All That Twitters Is Not Gold

The man called Donald J. Trump, former leader of the free world, has been a very, very busy man of late. Often things he does on a daily basis goes unseen because of the cloud of Twitter dust that seems to fill the air surrounding him.

To get the full story you should read Under Trump, Worker Protections Are View With New Skepticism.  I believe Trump promised jobs but not necessarily safe and healthy jobs. It is a bit sad really, because in many cases it literally has taken decades to get some of the workplace safety measures in place.

"Nearly four decades in the making, a new rule under the Obama administration was set to lower workplace exposure to beryllium, an industrial mineral linked to a lung disease that is to estimated to kill 100 people annually. And the nation’s largest beryllium producer had agreed to back the new restrictions."

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"OSHA has also put off enforcement of an Obama-era standard for another respiratory hazard — silica, a mineral linked to a disabling lung disease as well as cancer — and it has delayed action on a rule that would require employers to electronically report workplace injuries so that they can be posted for the public."

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"During the early months of the Trump administration, a former lobbyist for an industry group that has opposed the beryllium, silica and record-keeping rules served on the transition team at the Department of Labor, which oversees OSHA. That official, Geoffrey Burr, who has since moved to the Department of Transportation as chief of staff, had been a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors, which represents nonunion construction companies." 

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"Asked about the Trump administration’s approach to occupational safety, a spokesman for the White House said, “The President and his administration care very much about worker safety, but believe the Obama administration’s approach was counterproductive, and we think we can do better.” 

Well we certainly wouldn't want to ties the hands of big corporation when it comes to enforcing workplace and worker's safety. Oh and when it come to health related diseases from the workplace environment, I guess we better read the small print in the new Trump-care bill that will be forthcoming. I kind of get the feeling that there might be an exemption for the likes of beryllium and silica.

I will just end with a couple of tips. Be careful what you ask for AND always keep a close eye on the clown with the fast little hands who is doing the switching of the cups and the balls, while the calliope music pays in the background.