Mr. Rogers receives 'Public Enemy of Middle Class' Award

Just yesterday, we saw one more example of how out of touch Mr. Rogers is with Michigan's working class. Today, the evidence against Mr. Rogers continues to mount, and all his neglected constituents can do is run for the hills.

Mike Rogers has made the Top 18 Public Enemies of the Middle Class in Congress, according to Americans United for Change.

"More and more of America's working people are struggling to make ends meet, and our middle class is disappearing," said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Americans United for Change. "At least two meaningful pieces of legislation to reverse this trend have already come before Congress this year - and, unfortunately, these eighteen Members were no where to be found when the middle class families they represent needed them most. Just last week, they each opposed the Employee Free Choice Act, which would give middle-class workers a fair shake by fixing a badly broken system for forming unions and bargaining with Corporate America for better pay, improved benefits and retirement security.

(emphasis added)

Mr. Rogers joins Michigan's Vern Ehlers on the dubious list. Of course, not just anyone made the Top 18

While more than 18 Republicans voted against both the minimum wage increase and the Employee Free Choice Act in the House, these 18 were selected as public enemies of the middle class because they either come from districts where these issues have gained added resonance because of the growing disparity between the wages of workers and corporate executives or because they had been identified as persuadable on these issues.

You can bet this is one award that Mr. Rogers won't be waving around come election time. In fact, we fully expect Mr. Rogers to bury this as far as he can.

The People of the Neighborhood will not forget, making sure the good folks of the 8th District remember what a true menace to society Mike Rogers really is.

Shock and Awe from Mr. Rogers

For once, I'd like to say thanks to Mr. Rogers.

From the AP:

Michigan's congressional delegation supported a proposal to help communities that have deteriorating sewers implement more modern wastewater systems.

Nearly the entire delegation last week supported the plan, sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, which would spend $1.7 billion over five years in federal grants to modernize sewer systems and control sewer overflows that have polluted rivers and streams.

Imagine that, Mr. Rogers actually doing something helpful for his constituents.

Of course, before any of us get too excited that this helping business might turn into a some sort of wacky trend, there's this, from the same story -

On Friday, the House approved the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which would give out up to $20 billion in loans over five years for water pollution abatement projects.

The measure would give union construction workers a hiring advantage for water projects funded by federal lending.

All six Michigan Democrats voted yes, joining Republican Reps. Vernon Ehlers of Grand Rapids, Thaddeus McCotter of Livonia, Fred Upton of St. Joseph and Candice Miller of Macomb County's Harrison Township. Four Republicans voted against it and Camp did not vote.

Whoa, even some of Michigan's most conservative congresscritters voted to help Michigan's economy, work force, and environment.

Mr. Rogers? Well, apparently the unions and the rest of the working class don't rate high enough (or didn't donate enough money to all of his special-interest projects for the super-rich) on his list of "constituents to really represent".

Mike Rogers: Michigan's most out-of-touch Congressman.

Rogers votes against the middle class worker

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers voted against working men and women and the middle class Thursday by voting against HR 800, the Employee Free Choice Act, that would allow workers to organize a union free of an employer’s intimidation, free from fear of being fired and free from retaliation.

Despite Rogers voting against the average wage earner, the bipartisan bill passed by a vote of 241-185 with 13 Republicans voting for the middle class. However, the fight is not over, and it must go on to the Senate for approval. The powerful and rich U.S. Chamber of Commerce is already retaliating by launching a flight of radio ads today in 51 House districts. “We’re making people feel pain. You cannot cross the Chamber and support big labor at any cost,” Chamber national political director Bill Miller said in an interview. “The price is having thousands of dollars of radio run in your district," according to The National Journal of Feb. 27.

Unfortunately, this is one of the worst anti-union, anti-worker and even anti-U.S. manufacturer White Houses in recent years, and President Bush has pledged to veto the EFCA if it reaches his desk. The pro-worker Democrats only have a one-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, and groups like the Chamber plan to pump plenty of cash and resources into the fight.
“It's going to be even bigger and nastier with the whole kitchen sink,” Miller said in the Feb. 27 interview.

The EFCA will end a system that allows employers to coerce, intimidate, harass and threaten and even fire workers who dare to bargain for a better life. It was key to ending a system that allows corporations to destroy America’s middle class and lower working and living standards for all of us by blocking workers’ free choice.