WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Gene Grabiner, who teaches Sociology at Erie County Community College’s (ECC) City of Buffalo Campus, has been a member of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) for 36 years.  Grabiner - who is currently represented by the Faculty Federation of ECC, which has 466 full-time and 400 part-time Union Members - recently submitted the following Labor Letter to the Editor at WNYLaborToday.com: 

I, like GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, too, grew up in a home with an elevator.

It didn’t raise cars up from the ground floor just like Romney’s, but it got us up to our Fifth Floor Tenement Apartment in the Bronx where I slept in the Foyer.

Then, we lived our American Dream - a dream of moving from the Bronx to Yonkers - which was actually pretty much just like the Bronx, except I had my own bedroom in our new Fifth-Floor Apartment.

Again, kinda like Mitt and the ever hard-working Ann, (she never had an au pair?), we also had an elevator.  It took you or anyone else up to the Six-Fifth Floor Apartments in our building.

Now we learn that Mitt, using Boy Wonder (Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Paul) Ryan’s Budget, wants to cut all Middle-Class, Working-Class, Middle-Income and Lower-Income Tax Code Loopholes.

But you just gotta remember, he’s ole’ Mitt and just like the catcher’s mitt, he’ll surely catch us in his Great Big Safety Net when we fall.

Huh?

Willard and Ryan champion the Trickle-Down Approach:

Shrink Government + Destroy Social Safety Nets + Cut Taxes For The Rich + Burden Workers With More Taxes + Break Unions + Crash Wages = Job Creation.

Sure, and this has been the Republican Mantra since Ronald Reagan.

Actually, though, Trickle-Down really means Tinkle On, and we know who gets wet and wetter and soaked.

And - it sure does stink.

The Modern Racist, Misogynist, Ultra-Right and Tea Party hijacked the Republican Party, which now dates its History only from Ronald Reagan forward, maybe even further back to Barry Goldwater - but not any farther back.

But, Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican Party elected President of the United States, said that: Labor is prior to, and Independent of, Capital.  Capital is only the Fruit of Labor and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed.  Labor is the superior of Capital and deserves much the higher consideration.

You know for sure that Mitt Romney cannot abide by Lincoln.

After all, Bain (which rhymes with pain) Capital is responsible for closing many Plants, ruining many Companies, Firing Many Workers and destroying many lives.

Locally speaking, I see Chris Collins as a Mini-Mitt and he’s not on the ball either