THE REAL MIKE VICK EXPERIENCE

Michael Vick is an Eagle. And although I was working on writing something about his situation, this changed the situation. It's different when it's "your own backyard." I supported #7 through everything from the beginning. I have a different perspective of athletes and owners than most, and I've never owned a dog. Two very important factors. Him becoming an Eagle, as surprising as it was, did not change my view of him. It only added to what I previously thought.

I didn't think he needed to apologize to anyone. Especially in order to play in the NFL. People like to say that "it's just a game" or a "privilege." That's incorrect. It's a BUSINESS first, then a "sport." Not a game. Games are what we played as kids. The NFL is no game and no privilege. The majority of NFL players have overcome adversity that "Joe the Plumber's" of the world cannot comprehend.

An athlete like Vick does not come around very often. His skills and pure athleticism are unparalleled. Smooth, fast, and fluid. He's a natural. He was born with the gift and was put on a pedestal at a young age. And up until 2007, it was business as usual.

Dog owners across the world were outraged! Specifically dog owners. It's great to have a companion that shows unconditional love; I get that. But just because you do, doesn't mean that people who think dogs are animals do not exist. No moral questions should arise out of how you treat dogs. I don't see anyone knocking on the door of "the guy down the street" who ties his dog to the tree through the winter. Or the one who let's them lick out of their beers.

Even the term "inhumane" is used out of context. Shortly after the allegations, NIKE suspended Vick's contract.

As we've said before, Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent.

Apparently, NIKE considers cruelty to HUMANS not only OK, but a business model. And somehow they hold the moral ground.



So the message I'm getting here is that it's OK to operate sweatshops and practice indentured servitude. Just don't kill dogs (you paid for on your property.)

This is what passes for "freedom and justice for all" these days. STOP WATCHING TV! F the court of public opinion.

Read. Please.

Or at least watch something that was not manufactured to get you to buy something. Or think something. Like "dogs >>> HUMANS."

Individuals like Michael Vick are used by the media to distract us. The same way "Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Mike “Iron Mike” Tyson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Etan Thomas" were used before. They are EFFECTS; not the cause.

MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL would not want you to know that they pay NO TAXES and are exempt from all fair competition laws. They also wouldn't want you to realize that the salaries paid to players are NOTHING compared to what they make (or don't have to pay) in a year.

Mostly from tax subsidies and using the players and coaches to sell their image.

BUDGET HOSTAGE, DAY 39: THE TRUTH

People have "their reasons" why they disregard politics. You have a "right" to do that, but don't forget the "responsibilities" that come along with your rights. It's easy to ignore the responsibilities in a democracy. And even easier to complain about the effects of the laws passed by those we ignore.

For many, politics seem so far away (in Washington or Harrisburg). But like anything, ignoring it doesn't make it disappear. We feel the effects whether we acknowledge it or not. And I had the pleasure of getting our voice heard by the highest level in our department. Even if disciplinary action doesn't happen, we've sent our message that we will not accept disrespect and sweatshop conditions. Or LYING!

That could not have been accomplished without the cooperation and inspiration of MANY. If a certain coworker would've named her baby Manhattan, instead of BROOKLYN!, things might not have turned out the same. =) The unity and awareness we've built must continue and be built upon.

I used to be in the frame of mind that "ALL politicians are greedy, corrupt liars." And because of this stance, disregarded politics. Then, I joined the military. This experience enlightened me to world of politics. In the end, it was a MAJOR factor when I decided to get out. Since about 1997, I've been following politics very closely. Our apathy has put us at a severe disadvantage. Hopefully, July 2009 has awaken the masses.



The people are the majority. Not the politicians. Proven by the struggle of PA state workers, politicians do not care about us. Moreover, they do not respect our numbers. This is based on our past and present attitude to accept what they do as "boys will be boys." And in particular in my workplace, "girls will be girls."

Even "office politics" should not be ignored or disregarded. My office is a smaller model of government. And right now we are being ruled by a tyrant. We must take the initiative to be informed to stop CURRENT operations and to prevent them in the future. Monday is going to be a new start for everyone. WE GET PAID THAT DAY TOO!

We will overcome this adversity. Many have before us. I would say the mistakes made by those before us was to forget it, instead of to remember it.

WE WILL REMEMBER!!!

"The only thing we've ever learned from history is that we don't learn from history." ~Anonymous

BUDGET HOSTAGE, DAY 36: TIME TO BE HEARD

On the same day the Senate OK's another $61 BILLION for food stamps, caseworkers are fighting to get their own. It's SO unbelievable, I have to say it's UNBELIEVABLY UNBELIEVABLE!!!

We're being treated like children, and it's driving me insane. For your own boss to deprive you of not only your pay, but your federal assistance on top of that, is inhumane. I truly do not have the vernacular to describe the current situation. Everywhere we're told to go for help is a dead end. And even worse, working against you.

Being paid NEXT week is NOT good news! Live off 70% of your pay for a month. And like it. And now the icing on the cake: PA House Democrats Got Paid YESTERDAY!!! WTF!

If anyone feels like this might apply to their personal circumstances, let me know because I'm working on a grievance. This is Article 36, Section 7 (pg 91) of the contract.

"Employees should be treated in a respectful manner which does not embarrass them or demean their dignity. The appropriate forum for addressing incidents which are inconsistent with this principal shall be the Labor-Management meetings under this Agreement."

Our working conditions contribute to our health, and working conditions SUCK! If you file a grievance, you will be included in the meeting. If you feel like I do, and want your voice heard, this is the time.

BUDGET HOSTAGE, DAY 35: BEGINNING OF A LONG WEEK

It's amazing what passes for good news these days. Today, house democrats gave the governor our paychecks. Now he needs to SIGN it. He knows exactly what he needs to veto and it should be done already. And the "business days" is bull$hit too. Business? If there is no penalty, interest or any other of the many TAXES we have been programmed to pay, it's not business!

By not signing the budget TODAY, he's making 77 THOUSAND HUMANS wait one more day for what they NEED. What could the governor possibly be doing that's more important than giving the Commonwealth its legs? We're not even asking for the guts.

For those who shy away from politics, DON'T! You don't have to be a politician; just an educated voter. For most people, the month of July was the greatest amount of adversity they've EVER had to overcome. To balance the universe, that hardship must be matched positively. But it doesn't just happen. You gotta make it happen. It doesn't happen without politics(unfortunately.)

It's a shame and an inspiration at the same time: the (late)power of the people. But many have become more aware. Proof is with the ongoing USDOL investigation. Not even half of the people who have valid complaints filed one. And the DOL no longer wants to handle the complaints. We have a RIGHT to file our complaints and we SHOULD.

BUDGET HOSTAGE, DAY 34: THE OFFICE

Today was a quiet day in the office. I noticed many empty cubicles. The spirit is gone. There might as well be a rain cloud hovering over the building. It's truly a depressing state. It hurts to smile; and it takes so much energy to do so. Maybe somber is a better way to describe the "workplace."

To make it even worse, our office is DARK. There are about 15 lights out in my section alone. Maybe we cannot order the lights because of the missing budget? Regardless the reason, it makes for a dreary climate.

This ideology of "the way things always have been" seems to trump common sense, simple human nature, and science. There is countless evidence that can be found on the State's OWN websites(including SEAP and Live and Work Well) that prove that our working conditions cause health problems.

Even when brought to the management FACE TO FACE, our concerns are ignored.

So tomorrow, in a best-case scenario, the Governor will sign some sort of budget to "allow" us to be paid. All the information I've read says that we'd receive WHAT WE'VE EARNED in 5 (business) days. That would mean next Tuesday, the 11th, we'd receive OUR money. And then receive our regularly scheduled pay check on the 14th.

I repeat, BEST-CASE SCENARIO.

That is still a long way off for most. This B-CS could still be the longest week of one's life. Be sure to file your complaint with the USDOL to ensure you get the "damages" the government feels you deserve. Even though we all know you cannot put a price on the damage.

BE STRONG!

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~ Plato

BUDGET HOSTAGE, DAY 33: AWARENESS

These days we are struggling through will not be forgotten. As unstable and emotionally distressed as people are, we must try to understand our circumstances. When the budget impasse finally comes to an end, we will feel relieved. What must be recognized and not forgotten is the effects of the impasse. It will take some months and others years to recover from the stress that has been caused.

A speedy recovery will be dependent on people's awareness. Many have already realized that this situation affects all those around them. Unfortunately, during challenging times, those the closest to us suffer the most. The best way to reduce the breadth of our hardship is to talk with those closest to us. DO NOT try to deal with it yourself.

According to the American Psychological Association's article "Tools for Tough Times:"

"It's really important for people to get educated on the effects because these things can really sneak up on you," he says. "Your economic situation is bad, you're having these problems in your marriage, and a lot of people don't realize these things are related to one another. If people can come to understand what can happen as a result of these problems, they'll be better equipped to cope with them."

So once we recognize our personal situations and deal as best we can with that, we must also remember how we got to this point. We all know that changes must be made, but are not quite sure WHAT needs changed. We must stay calm and level-headed. Emotions are dangerous. Many of the regrets we have in our lives came when we made emotionally-based decisions.

Firstly, WE must make a change. Ignoring politics has gotten us to the point where multi-BILLION dollar bailouts can be approved for banks in minutes. While the people, who are now involuntarily committed to paying for these bailouts, are told there is NO HELP. And it has now moved from 'no help' to withholding what the people have earned. We are paid for OUR TIME; not for the product produced. That is another change we must make. Let's put ourselves FIRST!



It takes a very "special" person to run for elected office. Like many of us, politicians gravitate towards a profession that brings out the best in them. Unfortunately for us, our current political climate rewards lying, corruption, greed, and "scratching backs." We have the power to stop this. Like anything, we must continue to pay attention and exercise our rights as taxpayers and citizens.

For example, we should take away from this budget crisis that ALL of Pennsylvania's elected officials disregarded state workers. NO ONE took a big enough stance to get workers paid and avoid violating federal law.

I'm also very interested in how the US Dept of Labor is going to handle the situation. The most recent information I've heard is that they've requested pay stubs up thru 7/3(7/17 paycheck). Glass half-full: they got enough evidence from these pay stubs to file suit. Glass half-empty: they're waiting to see WHEN a budget is signed (in a very "brush under the rug" sort of way.)

According to papers, 1500 complaints prompted the USDOL to stop accepting additional complaints and add a specific message to Commonwealth employees on their phone system. I hope that does not work against us. 1500 complaints out of 77,000 employees does not look good for our cause. We should continue to contact the USDOL to have our formal complaints filed.

Just understand that filing your formal complaint is the goal of the call. Be calm and rational. We now just want to show our numbers. The same way we did on July 28th.

"In politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing." ~ Mark Twain