Today hundreds of protesters descended on the statehouse in Columbus to protest proposed senate bill 5. In Wisconsin they've been protesting for the better part of two days.
When the President said a few years ago, it's time we all put skin in the game, the left howled with praise. Mr. President-- Please talk to your biggest supporters, unions and union organizers.
Public unions and public employees need to stand up and realize that this isn't just a recession for private sector employees. It's a recession for all of us. Public employees out earn their private counterparts in nearly all jobs. The main function of a labor union is outdated. However, a private company can decide if that's true for themselves. When it's tax payer money on the line- steps need to be taken to ensure tax payer protection.
We need more governors like we have in Ohio, Wisconsin and New Jersey. People who will stand up and take on the teachers unions- and the other public unions in the state.
We have a new reality in America and it's time everyone wake up. Union contracts can no longer pay you $70k annually to sweep the floors at the state house. Nor can they allow for under preforming teachers to get raises without merit based evaluation.
If a public employee has to contribute 7% to his own pension and 12% to his own healthcare, then so be it. Welcome to life for the rest of the country.
The entitlements that public unions have been giving state and local workers for the last 60 years needs to come to an end. The time is now and Governor Kasich is standing up and doing what the democrats have promised to do- but refused when given the chance.
I'm not sure what to believe about bill 5. Talking with the government teacher Mr. Herman from WB, he said that there is talk of having teachers being paid by the student. Theoretically this COULD be a huge improvement, but that would only apply to the average teachers. Teachers who have smaller class sizes because they are teaching students who are significantly above or below their peers will basically be screwed right? I mean, the teachers that have to work twice as hard to make tests and plans for students in Advanced Placement courses will be paid less than the teacher who throws a textbook at the kids and says "Do this page and be quite."
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about it to know if the unions bargaining rights would keep this from happening, but I don't know if it will PREVENT it from happening either.
Its so hard to be objective. =/
Love,
Your crazy liberal sister.