Brothers and Sisters:
St. Patrick’s Day is upon us. Do not forget to join IUEC Local 17 at the Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade Monday, March 17th. As usual, the parade kicks off at 1 pm from East 18th and Superior. The Local will have a truck for children and adults to ride as well as our brigade of marchers. This is a family friendly event that draws children of all ages. Do not miss the chance to create life long memories.
Congratulations to the College Football National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. You make O-H-I-O great!
Congratulations to Business Manager John Driscoll Jr for being elected to the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Executive Board where he will act as the Recording Secretary.
In their 1983 book Tyranny of The Status Quo, economists Milton and Rose Friedman write about the economic challenges faced by a first term President Ronald Reagan, Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and other international conservatives in the late 1970’s and early 80’s Golden Era of conservative leadership. There is a passage early in the book which highlights the reasoning behind much of what we actively see happening in Washington DC in the last weeks of January 2025.
The following is a paraphrase of there observations:
“In 1982 William R. Bennett was reelected to a third term as Premier of British Columbia. Immediately after reelection he announced a sweeping program to reduce the size of government, decrease civil servant workers by 25 percent and reduce spending on a range of programs. He also abolished outright a number of politically sensitive commissions. There was an immediate outcry by affected civil servants and groups directly affected by his actions.
“Why didn’t he spell this out prior to the election? Any measure that affects concentrated group significantly—either favorably or unfavorably— tends to have effects on individual members of that group that are substantial, occur promptly and are highly visible. The same measures the individuals of a diffuse group—again either favorable or unfavorable—tend to be trivial, longer delayed and less visible.
“Quick, concentrated reactions is the major source of strength of special interest groups in a democracy. It motivates politicians to make grandiose promises to such special interests before an election and to postpone any measures adversely affecting special interest groups until after the election.”
Elections have consequences and those consequences will not be realized until they affect a voter directly.
When a 25% across the board tariff raises the price of the voters banana for their morning cereal and the price of coffee at their favorite shop goes from $2 to $3 because of a tax on Columbian beans, will they pay attention? What about the gauges we use for our pressure tests or the cloth for the upholstery in our classic car or boat rises proportionally to cover the tax? How about when an exclusive material source becomes too expensive for the importer to use and the plant closes? What will these voters think about their choice?
Who is going to pick the pumpkins for Halloween or the tomatoes for our salads and sauces? Do you want to reshingle a roof in July? How about changing your grandmother in the nursing home? Have you every watched the employee gate at a meat packing plant? Who is going to clean the CEO’s office?
Maybe it’s all just bluster and it will calm down. Maybe it’s all just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. Maybe it’s all a case of poor communication.
What ever it is, I’ve seen this show before and I know how this ends.
Until next month…
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
Retired Brother John Goggin looks forward to another generation of elevator constructors as he holds his first grandchild, William, born January 17, 2025.
Business Manager John Driscoll Jr swears-in the Local 17 2025 officers (left to right): Tim Gibbons, Brian Chambers, Jason Fredricks, Tom Goggin, Bill Lynsky, Joe Broz Jr, John Patton, Don Knapik, Patrick Kelly, Dave Ford and Mike Hogan.
International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 17 