Feb 19 2011
Wisconsin Shows Government Workers Unwilling To Sacrifice
The Wisconsin showdown appears to be a straw that breaks the patience of the American people. I need only point out a few simple math facts for the liberal numskulls on the left to see why the anger being shown by the protesters pails in comparison to what is building up in the minds of parents and voters.
First off, the changes being made by the governor and the legislature (yes, the people’s house and senate do agree and will pass these measures) are modest. Having to personally invest in your health care and retirement is not a major sacrifice. Demanding the rest of us who have to make our own living outside the leech that is government is tantamount to a spoiled child pouting. Yes Wisconsin government employees – you need to pay your own way here.
The left has made a huge mistake on this issue – everyone must chip in to get us through this tragedy of bloated and incompetent government and the economic destruction is has wrought. Those who refuse will be ostracized for a long, long time. Politically, getting on the wrong side of this will result in a swift ride into oblivion.
And politically speaking, the protesters are missing the math. For every teacher whining they have to share the burden of THEIR health care costs and THEIR retirement there are 20+ families whose kids are getting a substandard education and being told they must foot the bill for the teachers’ benefits. That means 40 voters (assuming to parents) per stubborn teacher calling in sick and putting their lazy greed over that of the children.
But even worse is the number of people who do not work in the government and have to invest in their own health care and retirement AND pay for these greedy government workers as well. The private sector is much larger than those living off the public dole. And we all know where the vast majority of them are going to come down.
The need for public employee unions is a farce. As the governor and others have noted many times, these workers are protected by civil servant laws – not through collective bargaining. By giving the voters the finger here, they have shown how collective stupidity can result in the broad (and right) conclusion unions do not belong in the public work place where a few malcontents can hold the voters hostage.
Thankfully, since the voters and their legislatures control the civil service laws, this problem can be easily and readily dealt with. And no court in the land can overturn the will of the people when it comes to cutting back government waste and abuse.
Those who exist off the labors of the private sector workers took to the street of Wisconsin to claim they are better than the rest of us poor saps. The next message will be the response from all those poor saps making a living in the private sector, and it will not be pro-union.
Addendum: After reading Governor Palin’s plea to average union workers I want to expand on something important. Palin rightfully lauds the work of teachers having so many in her family (as do I). These people have our most precious treasures to teach and help.
But let me establish some context here. Doctors and nurses also have special gifts and capabilities that can save our children from disease or injury. Can a teacher cure cancer in a child? No, they cannot. The car mechanic down the street makes sure our vehicles are safe and in tip top operating form. Can a teacher make sure the brakes are working on your car? My guess is only a minority have the skills and interest. Can a teacher the computers and software being used to teach the children? My experience has been many teachers are fairly technology illiterate – definitely not up to the standards of leading the market in computer system evolution.
The point is the private sector has its fair share of unsung heroes. So when the unions stomp their petulant little feet in a fit of greed, don’t expect the aura of the teacher to carry the day. Not when it is in direct conflict with all those other average citizens doing their jobs and getting by as best they can. This is not unions verses GOP – this is public workers verses private sector workers. And we all know which side as the larger numbers and greater political clout.
www, that’s in spite of how much money Mostyn and the Democrats POURED into last year’s elections!
Ya think the Wisconsinites are finally getting the message after having to pay 4 days of day care while their children aren’t getting educated?
A new study just came out indicating that Texas is 50th in quality of education. The lefties are blaming the lack of collective bargaining to low quality of education.
Yeah, right!
Illegal immigration!
crosspatchon 03 Aug 2009 at 1:12 pm
“The pushback I am seeing the politicians getting in town hall meetings across the country is enough to make one so proud of our citizens.
This bill is scaring people . . .”
Chris Christy said it best last week when he told a group of pensioneers that he wasn’t the one who lied to them, he wasn’t the one who promised them things they should have known weren’t possible—this is their madoff moment. The politicians who made these promises should be prosecuted for gross negligence if not outright fraud in what has been perpetuated nationwide over the past 40 years.
Oh and if this is the week that teachers get off for spring break, expect them to all go back to work so they can take their vacations to Disneyland—something a normal family of four needs to now save 2-3 years for.
At the end of the day though this is further class warfare being hoisted on the generally good willed American people. Look through to the organizers of these protests and expose them and then let them host a demonstration in front of their homes—start with that union thug Trumka.
Lurker, you said: “A new study just came out indicating that Texas is 50th in quality of education. ”
This is simply not true. I can’t find ANYTHING on the internet to support that statement. The latest ranking I saw had Texas NO. 1 in quality of teachers, and was not in the bottom half of any of the other 4 categories that they rank.
What is the point of posting inaccurate information? who, or what, are you trying to fool.
Politically, Texas (and I’m not from Texas) is one of the best run states in the Country.
Would you mind on commenting on what your point of trying to mislead is?
Thanks.
I am not trying to mislead anyone…just pointing out how the liberals ARE using these studies to justify collective bargaining.
But two people did post links to this study over at facebook.
Here is one link: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/states/USCHARTsat.html
And the other link:
http://blog.bestandworststates.com/2009/08/25/state-sat-scores-2009.aspx
One of the biggest problems with all “studies” today is that often the “answer” they come up with is predertermined by the methodology used. For example, I have not seen the “study” referenced here but it’s fairly easy to see how to get those results – all that is needed is to do a study based on absolute numbers rather than on percentages or a per capita basis.
here’s why that would work: Texas is now the second biggest state behind California in terms of population, so that means that in pure population terms it is always going to be on the extremes. The biggest educational problem Texas has (and I know quite a few teachers here who all agree) is that Texas currently has over a million children (hard to get the exact number for obvious reason) who don’t speak any English because their parents are illegal. Texas hasn’t pushed the full Spanish-only education track the way California has, so this group drags down every educational number that you can name.
So, does the State give up, do like California, and just set up a Spanish language only education system for these kids? Or do they push English instruction, meaning that all the English speaking kids have nothing to do and serious instruction in math and the sciences is put off for years and years?
that’s the demographic dilemma Texas has right now.
It is impossible to bring up the quality of a workforce without the ability to fire people who are not performing. With unions protecting those who cannot be terminated, it can be no surprise that the quality of education will suffer. It is difficult enough to keep good workers anyway, but by blocking them it makes the entire system more ineffective.