UAW leader Bob King stepped into the belly of the drunken beast up at the Mackinac policy conference today, and, after explaining how the UAW has changed and is ready to work with employers, he made a great case for slapping down the radicals.
Love this guy.
"The 21st century UAW is adopting a more nuanced and constructive approach to global trade and development and is committed to saving and growing the industrial base with good jobs in America," King said.
But King warned that the business community must eschew an extreme right-wing ideology that he said threatens the country's well-being.
"Let's look at the right-wing agenda and its negative impact on business," he said. One element of that agenda, he said, is cutting taxes on high earners at the expense of education and infrastructure.
Without a strong educational system, King said: "We will not produce the skilled labor force we need to compete in a global economy. We can't cut on the dollars and expect to be globally competitive on education. Without investment in infrastructure, in our transportation system ... our distribution system, we can't support business growth."
Were businesses taxed at 1950s levels, King said, the country would take in $500 billion in additional revenue. And a 35 percent tax on the nation's highest earners would bring in $18 billion in revenue — enough to fund the federal Pell grant program, which helps low-income students pay for college.
"A moderate, pragmatic approach to the budget would not sacrifice education," King said.
No muss, no fuss, no typical pandering or concessions to right-wing talking points - he just tells it like it is.
Can we get him to coach the Democrats?