When Bosses Push Their Politics

By Bill Moyers, Moyers & Company

27 October 12

BILL MOYERS: Here's a significant revelation of which you may not be
aware. The plutocrats know it and love it, and the rest of us should be
forewarned. When the Supreme Court made its infamous Citizens United
decision, liberating plutocrats to buy our elections fair and square, the
justices may have effectively overturned rules that kept bosses from
ordering employees to do political work on company time. Election law
expert Trevor Potter told us that now "corporations argue that it is a
constitutionally protected use of corporate ‘resources' to order
employees to do political work or attend campaign events - even if the
employee opposes the candidate, or is threatened with being fired for
failure to do what the corporation asks."

Reporter Mike Elk at In These Times magazine came across a recording of
Governor Mitt Romney on a conference call in June with some business
executives. The Governor told them there is quote, "nothing illegal about
you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the
business, because I think that will figure into their election decision,
their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your
kids as well."

And here's Governor Romney two months later, campaigning at an Ohio coal
mine:

MITT ROMNEY: This is a time for truth. I listened to an ad on the way
here. I'll tell you, you got a great boss. He runs a great operation
here. And he - Bob? Where are you Bob? There he is.

BILL MOYERS: Look at all those miners around him, steadfastly standing in
support, right? They work for a company called Murray Energy and
attendance at the rally, without pay, was mandatory. Murray Energy is
notorious for violating safety regulations, sometimes resulting in
injuries and deaths. And the company has paid millions in fines. The CEO,
Bob Murray, a well-known climate change denier and cutthroat businessman,
insists that his employees contribute to his favorite anti-regulatory
candidates, or else. In one letter uncovered by "The New Republic"
magazine, Murray wrote quote, "We have been insulted by every salaried
employee who does not support our efforts." So much for voting rights and
the secret ballot at Murray Energy.

Mike Elk discovered that the Koch Brothers, David and Charles - who have
pledged to spend $60 million defeating President Obama - have sent a
"voter information packet" to the employees of Georgia Pacific, one of
their subsidiaries. It includes a list of recommended candidates, pro-
Romney and anti-Obama editorials written by the Koch's and a cover letter
from the company president. If we elect the wrong people, Dave Robertson
writes, "Many of our more than 50,000 US employees and contractors may
suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway
inflation, and other ills." Other ills? Like losing your job?

This is snowballing. Timeshare king David Siegel of Westgate Resorts
reportedly has threatened to fire employees if Barack Obama is re-elected
and Arthur Allen, who runs ASG Software Solutions, e-mailed his
employees, "If we fail as a nation to make the right choice on November
6th, and we lose our independence as a company, I don't want to hear any
complaints regarding the fallout that will most likely come."

Back in the first Gilded Age, in the 19th century, bosses and company
towns lined up their workers and marched them to vote as a block. As we
said at the beginning of this broadcast, the Gilded Age is back with a
vengeance. Welcome to the plutocracy. The remains of the ol' USA.