Pictures from Anaheim!

    Just a few snaps from Anaheim that won't be here very long as it cost another $5.95 per month for this page. Suffice to say that the El Paso Express will not be going out of business anytime soon! However, it will be downgrading from 75 MB to about 40 MB in the near future with much of the pdf stuff being removed. The Express sees it's roll a little different now; primarily to move from the Smoot Debacle (the "Executive Session" transcript will never be removed!) to "fiscal responsibility", i.e., the monthly GS&T reports and whether we continue "deficit" spending month after month?

    Here's the pictures with a caption, explanation, and/or comment(s) in the unique style of the CEOEPE that so many readers have become accustomed to!

    Opppps . . ., that's obviously an error, haven't seen Mumbleshit One since . . . , hell, before the POO left on "medical"? Let's try this again?

    L - R: Jim Huston, Danny Downes, Steve Young, and Connie English. Danny and Steve (DLC's) took a large group of BNSF Delegates (after the elections - of course) to the "Rainforest" at Downtown Disney for dinner! My family and I greatly appreciated their hospitality and had a great time. Got to sit right across from the Chessers and I'd still take Al as President right now!

   L- R: Lela, Kathy Huston, Lana, and Melissa outside the Rainforest.  I've met a lot of good people in my 29 years on the railroad and Jim and Kathy are right up at the top! And he's the second best General Chairman I ever had; forgot to ask about how Merlyn and Charlene Hicks are doing but hope they are well and happy.

    Not much you can say about this other than all those guys from Texas are tall and handsome!  Notice I don't wear an "El Paso Express Shirt" when I socialize!

   Lana, Gary Kennedy, and TJ at the banquet.  TJ was there for another convention and that smooth talking Gary got a date for dinner! Gary is a long time friend and supporter of free speech. Back in the old days when the union didn't allow free speech without retaliation and I wasn't as "popular" as I am now, I use to try to make friends with all the "big guys". (hehe) Actually, Gary is just one of many "good guys" who made my years on the railroad memorable and worthwhile! An I forgot him in "contributions"; Gary brought me a bottled water while at "MY TABLE"   and watched my stuff while I took a bathroom break! Hell, the opposition hasn't actually "stolen" anything since the 200 copies of the Express from Smoot in Greensboro .  .  .  , well . . ., not counting the 14 million from JBI?

   The Jacobs with Glenn Johnson, delegate from local #937. Richard was Jimmy Alford's campaign manager and a novice to campaigns but I thought he did extremely well! He certainly impressed me when he sided with me against those who wanted me removed from "Sam's Table".  Got some "bulldog" in him and I don't doubt if punches had been thrown, he'd have been right in the middle of it defending my right to free speech despite the odds!    While this union "talks the talk" about diversity, one look at the heirarchy and the delegation would lead a reasonable person to conclude they don't "walk the walk" . . ., at least not yet! Hopefully, that will change if we can ever open the "closed shop" that exists in the International.

   Ousted Canadien CP Lines BLE General Chairman Robert McKenna addresses the UTU Convention. Apparently he was removed by BLE because he had the audacity to want a "vote" for his membership as to whether they want to merge with the Teamsters or not (go with UTU)? Hell, to remove a GC in UTU you would have to use the provisions of Article 74 and the GC would get a trial; anybody know if BLE had a trial?  IMWTK? 

    Obviously, with   "Team UTU" being re-elected with "little" or no opposition and BLE about to bed down with the Teamsters, this dispute is going to continue unabated with bloated International Hierarchies that leave the membership of both unions "at the bottom". It doesn't really make any difference who wins ultimately, the bloated Hierarchy will siphon off all the money and the members of both unions will suffer the lack of leadership that plagues both unions and pay with less wages, benefits, and higher dues wherever they end up!

    I can't speak for the BLE, but the UTU missed its chance to make the UTU a mean/lean fighting machine and opted for an even more bloated Hierarchy rather than cut back two VP's as we should have (Hell, they ADDED a 15th VP for 1800 Yardmasters!). "U" talk about "fiscal irresponsibility", this is the epitomy of stupidity; but the delegates believed the "special rep delegates" who decried the loss of "representation"?  

    I don't want to get on a "rant" here, but did some (any?) of the Delegates review the 2001 and 2002 VP's Annual Reports as to "how" some of these esteemed VP's "represented" us?  Let's just select someone at random . . . K. N. Thompson! (hehe) Now Kim would have been well advised to give his little speech wherein he didn't "wish" anguish (damn, I ONLY wanted every delegate to suffer 10 minutes of the anguish Ken Smoot suffered for 10 YEARS) upon anyone. Yea . . ., that's OK . . ., always take the high ground . . ., good politics. But then Kim makes a trip over to where I'm sitting a day or two later with a big smile and thanks me for contesting him and some crap about how nice it was to give a speech again?

    OK, boys and girls, can "u" spell "bloat"; how about "gloat"? I'm reminded of the movie "The Unforgiven" (or something like that) wherein "Little Bill" tells English Bob "You were right not to take it (a gun), I'd have killed you"! One of my worst moments was after I was removed from the Courtroom in Youngston to the "witness room" (penalty box) and realized Smoot's attorney had sold him out lock, stock, and barrel! As I was broading in there, Kim comes in (apparenly after testifying - didn't read his testimony until months later- thank God).  I say "you guys must be really proud today" and IF I'd have gotten an answer I didn't like, I'd guess I couldn't make the statement that I have never started a fight in my life.  Kim must have recognized my anger and left immediately never to return to the "witness room"!

    But no such "stigma" in a "little" gloating in a room with 800 people as witnesses when only 4 or 5 are hearing the conversation? Wrong! While I didn't ever "publish" his testimony in Youngstown, while I didn't address anything from the podium other than what the newsletter said and my "promise" to Ken, and while I didn't "publicize" his record before the election, Kim deserves a little "bitch slap" for his faux pas, much like the one I gave Sammie here and the one I gave him from the floor which shall be documented when I address the Constitution.  

    Anybody (Delegates particularly?) ever notice that the VP's fill out their OWN Annual Report about their work for the year and leave out dates in which they were not engaged in some "function" (as opposed to actual work because I don't consider going to a local meeting or even a Regional Meeting as "work") they can verify?  So how many days are missing from K. N. Thompson's 2002 Report? A. less than 30 B. Less than 60 C. Less than 90 D. 244!  So how many "assignments" (actually requested by General Committes in accordance with the Constitution) did K. N. Thompson have in 2002? A. More than 10 B. More than 20 C. More than 30 D. 1! How many VP's does it take at the First Division to shake their head "NO" when the referee asks if the Organization has a position? A. 15 B. 11 C. 7 D. 2!  I know this is confusing, so let's do the easy test - True or False? No other VP had more "days not accounted for" than K. N. Thompson in 2002? True or False? Don't know the answers; do some research!!!!!   Better to "Express Yourself" late than not at all!

    Oppppps ... , I digressed ..., this was the "picture page"?  Last chance to get the few remaining "El Paso Express" Shirts for a $25 donation before prices rise!