Editorial: Time for Gov. Jay Nixon to warm up his veto pen : Stltoday

Editorial: Time for Gov. Jay Nixon to warm up his veto pen : Stltoday

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Out of principle, Mr. Nixon should annually veto any bill sponsored by Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington. Mr. Nieves’ idea of lawmaking is to find a group he can marginalize by ginning up fake outrage and outlaw practices that don’t exist. His SB 265 makes it illegal for Missouri to enforce the United Nations’ Agenda 21, a purely voluntary attempt to get nations to think about sustainability practices. Mr. Nieves’ other bill (thank goodness his colleagues only let him pass two) is SB 267, which would make it illegal for Missouri courts to apply Sharia Law because, you know, that happens all the time. Send Mr. Nieves packing for summer break with two vetoes written with capital letters.

Finally, Mr. Nixon should give serious consideration to vetoing House Bill 4, the budget bill for the Department of Revenue. As part of a misguided attempt to use the budget as a policy and political tool, lawmakers only approved enough revenue for eight months in a department that is responsible for driver’s licenses, and motor vehicle and boat tags. That’s no way to run a government. It threatens proper planning and improperly intrudes on executive branch functions. Do Missouri Republicans really want to budget the same way Congress does? Really?

St. Louis hospital CEOs see double-digit pay hikes : Business

St. Louis hospital CEOs see double-digit pay hikes : Business

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A recent survey by Equilar, an executive compensation data firm based in Redwood City, Calif., found that — for the fourth time in five years — health care chief executives commanded the highest pay packages last year among publicly traded companies.

On average, Equilar found, health care CEOs were paid more than their counterparts in six other industry sectors, including technology, financial services and industrial goods.

The value of executive pay at large, for-profit health companies tends to be higher than nonprofit organizations, but the gap appears to be narrowing.

In recent years, executives at St. Louis-area nonprofit health organizations have seen annual double-digit increases of as much as 40 percent in their total compensation packages, which typically include salaries, bonuses, pensions and health benefits.

Such pay hikes occurred as these nonprofit organizations enjoyed their largest operating margins in years, and also at a time when health providers speak of a new era of transparency in pricing, improved quality of care, and personalized medicine.

jaco comments of coal miner decision in st. louis ( kplr 11)

McClellan: Patriot Coal case shows how federal judges live by their own rules : News

McClellan: Patriot Coal case shows how federal judges live by their own rules : News

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A federal bankruptcy judge ruled Wednesday that Patriot Coal could ax its union contracts and slash retiree benefits as it seeks to reorganize itself.

This ruling was particularly galling to retirees who never worked for Patriot Coal Corp., which didn’t exist until 2007, when St. Louis-based Peabody Energy created it. At the time of Patriot’s creation, Peabody saddled it with millions of dollars of legacy costs, including pension and health care obligations for thousands of retired mine workers.

The company has collapsed under the weight of these costs.

St. Louisans have seen this movie before. When Monsanto “spun off” Solutia in 1997, it dumped about $1 billion of debt on the new company. That was on top of legacy costs and liability for environmental cleanup and litigation that went along with those environmental problems.
Not surprisingly, Solutia went bankrupt in 2003.

Rerun or not, this latest ruling hardly seems fair. Miners who retired long before Patriot was created are going to lose their health insurance. This insurance was promised to them. Not just verbally, either. Promised in a written contract
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note:  it is established law that companies can and do dump cost in bankrupt courts.  workers and retirees seem to be the first targets

Patriot can sever Mine Workers contract, cut retiree benefits, judge rules : Business

Patriot can sever Mine Workers contract, cut retiree benefits, judge rules : Business

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ST LOUIS • A federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday gave Patriot Coal Corp. the green light to ax its union contracts and slash retiree health benefits in its bid to stay afloat.

The ruling by Judge Kathy Surratt-States, which came after a weeklong court hearing and rowdy protests in the streets of downtown St. Louis last month, will give the struggling coal company a clear upper hand in negotiations with the United Mine Workers of America, and could lead to far less-generous health insurance for about 21,000 retired mine workers and their families.

Patriot, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July, has said it needs $150 million in savings from the union to keep its doors open. For that it needs lower labor costs.

The company has held 15 rounds of talks with the Mine Workers since November on its existing contract, which covers 57 percent of Patriot’s 2,900 miners, and swapped five rounds of proposals and counterproposals. Now it has the right to wipe out that contract entirely, starting June 1, though the union has threatened to strike if that happens

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note:  in about two weeks, another mineworker demonstration in st louis.  will post details

soar groups on both sides of river intend to send representatives 

US meat company awaits for Chinese takeover

FOX NEWS Michigan takes up war on unions