Schmitt threatens to kill Boeing jobs; COPE-endorsed Baker critical of his political stunt

By ED FINKELSTEIN

Publisher

Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt (R) is playing roulette with Missouri’s good paying aerospace jobs at Boeing’s St. Louis plant and hundreds of other Missouri companies that supply the plant. And he’s using his run for state treasurer to do it, jobs and good union jobs at that, be damned!

And not only is he shooting at Boeing’s jobs by trying to scuttle tax incentives for Boeing’s St. Louis expansion, he is openly promoting the so-called “right-to-work” initiative that will come back in January sponsored by the Republican-controlled Missouri Legislature.

That’s right, Eric Schmitt wants to see “right-to-work” in Missouri, and he wants to scuttle good union jobs at Boeing to help further his political ambitions.

In a visit last month to the Jasper and Newton county Republican headquarters, he was caught on tape making his anti-worker sentiments clear:

“I think the Treasurer’s Office can play a much bigger role in advocating for things like … right-to-work, and the kind of things that are going to move our state forward…” Schmitt says, not having the slightest understanding that RTW moves a state backward, not forward.

“Schmitt must rethink this short-sighted political ploy,” notes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a highly critical editorial, adding, “If Boeing doesn’t compete for this ($17.6 billion) sale (for 80 passenger jets to Iran), Iran will almost certainly turn to Boeing’s competitor, Europe’s Airbus.” Goodbye Missouri jobs!

BAKER SUPPORTS WORKING FAMILIES

Making a clear distinction of the duties of state treasurer should be is COPE-endorsed Judy Baker, an experienced leader who supports working families.

“The Office of the Treasurer should be above politics. It should be an office that serves as Missouri’s fiscal watchdog and fiercest protector of all Missouri assets. One should not try use the treasurer’s office to push through so-called ‘right-to-work,’ or any other of their benefactor’s whims,” Baker told the Labor Tribune.

“My opponent is bought and paid for by the mega-rich that only care about their bottom line. My campaign is financed and ran by sheer Missourian will and way. We all want to see a better future for our kids, neighbors, friends and families and we are all willing to work hard to make it happen,” Baker stresses.

Notes St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones, “Treasurer Clint Zweifel has done a good job of protecting public funds, and Judy is the right person to continue this commitment to integrity. Judy’s common-sense approach to financial management will not only safeguard but grow taxpayer dollars, putting them to work for Missouri families.” Zweifel is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.

If Missouri is to remain competitive in America and if our workers are to be able to earn a decent family-supporting wage, we must support Baker for treasurer and the Democratic Ticket on Nov. 8.