Why does the chamber of commerce hate education?

A couple weeks ago the local chamber refused to come out against the govenors 3 billion dollars worth of education cuts. -cpg

From the Daily Marion.com

By Bruce Seaman

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has taken a moment away from sucking wealth from Florida taxpayers for its big corporate supporters to engage in smears and lies with a brand new radio ad. The ad claims that the Awake the State events planned on March 8th – the opening day of this year’s legislative session – will have union activists bussing in to central Florida, using “bully tactics,” claiming that government workers “don’t want to share in the sacrifices,” and that unions are simply “grappling for power and money.”

Voiced by Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson (pictured above), the greedy power broker himself suggests that average folks like him, his wealthy lobbyist Chamber chums, and the radio listener need to call in support of three central Florida Republicans, Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Heathrow), Rep. Scott Plakon (R-Longwood), and Rep. Jason Brodeur (R-Oviedo).

Why these three? They sponsored the union-busting legislation in the House. Yet Awake the State is happening in 20 locations (and counting) across Florida and has 5000 Facebook followers, the tip of the iceberg in interested individuals. In any case, some folks must be nervous.

The Chamber’s duplicity was noted here in a recent post on their “jobs creation” plan which had nothing to do with jobs creation and everything to do with using power and getting money. In fact, the Chamber is very supportive of putting about 9,000 more everyday, hard-working Floridians on the unemployment line as Governor Scott is advocating.

There is no plan for bussing in union people. Any union folks arriving from out of state probably came in a Winnebago on vacation. This is a grass roots event and gone viral, a swarm moving faster than pissed off African bees; no astro-turfing here.

The “bully tactics” planned for Awake the State include typical acts of freedom of speech, like sign waving and speeches. It’s all pretty tame compared to the Chamber’s campaigns that wrest money and wield power in Tallahassee.

After six – going on seven – years without raises, state workers were getting penalized when the economy and budget were in good shape. State workers know all about sacrifices and through collective bargaining would certainly work with government leaders on fair and balanced remedies, just as they have in Wisconsin (albeit to no avail).

Don’t think that the Chamber is expecting its corporate clients to share that sacrifice. Hell NO! On the contrary, they are counting on hefty windfalls from a reduction in the corporate income tax, a taxpayer-paid bailout of $630 million over 2 years on unemployment compensation costs, the elimination of regulations, and the preservation of all tax exemptions and loopholes and perks. They won’t be “sharing the sacrifice;” they’ll be reaping the profits!

“Power and money” are suddenly dirty words to the Chamber which has made its reputation on grabbing power and money for its greedy cohort. A challenge by those opposed to the Chamber’s legalized theft of the state treasury for its benefactors, daring to organize and exercise their freedom of speech with hardly any funding (compared to Chamber outlays) for this grass roots uprising is something they cannot tolerate.

Find an Awake the State rally near you and register by visiting the web site, or begin organizing your own event. Stand up to the lies and smears of those who want to steal the American Dream, and bring a friend or two.

http://www.dailymarion.com/2011/03/03/scared-florida-chamber’s-lies-and-smears-about-“awake-the-state”/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter