How can Guv Walker dictate that local communities be restricted from raising additional funds for schools or services. That seems blatantly unconstitutional to me.
My wife also came home from work at the library and pointed out how easy it is to put up with those “little darlings”. She went straight to the shredder when she came in the door, and I was hesitant to ask, “who” or “what” she was shredding. Putting up with “today’s kids” being “raised”(a joke) by parents on facebook, cell phones, drugs, or all of the above, is NOT easy. Teachers, librarians, and anyone “dealing” with these kids is NOT making enough!
In Wisconsin, if an average teachers salary is $50,000 the benefits paid out would be $37,500. That’s 75% of their salary. For about 10 months of work, thats $5000 a month of taxable income and $3750 non taxable income. For the private sector employee without benefits would have to earn $10,000 per month taxable income in order to have the same benefits and take home pay, assuming they are in a 25% tax bracket. I did not include state income taxes.
I believe the actual average teachers salary in Wisconsin is around $54,000 per year plus the benefits.
To add insult to injury, they get tenure after 3 years, retire at age 55 and the take all the money the Wisconsin taxpayers gave them for retirement and spend it in Florida. Most of the money leaves the state, never to be put back into the economy.
So … the fact that the teachers are represented by a union that got them a better deal somehow makes that wrong? Why not unionize the lesser paid so they can become better off instead of wanting the teachers to be equally poor?
The wealthy and Gov. Walker are really good about feeding out propaganda so that the poor turn on the slightly better off and do the wealthy people’s work for them.
I remember our highest paid Wisconsin teacher back in high school made $89,000 in salary a year (early 90’s). The man deserved it and then some. He worked 12 hour days. He spent his summers teaching driver’s ed, remedial math, and cnc operation. He devoted his career trying to lift up the cast-off dregs of high school, keeping them from dropping out, and making them productive members of the community, instead of future members of the prison population. There was a perpetual wave of taxpayer outrage every few years when the Milwaukee Journal published a list of the highest paid teachers in the state, and our local paper and the Milwaukee Sentinel would have to rush to his defense.
So the fact that Colorado (with its liberal governor) state employees and all federal employees have the what Gov Walker is trying to get to is bad?
Spyderred, the reason we can’t give everyone else what Wisc Union employees have, is because we can’t afford it for them, let alone everyone else.
The private sector workers have been forced to take unpaid vacations, pay cuts, and benefit cuts over the last several years of economic downturn all while union workers have not lost a thing. Why is that fair? Is it because the Unions support the Democratic Party?
^ Why could we afford to give Wall St. those bonuses and give corporations tax cuts?
“The private sector workers have been forced to take unpaid vacations, pay cuts, and benefit cuts over the last several years of economic downturn all while union workers have not lost a thing.”
Wrong. Public sector workers have had to take pay freezes, furlough days, and pay cuts. And again, the unions in this case have OFFERED up the money requested.
“Is it because the Unions support the Democratic Party?”
No, that’s simply why they’re being scapegoated and targeted.
Spicynacho, here’s a bit of the truth. I work for a company that is a wholely-owned subsidiary of a large engineering firm. My subsidiary company is a contractor to DOE, and since the announced budget freeze, we have had pay and benefits frozen and are now facing layoffs. Our brethren in the private arm of the company have not had any benefit freeze, they’re still getting pay raises, and there are no layoffs facing them. Don’t try to tell me the private sector has it rougher. I know better. Just because Rush said it doesn’t make it true.
Bluejayz, I’ll tell all my family, friends and coworkers that these things didn’t happen to them and it was just something that Rush made up. Honestly, some of you can’t make an arguement without throwing out a Rush, Beck, or Palin card to somehow belittle a person who may not even listen or follow them.
Jade, in this case (I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have written “all the unions”) the Union has offered for its members to pay in for a little more of their benefits and retirement package, but they have not offered up the right to collectively hold the state hostage over everything else including to be held accountable for their job performance, and to get raises no matter what the state of the ecomomy is.
It’s not about the state employees and their unions.
It’s not about a deficit in the Federal budget.
These things are the smoke screen thrown out to obscure the fact that Wall Street is doing just fine, thank you very much, while Main Street is full of potholes.
If you ‘earn’ millions per year, you will have the connections to obscure what’s really wrong.
Go see the (Academy-Award-winning documentary) Inside Job, then come back and tell us all how great ‘The Economy’ is.
A couple of open-ended wars on the Asian mainland (until the last couple of years outside the budget) haven’t helped either.
Ike was right; I don’t know if it’s time yet to invoke the second part of the Declaration of Independence. If we don’t fix it, we’ll just have to start over.
Teachers are responsible for presenting the required material and concepts in an interesting way. (It is hard to compete with video games for excitement!) In other words, teach. It is the students and parents that are responsible for learning.
walruscarver2000 about 13 years ago
Well done
Jaedabee Premium Member about 13 years ago
Hah hah hah! So true!
All of those millionaire bankers were let off with media apologies to them, and teachers are paying for it.
Bluejayz about 13 years ago
How can Guv Walker dictate that local communities be restricted from raising additional funds for schools or services. That seems blatantly unconstitutional to me.
rockngolfer about 13 years ago
^ They get 1/100,000 of a Wall Street CEO’s pay and almost all do a great job.
Dtroutma about 13 years ago
My wife also came home from work at the library and pointed out how easy it is to put up with those “little darlings”. She went straight to the shredder when she came in the door, and I was hesitant to ask, “who” or “what” she was shredding. Putting up with “today’s kids” being “raised”(a joke) by parents on facebook, cell phones, drugs, or all of the above, is NOT easy. Teachers, librarians, and anyone “dealing” with these kids is NOT making enough!
Simon_Jester about 13 years ago
Gee Howdy….here you come with another lying bullet-point.
I’ve BEEN around the kids of wealthy conservatives…and he’s exactly right.
Liberals with money raise their kids with a sense of noblesse oblige…if you have money, you also have responsibilities.
Rich conservatives, on the other hand, raise their kids according to Calvinist principles….if you’re successful, it’s coz you is favored by Jeezus.
And that’s exactly how the ones I’ve known acted.
-HARLAN about 13 years ago
Jade said it all! As Yakov Smirnoff always opined, “Is this a great country or what?”
junco49 about 13 years ago
Yep Simon here’s their favorite hymn sung to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me.”
Jesus loves me this I know Cause I gotta lotta dough Jesus made me really rich My theology’s got no hitch.
Chorus:
Jesus loves mee-eee Jesus loves mee-eee Jesus loves mee-eee Cause I got lots of dough!
Jesus loves me cause I’m right About everything in sight Jesus tells me what to do Just so I can then tell you.
Chorus:
Jesus hates the poor you know Cause that ain’t got any dough Takes their money hee hee hee Then he gives it all to me.
Chorus:
CorosiveFrog Premium Member about 13 years ago
This is the time of instant everything; instant celebrity, instant achievement instant wealth.
Education is something that takes time it doesn’t pay off right away.
josefw about 13 years ago
In Wisconsin, if an average teachers salary is $50,000 the benefits paid out would be $37,500. That’s 75% of their salary. For about 10 months of work, thats $5000 a month of taxable income and $3750 non taxable income. For the private sector employee without benefits would have to earn $10,000 per month taxable income in order to have the same benefits and take home pay, assuming they are in a 25% tax bracket. I did not include state income taxes.
I believe the actual average teachers salary in Wisconsin is around $54,000 per year plus the benefits.
josefw about 13 years ago
To add insult to injury, they get tenure after 3 years, retire at age 55 and the take all the money the Wisconsin taxpayers gave them for retirement and spend it in Florida. Most of the money leaves the state, never to be put back into the economy.
If they die, the spouse gets the benefit.
Spyderred about 13 years ago
So … the fact that the teachers are represented by a union that got them a better deal somehow makes that wrong? Why not unionize the lesser paid so they can become better off instead of wanting the teachers to be equally poor? The wealthy and Gov. Walker are really good about feeding out propaganda so that the poor turn on the slightly better off and do the wealthy people’s work for them.
Boots at the Boar Premium Member about 13 years ago
I remember our highest paid Wisconsin teacher back in high school made $89,000 in salary a year (early 90’s). The man deserved it and then some. He worked 12 hour days. He spent his summers teaching driver’s ed, remedial math, and cnc operation. He devoted his career trying to lift up the cast-off dregs of high school, keeping them from dropping out, and making them productive members of the community, instead of future members of the prison population. There was a perpetual wave of taxpayer outrage every few years when the Milwaukee Journal published a list of the highest paid teachers in the state, and our local paper and the Milwaukee Sentinel would have to rush to his defense.
Simon_Jester about 13 years ago
Where are you getting all that from josefw?
Jaedabee Premium Member about 13 years ago
“So … the fact that the teachers are represented by a union that got them a better deal somehow makes that wrong”
They’re not Wall Street bankers.SpicyNacho Premium Member about 13 years ago
So the fact that Colorado (with its liberal governor) state employees and all federal employees have the what Gov Walker is trying to get to is bad?
Spyderred, the reason we can’t give everyone else what Wisc Union employees have, is because we can’t afford it for them, let alone everyone else.
The private sector workers have been forced to take unpaid vacations, pay cuts, and benefit cuts over the last several years of economic downturn all while union workers have not lost a thing. Why is that fair? Is it because the Unions support the Democratic Party?
Jaedabee Premium Member about 13 years ago
^ Why could we afford to give Wall St. those bonuses and give corporations tax cuts?
“The private sector workers have been forced to take unpaid vacations, pay cuts, and benefit cuts over the last several years of economic downturn all while union workers have not lost a thing.”
Wrong. Public sector workers have had to take pay freezes, furlough days, and pay cuts. And again, the unions in this case have OFFERED up the money requested.“Is it because the Unions support the Democratic Party?”
No, that’s simply why they’re being scapegoated and targeted.Bluejayz about 13 years ago
Spicynacho, here’s a bit of the truth. I work for a company that is a wholely-owned subsidiary of a large engineering firm. My subsidiary company is a contractor to DOE, and since the announced budget freeze, we have had pay and benefits frozen and are now facing layoffs. Our brethren in the private arm of the company have not had any benefit freeze, they’re still getting pay raises, and there are no layoffs facing them. Don’t try to tell me the private sector has it rougher. I know better. Just because Rush said it doesn’t make it true.
SpicyNacho Premium Member about 13 years ago
Bluejayz, I’ll tell all my family, friends and coworkers that these things didn’t happen to them and it was just something that Rush made up. Honestly, some of you can’t make an arguement without throwing out a Rush, Beck, or Palin card to somehow belittle a person who may not even listen or follow them.
Jade, in this case (I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have written “all the unions”) the Union has offered for its members to pay in for a little more of their benefits and retirement package, but they have not offered up the right to collectively hold the state hostage over everything else including to be held accountable for their job performance, and to get raises no matter what the state of the ecomomy is.
pbarnrob about 13 years ago
It’s not about the state employees and their unions.
It’s not about a deficit in the Federal budget.
These things are the smoke screen thrown out to obscure the fact that Wall Street is doing just fine, thank you very much, while Main Street is full of potholes.
If you ‘earn’ millions per year, you will have the connections to obscure what’s really wrong.
Go see the (Academy-Award-winning documentary) Inside Job, then come back and tell us all how great ‘The Economy’ is.
A couple of open-ended wars on the Asian mainland (until the last couple of years outside the budget) haven’t helped either.
Ike was right; I don’t know if it’s time yet to invoke the second part of the Declaration of Independence. If we don’t fix it, we’ll just have to start over.
Varnes about 13 years ago
Teachers are responsible for presenting the required material and concepts in an interesting way. (It is hard to compete with video games for excitement!) In other words, teach. It is the students and parents that are responsible for learning.
memememe191919 about 13 years ago
I agree with you Clark. They couldn’t pay me enough to be a teacher.