This is about YOU, not the kids....

Make no mistake people, the current protests in Wisconsin in Madison have NOTHING to do with the kids or educating the kids. It has EVERYTHING to do with the unions. If the kids were your most important priority, gosh, you'd not be calling in "sick" while clearly going off to protest. If you really cared about the kids, you wouldn't be forcing the schools to shut down while you go to cry about having to pay for more of your health insurance coverage, or actually contributing to your pension to some degree.

The teachers, and their unions, are in fact holding the kids hostage. The first day of the protest, the schools were closed, and many kids were loaded up and taken to the capital. Many of the kids didn't even know why they were there! How sad is that that you have to dupe kids into coming to support your cause and not really even giving them a choice, you just load them up and go. Hey, you get permission slips for that little field trip did ya? Cause if not, and you get in some kind of an accident or the kid gets hurt while there, guess what? School's libel. And no permission slip, well, I would pitty the union that would support that.

The state of Wisconsin is facing a $3.6 million deficit, basically, they have a huge hole they have to fill. Cuts in spending are the chosen way because the state congress, controlled by Republicans, will not raise taxes. Which, makes NO sense in the current economy, to raise taxes. The Republicans took over in the elections of 2010, and clearly, the residents of Wisconsin wanted to go in the direction that the Republicans were proposing. If not, then I guess the Democrats would still be in charge, huh?

The state sees that they can save some money in three ways here. First, and the primary reason for the protests, is to end collective bargaining for state employees. That means, the union is powerless. Union dues would be paid voluntarily by state employees (basically by the teachers, but since they LOVE their union so much, I'm SURE they'd voluntarily pay the dues, right?). This means that they would not be able to bargain for benefits, higher wages and working conditions. What the state wants to do is to make the pay salary, with merit raises. Ok, so, if you're a good teacher, fine. You deserve a merit raise. If you're not, you get crap. So, why is that such a bad thing? Seems to me it would encourage teachers to be better at their job (assuming they're not already), and the teachers that are truly good at the job, you'll be fine, what are you worried about? Negoiating benefits. Ok, this is a sore point right now in Wisconsin. As is currently happening, teachers are contributing .2% of their income to their pension. The other 99.8% is being paid by the STATE. Which is BROKE. They can't afford to pay any longer. So, they're asking teachers to contribute a higher rate to their pensions. I did look around various news sites to see what they're wanting the teachers to contribute, but couldn't find an exact number. I do seem to remember from yesterday or the day before that it was around 5%-6%. I don't think that's out of line. Especially when they're only paying .2% now. I think they should be invested in their pensions and take some more responsibility for it. The average pay for an Elementary School teacher in Wisonsin is about $51,000 and it goes down to about $48,000 for a High School Teacher. Now, the other sticking point is this. The state wants the teachers to cover a bigger percentage of their health insurance premiums. Currently, they pay 4-6%. They want to raise that to 12.6%. The average worker in the US pays 27%. So, teacher pay virtually NOTHING for their health insurance, they contribute virtually NOTHING to their pensions, they have a pretty decent average pay, and they're crying because the state wants them to cover more of the cost. And, it's not a tremendous amount more. Well, I take that back. Compared to how cheap they get off now, I guess it would be a tremendous amount. But, still below what other workers in the US pay. So, I say, suck it up, pay your share. You make more than I do, you can afford to pay more, right? Isn't that what Libs are all about? You make more, you should pay more? Oh, that's right, that's in terms of taxes. But, can't that logic be extended to the cost of benefits too? Clearly, teachers can afford to pay more, at least the average paid teacher in Wisconsin can.

Now, I also have a real problem with the way the protests are being done. I find it ironic that the Democrats referred to people going to Congress persons Town Halls as "mobs" and somehow, they're not referring to these folks protesting as a mob. How ironic! Have you seen the pictures of these folks? Now granted, many of them are truly fighting for what they believe in, in a peaceful mannor. That's fine. I have no problem with that, and, I would fight for their right to do that. However, many others are holding up signs telling the governor his "days are numbered" and that he's "going down". Now, wasn't it the Left that was saying the rehtoric needed to be "toned down"? Wasn't it the Left that was accusing the Right, and specifically going after Sarah Palin, for things she said that they twisted into "threats"? Fine, that was the standard they placed on Conservatives. I would, as I always do, like to now apply that same standard to the Left. This would be the standard that THEY created, we're just going to apply THEIR standard to THEM. So, judging by the signs I noted above, it sounds like some of these teachers are threatening the governor by telling him his "days are numbered" and he's "going down". I say, arrest them for threatening the governor. On the bright side of that guys, you'll definitly NOT be paying for health care and you won't have to worry about your pension either. The State Pen will take care of that for you! Hey, I'm just applying the same standard to you guys that you apply to us. That's all I'm doing, and I'm not going to let you change your own standard now that it's applicable to you! And how mature of an example you set for the kids. Name calling, and making threatening signs. The teachers should be ashamed of themselves!

Next up. Some of those protesting have been arrested. Last count was 9, for various reasons. One was trying to storm a Congressional Chamber. I have seen pictures of others "pounding" on the metal gates that closed off another room to those protesting. Ok, that's not peacefully assembling. Peacefully assembling would be there in the building, and maybe even chanting and waving signs. The second you start pounding crap, you start storming places, you're violating the 1st Amendment to Peacefully Assemble. Period. Darn right you should be arrested. And I would say that NO MATTER WHO was doing it. Conservative or Liberal.

Other signs refer to the governor as Mubarak, the leader of Egypt that was recently (and essentially) overthrown. Truth be told, he left. However, he was, make no mistake, forced to go. I have heard radio interviews detailing how some of the teachers have said that what's needed is an "Egypt style protest". Really? Are you serious about that? Is that what you REALLY want? Cause in that protest, you have many media people beaten, some nearly to death, and you have a well known female reporter surrounded by 200 men who chanted "Jew! Jew! Jew!" as they very violently raped her. So much for the peaceful protest the Liberal monstrousity of a media we have, claimed it to be. So, is that what the teachers want? Is that what the unions want? They want to beat and rape? Really? Well, if that's the case, shut the protest down NOW. Bring in the Wisconsin National Guard, or better yet, the United States Marines, and clear out the hall. IF they REALLY want an Egypt style protest, bring in the Marines. Because, if they do start with a Egypt style protest, that's in violation of the 1st Amendement for sure. That, is not peacefully assembling.

And how about those coward Democrats that left and refuse to do their jobs in order to stall the vote? I think the people of Wisconsin should start collecting signatures for a Recall. For those that don't know, a Recall is when enough signatures are collected (usually 25% of the total vote for a particular politician) to call the politician back for a vote to stand for election again. I say, Recall every one of those Democrats and make them stand for election again. Let's see how many of them stay in office after their little cowardly stunt. I bet, not many.

What a fine example we set for our children. Call in sick, refuse to do your job, and then go off and do whatever you want to! Great example for our kids Teachers and Democrats alike! If the teachers REALLY cared for their kids, seems they would be in the class teaching them. Not taking them on an unauthorized field trip to protest something that the students may not even be aware of what's happening. And let's go further. If teachers contribute more to their pension and health care, and, are given merit pay instead of letting unions and teachers holding kids hostage for even more pay, how exactly does that hurt the kids? Hmm? It doesn't. It hurts the union. It hurts the teachers. So, let's be clear. This protest has NOTHING to do with the kids. It has EVERYTHING to do with the teachers, and more accurately, the unions. And, our failure of a president is now weighing in on this. Not that it's any of his business, other than the unions have always supported Democrats.

The governor has said that if these cuts are not made, teachers will be let go. This is because of a lack of money, and a large debt. The money is simply not there. Now that, will definitly hurt kids. Less teachers would hurt kids. So, time for the teachers and the unions to "suck it up". You care about the kids? Prove it. Otherwise, this is about YOU.

And, I know completely what teachers are paid. I was a teacher for 4 years. Substitute teacher. I have many friends who teach. I know teachers are not paid well. But, they're getting such a great deal in Wisconsin in regards to their pension and their health care. They can afford to kick in some to save the state money, and to keep their own jobs. If they're not willing to do that, fine. Some of you will just be losing your jobs then. That's a much better outcome isn't it? Again I say, this is all about YOU. It has nothing to do with the kids. The teachers and the Unions need to stop holding kids hostage. When I taught, I saw how bad unions really are. They're greedy, they don't fight for teachers anymore They fight to keep themselves in power. The only power they have, is that which the teacher stupidly gives to them.

Liberal Hypocrisy.....

So, Bill Maher is truly shocked at how Bill O'Reilly treated President Obama. Always interrupting, not treating him very respectfully and so on. Well, from what I saw in the interview, President Obama continued to give the same old tired responses that he has given on numerous other interviews. Bill O'Reilly doesn't do that. He pushes harder than the "soft" Libral shows and interviewers. He's not going to let Obama get away with those response and he is going to challenge him on it. And you know, interrupting is a two way street. I have heard countless Libs talk about how O'Reilly interrupted Obama, but nothing from them about how Obama tried to speak over O'Reilly. "But he's the President!" is the excuse I most often hear. My response, SO WHAT. Other Libs have said "well, I wanted to know his answer". Have you NOT ever watched the news? You Libs watch the Liberal network news and CNN and all the other Liberal cable news all the time, and you've never heard his answer to that specific question? Really? Please! Use your brain for something other than hair fertilizer.

The most shocking thing, though is that Maher thought that Obama was treated disrespectfully, and he'd "never seen a president treated with such disrespect." Really? Ok, let's review that.

In a Column on Salone.com on 9/8/06, Bill Maher referred to President Bush as having an extra chromosome. In the same article, he also states that President Bush is incoherent. Ok, not as disrespectful as he claims O'Reilly was to President Obama, but, it's not exactly flattering to say President Bush had an extra chromosome either.

How about Senator Harry Reid, in speaking to Elementary School Kids, calling President Bush as "dumb" and "stupid"? Disrespectful? Yes. And the commotion from the Left? You heard nothing but crickets. Seriously.

How about Dan Rather going forth with a news story about President Bush having gotten out of the Texas National Guard? Now, Dan Rather, being an experienced newsman, you can't tell me he doesn't know what he's doing. So, he put a story that was ultimately proven to be a fabrication, on the air and spoke about it as though it was fact. Ok, so he claims he made a mistake. Fine. Then, that would simply indicate, you're incompetant. I can go with that. It would actually make sense to me. Don't tell me you didn't know it was false. You've had how many decades as a newsman, and you put THAT stoy on the air being fooled into believing it was legit? Please!

How about all the times that Libs inferred that Bush was a Nazi, and Hitler, and a blood sucking vampire? This was all quite evident in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi's district oddly enough. And did she denounce it? No.

How about Paul McCarthy, who should really stop singing by the way, when he talked about President Obama stating "finally we have a president that knows what a book is." Actually, President Bush was quite literate and constantly read.

So, there has been disrespect before Bill. You choose not to see it. The difference between O'Reilly and my examples are that my examples are not all newsmen. Irregardless of that though, the disrespect that Maher complains occured with President Obama, did, in fact, happen with President Bush. Comedian or not, there was disrespect. Stating that someone has an extra chromosome is not funny. I challenge Bill Maher to test that joke in front of folks who find themselves in that position and lets see if they think it's funny.

Truth be told, Bill Maher is a man trying to find his meaning. He is fading into obscurity as we speak. Sure, he has a good following on his show on HBO, and he had some success with his movie Religiosity, in which he mocked religion. This is a guy who does what he can, for attention. He is desparately seeking relavency in a world in which is kingdom is limited to HBO. Has he criticized President Obama? Yes. Why? Because he wasn't to the Left enough. That's the kind of thing that gets him attention. Attention he desparatly seeks. "Look at me, look at me! I still matter." Actually Bill, no you don't.