A new Season:

Thursday –September 1, 2011

A new season:

When the month of September rolls along, I think of one season ending and a new one beginning. I think of the long hot days of summer and the cool October days of fall that lie ahead in just four more weeks.
When September comes along we celebrate the last holiday in summer. Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union of New York. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of the nation's trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day, because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair, which it had been observed to commemorate. All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory holiday.
This year, Labor Day has struck an ominous tone. The Unions are making it rough for any Republican to participate in any parade down Main Street in any city in the State of Wisconsin. This was in retaliation for the state’s Governor Scott Walker, who went up against the public service employee unions to reform their benefits and salary packages. After many weeks of protests and an absentee Senate, the Governor won the battle. Is this peaceful dissent by a so called peaceful union? Is this fair play and fair treatment that the unions demand from their employers? The Governor was elected by the will of the people to do just what he did. Doesn’t this matter anymore?
The other side of the labor story is the number of unemployed Union workers and non union workers who contribute to the total number of 9% unemployment in the country. We all know the true number is higher, but true accounting is never done by the government. Many people have fallen off the government’s statistics of being unemployed, because they don’t qualify for unemployment benefits anymore and are not counted. Some states have in excess of 16% unemployment.
On yesterday’s date, a year ago, the president was promising that a new jobs plan was in the works. He said he had his people on it. A year later, on today’s date, the president is saying the same thing. He will have a new plan that he will discuss with the nation next week. The exact date is yet unknown, because he wanted to address a joint session of Congress to announce it. John F. Kennedy said: “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”

On today’s date, in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. It wasn’t hung until a year later, but it was still a symbol that would have to be reckoned with in future years. Why is this important today’s FORUM? I had a conversation recently with some one that didn’t quite get the connection with Liberty and the Bell. I explained it the best I could and I believe I connected with that individual after the story. I went on to say that Liberty is everything. We couldn’t have our national celebrations, without liberty. We couldn’t be free to assemble and make our opinions know, without our liberty. The list went on and the discussion went onto other areas of freedom and independence, because liberty is also connected to these things as well. After all, there is the old saying, “give me liberty or give me death.”

It used to be that we were free to go out and find a job. We were free to quit one job for another job. It use to be that the free enterprise system practiced liberty and freedom and independence before regulations forced the work place to conform to federal regulations on who to hire, or hire certain people if you want federal assistance and federal contracts. There were a lot of things that used to be that are no longer.

This is why, on this particular Labor Day, it is important to take a stand on what you want to change for next Labor Day. The political season usually starts on Labor Day. It becomes a singular moment for many when they finally get a look at who they will vote for. We are a year out from next year’s political decisions. Take this year and this holiday to start with a plan review the President’s record and review the Senate’s record. You might find out that the House Record is not so bad after all.

There will be a new season to enjoy this year, its right around the corner. Take some time to enjoy this Labor Day. If you have a job, be thankful. If you don’t have a job, consider coming up with a new plan that will get you that new job.

Remember, the President will have a new jobs plan next week. I am sure that if it was left up to you to come up with a new plan, it would be a plan that would work a lot better than the ones we have seen so far from this President. After all, Labor Day is the holiday we celebrate labor.

John F. Kennedy, believe it or not, was conservative in many ways. He had a sense of history and a sense of being. He said:

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: Sometimes we should revert back to things that worked well so that the nation can go back to work - as Kennedy said: “Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” This is the start of a new season!