Contact Information
3055 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 900
Los Angles , California 90010-1137
E-mail: pdcesq@sprynet.com
213-487-1595   ext 232


Paul D. Cass, Attorney at Law, has been helping immigrants, their families and their employers and employees work through the bureaucratic maze of immigration and naturalization for over 20 years, with a concentration on business immigration and visa matters, including nonimmigrant work visas, employment-based immigrant visas, and employment-based “Green Card” adjustments, for businesses of all sizes from start-up and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies; “family” immigration matters, including “Green Cards” for spouses, children, parents, other relatives and fiancées/fiancés of U.S. Citizens; and the acquisition and proof of U.S. Citizenship. 

I am a graduate of the top-rated Yale Law School, and an active member of both the national American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”), and the Immigration Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, of which I am a past Board member.  I am a confident, professional and ethical immigration attorney who understands the ins and outs of the increasingly complex and constantly changing area of immigration law; and I work diligently to stay up to date on current laws, regulations, and (of equal importance) the changes in practices and procedures frequently made by the Immigration Service in the U.S., and U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad. 

My knowledge and success with immigration clients has been recognized by the Los Angeles legal community and by my clients - who frequently refer others with immigration issues for help.

Although I have professional support staff, I handle all of my cases personally, and do not delegate to a secretary or paralegal.  When you retain me to handle immigration or naturalization law matters, you work with me.  I handle all client meetings myself, and I personally prepare all the papers I file.  You will never have to feel like your case is less important to me because I have handed you off to a paralegal or junior associate.  I take pride in providing all my clients with personal, one-on-one service, and I handle your immigration or citizenship case myself from start to finish.

Many of my immigration clients - both individuals and businesses - return to me with legal questions on other matters. I am available for and experienced with the wide variety of legal matters that a person or business may encounter:

    * An accident or personal injury
    * Corporate and other business entity formation and operating issues
    * Business contract drafting, negotiation and disputes
    * Wills and trusts, estate planning issues, and Probate,
    * General civil (not criminal) lawsuits
* Copyright, trademark and other intellectual property matters

My office is located in the mid-Wilshire District of Los Angeles, easily accessible by Metro and with reasonably priced parking readily available.  Since many immigration cases do not require personal meetings or even interviews, I am able to, and do, provide counsel on and handle many cases outside Los Angeles, and in fact outside California.  For those who do need to meet me for consultations and other matters, I try to make myself available, not just during normal weekday business hours but after-hours and on weekends, as required.  I charge only a nominal fee for an initial consultation, which is credited to any attorney fees if the case goes beyond the initial consultation. To schedule a consultation, call my office at 213-487-1595, Ext. 232, or send me an E-mail.

ABC Defibrillators Save Union Members Lives

We were involved in the first EMS and First Responder programs in Minnesota over 30 years ago and have been training since 1979.

Over the years we have received many responses from clients who have saved lives with the help of our training and services.

Since the implementation of AED PAD (Public Access Defibrillation) programs, these powerful stories have been coming in more and more.

Whether it be a family member, friend, client, congregation member, or stranger, SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. With an AED program in place, you too can be prepared.

What is an AED?

Commonly known as AEDs or defibrillators, they are small, portable, electronic devices that can analyze the heart, detect a potentially fatal abnormal rhythm, then deliver a shock that can restore a normal rhythm.

When a patient suffers sudden cardiac death as a result of a heart attack, it’s not the heart attack itself that kills the person - it’s an abnormal rhythm (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) caused by damage to the heart muscle. A heart that is fibrillating beats ineffectively, like a bag of worms. Blood can no longer be effectively pumped to the vital organs and the patient dies. Once fibrillation has occurred, death will almost always follow unless a shock is delivered.

That’s where AEDs come in.

AEDs have been shown to save lives. In general, survival of out of hospital arrest is about 4 to 6 percent. Adding CPR can boost this to about 15 percent, but adding rapid defibrillation raises the save rate to 30 to 40 percent - or even higher.

Once cardiac arrest from an irregular heartbeat has occurred, the sooner an AED is used the better. For every minute of delay from collapse to defibrillation, mortality increases by 7 to 10 percent. Results are best when defibrillation is done within four minutes though CPR can buy some time.
 

What should I do if I see someone collapse and there is an AED nearby? Should I use it?

The answer is “YES.” I highly recommend that everybody take a course in CPR and AED use. But as Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, told me, even if you’ve had no training in using an AED, you should try to use it if you see somebody collapse.

AED’s have built-in instructions that audibly walk you through its use, step by step. All you have to do is turn one on and listen to the instructions. Some even give instructions on how to do CPR.

Nabel emphasized the importance of calling 9-1-1 first to get help. This is crucial because once you get busy doing CPR or using the AED, you may forget to call for help. Call 9-1-1 first, and help can be on its way as you are trying to revive the victim.

Good Samaritan laws protect users of AED’s in all 50 states. But if you buy an AED then you should check with the company selling it to find out if there are any regulations (such as certification) that you need to know about.

 

What is using an AED like?

It’s incredibly simple to use because the AED can talk to you. The main thing you have to remember is to hit the on-off button. After that, the machine walks you through exactly what to do, step by step. It will tell you to place the pads on the person's bare chest. It then automatically analyzes the person's heart rhythm. If a serious arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) is present, the AED will tell you to push a flashing button (you can’t miss it!) to deliver a shock. It will then analyze the patient’s heart again and tell you whether you need to repeat the shock.

 

 
Couldn’t a shock hurt someone?

AEDs are designed to deliver shocks only to patients who have potentially lethal irregular heartbeats. For example, if a person has just fainted but is otherwise fine, it will tell you that no shock is advised.

Just think: You could save a life.

visit ABC Defibrillators

Financial identity theft

A classic example of credit-dependent financial crime (bank fraud) occurs when a criminal obtains a loan from a financial institution by impersonating someone else. The criminal pretends to be the victim by presenting an accurate name, address, birth date, or other information that the lender requires as a means of establishing identity. Even if this information is checked against the data at a national consumer reporting agency, the lender will encounter no concerns, as all of the victim's information matches the records. The lender has no easy way to discover that the person is pretending to be the victim, especially if an original, government-issued id can't be verified (as is the case in online, mail, telephone, and fax-based transactions). This kind of crime is considered non-self-revealing, although authorities may be able to track down the criminal if the funds for the loan were mailed to them. The criminal keeps the money from the loan, the financial institution is never repaid, and the victim is wrongly blamed for defaulting on a loan he/she never authorized.

In most cases the financial identity theft will be reported to the national Consumer credit reporting agency or Credit bureaus (U.S.) as a collection or bad loan under the impersonated person's record. The victim may discover the incident by being denied a loan, by seeing the accounts or complaints when they view their own credit history, or by being contacted by creditors or collection agencies. The victim's credit score, which affects one's ability to acquire new loans or credit lines, will be adversely affected until they are able to successfully dispute the fraudulent accounts and have them removed from their record.

Other forms of bank fraud associated with identity theft include "account takeovers", passing bad checks, and "busting out" a checking or credit account with bad checks, counterfeit money orders, or empty ATM envelope deposits. If withdrawals or checks are made against the impersonated person's real accounts, that person may need to convince the bank that the withdrawal was fraudulent or file a court case in order to retrieve lost funds. If checks are written against fraudulently opened checking accounts, the person receiving the checks will suffer the financial loss. However, the recipient might attempt to retrieve money from the impersonated person by using a collection agency. This action would appear in the victim's credit history until it was shown to be fraud.

FACTS ON HEALTH CARE COSTS
Introduction
By several measures, health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in our
history.
In 2007, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent -- two
times the rate of inflation.1 Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per
person1. Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic
product (GDP).
U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade
reaching $4.2 TRILLION in 2016, or 20 percent of GDP.1
In 2007, employer health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent – two times the
rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of
four averaged nearly $12,100. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over
$4,400.2
Experts agree that our health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive
administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care,
waste and fraud. These problems significantly increase the cost of medical care and
health insurance for employers and workers and affect the security of families.
National Health Care Spending
● In 2007, health care spending in the United States reached $2.3 trillion, and was
projected to reach $3 trillion in 2011.1 Health care spending is projected to reach
$4.2 trillion by 2016.1
● Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense.3
● In 2005, the United States spent 16 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP)
on health care. It is projected that the percentage will reach 20 percent by 2016.1
● Although nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends
more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries
provide health insurance to all their citizens.3
● Health care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7
percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according
to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.4
2
Employer and Employee Health Insurance Costs
● Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose by 6.1 percent in 2007.
Small employers saw their premiums, on average, increase 5.5 percent. Firms
with less than 24 workers, experienced an increase of 6.8 percent.2
● The annual premium that a health insurer charges an employer for a health plan
covering a family of four averaged $12,100 in 2007. Workers contributed nearly
$3,300, or 10 percent more than they did in 2006.2 The annual premiums for
family coverage significantly eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum wage
worker ($10,712).
● Workers are now paying $1,400 more in premiums annually for family coverage
than they did in 2000.2
● Since 2000, employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 100
percent, compared to cumulative inflation of 24 percent and cumulative wage
growth of 21 percent during the same period.2
● Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for
employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will
overtake profits by 2008.5
● According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and
Educational Trust, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the
United States have been rising four times faster on average than workers’
earnings since 2000.2
● The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has
increased more than 143 percent since 2000. Average out-of-pocket costs for
deductibles, co-payments for medications, and co-insurance for physician and
hospital visits rose 115 percent during the same period.6
● The percentage of Americans under age 65 whose family-level, out-of-pocket
spending for health care, including health insurance, that exceeds $2,000 a year,
rose from 37.3 percent in 1996 to 43.1 percent in 2003 – a 16 percent increase.7
The Impact of Rising Health Care Costs
● National surveys show that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high
cost of health insurance coverage.2
● Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate to drops in health
insurance coverage.8
3
● Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of
life significantly in order to pay medical bills.9
● In a Wall Street Journal-NBC Survey almost 50 percent of the American public
say the cost of health care is their number one economic concern.10
● In a USA Today/ABC News survey, 80 percent of Americans said that they were
dissatisfied (60 percent were very dissatisfied) with high national health care
spending.11
● Rising health care costs is the top personal pocketbook concern for Democratic
voters (45%) and Republicans (35%), well ahead of higher taxes or retirement
security.12
● One in four Americans say their family has had a problem paying for medical
care during the past year, up 7 percentage points over the past nine years.
Nearly 30 percent say someone in their family has delayed medical care in the
past year, a new high based on recent polling. Most say the medical condition
was at least somewhat serious.
● A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out-ofpocket
medical debt for those who filed for bankruptcy was $12,000. The study
noted that 68 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In
addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the
result of medical expenses.13 Every 30 seconds in the United States someone
files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.
● One half of workers in the lowest-compensation jobs and one-half of workers in
mid range-compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12-
month period or were paying off accrued debt. One-quarter of workers in highercompensated
positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying
off accrued debt.14
● If one member of a family is uninsured and has an accident, a hospital stay, or a
costly medical treatment, the resulting medical bills can affect the economic
stability of the whole family.15
● A new survey shows that more than 25 percent said that housing problems
resulted from medical debt, including the inability to make rent or mortgage
payments and the development of bad credit ratings.16
● A survey of Iowa consumers found that in order to cope with rising health
insurance costs, 86 percent said they had cut back on how much they could
save, and 44 percent said that they have cut back on food and heating
expenses.17
4
● Retiring elderly couples will need $200,000 in savings just to pay for the most
basic medical coverage.18 Many experts believe that this figure is conservative
and that $300,000 may be a more realistic number.
● According to a recent report, the United States has $480 billion in excess
spending each year in comparison to Western European nations that have
universal health insurance coverage. The costs are mainly associated with
excess administrative costs and poorer quality of care.19
● The United States spends six times more per capita on the administration of the
health care system than its peer Western European nations.19
Time for Action on Reining in Health Care Costs
Policymakers and government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled.
But they disagree on the best ways to address rapidly escalating health spending and
health insurance premiums. Some favor price controls and imposing strict budgets on
health care spending. Others believe free market competition is the best way to solve
the problems. Public health advocates believe that if all Americans adopted healthy
lifestyles, health care costs would decrease as people required less medical care.
There appears to be no agreement on a single solution to health care’s high price tag.
Many approaches may be used to control costs. What we do know is if the rate of
escalation in health care spending and health insurance premiums continues at current
trends, the cost of inaction will severely affect employer’s bottom lines and consumer’s
pocketbooks.
Notes
1. Poisal, J.A., et al, Health Spending Projections Through 2016: Modest Changes Obscure Part D’s Impact. Health
Affairs (21 February 2007): W242-253.
2. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2007 Annual Survey. 11 September 2006.
http://www.kff.org/insurance/7672/index.cfm
3. California Health Care Foundation. Health Care Costs 101 -- 2005. 02 March 2005.
<http://www.chcf.org/>
4. Pear, R.. “U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP.” The New York Times, 9 January
2004, 3.
5. McKinsey and Company. The McKinsey Quarterly Chart Focus Newsletter, “Will Health Benefit Costs Eclipse
Profits,” September, 2004.
6. Hewitt Associates LLC. Health Care Expectations: Future Strategy and Direction 2005. 17 November 2004.
7. Agency for Heathcare Research and Quality. Out-of-Pocket Expenditures on Health Care and Insurance
Premiums Among the Non-elderly Population, 2003, March 2006.
5
8. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Uninsured: A Primer, Key Facts About Americans without Health
Insurance. 2004. 10 November 2004 <http://www.kff.org/uninsured/>
9. Chernew, M. “Rising Health Care Costs and the Decline in Insurance Coverage,” Economic Research Initiative on
the Uninsured, ERIU Working Paper 8, September 2002.
10. Wall Street Journal-NBC Poll on America’s Economic Mood, Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2007
11. ABC News/Kaiser Family Foundation/USA Today, Health Care in America 2006 Survey, October 17, 2006.
http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/upload/7572.pdf
12. Lake Research Partners, Key Findings form Presidential Primary Polls, March 20, 2007
13. Himmelstein, D, E. Warren, D. Thorne, and S. Woolhander, “Illness and Injury as Contributors to Bankruptcy, “
Health Affairs Web Exclusive W5-63, 02 February , 2005.
14. The Commonwealth Fund. Wages, Health Benefits, and Workers’ Health. Issue Brief, October 2004.
15. Committee on the Consequences of Uninsurance. Health Insurance is a Family Matter. Washington, D.C.: The
National Academies Press, 2002.
16. The Access Project. Home Sick: How Medical Debt Undermines Housing Security. Boston, MA, November
2005.
17. Selzer and Company Inc. Department of Public Health 2005 Survey of Iowa Consumers, September 2005.
18. Fidelity Investments, Press Release, 06 March 2006.
19. McKinsey Global Institute. Accounting for the Cost in the United States. January 2007

5 Tips for Successfully Starting a New Business
A Perform Consulting, Inc. White Paper
By Tom Dickson
Introduction
I have helped launch, or restart, fourteen financial service businesses and sales channels
for industry leaders such as Fidelity, American Century, Wells Fargo, Chase, Mellon,
PFPC, Scudder, and Vanguard.
The businesses include one of the first online brokerage firms; the trust industry’s first
outsourcing business; the world’s largest stock transfer agency; several non-proprietary
wrap programs; and a leading Internet aggregation portal designed for financial advisors.
I would like to share with you some practical ideas, based on real-life experiences, with
the hope of increasing the odds of success for any new venture you may be undertaking.
I have included some examples of what I have seen done well, with what I have seen
done not so well. While I prefer to focus on the positive, the missteps too can be a
valuable learning tool.
Bill Gates once said, “I’ve learned more from my mistakes than my successes,” but if I
can help you to learn from someone else’s mistakes, that’s even better. Because we all
know mistakes can be costly and, in today’s environment, unexpected costs can prove
deadly.
This initial publication offers “bite size” bits of insight, but as you can imagine there is a
lot more to each story. Accordingly, it is my intent to maintain a continuing dialogue with
you on startups and related topics.
I would welcome your feedback on this, and on all future publications.
Sincerely,
Tom Dickson

Brayton Purcell: Advocates for Asbestos Victims for Over 24 Years
For over 24 years, Brayton Purcell has represented clients suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases with compassionate service and tireless advocacy. Our extensive involvement in protecting the legal rights of asbestos victims, including injured workers and their families, assures you that your case will be handled by attorneys with a proven track record in asbestos litigation. Not only will our experienced legal team help you recover financially from your asbestos-related injuries, they will assist you in finding medical support and information related to your diagnosis.

With our comprehensive background in asbestos litigation and extensive resources, we are able to give your case the detailed investigation and attention it deserves. In over 24 years, we have put together an expansive database of product and job site documents and evidence to help prove your asbestos case. Our goal is to handle your case as effectively and efficiently as possible, resulting in the best possible outcome. During the course of your case, we will keep you informed of every step in the process.

We are here for you. Please contact our asbestos attorneys through this web site or by calling 1-866-809-5240 to discuss your potential asbestos case. We will be happy to discuss your legal choices with you and give you time to make an informed decision.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. The fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into cloth.

Because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the United States.

There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and Australia. Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of their geologic formation.

Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in asbestos-containing products. It should be noted that there are non-fibrous, or non-asbestiform, variants of tremolite, anthophylite and actinolite, which do not have the adverse health consequences that result from exposure to commercial forms of asbestos.

Here are some additional "Facts About Asbestos".

What are asbestos-containing products?

What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they were (are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) It is impossible to list all of the products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. Some of the more common asbestos-containing products are pipe-covering, insulating cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets, packing materials, thermal seals, refractory and boiler insulation materials, transite board, asbestos cement pipe, fireproofing spray, joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, mastics, adhesives, coatings, acoustical textures, duct insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products, insulated electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch assemblies. Some of these products contained a very high proportion of asbestos, while others contained small amounts.

Why is asbestos still a problem?

Asbestos is still a problem because a great deal of it has been used in the United States and elsewhere, because many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne, and because of the serious human health hazards of inhaling asbestos fibers.

Many Americans believe that use of asbestos in products was banned years ago. The fact is that asbestos-containing products are still being imported and sold in this country, continuing to endanger people who may come in contact with such products. A majority of these products are imported from Canada and Mexico, two countries where asbestos is still used; further, not all imported asbestos-containing products are clearly labeled with proper content information. (Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2003, and "Asbestos Strategies")

In an August 2003 report, the EPA's Office of Inspector General reiterates that asbestos is still a product very much around us: a survey in the mid-1980s found that, on average, 20% of all buildings in the United States contain asbestos. Further, this latest report confirms that asbestos containing material is still allowed in pipeline wrap, asbestos-cement corrugated sheet, asbestos-cement flat sheet, roofing felt, millboard, vinyl-asbestos floor tile, asbestos-cement shingle, and roof coatings. (Rept. #2003-P-00012).

A 2004 report by the Environmental Working Group provides a timely evalution of the asbestos-related disease epidemic in America - a "public health tragedy caused by asbestos." This report documents the history of asbestos use and provides analysis and statistics to inform the political debate currently being waged to resolve the problem.

 
Computer Power and Union Prospects: CyberUnions or Faux Unions?

Arthur B. Shostak
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
 
 
Organized Labor, down now to only 13 percent of the American work force from 35 percent in the 1950s, confronts at least three major threats to its existence: The first, its loss of jobs sent overseas, is obvious. (1) The second, a recent rise in well-being of certain members, poses an ironic risk.  And the third, confusion about using computer power, while a threat least well-recognized in and outside of Labor, is arguably the most critical hazard of all. (2)
 
 
Threat #1: Outsourcing. As has been obvious for at least the last two decades, Organized Labor is seriously  threatened by a main strength of global businesses. Companies with branches everywhere and "deep pockets" are shifting more and more unionized jobs overseas to low-paying, little-regulated labor markets in Central America, Eastern Europe, Mainland China, and Southeast Asia.  In 2001 alone, manufacturing, a heavily-unionized sector (15 percent, versus nine percent in the private sector), lost
1,300,000 jobs, with no end in sight. (3)  From 1984 to 1997, in the eight industries with the greatest job loss (autos, steel, etc.), about 80 percent of the jobs lost belonged to unionized workers. (4)
 
 
Labor leaders condemn the competition among global firms to use the cheapest possible work force as a "race to the bottom." Unions try to bargain for protections against job transfers. They seek plant-closing laws. They lobby to have labor standards included in trade agreements.  And they turn out thousands to protest multi-national trade agreements they blame for allowing offshore job losses. However, as Teamster Union economist Robert E. Lucore notes - "... to date, these efforts have not stemmed the tide toward decreasing union density ... It is virtually impossible for a union to survive, or even gain a toehold in an industry where cutthroat competition prevails." (5)
 
 
Threat #2:  "Working Class Tories."  Ironically, recent wage gains by many workers may undermine Labor's staying power. While little noticed by the media or the popular culture, large numbers of upwardly mobile workers did very well in the boom decade of the 1990s.  Business Week "calculates that workers received 99% of the gains from faster productivity growth in the 1990s at nonfinancial corporations ... [which] helps explain why consumer spending and the housing market stayed strong during the 2001 recession ... All told, real wages for the average private-sector worker rose by about 14% in the 1990s business cycle ...." (6)
 
 
Many well-off workers may think unionization unnecessary, at least as long as they continue to "feel" financially comfortable (a social-psychological effect known since the 1960s as the "embourgeoisification of the proletariat"). (7)  This can take the form of workers - newly indifferent to Labor - employing what is known to academics as the Exit Strategy (quitting one job to take a better one) in preference to choosing the Voice Strategy ( sticking with the union and fighting for gains). (8) Especially in a culture like that of America, where class membership is lightly and unevenly held, where it is somehow odd to seeing oneself as a beneficiary of collective representation, unions have long been buffeted by this sort of conscious drift away from collective bonds toward "Me, first!" individualism.
 
 
Threat #3: Computer Power Puzzle.  Threats #1 and 2 leave Labor no choice: It must attract new members less vulnerable to having their jobs sent offshore.  And it must appeal to upwardly mobile workers, both those already within and those others still only potential members. Labor must organize outside its traditional strongholds, and it find new sorts of "glue" and fresh appeals. All of which explains threat #3: Unless Labor soon figures out how to use computer power to alleviate threats #1 and 2, it will   fade into insignificance.
 
 
Response #1: Reaching Members On Line.  To help replace members whose jobs have gone
offshore, unions are focusing on workers whose jobs are far less vulnerable. Many work in the public sector, which in 2001 added 485,000 posts, and in Health Care, with 300,000 new employees. (9) Both sectors boast a dedicated and proud work force with comparatively high educational attainment, specialized skills, and a very attenuated identity with the traditional blue-collar working class and its labor unions: As such these prospective members pose a difficult cultural challenge to union organizers.
      
 
Accordingly, creative efforts are underway making fresh use of computer power.  Reaching out, for example,  to such new types as doctors in HMOs and graduate assistants on campus - unions are using the Internet to establish virtual locals. Designed as incubators for full-fledged unionism down the road, these shadowy "locals" collaborate via union-operated list serves with one another around the country. They trade field-proven advice and lend precious morale support. Patiently proving the case for formal unionization, they promote a new cultural form of "electronic" solidarity - and wait for the right moment to push for formal representation (10).
 
 
To hold onto members lifted in the 1990s into the ranks of the seeming well-off, many unions are addressing their known interest in securing further schooling and new educational degrees.  Unions are busy exploring how to use the Internet to offer Distance Learning programs in cooperation with allied colleges and universities, e.g., the National Labor College of the AFL-CIO George Meany Center for Labor Studies is pioneering this innovation.
 
 
Considerable attention is also being paid to a highly-regarded effort to unionize Microsoft workers in Seattle and elsewhere: This educationally-focused campaign offers prospective members cut-rate, high-quality computer training courses at a union Training Center, a "fringe benefit" that has proven to have great appeal.  In San Jose, a comparable Labor-run program helps "temps" upgrade their skills, the better to possibly enjoy their support some day later when a unionization campaign is in play.
 
 
A second tact uses computer power to help "organizing the organized." It emphasizes creating strong social bonds among former strangers.  To this end  locals are busy using their Web site as a 24/7 electronic "newspapers," rich in very current coverage of the activities of their members. Photos of participants in a union picnic or a local meeting can appear within a few hours of the event (or sooner!). Very personal and very current news of births, graduations, retirements, etc., can be proudly carried. This sort of homey "We care about you!" material used to grow stale in a once-a-month prosaic union newspaper, but can now excite and please members who appreciate the local's positive recognition.

 
Especially dynamic local union site also offer members a swap service, a garage sale outlet, and/or a recipe-exchange page. These and other "down home" services are designed to get members to think first of the local's Web site when seeking valuable goods, services, and information. In this way virtual bonds are being forged between Labor and its dues-payers, bonds that may yet help keep many members from drifting away, spiritually or actually.
 

Response #2: Reaching for a New Model. Recognition grows that as smart and promising as are the innovations above, they do not go far enough.  The hardest question Labor confronts asks if it  has the will and "smarts" to employ a radically different model, an exercise in "discontinuous" innovation with computer use at its core, rather than its periphery ... one I call the F-I-S-T model, its goal a new form of labor organization I call a CyberUnion. (11)
 
 
If Labor is to have a chance of soon meeting the challenges posed by globalization-based job loss and the embourgeosification of the working class, among many other threats, it must reinvent itself rapidly and thoroughly.  A candidate here incorporates four matters newly enhanced by computer uses - namely, futuristics, innovations, services, and labor traditions (F-I-S-T).
 

Futuristics would have a CyberUnion employ forecasting to learn where relevant industries are heading, why, and what Labor might do about it.  Forecasts would scrutinize demographic changes in the labor force the union and/or local draws on.  Forecasts would enable Labor to test the warring claims of antagonists who beckon for Labor's support, as in the Global Warming or Energy embroilment.  Above all, forecasts would enable Labor to better anticipate training upgrades for members, and continue thereby to distinguish its dues-payers from their less well-prepared competitors.


Innovations would have CyberUnions trying this, that, and the other thing in a responsible and earnestly assessed pursuit of ever better processes, things, services, and so on.  The union or local would gain a proud reputation for early adoption of cutting edge items, and members would look to the organization for assessments and advice when considering testing a novel option themselves.  Above all, innovations would mark the CyberUnion as forward-looking, self-confident, and thereby worth the membership of all intent on making, rather than inheriting a future.
 

Services refers to the ability of CyberUnions to use computer power to vastly enhance 101 old, and another 101 new services of keen value to the membership.  Typical would be arranging for the sale of computers and software at great discount, thanks to the volume buying Labor can arrange (as demonstrated already in Sweden, Norway, and elsewhere). Another service might have a local facilitate car-pooling, using a list serve of members computer-sorted by zip code.  Or arrange in cyberspace for joint boycott or picketing missions that come off more smoothly and effectively than ever before possible.
 

Traditions refer to the dedication of CyberUnions to honoring the history, culture, and lore of a union and/or local.  Every effort might be made to create an oral and video record of the reminiscences of older members, complete with archival storage.  Many relevant labor songs, anecdotes, and historic speeches might be added to the site, along with streaming video celebrations of special days and events in the organization's past,
 
 
Labor urgently needs rewards possible from reliable forecasting. From innovations, such as computer data mining. From computer-based services. And from the computer-aided celebration of traditions.  Together, these four items (F-I-S-T) just might help provide Labor go beyond its necessary, but insufficient use of computer strengths. [12]

 
Response #3: Reaching for New Leadership:  Pivotal here is the possible rise to power soon of a new cadre of leaders, men and women drawn from Labor's own self-schooled computer enthusiasts, or, by their jargon title, Labor's digerati. Capable of matching the organizational flexibility and fluidity of their business management counterparts, the digerati are Labor's secret weapon.  Although weakened today by a lack of consciousness of kind, networking, and leadership, this cadre could soon prove the critical ingredient in assuring Labor's revival. (13)
 

Many of the digerati envision using computers that will provide unprecedented access of everyone in Labor to everyone else ... officers to members, members to officers. unionists to non-unionists, and vice versa.  Aware of the likely arrival soon of computer "wearables," empowering unionists as never before, some of the digerati are busy even now planning to make the most of this.


On the digerati agenda is promotion of the rapid polling of the membership. Spotlighting computer-use models worth emulating, in or outside of Labor's world. Putting electronic libraries at a unionist's beck and call, along with valuable arbitration, grievance, and mediation material. Offering open chat rooms and bulletin boards, and nurturing the creation of a High Tech electronic (virtual) "community" to bolster High Touch solidarity.

 
As if this was not enough, the vision of many of Labor's digerati includes a quantum increase soon in the collective intelligence and cooperation among "global village" unionists. They would pursue unprecedented cooperation across national borders, and expect in this way to mount effective counters to transnational corporations.
 
Forward thinking and visionary, these techno-savvy men and women have a hefty dose of indefatigable assurance and optimism. (14) Unlike many of their peers, their expectations concerning the renewing of Organized Labor are almost without limits. Believing that what they do matters, and graced by a strong sense of purpose, their influence may soon soar.
 
 
This cadre receives a valuable boost from a new force on the scene - one Karl Marx envisioned, but lived over a century too soon to employ - a Fourth International-of-sorts, a feasible way for workers around the globe to be in real time contact for real-time concerted industrial action. (15) With an estimated
2,700 Labor Union Web sites on-line now, and more being added weekly, the opportunities for global networking are enormous. (16) American union activists are in an unprecedented dialogue with their counterparts around the globe. (See, in this connection, http://labourstart.org and http://icem.org)
 
 
Guided, then, by a growing cadre of its own "digerati," Labor is steadily learning more about variations on the F-I-S-T model.  Experiments with it may help invigorate the membership. Draw in new members. Intrigue vote-seekers. And in 101 other valuable ways, enable a new Labor Movement to provide what union "netizens" increasingly expect of 21st century Unionism. (17)

 
Summary: Labor Union Prospects? . None of the advances possible in Labor's uses of computer hardware and software will suffice unless there are commensurate advances in "thoughtware,"  that
is, in the quality of thinking and imagining in Labor leadership. (18)  Their organizations five years from now are likely to be very different: They may have faltered badly (19).  Or they may draw handsomely instead on CyberUnion attributes (F-I-S-T). (20) While computerization alone cannot "rescue" Organized Labor, and while job loss to globalization and membership recruiting will long remain trying, unless Labor soon makes bolder use of computer power, its renewal may prove impossible.

IS OBAMA THE BLACK VOTERS PROPHET TO THE JEWISH SCEPTICS?



BY NICOLE NEROULIAS

NEW YORK -- Rabbi Marc Schneier has spent decades trying to revive the Black-Jewish alliance of the 1960s, when African-American ministers and bearded rabbis marched together for civil rights.

Some Jewish voters have expressed doubts about Democratic presidential hopeful and Illinois senator Barack Obama, citing both his Muslim relatives and his personal history with his fiery former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

What's more, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., perhaps the nation's best-known Jewish politician, is supporting Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain.

But where some view Obama as having a "Jewish problem," Schneier -- founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and author of "Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jewish Community" -- spots an answer to his prayers.

"I see Barack Obama as representing a new generation that can right the Wrights and can really educate and sensitize them to the importance of embracing Martin Luther King's Jewish legacy," he said.

"No segment of American society provided as much and as consistent support to Dr. King and to the African-American community as the Jewish community."

Since Jews and Blacks both voted overwhelmingly Democratic in recent elections, few seriously doubt that they won't do the same in 2008. But some, like Schneier, say a Black candidate presents a rare opportunity for a frayed relationship to be renewed and revived.

It was a bond forged in a shared sense of persecution. In 1964, two of the three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi, Andrew Goodwin and Michael Schwerner, were Jews; the third, James Chaney, was Black.

But that golden age of Black-Jewish cooperation gave way to troubled times, including controversies over Israel selling arms to apartheid-era South Africa, the 1991 Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn, and anti-Semitic remarks made by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan and other Black leaders.

CONTIUNED

The Constitution was written by several committees over the summer of 1787, but the committee most responsible for the final form we know today is the "Committee of Stile and Arrangement". This Committee was tasked with getting all of the articles and clauses agreed to by the Convention and putting them into a logical order. On September 10, 1787, the Committee of Style set to work, and two days later, it presented the Convention with its final draft. The members were Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, James Madison, and Gouverneur Morris. The actual text of the Preamble and of much of the rest of this final draft is usually attributed to Gouverneur Morris.

The newly minted document began with a grand flourish - the Preamble, the Constitution's r'aison d'etre. It holds in its words the hopes and dreams of the delegates to the convention, a justification for what they had done. Its words are familiar to us today, but because of time and context, the words are not always easy to follow.

We the People of the United States

The Framers were an elite group - among the best and brightest America had to offer at the time. But they knew that they were trying to forge a nation made up not of an elite, but of the common man. Without the approval of the common man, they feared revolution. This first part of the Preamble speaks to the common man. It puts into writing, as clear as day, the notion that the people were creating this Constitution. It was not handed down by a god or by a king - it was created by the people.

in Order to form a more perfect Union

The Framers were dissatisfied with the United States under the Articles of Confederation, but they felt that what they had was the best they could have, up to now. They were striving for something better. The Articles of Confederation had been a grand experiment that had worked well up to a point, but now, less than ten years into that experiment, cracks were showing. The new United States, under this new Constitution, would be more perfect. Not perfect, but more perfect.

establish Justice

Injustice, unfairness of laws and in trade, was of great concern to the people of 1787. People looked forward to a nation with a level playing field, where courts were established with uniformity and where trade within and outside the borders of the country would be fair and unmolested. Today, we enjoy a system of justice that is one of the fairest in the world. It has not always been so - only through great struggle can we now say that every citizen has the opportunity for a fair trial and for equal treatment, and even today there still exists discrimination. But we still strive for the justice that the Framers wrote about.

insure domestic Tranquility

One of the events that caused the Convention to be held was the revolt of Massachusetts farmers knows as Shays' Rebellion. The taking up of arms by war veterans revolting against the state government was a shock to the system. The keeping of the peace was on everyone's mind, and the maintenance of tranquility at home was a prime concern. The framers hoped that the new powers given the federal government would prevent any such rebellions in the future.

provide for the common defence

The new nation was fearful of attack from all sides - and no one state was really capable of fending off an attack from land or sea by itself. With a wary eye on Britain and Spain, and ever-watchful for Indian attack, no one of the United States could go it alone. They needed each other to survive in the harsh world of international politics of the 18th century.

promote the general Welfare

This, and the next part of the Preamble, are the culmination of everything that came before it - the whole point of having tranquility, justice, and defense was to promote the general welfare - to allow every state and every citizen of those states to benefit from what the government could provide. The framers looked forward to the expansion of land holdings, industry, and investment, and they knew that a strong national government would be the beginning of that.

and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity

Hand in hand with the general welfare, the framers looked forward to the blessings of liberty - something they had all fought hard for just a decade before. They were very concerned that they were creating a nation that would resemble something of a paradise for liberty, as opposed to the tyranny of a monarchy, where citizens could look forward to being free as opposed to looking out for the interests of a king. And more than for themselves, they wanted to be sure that the future generations of Americans would enjoy the same.

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

The final clause of the Preamble is almost anti-climatic, but it is important for a few reasons - it finishes the "We, the people" thought, saying what we the people are actually doing; it gives us a name for this document, and it restates the name of the nation adopting the Constitution. That the Constitution is "ordained" reminds us of the higher power involved here - not just of a single person or of a king, but of the people themselves. That is it "established" reminds us that it replaces that which came before - the United States under the Articles (a point lost on us today, but quite relevant at the time).