We have rules in our society for corporations which state that you cannot lay someone off unless you give them a 60 day notice (Warren Act) that you might lay them off in advance. This allows them to make changes in their life, perhaps get their finances in order, or even look for a new job. Most workers applaud this new rule because it helps them from an unexpected layoff. Those are the rules, and every corporation must follow them.
Recently, there was a company which was getting ready to issue the 60 day notices and they were a defense contractor. The automatic cuts to the Pentagon budget were approaching very quickly and the Republicans and Democrats had made no effort to stop it. The defense company had no choice but to issue the layoff notices, fearing that it would have to drastically cut its workforce if the government was to stop buying their products and services.
There was an interesting article in the Business Journal Newspaper on September 28, 2012. And another one in Dark Government online the same day titled; "Obama Administration Asking Contractors Again, 'Don't Issue Layoff Notices'," which stated;
"The Obama administration issued new guidance intended for defense contractors Friday afternoon, reiterating the administration's position that the companies should not be issuing layoff notices over sequestration. The Labor Department issued guidance in July saying it would be "inappropriate" for contractors to issue notices of potential layoffs tied to sequestration cuts."
A few days later, the Obama Administration and their lawyers guaranteed the defense contractor that they would give them a waiver to the 60 day layoff notice rule, and pay any workers laid off their severance pay for any of the days between the 60 day layoff rule and when they were actually let go in case they were unable to get new government contracts. Now then, I have a problem with this, because now we are playing politics with the rules and regulations, allowing one company a waiver, because the president and his administration didn't want any negative news (massive layoffs) in the newspaper in a swing state, namely; Virginia outside Washington DC.
Now it has become a big political football because the Republicans are crying foul, and rightfully so, while the Democrats are saying that the defense contractor wanted to purposely do this to help defeat President Obama in the 2012 November 6 election. If a presidential administration is willing to give waivers to some companies, while making other companies follow the rules, then in essence they are helping some companies break the rules that everyone else has to follow. Not to mention the fact that it was a Democratic congressperson that brought forth the bill, making layoff notices a requirement, in the first place.
To me, this is just one more underhanded move in presidential politics, and it smacks of crony capitalism, abuse of power, and using presidential executive orders and the oval office as a tool of intimidation. That's not the country I signed up for, and that is not the country that promises equality under the law. I am quite concerned and deeply troubled, and this sort of behavior isn't good enough not for my country. I hope you feel the same, and then vote appropriately.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Political Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
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