Gov. Walker: Back to School

Greg September 10, 2012 at 12:02 am

I'm happy.

Greg September 10, 2012 at 12:14 am

"First ex gets half my Michigan retirement. Scooter is probably going to raid my Wisc retirement."
I'm missing the connection. Does Scooter think you are a bad lay too?

Steve ® September 10, 2012 at 02:35 am

I felt disrespected as your employer, the tax payer. I felt disrespected when you called in sick with fake doctor notes. I felt disrespected when you got a janitor fired over a bumper sticker. I felt disrespected when you occupied a public building causing damage, spewing hate speech and allowing senate members to flee the state.
I felt disrespected when your union over charged billions in an insurance scam. Get over yourself

Brian Dey September 10, 2012 at 09:53 am

Mr. Clone and Mary: Given the actions that your leadership took and continue to take, and given the stike that is about to effect 400,000 kids in Chicago; that is why you are disrespected in the community. You see, you want to be treated like a professional, but a professional doesn't walk off the job. You won't see a doctor walk off the job during surgery, or a firefighter walk off a job during a fire.. For professionals, there is a duty to perform their job first. Until teachers start acting like professionals (and dressing like them), the respect you should receive will be lost in the union actions.

celador2 September 10, 2012 at 12:12 pm

brian, One reason there was no general srike in early 2011 in WIsconsin after the Republicans won and passed a budget repair bill was the section that made the governor the boss if there was such a general strike. A Madison teacher said on TV he wanted a strike but it fizzled. There was almost no support statewide.
Why no strike after a big hooky day on national TV? Maybe a teachers strike fizzled because Gov Walker would fire them under budget repair emergency measures. If there had been a strike the local school boards AND SUPERS WERE NOT IN CHARGE OF TEACHERS jobs, Walker was. The rookie Governor was determined to balance the books and get the state finaces in order without raising taxes. The thought of there being consequences to a strike seemed to hold back a strike over loss of collective bargaining and having the state deduct union dues from all workers whether they wanted to be public employee or teacher union members or not. FDR in 1930s opposed publc employee unions for the reason they were public and could wreck havoc on the public. And buy politicans.

celador2 September 10, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Nobama, The current monoploy system for teachers is crooked, stacked and needs some competition to do the work of free markets. Competition eilminates waste for starters and spurs innovation which grows demand, then quality improves and costs drop.
Much of US looks more like the USSR than it does America. The field of education is one of the USSRs most succesful models. Open the field and let the full creative might of people who know how to educate and have something to give compete or join the community with pell grants, vouchers.and charter and private schools. And we will educate all to read and do math at an eight grade level-- as a beginning. The sky is the limit in education with the right combination.

celador2 September 10, 2012 at 12:31 pm

steve, When the teachers shut the schools and forced very young children to attend a hate filled Anti Walker rally I felt more than disrespected 2011! I saw the Mao Red Guard at work.
One teacher had his charges all under ten singing anti Walker songs! What a violation of freedom of conscience. What a conflict with the family values. What if families did not want their young members hauled to an anti Walker rally and coerced to sing againd the new governor to fill the teachers union agenda? Too many human rights and civil rights abuses I saw those early days of riots and foul mouthed demos by greedy teachers who are some of highest paid workers in the state. Children may be a captive audience in school but are not the personal political props and property of WEA or WEAC or NEA. Our children need our loving protection.

Steve ® September 10, 2012 at 02:20 pm

These teachers are disgraceful, the list is long for the reasons why but you hit on a good one. Never forget what they put us through. Every election remind yourself.

Jill berger September 10, 2012 at 03:21 pm

Double shame on you Scott walker. Your budget cuts hurt so many and you don't care. They hurt many who can't or are less likely to vote: kids, the elderly, people who have developmental disabilities, mental illness, chronic Iillness, etc. There are a lot of people who are suffering. And your policies say, pull yourselves up by your bootstraps and deal wih it. I wonder what will happen if you end up in such a position some day? Or someone you care about... As a social worker I have worked with the disenfranchised. As a public official, isn't it your job to represent and advocate for everyone?!

AWD September 10, 2012 at 03:43 pm

Chicago teachers strike...I smell a secret arrangement. A manufactured event designed to let Obama parachute in with a deal that “appeases” the folks involved and makes him look Presidential, a problem-solver to the rest of the country. Don’t worry—it’s for the children.

Greg September 10, 2012 at 03:51 pm

Yep, everyone.
How have kids been hurt? My school district started some new programs with the money saved by Act 10. Who is not being taken care of in Wisconsin? Please provide details to support your emotions.

celador2 September 10, 2012 at 03:54 pm

The deal Chicago offered was declined. It was a 16% pay raise and 400 mil in benefits according to a Drudge report headline. In a city strapped with record crime and social degeneration, why pay that kind of money when it might go to community building services and even police.
Vouchers for private school,. charter schools are a solution that Chicago needs put on the table asap.

celador2 September 10, 2012 at 03:59 pm

Scott Walker saved districts from lay offs and he offered teachers an option to go into a state insurance health plan instead of the WEAC monopoly.
Also Wisconsin is one of the highest taxed states in the union. Social services are quite generous including health care. The poor get vouchers for cabs and thousands a year for child care, higher education. The list goes on. Walker did stand firm on not raising taxes and capped property taxes. For that I am thankful.

Sarah Millard (Editor) September 10, 2012 at 06:14 pm

I deleted a comment for inappropriate language. Keep it clean!

oak creek resident September 10, 2012 at 09:30 pm

Where's Ron Clone? I am not done enjoying hearing about all his failures in life - it makes me feel good. No, not because I am a bad person, but because it only enforces the saying that "those who can't, teach".
Ron Clone, you can't do anything right in the real world. Good thing you are a teacher, you can retreat to your classroom where you act like a puny petty dictator to children.

Brian Dey September 11, 2012 at 10:16 am

So the Chicago teachers union was offered a 16% raise and have an average pay of $75k per year. Yet, they have a 60% graduation rate and only 15% of black children can read at an advanced or proficient level. But it's not abot the money according to the CTU pres, its that they want to evaluate themselves and don't want towork a little longer for that fat raise.
So in reality, they want job security and more money, even though they are the poorest performing district in the country. Please Lyle, tell me why I should give up bashing on teachers unions. Oh and in Racine, on election day for the recall of Walker,mind you, the day before final exams, our teachers union decided it was more important to pull kids out of class and skip school themselves to get out the vote against Walker. It was more important for Jennifer Levie (REA President) and 15 others to not be in school to help students prepare for their final exams. Walker only started the job. We as parents and taxpayers need to finish it. And if you are a teacher that condones these outrageous actions, you will be disrespected.

Luke September 11, 2012 at 10:29 am

You forgot to mention that only 6% go on to college. And those teachers are demanding a 30% increase in wages!
I'm watching CNBC. Becky Quick just mentioned that Chicago represents what is happening in the US on many levels, including entitlements. Joe Kernen mentioned the need for Scott Walker's reforms to be considered in Chicago. .

Lyle Ruble September 11, 2012 at 10:54 am

@celador2....You cannot model the education system after a corporatist model. The diversion of funds into so many different institutions does a disservice to the education of children. If you think you have problems with teachers now, privatizing education will place teachers in an untenable position. One of the motivators for people going into teaching is the stability and security that public education offers. European education systems are public and they get the job done and they don't use competitive models. Why can't we?

Brian Dey September 11, 2012 at 10:57 am

Its called unions Lyle. Not obsessed, but look at how bad education has become since we allowed teachers unions. Just saying...

Lyle Ruble September 11, 2012 at 10:58 am

@celador2....Don't forget that in Wisconsin, it is illegal for public unions and public employees to take any kind of job action, including strikes.

Lyle Ruble September 11, 2012 at 11:19 am

@Brian Dey....One of the things that is clear in all negotiations, is that you never back the opposition into a corner with no means of exit. You must realize that the more you demonize public school teachers, it will harden their resolve and there will be less willingness to compromise. You are attempting to force teachers and their unions into a corner with an outcome of winner take all. This approach is the wrong and will have unwelcome consequences down the road.
Your personal vendetta against teachers is severely damaging both your credibility and reputation. It reinforces your image as a right wing extremest. Some free advice, focus your attention on your business where your efforts will be rewarded.

Luke September 11, 2012 at 11:36 am

@Lyle
Is a 16% increase for the worst teachers in America "backing then into a corner"?

GearHead September 11, 2012 at 11:57 am

@Lyle: Demonize? Aren't we jumping the shark here with your hysteria? Dey makes a cogent argument and doesn't need your dismissive "free" advice.

celador2 September 11, 2012 at 12:17 pm

brian, I am sick and tired of teachers kidnapping children ,a captive audience and hauling them to the capital protests 2011 and to do recall workin Racine 2012. They should be fired for removing a child from school for their union's political actions. We must protect and nurture our kids! We can not trust this agenda driven group of WEAC operatives toeducate and not indoctrinate!
If ever there was an example of why competition is needed this is it--vouchers, Charter schools and pell grants need come into play far more as choices to this monolithic machine that has a monopoly based mostly in union dues that buy school boards and Democrats to do their bidding. Who works for who? Schools boards do not work for WEAC, or if they do they need be fired and replaced by public servants.

oak creek resident September 11, 2012 at 12:48 pm

@Lyle
You have proven yourself to be dishonest and pathetic, Lyle. You in supporting the CTU and their thuggery? How can you support their tactices Lyle? Tying teacher compensation to their classes test scores is part of Obama's Race to the Top contest - yet you are supporting the CTU by saying it's not fair? You argue against yourself, idiot.

oak creek resident September 11, 2012 at 12:49 pm

We can all agree that Lyle is a pathetic intellectual wimp, and doesn't even have the guts to say that CTU is making a mockery of unions.
What's wrong Lyle, afraid you might get kicked off the marxism club?

H.E. Pennypacker September 11, 2012 at 12:54 pm

Oak, you have to remember that Mrs Ruble is a union goon, in fact bigger than a normal union goon, the head thug/goon/stooge for the County social workers. She already has his testicles in a mason jar, imagine how ornery she would be if he based the Chicago union goons!

M Ulander September 11, 2012 at 02:24 pm

I'm not sure what the definition of "inappropriate language" is. It doesn't seem to include rude and disrespectful language. Why do some people always have to be "right." Why can't they see that they have one opinion and other people have other opinions. One need not agree but couldn't we and shouldn't we be just as respectful as we would be if our children were watching. Or, is this how people talk in front of their children? I don't know, maybe it is.

Brian Dey September 11, 2012 at 04:39 pm

Lyle- The demonize themselves. I've negotiated teachers contracts and 5 other public unions, as well as negotiating for the IAMAW and the company side. Non-public unions do not behave the way public sector unions do. They feel that they are owed something more than what we can give them.
Now you see why we need charter and voucher schools. The parents that opted out of the unionized public schools in Chicago will never have to have their kids not get an education because of union tactics. Personally, if I were negotiating this contract, I would be deducting 1% each day until day 16, and if that didn't work, I would do what Reagan did with the air traffic controllers and those that don't show up on the 17th day, would be terminated. You would see how solidarity dwindles when they face the consequences of losing their jobs. If you haven't figured it out by now, Walker and the Wisconsin reforms are working and the movement is spreading. The majority of the electorate is with me on this Lyle. When Obama's former Chief of Staff won't tolerate it any longer, the public unions are seeing the end of their stranglehold on the taxpayers and our children.

Luke September 11, 2012 at 07:57 pm

I hope the teachers keep this up and the politicians hold their ground. It will require a radical event to get someone to reach up an pull the lever on that toilet.
Then, perhaps, we can get serious about helping those kids in a way that has been demonstrated to work.