Leo Gerard

  • Published America’s Failed Mole-by-Mole Trade Policy (Blog entry)
    February 7, 2012 - 10:11am

    Last week several groups, including the United Steelworkers, petitioned the federal government to whack the latest trade mole – illegally traded auto parts from China.

    With President Obama announcing creation of a new trade enforcement unit in his State of the Union Addre

  • Published Retirees Occupy Century Aluminum (Blog entry)
    January 31, 2012 - 9:48am

    On Dec. 18, a dozen retirees, men and women in their 60s, 70s, even 80s, began occupying a median strip along Route 33 in front of the closed Century Aluminum smelter in Ravenswood, W.Va. In tents and under tarps, a small group stays overnight, despite hypertension, arthritis and other old age ailments.

  • Published Emblematic of 1 Percenters, Cooper Tire Punk’d Workers (Blog entry)
    January 24, 2012 - 10:44am

    Four years ago, Cooper Tire told its workers they’d have to sacrifice to save the company. With a straight face, Cooper executives said it was essential for the corporation’s survival that workers take tens of millions in pay and benefit cuts.

  • Published Recess Appointments: Backlash to Blackmail (Blog entry)
    January 10, 2012 - 9:54am

    In America, when gangs of bullies torment school children, pushing them around and extorting their lunch money, parents know only one response effectively counters the abuse: confrontation. Running, whining, negotiating -- none of that works.

    For the past year, since Republicans took the majority in the U.S.

  • Published Resolutions, Political Resolutions and Damned Lies (Blog entry)
    January 3, 2012 - 10:35am

    ‘Tis the season of resolutions. With the new year comes pledges to quit smoking, get out of debt and spend more time with family. Gym memberships jump. Weight Watchers’ profits fatten.

    This also happens to be the season of political resolutions. It’s that every-fourth-year event featuring presidential candidates in a contest of campaign promise one-upmanship.

  • Published Republicans Try to Convert America into Pottersville (Blog entry)
    December 27, 2011 - 8:20am

    In the iconic Christmas film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” an angel offers the beleaguered main character, George Bailey, the stark choice between a hometown named for a cruel banker or one created by and for the middle class.

    The banker’s town, Pottersville, is filled with bars, gambling dens and despair.

  • Published Antidote for Stupidity of Shipping Tax-Dollar-Financed Jobs Overseas (Blog entry)
    December 20, 2011 - 9:54am

    Amid prolonged, painfully high unemployment, ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer for the past year tirelessly advocated a simple solution – buy American-made products. She clearly explained the reasoning: every American dollar spent on an American-made product helps create an American job.

  • Published Americans Are Greater Together (Blog entry)
    December 13, 2011 - 1:46pm

    It wasn’t so much a vote as a proclamation of ideology last Thursday when Republicans filibustered Obama’s nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

    The rebuff had nothing to do with the person, Richard Cordary, who even

    Published Hey, GOP: Give the 99 Percent Some Lovin’ (Blog entry)
    December 6, 2011 - 10:26am

    MTV needs to stop giving that creepy vampire guy and moony human girl in the “Twilight” series the “best kiss” prize in its annual movie awards because it’s Republicans who truly earned the trophy for the big wet smooches they lay on the 1 percent.

    Just think of the GOP lovin’ that went into the Bush

    Published The 1 Percent Indifferent to Their Indebtedness (Blog entry)
    November 29, 2011 - 7:56am

    Most Americans, the 99 percent, feel the pressure of indebtedness. When they owe a friend a buck, their conscience bothers them until they’re square. They pay their bills, working second jobs if necessary. They meet mortgage obligations even when underwater.

    That’s why there was a deficit Super Committee. Americans don’t like debt, including bills owed by their government.