Another Teachers Union Bailout Runs Into Spending Fatigue
by Kyle OlsonThe two national teachers unions thought they had it all figured out: seek a $23 billion bailout for public schools and it would result in a windfall of dues money. Nearly $19 million for the National Education Association and almost $8 million for the American Federation of Teachers by my calculation – a handsome payback for the unions’ election support.
But the trough appears to be closing just as the unions were straightening their bibs.
That, of course, is a good thing for the American taxpayers – and the kids the union purports to put first who would ultimately be stuck with the bill.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) recently failed to garner the votes necessary to attach the Keep Our Educators Working Act to a supplemental defense spending bill, but D.C. lawmakers are expected to continue to push for the legislation.
Harkin would have needed 60 votes, and the support of Republicans, to attach the fund as an amendment to the defense bill, which recently passed without the school employee bailout amendment.
“I have no Republicans who will vote for it,” Harkin told Reuters.
My guess is that he’s got a few Democrats eyeing the November election and sensing a pitchfork mentality among the voters and they wouldn’t support it, either.
Its instinct to assume the bill is to keep teachers in the classroom. But the NEA and AFT were clear in their wording: an “education jobs bill.” It’s more than just teachers. About one-third of the NEA’s members are support personnel – custodians, bus drivers and food service workers – people who have no impact on the education of a child.
Yet the unions wanted to see those jobs (and dues) saved, too.
So instead of concessions at the bargaining table, instead of sensible cost-cutting reforms or tackling pension problems boiling over in states like Illinois (the teachers union there is actually pushing for the state to borrow to cover pension obligations), the unions want the gravy train to continue running on time.
The notion that schools are broke is laughable. Schools don’t have a funding problem; they have a spending problem.
Some Michigan schools spend well over $16,000 per employee for a health insurance package that kicks money back to the teachers union. By comparison, the average state employee plan is around $12,000.
In Ohio, the Cincinnati district last year spent over $7.5 million on sick and personal leave costs – state law requires 15 sick days a year per teacher, which are bankable. Remarkably, the district wasn’t able to calculate the cost of substitutes to cover all those sick days.
And of course, you have situations like in New York City where teachers are paid to sit in a room and do nothing constructive. That was costs taxpayers $30 million a year, according to the New York Times.
It would behoove Sen. Harkin and the other bagmen for the teachers unions to get costs under control before bellying up to the slop trough and demanding more. Until that happens, expect significant voter backlash and perhaps the end of your career in just a few months.
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384 Comments
The victories are few and far between, but every dollar we save, and defeat to their Progressive agenda we impose, is a small step in the RIGHT direction.
The government needs to break the unions before the unions break the government. I know some fine teachers, they are not a majority. Why the hell should a janitor (janitor!) make $70-80k a year? And then retire with 90% of that for 25-30 years when they are only in their mid-50'? I will probably have to work until I am nearly dead. It sickens me that my earnings will be paying for these union pigs…
While I wouldn't count this as a final victory yet… any signs that Congress may actually have started to listen to the voters (even if just for November reasons) to STOP SPENDING MONEY is a good thing.
Look for the purple shirts to be out in full force again… "Show us the money".. "Show us the money"…
I say we put Gov. Chris Christie in charge of all negotiations with teacher unions across the country.
Since student enrollment has remained stable for decades and the number of education employees has tripled, I wonder why they just Never have enough money????
When will be get spending right?
Why would any GOPer support any type of union handout ? That money will just comeback to haunt them in the form of donations to their opponent. Looks like they might be learning their lesson.
Not a defeat just a delay in action. These unions especially government unions have full time lobbyists on the front door of this White House each and every waking moment. 100% guarantee for your retirement benefits…. so where was our guarantee when we were all forced to participate in the Social Security Ponzi scheme.
"U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) recently failed to garner the votes necessary to attach the Keep Our Educators Working Act to a supplemental defense spending bill"
This is typical, but it's past time we demanded accountability from our representatives. No more pork! Stop bundling (bungling) bills and let each issue stand on its own.
Be sure to vote every week on youcut: http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/
Wait a minute "15 sick days a year per teacher, which are bankable"?
That's more than I get for sick or vacation days, and I don't get 3 months a year off!
It's time to shine a big spotlight of on the activities of the union cockroaches and stomp on them as the run!
Many teachers are good, but the unios have generally driven down the quality in my opinion. I find myself agreeing with Beck's line that public education has become an inner ciity jobs program in many places. Go Reagan on the unions and force them to collapse like the old Soviet Union.
I did. Even my Dem friends are doing it. I hope the GOP understands they will have to continue this site even if they gain majority of they will be called out as hypocrites. I would like to see withdrawing from UN as an item – just to see the reaction, if nothing else.
This is something we need to push, but it would take a Constitutional amendment.
No bill can be longer than the Constitution is what I like.
Handcuffs on all of congress I say!
The less our lawmakers are allowed to do the better off for all the citizens.
with the bad scores on the kids tests, i think we should make the unions give us money back. just yesterday on drudge was the story of teachers cheating on tests for their students, because their pay is tied to performance. teaching is sort of a thankless job, but it does have plenty of pay and perks. these zero deductable insurance policies to current and former teaches must stop. they are robbing us blind, and not doing a good job teaching.
One thing I have noticed is that the Rs are steering the votes, each week, 1 choice saves significantly more than all the others. That having been said, it still saves us money, and these are good cuts, I would actually like to see them push bills for all 5 issues each week.
Keep saying it loud enough and often enough, soon people will believe it! This was the mantra of the propoganda minister in Germany, of course he was referring to telling lies. In this example however, we need to keep telling our elected officials loud and often, Stop Spending. If we keep at it, they may eventually believe we mean it. Oh, it may take a few "inforced retirements" to get the attention of some, but eventually even the dimmist of dim-wits will figure it out.
City employees in Boston retiring with > hundred thousand $ in banked sick time.
http://www.bostonherald.com/projects/buybacks/ear...
I cannot convey to you how freaking pissed off this makes me.
And you know this means that they certainly as a rule don't ever stay home sick, making all of our children sick in the process after screwing us for the money.
And they complain about not having proper resources available to them to care for and teach our children. They are even cutting the school week to four days in some cases.
Criminal is what I say!
My Mom works for the state of California's education department, and she has over 1 year worth of banked vacation and sick days. The real problem with bankable days is cost of living raises and promotions, each year they stay in the bank, they become more valuable.
Boy! …that would be quite something to get rid of that weasel Tom Harkin parasite herder extraordinaire. Come on November!
Indeed! I believe this is one amendment that the general public would embrace.
We really need to figure this cloning technology out quick, clone Chris Christie 50 times and run him for governor in all other states and also for prez.
And of course, you have situations like in New York City where teachers are paid to sit in a room and do nothing constructive.
——-
but, to balance doing nothing CONSTRUCTIVE, you have teachers in California that volunteer to take students, on their own time no less, on field trips to Arizona to [ learn how to ] protest their fellow citizens.
It's simply amazing how brazenness democrats are at trying to fund their constituents through bills like this. Thank goodness for 60 sane republicans. Glad to see the party of "no" standing up against this.
yep, he gives asshats a bad name.
From what I've read about the educational system in most states, the situation is pretty dire. Many states have projected that they'll lay off tens if not hundreds of thousands of teachers in the coming year, and this money is intended to prevent them from joining the ranks of unemployed. I think education is something we all believe needs to be prioritized, even in difficult financial times. And I've heard this money would go towards both unionized and non-unionized school districts. If we don't support our nation's educators then who will?
With the exception of National Defense and some basics–I like a do nothing Congress myself.
Everything for the lazy and unproductive. Nothing for the rest of us. Teachers,I know there are good ones out there but the bottom line is TEST RESULTS. Where does our country rank as far as a good education? The proof is in the pudding. How can you feel you deserve more when the results are horrific? Where's your sacrifice? We pay your way and then we receive sub standard results. Do you really feel you deserve more rather than less?
[...] Read the whole thing. var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname="Another Teachers Union Bailout Runs Into Spending Fatigue"; a2a_config.linkurl="http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/06/11/another-teachers-union-bailout-runs-into-spending-fatigue/"; [...]
Who else is fed up with sneaking amendments into legislation that has no relevance to the original legislation? This practice has to stop!!! If it's defense, then dammit, talk defense only, (i certainly don't see these CommieBrainWashing frauds masquerading as teachers enlisting to defend this country). If transportation dollars are being appropriated then i don't wanna see anything in the bill that does not pertain to transportation.
The financial legislation currently being debated gets printed on a off-day and voted on by noon the next??? Whose read the damn thing? This goes for both parties. Stop the deceit, stop the smoke 'n' mirrors and for once be responsible for your vote, Congressmen.
Sorry. But the non hackers need to be weeded out. Then we can talk about it. Why should failure be rewarded.
Here is the problem, how do you keep funding something when you got nothing left to fund with?
The teachers unions are nothing but a big waste of money and have always been. I have nothing against our teachers, but many are part of unions that do nothing but take and at times dont do any real teaching either. We might as well save more money by dropping the Department of Education to, since for 3 decades, our scores barely moved up a point in reading and mathmatics to.
IMO, teachers can still be teachers, but without the wasteful money grubbing unions. Teachers dont even need unions or a real need to be unionized either.
That's interesting to know that 1/3 of the NEA members are not teachers. They certainly never portray it as such.
I have been doing just that! Even if they can't get the votes for the cuts, they can point to the effort they've made!
more like give us the money….give us the money!! NOT…..
Better yet run him for president. He does seem to have a gigantic pair. We need someone like that to change witless house to White House. Palin as Sec of interior, Allen West a sec of defense, and Buckman as Sec of treasury. Only need one more for a full house. Ah yes, Sec of State. How about John Bolton.
A great pic on this post. The teachers' unions in the public sector have become what the SEIU has become to the health care industry, a pair of cement shoes.
And, in Mass., the teachers' union is trying to fire a retired marine for non-payment of union dues.
http://laborunionreport.blogspot.com/2010/06/thos...
I do so recommend an abundant coating of tar and several sacks of feathers to gain and retain their attention.
We need to review how the Unions were treated the last time they got nasty and made everyone join them or get beaten up. Cesar Chavez' era is far enough back, maybe. Did "the law" ever step in? These goons are getting more violent the more they are told no.
Teacher's Unions are like virulent parasites. They will suck the life's blood out of their host, and complain as the host becomes less and less able to provide the blood they demand due to being drained by outright thuggery. I suggest that Teacher's Unions be treated as any useless parasite is treated: eliminate them from feeding on their hosts. Unions are a main reason States are having budget problems…..cut off the money, and the fat bastard union leaders will die on the vine. Money is the reason they exist….money, and power. Like weeds in a lawn you are busting your ass to keep healthy, poison them at their roots…..money. Bust the unions, and 75% of state budget problems will cease to exist. Oh, wait. That requires politicians who aren't dependent on Unions to get elected, so they can pass legislation to keep the unions in power….crap. Never mind.
I miss hearing "De Colores" and cheap grapes.
Amen to that……(sometimes I could swear he's channeling Reagan)
Ever since I saw that on the news I've just been fuming! And did the parents know the whole story beforehand?
Can we also clone Sarah and Rick Perry? Maybe just a little variety? Sarah is easy on the eyes and drives the Left nuts. I'm thinkin' 15-20 of her. Rick Perry can shoot, so that has to be worth a few copies…
Work to pass Right-to-Work laws in all 50 States. There are many teachers who resent being forced to pay union dues to radical, leftist national unions simply because state laws allow labor contracts to demand it.
Yep. Probably would need an amendment to make it enforceable on the numb-nuts. One thing at a time, made public 5 days prior to voting and reference where in the Constitution the authority for the legislation is provided for…
I read somewhere that in Mass. public sector employees are required to join a Union… Is this true? How is this legal? It ensures that far more Democrats will hold public sector jobs and the taxpayers have little say in how much public sector employees are paid and the benefits they receive- this seems criminal to me.
Completely agree with you!!! No one should be forced to join a Union in order to hold a job for which they are absolutely qualified…
A group of teachers, students, PARENTS and community activists in the Los Angeles Unified School District took part in a field trip last month to Arizona to protest.
One of the teachers,Jose Lara, has called for a Mexican revolution on US soil.
Mr. Gochez, another teacher, referred to Americans as "frail, racist, white people", and to California as "stolen, occupied Mexico".
A school district investigation found him FIT to continue teaching HISTORY to public school students.
sooooo, imo, the parents knew what the trip was for and it would be safe to bet , that they support the views of the teachers (whose salaries and retirement will be protected by the bail-out ).
Me! Me! Me! But what really chaps my ass is that they act as if we're not onto their little scams. They know what we DON'T want but they do it anyway!!
If not now, when? If not us, who? We can't leave this mess for the next generation. If we don't stand up now our children won't have an example to refer to if it happens again.
Aahhh…..and good old hunger strikes.
When the parasite class starts realizing that Obama's Stash is just about to run dry, expect things to get even uglier. This will happen about the time the magnitude of the drubbing the Regressives are going to get this fall comes into focus.
Arizona is a right to work state. Hey!! Maybe we should advertise……naw, we'd probably just get boycotted……….
Can't beat a moonlight walk in the desert-lived in El Paso for ten years. Now in Apache county.
The reason teachers' unions suck in members in Right-to-Work states (and presumably elsewhere) is that they offer steeply discounted insurance to help defend lawsuits from kids who claim abuse.
It's a scam that they've developed…or at least no one else has done it to compete.
While the union officials are padding their retirements, they continue to make teachers retire early or fire the younger teachers that the former administration demanded be hired.Politics at its worst….
ONE ITEM=ONE BILL!
When Teacher's were able to join unions, that's when the standards went down!
Gf
Comments like this keep you firmly in the Top5….
Exxxcellent…!!!
I miss eating as many grapes as possible! I do not miss wondering when my friends' parents were going to get beaten up.
Your words are lovely. However, an action plan, an idea, some motion would be appreciated.
Then how do we stop the people who are so firmly stuck on stupid? Violence doesn't work. Will the legal avenues work? They have not so far.
NO kidding. I had to pay extortion money to the racketeers to have a job on a line in a cannery.
Brilliant. It gives the predatory ones a shield.
I could live with that. Throw in Joe Arpaio as director of Homeland security and Fred Thompson as attorney General and I'm in.
politician…
You're limiting this comment to just teachers' unions?…
"Teacher's Unions are like virulent parasites."
You might want to explore some of the other unions as well. http://www.1-888-no-union.com
Unfortunately, the likelihood of that happening in the next several years is extremely remote.
In fact, they are trying to eliminate RTW.
http://employerreport.blogspot.com/2008/08/worker...
Everything depends on the mid-terms. GOTV.
When is congress going to bail out taxpayers?
Here's a clue-get the FEDS out of it! State & local control. Will solve a lot of issues.
Unions have ruined this country. Its time to end them!
Obviously the teachers didn't mind sacrificing their own time if it meant they could contribute to the students' disdain for the laws of their own country (assuming it really IS their own country if they are legal.)
There are some things that could be done that would not impact the education of the children. For example, if mainstreaming were suspended, there would be need for far fewer aides and the children could still be adequately (I actually think better) educated while still participating in art, PE, music, lunch, recess with the other students.
Next, districts could stop spending millions of dollars on programs that are trendy but actually don't work very well or could be done in a simpler way without all the fancy bells and whistles. Right now it is "levelled reading" which calls for a huge, expensive assortment of books rather than a basal reader. It is sort of like the old fashioned reading circles, but each circle is reading a different book and the children are conducting most of the lessons themselves. I could go on and on, but I won't. Most of these programs are abandoned in 2 or 3 years (just about the time the teacher's figure out how to modify them so they work better) and the next "in" program is purchased.
Eliminate the Dept of Education, they are a joke. Now the entire country is run by the union thugs, and for the first time, the public is rising up in protest, way to go. The teachers should be required to take proficiency tests, why have many of them fought this all these years, DUH. When we finally get the Chicago Thug and his minions out of office, we need to start afresh, without all the propaganda the Empty Suit supporters bring to our children.
Hahahaha….
Well, we're not going to be able to change the Marxists' minds. One thing we need to do is quit subsidizing so many anchor babies and their whole families.
We have the dream team.
You know HiPD well…
Love 'em like a brother, but he is a politician…
He and I will tip a glass in your honor soon. He is flying into Daleyland for a little party in a few days. Wish you could join us…
Although I don't think you meant it quite that way… the "bottom line" is NOT test results. The bottom line is the kids. "The children are the future" is oft-repeated, but is all too true. I don't want an incompetent doctor or lawyer. I do want my doctor to be able to think logically, know proper research methods to find information when he/she is uncertain, and to have a thorough understanding of biology and chemistry. Good teachers and parents build those skills into kids along with the 3 Rs needed to function and communicate effectively. A one-shot multiple-choice test doesn't prove math, language or science skills have been mastered any more than successfully baking a cake makes me a pastry chef. Using the skills to actually do something great and purposeful is what I want for my students.
Teachers getting paid to do nothing does nothing to educate the kids. Policies allowing the banking of unused sick days as a "bonus" at year's end don't help either, except to teach the kids how to work the system for personal benefit.
Before someone screams, "But what if my kid gets sick and I have to stay home with him?" or "What if I have emergency surgery and need a month at home to recover?"–that's what "sick days" are for. I missed three school days in 4 years working in the public schools. Two days were for a teacher's conference, and one followed a car wreck that earned a broken wrist. Those three days, I probably deserved some sort of salary. Being paid a bonus for not taking sick days isn't logical.
I'm now in private education: our school is home to lots of happy teachers, parents and students. If we don't have the money budgeted to buy something cool like a video projector, the parents' group holds a fundraiser. We have money set aside for a "rainy day" rather than spending every penny as quickly as it comes into the office. Our first graduates have earned college credit with AP exams, gained college scholarships, and are hopefully prepared to live as productive citizens, all with lots less per-pupil spending and totally without union "help."
Yes to that, TR. Cattle? Sheep rancher's daughter. We never had much trouble in Oregon with the illegals in our area until the Carter years. Now it seems everyone has a horror story–thieves, uninsured motorists, drug lords taking over the local pot growing spots on federal land (yeah, just keep going past that one).
Anchor babies and citizenship for people with no regard for the law.
Man, you don't know how tempting that offer is. Jb asked me about it a while back. What a great time you guys are going to have. Do you have any idea of the number of attendees? I know quite a few of my favorite posters live in your area.
Please DO tip a glass in my name! I will be happy thinking about that! But, I will be happy thinking about that WHILE attending our only granddaughter's 2nd Birthday party. She is so excited about it, and it's been on the calendar for a good while.
We were in your city a few years back, on a bit of business. Rented a car and did a little sight seeing, rode the boat out into the lake, drove down Michigan Avenue. Did the river tour. Saw the mansions along the lake. Had a nice time. But, you know what? We never found a good STEAK! I KNOW there have to be good steaks there someplace besides your BBQ grill! One was so bad, I would swear they'd boiled it!
We finished that trip by driving up over the edge of Canada, just to say we'd been there, and cut across some very flat Canadian land to Niagara Falls for a couple of days. Enjoyed that, and then down to upstate NY for a bit more business, then flew home.
I told Jb that you all might be in for a few surprises when you saw each other. Maybe a few BIG surprises! I figure you're all going to swear each other to secrecy.
Thanks again.
Red, do you realize that your family and my family would have been at war, had we been on the same grazing lands in the old days? Sheep versus Cattle. Movies have been made over that dust-up.
I have read about the illegal drug cartels using our National Forests for growing their drugs. That is a travesty of such a great magnitude, that it sort of defies description.
Yep. Our barbed wire and all…
I cannot believe that it is allowed to continue. Go in near one and you get shot. Shot. A SWAT team might be more useful there than on that oil rig.
The deviousness of the Democrats continuing to try and attach these bills to defense spending appropriations is revealing. I thought the Dems had passed pay-go to make sure they were being responsible.
The Tsunami wave of deceit that can be exposed before November is overwhelming. How do unions have MILLIONS to spend (10 million) in Arkansas and in New Jersey they have spent 5 Million just since Christie was elected on negative campaign ads. Why are they allowed to waste their money and then ask for bailouts.
These same people want BP to pay out all of its damages before they pay a dividend but they can spend their dues money on ads before they shore up their own benefits for their members.
All of the unions need to be dissolved as part of the draining of the swamp. Money is what feeds this political tumor and it all needs to be cut off.
I agree that state and local control are absolutely necessary. But the other question is how do you fund education? If ALL funding is local then you end up with very unequal school districts, which is why I think a majority but not all of the funding has to be national.
I agree about weeding out bad teachers. There are slackers in any industry in the world. But let's be honest. For the amount of money teachers work for it is sometimes difficult to fill all positions with certified educators who are good at what they do. Offering just a little better wage would make a lot more better qualified people interested in teaching.
Agreed. continuity in educational curriculum and pedagogy is a huge issue. And many times that money isn't spent wisely. I work with schools who aren't meeting No Child Left Behind benchmarks, and people are trying anything and everything to improve test scores. It is certainly not all about money. There are some serious issues with teacher quality. But it's also hard to ignore the disparities in per-pupil spending between schools that meet NCLB and schools that do not.
Revoke Ex-Order 10988 , First : Fire all Union Teachers , Second : Hold schools Accountable to Reduce Spending , Third . Period .
Obama plus the Progressive Liberals partnering with the Unions is the Cancer that is dstroying America.
Impeach Obama, Vote the Progressives on both sides, out, and Disband all Unions, who have morphed into Money-Grubbing, Freedom destroying, Dictators!
If my family and I have to live with a reduced amount of money, so do the teachers.
Deal with it, we all do!
It's not like we get any more bang for the buck when they get a raise or don't have their income cut.
Have you ever heard of private schools? How do they get funded? By people who live NEAR them-LOCALLY. C'mon, this is all so obvious. You have a public school, operated locally, means the LOCALS are funding it directly. If they aren't getting their monies worth, they take action.
-they move
-they send their kids to a different school
-they go to the administration/board to get some changes made
It's called personal responsibility. You produced offspring, it is your responsibility to get them out of your nest.
[...] the American Federation of Teachers by my calculation a handsome payback for the unions electSource:http://biggovernment.com/kolson/2010/06/11/another-teachers-union-bailout-runs-into-spending-fatigue… Permalink Saturday June 12th [...]
How much money do we throw at home-schooled kids? It seems there are a lot of them that are getting a great education.
Bottom line=parental involvement.
I agree that more money doesn't equal a better education. I taught at a Catholic school with a very low per student expenditure. The difference is that parents who were paying for the education directly were more willing to demand of their child that he/she behave, do the work, and take their education seriously. Also, teachers were allowed to teach without worrying about the the "cutesy" trends of the moment. Kids who did not want to behave and learn, after a series of warnings and consequences, were expelled so that those who wanted to learn could.
Part 2 There was no mainstreaming and not a lot of the frivelous stuff. The difference I saw in my 20 years in public school was the lack of the ability to discipline effectively since a student practically had to commit murder in the classroom before the student could be put in an alternative school or expelled (and then only murder of another student. Murder of a teacher probably wouldn't count. They are expendable and considered required to take abuse from students and parents.). Also, becuase parents weren't directly paying for the education, they seemed more likely to just want the teacher to do it all so they wouldn't have to worry about supervising homework and the student wouldn't have to be responsible, organized, or do anything he/she didn't WANT to do. Many just wanted the kids to have fun and be social.
Homeschooling for everyone. Drive the RATS out. Let the UNIONS support them. I'm tired of doing it.
I suggested in our state that we no longer have PUBLIC education. The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND is killing
the State Budget. Let Educators open up their own schools. The good ones will prosper and the worst
will fail, just like the Public Education System (unless you cheat like a teacher).
Its the unions that are greedy, not necessarily the teachers, an to be giving raises to teachers now is crazy.
Wish you could make it, but granddaughter is way more important. There will be 5 of us and maybe a guest or two. HiPD and I converse frequently and both of us would love to have you there. I will have to come up with a toast for all of those who wished to join us but couldn't.
A good steak? No, my BBQ grill is pretty much the best place to get one here. There are some acceptable places around here, but I'm sure nothing like what you have in Texas. Sounds like you had a nice trip otherwise.
I doubt there will be many surprises when the 5 of us meet. I trade emails with Drifter and one other attendee fairly regularly. I think I have a fair handle on Ralph and JB. I will be the young'n of the group, but I am used to that. Goin' shootin' with the Drifter before hand. Should be a blast…
When we stop.
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