Support Verizon Workers!

Filed in National by on April 14, 2016

Verizon is a despicable, union-busting, company. My brother-in-law is on strike. He looks like skin and bones after working mandatory 6-days a week, 12 hour shifts.

Whatever you do, support the strikers. Here’s a great article laying out in detail what’s at stake here:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/15/the-verizon-standoff-and-the-future-of-labor-communication-and-privacy/

Some key excerpts:

The current ownership of the Verizon Communications Corporation is one of the most militantly anti-union groups in the country. Their CEO Lowell McAdam has been public about his intention to “kill the copper”, eliminating all the landline service within the Verizon network…

Verizon as a company is in fact two extremely segregated workforces, the unionized wire telecom services provider and the nonunion wireless provider. By eliminating the wireline business, including copper cable and FiOS fiber optic, the company would be able to justify a significant series of layoffs, diluting the union presence…

Here’s how you can help:

http://standuptoverizon.com/

I also want to thank my presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, for standing strong with the Verizon workers, and to castigate his opponent, Hillary Clinton, for wrapping herself in Verizon cash. The distinction between the priorities of the two could not be clearer.

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Comments (45)

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  1. puck says:

    How much money do each of us send to Verizon each month? Cut the cable; there is plenty to watch on TV without premium channels. Switch wireless providers or at least switch to a cheaper plan.

  2. Delaware Dem says:

    Verizon workers disagree with your last paragraph.

  3. Delaware Dem says:

    Really, your last paragraph is despicable. You should be ashamed.

  4. pandora says:

    It really is becoming tiresome. Then again, everyone not supporting Bernie is just a “Corporate Democratic Whore”. And then there was this line: “”Too many people have died for the right to vote, and too many people have died because of who is currently running.” Seriously, the rhetoric coming from Bernie surrogates is crossing the line. I expect lines like this at a Trump rally.

  5. stuart says:

    End the Oligarchy!!!!

    Triple Bottom Line!!!!!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIcqb9hHQ3E

  6. Jason330 says:

    Mr. “Sanders can go Fuck Himself” is really going to be the arbiter of what people should be ashamed of?

  7. pandora says:

    You can have a problem with DD’s opinion (it sure wasn’t the way I would have worded something), but the post stated a fact that wasn’t true. I would hope it would be corrected.

  8. aaanonymous says:

    What part is factually untrue?

    The fact that your candidate is a corporate whore does not make you a corporate whore — just a lover of a corporate whore.

  9. Ben says:

    Clinton receiving money form private citizens who also happen to work for Verizon is no more damning than Obama’s association with Bill Ayres. Correlation, nothing else. People keep saying Clinton is being dishonest… why is it so hard to fathom that she could be dishonest to her mega donors? Take their money, win the election, then stamp them out.

  10. pandora says:

    Consider this a warning, AAA. Clean up your act.

  11. aaanonymous says:

    A warning? For asking what was untrue? What’s your problem?

  12. aaanonymous says:

    Clear this up for me: Where has anyone called you a “corporate whore”? You are the one who introduced this phrase, claiming people are calling you one. I was pointing out the distinction between insulting Hillary and insulting you. If you can’t tell the difference, you are further gone than I thought.

  13. Ben says:

    *cough* stop calling people whore *cough*

  14. puck says:

    The Knights Who Say “Ni” demand a sacrifice!

  15. kavips says:

    Seriously, under the old rules, Clinton receiving what actually amounts to paltry donations would be brushed off. No one really is taking that claim of being in bed with them seriously but when you are in the business of throwing mud, whatever mud you get your hands on will do…

    But like a political cartoon which in itself is a meaningless scribble that one can barely call art, ( I do, btw), the suggestion which it is able to make, can cut through a lot of background noise and give a person a full sense of exactly what is happening at the moment.

    In this case, Verizon is a bad guy… Seriously I don’t know anyone who likes them and that primarily comes from dealings with their customer service. So anyone who supports those standing up to a bad guy, gets hero status… Anyone connected to the bad guy gets blemished…

    It’s not rocket science. Hillary well knew the risk of soliciting big donors and probably still sees it as a tactic necessary for going as far as she can go. And win or lose, it is not going to be because she convinced more of Delaware Liberal’s contributors to her side then did her opponent. It will be because she won New York. And if that doesn’t happen, then …. maybe it will come done to the war on these pages… lol.

  16. Ben says:

    Keep in mind, she has to do a lot more than lose NY for it to matter. Under the current, legal, and pre-agreed upon rules she could lose 56-44 and still net more delegates.

  17. cassandra_m says:

    I’d get rid of Verizon in a minute if I could replace my (really fantastic) DSL service with something else fast and reasonably priced and really reliable. Any ideas?

  18. Ben says:

    There’s nothing….. although, major kudos for having DSL…. seriously that’s hipster AF. (i do mean that in a good way)
    You can have Verizon, who is evil…. Comcast, who is also evil… or crappy internet service, thus putting you at a disadvantage at a higher cost. This is a case where the government can affect massive sweeping change. We need to accept that internet access is as vital to every day life as electricity. maybe not water… but definitely electricity. It should be regulated like a utility.

  19. Prop Joe (Hawkeye) says:

    “The fact that your candidate is a corporate whore does not make you a corporate whore — just a lover of a corporate whore.”

    Sometimes I find myself ashamed at coming onto this blog and exchanging comments on a platform also frequented by thoughts such as that. I know you’re going to tell me you don’t give a fuck what I’m ashamed of or whatever hand-wringing I might do, but how about a little decorum… Arguments can made just as emphatically and insightfully without calling people “whore lovers.”

  20. cassandra_m says:

    This is a case where the government can affect massive sweeping change.

    This is a case where we need to be a Google Fiber city.

  21. puck says:

    It should be regulated like a utility

    Well, not like Delmarva anyway, under Delaware’s electric competition. Have you seen the kinds of scamsters that turn up when you go to search for an alternate electric provider?

  22. pandora says:

    Thanks, Prop Joe. I’m not sure why some people are so comfortable tossing out that gendered word.

  23. Ben says:

    Oh yes! I too gleefully await my Google overlords.

  24. puck says:

    I understand the W word to be gender-neutral when used in politics. But then, I’m a guy. For some, I suppose the W word does make your ears prick up.

  25. cassandra_m says:

    Not gender neutral when pointed at a woman at any time.

  26. pandora says:

    Not gender neutral at any time. And there are plenty of words like this tossed around that people using them say, “I didn’t mean it that way – you know, the way it’s defined in the actual dictionary.” If you have to explain it, you’ve already lost the argument.

    Come on, people. We’re adults. Use your words. If you can’t make your point without words like this, then you don’t have a point.

  27. Ben says:

    Out of a desire to not use that word… yet still convey the meaning of someone who sells their allegiance to the highest… and oft times… seediest bidder… do we go with…

    Shill? ( I looked up the etymology and it ISNT anti-semetic like I always thought)

    Lap-dog? Could be a compliment to some… hell, I wanna get pampered all day and not have to give a crap about anything other than THAT CRAZY RED DOT IS BACK!!!

    Lackey? I think I like lackey. It’s demeaning enough to impart that whoever you are referring to has a master, yet fairly neutral across all lines.

  28. Ben says:

    by the way.. AAA… http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/hillary-clinton-whore-remark-221931

    So yes, people are throwing around that term… and Bernie, mensch that he is… puts those twits in their place.

  29. puck says:

    The search is on for an alternate word that is gender neutral. if we now speak of firefighters rather than firemen, we can do this too.

  30. Prop Joe (Hawkeye) says:

    “I am very sorry for using the term ‘whore’ to refer to some in congress who are beholden to corporations and not us. It was insensitive,” Song tweeted Wednesday night.

    Wow… What a noble apology…

  31. Ben says:

    Yeah, no defense for that guy, but Sanders was right in cutting him out swiftly.

  32. Prop Joe (Hawkeye) says:

    Interesting tidbit from DailyKos: When his (Dr. Song) wife’s sister was captured in North Korea, then Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was responsible for ensuring her release. Former President of the United States William (“Bill”) Clinton personally made the trip to North Korea to negotiate for the release of Laura Ling and Eunah Lee from North Korean captivity.

  33. Prop Joe (Hawkeye) says:

    I’ll hand it to Bernie… Dude cuts right to the chase, no mincing words on his disavowals or apologies. It’s rare you see a public figure use the elusive words “I am sorry” without attempting to backtrack on it or get cutsey with the phrasing, like Dr. Jackass who started the little dustup.

  34. pandora says:

    When it comes to the point of the offensive comments, directed at Hillary and President Obama, I become confused. Wasn’t Bernie touting his part in helping to write the ACA – not Medicare for all, the ACA. I’m fine with that, btw, but, sheesh, which is it?

  35. Dave says:

    “When his (Dr. Song) wife’s sister was captured in North Korea…”

    In gratitude, Ms. Ling named her daughter after Bill Clinton – Li Jefferson Clayton. So his niece is named after the whore’s husband who helped free his sister-in-law.

    Well…words fail me with this one.

  36. Prop Joe (Hawkeye) says:

    Well, when you unnecessarily repeat the use of the offending word, the yes, your words are definitely failing you…

    Or perhaps I completely missed the intended meaning…

  37. pandora says:

    Here we go again. Another Sander’s surrogate. This is becoming a feature, not a bug, of his campaign. After you’re done reading the link take a look at Sanders’ unfavorable ratings.

  38. Just got home from work. Checked out the Support Verizon Workers thread. Didn’t recognize it. Yet another thread hijacked by the Clintonistas.

    DD–you wrote:

    “Really, your last paragraph is despicable. You should be ashamed.”

    You should be ashamed at turning everything on this blog into the Clinton 24 -hour rapid response war room. What I stated in that sentence, and what was apparent in that link is true. Hillary Clinton HAS wrapped herself in Verizon cash:

    A $225,000 paid speech to Verizon corporate. Is she gonna release that one?

    Donations from numerous Verizon executives, including at least one former staffer of hers.

    Up to $250,000 from Verizon for the Clinton Foundation. Verizon corporate is all over subcommittees of the Foundation.

    So, what exactly is despicable about what I wrote? And, Pandora, what phony lie are you demanding that I correct this time?

    And, of course, the thread has been hijacked by people outraged over the term ‘corporate whore’ (which I did not use). Where was all that outrage when we used that term to describe Tom Carper and the rest of the Delaware delegation for years? I didn’t see one of the ‘outraged’ express, um outrage over that. But, this, of course is different. Is it then OK if we call Bill Clinton a corporate whore and Hillary a corporate lackey? I await the decision of the correctness police.

    Because the point I was making is that Bernie marched with these guys back in October and promised he’d stand with them when they went out on strike, and did. How can anybody with the kind of corporate ties to Verizon that Hillary has be expected to stand up for the workers? THEY didn’t make her/them rich.

    DD, you are making this blog unreadable. Your dismissiveness is, um, despicable. This is a liberal fucking blog, and it’s time you stop pissing all over anybody who doesn’t drink the Clinton Kool-Aid.

    I, for one, am pretty sick of reading my own blog.

  39. ben says:

    Of course, Slick “you’re defending the people who kill your children” Willy gets a pass for everything he’s said… and likely will say. Why not tie Reverend Wright to Obama while you’re at it? If we’re going to start talking nasty features of a campaign and unavailability ratings….. I hope everyone is ready to tell the truth.
    Im fine raining brimstone down on Sanders Surrogates who step out of line, as long as every one is honest about “their side”.

  40. ben says:

    “Where was all that outrage when we used that term to describe Tom Carper and the rest of the Delaware delegation for years? I didn’t see one of the ‘outraged’ express, um outrage over that. ”

    Thats something that has really been bothering me. Not the term so much, but for as long as I’ve been subjecting everyone here to my dumb opinion, there seems to have been a consensus that we expected more liberalism and progressiveness from our elected Democrats. Now one comes along that isnt Hillary and all of a sudden everyone is for small steps and compromise with the middle. Can you still be against CerperBot yet for Hillary? I see very little difference between the two.

  41. Tom Kline says:

    Bernie is a socialist who has never held a private sector job since college. Folks he will be long forgotten in six months and probably retired on a big taxpayer pension within a year or two.

  42. pandora says:

    First, your post doesn’t include the fact that Hillary stood with the protesters too – not just Bernie.

    Second, you say that because she takes corporate money she won’t stand up for workers. I get this is the main message, and is why all these slurs are being thrown around by supporters, but can you prove that?

    Third, if you want to write a glowing post about Sanders then do that. You drew Hillary into this post with your closing comment. But I’ll be sure to restrain myself in the future.

    I’ll also point out when I put up a thread asking why I wasn’t feeling the Bern, here is your comment:

    El Somnambulo says:
    February 9, 2016 at 3:57 pm (Edit)

    The one-trick is the most important trick: End economic inequality, restore fairness to the economy.

    What Hillary Clinton suggests with her ‘progressive pragmatism’ is that such a goal is not attainable, therefore it is foolish to pursue it. Music to the ears of Goldman Sachs. Which is a disqualifier for me.

    Oh, and in terms of vetting your candidate, maybe someone should have vetted those six-figure speeches that Hillary gave to her corporate overlords. Instead, we’ve got the Nixonian ‘I’ll release mine if you release yours’. Which is the kind of crap that’s bothered me about the Clintons since Bill was in the White House. You don’t think that drip-drip-drip will follow her throughout her campaign?

    BTW, Bill is not the secret weapon he once was. His screed against Sanders supporters has a ‘get off my lawn’ quality to it. The rascally charm is absent.

    So if we are supposed to stay on topic…

    As far as the use of gendered words, I could add thousands of links to my posts and comments on this subject. Did I comment every time it happened – nope, and I’m sure I didn’t see all of them. As far as awaiting for correctness police… Whoa, labeling a complaint as political correctness doesn’t seem in line with a “liberal fucking blog”.

    I’m sorry you’re sick of reading your blog. I’m sick of reading gender slurs on your blog. I actually thought our commenters reached an agreement in this comment section. Hey, progress!

    There’s a primary going on – which explains a lot of the passion. And it’s a shame that Bernie’s surrogates, yet again, took his campaign off message. But if this bothers you why don’t you put yourself in Clinton supporters shoes and read the comments directed at them and their candidate on your blog. Are those comments okay with you? (Personally, I’m fine with 99% of those comments. I’m also fine with calling them out.)

  43. puck says:

    @Ben…. I don’t think everyone here has as much of a problem with Carper/Coons/Carney as others do. Everyone is entitled to their own litmus test.

  44. cassandra_m says:

    DD, you are making this blog unreadable. Your dismissiveness is, um, despicable. This is a liberal fucking blog, and it’s time you stop pissing all over anybody who doesn’t drink the Clinton Kool-Aid.

    Pot.Kettle.Black.

    Substitute Clinton Kool-aid for your presumed authority on Who Is A Progressive.

    If you are going to be here with a strong POV, then you can’t object to others with their own strong POVs. Engage it or scroll by if you don’t like it.

  45. Liberal Elite says:

    @c “Pot.Kettle.Black.”

    If the latest NY polls are accurate (and maybe with a little luck), this will all be over in 5 days. It will be good to put this phase of the campaign behind us.