WE ARE ONE

This is the catch phrase used by the AFL-CIO.

A previous entry showed a luncheon sponsored by MALF (AFL-CIO) which was attended by Randy Parraz, Geoff Esposito and Carolyn Cooper.

Those who spoke included Senator Steve Gallardo and Rebekah Friend (Arizona Director for the AFL-CIO who replaced Randy Parraz).

Gallardo criticized the nerve of the TEA Party legislators for daring to talk about Obamacare by referring to it as "socialized medicine."  He said,

They have the morality to cut 100's of thousands of people off our Medicaid system but they do not have the morality to cut their own health care.  Folks, if we're going to cut my people off health care, we need to cut OUR health care first!  Governor Brewer and members of the legislature including Senate President, Russell Pearce, have lived off government paid health care....let's call it what it is....government paid health care.  If we have the morality to kick off 180,000 of our people off our health care system, we should have the morality to cut our health care first.

Let's break this down, shall we?

For starters, let's call it what it REALLY is which is NOT "government paid health care".

It is TAXPAYER PAID HEALTH CARE.

Secondly, unless it has been overlooked, we can't seem to find any legislation proposed by Senator Gallardo which would make it so that legislators would no longer be able to receive taxpayer funded health care.  It is, according to Senator Gallardo, the "moral" thing to do.  However, it is curious as to why he hasn't personally taken action to cut the health care perks that the legislature is afforded and paid for by the citizens including the union members in the room that day.  So, really, by calling out the Governor and Senator Pearce as having lived off "government paid health care", he is also cleverly deflecting the fact that he, himself, is a partaker of the same government trough.

And by the way, who are "my people"?


At the same meeting was the Arizona AFL-CIO/lobbyist, Rebekah Friend.
She also piled on the "I hate Russell Pearce" bandwagon,

"I want to talk to you about Senate President Russell Pearce.  This year, there is more anti-worker, anti-union legislation this year than any year in the history of the Arizona legislature and guess whose name is on it?  Russell Pearce has signed onto every piece of anti-worker, anti-public employee, anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-ill person, anti-working mother and father in the state of Arizona.  So, what do we do about that?  (crowd yells "RECALL")

Randy Parraz....will you stand up for me?  Randy Parraz is running an effort in LD18 to recall Russell Pearce.  Russell Pearce hates everyone in this room.  I guarantee you, there's no one in this room he likes.  I need you to do something today.  I need you, if you live in LD18 or know anyone in LD18.  Randy has petitions here today.  Find him and sign those petitions.  If you don't live in LD18, give him five dollars."

Ms. Friend is a good "friend" of Randy Parraz.

They participated in a march/protest against John McCain in 2008.
A Working Families United for Change rally in 2008.
They both spoke at a CWA meeting on September 11, 2010.