Mailbag: Labor woes not akin to slavery

(Re. “Union attacks have parallels to past,” Community Commentary Aug. 10): Speaking of slow news days and diatribes, Jamshed Dastur’s take on collective bargaining is hard to take seriously. Defending unions is expected from liberals, but to compare labor negotiations to a lesson on the Confederacy, slavery and states’ rights is ludicrous. The right to organize is OK with me, but when a public union’s demands on society become unsustainable, it’s time for the tail to stop wagging the dog.

It’s clear the majority of Americans agree that it’s time to rein in entitlements in the public sector, which cannot be paid for. Most disturbing is the seedy activity of union dues being directed to the Democrats’ election coffers so the unions can get their agenda advanced.

Dastur’s name-calling is not surprising. It’s what the left always does when their cause is up against the wall. Get used to it; generous entitlements for unions at the public trough are over.

Terry Johnston

Newport Beach

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Remember to buy American

I was stirred to react after seeing a newscast interview with the owners of New Balance shoes, which are made in the Northeast United States. The owners are struggling but determined to keep all of their 1,000 employees; yet they know Washington (the president) is primed to sign a bill allowing imported shoes from Vietnam. Are our leaders speaking out of both sides of their mouths?

New Balance is trying to keep jobs for their employees. And we’re led to believe our leaders are doing everything to grow the U.S. economy. Shouldn’t growing U.S. jobs be of utmost concern to everybody, including those holding any government office? Yet, some bill is to be signed contradicting that logical thinking.

I would like Americans to start a movement to buy goods made in America, thus, allowing those U.S. businesses to increase their sales. With that would come job growth. Welfare services would be less necessary.

Disposable income would exist and would be spend on “goods made in America” and those businesses would grow. And so on and so on. Would the U.S. for that time be exclusionary? You bet. For whatever time it takes, America will save itself. It’s nice to think we really could have control over something.

Jo Carol Hunter

Newport Beach