Friday,
June 29, 2001
by Jacquelyn Horkan, Editor
HAS IT REALLY BEEN 225 YEARS?
Next week we celebrate the 225 anniversary of
the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. If you’re looking for a
way to mark the occasion, why not write a letter to your U.S. representative
and senators urging their support of H.R. 1109 and S. 873.
These two bills — commonly referred to as the
National Right-to-Work Acts — are the latest version of an ongoing effort
to excise an unseemly wart on the nation’s labor law. Under federal law,
unions can force workers at certain job sites to pay union dues as a
condition of their employment. These so-called union shops are banned in
states with right-to-work laws, but only 21 states (including Florida) have
enacted such laws. That leaves eight million workers in 29 states who, as
the National Right to Work Committee (http://nrtwc.org) eloquently
explains, "must surrender part of every paycheck to keep their
jobs."
Compulsory union dues — a part of federal law
for 60 years — has rarely faced a serious challenge. In fact, the first
roll call vote ever held in Congress on the repeal of forced dues only took
place five years ago. George W. Bush is the first American president to
pledge his support to the Right to Work Act.
Right now, only two Florida congressmen —
Reps. Dan Miller and Adam H. Putnam — have signed on as co-sponsors of the
act; neither of Florida’s senators support the upper chamber’s measure.
So do your little bit to commemorate that
glorious July day in Philadelphia. Let your elected representatives in
Washington, D.C., know that American workers deserve the right to decline
union membership just as much as they do the right to accept it.
A VULTURE IN GOP CLOTHING
The appointment of Sen. Jim Horne as head of the
state’s new education bureaucracy necessitated a special election for his
vacated seat in Senate District 6. So far the race has attracted four
Republicans, no Democrats, and one write-in. Of the five, only two are
serious contenders: former state Rep. Stephen Wise and W.C. Gentry, a
Jacksonville trial lawyer.
Yes, you read that right. A trial lawyer is
running for state office as a Republican, but he’s not the first. Last
year, Stuart trial attorney Joe Negron won his seat in District 82 as a
Republican, beating out the incumbent, Art Argenio. Negron was the trial
balloon in the new trial-lawyer scheme of fielding Republican candidates in
selected districts. Gentry’s bid is an especially brazen example of the
strategy.
Senate District 6 rings portions of Clay, Duval,
and St. Johns counties. Republicans account for 49 percent of registered
voters, while 36 percent are Democrats and 15 percent are registered as
other. During the 1990s Republicans candidates won handily there in
statewide races. Gentry was a registered Democrat until August 26 of last
year. It’s not a long journey to reach the conclusion that his party
switch is a cynical and opportunistic move.
Gentry also holds one of the loftiest
qualifications for the title business enemy: He was one of the lawyers
involved in the slam-dunk litigation against the tobacco industry. As a part
of Lawton Chiles’s so-called "Dream Team," Gentry walked away
from the settlement with a $200 million paycheck. Gentry has promised to
spend up to $500,000 of his own money to win the seat.
Gentry’s riches, which many in the business
community consider scandalous, automatically turns him into a political
heavyweight. Stephen Wise, a seasoned politician, enjoys better name
recognition, but in the shortened time frame of a special election he finds
himself at a distinct disadvantage when facing Gentry’s well-stocked
campaign larder.
After the tobacco settlement, political veterans
wryly observed that the trial lawyers were sure to invest some of their
ill-gotten gains in politics. Little did we expect that the candidates on
the receiving end of the trial lawyers’ munificence would be themselves.
DUBYA DOLLARS
The 10-year, $1.35-trillion tax cut signed by
President Bush on June 7 may fall short of its promise to put the spurs to
the nation’s economy. One of the sillier elements of the bill is the
provision to return money to taxpayers, which is supposed to help matters by
boosting consumption. The weakness we’re feeling now, however, is a
vestige of reduced investment not a lack of consumer buying.
Nevertheless, there is something thrilling about
getting money back from the government that you never expected to see again.
In the next couple of weeks you will get a letter from the Internal Revenue
Service letting you know whether or not you’ll get a check, but here’s
an advance peak at the rules governing the amounts of the checks and the
schedule for mailing them.
Single taxpayers who paid federal income taxes
for 2000 could receive up to $300, while heads of households could get up to
$500 and married couples could receive up to $600. If you’re listed as a
dependent on another person's 2000 tax return you won’t get a check.
The last two digits of the primary filer’s
Social Security number determine when the refund check will be mailed, as
follows:
- 00-08: July 23
- 09-17: July 30
- 18-26: August 6
- 27-35: August 13
- 36-43: August 20
- 44-51: August 27
- 52-59: September 3
- 60-67: September 10
- 68-75: September 17
- 76-83: September 24
- 84-91: October 1
- 92-99: October 8
You don’t have to do anything to receive the
check, unless you have moved and have not filed a change of address with the
post office, in which case you should file a Form 8822, "Change of
Address," with the IRS.
Visit the IRS Web site (http://www.irs.treas.gov/ind_info/apinfo/index.html)
for more information.
