Georgia Pacific employees encouraged to support Romney
According to the pro-union website In These Times, tens of thousands of Georgia Pacific employees have been given voter information packets telling them that their jobs could depend on the results of the Nov. 6 presidential contest – and that the owners are big fans of Mitt Romney.
Georgia Pacific is headquartered in Atlanta and has 35,000 employees. State by state, Georgia has the largest cache of GP workers — about 7,000 at 20 facilities, according to the company website.
From the cover letter by Koch Industries President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Robertson:
While we are typically told before each Presidential election that it is important and historic, I believe the upcoming election will determine what kind of America future generations will inherit.
If we elect candidates who want to spend hundreds of billions in borrowed money on costly new subsidies for a few favored cronies, put unprecedented regulatory burdens on businesses, prevent or delay important new construction projects, and excessively hinder free trade, then many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills.
The packet included an anti-Obama editorial by Charles Koch, a pro-Romney editorial by David Koch, and a list of candidates, apparently different for each state, “that have been supported by Koch companies or by KOCHPAC, our employee political action committee,” according to the Robertson letter.
Before your underwear is twisted beyond all recognition, keep in mind that, outside Georgia, the GP workforce in every state numbers 1,500 or less.
Inside Georgia, remember that metro Atlanta businesses this summer attempted to show their clout by encouraging their traffic-delayed employees to support the one-cent TSPLOST.
It didn’t seem to work.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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142 comments Add your comment
Carol
October 15th, 2012
1:43 pm
Retired Soldier
Carol-
Guess he had the FBI to investigate and they found out I was a republican. No need to talk to republicans, Obama has that down pat.
++++++++
I bet you believe he’s a Muslim that went to a Christian Church for 20 years too, right? And I know, the birth certificate is a fake.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
1:44 pm
DJ-
This is the second or third we have “discussed” this, you have never answered who is the advocate for the unborn baby?
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
1:47 pm
Nope and nope, never have those words been written or spoken by me.
I am concerned with trillion dollar deficits.
I am concerned why we are still in Afghanstan.
I am still concerned with national health insurance.
I am still concerned with a 50% increase of people on food stamps under Obama.
I am still concerned with the number of unemployed, under employed and those that have quit looking for work.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
1:49 pm
Carol-
Forgot this one, I am concerned with truthfulness about Libya.
DJ Sniper
October 15th, 2012
2:04 pm
Retired, it’s true that there are more people on food stamps now, but to place the blame for that strictly at Obama’s feet is not the answer. Also, blame your party for stifling dang near everything Obama has tried to do for the economy. I’m in agreement with you on our continued involvement in Afghanistan.
The unborn baby’s advocate is the woman who is carrying the child. I know it’s hard for you to comprehend the fact that not everybody is opposed to abortion, but that’s just the way it is. A lot of conservatives seem to think that the only reason a woman seeks an abortion is because she simply just doesn’t want to be a parent, but there are many other reasons as to why a woman chooses that route.
honested
October 15th, 2012
2:04 pm
RS,
Here’s the ‘truth’ about Libya…
It is a very dangerous place without a real, functional government or any real security apparatus.
Operating in such a situation is quite dangerous, of course not operating there until it becomes safe makes the US look as if it is shirking a responsibility.
In any case, I don’t want darryl issa wasting another penny of Taxpayer money ‘investigating’ the issue to no valid conclusion.
And, I really hope you are more comfortable with the Second Obama Administration. You would just look silly continuing to parrot the same falsehoods day after day.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:10 pm
DJ-
Which are what reasons? Please don’t say health of the Mother, got that one. The mother is advocating for the unborn child when she chooses an abortion? I suggest the unborn child would prefer a different advocate.
Obama hs tried to work with republicans? Please, no one believes that. Besides you are wrong, look at the spending by Obama, the House republicans have gone along with it the past two years.
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face
October 15th, 2012
2:11 pm
@Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
11:35 am
Curious-
Did you know GM did go bankrupt? Did you know the money still hasn’t been repaid? They did with public money what Romney suggested be done with private money.
*************
GM is not without its challenges and problems: name me a company where you can’t make that statement. But GM is a design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing powerhouse. The company is gaining strength. It remembers the lessons of the past. It does not shy from its well-documented problems, such as GM Europe; instead, it addresses them head-on.
To suggest that a cash-rich, profitable company with these characteristics is about to go under is, to me, “fatuous twaddle”.
Village Idiot
October 15th, 2012
2:13 pm
I think the Koch brothers have a right to say what they want about what will happen if Obama is reelected. Just like I have a right to say that if Romney is elected global warming will cause 2/3 of the USA to be underwater, doctors will refuse to treat anyone who makes less than $1,000,000.00 a year, the wealthiest 1% of the population will pay less than 1% in income taxes, and Big Bird will be the next featured item on the Chick Filet menu. There, I guess we’re even Georgia pacific.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
honested-
Libya, it appears to be a cover up and yes it should be investigated. Glad you don’t care about finding out the truth.
I write what I believe is true and correct, I assume you do also. It’s only our view of what the federal govt. should do is 180 degrees differnt. You believe womb to tomb govt, I believe in individual responsibility. You believe the constitution can mean whatever you want it to mean, I believe the constitution means the same thing today as in 1788.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
Rep-
Never suggested GM was about to go under.
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face and cutting their own throats
October 15th, 2012
2:20 pm
@Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
11:48 am
REP-
You need to read again Galloway’s post. GP hasn’t “ordered” their employees to vote Romney, he has told them of the possible consequences if Obama is re-elected. If I was an employee I would be glad to know that information
******************************
The headline says, Georgia Pacific employees ENCOURAGED to support Romney
You say ENCOURAGED
I say ORDERED
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:21 pm
Rep-
Always glad when someone takes responsibility for their mistakes. Good job.
JBarrett
October 15th, 2012
2:24 pm
I, too, own a small business. Although I am not, personally, a supporter of President Obama, I would like it to be noted that I had to lay off my entire workforce in August of 2008- prior to the November election and while the government was under Republican control. In the past three months, we have begun to be able to re-hire a good portion of our employees- many of whom had been unable to find employment in that four years. Do I believe that Obama did everything in his power to revive the economy? Probably not. But I do know that the Republicans policies and oversight landed me in the tank and I’d prefer not to be there again any time soon.
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face and cutting their own throats
October 15th, 2012
2:26 pm
@Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
Rep-
Never suggested GM was about to go under.
**************************************
YOU SAY, Did you know GM did go bankrupt?
I SAY, To suggest that a cash-rich, profitable company is about to go under is,
to me, “fatuous twaddle”.
BANKRUPT?………go under?
You say TOMATOE
I say….(you know the rest)
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:27 pm
JBarrett-
One point of correction, we had a republican president and a democrat Congress.
Policies I understand, but oversight? You have me very curious about what type of business that wold be affected by oversight.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:29 pm
REP-
The fact is GM did go bankrupt and was restructed with taxpayer dollars that have not been repaid. Do you dispute that?
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face and cutting their own throats
October 15th, 2012
2:35 pm
@Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:21 pm
Rep-
Always glad when someone takes responsibility for their mistakes. Good job.
**********************************
ORDER – a command or direction.
ENCOURAGE – to stimulate (something or someone to do something)
by approval or help; support
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:36 pm
Rep-
If I have to tell you, you won’t understand.
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face and cutting their own throats
October 15th, 2012
2:50 pm
@Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:29 pm
REP-
The fact is GM did go bankrupt and was restructed with taxpayer dollars that have not been repaid. Do you dispute that?
*********************************************
What I cannot dispute is…………..
It took a black president to uncover, to reveal, to disclose,
to bring out, to unveil, to expose and to unmask the belief that most
Republicans believe that a particular race is superior to others.
I see it in my city and neighborhood.
THAT I CANNOT DISPUTE.
Until you have WALKED in my shoes you cannot tell anything different.
Republicans are cutting off the nose to spite the face and cutting their own throats
October 15th, 2012
2:50 pm
CORRECTION:
Until you have WALKED in my shoes you cannot tell me anything different.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
2:54 pm
Rep-
When you can’t dispute the facts, then play the race card? Are you kidding me?
If race is what is driving your political beliefs, then you are in for a very long and difficult life. By mere virture of the fact Obama was elected negates your point. Sad, very very sad.
No need to respond, I’m not playing your game.
CommonSenseIsUseful
October 15th, 2012
3:14 pm
I too own a small business and have been educating my employees on the choice before them.
Are you liberals figured out yet how soundly Obama is going to be defeated?
DJ Sniper
October 15th, 2012
3:49 pm
I just love how everybody is so sure of their candidate winning this thing. I would advise against predicting anything until the day of the election. This goes for Obama and Romney. Neither one is a slam dunk at this point.
CommonSenseIsUseful
October 15th, 2012
3:52 pm
DJ, step back and look at the big picture. This is a referendum on Obama and he has failed miserably by any objective measure. My dog could beat him at this point. It will be a 100 pt. electoral loss, mark my words.
chas holman
October 15th, 2012
4:50 pm
Sure.. vote our way, or lose your job.
Get used to it America.. if this doesn’t illustrate the issue of WHO is fighting for WHAT this year.. if you simply don’t get it yet.. then step right up, vote for Mr Romney.
Retired Soldier
October 15th, 2012
4:58 pm
Chas-
Do you think who is elected president might affect what a particular business does or doesn’t do? If the answer is yes, wouldn’t you be interested in what candidate might allow the business you work for prosper or not? I sure would.
And if you think the owner shouldn’t communicate with his workers which candidate might be better for the business, the worker can aleays leave. We know unemployment is low, the president promised it would be because of his stimulus.
another comment
October 15th, 2012
6:55 pm
Some of you Romney Bots are showing your ignorance, The Hatch Act only applies to Federal Employees. Then it excludes them in the Greater Washington D.C. are where they are the majority of the population.
Now, I have never figured out how Max Beacon was allowed to be the Postmaster of Smyrna, Ga. and the Mayor of Smyrna at the Same time as I would have thought that was a conflict.
The whole purpose of the Federal Hatch Act was so the SES, which is made up of primarly political appointees could not pressure the career federal employees to vote their way. So they can keep their job.
It amazes me to this day though how many people will ignorantly vote for someone who campaigns that he is going to Outsource Gov’t jobs. and then complain when they outsource their job or their employees.
For all those so called Contractors, look at history, This Slash and Burn of Federal, State and Local, governments by those who don’t want to pay for anything, is what is hurting Contractors the most. I do understand that most Contractors in Georgia are Bubba’s and doen’t understand the whole science of Construction Engineering. The whole statistics on bidding in a fair and open market. The whole concept that the Union’s provided you with a trained work force, though helper, apprenticeship, programs. The Republican Contractors have imported the illegals, then they complain about their kids being in the public schools. After all they all have their kids in the private schools.
We need to pay to take care of our infrastructure the problem is the stimulous wasn’t big enough. It was started under Bush, and he aimed it to the Banks to big to fail. It should have went directly to projects that could come out of the ground. The projects should have had tough buy American and Davis Bacon Clauses, everyone should have been e-verified no matter how many tiers down, the chain. By the way despite the BS that Turner Construction puts out the General Contractor is responsible for all of their subs and all of thier tiers. That is why you either make money or loose it in Construction. Too many of the Good olde boys spent like they were rich when they weren’t.
If you can’t afford to buy two $50,000 tickets to a Mitt Romney fundraiser he is not really interested in you. The video he got caught with is like watch the Good Olde Boys at the Private School auctions when they are all drunk and try to impress each other bidding on “Steve Penley Paintings” or the Salt Water Fishing trip the donor insists he’s going on too. I once was on one of the committees for one of these Auctions and they were trying to keep the Auction ticket prices down. I dared suggest to make it a cash bar, instead of open bar. They said we can’t do that we make Thousands and Thousands of dollars on the drunk men trying to out bid themselves.
another comment
October 15th, 2012
6:57 pm
Why is retired soldier being allowed to spout his right wing crap and responses to him are being deleted?
td
October 15th, 2012
9:18 pm
another comment
October 15th, 2012
6:57 pm
Why is retired soldier being allowed to spout his right wing crap and responses to him are being deleted?
Maybe because he/she is classy in his post and you are not? Maybe it is because he is right and you are wrong?
SueEllenEwing
October 15th, 2012
9:23 pm
You poor, poor, pitiful, pathetic repubs. Waaaa, sniff, sniff (rubbing my eyes). Nobody cares about us!
William
October 15th, 2012
9:27 pm
Companies across the country are ready to layoff up to half of their staff if O’Bumble is re-elected.
Barry is actually ecstatic at the thought of all those additional governmental droogs that will join the Obamanation…
Can’t wait to see the results.
Kris
October 15th, 2012
9:29 pm
Enter your comments here
Joe
October 15th, 2012
10:02 pm
Boy you repubs want to be just don’t get it, if you’re not making 10 million a year Romney don’t care about you.
td
October 15th, 2012
10:10 pm
Joe
October 15th, 2012
10:02 pm
They give us crumbs like tax cuts and lower cap gains taxes for starters and then they allow us to set the social agenda. Way better then what the Dem elites give their plantation followers.
2DPointAtlanta
October 15th, 2012
10:15 pm
The election system is very political runs deeper into the blood of America than religion ever could. In the election system is massive amount of money and power….the two primary elements that decided in Early America who got to vote and who did not. GP does little different than the armed forces on this subject. With the GOP in office, America will surely have a war which keeps the troops employed. Been there….seen it!
As long as Governor Deal gives a nod and wink…..this act by GP is not a violation at all; it’s a privilege of being able to do assume the power to do it in Georgia.
td
October 15th, 2012
10:20 pm
2DPointAtlanta
October 15th, 2012
10:15 pm
What in the heck could this possibly be a violation of? Please, please explain?
Catfish
October 15th, 2012
10:57 pm
It didn’t sound like GP was sugesting who to vote for. It sounded like a threat. That is not right
S
October 15th, 2012
11:09 pm
Is this America or Russia? This is Blackmail, plain and simple. All employees take note. These Greedy employers can’t go into the voting booth with you, vote for who you want. These greedy Blackmailers will fire you no matter what if they think they can make a dime by firing you. If they get their Man, Mitt Romney in, you can count on reduced wages and benefits or no job at all if you won’t work for slave wages, because they will send your jobs offshore anyway, it’s happening right now!
A Vote for Mitt Romney is a Vote for these Power Hungry, Greedy, Morally corrupt, Corporate crooks who need to be sent back to the Alien planet from which they came, these people aren’t Americans.
God, Guns and Greed that’s the Republican way. Republican’s can’t win on their failed policies, so they lie, cheat, suppress the vote, commit voter fraud and now blackmail. Who needs enemies when we have Greedy Billionaires dictating, making threats to their employees to do such as this to get their Man into office. They make $billions now by paying low wages with some having no benefits! What kind of moral Republican, American, would vote for candidates such as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan that condone the lying, cheating, corruption, and now blackmailing in their party and in fact do some of the same. The Republican/Tea Party has sunk to new lows, as if they couldn’t get any lower. Totally disgusting!
Morning Reads for Tuesday, October 16th — Peach Pundit
October 16th, 2012
8:00 am
[...] and in a non-surprise, Georgia Pacific tells its employees how to vote (AJC-Galloway) [...]
Conservative and proud of it
October 16th, 2012
9:45 am
Amazing that the unions are able to send out support letters to their employees and this is okay but a successful leader does it and it is wrong. Just shows you what the world has come to. Goodbye middle class if Obama is elected.
JackThrock
October 16th, 2012
10:31 am
Mehlman:
Regarding the diminished view comments: I was referring to the current administration’s approach to foreign policy overall. Like you, I think it’s high time Europe assumed a larger responsibility in its own theater. We agree on that. But I suspect we disagree on the level of active engagement required within the mid east theater, specifically as it relates to Iran, Syria, Israel, etc. I fundamentally and unequivocally do not understand or agree with the politically infused concept of “leading from behind.” To me, this simply shows weakness and hesitation. It does not show strength. And in my view, the absence of strength is the presence of weakness. We must contain radical elements over there. We cannot accomplish this if we’re back on our heels without a strategy.
Dina:
You will be glad to know that I read everything before I come to a conclusion on political things. Newspapers, research reports, think tank studies, etc. While my world view informs my understanding, I am a realist and a pragmatist. And as such, I view what’s happening as it is and take it for what it is. I do believe we are a country of big ideas, but I think our leaders are small. That goes for both sides of the aisle. It’s not an issue of looking at the positive side of things so much as it is dealing with the issues now. Our elected officials are so enthralled with reelection that they fail to address the most pressing issues.