NYC Council Takes Action Against Arizona For Legislative Bigotry

California and various cities within were a few of the first government entities to condemn Arizona for the highly controversial SB1070. In the few weeks since the racial profiling law passed, the outrage against the bill has been fierce across the nation and even the world.

Meanwhile, supporters contend that this is in response to rising crime (not true) and that racism has nothing to do with the legislation (if so, explain this other racist legislation Arizona passed). Regardless of Arizona's claims of innocence, Americans outside the Copper State realize the totalitarian and apartheid-like movement within and are rapidly creating distance between those that value immigrants and those that do not. Thankfully that will now include the mecca of America's immigrants, New York City.

From WNBC:

The City Council announced a resolution Wednesday calling for a boycott of the state of Arizona--a reaction to the recent law that allows police officers the right to ask residents to provide immigration documentation.

Two major potential targets for the boycott include U.S. Airways, which is based in Arizona, and Major League Baseball, which is holding its 2011 All-Star Game in Arizona.

The move was introduced by Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez and co-sponsored by Council Members Margaret Chin, daniel Dromm, Robert Jackson, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Rosie Mendez, Jumaane Williams, and the Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio.

If Arizona wants to (further) marginalize an entire ethnicity within their state, they will pay a heavy price for it and now New York City has placed itself on the right side of this debate. Hopefully this will continue to propel the movement against Arizona and their legislature, putting an increasing load of economic pressure and shame until they realize just how wrong that bill was.

Boycotting Stella D'Oro

This isn't a boycott about the taste, or some new ingredient that's going into the products at Stella D'Oro. No, the reason why I, and many activists in the New York (and possibly further out) area are not buying from them anymore is because of how the workers are being treated. A long time ago it was a great family-owned company to work for, but now that corporate America has gotten its tentacles into the Bronx bakery something has got to give before I pick up another one of their packages.

From The Huffington Post:

Stella D'oro, which was once an iconic, national, premium Italian-style biscuit brand, was also once a successful family-owned firm acquired by RJR Nabisco, then taken over by Kraft when RJR Nabisco broke up (in the wake of the disastrous KKR LBO). Stella was run into the ground by its corporate overseers, then dumped to private equity earlier this decade when Kraft began to dispose of "non-core" assets under pressure from Wall Street. Workers there have been represented by the Bakers' union since 1964.

Apparently the PE guys see the modest union contract of the older, experienced work force as a good target for their next round of pillaging. In the first round, the company disposed of its unionized route sales drivers by outsourcing distribution to a non-union company.

This time, Stella's new owners have gone directly at the workforce, ignoring the National Labor Relations Act and demanding steep wage and benefit cuts with no opportunity for the workers and their union to bargain. The National Labor Relations Board, after the usual delay and indecision issued a "refusal to bargain" complaint charging the company with violating the law. The case only went before a federal judge last week; American labor law is so broken that it may take years for justice to prevail.

Corporate mismanagement, predatory private equity, the destruction of an iconic brand and now an attempt to destroy the livelihoods of modest working families, the story at Stella D'oro pretty well sums up all that's been happening over the past two decades with the financialization of the food and manufacturing sectors generally. The workers and their union, an affiliate of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, AFL-CIO have decided they have had enough.

Reducing the wages of these workers for the next five years is nothing short of corporate greed at its worst. Thankfully, the long-time employees aren't taking this lying down and neither is the area where the factory operates. Just this weekend another huge outpouring of community support was shown for the workers' plight. For far too long corporate America has taken advantage of workers across the country and it is time to stand up against them, whether it be at a bakery or not.

Democrats.com Play Into "Loony Left" Meme

Michael Goodwin of the Daily News is a buffoon for opining that those that protested in front of Schumer's home this week were "loony." Yet for Democrats.com to try and boycott the paper is a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Goodwin probably should apologize, be fired or at least reprimanded for his column, but discarding the Daily News is a little bit too much.

To some degree, the Daily News is a rag. Nevertheless there are plenty of good attributes about this one of many New York City papers. Would a New York progressive scoff at their post today giving Democrats the chance to show that yesterday's election was "At most, this was a status quo election, with a few Democratic pickups." Nah, I am certainly not. Sure, the article also gives the Republicans a chance to talk back, but a true rag would never give two sides of a partisan debate equal weight.

Oh and that whole subway fare increase issue? The Daily News is one of the leaders in going after the M.T.A. and pointing out that it is not the time for an increase in what we pay to ride underground. Tell me how many Democrats are arguing in favor of paying more for a MetroCard? There are definitely not many out there.

So is the Daily News perfect? Of course not. Neither is the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and a whole host of daily publications. I read all of those papers and disagree with them often, but that doesn't mean I will boycott a newspaper based on one lousy editorialist.

Staten Island Screams At Ice Cream

I for one, love ice cream, especially local brands that bring a fresh flavor to the scene. Apparently a few people in Staten Island disapprove of 5 Burroughs Ice Cream company's new flavor that represents that island south of the city. What could possibly be wrong with vanilla ice cream mixed with brownie chunks, chocolate crunchies, chocolate fudge and cherries? Well if it represents the Staten Island landfill, I guess you might see a few raised eyebrows in Richmond County.

From The Gothamist:

Staten Island is not having a good week. In addition to the outrage over the weird ad copy appearing in part of a Virgin Mobile campaign, the borough’s president has also called for an ice cream boycott. Last Friday, a perturbed James P. Molinaro wrote a letter to Scott and Kim Myles, husband and wife co-owners of the Queens-based 5 Boroughs Ice Cream company. Someone had shown Molinaro a copy of a flyer printed off the 5B website, meant to help persuade local specialty food storeowners to carry the ice cream. There are currently eight 5B flavors, all made in small batches; each is named after a NYC locale or neighborhood. For Molinaro and many Staten Islanders, the offending ice cream flavor is Staten Island Landfill- a swirly mix of brownies, fudge, crunchies, and cherries in a vanilla base. Molinaro objects to what he considers old hat outer borough typecasting; the Staten Island Advance quotes his letter to the company as saying "I am hard-pressed to think of a more insulting and derogatory attack in the name of consumerism.”

I personally think that sounds incredibly good and its much healthier than eating scraps out of the actual landfill. Molinaro seriously needs to lighten up. Come on James, stop complaining and go get yourself a pint and a spoon (and maybe some whipped cream if you are feeling adventurous).