Let's All Help Jimmy

If there is any such thing as a cinch bet, it is that James Riddle Hoffa will be overwhelmingly re-elected president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters at the union's Miami convention next month. But Jimmy is not the sort to take any chances: his headquarters admitted last week that an "independent" committee (headed by Hoffa lieutenants) had sent letters putting the bite on the union's 3,000 fulltime staff members for $25 each "to defray the election campaign expenses" of Jimmy and Secretary-Treasurer John English.

If everyone kicks in (and they had better), the total will come to $75,000. "You never know where there's going to be opposition," explained a Hoffa aide. "It's good to have a little dough in the coffers, just in case." What if all that money is not really needed? "If we don't use the money, we give it to a local charity."

The letter warned the givers not to dip into local treasuries for the contributions; it also stressed that the donations were to be strictly "voluntary." And it concluded meaningfully: "Please be certain to forward the list of names of persons making the contributions."

It seemed that Jimmy Hoffa might just like to remember those who forgot to remember him.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.