As the hymn says, gonna lay down my sword and shield

A viral plague kills thousands and forces millions to hunker down at home and practice social distancing when out in public.

Black Americans killed on the streets by rampaging police.

Millions of Americans lose jobs due to record unemployment.

The President of the United States hides in the White House guarded by armed troops and a fortified fence.

Riots in the streets.

Armed secret police of unknown origin face down peaceful protesters in the nation's capital.

This could be a blurb for a best-seller or an action-packed new movie.

Instead, they are news headlines.

That was the week that was. The U.S. is in deep do-do. Trump can't be blamed for it all. But he can be blamed for making it much, much worse. He is totally unfit for the highest position in the land. Where other leaders unite, Trump divides.

What makes it worse is that Trump is a lifelong racist and a narcissist. He can't look weak even when he is. He has all the traits of a schoolyard bully.

What does a person like this due when threatened? We've seen it. Brute force. He is the commander-in-chief and thus he commands unlimited power, or so he believes. He wanted to unleash troops on protesters. It's been done in the past but you have to go back the Vietnam War protests to see it in action. It happened but not to the extent we feared. Heads were beaten, rubber bullets fired, tear gas employed, arrests made. But the protesters didn't give up and critics of both political parties and a phalanx of retired U.S. generals condemned Trump's tactics. Protests have calmed down. The rioters have not been identified but you know they were radicals intent on watching the country burn. White supremacists. Anarchists. Black radicals.

The protesters cause is just. Peace prevailed. Many police sided with the protesters. A Tennessee National Guard unit laid down their shields after protesters sang the anthem of nonviolent protest.

I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside.

And study war no more...

I have a part to play in this. Not sure yet what it is. But it's clear we need to change the way government employees treat minorities. Not just police. Everyone up and down the chain of command including police and the President. I was a government employee for 25 years. Now retired, I wonder what I could have done better. As many have said, racism is a systemic problem. I am not a racist. But as a white guy, I worked for a system that perpetuated certain racist policies. It was built that way. I may have thought about that briefly during my public service. But how did I transform it to serve everyone's needs?

I was slightly woke but really blind and now I see.

What did I do in the arts that made a difference? And what can I do now?

Stay tuned...

Rep. Filer speaks out about HB79: "I believe that this legislation wages war on every employee in Wyoming"

The Wyoming Democratic Party's legislative update from yesterday contained more info about Rep. Tim Stubson's HB79. I wrote about this bill on Feb. 5 -- read the post here. This anti-worker bill passed the House and will be considered soon by the Senate. Here's more from the WDP's legislative update:

HB 79 Collection of Unpaid Wages: This is an example of legislation that is worded to imply the opposite of what the law would actually do. The bill amends Wyoming statute to exclude any accrued vacation wages from owed wages at termination if the employer states in writing that is their policy. Representative Lee Filer spoke out against this legislation stating "I believe this is legislation that wages war on every employee in Wyoming." It's currently on General File in the Senate. The Wyoming Democratic Party strongly opposes this bill. 

Wyoming Rep. Tim Stubson plans to punish state employees by taking away benefits

Wondering what Republicans talk about when they have time on their hands?

If you're Rep. Tim Stubson, House Majority Whip, an attorney and an independently wealthy man-about-town from Casper, you think to yourself: "Those state employees make too much money and have too many benefits. Let's take something away from them just for the hell of it."

Stubson's spouse, Susan, should know better, as she once served on the Wyoming Arts Council board. Stubson also has two sons, one of whom served as a page at the legislature. Said the Rep. Stubson to his son: "This is how we Republicans stick it to state employees, son."

Here's Stubson's big plan:

House Bill 0079 - Redefining vacation as unpaid wages: Sponsored by Representative Tim Stubson, it passed the State House last week and is awaiting introduction in the State Senate.  It would remove vacation pay as a "unpaid wage" in the case of termination from employment, effectively removing it from the worker's final paycheck.  We do NOT SUPPORT this bill in the Senate, and believe it would harm workers in this state greatly by withholding necessary income that they earned during the time they were employed.  Please contact your Senator and let them know you do NOT support this bill! Tell your senator you don't believe in punishing state employees: Just in case you didn't know....the State of Wyoming changed all of the Legislator's emails this year to a uniform email address: Firstname.Lastname@wyoleg.gov

Shame on you, Rep. Stubson.

What the heck is wrong with these stingy, right-wing politicians from Casper?

Wyoming Retirement System holds its next town hall meeting Nov. 28 in Casper

The Wyoming Retirement System will hold its next town hall meeting in Casper on Wednesday, November 28, 7-8:30 p.m. It will be held in Nichols Auditorium, McMurry Career Studies Building, Casper College. The meeting is open to anyone who is concerned about the threat by Republicans to mess with the state retirement system in the name of Tea Party politics. At a town hall meeting on Nov. 8 in Cheyenne, WRS Director Thom Williams sounded a cautionary note about any changes to the state's defined-benefits plan. This is from the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

The head of the Wyoming Retirement System says a major overhaul of the state's public pension program is unnecessary and potentially dangerous.

Thom Williams, executive director of the WRS, told a group of state workers and retirees Thursday that the Legislature should resist any efforts to move to a 401(k)-style defined-contribution plan. 

"The problem is (defined-contribution plans) are not a reliable means for providing retirement security," he said. "These defined-contribution plans oftentimes result in people running out of money."

HM urges state employees in Natrona County to attend the meeting. Maybe some of those right-wingers that county residents keep electing to the legislature will show up and learn something.

The town meeting is co-sponsored by the Coalition for a Healthy Retirement and the Equality State Policy Center.  

Firefighter Joe Fender announces election bid, warns Legislature: "Don't mess with" state retirement system

From a Wyoming Democratic Party press release:

Cheyenne Fire Fighter Joe Fender has announced his plan to seek the Democratic nomination for the House District 7 seat in the Wyoming Legislature. 

Fender, a fifteen-year veteran of the fire service, is a lieutenant with the Cheyenne Fire & Rescue Department. “I have dedicated nearly my entire adult life as a public servant, so I see serving in the Legislature as a way for me to continue to give back to the community that has been so good to me and my family” said Fender. 

Fender said his strengths are his understanding of the legislative process as well as local issues directly affecting the citizens of House District 7. He said his neighbors are concerned about water quality. They are concerned that hydraulic fracturing will damage their drinking water and don’t want to wind up like the people in Pavillion. Fender believes Wyoming can continue the economic development of minerals while protecting the land and water for future generations. 

Fender’s experience as a fire fighter has helped him to understand the role the state can play in making sure Wyoming’s citizens get the critical services they deserve. He said a consistent plan must be put in place to make sure local communities have quality basic services such as safe, well-maintained roads, clean water, good schools and public safety.  

“We need to take a hard look at our finances and determine whether we should continue our current level of Mineral Trust Fund deposits,” said Fender “or whether it is time to invest some of that money into critical infrastructure, where it will directly affect the lives of the citizens of Wyoming”. 

Fender has several important issues for legislative attention. Wyoming ranks at the bottom of the nation in worker deaths and injuries as well as ranks at the bottom in gender gap equality, he noted.“Women in Wyoming make only 67 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts,” said Fender. Fender said Wyoming women are often forced into low-paying jobs, or forced to stay home altogether, because childcare costs eat up too much of their paychecks. “Mothers need access to quality childcare,” he said.

Fender said many citizens worry about where the Legislature is taking the public pension system. Some 89,000 people rely on the Wyoming retirements they have earned for their years of service, he said. Most of them reinvest that money right back into Wyoming’s economy. “The reality is that the average monthly retirement benefit for public employees in Wyoming is $1,200 a month,” said Fender. “Anything we do that interrupts that revenue stream will have serious consequences to retirees and local economies”. Fender said several studies show the Wyoming retirement system is actually one of the most stable in the country. The Wyoming Legislature shouldn’t mess with something that works, he added. 

Fender pointed out that he has considerable experience working with the Wyoming Legislature. “With five years of lobbying experience representing firefighters and public safety under my belt, I feel as though I have the knowledge, skills and abilities to represent my district by being responsive to the constituents.”

Good news from WPEA: Retirement bill fails introduction in Wyoming House

The Wyoming Public Employees Association reports this today:

HB91, sponsored by Representative Pedersen, a bill to change the Retirement System to a Defined Contribution program, failed to collect the required 2/3 votes of the House members today. The final vote count was 30 ayes and 30 noes; a no vote was the correct vote as it killed the bill.

So, the bill sponsored by Laramie County Republican Bryan Pedersen, failed introduction. It would have radically changed a solvent retirement system that is the envy among other states. One can only assume that this is attempt to certain Republicans to punish us terrible public workers – a trend we’ve seen in other Republican-dominated legislatures in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. But not all Repubs voted for a change only they believe in – note that some of the no votes came from Republicans. Thanks to moderates Del McOmie, Dave Zwonitzer, Owen Petersen, Rita Cannady, Pete Illoway and others. Special thanks to all of our House Democrats. And fie on those Laramie County Republicans who voted for the bill. That includes Rep. Pedersen and my Rep., Bob Nicholas.

The bill will return during next year’s lawmaking session. By then, let’s hope that voters have booted out some of the more regressive Republicans. Not likely, but hope springs eternal among Democrats in the reddest of red states. 

  

Here are the results of the roll call via the Legisweb site. 

Ayes:  Representative(s): Berger, Blikre, Bonner, Brechtel, Brown, Buchanan, Burkhart, Edmonds, Gay, Gingery, Greene, Jaggi, Kasperik, Kroeker, Krone, Lockhart, Loucks, Lubnau, Miller, Moniz, Nicholas B, Peasley, Pedersen, Quarberg, Reeder, Semlek, Stubson, Teeters, Wallis, Zwonitzer, Dn. 

Nays:  Representative(s): Barbuto, Blake, Botten, Byrd, Campbell, Cannady, Childers, Connolly, Craft, Davison, Eklund, Esquibel, K., Freeman, Goggles, Greear, Harshman, Harvey, Hunt, Illoway, Madden, McKim, McOmie, Patton, Petersen, Petroff, Roscoe, Steward, Throne, Vranish, Zwonitzer, Dv. 

Republican legislators trying to pull a fast one on Wyoming state employees

Fringe elements of the Wyoming State Legislature are trying to replace the state’s very successful pension system with a defined contribution plan or 401(k). One doesn’t have to be paranoid to suspect that this is in line with the current conservative meme that public workers are blood-sucking leeches on the body politic. We have seen this approach used to deadly effect in Wisconsin and Ohio and Florida and other states with Republican majorities.

Take a gander at the talking points issued by my union, the Wyoming Public Employees Association. WPEA has joined with the Wyoming AFL-CIO to stymie this Tea Party plan to short-change Wyoming state employees.  

Here is some information that you should know regarding the controversial defined contribution bill:

• A Defined Contribution System is too RISKY and too COSTLY for Wyoming.

• The Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) is NOT broken.

• The WRS is one of the top ten best funded systems in the US.

• Ten other states have determined that defined contribution plans are not efficient or cost effective.

• The largest state retirement plan represents about 55,000 Wyoming residents:

• 48% is comprised of teachers and school district employees.

• 22% is state employees.

• 13.3% is cities, towns and county employees.

• 6.6% is University of Wyoming and community colleges.

• 8.7% is all others including special districts, private non-profits, etc.

• A private accounts system will cost taxpayers considerably more.

• Switching plans could have serious economic and state government implications now and into the future.

• Defined benefit program offers stable, predictable retirement income.

• Defined contribution only offers the ability to transfer to another job.

• Defined contributions are usually cashed in and not transferred.

• Wyoming's public pension plans do not pay out lavish amounts to retirees.

• The average Wyoming retirement pension is $16,341 per year.

Keep a close eye on the actions this session and express your view on issues by contacting your Representatives and Senators. You can reach them by going to http://legisweb.state.wy.us where you will find information on how to contract your legislators directly.