Some comments I made in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinal today:

These two comments were made pursuant to a Polifact article that said "Gov. Scott Walker says most state employees could pay twice as much toward their health care premiums and it would still be half the national average."
Polifact rated his comment: True.

I am a former public school teacher. I have listened to the repeated
attacks on the benefits of public employees. My take? Those who attack
unions and their benefits seem to think they have the upper hand now for
two reasons. A) Health insurance and pension benefits of public unionized
employees are out of line with "comparable" private sector employees. B)
The stuggling economy has made SOME people suffer therefore ALL public
employees should suffer too.
In response to A), the argument is INVALID because public and private
employees are NOT COMPARABLE. People with the qualifications to be
teachers, the professional certifications, the specific education do not exist
doing the same thing in the private sector. Private school, non-unionized
teachers choose to do that either for their dedication to the religion of
that school or because they are just waiting to get hired in the public
schools. No other kind of worker compares. The right is comparing
apples to oranges and chanting that "black is white" so loud and long as
to convince many that black is indeed white.
In response to B), public employees are not responsible for the decline in
the economy. If the government feels it has to cut costs, so be it. You
get what you pay for despite the bleating of the conservatives that money
does not improve education.
I am retired and it doesn't impact on the livelihood of my family anymore.
But if it did, I would use every once of my talent, power and energy to
make sure that justice was done to me and those like me.
Do NOT expect WEAC, a credible, erudite, strong and intelligent
organization with many resources at its disposal to go down with nary a
whimper.


Just one more point about the APPLES to ORANGES mentality of the
political right: The primary reason that public employees, teachers
specifically, are not comparable to private sector employees is that private
sector employees are not able to NEGOTIATE a contract agreement. In
negotiations the total package is the bottom line. It all boils down to a
number. Now if the union asks (they cannot demand because of the
nature of bargaining) that part of it's "total package" be dedicated to
paying for health insurance and pension benefits so that these are not
subject to taxation, that makes sense for both parties. It does not cost
the school board any more money and it SAVES the union members from
having to pay taxes they would otherwise have to pay on the income
used to pay for their benefits.
Since private sector employees do not and cannot bargain with their
employer, the employer sets how much it will contribute to pension and
health insurance. The private sector employee is powerless to do
anything else.
Thus, public school teachers are NOT COMPARABLE to anyone who works
in the private sector.
Of course, the one way that the right has to "level the playing field" is to
take the right to collectively bargain away from public school teachers.
Governor Walker seems intent on doing that.
Collective bargaining history tells us that the unions fought for many
years to gain this right. I don't expect WEAC to stand by powerless and
watch decades of what they have worked to build be destroyed in one
term by a Republican Governor and Republican majorities in both houses.

It seemed a shame to write so much in the JS comments section never to be seen again....

Ciao, babies!!

Funny little blip

I went to Sheboygan and picked up a young man that I am helping for the Waldo Intergroup last Saturday. When the event ended, I took him back to Sheboygan. This was after 9 p.m. on Saturday night. He asked me to take him to his girlfriend's residence but wanted to stop at a mini-mart on the way. He went into the Quik Trip while I sat outside in the car. I shut the car off while I waited for him.
When he came out, we drove out of the brightly lighted mini-mart parking area onto the street. I was unsure of where I needed to make a left turn as we travelled south on Calumet Drive and that was what I was focussing on. I made the left turn onto Michigan Avenue and immediately noted flashing lights behind me so I pulled over. An officer from the Sheboygan Police department appeared at my window and asked me for my drivers license and proof of insurance. She told me that I was driving without my headlights on. I quickly turned them on and mumbled, "I'm sorry." I gave her my license and quickly located my insurance certificate which I had carefully stored in the area where I keep my sunglasses. The officer asked where we had been and where we were going. I said we were coming from an AA event in Waldo and that I was taking him to his friend's house. The officer, a young woman, commented, "Well, I guess you haven't been drinking then". Shortly thereafter, she commented that my insurance certificate was expired. Sure enough, it expired on 12/23/2010. Later, I would discover that, yes, I had received the new certificate but it was buried in the pile of paper next to my computer. The officer went back to her vehicle saying she'd be right back. A good ten minutes later, she came back with a warning for driving after dark with no headlights and for not having proof of insurance. Lucky me. It was, however, embarrassing and both of us were more than a little nervous as we waited for the officer to return from her car. My young friend has an extensive record. Mine is completely empty at this time never having included any moving violations.
It's kind of coincidental that the last time I was pulled over, by a Sheboygan County Deputy, one of my former students, it was also on a night I was returning from an AA event near Mauston, WI.
That's my report for today.

Ciao, babies!!