Pentair – Here We Go Again

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
201 East Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI  53707-7946
Telephone:  (608) 266-3131
Fax:  (608) 266-1784
http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/
e-mail:  dwdsec@dwd.state.wi.us
Wisconsin.gov
State of Wisconsin
Department of Workforce Development

Jim Doyle Governor
Roberta Gassman Secretary

Thursday, May 29, 2008

CONTACT: Dick Jones, Agency Liaison, 608-267-4780

Governor Doyle Announces Additional Assistance for Dislocated Workers at

Pentair Filtration, Inc. in Sheboygan

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today the availability of additional reemployment services for workers

of Pentair Filtration, Inc., Sheboygan, who became totally or partially separated from employment on or after May 9,

2007.

“With this additional federal assistance, these workers can receive training to improve their skills, preparing them for

new jobs,” Governor Doyle said. “I am pleased to announce that we are able to help these workers reenter the

workforce, so that they can support themselves and their families and enjoy all that life in Wisconsin has to offer.”

The services, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), are available through

local Job Centers and funded through the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. They include

retraining and reemployment services tailored to meet the needs of individual workers.  Major activities and services

for which these workers may qualify for are:

• Training for employment in another job or career

• Income Support, known as trade readjustment allowances (TRA)

• Job Search Allowance to cover expenses incurred in seeking employment outside normal commuting areas

• Relocation Allowances for approved relocations expenses to relocate to a new area of employment.

“These are services that we and our local partners can provide the affected workers and help connect them with

employers in search of workers with the right skills,” DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said.

Workers at Pentair Filtration, Inc. produce water filtration products such as extruded block, filtration assemblies, and

pleated cartridges for use in residential water filtration systems.  It was determined that employment declined as a

result of the firm’s shift in production to China and Mexico. The firm is importing like products, replacing production

at the Sheboygan facility.

Affected workers are also eligible to apply for Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA), which is available to

workers aged 50 or older who possess skills that are not easily transferable.  Qualifying workers who obtain new

employment within 26 weeks of separation can receive a wage subsidy to help bridge the salary gap between their

old and new employment. The program was designed to provide assistance to workers for whom the retraining

offered under the regular TAA program may not be appropriate.

Individuals interested in receiving reemployment assistance should contact a local Job Center or visit

http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dws/programs/dislocated/default.htm.  The nearest Job Center location can be found by calling (888) 258-9966 toll free.

Freddie and Fannie Suck! your money

Looks like big money mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are about to screw over every man woman and child, plus thier children and thier childrens children in the name of keeping our financial system strong. Thank god we have the best and the brightest minds in the world looking out for us in Washington.

Under a conservatorship, the shares of Fannie and Freddie would be worth little or nothing, and any losses on mortgages they own or guarantee would be paid by taxpayers.

Government officials said that the administration had also considered calling for legislation that would offer an explicit government guarantee on the $5 trillion of debt owned or guaranteed by the companies, effectively doubling the size of the public debt.

Turns out these no doubt about it, in it for the money Corporations (sorry for using the C word) have sucked all they can from United States Citizens, then sucked some more and know want Uncle Sappy (US) to bail them out again.

Everybody is quick to point out that these companies are backed by the U.S. Government. This is a matter of opinion and framing by those with vested interests. turns out they are simply given a line of credit with the treasury for a measley $2.25 billion each. Freddie and Fannie lost over $11 billion in the last few months alone. This is not a backing but a safety valve, nothing more.

Let them fail! People make fun of their neighbors when they fail, calling them idiots and losers because they fall into the red for one reason or another. Businessmen often pride themselves on extinguishing the dreams of others spouting “It’s only Business” as they use the system to inflict harm on their brothers. The gap between rich and poor is growing everyday and setbacks like this would shrink the gap, however slightly that may be.

Anybody that has ever played a game such as Risk or Monopoly knows how hard it is to comeback from a great deficit. This is the type of event that is needed in such a scenario. Any child knows that changing the rules in the middle of the game is a good enough reason to quit. The fatcats in the money game have tilted the playing board in their favor for as long as the word finance has been around (probably longer).

If the market system truly works lenders will step in, if it does not work why is it the game that every American is forced to play?

I know, many of you will simply say I don’t get it, the problem is, I do.

It is fine to foreclose on one individuals dream, yet it is necessary to bailout those of wealth in the name of America.