Vote for the Scrooge of the Year on Causes

Guest Post from Charlie Edelen, Missouri Jobs with Jusice

Every year, Missouri Jobs with Justice holds a “Scrooge of the Year” party. Member organizations of MO JwJ nominate candidates who they think should be awarded “Scrooge of the Year” – the politician, lobbyist, corporation, organization, or 1%er who has done the most damage to working families in Missouri. Missouri Jobs with Justice holds these every year in Kansas City and St. Louis. Its a “fun”draiser  – 1 dollar = 1 vote, and the candidate with the most votes is elected ”Scrooge” of the year. This is also a fun, festive way for the diverse groups in Jobs with Justice to come together, share stories of the struggle, and educate one another on various campaigns, contract negotiations and harmful legislation. You can vote for any of the following candidates by visiting the Missouri Jobs with Justice cause.

This year’s candidates are:

St. Louis:

Rep Darrell Issa (CA), nominated by American Postal Workers Union Gateway Area Local, for refusing to move a bill (that has 230 co-sponsors!) out of committee, which he chairs, that would make the United States Postal Service solvent.

Rep Todd Akin (MO), nominated by the Missouri AFL-CIO, for wanting to slash Medicare, Mediciad, Social Security; refusing to meet with his constituents time and time again; for publicly saying that “at the heart of Liberalism is a hatred for God.”

Frank Kartmann, President of American Missouri Water Company, who was nominated by Utility Workers of America (UWUA) Local 335 for wanting to privatize the water services in St. Louis county. Privitizing these public water services would decrease the quality of water services, drive down pay and benefits of its employees, increase the wait time for customer service, and even threaten the quality of St. Louis’ notoriously tasty water supply.

Rex Sinquefield, nominated by St. Louis JwJ Workers’ Rights Board, is a St. Louis billionaire who has made no attempts to hide his buying of politicians and legislation for the 1% in Missouri over the past few years. Recently, Rex has been throwing millions of dollars at eliminating the state income tax and replacing it with a much higher, much more widespread sales tax on everything you buy – houses, rent, child care, health care, toiletries food, car repairs…which is why we’re calling it the “Everything Tax.” This regressive tax would require 99% of Missourians to pay more taxes while corporations and the super wealthy would pay even less of their fair share than they already do.

Kansas City:

Rep Darrell Issa (CO), nominated by American Postal Workers Union Gateway Area Local, for refusing to move a bill (that has 230 co-sponsors!) out of committee, which he chairs, that would make the United States Postal Service solvent.

MO State Senator Jane Cunningham, nominated by National Nurses United – Kansas city and SEIU HealthCare, first gained national attention on Jay Leno for filing a bill in Missouri that would repeal our child labor laws. Mostly recently she has done the work of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) by filing legislation that would gut regulations to benefit corporations. She has done everything she can to block and manipulate the Affordable Care Act in Missouri.

Wal-Mart, nominated by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6355/MO State Workers Union for paying its employees as little as possible and then encouraging them to collect Medicaid from the government – while collecting an average of $3 million per store in government subsidies itself. Wal-Mart has lobbied for the repeal of Missouri’s minimum wage laws, the corporate franchise tax, and anti-discrimination laws.