Sunday, October 14, 2012

NaBloWriMo #14~~Whatever Happened to "Secret" Ballots?~~

The newest and worst of the scare tactics that some business owners are going to to make sure that their employees are toe-ing the line is really just pissing me off.

A second CEO has declared that if his employees dare to vote for Obama that they are gonna lose their jobs.  Come ON!!! That is so NOT FAIR!!!

The first Bastage sent an email to all his employees:
Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.
However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest.
[...]
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

How the HELL can he even do that and sleep at night?!

Now this second Asshat has stepped up to the throne of douche-baggery, also sending his employees an email:

Many of you have been with ASG for over 5, 10, 15, and even 20 years. As you know, together, we have been able to keep ASG an independent company while still growing our revenues and customers. But I can tell you, if the US re-elects President Obama, our chances of staying independent are slim to none. I am already heavily involved in considering options that make our independence go away, and with that all of our lives would change forever. I believe that a new President and administration would give US citizens and the world the renewed confidence and optimism we all need to get the global economies started again, and give ASG a chance to stay independent. If we fail as a nation to make the right choice on November 6th, and we lose our independence as a company, I don’t want to hear any complaints regarding the fallout that will most likely come. [...]
I am asking you to give us one more chance to stay independent by voting in a new President and administration on November 6th. Even then, we still might not be able to remain independent, but it will at least give us a chance. If we don’t, that chance goes away.

To the best of my rather limited knowledge, voting is sposta be a private, secret, thing. There is NO WAY that an employer can threaten, even INDIRECTLY, your jobs if you don't vote HIS way! 

Another blogger wrote this way back in '06:
Talk about coercion usually centers on lead-pipe scenarios, where somebody issues a direct threat to a voter. Nice kneecaps you have there … be a shame if something unfortunate should happen to them.
But coercion needn’t be so direct. Consider this scenario: Big Johnny is a powerful man in town. Disturbing rumors swirl around him, but nothing has ever been proven. Big Johnny is pals with the mayor, and it’s no secret that Big Johnny wants the mayor reelected. The word goes around town that Big Johnny can tell how you vote, though nobody is quite sure how he does it. When you get to the polling place, Big Johnny’s cousin is one of the poll workers. You’re no fan of the mayor, but you don’t know much about his opponent. How do you vote?
What’s interesting about this scenario is that it doesn’t require Big Johnny to do anything. No lawbreaking is necessary, and the scheme works even if Big Johnny can’t actually tell how you vote, as long as the rumor that he can is at all plausible. You’re free to vote for the other guy, but Big Johnny’s influence will tend to push your vote toward the mayor. It’s soft coercion.

Listen to this codswallop,too, from some one of the big money guys:

In These Times also reported today that a company owned by billionaire right-wing activists David and Charles Koch sent pro-Romney mailers to its employees. The mailer gives a veiled warning that, if Obama is reelected, “then many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills.”


In my ridiculously black and white vision, these assholes need to be beaten with a whiffle ball bat, and a rubber hose...Or maybe even worse, work at a minimum wage job for six months and see how we actually live!


This is a great bill from Israel describing a way to end this coercion, which is exactly what these bajillionaires are actually doing.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150039#.UHthFm80WSo



This is just not fucking right!  

These poor people need to decide whether it's better to vote their conscience or to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. 

What a helluva choice to hafta make.

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