system for people who toil in the bowels of the factories literally risking their lives on these jobs. I think that is very unfair. You ever think you might get killed by a machine at work?

      You got your nose all bent out of joint when someone made what you perceived a racial slur against you. My folks were never bigoted and neither am I. They were too busy trying to get ahead and much in common with other people of various races, genders and so on. They were all poor. When you bash Unions who fight for every working person no matter what race or gender and so on you seem like a hypocrite. It’s okay for you to slur a group of working people and my Union but when someone calls you on it you get defensive. How would you feel if I said all Certified Financial Planners were liars and thieves when I know this is not true? We who are the Union see ourselves as partners. We want and NEED the company to be profitable. Our lives are staked on it but it has to be fair. We sink or swim together. Not so for management. They drive a business into the ground, lose market share and look what happens, bonuses or maybe jump ship like Nardelli or Mulally with a golden sendoff. A federal judge finally had to step in and tell Delphi & Miller’s boys no. Union employees control two things, quality and productivity which the UAW is still fighting for. As best I can tell these two statistics are quite high for the domestics. We don’t control marketing, product line or public opinion though which drive market share.

      Like you said” Do us all a favor. Make your point, keep away from the personal attacks and inferences and bring us some new data. Nothing you said has any substance, just venom. “My point is: that it’s my perception that people who don’t support Unions are closet or outright bigots and the same goes for not supporting our core democratic values of fair play. Sorry Andy but these things are all tied together. All of the gains Unions have made on behalf of ALL working people are at risk of having it struck down with a stroke of the pen as long as Americans continue to stick their heads in the sand and let the Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney swift boat Republicans control this country.


      Some new data as you suggested.
      www.nytimes.com/2007/0...
      Unions have declined from around 35% in 1950 to 12% in 2006. If Unions are killing manufacturing then with this reduction U.S. manufacturing should be going through the roof. Shouldn’t it?

      www.aftermarketnews.co...
      Toyota pays more than Union represented workers base wage. Hmmm. How come? What about market share?

      www.econbrowser.com/ar...
      www.uaw.org/barg/07fac...
      Productivity & quality.

      www.beggarscanbechoose...
      money.cnn.com/2007/01/...
      money.cnn.com/2007/04/.../
      www.workforce.com/sect...
      Auto CEO pay vs. market share? Is this real or is it me?

      Andy. I would be willing to read or listen to your stuff but I cannot support you or your views with my money. (Don’t feel bad I don’t shop Wal-Mart either) Tell me how to get it free and I will give it a look.
      View article »
    • Wed Mar 12th 21:31 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      American Axle Strike: Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing
      So Tony D. another yes man huh? That what it sounds like to me. Boss says jump and ole Tony says how high sir! Let me ask you this. Have you ever been fired mostly because the boss really just didn’t like you or maybe you know somebody that got the shaft like that? Because I know of several situations just like that. Never happened to me except for that time when I worked for a telemarketer back in college for one four hour shift and I didn’t make enough sales. Tony I will agree with you on the saving part though. Why does no one ever even mention the budget deficit anymore? Yeah I’m a liberal but not when it comes to fiscal responsibility. Reagan, the Bush’s and the rest of the Republican Guard have gone completely insane on spending. Google “national debt” and check it out. I find it interesting and ironic that the CEO’s from the banking industry were on capital hill last week defending their exorbitant wages in the face of huge losses by the companies they are at the helm of. Richard Wagoner gets his pay restored after GM posts a record loss. I say this: You want to be global competitors then let’s get CEO’s pay in line globally and put the money back into the company R & D so products are what sells.

      Andrew Horowitz. I looked for some info on you but all I could find is you are a CFP that has operated in South Florida since the 80’s. I cannot disagree with you more about Unions and also wonder how many times have you sat at someone’s kitchen table and told them it wouldn’t cost anything to invest with you. That is until they find out they are in some back loaded Class B mutual fund that you can’t get out of for five years without paying fees or a high service fee until then. I am curious about your book but more like I’m curious what drives a guy like Son of Sam or Jeffery Dahmer. I could never send money to someone I find so ignorant about the Labor movement and misinformed about the idea that most of the fair labor practices that you enjoy were through the blood of people like Walter and Victor Ruether.

      People keep talking about how the Union protects lazy drunken bums. Well I’m sorry but the facts are the Union does NOT hire or fire. We always ask who hired these people anyway? But it is our responsibility to represent them. I will tell you it’s easy to figure out if somebody slacks we all know who has to pick up the pace. Co-workers. So should other employees take the bum out for a blanket party. NO. It is management’s responsibility to make sure everyone carries their weight. Most of the time the reason someone is getting to slack is because they are the boss’s pet. I have worked for guys who kept the jerks in line and we all as fellow employees were cheering inside. But the idea is you have to do it in persistent, methodical way and not just one day decide you have had enough and drop the axe. I have seen people get fired and also straighten up and fly right as well as people come to work loaded and put everyone at risk wondering when the Boss was going to address it. The sad thing is the guy died way before his time and seemed to never get the help he needed with Employee Assistance available.

      We as union people find ourselves in the position of keeping the company form doing stupid stuff like continuing to run parts that they we have told them are bad, putting the wrong people on the wrong jobs and the list goes on and on. Another problem I see regularly is managers that come with degrees but not from the shop floor like it used to be. They can’t find their asses with both hands! That’s because upper management are like cannibalistic piranhas and have made it so bad nobody on the shop floor would be silly enough to go into supervision. Now you tell me who is smarter someone who can make 90 grand in wages & benefits straight away or go into that much debt in four years for a chance at a good job. Ask a computer programmer who’s work is now in India.

      Then there is universal healthcare or socialism right? About two years ago Richard Wagoner and the other domestic CEO’s were meeting with the Pres and crying about unlevel playing field due to healthcare being on the companies plate and that the need for national healthcare had come. WOW? The UAW has been campaigning for this for years. Well now the big three has VEBA or the Union running it I wonder how much Dick will support universal health care. If I know Michael Moore like I think I do I bet if you wrote him a letter he would send you a free copy of Sicko.

      When the Union fails this Union of 50 states fails also. Return the Democrats and Democracy to power in the United States and send the Republicans of Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard back to Iraq.

      View article »
    • Thu Mar 6th 09:30 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      American Axle Strike: Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing
      So let me get this straight Mr. Peter Bowers. You are what would be called a "turncoat" "fence jumper" "Benedict Arnold"? Who obviously prides himself on his vocabulary? I would choose (not chose) to challenge you! Hypocrite is what you are. You are like many other people that have no problem reaping the benefits of Union collective bargaining but when you have an opportunity to support the Union what do you do? Guys like you got "fragged" in Vietnam! My stomach is starting to turn again. Go to Mexico if you want independence from Unions. Either you are just another grossly misinformed Republican or just a "bum"
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    • Tue Mar 4th 16:49 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      American Axle Strike: Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing
      Oh jeez. This stuff turns my stomach. Another trickle down Republican theorist here. On the farm trickle down works like this: If you want to fatten the chickens just feed the Horses more so the chickens have more feces to pick through! Unions have done nothing more than try to protect a 50's lifestyle and if it takes $70 dollars an hour well I guess that's how much it takes which I do not believe is true just more class warfare to win over the public so corporations can continue to shaft the little guys. I mean is this guy an idiot or just never looks out the window or what? Exxon made 11 BILLION yes folks BILLION last quarter not last year. But the taxpayers need to help them build more refineries? HUH? Check out gas, college costs, health care, utilities and the list goes on. As long as people continue to support Republicans this class warfare will continue. Republicans are very adept at taking people off task. If it's not abortion, gays, guns, communists, affirmative action, some made up war and now unions people would see conservatives for what they are. Total lying hypocrites Why does a lying dope fiend (oxycontin) like Rush Limbaugh have any voice at all. What happened to the Larry Craig, Ted Haggard & Mark Foley (hypocrites) they act like they are the only ones who believe in God or are Patriots. Our economy and standard of living will continue to suffer until Democrats and Democracy are returned to power. Until then keep your nose to the stone and your head down unless you want a little more "What for"
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