I watched CSPAN in horror yesterday as billionaire bullys', House of Representative, Teaparty traitors rammed through a bill in the House of Representatives to destroy what's left of the National Labor Relations Board. This push to end the NLRB is a continuation of the massive campaign which attempts to end American unions and the middle class jobs they create. It is no doubt organized and funded by the billionaire bully, Koch Brothers, David and Charles.
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/09/koch-brothers-million-dollar-donor-club
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/irishred/wisconsin-recall-election-races_n_921215_101864009.html
Currently the NRLB is nearly toothless as a result of previous Republican Robbercons attacks. But what tiny bits of power it has left to protect our right to get middle class wages and benefits is being targeted for elimination by this bill.
Robbercons and the billionaire bullies that hire them want no shreds of regulation and power left to protect the middle class. All will be gone if this bill passes the Senate and if President Obama yet again 'compromises' with the Billionaire Bullys,' bought and paid for members, of Congress by giving in and allowing them to walk all over him.
Let's fight back against this attack.
Read the alert below on this same topic from the AFL.
Republicans Push NLRB Attack Bill Through House
http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/09/15/republicans-push-nlrb-attack-bill-through-house/
by Mike Hall, Sep 15, 2011
House Republicans today continued their attack on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) when they passed (238-186) a bill that would cripple the agency and allow employers to retaliate against workers who exercise their workplace rights. Under the bill, employers would even be able to legally eliminate workers’ jobs. The bill is not expected to be brought up for a Senate vote.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says about the bill (H.R. 2587):
Instead of creating good jobs, Tea Party Republicans are wasting time and playing partisan politics. H.R. 2587 is an over-reaching, special interest bill that advances the interests of corporate donors while attacking working people, their rights and their jobs. It’s one more example of an anti-worker agenda that’s bad for America and bad for the middle class.
Republicans, tea party extremists and business groups have used a routine complaint the NLRB issued against the Boeing Co. in April as cover for their near hysterical and sweeping attacks on workers and the NLRB.
In April, the general counsel of the nonpartisan, independent NLRB issued a complaint against Boeing for moving a planned production line for its 787 Dreamliner from its unionized Puget Sound, Wash., plant to a nonunion facility in South Carolina. The complaint says the move was in retaliation against the Puget Sound workers for having previously exercised their federally guaranteed right to strike against Boeing and to prevent these workers from striking in the future.
In a videotaped interview with The Seattle Times, a senior Boeing executive said, “the overriding factor” in the company’s decision to move the line wasn’t “the business climate. And it wasn’t the wages we’re paying today.” It was, he said, to avoid strikes. That is illegal. (For more information, check the NLRB’s fact sheet on the complaint against Boeing.)
In a letter to House members, AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director Bill Samuel says:
Retaliating against workers for exercising their legally protected rights, as Boeing is alleged to have done, is against the law, and has been for 75 years. H.R. 2587 would take away the NLRB’s authority to restore workers to their jobs when companies simply eliminate work in order to get rid of employees who are pro-union or when companies eliminate work to avoid their legal obligation to bargain.
Earlier this week 250 professors said the bill would mean that:
Employers will be able to eliminate jobs or transfer employees or work for no purpose other than to punish employees for exercising their rights and the Board will be powerless to direct the employer to return the work regardless of the circumstances. And these employees will lose their jobs because they tried to exercise their federally protected rights.
In June, an NLRB administrative law judge rejected Boeing’s motion to dismiss the charges. The case is now being heard in Seattle.
Yesterday, NLRB acting general counsel Lafe Solomon issued a statement, saying his decision to issue a complaint against Boeing “was based on a careful investigation and a review of the facts under longstanding federal labor law.”
The decision had absolutely nothing to do with political considerations, and there were no consultations with the White House. Regrettably, some have chosen to insert politics into what should be a straightforward legal procedure. These continuing political attacks are baseless and unprecedented and take the focus away from where it belongs—the ongoing trial in Seattle.
Says Trumka:
The American people are calling on Congress to focus on job creation. Shame on those who are pursuing a political agenda that does the bidding of big corporations.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Music program likely to be cut again this January 2012
The elementary music program has temporarily been re-instated by VUSD school board trustees.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_03f567f3-a913-5dc1-815b-94657b480bba.html?mode=story
The music program is unlikely to survive past January when the new state projection of tax revenue income will be released. The January report will likely show that the state is not meeting the very rosy revenue projections found in last July's budget projections for this year.
Already the first month of the new budget year showed more than one half billion dollar shortfall over the July rosy scenario. This report, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifreleased in August, from the State Comptroller’s office indicates more than a 10% short fall in revenues. Push that same shortfall forward six months to January and it could easily top six billion dollars.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/node/9248
Given the present economic condition, it is very unlikely that the January report will be anything, but awful. If that shortfall trend holds out until January, the state will be forced immediately to cut state funding to every entity that gets state funds including K-12 school district like VUSD.
At that point what the state promised in this years July 2011 budget to provide to VUSD won't matter. State promises for funds are all predicated on the state actually taking in the money needed to meet those promises.
Without expected money coming in, the state will be forced to make cuts in January to match its expenditures. This will require drastic reductions in state funds to school districts, state colleges, and health and welfare programs for elderly disabled and ill. State expenditures must match income, as required by law.
This coming January cut will also have TWICE the impact because at that point in time, the state will have already supplied money (at least ten percent too much) for the first six months of the budget year to K-12 school districts, etc. That previous July-January funding will have been based on the state tax income coming in at the predicted level which we already know it will not. Since the tax revenues will likely not come in the state will have spent "too much" for that first six months.
So in January 2012, the cuts for the last six months of the budget year (January to June) must be double. The state must make up for the too much money already given out PLUS reduce the amount it had planned to spend for the next six months. That means DOUBLE the impact on school districts for the last six months of the school year.
To match local VUSD spending to these likely massive January cuts, look for the elementary music program to be lost again this January. That music program cut will be one of many other onerous reductions in local school services needed at that time.
I see no way but a shortened school year for VUSD and other school districts in the state, perhaps by as much as a month, to meet the looming January shortfall in revenue from the state. (A shortened school year reduces school district costs by cutting employee salaries, as well as school site lighting, heating and AC costs).
The cause of this funding gap is the direct result of SACRAMENTO Republicans who refused to allow, we the people, to decide for ourselves whether we wanted these drastic cuts to our schools or whether we might chose to extend existing taxes for five more years.
A special election was needed last June to allow, we the people, to stop these cuts with a tax extension but that did not happen. Washington DC http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflobbyist, Grover Norquist, convinced (cowed with threats?) every single Sacramento Republican and got them all to say “no” to the people’s right to vote. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3651880/jerry-brown-grover-norquist-spar.html
Due to the archaic 2/3rds majority rule in California, Republican votes were absolutely required for this measure to reach the ballot. Only four elected Sacramento Republicans were needed to allow us the right to vote. But every single SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN refused to allow us that right to decide.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998(When not drunk driving, now running for Mark Wyland's state senate office)
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290 (running for mayor of San Diego)
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084 (Jim Gibson ran a nasty campaign against her for her Sacramento Assembly seat and lost a few years back.)
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 (term limited out of office in 2012-- by far the most personable of our local Republicans)
*The State of California provides between 80 and 90% of the funds to run local schools. Local taxes are the far far less important than state revenues for vast majority of school districts in the state including VUSD.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_03f567f3-a913-5dc1-815b-94657b480bba.html?mode=story
The music program is unlikely to survive past January when the new state projection of tax revenue income will be released. The January report will likely show that the state is not meeting the very rosy revenue projections found in last July's budget projections for this year.
Already the first month of the new budget year showed more than one half billion dollar shortfall over the July rosy scenario. This report, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifreleased in August, from the State Comptroller’s office indicates more than a 10% short fall in revenues. Push that same shortfall forward six months to January and it could easily top six billion dollars.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/node/9248
Given the present economic condition, it is very unlikely that the January report will be anything, but awful. If that shortfall trend holds out until January, the state will be forced immediately to cut state funding to every entity that gets state funds including K-12 school district like VUSD.
At that point what the state promised in this years July 2011 budget to provide to VUSD won't matter. State promises for funds are all predicated on the state actually taking in the money needed to meet those promises.
Without expected money coming in, the state will be forced to make cuts in January to match its expenditures. This will require drastic reductions in state funds to school districts, state colleges, and health and welfare programs for elderly disabled and ill. State expenditures must match income, as required by law.
This coming January cut will also have TWICE the impact because at that point in time, the state will have already supplied money (at least ten percent too much) for the first six months of the budget year to K-12 school districts, etc. That previous July-January funding will have been based on the state tax income coming in at the predicted level which we already know it will not. Since the tax revenues will likely not come in the state will have spent "too much" for that first six months.
So in January 2012, the cuts for the last six months of the budget year (January to June) must be double. The state must make up for the too much money already given out PLUS reduce the amount it had planned to spend for the next six months. That means DOUBLE the impact on school districts for the last six months of the school year.
To match local VUSD spending to these likely massive January cuts, look for the elementary music program to be lost again this January. That music program cut will be one of many other onerous reductions in local school services needed at that time.
I see no way but a shortened school year for VUSD and other school districts in the state, perhaps by as much as a month, to meet the looming January shortfall in revenue from the state. (A shortened school year reduces school district costs by cutting employee salaries, as well as school site lighting, heating and AC costs).
The cause of this funding gap is the direct result of SACRAMENTO Republicans who refused to allow, we the people, to decide for ourselves whether we wanted these drastic cuts to our schools or whether we might chose to extend existing taxes for five more years.
A special election was needed last June to allow, we the people, to stop these cuts with a tax extension but that did not happen. Washington DC http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflobbyist, Grover Norquist, convinced (cowed with threats?) every single Sacramento Republican and got them all to say “no” to the people’s right to vote. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3651880/jerry-brown-grover-norquist-spar.html
Due to the archaic 2/3rds majority rule in California, Republican votes were absolutely required for this measure to reach the ballot. Only four elected Sacramento Republicans were needed to allow us the right to vote. But every single SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN refused to allow us that right to decide.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998(When not drunk driving, now running for Mark Wyland's state senate office)
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290 (running for mayor of San Diego)
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084 (Jim Gibson ran a nasty campaign against her for her Sacramento Assembly seat and lost a few years back.)
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 (term limited out of office in 2012-- by far the most personable of our local Republicans)
*The State of California provides between 80 and 90% of the funds to run local schools. Local taxes are the far far less important than state revenues for vast majority of school districts in the state including VUSD.
Friday, August 19, 2011
VUSD Trustees forced to cut Sixth Grade Camp
Our school board trustees were forced to cut all sixth grade camp in the school district because there was not enough money to pay for all sixth graders to go. Allowing some to go and denying that privilege to others who cannot afford to pay is discriminatory. A violation of our US and California Constitutions. So why don't we in VUSD have the money for sixth grade camp?
There is one reason and only one reason that fifth grade camp was cancelled, lack of money from the state of California thanks to the unconscionable actions of Sacramento Republicans. If VUSD school board trustees had the money for sixth grade camp, they would spend it.
The state of California provides some 80% of the funds to run VUSD, local taxes only 20% or so. In some school districts the difference is even more. In the rural San Joaquin school district where I was superintendent, the state provided 91% of our revenue.
If you want money for the sixth grade camp, art and music programs then the revenue that the state takes in must increase. By law more than 50% of state revenue must go to K-12 schools in California (Prop 98). But how to get more revenue for the state? Talk to a Sacramento Republican.
One hundred percent of Sacramento Republicans voted to deny we, the people of the state, the right to vote on whether we wanted a DOOMSDAY BUDGET that forces terrible decisions on local school boards or extend our current taxes for five more years. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2011/06/brown-and-democrats-team-up-on-budget-plan-without-gop-input.html
How could the minority party control our whole state? Easy our archaic two thirds rule for raising revenues plus the Sacramento Republicans vote in lockstep. Not one Republican is brave enough to vote his conscience. All must vote as the party bosses tell them to.
California has some of the lowest taxes in the country-- including oil extraction, car, real estate and income taxes on California's wealthiest (over 250K a year) which HAVE FALLEN by half in the last 15 years. But NOT ONE SINGLE Sacramento Republican would allow any discussion of increasing any of these sources of revenue or even allowing EXISTING taxes staying the same to be voted on by WE THE PEOPLE.
BTW California currently ranks squarely in the middle of the pack of the fifty states in all state taxes not anywhere near the highest as the lie-a-cons keep claiming.
Not only did Sacramento Republicans DENY, we the people our right to vote on extending existing taxes, they also would not agree to a SARAH PALIN approved tax on oil extraction in California.
Our state is the third largest producer of oil in the country after Alaska and Texas. In Alaska the whole state is financed by an oil extraction tax. Only in California is Big Oil allowed to take a limited precious resource for free from OUR California soil and give we the people back, bupkis.
Sarah Palin while governor of the state of Alaska signed an increase in her states oil extraction tax. If we in California had the very SAME TAX as Sarah Palin APPROVED, we would have billions more to spend on schools. But the Sacramento Republicans said NO NO NO to the idea at the direction of Grover Norquist aka "The King".http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/06/us-california-taxes-idUSTRE7055L420110106
If you want sixth grade camp or art and music for our kids, then tell our local Sacramento Republicans to stop kissing the ring of "the King" Norquist and help we the people in California first.
OUR LOCALLY ELECTED SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
When you vote for Sacramento Republicans whose first loyalty is to a Washington DC lobbyist (the King Norquist) and not to the people of the state, your vote has consequences. In this case cut to sixth grade camp, on top of music and art cuts and class size increases and a shortened school year that VUSD students have already endured.
There is one reason and only one reason that fifth grade camp was cancelled, lack of money from the state of California thanks to the unconscionable actions of Sacramento Republicans. If VUSD school board trustees had the money for sixth grade camp, they would spend it.
The state of California provides some 80% of the funds to run VUSD, local taxes only 20% or so. In some school districts the difference is even more. In the rural San Joaquin school district where I was superintendent, the state provided 91% of our revenue.
If you want money for the sixth grade camp, art and music programs then the revenue that the state takes in must increase. By law more than 50% of state revenue must go to K-12 schools in California (Prop 98). But how to get more revenue for the state? Talk to a Sacramento Republican.
One hundred percent of Sacramento Republicans voted to deny we, the people of the state, the right to vote on whether we wanted a DOOMSDAY BUDGET that forces terrible decisions on local school boards or extend our current taxes for five more years. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2011/06/brown-and-democrats-team-up-on-budget-plan-without-gop-input.html
How could the minority party control our whole state? Easy our archaic two thirds rule for raising revenues plus the Sacramento Republicans vote in lockstep. Not one Republican is brave enough to vote his conscience. All must vote as the party bosses tell them to.
California has some of the lowest taxes in the country-- including oil extraction, car, real estate and income taxes on California's wealthiest (over 250K a year) which HAVE FALLEN by half in the last 15 years. But NOT ONE SINGLE Sacramento Republican would allow any discussion of increasing any of these sources of revenue or even allowing EXISTING taxes staying the same to be voted on by WE THE PEOPLE.
BTW California currently ranks squarely in the middle of the pack of the fifty states in all state taxes not anywhere near the highest as the lie-a-cons keep claiming.
Not only did Sacramento Republicans DENY, we the people our right to vote on extending existing taxes, they also would not agree to a SARAH PALIN approved tax on oil extraction in California.
Our state is the third largest producer of oil in the country after Alaska and Texas. In Alaska the whole state is financed by an oil extraction tax. Only in California is Big Oil allowed to take a limited precious resource for free from OUR California soil and give we the people back, bupkis.
Sarah Palin while governor of the state of Alaska signed an increase in her states oil extraction tax. If we in California had the very SAME TAX as Sarah Palin APPROVED, we would have billions more to spend on schools. But the Sacramento Republicans said NO NO NO to the idea at the direction of Grover Norquist aka "The King".http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/06/us-california-taxes-idUSTRE7055L420110106
If you want sixth grade camp or art and music for our kids, then tell our local Sacramento Republicans to stop kissing the ring of "the King" Norquist and help we the people in California first.
OUR LOCALLY ELECTED SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
When you vote for Sacramento Republicans whose first loyalty is to a Washington DC lobbyist (the King Norquist) and not to the people of the state, your vote has consequences. In this case cut to sixth grade camp, on top of music and art cuts and class size increases and a shortened school year that VUSD students have already endured.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Vista Teachers get the shaft in lawsuit settlement
The North County Times has indicated that the CTA lawyers representing the Vista Teachers Association 'for free' have settled with the Vista Unified School District.
Read the article here: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f0705fa3-44e7-5158-a4a4-ccaa4a65c7b8.html?mode=story
The settlement is wrong and the Vista Teachers' Association should have insisted that the CTA continued to fight it.
The agreement for a release time president between the VTA and the district was BARGAINED. In bargaining the teachers give up on some of their requests and the district gives up on some of its requests. The teachers gave up a lot of other potential benefits that might have cost far more to get the release time president. Will the teachers get those back now that the district has "stolen" the value of the release time president and imposed a new 'tax' on teachers?
The release time president provision in our VTA contract was the same provision that dozens and dozens of other unions in large districts throughout the state had.
This provision in the contract COST THE DISTRICT NO MONEY. NONE. The payroll was the same with the president of the VTA in the classroom or in the VTA office. The only addition cost was the cost of the replacement teacher. Under the previous agreemetn VTA paid more than that cost.
Under this unfair settlement the teachers of the district will be SUBSIDIZING the district. The district will receive FAR MORE THAN the cost of the replacement teacher. That difference will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Every single teacher in the district will be paying an additional "tax" to the school district amounting to that difference in cost divided by the number of teachers.
Teachers lost a week of pay this year and now are hit with this new "tax."
Thanks to the dictates of highly unpopular VUSD superintendent Joyce Bales, teachers no longer have the authority to teach their classroom students according to the needs that they see in their classroom. They are forced to teach like robots the exact same thing on the same day and give the same test on the same day in every elementary classroom in the district. No individuality. No ability to respond to the individual needs of the UNIQUE children in their classroom. Now an additional tax.
The CTA and their lawyers, who represented our fine VUSD teachers, threw the teachers of our district under the bus. This should have been fought in the courtroom.
Mothers don't let your children grow up to be teachers.
Read the article here: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f0705fa3-44e7-5158-a4a4-ccaa4a65c7b8.html?mode=story
The settlement is wrong and the Vista Teachers' Association should have insisted that the CTA continued to fight it.
The agreement for a release time president between the VTA and the district was BARGAINED. In bargaining the teachers give up on some of their requests and the district gives up on some of its requests. The teachers gave up a lot of other potential benefits that might have cost far more to get the release time president. Will the teachers get those back now that the district has "stolen" the value of the release time president and imposed a new 'tax' on teachers?
The release time president provision in our VTA contract was the same provision that dozens and dozens of other unions in large districts throughout the state had.
This provision in the contract COST THE DISTRICT NO MONEY. NONE. The payroll was the same with the president of the VTA in the classroom or in the VTA office. The only addition cost was the cost of the replacement teacher. Under the previous agreemetn VTA paid more than that cost.
Under this unfair settlement the teachers of the district will be SUBSIDIZING the district. The district will receive FAR MORE THAN the cost of the replacement teacher. That difference will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Every single teacher in the district will be paying an additional "tax" to the school district amounting to that difference in cost divided by the number of teachers.
Teachers lost a week of pay this year and now are hit with this new "tax."
Thanks to the dictates of highly unpopular VUSD superintendent Joyce Bales, teachers no longer have the authority to teach their classroom students according to the needs that they see in their classroom. They are forced to teach like robots the exact same thing on the same day and give the same test on the same day in every elementary classroom in the district. No individuality. No ability to respond to the individual needs of the UNIQUE children in their classroom. Now an additional tax.
The CTA and their lawyers, who represented our fine VUSD teachers, threw the teachers of our district under the bus. This should have been fought in the courtroom.
Mothers don't let your children grow up to be teachers.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Why protest at the offices of SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS like Martin Garrick
One of our old favorite angry friends, Vista Watchdog, posted that he did not know why our heroic VTA president, Barbara Franklin, went to Republican State Assembly offices and Republican State Senate offices like those of Martin Garrick (infamous for cheering on the steps of the state Capitorl at cuts for the poor), Diane Harkey (who Jim Gibson smeared in his campaign for her office), Mark Wyland (a descent sort of man, almost moral, except he goes along with the entire Republican agenda if less angrily and vindictively) and Nathan Fletcher, a rising hate star in the SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN anti-middle class galaxy of villains). VWdog's post is after the article with the infamous mis-leading headling about our VTA president being arrested, found here:http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f05347f3-864d-5a8a-98aa-17390b9fd476.html?mode=story
As VWdog knows SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS (Martin Garrick, Diane Harkey, Mark Wyland, Nathan Fletcher, et al) have forced BILLIONS of dollars of life threatening cuts in programs for our neighbors who happen to be poor, elderly, sick or school children. How many will die from these cuts in social service support is still an open question.
The SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS were able to force these cuts because of the two thirds requirements of our State Constitution. Four, just four, SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS were needed for a chance to stop the DOOMSDAY cuts, but not one could be found.
The lemming like SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS took an oath of loyalty and fidelity to a Washington DC lobbyist, Grover Norquist that supersedes there duty to California.
Norquist demanded that the voters of California be denied the basic right to vote on question of extending their same rate of taxation for five more years instead of imposing DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts to California's poor, sick, elderly and school children. EVERY SINGLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN, said, 'yes sir, King Norquist, whatever you demand, your majesty. We will follow your every desire."(After all King Norquist controls a vast pool of hundreds of millions of dollars of billionaire bully campaign money, so Republicans tremble when King Norquist speaks) Every SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN denied we, the people, the right to vote on this crucial issue of endangering our most disadvantaged citizens. It was a decision of basic decency and morality. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS said no to we, the people.
That is why there are protests at their offices as VWdog is well aware.
If you want to comment on the immoral cuts to the poor, sick, elderly and school children, here are the names and numbers where our locally elected SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS can be reached:
OUR LOCALLY ELECTED SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
As VWdog knows SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS (Martin Garrick, Diane Harkey, Mark Wyland, Nathan Fletcher, et al) have forced BILLIONS of dollars of life threatening cuts in programs for our neighbors who happen to be poor, elderly, sick or school children. How many will die from these cuts in social service support is still an open question.
The SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS were able to force these cuts because of the two thirds requirements of our State Constitution. Four, just four, SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS were needed for a chance to stop the DOOMSDAY cuts, but not one could be found.
The lemming like SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS took an oath of loyalty and fidelity to a Washington DC lobbyist, Grover Norquist that supersedes there duty to California.
Norquist demanded that the voters of California be denied the basic right to vote on question of extending their same rate of taxation for five more years instead of imposing DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts to California's poor, sick, elderly and school children. EVERY SINGLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN, said, 'yes sir, King Norquist, whatever you demand, your majesty. We will follow your every desire."(After all King Norquist controls a vast pool of hundreds of millions of dollars of billionaire bully campaign money, so Republicans tremble when King Norquist speaks) Every SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN denied we, the people, the right to vote on this crucial issue of endangering our most disadvantaged citizens. It was a decision of basic decency and morality. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS said no to we, the people.
That is why there are protests at their offices as VWdog is well aware.
If you want to comment on the immoral cuts to the poor, sick, elderly and school children, here are the names and numbers where our locally elected SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS can be reached:
OUR LOCALLY ELECTED SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
"CALIFORNIA IS BANKRUPT. RUINED." No, bankruptcy is not legally possible. However, CA is in a fiscal crises caused by SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS.
Another of our angry friends who has been CONfused by the hired gun word thugs on AM talk radio and FOX News repeated what he had heard from those paid word thugs, namely that California was bankrupt. This comment was made after the North County article with the inflammatory and misleading headline about our fine VTA president and her courageous stand against de-funding FACT based California public education.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f05347f3-864d-5a8a-98aa-17390b9fd476.html?mode=story
After the article was this comment by a CONfused blogger calling himself Person X:
Person X at 12:00am incorrectly wrote, "California is bankrupt. Ruined."
Neither is true. Even the Weekly Standard, a rag that publishes only anti-union, anti-worker, billionaire bully paid for articles admits (and laments) that no American state can go bankrupt in the following article.
www.weeklystandard.com/.../give-states-way-go-bankrupt_518378.html
However, California is in a fiscal crises caused by SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS who mis-used the two thirds California Constitutional requirement to refuse to even allow a vote on simple no brainers like a Sarah Palin tax on oil extraction in our state.
We are the third largest oil producing state in America. Oil companies in California pay ZERO dollars back to the state for taking OUR OIL and selling it for HUGE PROFITS.
www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/business/01oil.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/.../chevron-latest-oil-company-big-profits_n_855404.html
The bill that Sarah Palin signed into law in Alaska, if passed here, would provide billions of dollars to fix our funding crises in California without DOOMSDAY cuts to our neighbors who happen to be poor, elderly, sick, or school children.
For more common sense fixes to our problem California's REVENUE crises go here: http://caltaxreform.org/?p=211
Here is also a video by Megan Fox called "Hot for Teachers" that details billions in cuts already made to our California schools under our former governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/7d5ec0278e/megan-fox-is-hot-for-teachers
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f05347f3-864d-5a8a-98aa-17390b9fd476.html?mode=story
After the article was this comment by a CONfused blogger calling himself Person X:
Person X at 12:00am incorrectly wrote, "California is bankrupt. Ruined."
Neither is true. Even the Weekly Standard, a rag that publishes only anti-union, anti-worker, billionaire bully paid for articles admits (and laments) that no American state can go bankrupt in the following article.
www.weeklystandard.com/.../give-states-way-go-bankrupt_518378.html
However, California is in a fiscal crises caused by SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS who mis-used the two thirds California Constitutional requirement to refuse to even allow a vote on simple no brainers like a Sarah Palin tax on oil extraction in our state.
We are the third largest oil producing state in America. Oil companies in California pay ZERO dollars back to the state for taking OUR OIL and selling it for HUGE PROFITS.
www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/business/01oil.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/.../chevron-latest-oil-company-big-profits_n_
The bill that Sarah Palin signed into law in Alaska, if passed here, would provide billions of dollars to fix our funding crises in California without DOOMSDAY cuts to our neighbors who happen to be poor, elderly, sick, or school children.
For more common sense fixes to our problem California's REVENUE crises go here: http://caltaxreform.org/?p=211
Here is also a video by Megan Fox called "Hot for Teachers" that details billions in cuts already made to our California schools under our former governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/7d5ec0278e/megan-fox-is-hot-for-teachers
TEACHERS ARE JUST HIGHLY PAID BABYSITTERS! No, we just wish we were paid that well.
Today in the comment section following the highly inflammatory headline, "Vista:Teacher Union President Arrested" a bunch of our angry friends posted there usual CONfused comments that illuminate more their ignorance and anger than anything to do with the article, we had the following posting:
-----------
Cranky said at 8:20pm on April 16, "Most (referring to teachers) are just highly payed babysitters."
See the article here: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f05347f3-864d-5a8a-98aa-17390b9fd476.html?mode=story
-----------
No, Cranky they are not. Babysitters would be paid at nearly triple the rate as school teachers are paid.
It has been more than twenty years since I had a small child in need of babysitting, but even then the going rate was $5 per hour per child.
In a typical underfunded California classroom there are 35 to 40 students for 6.5 hours per day. Let's take 35 students times 6.5 hours times $5 per hour, I get $1137 for one day. Typical sub rate is $100 per day. Salaried teacher rate can vary, but is slightly more than subs. However, even the highest paid teacher salaries are not in the same league with the babysitters' salaries, the babysitters would make far more per day than any public school teachers.
What about per year? Let's multiply that $1137 daily babysitter rate by 180 day school year--$204,750!
The top salary for a VUSD school teacher in the 2010-2011 school year was $78,612 and that is ONLY for the one or two older teachers in our entire district. These teachers must have spent at least thirty years teaching IN VUSD and must also have a master's degree AND 75 units of EXPENSIVE post graduate units.
Most teachers never get close to that salary. They are either not teachers exclusively in VUSD that long or paying for the EXPENSIVE post graduate units is too prohibitive on their miniscule salaries. Rent or post graduate units? Hmmm, which should I pay? Most teachers chose paying the rent.
So let's see one could become a 'rich' college graduate teacher who after paying off college debt and thirty years in a district in addition to laying out tens of thousands of personal money spent on post graduate work gets a mere 78.6K or a babysitter whose rates TWENTY years ago would come to nearly triple that amount.
No, Cranky, teachers are not babysitters. They just wish they were paid that well.
Here is the URL of the Vista Unified School District's teacher salary schedule: http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Departments/hr/certificatedHR/Certificated%20HR%20Documents/Teacher%20Salary%20Schedule%202010%20-%202011.pdf
-----------
Cranky said at 8:20pm on April 16, "Most (referring to teachers) are just highly payed babysitters."
See the article here: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f05347f3-864d-5a8a-98aa-17390b9fd476.html?mode=story
-----------
No, Cranky they are not. Babysitters would be paid at nearly triple the rate as school teachers are paid.
It has been more than twenty years since I had a small child in need of babysitting, but even then the going rate was $5 per hour per child.
In a typical underfunded California classroom there are 35 to 40 students for 6.5 hours per day. Let's take 35 students times 6.5 hours times $5 per hour, I get $1137 for one day. Typical sub rate is $100 per day. Salaried teacher rate can vary, but is slightly more than subs. However, even the highest paid teacher salaries are not in the same league with the babysitters' salaries, the babysitters would make far more per day than any public school teachers.
What about per year? Let's multiply that $1137 daily babysitter rate by 180 day school year--$204,750!
The top salary for a VUSD school teacher in the 2010-2011 school year was $78,612 and that is ONLY for the one or two older teachers in our entire district. These teachers must have spent at least thirty years teaching IN VUSD and must also have a master's degree AND 75 units of EXPENSIVE post graduate units.
Most teachers never get close to that salary. They are either not teachers exclusively in VUSD that long or paying for the EXPENSIVE post graduate units is too prohibitive on their miniscule salaries. Rent or post graduate units? Hmmm, which should I pay? Most teachers chose paying the rent.
So let's see one could become a 'rich' college graduate teacher who after paying off college debt and thirty years in a district in addition to laying out tens of thousands of personal money spent on post graduate work gets a mere 78.6K or a babysitter whose rates TWENTY years ago would come to nearly triple that amount.
No, Cranky, teachers are not babysitters. They just wish they were paid that well.
Here is the URL of the Vista Unified School District's teacher salary schedule: http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Departments/hr/certificatedHR/Certificated%20HR%20Documents/Teacher%20Salary%20Schedule%202010%20-%202011.pdf
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Fewer of our angry friends, leaks on the VUSD school board, and teachers' legal protections are racist
Good News--there are fewer and fewer of our local angry friends posting on line. After articles mentioning Vista Unified School district, we used to have more than a dozen of them posting paranoia, slander, and out right lies regarding our fine public schools and fine VUSD school teachers. Now we have only two or three and their attacks on FACT based public schools are getting stale. The same silliness is posted over and over virtually verbatim. Their simple arguments are easily refuted. Their rants are not catching on and their number continue to diminsh.
The newest line of attack concocted by Jim Gibson and his allies against the four school board members, who are actually trying to improve education in VUSD, has to do with the possibility that the school board might come to a settlement with the Vista Teachers Association in the VUSD lawsuit against the VTA for less than the original amount asked for.
It appears that someone on the VUSD school board is informing his supporters of what is being said at closed door meetings of the VUSD school board when the board members discuss their strategy in the lawsuit. (Gee, I wonder which school board member would break confidence and back stab the other school board members while not caring that the privileged information he was illegally sharing with his supporters would make the lawsuit more time consuming and costly for the district?). The VUSD school board strategy that is being leaked seems to be to try to come to a quick resolution of the lawsuit for an amount of less than 540K.
Now, personally, I do not think the VTA should settle at all. The VUSD school board had lawyers who advised them and read and approved each new collective bargaining agreement before the school board agreed to sign on. These agreements are mutual--both sides agree to them in writing. The VUSD school board's lawyers thought the bargaining agreements were legally 'kosher" for a decade and a half. To now decide that the bargaining agreements were in error and that the VTA negotiators--ordinary classroom teachers with no law experience and who often had no access to a lawyer-- somehow pulled the wool over the eyes of the hired gun VUSD lawyers for 15 years is ludicrous. VTA should just say no to any agreement that is not forced on them by litigation with damages assigned by the court. I think the VTA has a good chance of owing nothing or even being OWED money by the VUSD if they just refuse to settle and let the court case run its course.
However, if the school board wants to offer a settlement. Let them. The teachers can consider it. With at least one trustee leaking self serving information to his supporters, a settlement seems harder and harder to achieve.
More bad news--teachers rights including salary schedule, set duty hours, seniority, and permanent status are under attack and being labelled as racist locally, state wide and nationally in the newest front in the war on public education.
Our local angry friends who post at the North County Times recently been saying that VUSD teachers are not working hard enough to help Hispanic children and hinting at racism. Poster El Chapo wrote on April 19, 2011 after an article about four teachers at VUSD being named teacher of the year:
How could you choose this teacher if they don't know how to speak spanish(sic) to teach our kids remember 80% of the vista teachers don't speak spanish(sic) thats (sic) why our schools are falling.
Makeeda formerly Roxy wrote, "built several white schools for other school districts at the VUSD taxpayers cost"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_0bba9676-7bad-502a-998a-0f582f4f923e.html
On February 6 El Chapo wrote about the relocating of Olive to the Washington campus,
", hey why don't they bus students from shadowridge (sic) area so they don't have to close olive (sic) and have the smart parents help the school"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_a7f3e661-35db-5bfc-a0ff-3cbaea624297.html?mode=comments
The theme that teachers rights like duty hours, salary schedules, seniority, and permanent status are racist in nature is the latest billionaire bully funded attack on American education and the teachers who provide it. They have paid for hired gun word thugs to created anti public education 'think tanks' and to build many websites to promote this view. The latest I have run across is called Democrats for Education Reform. See its slick website here: http://www.dfer.org/ This organization has branches in states all across the country Ohio, New Jersey, New York and of course California.
It is secretly funded by billionaire bullies who are able to hide the fact that they fund it and also to get IRS tax deductions while doing so.
The main theme of these hired gun word thugs is that teachers having rights amounts to racism and that destroying teachers' rights is the next great civil rights movement.
Racism resentment is the same theme of the small cadre of misinformed activists that are posting their comments after North County Times articles mentioning VUSD and who have taken over our the Districts English Language Advisory Committee, DELAC, activists like Alejandro Sancehez, Eduardo Preciado, Silvia Peters. Sadly they took the leadership of DELAC from the capable hands of Gabriela Hooshman a year ago last January.
They have used the racism charge in organizing against the relocation of Olive Elementary School. Apparently former extremist Trustee Stephen Guffanti and his wife Maureen helped to organize the parent protests and the misplaced resentment at Olive.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_e9235ab6-7a56-552f-9302-580cab826a61.html
Luckily ANTI immigration fervor also motivates the Guffantis resulting in Maureen writing a letter to the editor expressing her praise for the arrest and deportation of a mother, a grandmother and a child in less than a school day while two other children were still in school. The other two children arrived to an empty house with three of their family members gone.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_daca7dc3-af26-58f3-a3f0-a898ad6ac457.html
When I pointed out this last letter to the editor to Makeeda/Roxy, she reacted in rage as usual but since that time I have not noticed any of our local misinformed angry Hispanic parents supporting the Guffanti only Gibson.
Our Hispanic angry friends are correct in one thing, their children are being discriminated against and held back from achieving all that they could. Sadly the billionaire bullies have focused them on the wrong target--the hard working teachers in the public schools and not on the right target--the underfunding of public education, public health programs, food programs for the poor, medical and dental help for the poor. Imagine how much better low income students of ALL RACES could do if they did not have the stress of not knowing where they were going to live, if they were going to have food at night, if their sore teeth and sick stomachs were going to get appropriate medical treatment and if their parents could stop working three jobs a piece and be home to parent them. A society where all children have the right to food, shelter, and medical and dental access would go a long way towards improving test scores.
Study after study have shown that test scores follow the money. Test scores have nothing to do with drill and kill programs and they have nothing to do with teacher having job protections. The highest scoring students in the country are in states with teacher protections and rights (Massachusetts) and the very lowest scores are in states in the south with no teacher protections at all.
We should always remember that these hard fought for rights were granted to teaches to stop the outrageous abuses of the early to mid twentieth century when male teachers were paid more than female teachers, teachers were fired for reasons of political consideration, teaching spots were given to political supporters, and teachers were dismissed for arbitrary and even for no reason at all (just as probationary teachers still are). Calling them racist is an outrage and slander against the teaching profession and is historically inaccurate.
The newest line of attack concocted by Jim Gibson and his allies against the four school board members, who are actually trying to improve education in VUSD, has to do with the possibility that the school board might come to a settlement with the Vista Teachers Association in the VUSD lawsuit against the VTA for less than the original amount asked for.
It appears that someone on the VUSD school board is informing his supporters of what is being said at closed door meetings of the VUSD school board when the board members discuss their strategy in the lawsuit. (Gee, I wonder which school board member would break confidence and back stab the other school board members while not caring that the privileged information he was illegally sharing with his supporters would make the lawsuit more time consuming and costly for the district?). The VUSD school board strategy that is being leaked seems to be to try to come to a quick resolution of the lawsuit for an amount of less than 540K.
Now, personally, I do not think the VTA should settle at all. The VUSD school board had lawyers who advised them and read and approved each new collective bargaining agreement before the school board agreed to sign on. These agreements are mutual--both sides agree to them in writing. The VUSD school board's lawyers thought the bargaining agreements were legally 'kosher" for a decade and a half. To now decide that the bargaining agreements were in error and that the VTA negotiators--ordinary classroom teachers with no law experience and who often had no access to a lawyer-- somehow pulled the wool over the eyes of the hired gun VUSD lawyers for 15 years is ludicrous. VTA should just say no to any agreement that is not forced on them by litigation with damages assigned by the court. I think the VTA has a good chance of owing nothing or even being OWED money by the VUSD if they just refuse to settle and let the court case run its course.
However, if the school board wants to offer a settlement. Let them. The teachers can consider it. With at least one trustee leaking self serving information to his supporters, a settlement seems harder and harder to achieve.
More bad news--teachers rights including salary schedule, set duty hours, seniority, and permanent status are under attack and being labelled as racist locally, state wide and nationally in the newest front in the war on public education.
Our local angry friends who post at the North County Times recently been saying that VUSD teachers are not working hard enough to help Hispanic children and hinting at racism. Poster El Chapo wrote on April 19, 2011 after an article about four teachers at VUSD being named teacher of the year:
How could you choose this teacher if they don't know how to speak spanish(sic) to teach our kids remember 80% of the vista teachers don't speak spanish(sic) thats (sic) why our schools are falling.
Makeeda formerly Roxy wrote, "built several white schools for other school districts at the VUSD taxpayers cost"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_0bba9676-7bad-502a-998a-0f582f4f923e.html
On February 6 El Chapo wrote about the relocating of Olive to the Washington campus,
", hey why don't they bus students from shadowridge (sic) area so they don't have to close olive (sic) and have the smart parents help the school"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_a7f3e661-35db-5bfc-a0ff-3cbaea624297.html?mode=comments
The theme that teachers rights like duty hours, salary schedules, seniority, and permanent status are racist in nature is the latest billionaire bully funded attack on American education and the teachers who provide it. They have paid for hired gun word thugs to created anti public education 'think tanks' and to build many websites to promote this view. The latest I have run across is called Democrats for Education Reform. See its slick website here: http://www.dfer.org/ This organization has branches in states all across the country Ohio, New Jersey, New York and of course California.
It is secretly funded by billionaire bullies who are able to hide the fact that they fund it and also to get IRS tax deductions while doing so.
The main theme of these hired gun word thugs is that teachers having rights amounts to racism and that destroying teachers' rights is the next great civil rights movement.
Racism resentment is the same theme of the small cadre of misinformed activists that are posting their comments after North County Times articles mentioning VUSD and who have taken over our the Districts English Language Advisory Committee, DELAC, activists like Alejandro Sancehez, Eduardo Preciado, Silvia Peters. Sadly they took the leadership of DELAC from the capable hands of Gabriela Hooshman a year ago last January.
They have used the racism charge in organizing against the relocation of Olive Elementary School. Apparently former extremist Trustee Stephen Guffanti and his wife Maureen helped to organize the parent protests and the misplaced resentment at Olive.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_e9235ab6-7a56-552f-9302-580cab826a61.html
Luckily ANTI immigration fervor also motivates the Guffantis resulting in Maureen writing a letter to the editor expressing her praise for the arrest and deportation of a mother, a grandmother and a child in less than a school day while two other children were still in school. The other two children arrived to an empty house with three of their family members gone.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_daca7dc3-af26-58f3-a3f0-a898ad6ac457.html
When I pointed out this last letter to the editor to Makeeda/Roxy, she reacted in rage as usual but since that time I have not noticed any of our local misinformed angry Hispanic parents supporting the Guffanti only Gibson.
Our Hispanic angry friends are correct in one thing, their children are being discriminated against and held back from achieving all that they could. Sadly the billionaire bullies have focused them on the wrong target--the hard working teachers in the public schools and not on the right target--the underfunding of public education, public health programs, food programs for the poor, medical and dental help for the poor. Imagine how much better low income students of ALL RACES could do if they did not have the stress of not knowing where they were going to live, if they were going to have food at night, if their sore teeth and sick stomachs were going to get appropriate medical treatment and if their parents could stop working three jobs a piece and be home to parent them. A society where all children have the right to food, shelter, and medical and dental access would go a long way towards improving test scores.
Study after study have shown that test scores follow the money. Test scores have nothing to do with drill and kill programs and they have nothing to do with teacher having job protections. The highest scoring students in the country are in states with teacher protections and rights (Massachusetts) and the very lowest scores are in states in the south with no teacher protections at all.
We should always remember that these hard fought for rights were granted to teaches to stop the outrageous abuses of the early to mid twentieth century when male teachers were paid more than female teachers, teachers were fired for reasons of political consideration, teaching spots were given to political supporters, and teachers were dismissed for arbitrary and even for no reason at all (just as probationary teachers still are). Calling them racist is an outrage and slander against the teaching profession and is historically inaccurate.
Best Education Web site in the country--billionaire bullies, Arne Duncan, and the agenda to destroy public education
I found a terrific site on the web put together by Seattle teachers in response to the attacks on them, their profession and the FACT based public schools in Seattle launched by billionaire bully Bill Gates, Eli Broad, et al.
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/
A well written and researched article about the attempts of non educators (billionaire bullies) to impose their version of education on America's crown jewel, its FACT based public education system and Arne Duncan's (Barak Obama's appointed education secretary)complicity in the same can be read here:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-f-word-of-ed-reform-and-its-unholy-alliance-with-right-wing-union-busting/
Here is a bit of the article:
Union-busting has traditionally been considered the blood sport of right-wing corporatists. But Democrats, including the current president, have joined the fray.
There is no greater example of bipartisan union-busting and attacks on middle and working class citizens right now than what’s being done in the name of “education reform.”
President Barack Obama - Why should teachers vote for him in 2012?
All the celebrity names of corporate ed reform are collaborating in this pile-on: Arne Duncan, Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush, Bill Gates and his foundation’s “ed reform” grantees. The Eli Broad-trained school superintendents are indoctrinated with this cut-throat corporation uber alles mindset. New Mayor Rahm Emanuel is squawking the same anti-labor dogma in Chicago (Emanuel backs crackdown on teachers, Chicago Sun-Times). And one of the key targets is teachers.
And yet, faithful Democrat activists blindly seem to think their own party has nothing to do with these efforts. I recently received this email from Bob Fertik, at Democrats.com:
Dear S.,
Are you outraged by the Republican class war against unions, teachers, and the entire middle class?
Yes, Bob, but I’m even more outraged by the Democrats’ complicity in it, including President Obama.
Though this may seem a Republican agenda, Democrats have done their bit to support these assaults on workers and middle class rights. For example, before new Republican Governor Snyder in Michigan recently signed into law a bill that gives the state treasurer the right to hand over unprecedented control of cities and school districts to “emergency financial managers,” the previous Democratic Governor, Jennifer Granholm, appointed a corporate Broad Foundation slash-and-privatizer Bob Bobb to financially manage and pillage Detroit’s Public Schools.
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-f-word-of-ed-reform-and-its-unholy-alliance-with-right-wing-union-busting/
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/
A well written and researched article about the attempts of non educators (billionaire bullies) to impose their version of education on America's crown jewel, its FACT based public education system and Arne Duncan's (Barak Obama's appointed education secretary)complicity in the same can be read here:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-f-word-of-ed-reform-and-its-unholy-alliance-with-right-wing-union-busting/
Here is a bit of the article:
Union-busting has traditionally been considered the blood sport of right-wing corporatists. But Democrats, including the current president, have joined the fray.
There is no greater example of bipartisan union-busting and attacks on middle and working class citizens right now than what’s being done in the name of “education reform.”
President Barack Obama - Why should teachers vote for him in 2012?
All the celebrity names of corporate ed reform are collaborating in this pile-on: Arne Duncan, Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush, Bill Gates and his foundation’s “ed reform” grantees. The Eli Broad-trained school superintendents are indoctrinated with this cut-throat corporation uber alles mindset. New Mayor Rahm Emanuel is squawking the same anti-labor dogma in Chicago (Emanuel backs crackdown on teachers, Chicago Sun-Times). And one of the key targets is teachers.
And yet, faithful Democrat activists blindly seem to think their own party has nothing to do with these efforts. I recently received this email from Bob Fertik, at Democrats.com:
Dear S.,
Are you outraged by the Republican class war against unions, teachers, and the entire middle class?
Yes, Bob, but I’m even more outraged by the Democrats’ complicity in it, including President Obama.
Though this may seem a Republican agenda, Democrats have done their bit to support these assaults on workers and middle class rights. For example, before new Republican Governor Snyder in Michigan recently signed into law a bill that gives the state treasurer the right to hand over unprecedented control of cities and school districts to “emergency financial managers,” the previous Democratic Governor, Jennifer Granholm, appointed a corporate Broad Foundation slash-and-privatizer Bob Bobb to financially manage and pillage Detroit’s Public Schools.
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-f-word-of-ed-reform-and-its-unholy-alliance-with-right-wing-union-busting/
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Seniority Rights why teachers and students benefit
Public schools, public school teachers, their benefits, meager salaries and pitiful pensions are under attack in America today by billionaire bullies and the hired gun word thugs they employ on AM radio and FOXnotNews. These attacks are having success. The easily swayed and the poorly informed are beginning to believe the massive disinformation campaign of attack. Here is an example of one such CONfused person calling himself, "Person X" who posted on the North County Times website today:
Person X said on: May 4, 2011, 5:33 pm
It is too bad some kind of IQ test in concert with past performance criteria cannot be used to retain the best teachers during budget cuts, instead of the seniority system pruning, willy nilly, both good and bad teachers from the roster during budget cuts. It is not fair to the kids, the way it is now.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=comments
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message saturation.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons, and financial reasons because their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance.
In the recent past, good teachers were dismissed for these and many other terribly unfair reasons UNRELATED TO THEIR SKILLS AS TEACHERS.
As a young man my father-in-law taught music in the same Missouri high school with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all--students, parents, fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his nephew had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew--a totally inexperienced brand new baby teacher. The principal made his relatives happy, but did no service for the students in his high school.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were also used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters. Don't believe that happens? Think of horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples, two or three teachers in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact they seldom need to as teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society, the burn out and quit teaching rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years. Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides.
The respect part is very new. It has to do with this same massive, dishonest, vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country organized and paid for by billionaire bullies. There goal to destroy every base of power of the workers of this country so the political parties only give them more rights, more tax breaks and less safety and work regulations that protect ordinary Americans.
Don't be fooled by the propaganda! Fight for teachers rights!
---------------------------------------
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporatists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distorted, Rush Limbaugh. I used the term here to gently mock Hillary Clinton mis-labeling of this ANTI American ANTI middle class group of the selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires. Terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives.
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons and for their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance. In the recent past good teachers were dismissed for terribly unfair reasons. As a young man my father in law taught with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all students parents fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his son had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters aka horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples two or three in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact there is seldom a need to fire teachers as they usually quit long before a principal even notices a problem. Teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society, the burn out and quit teaching rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years. Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides in far greater abundance. (Sanitation workers are treated and paid better than most teachers.) The quiting over lack of respect part is very new. It has to do with the vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country.
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporationalists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distorted, Rush Limbaugh. I used the term here to gently mock Hillary Clinton mis-labeling of this ANTI American ANTI middle class group of the selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires. Terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives.
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons and for their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance. In the recent past good teachers were dismissed for terribly unfair reasons. As a young man my father in law taught with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all students parents fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his son had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters aka horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples two or three specific individuals in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact there is seldom a need to fire teachers as they usually quit long before a principal even notices a problem. Teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society. Teacher burn out and quitting the profession rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years.
Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides in far greater abundance. (Sanitation workers are treated and paid better than most teachers.) The quitting over lack of respect part is very new. It has to do with the vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country.
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporatists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distortionist, Rush Limbaugh. I used the phrase, 'vast right wing conspiracy' here to gently mock Hillary Clinton's mis-labeling of this very real ANTI American, ANTI middle class group who in reality are financed by a few selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires (Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch, etc.) The use of terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives of a previous generation.
Person X said on: May 4, 2011, 5:33 pm
It is too bad some kind of IQ test in concert with past performance criteria cannot be used to retain the best teachers during budget cuts, instead of the seniority system pruning, willy nilly, both good and bad teachers from the roster during budget cuts. It is not fair to the kids, the way it is now.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=comments
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message saturation.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons, and financial reasons because their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance.
In the recent past, good teachers were dismissed for these and many other terribly unfair reasons UNRELATED TO THEIR SKILLS AS TEACHERS.
As a young man my father-in-law taught music in the same Missouri high school with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all--students, parents, fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his nephew had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew--a totally inexperienced brand new baby teacher. The principal made his relatives happy, but did no service for the students in his high school.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were also used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters. Don't believe that happens? Think of horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples, two or three teachers in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact they seldom need to as teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society, the burn out and quit teaching rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years. Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides.
The respect part is very new. It has to do with this same massive, dishonest, vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country organized and paid for by billionaire bullies. There goal to destroy every base of power of the workers of this country so the political parties only give them more rights, more tax breaks and less safety and work regulations that protect ordinary Americans.
Don't be fooled by the propaganda! Fight for teachers rights!
---------------------------------------
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporatists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distorted, Rush Limbaugh. I used the term here to gently mock Hillary Clinton mis-labeling of this ANTI American ANTI middle class group of the selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires. Terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives.
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons and for their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance. In the recent past good teachers were dismissed for terribly unfair reasons. As a young man my father in law taught with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all students parents fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his son had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters aka horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples two or three in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact there is seldom a need to fire teachers as they usually quit long before a principal even notices a problem. Teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society, the burn out and quit teaching rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years. Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides in far greater abundance. (Sanitation workers are treated and paid better than most teachers.) The quiting over lack of respect part is very new. It has to do with the vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country.
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporationalists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distorted, Rush Limbaugh. I used the term here to gently mock Hillary Clinton mis-labeling of this ANTI American ANTI middle class group of the selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires. Terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives.
Seniority rights do not keep poor older teachers at the expense of wonderful younger teachers contrary to the propaganda of the vast "right wing"* mind control machine's overwhelming media message.
Seniority protects wonderful older teachers from being dismissed for partisan political reasons, corruption related reasons and for their increased cost of salary and particularly medical insurance. In the recent past good teachers were dismissed for terribly unfair reasons. As a young man my father in law taught with 20 year veteran female English teacher who was beloved by all students parents fellow staff members. She was summarily fired by her principal because his son had just graduated from teaching college and needed a job. He gave her job to his nephew.
In the time before salary schedules and seniority, female teachers of the forties and fifties were almost always paid less than male teachers because 'a man has to support a family.' When lay offs were required due to budget problems again female teachers were laid off first for the same reason.
Teaching jobs were used by politicians as gifts to their political supporters aka horse breeder, "Heck of a job, Brownie" being made FEMA director under our previous president.
Salary schedules, seniority (first hired, first fired) were systems put into place to stop these outrageous abuses. They are a good thing for students and for public education.
The propaganda that teachers are difficult to fire is just that propaganda. It is nearly entirely false. Other than a very few examples two or three specific individuals in LAUSD and a few more than that in New York City, the vast majority of good principals and good school districts have no problem getting rid of poor teachers.
In fact there is seldom a need to fire teachers as they usually quit long before a principal even notices a problem. Teaching is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs in our society. Teacher burn out and quitting the profession rate approaches 50% of all teachers in their first five years.
Teachers leave to get more pay, fewer hours, and more respect that nearly any other profession provides in far greater abundance. (Sanitation workers are treated and paid better than most teachers.) The quitting over lack of respect part is very new. It has to do with the vicious smear campaign being directed at school teachers in our country.
*The terms right wing and conservative have been co-opted and re-defined by the elite corporatists, aka the billionaire bullies, using the sophisticated propaganda machine of FOXnotNews and the AM radio con man especially hired gun distortionist, Rush Limbaugh. I used the phrase, 'vast right wing conspiracy' here to gently mock Hillary Clinton's mis-labeling of this very real ANTI American, ANTI middle class group who in reality are financed by a few selfish extremists who happen to be billionaires (Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch, etc.) The use of terms like "Right wing" or "conservative" in today's America have little to do with Barry Goldwater or other traditional patriotic conservatives of a previous generation.
Billionaire Bullies, Sacramento Republican fear of King Norquist caused the lay offs in VUSD
Today another of our poorly informed friends calling himself Carter posted an ANTI union comment after an article about lay offs in Vista Unified School District.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=story
Carter's anti union comment is just a repeat of the lies and disinformation about unions and state and federal budget difficulties that currently permeates our society. The hired gun CON men on AM radio and FOX News are annually paid millions of dollars to disseminate these kind of false narratives linking unions benefits and pensions to budget deficits.
Now that there is no Fairness Doctrine OUR public airwaves are swamped by the lies of the greedy billionaire bullies crowd. These bullies never are satisfied. Theirs fortunes never big enough. The salaries of their employees (who actually create the wealth) are never small enough for these bullies. The bullies have bought and paid for radio station networks that only allow "opinion makers" on air who push the billionaire bullys' anti middle class, anti worker pay and benefit lies. One of them owns the FOXnotNews network and a string of newspapers including the Wall Street Journal (Rupert Murdoch).
With the massive propaganda advantage their money buys the billionaire bullies, it is no wonder that their message of distortion has had such a big effect on those weak of mind and easily duped like poor Carter who posted the following after the article today:
Carter said on: May 4, 2011, 5:28 am
It causes pause to wonder if the teachers brought it all on themselves with their individual sopping up from the union troughs, unsightly and unreasonable benefits - along with all the other unions. Those being laid off do not have to be doing the sopping at the troughs.
In these bad times if we ain't got the money, we just ain't got the money - that is after due, and fair consideration. You cannot get blood out of a turnip.
Union leaders and bargaining officials must be mandated to hold union benefits with the bounds of reasonability. When benefits move to the extreme low or high something has to give.
I am a retired, up to date, associate member of a union.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=comments
How charitable of Carter the CONfused, he got his and now wants to deny young people a fair shake in life.
Local school districts budget problems have nothing to do with unions--nothing. This problem is almost entirely the fault of Sacramento Republicans who took an oath of loyalty to an UNELECTED Washington DC lobbyist, Grover Norquist.
Norquist demanded that the voters of California NOT be given a chance to decide for themselves if they wanted massive DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts or extending existing taxes for five more years. Norquist demanded no vote, because he, an out of state usurper of our California democracy, wanted DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts imposed on the citizens of our state.
Every single Sacramento Republican chose their oath of loyalty to 'King' Norquist over the good of the state and our students. Not one Sacramento Republican agreed to let the voters decide.
The Sacramento Republicans had this ability because of the recently passed Prop 26 that required a two thirds majority of both houses before, we the people can be given the right to vote on tax extensions. Sacramento Republicans were afraid to give us our RIGHT to vote and the chance to save our schools because we might have voted to save our schools.
The current breed of Sacramento Republican has no independent thought. They move in a herd terrified of 'King' Grover Norquist and the massive amount of billionaire bully money he controls. 'King' Norquist decrees, Sacramento Republicans say yes sir!
If we had had a chance to vote, we might have decided to temporarily extend our taxes instead of imposing the DOOMSDAY BUDGET on our neighbors who are poor, ill, elderly or school children. Sacramento Republicans under orders from their 'king' made sure the DOOMSDAY BUDGET would be imposed on all Californians.
It would have taken only FOUR Sacramento Republicans to give we the people the right to vote.
Here are the names and phone numbers of the four North County Sacramento Republicans who betrayed you and every other North County taxpayer, voter, parent and child:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=story
Carter's anti union comment is just a repeat of the lies and disinformation about unions and state and federal budget difficulties that currently permeates our society. The hired gun CON men on AM radio and FOX News are annually paid millions of dollars to disseminate these kind of false narratives linking unions benefits and pensions to budget deficits.
Now that there is no Fairness Doctrine OUR public airwaves are swamped by the lies of the greedy billionaire bullies crowd. These bullies never are satisfied. Theirs fortunes never big enough. The salaries of their employees (who actually create the wealth) are never small enough for these bullies. The bullies have bought and paid for radio station networks that only allow "opinion makers" on air who push the billionaire bullys' anti middle class, anti worker pay and benefit lies. One of them owns the FOXnotNews network and a string of newspapers including the Wall Street Journal (Rupert Murdoch).
With the massive propaganda advantage their money buys the billionaire bullies, it is no wonder that their message of distortion has had such a big effect on those weak of mind and easily duped like poor Carter who posted the following after the article today:
Carter said on: May 4, 2011, 5:28 am
It causes pause to wonder if the teachers brought it all on themselves with their individual sopping up from the union troughs, unsightly and unreasonable benefits - along with all the other unions. Those being laid off do not have to be doing the sopping at the troughs.
In these bad times if we ain't got the money, we just ain't got the money - that is after due, and fair consideration. You cannot get blood out of a turnip.
Union leaders and bargaining officials must be mandated to hold union benefits with the bounds of reasonability. When benefits move to the extreme low or high something has to give.
I am a retired, up to date, associate member of a union.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_c63a33ed-14ee-57e5-8e54-2247ba7528d4.html?mode=comments
How charitable of Carter the CONfused, he got his and now wants to deny young people a fair shake in life.
Local school districts budget problems have nothing to do with unions--nothing. This problem is almost entirely the fault of Sacramento Republicans who took an oath of loyalty to an UNELECTED Washington DC lobbyist, Grover Norquist.
Norquist demanded that the voters of California NOT be given a chance to decide for themselves if they wanted massive DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts or extending existing taxes for five more years. Norquist demanded no vote, because he, an out of state usurper of our California democracy, wanted DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts imposed on the citizens of our state.
Every single Sacramento Republican chose their oath of loyalty to 'King' Norquist over the good of the state and our students. Not one Sacramento Republican agreed to let the voters decide.
The Sacramento Republicans had this ability because of the recently passed Prop 26 that required a two thirds majority of both houses before, we the people can be given the right to vote on tax extensions. Sacramento Republicans were afraid to give us our RIGHT to vote and the chance to save our schools because we might have voted to save our schools.
The current breed of Sacramento Republican has no independent thought. They move in a herd terrified of 'King' Grover Norquist and the massive amount of billionaire bully money he controls. 'King' Norquist decrees, Sacramento Republicans say yes sir!
If we had had a chance to vote, we might have decided to temporarily extend our taxes instead of imposing the DOOMSDAY BUDGET on our neighbors who are poor, ill, elderly or school children. Sacramento Republicans under orders from their 'king' made sure the DOOMSDAY BUDGET would be imposed on all Californians.
It would have taken only FOUR Sacramento Republicans to give we the people the right to vote.
Here are the names and phone numbers of the four North County Sacramento Republicans who betrayed you and every other North County taxpayer, voter, parent and child:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Voters frustrated with local Sacramento Republicans. Martin Garrick, Nathan Fletcher, Diane Harkey, Mark Wyland deny taxpayers the right to vote
The North County Times has devoted front page space to allowing our local Sacramento Republicans to pretend that they are doing the job they were elected to do.
You can read our local four Sacramento Republicans try to spin their despicable decision to deny us the right to vote as something positive in the North County soft ball piece entitled:
REGION: Legislators frustrated with meltdown in budget negotiations
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_21f8adc6-7294-5819-8d39-a3202b264fec.html
Not one Sacramento Republican, NOT ONE, agreed to allow us to vote. Then our local Sacramento scum, have the nerve to try to blame the Governor? What chutzpah!
The Sacramento Republicans did not trust the people of the state of California. So the sniveling traitorous cowards now try to blame their unwillingness to give us a vote on somebody else!
Their whining sounds like the lies of an OJ lawyer saying it was a drug cartel that murdered Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Hey right, we believe you.
Say Sacramento Republicans, how much did you get from King Grover Norquist for betraying the voters in your district? How much will you celebrate when public schools are cut back by four to five ADDITIONAL weeks for the next school year? What one less week this year wasn't good enough? Oh that's right FACT based public education frightens you.
Well you heartless and mean spirited sc*m, every child in California even in your religious based publicly financed "charter" public schools will have a severely curtailed learning experience next year.
And for the folks that listen to am con man radio who support the heartless agenda of the Sacramento Republicans and their King Norquist, why don't they ever wonder why there is only one message from the hired guns am radio conmen? They who listen and believe the conmen are even more responsible for what happened today.
Without the lies of the con man on the radio and those who believe and act on those lies, these Robbercons in Sacramento would have been afraid to kiss the ring of King Norquist and declare their ever lasting loyalty to his wishes and demands. They might have given us a chance to vote. But no, King Norquist and his billionaire bully patrons get there wish--No vote for you!
Congrats to foolishness, meanness, selfishness, and the continuation of the plunder of every resource of the middle class by the billionaire bullies and their hired guns. And so ended democracy in the great American experiment.
Here are the names and phone numbers of the four who betrayed you and every other North County taxpayer, voter, parent and child:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
You can read our local four Sacramento Republicans try to spin their despicable decision to deny us the right to vote as something positive in the North County soft ball piece entitled:
REGION: Legislators frustrated with meltdown in budget negotiations
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_21f8adc6-7294-5819-8d39-a3202b264fec.html
Not one Sacramento Republican, NOT ONE, agreed to allow us to vote. Then our local Sacramento scum, have the nerve to try to blame the Governor? What chutzpah!
The Sacramento Republicans did not trust the people of the state of California. So the sniveling traitorous cowards now try to blame their unwillingness to give us a vote on somebody else!
Their whining sounds like the lies of an OJ lawyer saying it was a drug cartel that murdered Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Hey right, we believe you.
Say Sacramento Republicans, how much did you get from King Grover Norquist for betraying the voters in your district? How much will you celebrate when public schools are cut back by four to five ADDITIONAL weeks for the next school year? What one less week this year wasn't good enough? Oh that's right FACT based public education frightens you.
Well you heartless and mean spirited sc*m, every child in California even in your religious based publicly financed "charter" public schools will have a severely curtailed learning experience next year.
And for the folks that listen to am con man radio who support the heartless agenda of the Sacramento Republicans and their King Norquist, why don't they ever wonder why there is only one message from the hired guns am radio conmen? They who listen and believe the conmen are even more responsible for what happened today.
Without the lies of the con man on the radio and those who believe and act on those lies, these Robbercons in Sacramento would have been afraid to kiss the ring of King Norquist and declare their ever lasting loyalty to his wishes and demands. They might have given us a chance to vote. But no, King Norquist and his billionaire bully patrons get there wish--No vote for you!
Congrats to foolishness, meanness, selfishness, and the continuation of the plunder of every resource of the middle class by the billionaire bullies and their hired guns. And so ended democracy in the great American experiment.
Here are the names and phone numbers of the four who betrayed you and every other North County taxpayer, voter, parent and child:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Back Hand Criticism of Sacramento Republicans by North County Times
Pigs fly a second week in a row. The North County Times editorial staff has back handly mildly criticized the Sacramento Republicans on two consequetive Saturdays by reprinting a mild criticism of the Sac. Repubs from another newspaper. Here is the reprinted editorial from the safely pro Republican Stockton newspaper that made it passed the union hating editorial staff at the North County Times:
Let the people speak
Last week, half the heavy lifting for the new state budget was completed. Republicans ---- some Republicans, anyway ---- helped out, voting for a series of bills designed to cut away about $14 billion of the state's monstrous $26.6 billion deficit.
Who would have thought the easy part would be cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from our colleges and universities, shifting prisoners to county jails and slashing funds for Medi-Cal patients?
But to erase the rest will take an extension of existing tax rates (or absent, that, significant additional cuts). That requires two things: acquiescence by enough legislative Republicans to put the extension on the June ballot (it takes a two-thirds vote of the Legislature) and a willingness of California voters to keeping current tax rates. ...
Before that happens, the Brown administration needs to spell out, clearly and in the most unvarnished terms possible, what will happen if legislative Republicans remain united in their opposition to letting state voters have a voice.
---- The Record (Stockton), March 23
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_2e12e72e-6c2b-524d-9a58-b4bd4abf1dff.html
Let the people speak
Last week, half the heavy lifting for the new state budget was completed. Republicans ---- some Republicans, anyway ---- helped out, voting for a series of bills designed to cut away about $14 billion of the state's monstrous $26.6 billion deficit.
Who would have thought the easy part would be cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from our colleges and universities, shifting prisoners to county jails and slashing funds for Medi-Cal patients?
But to erase the rest will take an extension of existing tax rates (or absent, that, significant additional cuts). That requires two things: acquiescence by enough legislative Republicans to put the extension on the June ballot (it takes a two-thirds vote of the Legislature) and a willingness of California voters to keeping current tax rates. ...
Before that happens, the Brown administration needs to spell out, clearly and in the most unvarnished terms possible, what will happen if legislative Republicans remain united in their opposition to letting state voters have a voice.
---- The Record (Stockton), March 23
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_2e12e72e-6c2b-524d-9a58-b4bd4abf1dff.html
Friday, March 25, 2011
Why is Peter York, publisher of the North County Times so afraid of the truth?
Why is truth so scary for Peter York, the publisher of the North County Times? Twice now he has had his editorial staff lackeys write a blatantly false fact in an editorial. Twice.
What is that fact that Peter York is so afraid of? The fact that Governor Brown has NOT called for a tax extension and certainly has NOT called for a tax increase.
Brown has ASKED only for a VOTE of the PEOPLE on whether THE PEOPLE of the state want to cut all 26 billion in one year, the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, or to cut only half that much the difference made up by a LIMITED TIME tax extension of existing taxes.
Yet York has is editorial staff falsely write, “…the governor's call for $14 billion of tax extensions (or hikes, depending on which side is talking).”
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_085e4966-dc22-5043-ae65-aa3ab812aed9.html
This is the second editorial in which Peter York has falsely said that Jerry Brown is calling for a tax hike.http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html
All Brown is asking for is A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. Why are Peter York and his Sacramento Republican friends so afraid of the concept of the people deciding, not politicians?
We, the people, should be given the choice between having mentally challenged on the streets in the DOOMSDAY BUDGET or in group homes under the tax extension. We, the people, should be able to decide whether we want our K-12 children in school for a full school year or have that year cut another four to five weeks in the 2011-2012 school “year” (in addition to the one week already lost this school “year.”)
And this is no “kabuki dance”. This will happen. The November ballot initiative idea is probably illegal under recently passed Prop 26. The initiative must get on the June ballot BEFORE the next fiscal year starts for the state on July 1st.
It takes four Sacramento Republican votes to get the issue on the June ballot giving the people the power to make the decision for ourselves. Every single Sacramento Republican has said "No, you people can't vote. We have a fidelity oath to Washington DC lobbyist Grover Norquist and his unlimited pot of campaign money that is more important than giving you the right to vote. We will decide the issue for you." And they are deciding. Without a vote, the only choice is an all cuts, DOOMSDAY BUDGET--with 26 billion in cuts all in one year.
If you want the right to vote on this issue, please contact our four local Sacramento Republicans today.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
What is that fact that Peter York is so afraid of? The fact that Governor Brown has NOT called for a tax extension and certainly has NOT called for a tax increase.
Brown has ASKED only for a VOTE of the PEOPLE on whether THE PEOPLE of the state want to cut all 26 billion in one year, the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, or to cut only half that much the difference made up by a LIMITED TIME tax extension of existing taxes.
Yet York has is editorial staff falsely write, “…the governor's call for $14 billion of tax extensions (or hikes, depending on which side is talking).”
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_085e4966-dc22-5043-ae65-aa3ab812aed9.html
This is the second editorial in which Peter York has falsely said that Jerry Brown is calling for a tax hike.http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html
All Brown is asking for is A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. Why are Peter York and his Sacramento Republican friends so afraid of the concept of the people deciding, not politicians?
We, the people, should be given the choice between having mentally challenged on the streets in the DOOMSDAY BUDGET or in group homes under the tax extension. We, the people, should be able to decide whether we want our K-12 children in school for a full school year or have that year cut another four to five weeks in the 2011-2012 school “year” (in addition to the one week already lost this school “year.”)
And this is no “kabuki dance”. This will happen. The November ballot initiative idea is probably illegal under recently passed Prop 26. The initiative must get on the June ballot BEFORE the next fiscal year starts for the state on July 1st.
It takes four Sacramento Republican votes to get the issue on the June ballot giving the people the power to make the decision for ourselves. Every single Sacramento Republican has said "No, you people can't vote. We have a fidelity oath to Washington DC lobbyist Grover Norquist and his unlimited pot of campaign money that is more important than giving you the right to vote. We will decide the issue for you." And they are deciding. Without a vote, the only choice is an all cuts, DOOMSDAY BUDGET--with 26 billion in cuts all in one year.
If you want the right to vote on this issue, please contact our four local Sacramento Republicans today.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Teachers in San Marcos at impasse, not for a raise, just for a smaller pay cut
The most interesting line from the article about the contract talks impasse in San Marcos:
"the district refused to move off of an 11.26 percent total salary reduction for 2011-2012 school year"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/article_2d01b11e-c4b6-5ffb-af8b-fd6e430289f2.html
Welcome to North County Times and FOXnotNews America! Where the middle class has to grovel and beg just to keep their salaries from dropping through the floor.
Are the "evil" (by NCTIMES and FOX standards)unionized teachers demanding a pay raise? No, just that their pay be cut a little bit less. It's the new Robbercon dark, Dickinsonian vision of America where Oliver is the American teacher, "Please sir, may I have enough to buy food for my family?"
Meanwhile our local Sacramento Republicans are staying true to their oath of absolute fidelity to Washington DC lobbyist, Grover "King" Norquist (and his massive pot of campaign money) who has demanded that they impose the DOOMSDAY Budget on California schools WITHOUT ALLOWING A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE!
The DOOMSDAY BUDGET will shorten our next school year by an additional four to five weeks.
Shouldn't the voters of California have a choice about whether they want DOOMSDAY or a tax extension of our EXISTING TAXES not forever, but just for five years? Sacramento Republicans say no!
Sadly due to Prop 26 passed in November the Sacramento Republican minority has the one third vote necessary to deny us our right to vote. To get the right to vote, WE THE PEOPLE need just FOUR Sacramento Republicans. So far NOT ONE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN HAS AGREED TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO A VOTE!!! The Sacramento Republicans have been celebrating their victory over school children for the last week now.
Perhaps if Sacramento Republicans would ALLOW A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE then THE PEOPLE, NOT SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS might chose to vote for the tax extensions in June, or not. However if the people vote for the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, then at least when the San Marcos teachers start losing their homes next year and San Marcos children are on the streets instead of in schools, we would all know that it was the will of the people.
Here are our four local Sacramento Republicans who all have arrogantly refused to give the people of the state the right to vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET because their "King" Norquist as so commanded them.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Read more about the "we know better than you" Sacramento Republicans in this excellent LATimes piece:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column
Here is a parent group website same topic
http://www.educateourstate.org/
Read more about "King" Norquist here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-parker/why-grover-norquist-is-th_b_833169.html
find out why the estate tax is just like the Holocaust from the lips of King Norquist here:
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1008-07.htm
"the district refused to move off of an 11.26 percent total salary reduction for 2011-2012 school year"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/article_2d01b11e-c4b6-5ffb-af8b-fd6e430289f2.html
Welcome to North County Times and FOXnotNews America! Where the middle class has to grovel and beg just to keep their salaries from dropping through the floor.
Are the "evil" (by NCTIMES and FOX standards)unionized teachers demanding a pay raise? No, just that their pay be cut a little bit less. It's the new Robbercon dark, Dickinsonian vision of America where Oliver is the American teacher, "Please sir, may I have enough to buy food for my family?"
Meanwhile our local Sacramento Republicans are staying true to their oath of absolute fidelity to Washington DC lobbyist, Grover "King" Norquist (and his massive pot of campaign money) who has demanded that they impose the DOOMSDAY Budget on California schools WITHOUT ALLOWING A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE!
The DOOMSDAY BUDGET will shorten our next school year by an additional four to five weeks.
Shouldn't the voters of California have a choice about whether they want DOOMSDAY or a tax extension of our EXISTING TAXES not forever, but just for five years? Sacramento Republicans say no!
Sadly due to Prop 26 passed in November the Sacramento Republican minority has the one third vote necessary to deny us our right to vote. To get the right to vote, WE THE PEOPLE need just FOUR Sacramento Republicans. So far NOT ONE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN HAS AGREED TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO A VOTE!!! The Sacramento Republicans have been celebrating their victory over school children for the last week now.
Perhaps if Sacramento Republicans would ALLOW A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE then THE PEOPLE, NOT SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS might chose to vote for the tax extensions in June, or not. However if the people vote for the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, then at least when the San Marcos teachers start losing their homes next year and San Marcos children are on the streets instead of in schools, we would all know that it was the will of the people.
Here are our four local Sacramento Republicans who all have arrogantly refused to give the people of the state the right to vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET because their "King" Norquist as so commanded them.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Read more about the "we know better than you" Sacramento Republicans in this excellent LATimes piece:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column
Here is a parent group website same topic
http://www.educateourstate.org/
Read more about "King" Norquist here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-parker/why-grover-norquist-is-th_b_833169.html
find out why the estate tax is just like the Holocaust from the lips of King Norquist here:
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1008-07.htm
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Shari Crall You Get What You Pay For from North County Times
When we are contently assailed with lies and half truths about the evils of government workers, public school teachers, custodians, police, and fire fighters, it is nice to see some sanity once in a while. Believe it or not I found today's sanity on the editorial pages of the North County Times!
Weird two days in a row, our local CON propaganda outlet had something that wasn't hateful or inaccurate. No banner headline running down of unions or the middle class they created. No fooled by FOXnotNews type slime as their lead editorial.
No today the North County Times placed a well written, rational forum piece about the importance and VALUE of government work on their editorial page.
FORUM: In this democracy, you get what you pay for
By Shari Crall North County Times - The Californian Sunday, March 20, 2011 12:00 am |
I'm a wannabe. A wannabe government worker, that is. Not to get some great pension or benefits. Not to put my hand in every American's wallet. I'm a wannabe government worker because I believe many things are done better collectively than individually, and that some functions mandate an application of authority.
For instance, I don't have the interest or ability to check whether other drivers on the road have licenses or that their cars don't pollute or that my food is safe or the road is paved and in good repair, etc. These are functions I am willing to pay for, together with you, because I get benefit back.
Because of the American government, we have a stable political climate, currency system, judiciary, and even a bailed-out banking system, so I can conduct business in a relatively safe environment. Government offices process title claims, business sales and myriad other small tasks that give me a life that runs smoothly and enables me to focus on what I want to focus on: my family and furthering my education
I am throwing back to the '70s with all this complaining about the cost of government ---- "love it or leave it." We take too much for granted. Go ahead, move somewhere without government to work through all this minutiae for you. Try getting a land deed in Haiti, pre-earthquake even, or Somalia, or put your money in a bank in beautiful Greece.
There was a time when America was proud of its genius in embracing Locke and Rousseau's social contract, the idea that societies flourish when they communally accomplish the busy work. I pay a percentage of my income for that, and what I get back are smooth pathways, emergency responses, a society invested in education and the potential of individuals.
As a nation, we seem to feel entitled to government services we don't want to pay for.
When a parolee murders a beautiful young woman, we scream, "Where was the government?"
When a hurricane devastates, we yell, "Where is the government?"
When potholes go unfilled, we demand, "Where is the government?"
I'll tell you where: laid off, on furlough or working through high case loads. We sound like spoiled clients miffed that we are not getting five-star service from a budget motel.
The move to see ourselves as only government customers, not citizens, belies reality.
Government is not a service industry and we are not the served. Rather, we are the other partner in the contract, the other provider. What we don't contract with our partner to do, we need to do ourselves. We turn over certain rights and responsibilities to the collective because we want to free ourselves from the attending restraints.
The American way is not magic, and it is not free. I am willing to pay my fair share.
SHARI CRALL is a resident of Temecula. Her birthday is Tax Day.
Weird two days in a row, our local CON propaganda outlet had something that wasn't hateful or inaccurate. No banner headline running down of unions or the middle class they created. No fooled by FOXnotNews type slime as their lead editorial.
No today the North County Times placed a well written, rational forum piece about the importance and VALUE of government work on their editorial page.
FORUM: In this democracy, you get what you pay for
By Shari Crall North County Times - The Californian Sunday, March 20, 2011 12:00 am |
I'm a wannabe. A wannabe government worker, that is. Not to get some great pension or benefits. Not to put my hand in every American's wallet. I'm a wannabe government worker because I believe many things are done better collectively than individually, and that some functions mandate an application of authority.
For instance, I don't have the interest or ability to check whether other drivers on the road have licenses or that their cars don't pollute or that my food is safe or the road is paved and in good repair, etc. These are functions I am willing to pay for, together with you, because I get benefit back.
Because of the American government, we have a stable political climate, currency system, judiciary, and even a bailed-out banking system, so I can conduct business in a relatively safe environment. Government offices process title claims, business sales and myriad other small tasks that give me a life that runs smoothly and enables me to focus on what I want to focus on: my family and furthering my education
I am throwing back to the '70s with all this complaining about the cost of government ---- "love it or leave it." We take too much for granted. Go ahead, move somewhere without government to work through all this minutiae for you. Try getting a land deed in Haiti, pre-earthquake even, or Somalia, or put your money in a bank in beautiful Greece.
There was a time when America was proud of its genius in embracing Locke and Rousseau's social contract, the idea that societies flourish when they communally accomplish the busy work. I pay a percentage of my income for that, and what I get back are smooth pathways, emergency responses, a society invested in education and the potential of individuals.
As a nation, we seem to feel entitled to government services we don't want to pay for.
When a parolee murders a beautiful young woman, we scream, "Where was the government?"
When a hurricane devastates, we yell, "Where is the government?"
When potholes go unfilled, we demand, "Where is the government?"
I'll tell you where: laid off, on furlough or working through high case loads. We sound like spoiled clients miffed that we are not getting five-star service from a budget motel.
The move to see ourselves as only government customers, not citizens, belies reality.
Government is not a service industry and we are not the served. Rather, we are the other partner in the contract, the other provider. What we don't contract with our partner to do, we need to do ourselves. We turn over certain rights and responsibilities to the collective because we want to free ourselves from the attending restraints.
The American way is not magic, and it is not free. I am willing to pay my fair share.
SHARI CRALL is a resident of Temecula. Her birthday is Tax Day.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Pigs fly! Snow in Hell! North County Times criticizes Sacramento Republicans!
Yes that was a flock of pigs you saw fly by your house this morning and yes,
those news reports of a blizzard in Sheol are true!
Unbelievable! The right wing, reliably pro-billionaire bully agenda, and always anti-union, anti-middle class, anti-science North County Times editorial staff has chosen to criticize Sacramento Republicans for refusing to allow the people a vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. Wow!
Perhaps there is trouble in fool's paradise among the mean spirited Sacramento Republican minority that has been celebrating their power to impose the DOOMSDAY BUDGET on all of us without a vote. It seems they may have started that celebration a bit too soon if even the the most rabid of their network of media mouthpieces, the North County Times, re-prints an editorial critical of their actions.
Yes, I said RE-print. I know I know it is not like the Peter York, the publisher and his crew of "yes men" editorial writers, were brave enough to write the editorial themselves. But hey, they did re-print one. That is a first positive step towards their growth towards becoming fair minded adult editors.
So I celebrate their change to side of goodness and light. Let's give the voters a chance to decide whether or not the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, with four to five fewer weeks of school, will be imposed on our school children.
Our four local Sacramento Republicans are still ALL thumbing their noses at the people of the state of California. They all say, "NO you can't" when asked to allow us to vote. They have also all said that their pledge of fidelity and allegiance to out-of-state, Washington lobbyist, Grover Norquist, is more important than representing the voting citizens of their districts.
Grover tells California voters,"no vote for you". Our foolish four local Sac. Repubs. echo him and repeat, "No vote for you" They never seem to forget their blood oath of absolute loyalty to His Royal Majesty, King Norquist and the massive amount of campaign money he controls.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Here is the RE-printed excellent editorial in the North County Times today.
Message to California legislators, especially Republicans: Let the people decide.
As we move close to a deadline to get a tax extension measure on a June 7 ballot, the Legislature met Wednesday in an attempt to push though Gov. Jerry Brown's austere budget plan that attempts to close a nearly $27 billion deficit with spending cuts and by extending a series of tax measures.
Brown, however, has been unable so far to secure the two Republican votes he needs to get the five-year tax extensions onto the June ballot.
But a statewide Field Poll released this week shows voters support Brown's budget proposal ---- including the tax extensions.
While it's getting late to make a June 7 ballot, just getting the extensions to voters that month still would be better than the alternative. Some Democrats are urging Brown to give up on the idea of a special election and just extend the taxes with the few Republican votes he'd need in the Legislature.
Voters want the chance to make the final call ---- 61 percent said they want a special election on taxes to solve the budget rather than have the Legislature decide on its own.
Guess they don't trust their elected representatives to make the right decisions on the budget. Based on the record, why should they?
---- Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 17
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_d270fba1-c5b2-54e7-88ee-8a821346a65d.html
those news reports of a blizzard in Sheol are true!
Unbelievable! The right wing, reliably pro-billionaire bully agenda, and always anti-union, anti-middle class, anti-science North County Times editorial staff has chosen to criticize Sacramento Republicans for refusing to allow the people a vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. Wow!
Perhaps there is trouble in fool's paradise among the mean spirited Sacramento Republican minority that has been celebrating their power to impose the DOOMSDAY BUDGET on all of us without a vote. It seems they may have started that celebration a bit too soon if even the the most rabid of their network of media mouthpieces, the North County Times, re-prints an editorial critical of their actions.
Yes, I said RE-print. I know I know it is not like the Peter York, the publisher and his crew of "yes men" editorial writers, were brave enough to write the editorial themselves. But hey, they did re-print one. That is a first positive step towards their growth towards becoming fair minded adult editors.
So I celebrate their change to side of goodness and light. Let's give the voters a chance to decide whether or not the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, with four to five fewer weeks of school, will be imposed on our school children.
Our four local Sacramento Republicans are still ALL thumbing their noses at the people of the state of California. They all say, "NO you can't" when asked to allow us to vote. They have also all said that their pledge of fidelity and allegiance to out-of-state, Washington lobbyist, Grover Norquist, is more important than representing the voting citizens of their districts.
Grover tells California voters,"no vote for you". Our foolish four local Sac. Repubs. echo him and repeat, "No vote for you" They never seem to forget their blood oath of absolute loyalty to His Royal Majesty, King Norquist and the massive amount of campaign money he controls.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Here is the RE-printed excellent editorial in the North County Times today.
Message to California legislators, especially Republicans: Let the people decide.
As we move close to a deadline to get a tax extension measure on a June 7 ballot, the Legislature met Wednesday in an attempt to push though Gov. Jerry Brown's austere budget plan that attempts to close a nearly $27 billion deficit with spending cuts and by extending a series of tax measures.
Brown, however, has been unable so far to secure the two Republican votes he needs to get the five-year tax extensions onto the June ballot.
But a statewide Field Poll released this week shows voters support Brown's budget proposal ---- including the tax extensions.
While it's getting late to make a June 7 ballot, just getting the extensions to voters that month still would be better than the alternative. Some Democrats are urging Brown to give up on the idea of a special election and just extend the taxes with the few Republican votes he'd need in the Legislature.
Voters want the chance to make the final call ---- 61 percent said they want a special election on taxes to solve the budget rather than have the Legislature decide on its own.
Guess they don't trust their elected representatives to make the right decisions on the budget. Based on the record, why should they?
---- Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 17
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_d270fba1-c5b2-54e7-88ee-8a821346a65d.html
Thursday, March 17, 2011
North County Weighs in on the DOOMSDAY budget
The anti-union, anti-middle class North County Times continues to support the agenda of the billionaire bullies who despise the middle class and poor and government services that help the middle class and poor.
The NCTimes have a brief editorial about the upcoming DOOMSDAY budget that Sacramento Republicans are forcing on the people of the state without allowing us to vote whether we want it or not. But do the they condemn the Sacramento Republicans? Do they urge them to give us a chance to vote? No and No. All they do is condemn, Governor Brown.
Under the Brown POSSIBLE budget IF our existing taxes are extended, there are still 12 billion dollars worth of cuts. Not enough for the North County Times apparently. Sad, to think that it is the last 'news' paper in our North County. How I miss the real newspapers we used to have--the Times Advocate and the Vista Press!
As you may recall the DOOMSDAY BUDGET goes into place unless, the people of the state can vote to extend their existing taxes for five more years--NOT FOREVER--just five more years. The Sacramento Republicans say, "No you can't vote. We want a DOOMSDAY BUDGET. You voters were stupid enough to pass Prop 26 last November. That gave us the power to impose a DOOMSDAY BUDGET on you. So nanny nanny, we win, you lose ha ha."
Read the North County Times editorial at the URL listed below or better read the EXCELLENT editorial by Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times, that URL is found at the end of this post.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html
Even the LATimes, run by the right wing Chicago Tribune cons, seems to understand the petty cruelty and meanness of the Sacramento Republicans who are demanding a DOOMSDAY all cuts budget. Thanks to Prop 26 passed last November, this tiny cruel, remnant of a once mighty political party, now have the power to cut all California public schools academic year by up to five weeks in 2011-2012, next year.
All the people of the state are asking is a chance to decide whether we want to EXTEND not raise taxes in order to have a full length school year.
No one is asking to impose a new tax. All we want is the right to vote on EXTENDING EXISTING taxes or not. Then we the people decide the fate of the schools, not Sacramento Republicans.
The tone deaf Sacramento Republicans are sitting around in their caucus chuckling like satisfied hens by their power to lay the rotten egg of a greatly shortened academic school year. All because they do not want to let us vote. If we vote we might not chose to shorten the year but to just extend our taxes instead. Why is that so bad?
Here is what Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times said in his column today:
"There are no easy answers or pretty outcomes. As we all know, students included, everyone has to make sacrifices."
"But during tough times, even GOP hero Ronald Reagan and rock-solid conservative Gov. Pete Wilson temporarily raised taxes along with making tough cuts. Today, California's Republican legislators have so far refused to support Gov. Brown's plan to let voters decide whether they want to go that same route: to balance the budget half with cuts and half by temporarily extending tax increases."
"Nor have the Republicans explained how they'd whack $26 billion without putting more teachers out of work and destroying schools in their own districts. And where, by the way, are the parents in those districts? Are they going to watch in silence as their kids get hammered?"
At Hamilton, booster club president Chris Kenemuth told me she's a Republican who doesn't mind paying taxes to save great programs. She's been trying to contact Republican legislators to let them know how she feels, but they're not responding."
"Of course not. What can they say that doesn't shame them further? And how would they explain who wins when you fire teachers and demoralize students; when you take something that works and destroy it?"
Read the rest of his excellent column here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column
If you want to try to get our local Sacramento Republicans off their mean spirited duffs, try calling them:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
The NCTimes have a brief editorial about the upcoming DOOMSDAY budget that Sacramento Republicans are forcing on the people of the state without allowing us to vote whether we want it or not. But do the they condemn the Sacramento Republicans? Do they urge them to give us a chance to vote? No and No. All they do is condemn, Governor Brown.
Under the Brown POSSIBLE budget IF our existing taxes are extended, there are still 12 billion dollars worth of cuts. Not enough for the North County Times apparently. Sad, to think that it is the last 'news' paper in our North County. How I miss the real newspapers we used to have--the Times Advocate and the Vista Press!
As you may recall the DOOMSDAY BUDGET goes into place unless, the people of the state can vote to extend their existing taxes for five more years--NOT FOREVER--just five more years. The Sacramento Republicans say, "No you can't vote. We want a DOOMSDAY BUDGET. You voters were stupid enough to pass Prop 26 last November. That gave us the power to impose a DOOMSDAY BUDGET on you. So nanny nanny, we win, you lose ha ha."
Read the North County Times editorial at the URL listed below or better read the EXCELLENT editorial by Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times, that URL is found at the end of this post.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html
Even the LATimes, run by the right wing Chicago Tribune cons, seems to understand the petty cruelty and meanness of the Sacramento Republicans who are demanding a DOOMSDAY all cuts budget. Thanks to Prop 26 passed last November, this tiny cruel, remnant of a once mighty political party, now have the power to cut all California public schools academic year by up to five weeks in 2011-2012, next year.
All the people of the state are asking is a chance to decide whether we want to EXTEND not raise taxes in order to have a full length school year.
No one is asking to impose a new tax. All we want is the right to vote on EXTENDING EXISTING taxes or not. Then we the people decide the fate of the schools, not Sacramento Republicans.
The tone deaf Sacramento Republicans are sitting around in their caucus chuckling like satisfied hens by their power to lay the rotten egg of a greatly shortened academic school year. All because they do not want to let us vote. If we vote we might not chose to shorten the year but to just extend our taxes instead. Why is that so bad?
Here is what Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times said in his column today:
"There are no easy answers or pretty outcomes. As we all know, students included, everyone has to make sacrifices."
"But during tough times, even GOP hero Ronald Reagan and rock-solid conservative Gov. Pete Wilson temporarily raised taxes along with making tough cuts. Today, California's Republican legislators have so far refused to support Gov. Brown's plan to let voters decide whether they want to go that same route: to balance the budget half with cuts and half by temporarily extending tax increases."
"Nor have the Republicans explained how they'd whack $26 billion without putting more teachers out of work and destroying schools in their own districts. And where, by the way, are the parents in those districts? Are they going to watch in silence as their kids get hammered?"
At Hamilton, booster club president Chris Kenemuth told me she's a Republican who doesn't mind paying taxes to save great programs. She's been trying to contact Republican legislators to let them know how she feels, but they're not responding."
"Of course not. What can they say that doesn't shame them further? And how would they explain who wins when you fire teachers and demoralize students; when you take something that works and destroy it?"
Read the rest of his excellent column here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column
If you want to try to get our local Sacramento Republicans off their mean spirited duffs, try calling them:
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Friday, March 11, 2011
Our old friend VWdog tells the truth, a half truth and a whooper: Instead of new schools being built,existing schools in VUSD could have been expanded
VWdog, who is nearly the last ANTI public education foe still posting at the North County Times, has published another post with a mixture of truth, half truths and falsehoods.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_83dcab61-5552-5f31-b53b-4418b263e408.html?mode=comments
I believe his Whooper is the most important part of his post to be addressed. That whooper alleges that VUSD could simply have expanded existing schools and did not need to pass a bond to build new schools.
Because he has posted this same Big Lie on many other occasions it appears to be a part of the mythology of lies that our ANTI friends are using among themselves and are telling to others. We must be ready to counter their Big Lie with what truly happened here.
In the 1980's and 1990's, our school district had three bond failures. The result of those failures was that our district schools became among the most crowded in the state based on student density per acre of campus. Every VUSD school parking lot and every school play ground was filled with trailers used as classrooms because the stick and mortar classrooms were already full. Still there was not enough space for our students.
The VUSD School Board had only two options to deal with our SEVERELY overcrowded schools either Year Round School or double sessions. Our board chose YRE.
Only after the fourth bond was successful were we able to end YRE.
There is absolutely no truth to VWdog and our other ANTI friends claim that we did not need to pass a bond, even Jim Gibson saw the need to build new schools. He voted to put our fourth and final bond (Prop O) on the ballot. The residents of this district saw the need for new schools. They passed the bond by more than two thirds in 2002. Our community and even our most 'conservative' school board member both saw the need for a school bond to build new schools in 2002.
Below is more of my response to VWdog this morning.
THE TRUTH in VWdog's post: "The City is a TOTALLY different entity all together" (from the school district).
Yes, that is true. The City of Vista and Vista Unified School District are completely separate government entities. They have different funding sources, different boundaries, and different founding dates. VUSD is far older having been started in the 1930's. The City of Vista is much more recent having been incorporated in 1963. VUSD boundaries encompass a far larger area than the City of Vista. In fact VUSD includes about one third of the eastern half of the City of Oceanside. Very confusing to folks who live their and vote for Oceanside City Council members, but Vista Unified School District Board members. They do not vote for Oceanside School District board members at all.
THE HALF TRUTH: "the (school district has) authority to pass bonds to build new schools and to tax the local citizens within their District to pay for those bonds"
VUSD school board members have the power to call for a bond election to raise money to build schools or a parcel tax to pay for other district expenses. Only the residents of VUSD have the ability to pass that bond or parcel tax. Up until recently (2002?) both a school bond and a parcel tax required a 2/3rds majority to pass. Now only the parcel tax still requires a two thirds vote, a bond can pass if at least four of five board members put it on the ballot and it gets 55% of the vote.
THE BLATANT: "they built a bunch of new schools rather than enlarging existing schools"
VWdog has pushed this deception before. He is well aware that every school in our district was enlarged to its maximum. the parking lots and playgrounds were covered in temporary trailers to house students after the first of the school boards four bond attempts failed to get two thirds. Finally with two more failures there was no room left on any campus to put more trailers yet VUSD had too many students for its classrooms. The boards only two choices were double sessions or Year Round School. YRE is like "hot bunking" by sailors in submarines. Not enough bunks means when one sailor awakes for duty another climbs into his bunk. Same concept for YRE. Students went to school two months had one month off. During their month off the next "track" of students came into those classrooms. Some students had to change classrooms each month they were in school. There were roving teachers who went from classroom to classroom during the day using classrooms for their own students during a time a different teacher in the classroom had a prep period.
VUSD was among the most overcrowded school districts in the state. Finally in 2002 the voters passed a school bond with 2/3rds vote. Schools were built. YRE ended. Every thing was rosy except the Great Recession hit. The Great Recession has lowered ADA in districts across the state including VUSD and the Oceanside district.
VWdog claims he knew this in advance. I wish he had told the rest of us. Then we all could have gotten rich selling short on the stock market.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_83dcab61-5552-5f31-b53b-4418b263e408.html?mode=comments
I believe his Whooper is the most important part of his post to be addressed. That whooper alleges that VUSD could simply have expanded existing schools and did not need to pass a bond to build new schools.
Because he has posted this same Big Lie on many other occasions it appears to be a part of the mythology of lies that our ANTI friends are using among themselves and are telling to others. We must be ready to counter their Big Lie with what truly happened here.
In the 1980's and 1990's, our school district had three bond failures. The result of those failures was that our district schools became among the most crowded in the state based on student density per acre of campus. Every VUSD school parking lot and every school play ground was filled with trailers used as classrooms because the stick and mortar classrooms were already full. Still there was not enough space for our students.
The VUSD School Board had only two options to deal with our SEVERELY overcrowded schools either Year Round School or double sessions. Our board chose YRE.
Only after the fourth bond was successful were we able to end YRE.
There is absolutely no truth to VWdog and our other ANTI friends claim that we did not need to pass a bond, even Jim Gibson saw the need to build new schools. He voted to put our fourth and final bond (Prop O) on the ballot. The residents of this district saw the need for new schools. They passed the bond by more than two thirds in 2002. Our community and even our most 'conservative' school board member both saw the need for a school bond to build new schools in 2002.
Below is more of my response to VWdog this morning.
THE TRUTH in VWdog's post: "The City is a TOTALLY different entity all together" (from the school district).
Yes, that is true. The City of Vista and Vista Unified School District are completely separate government entities. They have different funding sources, different boundaries, and different founding dates. VUSD is far older having been started in the 1930's. The City of Vista is much more recent having been incorporated in 1963. VUSD boundaries encompass a far larger area than the City of Vista. In fact VUSD includes about one third of the eastern half of the City of Oceanside. Very confusing to folks who live their and vote for Oceanside City Council members, but Vista Unified School District Board members. They do not vote for Oceanside School District board members at all.
THE HALF TRUTH: "the (school district has) authority to pass bonds to build new schools and to tax the local citizens within their District to pay for those bonds"
VUSD school board members have the power to call for a bond election to raise money to build schools or a parcel tax to pay for other district expenses. Only the residents of VUSD have the ability to pass that bond or parcel tax. Up until recently (2002?) both a school bond and a parcel tax required a 2/3rds majority to pass. Now only the parcel tax still requires a two thirds vote, a bond can pass if at least four of five board members put it on the ballot and it gets 55% of the vote.
THE BLATANT: "they built a bunch of new schools rather than enlarging existing schools"
VWdog has pushed this deception before. He is well aware that every school in our district was enlarged to its maximum. the parking lots and playgrounds were covered in temporary trailers to house students after the first of the school boards four bond attempts failed to get two thirds. Finally with two more failures there was no room left on any campus to put more trailers yet VUSD had too many students for its classrooms. The boards only two choices were double sessions or Year Round School. YRE is like "hot bunking" by sailors in submarines. Not enough bunks means when one sailor awakes for duty another climbs into his bunk. Same concept for YRE. Students went to school two months had one month off. During their month off the next "track" of students came into those classrooms. Some students had to change classrooms each month they were in school. There were roving teachers who went from classroom to classroom during the day using classrooms for their own students during a time a different teacher in the classroom had a prep period.
VUSD was among the most overcrowded school districts in the state. Finally in 2002 the voters passed a school bond with 2/3rds vote. Schools were built. YRE ended. Every thing was rosy except the Great Recession hit. The Great Recession has lowered ADA in districts across the state including VUSD and the Oceanside district.
VWdog claims he knew this in advance. I wish he had told the rest of us. Then we all could have gotten rich selling short on the stock market.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The LIE at the center of the Wisconsin attack
Below is a quote form middle class champion, Erin Hill
"Last night, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) revealed the lie at the heart of his drive to ruin working families in Wisconsin. After insisting for weeks that union-busting was necessary to balance the state budget, Republicans in the legislature declared that it had no impact on the budget and passed the measure in a five minute meeting with no advance notice and no Democrats present.
Now we know what this struggle is really about: ruining Democrats. Working families are just collateral damage in Walker's power play."
Scott. Fitzgerald leader of the Wisconsin State Senate Republicans said with a grin on his face to FOXnotNews today that by succeeding in stripping union rights from state and local workers in Wisconsin means"Barack Obama will have a much harder time winning Wisconsin in the 2012 election."
That is what this is all about. It is a nationwide campaign funded by climate science deniers and union-hating billionaire bullies, Charles and David Koch to destroy any organized opposition to their goal of reducing worker wages and increasing profits for the filthy rich. Charles and David Koch are the FIFTH richest Americans but its not enough for them.
If you remain silent the Billionaire Bullies will win, please consider helping the Wisconsin heroes recall eight Wisconsin state senators.
The Billionaire Bullies Club has very powerful members in addition to the Koch brothers. Another is Rupert Murdoch who runs the anti middle class anti union FOXnotNews propaganda network. Fox, fooled you again, fake news has had a powerful impact on the uniformed in this country. We know from past experience that FOXnotNews"news" will lead every hour with blatantly false attacks on the Wisconsin recall attempts. We know that because they have run 24/7 lies about our brave Wisconsin heroes for the last four weeks.
Read a summary of FOX lies and see footage of palm trees supposedly in Wisconsin presented by FOXnotNews to twist the truth about our brave Wisconsin heroes. The FOX hired gun liars just make up stuff and present it as true to their CONfused viewers.
http://campusprogress.org/articles/fox_news_lies_about_violent_protests_in_wisconsin/
See a website financed by the billionaire bullies attacking Wisconsin teachers here:
http://slapblog.com/?p=10554
With billionaire bullies opposed to the Great Wisconsin Recall and a nationwide propaganda machine opposed to them, our Wisconsin heroes need every single dollar we can contribute to them. Read more about the Recall and how to help here:
http://www.americablog.com/2011/03/wisconsin-recall-efforts-just-got.html
"Last night, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) revealed the lie at the heart of his drive to ruin working families in Wisconsin. After insisting for weeks that union-busting was necessary to balance the state budget, Republicans in the legislature declared that it had no impact on the budget and passed the measure in a five minute meeting with no advance notice and no Democrats present.
Now we know what this struggle is really about: ruining Democrats. Working families are just collateral damage in Walker's power play."
Scott. Fitzgerald leader of the Wisconsin State Senate Republicans said with a grin on his face to FOXnotNews today that by succeeding in stripping union rights from state and local workers in Wisconsin means"Barack Obama will have a much harder time winning Wisconsin in the 2012 election."
That is what this is all about. It is a nationwide campaign funded by climate science deniers and union-hating billionaire bullies, Charles and David Koch to destroy any organized opposition to their goal of reducing worker wages and increasing profits for the filthy rich. Charles and David Koch are the FIFTH richest Americans but its not enough for them.
If you remain silent the Billionaire Bullies will win, please consider helping the Wisconsin heroes recall eight Wisconsin state senators.
The Billionaire Bullies Club has very powerful members in addition to the Koch brothers. Another is Rupert Murdoch who runs the anti middle class anti union FOXnotNews propaganda network. Fox, fooled you again, fake news has had a powerful impact on the uniformed in this country. We know from past experience that FOXnotNews"news" will lead every hour with blatantly false attacks on the Wisconsin recall attempts. We know that because they have run 24/7 lies about our brave Wisconsin heroes for the last four weeks.
Read a summary of FOX lies and see footage of palm trees supposedly in Wisconsin presented by FOXnotNews to twist the truth about our brave Wisconsin heroes. The FOX hired gun liars just make up stuff and present it as true to their CONfused viewers.
http://campusprogress.org/articles/fox_news_lies_about_violent_protests_in_wisconsin/
See a website financed by the billionaire bullies attacking Wisconsin teachers here:
http://slapblog.com/?p=10554
With billionaire bullies opposed to the Great Wisconsin Recall and a nationwide propaganda machine opposed to them, our Wisconsin heroes need every single dollar we can contribute to them. Read more about the Recall and how to help here:
http://www.americablog.com/2011/03/wisconsin-recall-efforts-just-got.html
Today is the DEADLINE for DOOMSDAY. No four Republican votes, DOOMSDAY comes.
Today is the last day to qualify the initiative allowing a vote of the people in June on whether they want a tax extension or the DOOMSDAY BUDGET.
AT least four Sacramento Republican votes are required for the tax extension question to be put on the ballot. If there are less than four Republican in favor of the public's right to vote than the DOOMSDAY will be enacted. There is no alternative.
Every single member of our California State Legislature who is NOT a Republican is in favor of giving voters the choice of picking a tax extension or enacting the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. However NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN is willing to let the public vote, NOT ONE!
If you want the right to vote, you best chance is to convince our locally elected Sacramento Republicans. Call them right now. Tell them you want the right to vote.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
AT least four Sacramento Republican votes are required for the tax extension question to be put on the ballot. If there are less than four Republican in favor of the public's right to vote than the DOOMSDAY will be enacted. There is no alternative.
Every single member of our California State Legislature who is NOT a Republican is in favor of giving voters the choice of picking a tax extension or enacting the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. However NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN is willing to let the public vote, NOT ONE!
If you want the right to vote, you best chance is to convince our locally elected Sacramento Republicans. Call them right now. Tell them you want the right to vote.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Why doesn't Jim Gibson complain about Sacramanto Republicans refusal to allow us to vote to stop DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS?
If Jim Gibson really cared about getting more money for our VUSD children’s education then today's Forum would be directed at the Sacramento Republicans. They are the ones denying us the right to vote to stop DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS.
To prevent DOOMSDAY, we the people, would have to vote in June to extend existing taxes. Prop 26 passed last November requires four Sacramento Republicans to allow us the vote. Every single NON-Republican is in favor of us giving us the right to vote. NOT ONE SINGLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN AGREES TO LET, WE, THE PEOPLE VOTE.
These DOOMSDAY CUTS will necessitate an additional four to five weeks cut from children’s school year in addition to the one week already lost this school year. Under the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS, all California public school children will have their school “year” reduced to as little as 150 days of schooling next school year.
Do you want that? Does Jim Gibson want that? If not why didn’t he write a Forum demanding that our locally elected Sacramento Republicans give us a right to vote on whether we want DOOMSDAY CUTS or not?
The deadline for getting the four Sacramento Republicans on board is tomorrow, March 10th. If the deadline passes, you will not be able to vote to extend our current taxes to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS. Wouldn’t you like a chance to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson want you to be able to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson, as a school board member, want to prevent four to five weeks being cut from the school year? Why isn’t that looming disaster his number one priority?
If you want a chance to vote on the decision to have a chance to vote to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, you must contact our locally elected Sacramento Republicans today.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90
To prevent DOOMSDAY, we the people, would have to vote in June to extend existing taxes. Prop 26 passed last November requires four Sacramento Republicans to allow us the vote. Every single NON-Republican is in favor of us giving us the right to vote. NOT ONE SINGLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN AGREES TO LET, WE, THE PEOPLE VOTE.
These DOOMSDAY CUTS will necessitate an additional four to five weeks cut from children’s school year in addition to the one week already lost this school year. Under the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS, all California public school children will have their school “year” reduced to as little as 150 days of schooling next school year.
Do you want that? Does Jim Gibson want that? If not why didn’t he write a Forum demanding that our locally elected Sacramento Republicans give us a right to vote on whether we want DOOMSDAY CUTS or not?
The deadline for getting the four Sacramento Republicans on board is tomorrow, March 10th. If the deadline passes, you will not be able to vote to extend our current taxes to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS. Wouldn’t you like a chance to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson want you to be able to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson, as a school board member, want to prevent four to five weeks being cut from the school year? Why isn’t that looming disaster his number one priority?
If you want a chance to vote on the decision to have a chance to vote to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, you must contact our locally elected Sacramento Republicans today.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084
California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90
Jan O'Reilly was paid for doing no work--ANTIs charge
Here is the latest attack on our FACT based public schools in Vista by our ANTI public education friends:
The Sky Is Falling said on: March 9, 2011, 8:05 am
Oh con no more you know Jan O'Reilly was paid for not actually working and they most certainly owe the VUSB(sic) and the students a hefty amount of cash.
One wonders why thou protests so loudly?
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=comments
In regards to that post by "The Sky Is Falling" on March 9, 2011 at 8:05 am:
Not only was the former VTA president paid for working, she had to turn in a time sheet to the district documenting her daily work schedule down to the minute. No time sheet, no pay.
You should also know that the VTA office where she worked was used on a number of occasion by the school district to conduct school district not VTA business. The VTA charged no fee to the district for this service. This service was of substantial benefit to the district as there are often no venues to meet available at the district office. So having access to the large room at the VTA office just down the street was extremely convenient for district administration. It saved money by not having to rent a room at an outside location--just one more service the VTA provided GRATIS for our school district.
By the way, at no time did Jan O'Reilly or any other VTA president work on political matters either during duty hours or after. All election and other political work was done by the Political Action Committee of which the president was not allowed to be a member by VTA bylaws.
The nature of most of the work of a VTA president is about trying to resolve contract disputes and employee discipline issues without costly legal proceeding, also saving the district money.
Of course a VTA president's work is not the issue here. The issue is Jim Gibson claim that the fine teachers of VUSD owe money to our school district. That claim is false. That claim is the issue, not the VTA president's work day.
Great ears you have if you can hear me protesting "so loudly" through the internet. By the way the Shakespeare quote you mangled is from Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2 "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
The Sky Is Falling said on: March 9, 2011, 8:05 am
Oh con no more you know Jan O'Reilly was paid for not actually working and they most certainly owe the VUSB(sic) and the students a hefty amount of cash.
One wonders why thou protests so loudly?
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=comments
In regards to that post by "The Sky Is Falling" on March 9, 2011 at 8:05 am:
Not only was the former VTA president paid for working, she had to turn in a time sheet to the district documenting her daily work schedule down to the minute. No time sheet, no pay.
You should also know that the VTA office where she worked was used on a number of occasion by the school district to conduct school district not VTA business. The VTA charged no fee to the district for this service. This service was of substantial benefit to the district as there are often no venues to meet available at the district office. So having access to the large room at the VTA office just down the street was extremely convenient for district administration. It saved money by not having to rent a room at an outside location--just one more service the VTA provided GRATIS for our school district.
By the way, at no time did Jan O'Reilly or any other VTA president work on political matters either during duty hours or after. All election and other political work was done by the Political Action Committee of which the president was not allowed to be a member by VTA bylaws.
The nature of most of the work of a VTA president is about trying to resolve contract disputes and employee discipline issues without costly legal proceeding, also saving the district money.
Of course a VTA president's work is not the issue here. The issue is Jim Gibson claim that the fine teachers of VUSD owe money to our school district. That claim is false. That claim is the issue, not the VTA president's work day.
Great ears you have if you can hear me protesting "so loudly" through the internet. By the way the Shakespeare quote you mangled is from Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2 "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Jim Gibson climbs on his high horse again
Jimmy is back!!! The North County Times has provided him space for our very own backwards land school board member, Jim Gibson, to spin his yarns again. This time in an opinion piece labeled, "FORUM: Vista Teachers Association should pay back students"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=story
The Vista Teachers owe no money to Vista Unified School District. Nothing, nada, zilch. And Jim Gibson knows that. He is just grandstanding for political attention again.
Remember his Carrie Prejean Day?
Remember when he urged our district to support Prop 8 that had nothing to do with Vista Education?
Remember when he ran for Diane Harkey's state assembly seat? Or when he ran for Oceanside City Council?
Look at any article by the North County Times about Vista Unified in the last ten years, he has more than five times as many newspaper quotes as any other single VUSD trustee and almost twice as many as the other four combined. Why his he so determined to get his name in the paper?
The issue that Gibson is referring to today is a provision in the teacher's contract that was agreed to by our Vista Unified School District school board and nearly one hundred other large school districts school boards across our state--a release time president.
For VUSD, there was no additional cost to the district for agreeing to a release time president. With the president in the classroom or out of it, the payroll was the same. The only additional cost was the cost of the replacement teacher. The VTA paid MORE than that cost.
What Jim Gibson wants is for the VTA to subsidize VUSD for an additional amount. Every teacher in the district would have to pay a special tax. That is not fair. I am sure the courts will agree with me, what Gibson wants is not fair. It is not fair here or in any of the nearly hundred other California districts that have a similar agreement with their teacher's associations.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=story
The Vista Teachers owe no money to Vista Unified School District. Nothing, nada, zilch. And Jim Gibson knows that. He is just grandstanding for political attention again.
Remember his Carrie Prejean Day?
Remember when he urged our district to support Prop 8 that had nothing to do with Vista Education?
Remember when he ran for Diane Harkey's state assembly seat? Or when he ran for Oceanside City Council?
Look at any article by the North County Times about Vista Unified in the last ten years, he has more than five times as many newspaper quotes as any other single VUSD trustee and almost twice as many as the other four combined. Why his he so determined to get his name in the paper?
The issue that Gibson is referring to today is a provision in the teacher's contract that was agreed to by our Vista Unified School District school board and nearly one hundred other large school districts school boards across our state--a release time president.
For VUSD, there was no additional cost to the district for agreeing to a release time president. With the president in the classroom or out of it, the payroll was the same. The only additional cost was the cost of the replacement teacher. The VTA paid MORE than that cost.
What Jim Gibson wants is for the VTA to subsidize VUSD for an additional amount. Every teacher in the district would have to pay a special tax. That is not fair. I am sure the courts will agree with me, what Gibson wants is not fair. It is not fair here or in any of the nearly hundred other California districts that have a similar agreement with their teacher's associations.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thanks Tania Bowman, Peter Principe, and Robert Bosak for three great letters to editor. GO UNIONS!
The following three fine letters to the editor were found in today's North County Times--the most anti union newspaper in our county. Congrats to all three brave defenders of unions and the American middle class.
Teachers aren't to blame for policies of administrators
When the auto industry was told to change its ways, they consequently resurfaced successfully. Although they got union concessions, it wasn't the line worker who needed to change — they simply built what they were told to build.
In the very same way, teachers should not be blamed for the decisions that administrators and school boards make. Teachers are the line workers in education, and for years, they have been told what and how to teach. If you want educational reform, hold those who have the power accountable for the decisions they make — the administrators and the school boards.
The issue is not the unions, the issue is: Who should you hold responsible for failing policies — the teachers who implement or the administrators and the boards who dictate those policies?
Tania Bowman
Escondido
TV folks blasting unions also belong to them
So now union teachers are the reason for our country's economic woes. Seems like a year or so ago, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and gang were telling us union autoworkers were to blame for killing the American auto industry. Management shared none of the blame. Nope, according to Fox and others on the ignorant right, it was the fault of union autoworkers. Now it's the fault of union teachers.
Do members of the ignorant right know, when they watch/listen to O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter or others on conservative radio/TV, that they are listening to a happy union member (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)? The talking heads and the people who do their hair/makeup, operate cameras, control sound/lights, write scripts, build sets, brew coffee and clean Glenn Beck's chalkboard are all enjoying the benefits of belonging to a union.
So the message that conservative TV/radio wants us to know is that while belonging to a union is very good for them, it's very bad for the rest of us. More hypocrisy from the ingorant right.
So remember to look for the union label while listening to your favorite conservative talking head.
Peter Principe
San Marcos
Tired of union slamming
I'm so tired of hearing all this union slamming, and quite frankly, it's scary. I agree there is room for reform, but if you believe unions are no longer necessary, you are greatly mistaken.
Just look at corporate America's recent history, and it doesn't take a genius long to realize greed is their motivation. So if you believe that without union protection, corporate America will treat you fairly, you're a bigger idiot than I thought.
Without labor's collective bargaining ability, middle-class America would soon disappear. Wake up, America, before it's too late.
Robert Bosak
San Marcos
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_bf4bc4e3-5b52-5268-a9bf-20656a73f31f.html
Teachers aren't to blame for policies of administrators
When the auto industry was told to change its ways, they consequently resurfaced successfully. Although they got union concessions, it wasn't the line worker who needed to change — they simply built what they were told to build.
In the very same way, teachers should not be blamed for the decisions that administrators and school boards make. Teachers are the line workers in education, and for years, they have been told what and how to teach. If you want educational reform, hold those who have the power accountable for the decisions they make — the administrators and the school boards.
The issue is not the unions, the issue is: Who should you hold responsible for failing policies — the teachers who implement or the administrators and the boards who dictate those policies?
Tania Bowman
Escondido
TV folks blasting unions also belong to them
So now union teachers are the reason for our country's economic woes. Seems like a year or so ago, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and gang were telling us union autoworkers were to blame for killing the American auto industry. Management shared none of the blame. Nope, according to Fox and others on the ignorant right, it was the fault of union autoworkers. Now it's the fault of union teachers.
Do members of the ignorant right know, when they watch/listen to O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter or others on conservative radio/TV, that they are listening to a happy union member (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)? The talking heads and the people who do their hair/makeup, operate cameras, control sound/lights, write scripts, build sets, brew coffee and clean Glenn Beck's chalkboard are all enjoying the benefits of belonging to a union.
So the message that conservative TV/radio wants us to know is that while belonging to a union is very good for them, it's very bad for the rest of us. More hypocrisy from the ingorant right.
So remember to look for the union label while listening to your favorite conservative talking head.
Peter Principe
San Marcos
Tired of union slamming
I'm so tired of hearing all this union slamming, and quite frankly, it's scary. I agree there is room for reform, but if you believe unions are no longer necessary, you are greatly mistaken.
Just look at corporate America's recent history, and it doesn't take a genius long to realize greed is their motivation. So if you believe that without union protection, corporate America will treat you fairly, you're a bigger idiot than I thought.
Without labor's collective bargaining ability, middle-class America would soon disappear. Wake up, America, before it's too late.
Robert Bosak
San Marcos
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_bf4bc4e3-5b52-5268-a9bf-20656a73f31f.html
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