Smoke and Mirrors?

   I have referred to the ploys of the Little/Boyd Regime as "smoke and mirrors" for numerous years and can't even remember which edition I first placed it, albeit I am sure it is still in the archives!  

   But lately, seems many people are giving a closer look at the techniques the Little/Boyd Regime has used since they first cut the deal to pay DuBose to retire early so they could take over in October of 95 and immediately zap the JBI for the first 7 million dollar loan.  Some will remember the Express questioned payments of over $90 G the following year (1996) to DuBose and that the DoL finally determined the payments could not continue (doubtful they made that retroactive?).  And while the Express has continued to address issues of corruption by Sac-C ("you're Constitution will be Sacrosanct" - Little election propoganda circa 1995), i.e., Sacrosanct Charlie (Who developed the wonderfully successful   Safety Assurance and Compliance Programs), few if any members seemed to pay attention, relying mostly on the lies and propoganda of the machine through "Special Representatives" and technological sparkle and glitter, i.e., lies told on the UTU webpage often enough that people just assumed they must be accurate (Like "Strong and Stable" financially - hahaha - I still get a good laugh out of that one)!

    Now, for whatever reasons, others are starting to address these issues and are no longer intimidated to speak freely (YEA - EXPRESS YOURSELF!!!).  One such person, dear to my heart, is now about to make a difference - probably because he has a well established record of excellent safety representation for many years.  While various "Special Representatives" identified by their payments at Greensboro cussed me and/or ignored me, three sought me out to explain what they were paid to do AND that they were not getting double payments while under pay from the International!  One of those was Ray Lineweber, the highly respected and long time SLD for Nebraska.

    While perhaps a little melodramatic (not if you were present for the intimidation at Greensboro), "when Ruck speaks, there's three Special Reps and/or IO's (Intl. Officers) to promptly dismiss his ranting and/or threaten him" but when Linewebber speaks, people listen!  And Ray seems to be speaking loud and clear in the two recent missives he has shared with the Delegates.    His latest pretty much clarifies the "smoke and mirrors" that the Administration believes they can dupe the membership with in their never ending barage of "Internet Bullshit" and damage control!  Of course, these boys have "NO SHAME" as Paul would say, and they will attempt to put a positive spin on criminal indictments if that becomes necessary . . . , and it MAY? For those of you who read this site but are not delegates, Ray's second missive is below:

July 17, 2003 Linewebber letter!

   His earlier 6 page letter dated June 25, 2003 is even more enlightening and actually calls for the defeat of VP David Hakey by name!  Damn, I couldn't think of a more deserving person to be defeated in Anaheim unless it's "little Sac-bb" himself! Dubbed for his "sacrosanct" interpretation of the UTU Constitution when he deliberately misrepresented the actual language to intimidate the Executive Board into believing they had no authority to hear my charges against Boyd! Ah . . ., of course, that was not the first set?

    No, I won't be voting for Boyd or Hakey under any circumstances and at least I don't have to run for President now! Some may think I was joking, but I would have run if Byroon was unopposed and I would have taken 20 minutes to tell the Convention in precise terms why Byron Boyd should not be President of the UTU and why he has NO INTEGRITY! I can now do that in my Convention Special which should appear here before I leave for CA this Saturday AND be available at great expense to myself to any member/delegate in Anaheim who wants one! And I will run against Hakey if necessary but I don't expect there will be a lack of contenders for his position . . . ., and quite frankly, for all postions! I'M LOOKING FOR A WIDE OPEN CONVENTION!

    The real question I have in my mind is will the International Officers stick together if Dubose, Little, and Boyd are indicted? Personally, I don't believe that will happen before the Convention now and I think Boyd will "cut a deal" with the UP and NCCC with the help of some "member" of the UP Board of Directors with "clout" in the government to avoid indictment. What he gives in return will be unknown until after he is re-elected but could include a bad retroactive Health/Welfare Agreement (forced by Republican Aribitrators no doubt?), crappy trick rates, more technology concessions, and maybe even a big favor for UP only, i.e, use the trick rates to nullify the TPA of former SP/UP employees!  Remember Byroon is off the UP, Sac-C-bb aided the acquisition of SP despite the recommendation of Highsaw & Mahoney, Sac-C lied about the "Committment Letter" in San Antonio, they gave "concessions" to help UP out of meltdown, and Asst. President Boyd replaced VP Langford (who had a mental breakdown rather that sell out the employees) behind closed doors (OK boys and girls, can "U" spell "EXECUTIVE SESSION"?) in the Yost Award that gave the Carrier the right to pick the agreement they wanted to use in the hubs!  Hmmm, seems it would be better to defeat Byron than wonder what he has traded for immunity! IMWTK?

   I digressed; I'm not specifically running for any postion but won't let some Officers run unopposed even IF I have to run against them (similar to my opposition to Earley in Miami when he withdrew rather than hear my speech, I withdrew because I accomplished my goal and then Hakey defeated Hollis on the strength of the "little/void regime") - included on that short list is Hakey, K. Thompson, and Wigent for reasons I will address in the newsletter. If you are one of the "anonymouses" who likes to pretend I am a drunken sot who has no credibility, mislead Smoot down a path of destruction which he deserved anyway, and should never be listened to again because I admitted I mishandled 472 claims and tried to correct that (not over yet - just a very serious disagreement if I ought to pay a $4G penalty to get $20 G's to pay the claims and/or a pro rata of the claims between my wife and I), then don't read this homepage, don't ask for a copy of my newsletter (don't want anyone to become "tainted" - haha), and don't take the time to talk with me in Anaheim!    

    Quite frankly, I'd be the best President this union has had since Chesser.  The first thing I would do is take $100,000 of my overbloated salary and hire Robert A. Cushing, Jr. and my "Administrative Assistant". Then I'd appoint him to chair a Committee of concerned officers and members, like Lineweber, etc. to place this union back as the preminent union in rail labor, i.e., remove the current accurate designation of the UTU as the "Company Union®"!  IF it included putting the UTU and BLE together, assuming they are not consumed by the Teamsters as I believe they will be, there would be only two main points: One: both unions completely support two man Road Crews until the attrition of all the conductors and then engineer/co-engineer after that! Two: Shitcan the duplicity of overbloated officers in a fair system wherein members of both unions would have an opportunity to be elected.   In fact, First Constitutional Recommendation from the CEOEPE - Proposal No. 3 - yep . . . , do away with the Assistant President (subject to attrition)!  Let's see, how many days has "Shame on You Thompson" been in Cleveland" duing the last 4 years?   Pass this proposal before elections and I'll run with the promise to resign Jan. 1 to attrite the Position!  Yo, Paulie . . . ya gonna argue again, like you did in Miami, that you're "entitled" to pay your room and meals with American Express and then collect per diem because you have "socializing" expenses?  Ah . . ., gee . . . , I guess those DLC's won't be around this year to pick up those tabs too?   IMWTK? How about it Mr. Alford - you going to do the same thing if you win?

Newsline: El Paso, TX: The "little" known newsletter and webpage known as the "El Paso Express", in existence since 1991 (webpage 1997 and began again several times in 99 and 01), has announced it is going out of business at the end of 2003, possibly as earley, opps early as September 1! CEOEPE Lance Ruck sited fixed income, pending retirement considerations, and membership knowledge and awareness as reasons that the Express is no longer a necessary "union tool"! In a "going out of business" sale that rivals that of the "UTU Company Store", Lance ("Lanny" to his friends) has announced a limited supply of "El Paso Express - Express Yourself" shirts will be available at the upcoming UTU Convention in Anaheim for a mere $25 donation - no bulk buyers please!