It’s become a Democrat cliché; any move to touch any government spending will “destroy” the program in question, inevitably starving the elderly and freezing the children, or something.
Lost in much of the barbering and protesting over GOP public-spending reforms – DC, Wisconsin, Minnesota and everywhere else – is that without conservative reform, the programs the lefty is yapping about will collapse under their own weight; it’s only through significant reform that the programs will be sustainable at all.
We’re seeing that in Wisconsin already:
Emily Koczela had been anxiously waiting for months for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill to take effect. Koczela, the finance director for the Brown Deer school district, had been negotiating with the local union, trying to get it to accept concessions in order to make up for a $1 million budget shortfall. But the union wouldn’t budge.
“We laid off 27 [teachers] as a precautionary measure,” Koczela told me. “They were crying. Some of these people are my friends.”
And what happened?
On June 29 at 12:01 a.m., Koczela could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The budget repair bill—delayed for months by protests, runaway state senators, and a legal challenge that made its way to the state’s supreme court—was law. The 27 teachers on the chopping block were spared.
It was the reforms – the ones that were going to “destroy” education – that saved the teachers.
Not the unions and their screeching about Madison last winter.
With “collective bargaining rights” limited to wages, Koczela was able to change the teachers’ benefits package to fill the budget gap. Requiring teachers to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary toward pensions saved $600,000. Changes to their health care plan—such as a $10 office visit co-pay (up from nothing)—saved $200,000. Upping the workload from five classes, a study hall, and two prep periods to six classes and two prep periods saved another $200,000. The budget was balanced.
I wonder how many of those 27 teachers called in sick to go to Madison last winter?
They have to make a $10 co-pay for a doctor visit? That’s outrageous. I pay $25. Whiny little union pukes.
This is a story I heard weeks ago on talk radio. It was reported by a conservative reporter (can’t recall his name). This is only the second reference I have heard/seen of it. Where is the national media? Why does truth have to explode on their doorstep before they’ll report the facts? Thank God for the internet and talk radio or this story would receive zero oxygen.
Unions have a set of goals that are distinct from “the good of union members”. Union members would be wise to keep that in mind.
I’m just taking a WAG here, but I’m gonna say; All of them!
Kenosha teachers refused to negoitate, and the district made a deal before the law went into effect. They now have to lay off a large number of teachers. It is all done by senority so word out there is that many in the community are upset that good teachers and coaches (yes, that is important) are being let go, while older and sometimes less effective teachers get to stay.
It seems Brown Deer School District has a lot of problems:
http://www.mycommunitynow.com/forums/83610717.html
So instead of saying that Walker’s plan is working they’re spending millions expecting to kick out at least three Republican senators. I think all six will win and labor will ask what is going on.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN