Wal-mart fears the Democratic vote!

Wal-Mart is afraid the American people will elect Democrats into office this year. And so their having meetings to try and decide what to do about it. They are afraid their workers will get organized and demand better pay and better health benefits. And that God forbid they might even vote in an actual union!

Most American workers don't belong to unions, in part because of the relatively high standard of living we have come to enjoy today. But let us not forget that the union movement of the 1930's through today contributed greatly to making our standard of living what it is.

Back in the day, employers wanting to keep the unions at bay, raised pay and benefits enough to compete with union shops. But over the last three decades, there has been a concerted effort by the Republican Party and so-called conservatives--that may more aptly be termed corporatists--to reduce the influence of unions pay scales, health care and other benefits, retirement and pensions.

I would argue that most corporate enterprises have but two prime motives: to make money for the shareholders and increase CEO pay. Everything else is secondary. Even if the wise CEO (unlike that of Wal-mart) knows that to the degree the corporation takes good care of its workers the workers will in turn give their best and remain loyal to a fault.

It never ceases to amaze me how people will continue to vote against their own best interests in the face of overwhelming evidence that the opposite is what's called for.

Many American workers today can barely get by on the wages they earn. Yet instead of looking to their employers to responsibly increase pay and benefits, provide better health insurance, and day care for their kids, many have been bamboozled into the notion that taxes and government are the source of all their troubles. A bogey man upon whom the blame can be placed.

The truth is that people and business all benefit from the society that together we have created. I myself work for a wonderful company run by great people, and powered by great workers. And I live in a wonderful neighborhood and a great community in Washington State, with various agencies of our local, state and federal government, employing people who give their best for to promote the common good.

It takes funds to run a society, to run a government, to run a business, to run a household. To produce a product or drink clean drinking water, to enforce safe building standards for a house to shelter our families, safe food to eat, clean rivers and lakes in which to swim and fish, bike paths to ride and sidewalks on which to walk. Time to exercise to stay healthy, an education to ready us for our work, firemen and the police to keep us safe. Roads to drive on, cars and busses to ride in, and an electrical power grid to light our houses.

We require highly educated doctors and nurses to service our medical needs, safe airplanes to fly the friendly skies around air traffic controlled airports, and a highly skilled military to protect our national interests. All of this takes workers and employers, shareholders and CEO's, and good government to regulate the services and products for the common good. When we work together we work well.

And last but not least, we need good Congressmen and Senators and Barack Obama as President, who will commit their lives to good government and to best represent and serve our common interests.

Hope is on the way - Vote Democrat in 2008