Jeff Morris is running an impressive grassroots campaign to replace Wally Herger in California's Second Congressional District. Last week, Jeff earned the endorsement of United Public Employees of California, LIUNA Local 792 -- the first congressional candidate endorsement in the local's history.
Jeff has also received endorsements from the Five Counties California Labor Council; Carpenters Local Union #1599, Redding; the California Labor Federation AFL-CIO Committee On Political Education; the Operating Engineers Union No. 3, District 70, Redding; and UAW, Region 5.
Meanwhile, Wally received an embarrassing 4% rating from the AFL-CIO in 2007, just a baby step up from his truly dismal 0% rating in 2003.
Wally has spent the last 22 years doing everything he can to help wealthy business interests and doing almost nothing to help the hard-working citizens of District 2. He has consistently voted against raising the minimum wage, citing its effect on small business owners -- yet, when a 2007 minimum wage bill also contained tax breaks for small businesses, Herger still voted against it. Herger is also an outspoken supporter of the Bush administration's "free trade" policies, which have had dramatically negative effects on job security and wages for America's workers.
In fact, Herger has frequently voted against bills that would help workers, such as the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007 (would have established a system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, and provided for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts); Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007 (would have allowed service sector workers and public workers to be covered by trade adjustment assistance); a House Resolution supporting a bill to require the Secretary of Labor to issue interim and final occupational safety and health standards regarding worker exposure to combustible dust; and the Paycheck Fairness Act (would have provided more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex).
Not exactly a worker-friendly fellow, that Wally.
Jeff Morris, on the other hand, understands the critical difference between free trade and fair trade, which he explained to Wally in an op-ed piece last spring:
Trade agreements are not a bad thing, but unfettered free trade is a race to the bottom ... True fair trade, on the other hand, works to balance out subsidized industries with our own to ensure that all factors are considered when agreements are struck. Free trade is always about the bottom line. Fair trade is about a combination of profits and philosophical values and goals.
The only use of the word "fair" that I would use when it comes to unfettered free trade would be that the American economy, jobs and workers are fair game under free trade.
As a small business owner and local government official, Jeff Morris truly understands the needs and concerns of both business interests and workers. He has personally experienced the financial hardships that threaten the Main Streets of our small towns and rural communities. He's been there in the trenches, facing the problems at the local level and working hard to make real differences in the lives of the hard-working people of District 2. He understands that profitable businesses and fairness for workers are not incompatible concepts -- that we can have beneficial trade agreements while protecting local jobs and ensuring that rural economies stay strong.
Please go to Jeff Morris for Congress and give my brother your support! If the economy is hitting you too hard to allow a donation to his campaign, you can always write a letter to a District 2 newspaper supporting Jeff, or post a diary on this site or at a more local blog such as Calitics. Every person you reach is potentially one more vote, and in this election, every vote is going to count!
(cross-posted at Calitics)