Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Calls on Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Senate Democrats in Opposition to Anti-Worker Card Check Bill

/PRNewswire / -- The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) today urged Senators Carper, Landrieu, Lincoln, Nelson, Pryor and Warner to publicly voice their opposition to both a vote for cloture and final passage of the anti-worker Employee Free Choice Act. The Employee Free Choice Act -- or "card check" bill will effectively eliminate secret ballots for workers in union organizing elections and bind employers to contracts that inhibit their ability to create much-needed new jobs.

"These self-identified pro-business senators should follow Senator Specter's principled decision to protect worker privacy and stop the government from imposing binding contracts on workers and employers," said Brian Worth with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. "The Employee Free Choice Act is bad for workers, bad for job creation and bad for the economy. We urge these senators to join Senator Specter in opposing this harmful legislation."

A recent study by noted economist Anne Layne-Farrar found that, if passed, the Employee Free Choice Act would result in 600,000 lost jobs in the first year alone. Millions more jobs would be lost in subsequent years.

"Passing a bill that would cost jobs for American workers is the wrong policy in any economy," said Worth. "It's time for these senators to let the workers in their states know that they are on the side of creating jobs and protecting worker privacy and not for legislation that hurts job creation and takes away worker rights."

CEA Warns That ‘Buy American’ Provisions in Economic Stimulus Package Will Hurt U.S. Economy

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today expressed deep disappointment that the U.S. Congress agreed to keep the “Buy American” provisions in the economic stimulus package poised for final passage and President Barack Obama's signature. These provisions would require use of U.S. iron, steel, and manufactured goods in public works projects funded by the stimulus bill, H.R. 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro issued the following statement in response to the “Buy American” provisions included in the final bill:

“The ‘Buy American’ provisions in the stimulus bill will signal to our trading partners around the world that the United States is returning to the bad old days of protectionism and economic nationalism. Rather than stimulate the American economy, these provisions will lead to retaliation from abroad and cost precious jobs in the United States.*

“The promise that the ‘Buy American’ provisions keep with the letter of World Trade Organization commitments is a meaningless gesture - it contradicts recent statements by both President Obama and G-20 leaders to avoid protectionism, which exacerbate the global economic crisis.

“The lessons of Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression are clear - if we close our borders to international trade and artificially prop up our own industries, we deepen the global recession and further make ourselves vulnerable to a trade war.”

*The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a nonpartisan think tank, estimated that the "Buy American" provisions could cost as many as 65,000 U.S. jobs, far outweighing the number of jobs that would be created. (“Buy American: Bad for Jobs, Worse for Reputation,” Peterson Institute, February 2009)

Stimulus Bill Ignores Census Bureau Statistics

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a report from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy, businesses with fewer than 20 employees account for 90 percent of all U.S. firms and are responsible for more than 97 percent of all new jobs. The SBA compiled the report from the latest United States Census Bureau data. (http://www.inc.com/news/articles/200708/data.html)

Detailed analyses of the report were released by Inc.com and CNNMoney.com. (http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/30/smallbusiness/job_creation.fsb/index.htm)

Although the nation's top economists agree that creating jobs is essential to a successful stimulus plan, neither the House, nor Senate versions of the stimulus bill contain any provisions specifically directed to the small businesses that create most new jobs.

Economic experts like Dr. Laura Tyson and Carly Fiorina have both acknowledged that directing federal infrastructure funds to small businesses would be the most effective way to stimulate our nation's failing economy. Tyson is the former Chair of the U.S. President's Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton Administration and is currently an economic adviser to President Barack Obama. Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and McCain campaign economic advisor.

During the Bush Administration, federal programs developed to direct federal spending to small businesses were partially dismantled and plagued by widespread fraud and abuse. Since 2003, more than 15 federal investigations have found billions of dollars in federal contracts earmarked for small businesses were actually diverted to Fortune 500 firms, their subsidiaries and other clearly large businesses.

The American Small Business League (ASBL) has launched a national campaign to encourage President Obama and Congress to include a provision in the economic stimulus bill that would bolster federal contracting programs for small business, and eliminate existing abuses in federal small business programs that have diverted billions of dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms.

As early as February 2008, President Obama agreed with the ASBL by stating, "Small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy and we must protect this great resource. It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants." (http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php)

The ASBL estimates that if Congress added a provision to the stimulus bill that would stop the flow of federal small business contracts to large businesses, as much as $100 billion a year in existing federal infrastructure spending would be diverted back to America's small businesses.

On December 6, President Obama's transition team estimated that every billion dollars spent on federal infrastructure projects would create 40,000 jobs. Based on President Obama's estimation, the ASBL projects that a simple pro-small business provision in the stimulus bill to stop the flow of small business contracts to large corporations would create up to 4 million new jobs. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/us/politics/07radio.html)

Politicians Want to Use Tax Dollars to Crush Newer Model Trucks and SUVs; SEMA Warns Lawmakers That Boondoggle Will Cost American Jobs

/PRNewswire/ -- SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, is opposing an effort by some Washington lawmakers to include a national car crushing program in the upcoming economic stimulus package. Vehicles targeted for the scrap pile will likely include Chevy Blazers, Chevy Silverados, Chevy S-10s, Chevy Tahoes, Dodge Dakotas, Dodge Rams, Ford Explorers, Ford F-Series, Jeep Cherokees, Jeep Wranglers and any other SUV or truck that obtains less than 18 miles per gallon. Under the plan, the Federal government would pay a premium for 1999 and newer cars.

The so-called "Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Act" is cash-for-clunkers with a twist. Instead of focusing exclusively on old cars as is typical with scrappage programs, this bill will target any vehicle with lower fuel economy ratings. Participants will receive a cash voucher to purchase a more fuel-efficient new car or used car (MY 2004 or later) or receive credit for the purchase of public transportation tickets. Under the legislation, "fuel-efficient" means at least 25 percent better mileage than the CAFE standard. It will be illegal to resell the scrapped vehicles. Bill sponsors want to destroy four million pickups and SUVs over the next four years.

The program will fail to achieve its goal of improving fuel efficiency and stimulating car sales, but will increase unemployment and the cost of used cars and parts. Here's why:

-- Given the minimal $1,500-$4,500 voucher value, the program will lure
rarely-driven second and third vehicles that have minimal impact on
overall fuel economy and air pollution. This is not a wise investment
of tax dollars.
-- The program will reduce the number of vehicles available for
low-income individuals and drive up the cost of the remaining vehicles
and repair parts. This is a basic supply-and-demand reality.
-- The program will remove the opportunity to market specialty products
that are designed exclusively for the targeted pickups and SUVs,
including equipment that increases engine performance and fuel
mileage. Congress will be enacting a program to eliminate jobs and
reduce business revenues in the automotive aftermarket.
-- The idea that the trucks and SUVs must be scrapped in order to save
energy is irrational. The program's "carbon footprint" does not
factor in the amount of energy and natural resources expended in
manufacturing the existing car, spent scrapping it and manufacturing a
replacement car.
-- The program fails to acknowledge driver needs, such as the ability to
transport a family, tow a trailer or rely upon the performance, safety
and utility characteristics associated with the larger vehicles.
Instead, these vehicles will be destroyed.
-- There is no evidence that the program will achieve the goal of
boosting new car sales or increasing fuel mileage. Many states have
considered scrappage programs in the past as a way to help clean the
air or increase mpg, but abandoned the effort because they simply
don't work. The programs are not cost-effective and do not achieve
verifiable fuel economy or air quality benefits.
-- The program will hurt thousands of independent repair shops, auto
restorers, customizers and their customers across the country that
depend on the used car market. This industry provides thousands of
American jobs and generates millions of dollars in local, state and
federal tax revenues.

"Our members, like all business entities, are suffering the effects of the stalled economy," said Steve McDonald, SEMA's Vice President for Government Affairs. "In fact, for our members that market product for newer vehicles, we depend on a thriving and vibrant auto industry to create new business opportunities. We support efforts to spur new car sales. We don't, however, support public policy efforts that we are convinced don't work and will waste tax dollars in the process."

FAIR: Obama Rushing to Pass the Economic Stimulus Package While Delaying Vital Protections for American Workers

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Obama and top administration officials are actively pressuring Congress to pass an expensive economic stimulus package by mid-February, while quietly undermining an administrative rule that would protect American workers. The president has delayed, until May 21, the implementation of an executive order requiring all federal contractors to utilize the E-Verify program to ensure that all workers paid with taxpayer dollars are legally eligible to work in the U.S.

With the federal government poised to pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy to create new jobs, the Obama administration appears to be caving in to business and ethnic interest pressure groups to delay, or perhaps eliminate, this vital protection for U.S. workers. Former President George W. Bush issued the executive order last June requiring that companies doing business with the government guarantee that they are employing only eligible workers, effective Jan. 15, 2009. Before leaving office, Mr. Bush delayed implementation until Feb. 20.

"President Obama's single greatest domestic challenge is to get Americans back to work," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR, noting that some 12 million Americans are unemployed. "It defies all common sense to borrow vast sums of money to create new jobs without having a reliable system in place to make sure that American workers will be the ones to fill those jobs."

Amidst a global recession, a massive jobs creation program in the United States is likely to serve as a magnet drawing workers from around the world in search of employment. "E-Verify has proven to be the single most effective tool to protect American workers from losing jobs in their own country to illegal aliens," Stein said. "It is imperative that Congress reauthorize the program and that the administration require companies benefiting from the stimulus package to use the E-Verify system before the first borrowed dollar is spent.

"President Obama came to office promising change and an end to business as usual in Washington. Delaying implementation of an executive order requiring that government contractors hire only legal U.S. workers is a disappointing first gesture on the part of the new administration and one that the president should reconsider before signing any economic stimulus bill," Stein concluded.

32 Million Adults Still Won't Be Able to Read, Write, or Apply for Jobs

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ProLiteracy, the nation's leader in adult literacy programs and advocacy, today decried the exclusion of Title II of the Workforce Investment Act from the current economic stimulus package.

David C. Harvey, president of ProLiteracy, called on President Obama and Congress to include Title II of the Workforce Investment Act in the economic recovery proposal. "We applaud the efforts of our new president and Congress to craft a stimulus bill focused on creating new jobs," Harvey said. "But it is imperative that they focus on the very people who will have the most difficulty finding jobs -- low-literate workers. An effective recovery bill must provide adult literacy and employment training opportunities."

Harvey pointed out that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to be reviewed by House subcommittees this week, funds job training services for at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, and older Americans through Titles I, III, and IV of the Workforce Investment Act.

"But inexplicably, Title II, which focuses on adult education and literacy, was left out of the bill," Harvey said. "Many of the nearly 3 million jobs lost during 2008 were held by individuals who need additional help with basic reading, math, or English skills in order to take advantage of the jobs that the Recovery Act will create."

A recent U.S. Department of Education report estimates that 32 million adults in the U.S. don't read well enough to fill out a job application without help. Title II, also known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, is the largest source of federal funding for programs that teach adults reading, writing, math, technology skills, and English as a Second Language (ESL).

"The previous administration did not prioritize low-literate adults' needs, so the problems and numbers have only increased," said Harvey. "It is now a new administration and new Congress focused on the economy and job recovery. A basic foundation of a strong, employable workforce is a literate workforce. Now is the time for the federal government to take action to address the issue of adult illiteracy and include Title II funding," Harvey concluded.

Individuals who share ProLiteracy's position can send e-mails to President Obama and members of Congress through ProLiteracy's web site, www.proliteracy.org.

Congressional Action Could Harm Physician Hospitals; Economic Impact Could Be Severe Warns PHA

/PRNewswire/ -- Special interests who tried to attack physician-owned hospitals in Congress last year by attaching harmful measures to the Farm Bill and War Supplemental Bill are at it again. Now, a handful of lawmakers are trying to use a children's health care bill to limit patients' access to some of the best hospitals in the country.

"We know that physician-owned hospitals are good for patients and good for the economy," said Molly Sandvig, Executive Director of Physician Hospitals of America (PHA), the national association representing the interests of physician hospitals. "It is completely counterintuitive that at a time when our country is experiencing an economic downturn, high rates of unemployment, and inadequate access to healthcare, Congress would consider killing an industry that provides over 55,000 jobs nationally and that provides patients access to the best quality healthcare available in America."

There are currently 199 physician-owned hospitals nationwide. Together, these facilities employ thousands of doctors, nurses, and support staff. They also provide a local economic engine through property taxes, higher wage jobs, and greater health care choices for local residents.

A recent study of the economic impact of physician-owned hospitals in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas conducted by the Health Economics Consulting Group found that:

"Physician-owned hospitals add considerable value to state economies, ranging from a net effect of $117.8 million in Pennsylvania to $2.3 billion in Texas. The combined impact across all eight states is $2.9 billion. This implies that physician-owned hospitals, through their employment and capital expenditures, generate a total of $3.9 billion in economic activity in these eight states alone."

The proposed language being added to the children's health care bill (SCHIP) would not allow hospitals to grow and would essentially cause these hospitals to whither on the vine since they could not adjust to marketplace demand. Also, there would be no protection offered for hospitals under development and no physician hospitals built after January 1, 2009 would be allowed to take Medicare or Medicaid patients. Closure of physician-owned hospitals would eliminate $2.4 billion in total payroll, $509 million in federal taxes, $1.9 billion in trade payables, and will put 55,000 full- and part-time employees out of work.

There are also 85 hospitals currently under development nationally. On these hospitals, an estimated $1,830,909,350 has been expended with $574,358,090 still outstanding, ready to be spent. The addition of these 85 hospitals would also equate to an estimated 23,000 more jobs.

"HR 2 is punitive legislation and the physician hospital piece is an insignificant offset to the costs of SCHIP. It is hard to understand how Congress can propose an important increase in medical services to children while simultaneously cutting back on hospitals that provide services to this population, among others," said Sandvig.