Kind of hypocritical that the Chris Kerrigan campaign has excepted $500 from the United Food and Commercial Workers local 5 and $1,000 from the Central Labor Council of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties and decided to spend that money for a fund raiser at WINCO.
Ironic that Virginia Bass pretty much exclusively shops Safeway on Harris. A Union shop. Who are the hypocrites here?
Yes. This is true. Don't ask me, ask Chris. He will not deny.
Click on forms to read.
Please explain. How could he hold a fundraiser at Winco?
ReplyDeleteFWIW, Winco pays its employees pretty well despite not having a union. The AFL-CIO even had positive things to say on its blog, but then deleted those nice things because of the whole not-having-a-union thing.
Do you not like Chris?
ReplyDeleteYes. Well red herringed.
ReplyDeleteShopping at Winco vs. not keeping language to protect agriculture, timberland, and natural resources for the long term.
Is this where the Democrats should head Richard? Should we lose the forest for the trees.
Maybe this type of thinking is why the CLC voted to support Kerrigan. It matters less where his campaign spends money as much as it matters that we have a strong, sustainable and high standard of living community that will support living wages. Something Kerrigan will work for instead of policies that protect realtor, developer, etc interests at the expense of the public interest.
BTW, Kerrigan supports Eureka's living wage initiative, Bass does not. Union conundrum!
https://www.facebook.com/fairwage.folks
who cares, unions suck the life out of our state anyways
ReplyDeleteWinco is much more a store for the masses and reflects Chris's values. Safeway's prices are so high that many low income folks can't afford to shop there, union or not.
ReplyDeleteYou Bass addicts must be getting
ReplyDeletewell...scared.
6:48am-No. I like Chris. Went to school with his dad. Not much to not like. I just know that the retail clerks would rather not have their campaign contribution go to Winco. The retail clerks should be using that money to organize them!
ReplyDelete9:47am-The other day I was called a Basshole. I wear it well.
I boycotted Safeway for a year over the local -hire thing. By default most of my shopping went to Winco and Costco. Recently I've started buying at least SOME of my groceries at Safeway but their deathtrap parking lot and confusing discount system is a big deterrent. I keep reminding myself "Union shop, Union shop". Bottom line: if Chris' campaign wants to spend .005 of its revenues at Winco it doesn't bother me. Sounds like someone's getting desperate??
ReplyDeleteRichard, the $7 large have anything to do with your support of Virginia on this blog?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations btw. That's a good gig and you are well worth it.
I'm assuming Marks Consulting is you.
pg 20 of 24
http://lostcoastoutpost.com/media/uploads/form460/19/bass.pdf
jon: Yes. I do Sports and Political consulting. For quite some time now.
ReplyDeleteI have friends that work for Winco and play on my softball team. I am not knocking Winco or its shoppers. If the Retail Clerks Local 5 PAC knew monies were going to go to Winco they would not give the donation. This was a Kerrigan campaign error. Not directly Chris. Things like this happen. If I screw up in a campaign I expect to be called to the carpet. (And I have had multiple screw ups in the past.)
ReplyDeleteJulie, yes when your guy makes a mistake, no big deal.
ReplyDeleteIf someone you oppose makes a mistake, big deal.
The only desperation is the attacks on Virginia and her supporters.
Richard, I'm not sure of the ethics of sports consulting, but when involved in political consulting and also involved in opinion expounding, it's safer to disclose, disclose, disclose.
ReplyDeleteWhat came first, your support of Virginia or the big pay day? Does the 7 large help you deal with the differences between your feelings on the GPU as a progressive and Virginias?
I don't have a problem with you making money supporting a conservative Democrat get elected to local office. I understand you are friends and share more politically than don't. Kudos, sincerely.
What I am saying is that it should be clear to the public you are a paid consultant. It is not right now even if it appears it's clear to you.
If it was clear from the start, this piece denouncing Chris and others supporting Virginia would have less credibility, no?
I'm more concerned with all the Fleming signs without a union bug. Why am I seeing a bunch of Firpo signs WITH the union bug when she has very little union support and a ton of Fleming signs WITHOUT it. Fleming spent over 50 thousand dollars in media, much of that union money. Should have gone to union businesses.
ReplyDeleteJon: The 460 information is general knowledge. I was paid by the Bass campaign in 2010. It was disclosed. Nothing hidden.
ReplyDeleteI can't have an opinion? I do, and have on many issues. Pointing out public knowledge fact item makes me more beholden?
Have you checked out Richard Salzman comments and editorials?
Oh, and Jon, you would be shocked to find out how political my Sports consulting side gets! Just in baseball between umpires, high school coaches, athletic directors, North Coast Section bosses, parents and such. And don't get me started on softball.....or basketball.
ReplyDeleteRichard. There is a difference in the consequentiality (is that a word?) in sports and politics. I don't mind if you don't disclose the sports fraction of your earnings.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes that can be much more fun because it isn't as consequential, even though it often seems way more important to the players and parents. I used to umpire myself back in the day.
The 460 information is not general knowledge except to political junkies like you and myself. I'm so grateful to LoCO for offering links to the actual 460's online. This is so huge as I could not access them as a county worker myself unless I took time off.
We are improving by leaps and bounds on 460s becoming general knowledge in each election and that is great thanks to alternative media. Woo hoo and a pat on the back to you too for this.
I don't think you really understand what I'm saying though.
"I can't have an opinion? " Of course you can. I want you to post more of them actually as I would love Supervisor Bass and Matthew to do as well. I don't know why you all keep so quiet on the most consequential matters and focus instead on a line item on Chris' campaign 460.
So please, do talk about the issues (and ask Supervisor Bass to please answer the questions posted on LoCO) and do have opinions, all I ask is to add a little disclosure saying "Paid consultant for V. Bass for Supervisor 2014" at the end of each blog post related to the race.
And if you choose not to, that's cool too b/c at least you are fair enough to post my comments. That works for me as I'll probably have more to say about your opinions anyway.
Contemplative Memorial Day Richard enjoy the extended weekend with the beautiful HumCo weather.
Jon. OK. Let me try to explain this. I do volunteer work and paid consulting work for the Bass campaign. I am reimbursed for things like web site design and placement. I design and create and pay for the website. The Kerrigan campaign paid Carson Park Design $675 for design and placement. Bass does not pay Go-Daddy, Marks consulting does. (By the way, Joel and Lynne are friends and do great work!)You will see that Sirus Studios has been paid almost $6,000 dollars to place ads for the Kerrigan campaign. (Kudos for them going local there also .) I am also paid for placement and such. Notice that the Kerrigan campaign paid Campaign Graphics out of Florida $929. The Bass campaign paid me and Marian Brady for graphic design. (Keep it local!)I also am paid for Data base control and mailer placement. And phone banking targeting. And walking sheets. Out 7 GR you are pointing out I have paid for chairs for fundraisers and print cartridges, paper, conference room and general things that cost a campaign. I am dirt cheap. I walk for Virginia voluntarily. Are you for Chris? Most likely not!
ReplyDeleteRichard, sounds good. Local is best and kudos for that. I agree with you on Carson Park Design. Great people doing great work. Councilwoman Brady has great design skills too, even if I think Eurekas should thank her for a job well done and offer her an extended hiatus from all her hard work on the City Council this November.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you have any responsibility to disclose any of that, but it's great that you can and did, transparency is never a bad thing - well probably almost never.
All that is needed I think is during campaign season, say three months out, it is clear to a regular reader that you will be earning money on the campaign. Because money has a way of influencing opinions.
You asked this...
"I walk for Virginia voluntarily. Are you for Chris? Most likely not!"
?. Not sure what you are asking. Do I walk for Chris? Twice every week. Do I do it voluntarily (ie I'm not paid?) Absolutely.
For the record, I would not have associated a campaign with GoDaddy based on their sex-sells commercials.
Didn't know that of GoDaddy. Now I do.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 10:03. If you looked at Fleming's 460s, both last one and this one show SignRocket, a non union shop in Minnesota.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I stopped at several of Firpo's signs, ALL of which were union made
So why have the unions given close to 10 Thousand Dollars to Fleming? So she can shop outside of Humboldt County and dodge union labor?
was recently invited to a political event in Briceland at "Beginnings" for Elan Firpo. There were musicians playing, gourmet food and drinks were served, and many folks spoke including Paul Gallegos. Locals (decided and undecided) asked questions and made comments.
ReplyDeleteI asked Elan's views on unions, including the local Humboldt County organized employees. She supports organized labor and has heard from unions about apprenticeship opportunities, which was music to my ears.
Elan Firpo is a genuine and caring candidate, and her viewpoint has not changed since she began this campaign. She is organized, does not seem to ruffle easily and has a plan to help our community.
Barbara A. Candrian, Eureka
Élan Firpo did however, at several interviews with labor, go on and on about outsourcing jobs and her great admiration and relationship with Carly Fiorina! YIKES now you no why she does not have any labor endorsements. Kerrigan just tells folks what he thinks they want to hear! I to am a PROUD BASSHOLE,join us!
ReplyDelete3:31. That's a lie and you know it. Elan is a supporter of unions and especially apprenticeship programs that give alternatives to kids. She speaks about it regularly.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Firpo should be getting more union consideration.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kerrigan's campaign spending union money at WINCO, that is outrageous. I don't blame individuals for shopping there for prices or convenience, but taking hard earned union dues from UFCW members and spending it at their biggest competitor who would just as soon see them out of a job, is unacceptable. At the very least, Chris needs to man up and issue a public explanation and apology to those members.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSid, wow, nice to see you here in the blogosphere. Jon Yalcinkaya here. One of those proto National Socialists you railed against in the TS.
ReplyDeleteAre not there more important issues why you are against Chris than this? Are not you, like Richard, using this as a wedge issue to get more good union folks, union folks who may not be carpenters, plumbers etc., say, to vote for your candidate, Supervisor Bass?
Here is the deal Sid. I am pro strong high wage jobs. Unfortunately the type of jobs that will continue to build homes in the exurbs and suburbs are not the sustainable high paying jobs we need in HumCo. There needs to be development and growth in HumCo, to insure a sustainable and prosperous future, it just has to be planned for by professionals - not by the Chamber of Commerce, large property owners and the specific union who will prosper by taking the easy route.
That is what this election is about. Not if a campaign member bought a 2 liter coke at Winco. You are right in principle and it was a mistake, but your outrage is quite obviously manufactured, just as your observation that the local Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is proto-NAZI.
Like the intent of this post the two contributions you have made to this campaign that I have seen are calculated political rhetoric nothing more, nothing less. I hope it's the type of political rhetoric that people start to see through.
Jon Yalcinkaya, proud union member, proud Democrat, proud Chris Kerrigan supporter and volunteer, and thought dictator. Oh wait, I'm not supposed to admit the last one. Darn it!
Firpo was happy to negotiate prices for manufacturing parts for HP in third world countries and proud she did. She had NO idea that was probably not a good statement to labor. She learned what she now knows about apprenticeship during those interviews. The sad part was her admiration for Carly F. No lies just fact . I was there.
ReplyDeleteHi Jon,I hope you are not a full blown National Socialist (yet)! I merely eluded, that it appears to me that's where this party is headed if we don't start thinking for ourselves.The final straw for me was when a resolution was submitted by a local voting HDCC member, with an electronic author signature from Ventura County, blindly supporting State Legislation which if passed called for the confiscation of legally owned private property, without compensation. The entire committee overwhelmingly voted to represent ALL Democrats in Humboldt County and to send letters supporting such BS!(Fortunately Gov. Brown vetoed it, saving the state $$$ defending a lawsuit.) We are not Ventura County, and living in our rural community, we should be entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as long as it does not infringe on the life and liberty of someone else.I have a mind and I will listen to arguments on all sides of an issue, and will make a judgment on what I think is the best for my peers, be it neighbors, friends or brother and sister union members, based on subject matter.I may be right, or wrong, but I will keep an open mind until I have heard the pro and con and will make a decision. I applaud your activism and would not attempt to discourage it. I only ask that you do your best to unite the Democratic Party, not tear it apart. Fortunately, the Republicans can't get it together either, but the day they reach out to the middle class and union members, beware!
ReplyDeleteWe probably have more in common than you think, and I would be happy to have a visit with you over a pint of Steelhead or a Dutch Bros. after the election. You give me way too much credit for disseminating "calculated political rhetoric"! I have supported Chris in the past and I support Virginia now. I don't work for her or her campaign, and I am not a friend of the Chamber of Commerce or huge developers. Unfortunately, they create building trades jobs, of which without, I would not have been able to remain in this area my whole life.
As for buying a liter of coke at WINCO by the Kerrigan Campaign with union donations, it was $157.00 and as a working union member, you know that was a huge mistake. Chris should explain and apologize for it at Sunday's Chicken By The Sea Fundraiser. If he chooses to ignore it, that is his choice, I dare not dictate his thought!
Sid Berg, Proud Union retiree, lifelong resident of Humboldt Co. and lifelong Democrat!
Sid - I think you are again missing the forest for the trees. I would not advise Chris to apologize at CBS, nor would you advise your candidate to apologize for removing the language that liberals and conservatives should be able to agree on - "protecting agriculture and timberland for the long term".
ReplyDeleteThe language was written by Supervisor Bohn and Fennell. Is supervisor Bohn a friend of unions?
I am a proud union member, but I am not a fan of much of union politics. I will not be a guy that dictates where people shop. Many times, like when I shopped for the HCDCC recently, I had to shop at Staples. I don't think that was the best choice, but as a Treasurer I had the responsibility to try to make a fiscally sound choice. Like many families are doing. I'm not going to stop them from shopping at Winco and it's ridiculous to make a judgement on this race based on where $157 of groceries, which, btw, may very well be a 2 liter bottle of coke these days.
Sometimes I too have to shop at Winco, and I'm not about to apologize for it. Sorry.
While we are nit-picking....
ReplyDeleteyou can't except $500...
you ACCEPT it....
If you don't want me bugging about your spelling errors, quit bugging about where candidates buy groceries...
Missing the forest through the trees? I think not! I was willing to think Chris or one of his volunteers merely made a simple mistake and with a brief explanation and / or an apology, I could have accepted (excepted ? Pun intended.) it. Based on the arrogance and inference displayed in comments above, it only reinforces my belief that at least a portion of the progressive Democrats have no concept of unionism. As I have said, and I repeat, I do not pass judgment for individuals who shop where they choose, but when you take union dues contributions you don't spend it at their non union competitors. I don't care if it a liter of coke or a candy bar! I don't speak for the UFCW, but in my opinion this is the same union busting mentality that corporate America would encourage. And Jon, you take it to another level by admitting that shopping for the HCDCC, you will spend money based on fiscal responsibility? That's fine to a point, but when the US Postal Workers have encouraged us to boycot Staples for fear of replacing union clerks with lower paid workers ? And let's all just shop non union cause wages are cheaper, so prices are cheaper! I support the Fair Wage Act, but using this reasoning, should we vote against it because it might raise the price of a hamburger a few cents.
ReplyDeleteTaking union money, endorsements and votes and then supporting their demise is why I believe the liberal Democrats are losing touch with the middle class. I speak only as a retired individual union member, Not as a representative of any labor organization.
Sid -
ReplyDeleteIt isn't only union dues Chris accepted. And your point about the USPS is a perfect example. I'm relatively informed I cannot keep track of every last boycott. The difference between Staples and Winco's computers was about $150 or about 150/400 or about a 37% difference in price. I'm a volunteer, I have extremely limited hours to donate to the cause, and there are not a bunch of people, you and Richard included who've volunteered to help.
Also, speaking of Staples, check out Virginia's 460.
The thing is if we focus only on money we are lost. Money is critical, but this flim-flam non-issue is only a last-ditch effort to confuse the issues at hand and support your chosen candidate.
So, Sid, I do not have a problem shopping at Winco, I'm sorry, it is a reality of life that people who have dropped below the safety net have to accept. I have no problem with the campaign spending money there as I have no problem with the Virginia's campaign spending money at Staples. So, set the UFCW money aside and consider $125 of that money spent there earmarked from my contribution. I bet you you would find another $32 from other Kerrigan contributors. It would be interesting to take that receipt and see the savings.
I appreciate what you are trying to do big picture. It's the leverage, money, that makes things go in a capitalist society. But in the end what you are saying, despite your protests, and quite ironically given that you've labeled the left as proto-NAZI, is Kerrigan must shop here because he accepted this union money. That's quid pro quo and it's wrong. And it's not even considering what real people have to do day-to-day. Low income people don't have a choice, making a union shop work for all of us, not just the yuppies, should be one of our first priorities.
And no, this red herring "I support the Fair Wage Act, but using this reasoning, should we vote against it because it might raise the price of a hamburger a few cents" is completely untrue. The company's will find a way to pay a living wage - if not, maybe a competitor can. That's what the right will say though and I've noticed you like to use their talking points from time to time.
It also seems you like to vote for their candidate too from time to time - all in the cause of your particular union members. There are bigger concerns at hand and that includes your union's jobs and wages over time, not just today.
I'm pro union Sid, but I'm not pro-coercion. And I'm sorry to put it that way, but your focus on this one issue (in lieu of, say, land use policy) and demanding an apology from Chris and not even holding Virginia to the same standard reeks of coercion and hypocrisy. And no, if those are part of your concept of unionism, it might be part of the reason Reagan and the right made them so anathematic to most of our society.
So, predictions?
ReplyDeleteLatour team has made some mean,nasty,angry accusations. But today gthey hit a all time low making violent, homophobic attacks on her facebook and web page. Although removed when people said "what" Latour has not apologized or distanced herself for the horrible solar bozo comments.
ReplyDeleteLatour team has made some mean,nasty,angry accusations. But today gthey hit a all time low making violent, homophobic attacks on her facebook and web page. Although removed when people said "what" Latour has not apologized or distanced herself for the horrible solar bozo comments.
ReplyDeleteOk Jon,
ReplyDeleteI will acknowledge bringing up the Staples issue was a little below the belt. Nobody can expect the general public to follow every union issue. I seek your forgiveness for raising that issue.(I was tired and grumpy when I wrote it.) There are also limited places to shop in our area and we have to do what we have to do.I get the low income issue and people have to eat. That's one reason there was no picket on Grocery outlet when they brought their entire construction crews from out of the area. Then Safeway did the same thing. We are all fighting for our economic survival here. We have to fight for what we feel is right. We have differing views about how to get there, but as I said before, I respect your activism. we probably have a lot of issues we agree on. Regardless of how things turn out tonight, we both need to try to bring all sides back together, try to educate each other, find common ground, and work on making Humboldt County a better place for all.
Have a nice week,
Sid
Forgiven Sid, not that I feel it was required. Sometimes we all get grumpy.
ReplyDeleteLet's both keep fighting for our economic survival while also working so our children don't have to work so hard for theirs. We can do both. I think we would both agree FDR had a great ideas on how we could.
Sid, both sides don't need to be together, in fact we do the public a disservice when they are together. We need to disagree, argue and be comfortable arguing that the public sector does need to leverage power without being disagreeable. This is the only way the public will get real issues before them in June and November. And believe me, despite the feel-good and "both sides are one" nature of the Bass and Sundberg campaigns, there are real issues that need to be addressed and the Democratic Party is too comfortable right now to address them in the meaningful way they should.
Richard. 1st. Congratulations to both of your candidates for Supervisor.
ReplyDelete2nd. What do you think should be done about the Members, Associate and Full and even ex-officio that ignored the by-laws and endorsed publically the candidate running against the HCDCC endorsed candidate?
Lib Jon: Great question. For the record I never was asked to endorse the 5th District candidate winner. I assume they put me down from last campaign if you are refering to me. Personally, I feel that all Democrats are free to endorse who they want regardless of party in a non-partisan election. Screw the tainted HCDCC bogus bylaws. (Lots of shady back door shenanigans you are privy to Jon.) Especially relevant candidates who are out the gate timely. If you are holding certain people to a higher standard as you currently are, each ex-officios should be held to the same standard. Go ahead and kick out Huffman and see what that causes! The HCDCC is broken and I tried to fix it. A inside war of "Progressives" vs "Union Moderates" has taken its toll. You, dear Jon, are part of the problem, not the solution. (Please don't leave some long ass diatribe on my blog. Use yours! I am kinda busy with Softball and my other community volunteer projects that don't give a hoot about party affiliations.)
ReplyDeleteI tried to respond in a couple of sentences, but it turned into a another long comment you might call a diatribe. So I'll resist.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how your softball schedule cuts into clicking the approve button on a post of mine, nor do I understand how the length of the post matters, but it's your blog and I'll respect your request. And thanks and kudos btw, for publishing all of my comments. I often saved a copy of the more adversarial ones as I didn't think you always would.
Cheers.