Lying campaign for RTW expands with robo-calls, door-hangers

Goal to pressure worker-friendly Republicans into deserting their beliefs that RTW is wrong for Missouri workers, families

By ED FINKELSTEIN

Publisher

The already discredited Americans For Prosperity (AFP) continues to expand its efforts to intimidate worker-friendly Republicans voting against right-to-work to bend to their demands that they change their firmly held beliefs in support of working families and vote to override Gov. Nixon’s veto of the RTW bill at the Sept. 16 veto session in Jefferson City.

AFP has initiated a substantial robo-call campaign and expanded its door-to-door literature drops into the districts of worker-friendly, anti-RTW Republicans in an effort to first trick residents into believing their false rhetoric that RTW will benefit Missouri workers, and get voters to pressure their legislators.

As revealed earlier in the Labor Tribune, the non-partisan PolitiFact – a fact-checking project of the Tampa Bay Times and its partners – has debunked as “Half Truth,” “Mostly False,” “False” and “Pants On Fire” the information AFP is dishing out to the public via its media/print campaign. (See chart.)

The Labor Tribune previously revealed that this Koch Brothers funded secret right-wing group is already spending millions of dollars in TV, radio and direct mail into specific Republican districts, lying to residents trying to convince them that RTW is beneficial, which it is not. AFP has staff people in Missouri directing the anti-worker campaign.

See related stories:

• Rightwing steps up pressure campaign on lawmakers with huge TV, radio buy, door-to-door campaign
• Rightwing ramps up pressure on worker-friendly Republicans
• Rightwing launches targeted pressure campaign to strong-arm worker-friendly Republicans

RTW WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE

In Arnold, where Representative Dan Shaul (R) voted against RTW, Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 member Sean Degnan said that he has found two pieces of pro-RTW literature hung on his front door.

“They’re trying to say more jobs are created in RTW states, and we know what kind of low-paying, minimum wage jobs those are,” he told the Labor Tribune. “We don’t need that in Missouri. Things are tough enough for so many. RTW will only make it worse.”

FIGHT BACK

If you haven’t called your state representative and senator yet, please do so quickly. It’s important that both pro and con voters hear from people living in their districts.

Don’t know who your representative or senator is? Go to labortribune.com. Click on the banner at the top of the page to be taken to the Missouri House or Senate home page. Put in your ZIP code at box at the bottom, left side under “Who is your Representative?” on the House page or “Legislator Lookup” on the Senate page. Your legislators’ names and contact information will pop up.

On Sept. 16 the Republicans supporting RTW will attempt to override Gov. Nixon’s veto. Twenty-two Republicans and all 43 Democrats and one Independent stood up for working families and voted ‘NO’ on the original bill. We have to let them know working families have their backs.