http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080825/OPINION03/808250303/1017

The Daily Journal

Labor unions in South Jersey are among Frank LoBiondo's top campaign contributors. Their leaders are among the first to endorse him without even talking to his opponent.

Yet the AFL-CIO rates him at 53 percent while the US Chamber of Commerce rates him at 76 percent, which means that most of the time he sides with the owners.

LoBiondo should be grateful for the support, but he voted against HR 1338, Paycheck Fairness Act, just before the summer recess. The bill addresses pay discrimination and remedies related to gender.

Pay discrimination hurts mostly single parents, the majority of whom are mothers. Indirectly, millions of children are also hurt by his vote.

Thanks to people like LoBiondo in Congress, President Bush has been able to implement much of his anti-Labor agenda, which includes: losing millions of workers their overtime pay; cuts to OSHA and MSHA budgets that resulted in reduced inspections and enforcement making the workplace less safe; and giving tax breaks to companies that moved jobs overseas.

The idealistic LoBiondo who signed onto the Contract with America sold out to special interests a long time ago. The time has come to replace him with someone who truly believes in tax cuts for families, not millionaires; a strong national defense, not preemptive wars; and fairness for seniors, not drug plans that benefit the pharmaceutical and insurance companies.

By the way, I am not one who asked him to forget his term-limits pledge.