Kshama Sawant is a badass. I'm not sure if there's any long term place in our political system for people who are actually serious about meaningful change, and really put their money where their mouth is, but she gives me hope.
Comrade Sawant was in London , England , recently for a Socialist confab: will she run for president two years from now? --- http://www.socialistalternative.org
Although it's true that the minimum wage would affect all airlines operating out of Sea-Tac, the major airlines will not be affected equally.
Alaska is worried it will be put at an operational disadvantage relative to its major competitors, because Seattle is the hub through which most of Alaska's traffic flows.
Sure, Delta, United, American, and Virgin have flights to and from Seattle... but the bulk of their traffic flows through hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco, respectively, so they're not going to take as big an operational hit.
There are lots of Socialist Alternative activists (and fairness-minded people of all political stripes) who could be in SeaTac tackling this issue. Kshama Sawant made a decision to run for office in Seattle, and she has been elected by, and she and her staff are paid by (charity contributions be damned) the people of Seattle to work on issues pertaining to our city. Spending the working day showboating for local news cameras at a protest in the suburbs is not what we pay her to do.
Tonight, video will air of her being arrested, and not a single person will change their position on whether or not Alaska Airlines' employees are entitled to a fair minimum wage. But lots of people's position on whether or not Kshama Sawant is really up to the task of governing will be called into question.
Not only that, she and her band of socialist thugs broke into you home as you slept, in a collectively sucking manner raided your fridge and drank all your milk, juice, and beer, and then took your bank information and paid for her ticket with your money.
This can only escalate into each council member getting arrested for ever more notorious crimes. I predict that Tom Rasmussen will be the eventual winner of this contest with a three state car chase homage to James Brown which will get way more publicity than Godden's Vegas binge arrest.
@13 That's the real answer. Perhaps if Alaska paid their baggage handlers a decent wage, they wouldn't be pilfering valuables from our luggage.
An in-flight meal on a 3 hour flight does not make you a model company.
@18 no I don't have a problem with CM Sawant using tax pay money to speak and list at a political confrence, I have a problem with her and the stranger for calling out the other CM using tax payers money to go to a local business conference if she's using tax payers money to do a similar thing.
And that's a pretty big IF there. Waiting for the wing-nuts to default to the "we pay her salary, therefore she has no right to spend any of her earnings on activities of which we personally disapprove!" canard.
If Sawant wants to change policies at the Port of Seattle, maybe she should run for Port Commissioner. Of course, that would require her to run countywide, where she'd get crushed, so I guess it's easier for her to grandstand outside of her jurisdiction.
That's your socialist Kshama Sawant for you -- dauntless, selfless, relentless!
Solidarity with her, her 3 fellow arrestees, and all the demonstrators from Socialist Alternative, 15Now, other groups, and above all the workers themselves!
Remember the relatively-marvelous Eugene Debs's absolutely-marvelous quip: "I'd rather a thousand times be a free person in jail than a cowardly sycophant in the streets".
The SeaTac workers, by winning the 2013 referendum for $15, paved the way for its adoption in Seattle, yet by Alaska Airlines' greedy obstructionism are themselves being denied the fruits of that victory!
Let's get together and defeat the boardroom bandits, the plutocrat profiteers, the corporate criminals!
Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a Party of the Working Class!
Although it's true that the minimum wage would affect all airlines operating out of Sea-Tac, the major airlines will not be affected equally.
Alaska is worried it will be put at an operational disadvantage relative to its major competitors, because Seattle is the hub through which most of Alaska's traffic flows.
Sure, Delta, United, American, and Virgin have flights to and from Seattle... but the bulk of their traffic flows through hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco, respectively, so they're not going to take as big an operational hit.
Tonight, video will air of her being arrested, and not a single person will change their position on whether or not Alaska Airlines' employees are entitled to a fair minimum wage. But lots of people's position on whether or not Kshama Sawant is really up to the task of governing will be called into question.
Also, Alaska Airlines are just assholes.
Maybe she should just go on taxpayer funded retreats. Quick, go get Holcomb to get back in the race.
Not only that, she and her band of socialist thugs broke into you home as you slept, in a collectively sucking manner raided your fridge and drank all your milk, juice, and beer, and then took your bank information and paid for her ticket with your money.
(much less fun than regular whores, btw...)
An in-flight meal on a 3 hour flight does not make you a model company.
And that's a pretty big IF there. Waiting for the wing-nuts to default to the "we pay her salary, therefore she has no right to spend any of her earnings on activities of which we personally disapprove!" canard.
Solidarity with her, her 3 fellow arrestees, and all the demonstrators from Socialist Alternative, 15Now, other groups, and above all the workers themselves!
Remember the relatively-marvelous Eugene Debs's absolutely-marvelous quip: "I'd rather a thousand times be a free person in jail than a cowardly sycophant in the streets".
The SeaTac workers, by winning the 2013 referendum for $15, paved the way for its adoption in Seattle, yet by Alaska Airlines' greedy obstructionism are themselves being denied the fruits of that victory!
Let's get together and defeat the boardroom bandits, the plutocrat profiteers, the corporate criminals!
Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a Party of the Working Class!
:)
Still, what's your response to the points raised?
http://www.socialistalternative.org/
http://15now.org/
Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a Party of the Working Class!
Thank you very much!
Yes, please do donate!
Ideally a recurring monthly donation, so we can rely on it like clockwork for participating in future struggles!
Yes, "Money is the sinews of war."
Especially of class war, the most asymmetric war there is -- them the multi-millionaires, versus us the multi-millions!
If we the 99% unite, no power on earth can defeat us.
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In addition to donating, make Socialist Alternative and $15Now your very own party -- join it, fund it, build it, influence it.
As our socialist sister Kshama says, in her inimitable Kshama style, "Let's make history together -- we have a world to win!"
Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a Party of the Working Class!