Teachers Unions Fail to Secure Pork for Public Employees
by Kyle OlsonIt appears the millions of dollars the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers spent electing President Obama and a Democratic Congress is turning out to be a bad investment, because the Democrats in power failed to deliver the $10 billion “education jobs fund” for the unions.
Even the trimmed amount, originally $23 billion, was more than election-weary Democrats could handle and they removed the pork spending from the Afghanistan appropriations bill.
According to Politico, the Senate-passed version of the bill, minus the education pork, will now head back to the House, where leaders are anticipating quick passage so troops won’t be left stranded in the battlefield.
Thank goodness.
Now the teachers unions will see how the other half lives. They, and the school districts they strong-arm, will have to made do within their means, just like American families and businesses.
Previous reports indicated that if the Afghanistan bill strategy failed, Big Labor would seek other methods, such as attaching the public school bailout to the unemployment extension. That bill has been passed and signed, so that idea has failed, too. The unions’ “vehicle bill” ideas are growing fewer and fewer as the Congress wraps up legislative work to return home and defend its record.
Democrats could use this vote as evidence of their willingness to reign in spending. But, of course, it comes at the expense of one of their biggest campaign funders.
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84 Comments
Exactly how much did the Union spend getting Obama elected? SWISH,whats that sound? Someone just flushed.
Hopefully America is getting pissed enough, about unions. to STOP their every move on this country!!
I have nothing but respect for Chris Christie and his stand against the teacher unions. It is far beyond the point in time when these teachers must be held to performance tied salaries. PLUS AN END TO TENURE.
This defeat is promising but only a small start. Abolish the Department of Education and give the states back control over their schools, let excellence be the goal and not slowing the herd to the speed of its slowest member.
An end to the public employee unions is a requirement as they do not conform to the Union / employer model. Ther HAS to be an adversorial relationship to the employee / employer relationship for there to be an equitable process. These unions have corrupted the process by OWNING the politicians that do the negotiating ON OUR BEHALF. Taxpayers need to be included in the process and if the UNIONS do not get abolished,,,then for the public employee unions their pay raises need to become ballot issues and let the real payor have a voice.
Unions=thugs
Do skinny PIG run faster than fat PIGS? SOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
OFF TOPIC – ON TARGET
The left is having a go at Sarah again for her use of the term she has coined – REFUDIATE
This is a logical combination of REFUTE and REPUDIATE and is entirely acurate way to answer most all of the assertions and statement made by the left. An excellent bit af STRATEGERY if I ever saw one.
Afterall, we have the left to thank for the 'intelligent' additions to our lexicon such as: WTF, OMG and STFU,,,,obviously demonstrating their intellectual prowess and their kind social nature.
Get ready for the Union stormtroopers. I overheard the news yesterday this is going to happen all across the country. It slipped my mind until I read your article.
"Up to 1,500 Chicago teachers may be laid off by the time the new school year begins. The newly elected Chicago Teachers Union leadership and about 30 rank and file members are meeting with school officials Friday afternoon…The 600 lay-off notices sent out this week went to 400 teachers and 200 staff at elementary schools which start in early August."
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6257/chicag...
Also, for a peek into the Chicago Teachers Union, take a quick gander of their blog here:
http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.ph...
A quick history of how we got to where we are: http://davelessasblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/chicag...
Watch and see. You think this union will give up that easily? I bet that the next bill will have this pork attachment, whatever that will be. They probably had a conference at the WH already. Look at the public option for deathcare.
The teachers will have to wait till after November when this evil administration will ram everything down our throats and attach every possible porkulus they can because they will have nothing to lose.
Unions are to Education what a Big Government is to Freedom
Diametrically opposed and incongruent.
Yep, the howling will be fierce this next month or so. Ignore them.
Ha-ha! For leftist swine, there's no such thing as too much pork. For their leeches and fleas, no amount of blood is ever enough.
…"They, and the school districts they strong-arm, will have to made do within their means, just like American families and businesses."…
That means everyone needs to go on a diet. I just read a story linked from Drudge where a bunch of these zombies gathered for porkulus 'food boxes' here: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subje...
Decent and fairly new cars, most probably had cell-phones and calling plans, cable, internet, HD-TVs et al yet they're too stupid to figure food and basic necessities into their budget? Oh yeah, these are your typical Obama voters.
I can honesty say…..they do. But little piggies can't outrun hogs. Oink.
"too much pork. For their leeches and fleas, no amount of blood" So, you're dating again?
I wish congress would pass ONE more law: A dis-elected congress critter cannot vote. No votes for lame ducks. That law could save the country.
All of this begs a question our society must answer: what do we want from education? What should we expect and what can be contrived for our benefit? Should there be "public education"? Should it be privatized and some kind of voucher system used? Can we afford to have public education? Why is it that education has failed to be transparent and accountable?
These are the real issues we must address and we must be sober and realistic in coming to an understanding of what the problems are and what solutions can be realistically expected to generate a sustainable outcome that is reflective of society's demands.
The classic discussion focuses on funding, yet there is much to learn from analyzing it. According to the U.S. Department of Education, real spending (that's inflation-adjusted spending for those public school graduates like me) rose 247% between 1961 and 2005. An astounding amount, yet graduation rates did not increase 247%, did they? Literacy rates didn't increase 247% either (indeed, our literacy rate is now less than that of Costa Rica). The only things that have increased this dramatically are teen pregnancy rates, teacher sex scandals and drop-out rates, so the charge that more money would create a better outcome is not borne out by the objective data.
Obviously, there is a serious accountability issue here that cannot be solved by the public education system because of the impact of Rational Choice Theory. Rational Choice Theory states that all organisms act to protect their own interests at all times. This applies to plankton, dogs, birds, rocks, governments, businesses and people. Like gravity, Rational Choice Theory isn't just a good idea, it's an immutable law of life on this planet.
Rational Choice Theory creates incredibly beneficial impacts that we can use to organize markets, businesses and governments to create transparency and accountability. When we insulate a person, business or unit of government (like the Education Department) from the consequences of their actions, then there is no accountability and all sorts of moral hazards are created that result in complete failure. This is the actual course of history of public education. The lack of competition creates the ability to sustain the lowest common denominator of performance at all levels and the lack of educational progress reflects this fact of life. If all teachers had to actually be graded against the performance of all other teacher in general and those of their own specialty in particular, the quality of their work would continually improve. If all schools were placed in competition for students, the quality of their educational offerings would also improve and the current system will not and cannot provide this fundamental benefit we all seek.
One of the core requirements of sustainable economic societies is the goal of creating self-sustaining and self-regulating markets and systems of governance as all government intervention is, by definition, a corruption of the market's outcome in favor of one group of stakeholders over another. To resolve our system efficiently, we need to see an education program and payment system that eliminates education discrimination, forces schools, workers and curricula to compete against each other on a local, regional, state and federal basis at all times. This isn't possible under the current organization of our economy and system of administration, but is possible under the system set forth in Lovellian economics (google it) that also offers a way to pay for all the education we seek without a dime of taxpayer money and in a manner that is completely fiscally-responsible.
If we want a passing grade from our education systems and a future for our own benefit, then we at least have to look at the programs that could take us forward instead of those that only continue to lead us to past failures.
The worm has turned! More and more Americans are starting to see that unions are impeding the growth of jobs and the economy, and it is getting more difficult for Democrats to cater to them, though they still try to do as much as they can get away with without arousing too much of an outcry by those who aren't part of the unions, one of their chosen groups because of the money they pour into Democrat coffers. Unions were once necessary and useful. That is no longer the case. Most of them have one goal: get as much money and as many benefits as possible for the least work possible. All of the members, of course, don't buy into this, but the leadership doesn't really seem to care what the majority of the member want or need. Unions would rather close down a business and have all the workers lose their jobs in many cases than give in to the business and try to see that the business truly can't afford their demands. I have personally seen this happen to people I know several times in the last few years. What good are the great benefits and salary when you don't have a job?
Join me here: http://www.breitbart.tv/coulter-media-makes-sherr...
I guess the whole damn country is infected and on it's last leg. The only cure for this disease is to replenish the tree of liberty. Hate to see Tulsa go by the wayside. I used to live in Broken Arrow, a surburb, and at that time Tulsa was one of the cleanest cities in America for its size. Well laid out and easy to commute, plenty of nice parks and entertainment, the whole ball of wax. This stinks.
OFF-TOPIC
I am in AZ and we have the first hearings underway to try and stop SB1070, let me give you an idea what is at stake:
In March our courts in AZ had found an illegal alien guilty of 150 counts of child molestation, child rape, and assault. This man had been arrested, turned over to ICE and deported 9 times,,,, NINE TIMES,,,and each time he simply walked back in. The good news: he is sentenced to three consecutive life terms. The bad new is that we taxpayers get to feed and house this cretin for the rest of his life. (free medical too)
Think about this TODAY it costs $31,000 per year for each prisoner in our system, and that is for the non-violent prisoners. Violent criminals and those on death row cost,,,,,,,,,,,$175,000 each per year
Without a secure border ICE sends them to the border, and there is NOTHING to keep them from simply walking back in. I say if we deport someone from the south,,,we should drop them off in Tierra Del Fuego.
SUPPORT AZ in our time of need,,,we are doing this for all the rest of the states too.
1 in every 4 prisoners in our system is an alien.
Irony to say the least…
I bet if you walked up behind a politician and clapped, they’d jump fifteen feet into the air. They were all rough, and tumble, sticking Stimulus, Healthcare, Financial Reform (aka union enhancement program) …down our throats, now it’s getting close too our turn to show our appreciation 11/2, and it’s showing. I wouldn’t make long term plans if you’re in the political business.
well, obama still has the sash tucked away, he may use it to keep these union teachers happy until election day. don't under estimate his ability to fund his friendly neighborhood thugs, i mean teachers. he will do his best to keep them fat and happy until the elections are over. remember he needs to blow his wad of cash while he still has the ability to get his hands on it, after he looses the house, bye bye slush fund.
The Union Leaders (jackals and buzzards) would rather see a complete collapse of the St of CA (GoldenGoose), rather than make any concessions the would bring about a healthy system and a robust economy. If they call for a strike, fire them.. ( I'm not necessarially talking about rank and file teachers, many are also trapped, but 75% drink the Union Kool-Aid)
We need vouchers primarily, and charter schools secondarily, in order to rid the system of these parasites.
Until real changes are made keep the young ins home…
If teachers could teach core curriculum as well as their union leaders suck up taxpayer dollars to give to Democrats, kids would be in great shape. Kids know all about condoms and the faked global warming alarms, but don't have a clue about our founders or the greatness of capitalistic liberty.
Off-topic breaking news: Drudge is reporting that the UK is going to start privatising health care! ROFLOL
They're making things out to be worse than they are. I once lived in B.A. too, btw. The area's not as 'clean' as it was when I lived here in the early '90s (streets are all in ruin; Little Mexico is now BIG; I-44 being widened, though) but areas like La Fortune Park on south are pretty much the same. Well, mansions (S.Tulsa) and 'cookie cutter' houses (B.A.) have displaced 90% of the cattle herds.
These folks are irresponsible bums, for the most part. The 15 homeless people in Tulsa are so by choice, IMO (at least I can confirm three of them are).
I'll bet you a penny it'll be in another bill later. They are incestuous and will never give up.
This whole idea of piggy-backing bills with pork is as bad as comprehensive legislation. If a law is worthy, pass it on it's own merit. No bill should be introduced that has more than one issue. And there is no excuse for 2,000 pages. Period!
So true there, we need to end all this porking of bills. And as you said, if a bill cant pass on it own merit, then it shouldnt be passed at all. As for the size of bills, why are they passing 2,000+ page bills that no one has read until they are passed. Where has all the common sense gone to or are these politicians just pathetic sale outs to unions and other special interest.
A good start. Still have to clean up the remaining 99.9% of the LEFTover graft.
Here is a road map for the future of America. http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov/
HA! I just saw this.
HAHAHA!! Hey, anything beats Cold Ethyl http://www.last.fm/music/Alice+Cooper/_/Cold+Ethy...
Their behavior toward her is about the best reason it seems there is to get behind her. The Left's incontinence on anything these days is a very reliable indicator that's the way to go. They sure have a hate on for her.
You're right StoryKeeper, I like to make hybrids all the time that seem to me to better convey the idea. May look like I'm engaging in acts of illiteracy and, I guess technically I am, but it saves some keyboarding and the receiver of the message knows what I mean because I craft the hybrid for them. Persnickety pissants.
As far as the co-opting of the language by the Left, well, I think we are becoming well aware of how THAT'S worked out. That's how they get most of their damage done.
"at least I can confirm three of them are" Now, why would you know that?
I . . thought . . she . .was . . kinda . . NEVER MIND. 'Don't imagine she eats much. You're an odd man, WeWeed.
)
lol. zinger. Kev, are you referring to WeWeed, Missy and little ole' me? j/k
It's all a game – game the system.
It's up to us to send them the message, in no uncertain terms (unlike they're monolithic bills) – GAME OVER !
You mean the Dems/libs did something right? Must only be out of fear that they wouldn't be re-elected. There's a lot more to be done! There was just a report in SoCal about the schools, and their failure has nothing to do with the $ they get.
WeWeed can be so dry (?) with his humor, sometimes, I almost afraid to "get it" because the floor's so hard. Having said that, I was actually kind of guardedly serious
Giving clothes and food to them while trying to get them to help themselves (CC, Church & secular programs) then learning of their massive stash in, for example, the car lot they've been sleeping in and their monthly check, usually as much as my elderly neighbor on SS.
That, and finding out the "crazy" wasn't real.
"You're an odd man, WeWeed.
)
I say, my Mother thanks you, my Father thanks you, my sister thanks you and I thank you.
They are cutting back on 400 teachers here in CHICAGO,……….
our "native" son has run away from home,…
but just watch and see how my Toddlin town,…..
votes this coming November anyway.
lmao – you two need watched, closely!
I agree whole heartedly, but for one point. We should drop animals like these guys OFF the SHORE line of Tierra Del Fuego with a sandwich, an anchor and a bag of chum.
Vouchers,vouchers, you want to step on the throats of these marxist scumbags,give the American people the option of where to put their education dollars and watch this scum dry up and blow away !!!
It's a few decades past time to wrestle the public education system BACK from these unions and reframe the debate from "we are teachers, and teachers unions – we are infallible" to "we are parents and citizens and WE demand and end to Marxism/Cloward Piven thanks to teacher's unions".
Teachers are a backbone of our society and despite homeschooling and private schools, millions of our kids – our future – are attending public schools. Unions are playing the part of extortioners in a giant shakedown scheme, all to benefit "the children".
No, it's NOT about the "children" it's now about overcompensating teachers and shielding bad teachers from consequences.
Can she "Palinate" them?
I live in CA so naturally my life contains many liberals. There is a co-worker, a Filipino, of course he thinks that Black people should get 'reparations' for the slavery forced upon them. He would end his messages to me DIAF. I had no idea what that was and finally someone told me Die in a Fire. How nice? I end my messages with Thank you, whether I mean it or not.
Ok, I was worried for a moment. glad you clarified.
I'm not sure the congress critters deserve a pension either. They should be set at two terms, no pension, they can do 401K while in office. I got to thinking how off track we have gotten, it's insane. There's a city in the burbs of CA, Maywood it closed up shop and has asked it's sister city to take on it's 'duties' Bell, CA has a population of 37K and the City Manger is making 748K a year, that is almost a million dollars a year. The chief of police is making almost 500K and several city council members are making almost 100K working part time. The top 3 money makers have finally been 'let go' but the the City Manage will be eligible for his pension and if he lives to 83 he will have collected $30million in pension benefits. Who's going to pay that bill. The average salary of a Bell resident is $35K http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/def...
The union gravy train is already beginning to sputter.
HL
I know it's obvious to us but perhaps a troll will read it and "begin thinking"
Were you being sarcastic?
I really like what you have in your personal description
Why doesn't ALL of the american public come to the realization that Public Employee Unions are inherently a conflict of interest to the Public good?
It's like asking a person to collectively bargain with himself utilizing other people's money. Gee, what is human nature going to do in that circumstance?
Public Employee unions should be banned. They should be allowed only in the private sector, where you don't have a conflict of interest bargaining with corporate management.
For police, firemen and Emergency responders, there should be an allowance to protect from liability done in the course of their assigned duties (not negligence of course), but especially ban the collective bargaining with a government which is SUPPOSED to be "Of the People, By the People and For the People."
I would be in favor of all the States buying say the Watergate complex. Turn it into the Congressional Dorm with a mess hall run by disabled Vets. Every congress person uses his state's portion and shares it with others in the delegation. No pension, no perks, and no pay raises as long as he's in office.
or,
Unions = Gangs
Union members = Gangsters
About 13-14% of American workers are members of unions.
About 70% of public K-12 teachers are unionized.
We've got to fix this. Unfortunately, here in Illinois, teachers are required to belong to a teachers union.
/// "As far as the co-opting of the language by the Left, well, I think we are becoming well aware of how THAT'S worked out. That's how they get most of their damage done. " ///
You mean the dictionary is a "living document" ?
I see the teachers striking all across the land,it's to a point now where most won't care,public schools are just a holding tank for kids during the day anyway.
I was only concerned for a second. Unions are useless to education and Big government is a bonus to freedom so I was confused (I am blond) then I read your footnote LOL
Hadn't thought about that but that's a good way of framing that–well worth working in to as many posts as possible. Outcome-based definitions. Wow, I'm having mini-epiphanies here. Man, these people really are the spawn of Satan, aren't they?
They're heeerrrreeee!
NO VOTES FOR LAME DUCKS.
I LIKE IT….
NO VOTES FOR LAME DUCKS!
Next time refer to the teachers union as "Sport"…. that, as you may have guessed, is the sound a turd makes when it hits the H2O
it is time to defund public schools and privatize. The charter and private schools know how to educate. The public school system has gone right off the rails with the irrelevant union and are taking our children with them.
(my sincere apologies to all of the dedicated teachers out there trying to succeed within a failed system)
I love the idea of no voting if dis- elected…The newly elected should be able to IMMEDIATELY replace the ousted member…No lame Duck votes…
Especially now, I'm thinkin' there may only be the Black Caucus left on Nov 3…
can you take him to the hangman? I can think of no more appropriate end for scum like him.
I forgot to add that yes I've been saying "truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth" for a long time, but it was just something catchy. However with the NAACP and the DOJ it speaks volumes.
When you're done with it I may bag it…lol…
Yes I have to question WHO are gov union workers unionizing against. Its not their employer since the gov is their employer.
They are unionizing against the tax payer. Us. With 22 million gov workers and over 50% of union members being gov workers, its pretty clear where the battle lines are drawn.
Their grand pensions and plans and benefits are going to suck the rest of us dry.
Secure the border, you say?
I'll mention it to Obama, I'm sure he'll get right on it.. .
Kinda like "W" did…For which I hold him in contempt…
I find the use of WTF very useful. Sometimes brute force is the optimal way to get a point across. Sugar coating or long winded responses get old too.
How deep into the vocabulary well do we need to go when usually referring to anything Congress does a simple WTF usually suffices?
Pigs Get Fat, Hogs Get Slaughtered! Starting in November!
Thank Goodness, I'm not the only one who seems to get it. Now if the rest of the nation would wake up….
Also, please do not forget all the "CORPSE MEN"!!! But that was coined by the President in all his BRILLIANCE..
'Think it will flip, Ralph? That would 'bout be a walking-on-water miracle, wouldn't it? I will pray for it.
Democrats could use this vote as evidence of their willingness to reign in spending. But, of course, it comes at the expense of one of their biggest campaign funders.
…or so one would hope.
Despite Obama's proclivity for tossing supporters under the bus, there is no way he could ever afford to so alienate Big Labor. He needs them too much now, and he will need them well after the coming slaughter at the polls. The unions will make some noise, but it will all be kabuki theater.
Sorry, but this deal is in the bag. It will come back with the lame duck congress, and the unions will get everything they bargained for.
Teachers may be laid off, but union leadership soldiers on! If the unions were truly interested in the welfare of their members they would be taking some of that money paid in dues and help out those who get laid off.
Naaahhhhh. What the hell was I thinking?
Privatize Elementary and High Schools? No, At least, not yet.
1. Defund, obliterate and scatter to the wind the Dept. of Ed. Return Primary and Secondary education to the states. Feds out completely. Unions will wither quickly and die.
2. Terminate ALL federal funding for colleges and universities. Whatever it is. Done. They are essentially private institutions subsidized by tax dollars to provide cushy tenure to leather upholstered progressives. Welcome to the real world. Earn a living and produce results or your fired. Just like the reality you poorly prepare your charges for. If a former state college cannot cut the mustard, sorry about your bad luck. C ya.
3. Let the states decide if they desire to privatize Primary and Secondary themselves. Supreme Court and the Feds stay out unless a federal statute is in jeopardy. If States go private, there must be a commensurate decrease in property taxes.
4. Within 10 years, progressive-ism will begin to fade rapidly. Liberals will begin to return to some semblance of responsible human beings. Grade averages will rise steadily until we will, once again, lead the world.
Consider congress responsible for the unions and their overflowing trough. Vote the bums out of congress this Nov.
The unions, especially the teachers unions, have been living in la-la land all these years. They are in for a flogging come November. They are pigs at the trough, thank goodness this issue has come to light, probably would not have been exposed if the Empty Suit were not our leader. Thanks, BO, for making America awaken to what thugs the unions are, especially as they are your big time supporters (or WERE). All of you will be swept out in November, can't wait.
First Teacher Unions are a BUST for Teachers in most cases. When the shit hits the fan.. and the pedal hits the metal.. the Union is intact and the Teachers are left on the Street.
In most of the large districts, they now have CEO's or some such title for the Official in charge of the school system. The corruption/graft that is involved in large systems is massive. For example here in the Cleveland, Ohio area.. we have such a CEO and he is closing schools and cutting teachers.. BUT as usual… the administration/salaried staff positions keep staying the same.
It seems that if the school system is mainly Black, White, or Hispanic.. the School Boards have to have a diversified person in charge of the school system.
My wife taught school for 35 years in the local school system and the classes got larger, students got more difficult to teach, administration staff got larger, CEO of the school system got clothing allowance, apartment allowance, car and untold perks WHILE living 2 hours from their place of work, and usually worked from home one day out of the week.
Instead of getting paid based on number of students in system, number of teachers actively in the Union. It seems they CEO's continue to get RAISES.. instead of deductions for their work load being less with layoffs and etc. The union is worthless in regards of protecting the teachers.. because the Board and CEO control what happens with the Teachers.
In some school systems teachers make in excess of 75000 per year based on education and length of service. And because of being a Public Union they can retire with up to 98 % of their pay after 40 years of teaching.
Retirement would be at about 62 or 63 with 40 years time in service.
Teacher's unions – a fine example make
Another group of liberals on the take
Supposed to teach the ABCs
But practice political bribery
Their students, by example, learn how to spell snake
Education should be the responsibility of state legislatures not federal government leeches.
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