This is Ann Barnhardt and she takes Lindsey Graham and the Quran to task quite passionately, and effectively, in the following video.
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is the type of citizen this country needs more of. People who aren’t afraid to call these corrupt politicians out and to logically and systematically dispute their insane political spin and out-of-control political correctness.
I admire this woman. She’s got balls.
She also goes through the Quran and quotes specific passages, pointing out how evil the message behind the Quran is and how the Quran has no place in a civilized country. She even goes so far as to burn it. I haven’t embedded it here because it’s quite long, and a bit tedious, but you get the point.
ADDED: By the way, I’m not a big proponent of burning anything and I think she might have gone too far in this case, but I think her bigger point, at least, it’s what I took away from her stunt, is that we need to start standing up for our beliefs and freedoms and have the courage to fight anything that threatens those freedoms.
And we have politicians, an entire party, who want to defend this religion and persuade our country to be tolerant of this evil doctrine.
Wow.
Numbers don’t lie, folks, politicians do. It’s time to pull our heads from the sand and be prepared for tough decisions – we can’t sugar coat our dire situation anymore – we need to get this debt under control and the people in power now? Have NO INTEREST in seeing that happen. They want people to be dependent on the government for every essential aspect of our lives.
NO THANKS.
If you haven’t been paying attention, then shame on you. Our country is at a crossroads and we need the ADULTS to step up and do something about it. If not for you, then for your children and future grandchildren. Look at your kids, they’re counting on you to make the right decision. Let’s get this mess under control, people. NOW.
The president’s recent budget proposal would accelerate America’s descent into a debt crisis. It doubles debt held by the public by the end of his first term and triples it by 2021. It imposes $1.5 trillion in new taxes, with spending that never falls below 23% of the economy. His budget permanently enlarges the size of government. It offers no reforms to save government health and retirement programs, and no leadership.
Our budget, which we call The Path to Prosperity, is very different. For starters, it cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president’s budget over the next 10 years, reduces the debt as a percentage of the economy, and puts the nation on a path to actually pay off our national debt. Our proposal brings federal spending to below 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), consistent with the postwar average, and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion.
A study just released by the Heritage Center for Data Analysis projects that The Path to Prosperity will help create nearly one million new private-sector jobs next year, bring the unemployment rate down to 4% by 2015, and result in 2.5 million additional private-sector jobs in the last year of the decade. It spurs economic growth, with $1.5 trillion in additional real GDP over the decade. According to Heritage’s analysis, it would result in $1.1 trillion in higher wages and an average of $1,000 in additional family income each year.
The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.
CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green…’
ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant’s house where the news stations film the group singing, “We shall overcome.”
Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper’s sake.
President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper’s plight.
Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.
The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government GreenCzar and given to the grasshopper.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall just happens to be the ant’s old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn’t maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug-related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.
The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.
MORAL OF THE STORY: DO NOT VOTE FOR LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES EVER AGAIN.
WARNING! Political stuff ahead – skip this post if this stuff drives you nuts. I have no wish to upset people, but I also refuse to stick my head in the sand and not voice my opinion about the crap that’s going on in our country right now, either.
Saw, or rather “heard” this (it’s an audio of a very disturbing meeting) on The Blaze this morning:
Here’s a favorite comment on this story on The Blaze:
Without banks, I would love to see someone that is ready to start a business without backing. Or buy a home without the loan, or get a car, or go to college. These are not the banks fault for providing the money for the people that can’t afford something right now without saving for it, it is the people that buy crap on credit. SNL skit that was awesome with Steve Martin, “If you don’t have the money, Don’t buy sh!t.”
It is sad that people blame those that have a business as being the problem and not the people that are irresponsible for taking the terms in contracts.
I honestly don’t understand how the left can think that money from the private industry somehow belongs to them. It belongs to the private industry. It comes from people who took out loans to buy cars, houses, etc. It comes from people who took out loans to go to school, to do something with their lives, to learn a trade they could make money in and support their families with. People don’t have to take out loans. People could save up money and pay cash for everything. But if people take out loans, they are expected to pay them back. That’s why it’s called a LOAN. And once they pay off their debts, their credit scores go up. And once their credit scores go up, then the banks see them as a safe investment and are more apt to loan them more money at better interest rates because they have proven to be trustworthy and responsible. That’s how the system works AARGH.
People. If you don’t like the banks and interest rates and so forth, then save up your cash and pay cash for the things that you want. DON’T TAKE OUT LOANS. It’s simple, it’s called choice. It floors me that there are some people out there that think other people’s money is THEIR money. How would you feel if I DEMANDED that you give me everything that you’ve worked your ass off for – I didn’t work for it, I don’t know you very well, it’s not mine to take, but WHO CARES! I’m an American citizen, I haven’t worked as hard as you, I haven’t taken advantage of the NUMEROUS programs out there designed to help people like me, I WANT YOUR MONEY SO GIVE IT TO ME.
It’s truly unbelievable.
And I have to ask a question, just WHO is bankrolling these lunatics and their “community organizations?” I think that definitely warrants an investigation, don’t you?
And did you note the bit about stirring up chaos and confusion? That’s how the left work, folks. The more chaos, anger and violence, the better to get what they want because they don’t have a leg to stand on, otherwise. It’s sick.
Now HERE’S a strong African-American leader! I wish this man was our president instead!
This man wouldn’t be afraid to make decisions for the good of our country. I hope he stays in politics long enough to make a serious run for the presidency someday because I’d vote for him.
Any way you slice it, $287, 273 is a lot of money, especially in this economy. For one-term Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., up for re-election in 2012, that’s the amount of personal property taxes she failed to pay since 2007 on a plane she and her husband, a millionaire businessman, partially owned.
“I have discovered that the…personal property taxes on the plane have not been paid,” McCaskill told a small number of reporters on a conference call Monday. “There should have been a reporting to the county of the existence of this airplane…There are people I could blame for this, but I know better. As (a former) auditor, I know I should have checked for myself. I take full responsibility for the mistake.” Audio of the call was sent to Fox by a McCaskill aide and can be found here.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee quickly pounced releasing a video after the senator’s admission showing McCaskill in 2006 telling voters, “If my walk doesn’t match my talk, then shame on me and don’t ever vote for me again.”
I am so sick of this crap!! Politicians are supposed to be leading by example and yet how many stories do we hear, from BOTH parties, of politicians breaking the rules and doing whatever the hell they please? This has GOT to stop, folks. These people need to be held accountable and voted OUT (if not prosecuted!!) the moment they knowingly do something dishonest.
Missouri, if you vote this woman into another term, I’m going to be SERIOUSLY disappointed in you.
Bill Maher uttered a female vulgarism when referring to former Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin on his HBO show Friday night.
“Widespread sexism in the media is one of the top problems facing women, and seriously affects women in politics. A highly toxic media environment persists for women candidates, and discourages all women – irrespective of political persuasion – from running for public office,” Yana Walton, Vice President of Communications at Women’s Media Center told FOXNews.com. “Despite the fact that women make up half of the population, we’re only 17 percent of congress. Bill Maher’s misogynistic comment about Sarah Palin hurts all women, not just Palin, and not just conservative women. By insulting her gender, rather than her platform or stance on issues, he insults women as a group.”
So if a prominent media figure had made such a disparaging remark towards a leading female Democrat, like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would the mainstream media have reacted with outrage?
Damn straight, dude, leave the personal insults out of it. Stick to the issues.
Wait. You DO know what the issues are, right?
May I ask you a question?
I’m honestly confused by something … WHY is it America’s responsibility to be the Global police? I honest to God don’t understand why our country feels like it has to get involved in other countries’ disputes.
I can understand our involvement if say, other countries have the capability of hurting our country in some way and we go over there and kick butt to let them know that we aren’t going to tolerate any sort of attacks on our country, so don’t even think about it. (The whole Iraq weapons of mass destruction thing).
I can understand our country helping another country out during a disaster (like poor Japan, for example).
I can understand our country helping another allied country that ASKS for our help. (Israel)
But I CAN NOT understand why we feel compelled to get involved in another country’s civil war.
Like Libya.
Look. I get it that we’re concerned about who might take over Libya after Qaddafi leaves. We can only hope whoever that might be is 100 times better than that mad man.
But really, why is it any of our business?
I can understand our compassion for the rebel troops that are being slaughtered by Qaddafi’s troops and our willingness to step in and save the day.
But really, WHY is this our fight? I’m sorry these people are being killed, it’s a terrible tragedy, but not to sound heartless or crass – Why is it America’s problem?
Why are we sending troops over there, putting American soldiers at risk, spending money we don’t have … if Libya wants to have a civil war, then let them fight it out.
It doesn’t have anything to do with us.
I was watching talk news last night, and everyone was in an uproar over the fact that Obama bypassed Congress entirely and just made the decision to start the no-fly zone without going through proper channels (Seriously. You can’t be that surprised by this – Obama thinks he single-handedly owns/runs America). I thought the real issue was being swept under the rug – WHY are we even there to begin with?
Democracy is great. But not every country wants it, or is ready for it. Why do we feel compelled to push our beliefs on everyone else? This drives me nuts. This is probably one of the few (if only) thing I agree with the left on. I’m all for helping people. I’m all for protecting people from radical terrorists groups. I’m all for helping a country pick up the pieces and try and build a new, better, stronger country.
But I have a problem with us sticking our noses where it doesn’t belong. And I don’t think we belong in Libya.
Unless they directly threaten, or attack us, America needs to stay out of it.
When I heard the buzz about the “Waiting for Superman” documentary, I immediately jumped onto Netflix and put it in my queue.
Then the fiasco in Wisconsin happened. Now, it’s not even available until next year. (Okay, slight exaggeration, but still, a long time).
Impatient to watch it, I broke down and bought the disk. (Which, incidentally, I will be reselling in my Amazon book store very soon. I’ve disabled the store for the time being, but will be reinstating it shortly – watch my sidebar for the link).
Kevin and I watched the documentary Tuesday night.
As always, I will try and be fair to both sides of the issue in my analysis.
Ready?
I think we can all agree that our public school system has problems. As the documentary points out, we’re still using a 1950’s structure in a 2011 world. The tracking system is antiquated, there are too many governmental agencies involved, no one organization really knows what the other organization is doing, the school administrators are constantly bombarded with conflicting rules and regulations and then, of course, there are the problems with the teachers’ unions and their inflexible procedures when it comes to weeding out the terrible teachers.
Now hold on, cowboy. I’m NOT saying that all public schools are terrible. I’m NOT saying that all teachers are terrible. AT ALL. Teachers have my utmost respect. No. Seriously. Teachers are a special breed because MOST teachers are patient, talented, educated, intelligent and fantastic with children. I’m thankful for our teachers. I have personally dealt with some pretty AWESOME teachers (and principals!) over the years. And though the movie probably should have at least acknowledged that there are indeed great schools out there, great schools aren’t the problem. The poor schools are the issue. And there are more poor schools than should be accepted in our system. THOSE are the schools, THOSE teachers are the ones we’re addressing here. Let’s address the overall problem and make our school system work for everyone. Let’s overhaul our school system and reward those teachers that truly deserve recognition.
What I honestly don’t understand is when people yell and scream that we need to make some changes “for the children,” and then immediately renege on that “commitment” when hard suggestions are made to make those changes (like revamping government policies and involvement as well as restructuring teacher unions).
If people were truly serious about helping the children, then everyone involved in the convoluted “business” of educating our children would be willing to do something about it. Instead, I see way too much in-fighting and power struggles and not only is nothing being done to improve our education system, it’s actually making it worse.
When I found out that the director, Davis Guggenheim, of “An Inconvenient Truth” was the same man behind “Waiting for Superman,” I nearly passed on the opportunity to watch it. It’s no secret that I’m a conservative woman who DOES NOT believe, for one minute, that Global Warming is man-made. (Another post for another day, perhaps). But considering this documentary concerned a subject near and dear to my heart, I thought I owed the problem my attention.
So, I put my personal thoughts and opinions aside and watched the documentary with an objective eye. And regardless of how you feel about ASPECTS of our public school problem, I think we OWE OUR CHILDREN to at least examine the problem and talk about honest and realistic solutions to this serious problem.
This means checking our political views and self-righteous attitudes at the door. This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans, it’s not about public or private sector jobs, IT’S ABOUT OUR CHILDREN, and they need our help.
This is a grown up problem; I think it’s high time we all started acting like grown ups to try and find a better solution, don’t you? Because we can’t continue on with what we have now – it’s not working. Our children are not receiving the education they need and DESERVE to compete in a complex and competitive world.
And forgive me, but running away from the problem (i.e. homeschooling / private school) will not fix anything, either. Look. We’re all trying to do what is best for our children. I understand that. I GET IT. I’m a parent, I want what’s best for my children, too. And if our public schools aren’t giving our children what they need, then we, as parents, have the right, nay, the responsibility, to find alternatives.
But what about the hundreds of thousands of children and parents who don’t have that choice? They can’t homeschool because they have to work. They don’t make enough money to send their children to private schools. Public schools are their only option. Don’t THOSE children deserve to receive the best education that our tax dollars can give them?
These children get lost in the system because the rest of us would prefer to avoid the problem instead of fixing the problem.
And don’t you find it infuriating when people get on their podiums and preach about how we all need to pitch in and make this work, for the children, and yet they send their own children to private schools? That stuff drives me nuts. When does the problem get fixed? When do we stop pointing fingers at everyone else for the problem and start taking initiative to fix the damn problem?
And before you ask, my children go to public school. And I’m involved with their education. And my heart HURTS for these poor children who fall through the cracks and drop out of school their freshmen year in high school. These poor children have not been taught any skills to use to make their lives productive. It’s tragic to me that we can’t all get past ourselves and make the changes that need to be made so these innocent, helpless children are taught what is necessary to give them a strong start to the rest of their lives.
But enough preaching, let’s talk about what we can do to change this. Now. Today.
PARENTS
Get involved with your children’s education. I don’t know how else to say it. Schools are not babysitters. They do not exist to take your children off your hands for six hours a day. They exist to educate and prepare children for their (our) future.
Keep a positive attitude about school. Talk about the problems they may have with their teachers (I’ve had numerous conversations about “bad” teachers with my boys – it’s like real life, you have to deal with all sorts of personalities. This just means they will have to take the imitative and move forward on their own. I’d say, the bad teachers will get what’s coming to them eventually, but now I’m not so sure – more on that later).
School is a child’s “job.” It’s their “job” to go, learn, and follow up. School should be their main focus. It should be treated with respect and taken seriously. Parents can help instill the importance of school by taking school seriously. It’s not a daycare, it’s not a big playground, it’s an institution that deserves respect. If you respect school, your children will respect school.
GOVERNMENT
Let’s get rid of the duplicate programs, consolidate departments, restructure staffing and use the money that will inevitably be left over from these changes and pour it into the school districts so that they may build better buildings and provide a technological infrastructure that complements today’s high-tech needs.
Let’s stop playing politics with our children’s futures. No more special government favors. That just creates officials who feel obligated to vote a certain way in order to “pay” their special interest investors off. Hire an independent, private agency to make sure these monies are being distributed to the districts that desperately need the monetary/staffing help. We can’t rely on the government to do anything right – look how many programs it has screwed up. These programs begin with good intentions, but then you get government officials involved who are more interested in furthering his/her career and the original intent of the program is lost under greed and red tape.
Hire private agencies that follow up on these improvements to make sure that the districts are actively working on making them happen. If they discover these changes aren’t being made, then fire the people in charge and put in people who are willing, and able, to get the job done.
That’s how the private sector works. Why can’t these same principles apply with our government programs?
TEACHERS
Ah … the teachers. Again, let me reiterate, I THINK TEACHERS ARE GREAT! I also think there are some teachers who take advantage of their tenure status and sit around all day and don’t teach their class, too.
And my boys have had a few of those types of teachers over the years. And it’s terribly frustrating knowing that they probably won’t be reprimanded, or fired, at least, any time soon. And you saw in the movie, administrators have to go through 36, that’s THIRTY-SIX, steps in order for a teacher to even be considered for termination.
That’s crazy, folks. Can you imagine if the private sector had to go through something like that? They’d have to have a completely separate department just to start a termination process.
I’ve talked about unions before. And I’ll be honest, I’m not a big union supporter. Though I DO believe employees need to be protected, to some degree, I think unions have gone too far, have gotten too big and they now have a stranglehold on our system.
Teachers’ unions are great for teachers, not so great for children. And I honestly think they need to do away with tenure altogether and implement that tier system mentioned in the movie. Give teachers the INCENTIVE to out perform their peers thereby earning themselves more money AND becoming a great teacher, which benefits the children. When you take incentive away, and if they have tenure, there is absolutely no motivation to do anything other than show up. Granted, most teachers aren’t like that, but let’s be honest, there are some who are. It’s like they’re thumbing their noses at us because really, what can we do?
Nothing, short of restructuring how unions work and that requires lawmakers, who are often times paid for with union dues, to make changes.
You don’t normally bite the hand that feeds you.
And just like the man in the interview said, pay teachers more money and entice better teachers to enter the field. We could afford to pay these teachers more if we restructured the entire system, made some pretty deep and crucial cuts and reallocated those funds from money pits.
The question is, how badly do we want this reform? If people aren’t willing to make the tough choices, then to me, that tells me that all of this public school reform talk? Is just that, talk.
And if/when we give the teachers, and principals, the extra money we suddenly have because we’ve made these changes, let’s give them – the teachers and principals – the authority to spend that money where it needs to be spent. (Within reason, of course. And that might be monitored by the principal or a central school board at the school with the needs). They know, better than anyone, where improvements need to be made, not some bureaucrat sitting in an ivory tower.
I personally think the teachers unions needs to be one of the first things we change about our education system. As it stands now, our hands are tied. We are at the mercy of the union managers and nothing will change as long as they maintain the power.
MOVIE ASPECTS
Here are aspects of the movie, and this interview, I’d like to comment on:
(By the way, I can not STAND Katie Couric. But this is not about Katie Couric, it’s about our public school system, it’s about our children. See how this works? It doesn’t matter what I personally think about a person, or a political party, stay focused on the PROBLEM).
Tracking – I’m not sure I believe in the “tracking” system. That sounds so clinical and organized. I’m just not convinced that our system IS that organized. And the AP courses he talked about in the interview? Are accessible to all students – they have to take a test to see if they qualify for the class, but all students have the opportunity to get into AP classes, they just have to work hard and make the grades. Honors classes aren’t special clubs or for the elite, they’re for anyone willing to work their butts off to get into them.
Charter Schools – Again, I think people are missing the point of comparing public schools to charter schools in this movie. I think some people thought that Guggenheim was singing charter school praises – the charter schools were showcased in the movie to show people what sort of alternatives are, or can be, available. It was (is?) an experiment to find a better solution to our public school problem because if the government won’t fix this problem, what choice do we have? Our children need to be educated in some way – if not the public route, then some other route.
The Lemon Dance – This bothers me and serves to perfectly illustrate what is wrong with our system. Instead of getting rid of these lemon teachers and replacing them with better teachers, principals are forced to pawn them off on another poor school and guess who, once again, pays for this? The kids. If a teacher is under performing, then he/she should be fired, period. If a teacher wants to keep his/her job? Then earn the right to keep it.
The Rubber Room – This SERIOUSLY disturbs me. Even though they have been discontinued, the fact remains – teachers who are under investigation are in limbo. Only now, they aren’t confined to one room all day long, they can do whatever they want all day long while they wait to be “processed.” In essence, it’s paid vacation. And even when it’s finally their turn to be “processed,” what’s going to happen? A slap on the wrist and they’re sent right to the classroom. And WHO suffers from this insane policy? THE TAXPAYER.
Come on, people. Some of this stuff is just plan crazy and is nothing more than a power play, pure and simple.
Favorite quote from the interview: “We have to remove the status quo from the equation so that great teachers can do great work.”
Again, it’s not Charter Schools versus Public Schools – why must everything be black or white? It’s not about class or who has versus has not. Charter Schools are an alternative – they’re a choice, albeit a small choice, but a choice, nonetheless. That’s what our public school system needs – it can’t be public schools, all or nothing. That’s why so many people have chosen to homeschool or send their kids to private schools – these options have given people a CHOICE. Any situation is less frustrating when we’ve given a choice. Even bad options are still options – they’re better than no options at all.
Charter Schools, in this documentary, are meant to start the conversation on how we can do things differently. These Charter Schools are about taking their great ideas and improving them, even implementing them, into our public school system.
This movie is about opening dialogue, getting people to CARE, giving people HOPE, that change is possible if we MAKE it happen.
It’s high time that we, as people, as taxpayers, as PARENTS, all come together and honestly work together to fix our public school system. We’ve talked this issue to death, it’s time to ACT and make these hard decisions. It’s time to restructure old systems and give our kids a fighting chance to compete and give them the tools to follow their dreams.
Do we not agree that one of the biggest reasons jobs are being outsourced overseas is because American workers are demanding to be paid an unacceptable dollar amount for the work they have been hired to do and the companies simply can’t justify, or afford, paying those salaries and are forced to go elsewhere or go bankrupt?
And if employees know they can’t be fired, or that it will be difficult and/or costly to fire them, will they have the motivation to do the best job they can possibly do? Or will they simply do what is absolutely necessary and really not care what sort of impact their poor work performance will make on the product or person they work for?
Also. Businesses actively avoid states where unions are strong. They simply don’t want the headache of having to deal with union demands and terms or have to deal with repercussions if they propose change. (Like the tantrums being thrown in Wisconsin right now). This in turn hurts commerce in the affected state which trickles down to less revenue (i.e. taxes) and fewer jobs.
Because I don’t know a lot about unions, have never had any experience with a union, I decided to do a little research (as opposed to just taking the word of the media – both conservative AND liberal).
A labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The labor union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts (collective bargaining) with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.
Over the last three hundred years, many labor unions have developed into a number of forms, influenced by differing political objectives. Activities of labor unions vary, but may include:
* Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state; however, the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important benefit of trade union membership.
* Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognized by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.
* Industrial action: Trade unions may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.
* Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favorable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in Britain) for public office.
I’m all for protecting the worker. There are indeed companies (*cough-Wal-Mart-cough*) that treat their employees unfairly from time to time. (And I used to work for Wal-Mart. I KNOW what goes on there, first hand. Though to be perfectly fair to Wal-Mart, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be, either. You have to take into account that the majority of people nowadays? Don’t want to work, period. They simply want to be paid to show up – come on now, you know it’s true).
But here’s where I have a problem with unions – they get too big, too powerful and if one chooses to work for a union, individuals are pretty much forced to sign their rights away. The unions dictate their benefits, their salaries, and who they should vote for in elections. This in turn, “buys” politicians. Unions pour money into a Democrat coffer, (do unions ever back a Republican? I’m just asking), helping that candidate to get elected, and in turn, the Democrat votes in favor of union demands in Congress. The classic, “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” scenerio. (And I’m not just targeting Unions [I can still say, “target,” can’t I? I’m trying hard to keep a civil discourse here], I know that lobbyists do the same thing for Republicans and I have to say, I think the whole thing stinks and just another reason why politics are crooked). I, for one, am not willing to give up my personal rights all in the name of “protection.” My “protection” is doing the best job I can do and impress my bosses enough that they WANT to keep me, not because they HAVE to keep me or risk World War III.
I’m not knocking unions. It’s a free country. If someone chooses to join a union, be my guest. Just understand that by doing so, one is pretty much forfeiting his/her voice, too. But again, if someone is okay with that, then who am I to judge?
I’ve been reading a lot about the Teacher’s Union fight in Wisconsin.
But before I go any further, let’s clear up a few issues:
Right-to-Work means:
The principle that all Americans must have the right to join a union if they choose to, but none should ever be forced to affiliate with a union in order to get or keep a job.
In essence, the employee has the option of joining a union, but not doing so doesn’t mean they won’t get the job. Missouri is NOT a right-to-work state. (Which hurts Missouri because most companies will not look twice at a state that is not right-to-work. However, “the Missouri Senate is expecting a floor debate on right to work legislation around the March spring break for lawmakers.” I predict the same sort of reaction as Wisconsin. This should be interesting). I wonder if there is any quality of education correlation between right-to-work states and “forced-unionism.” Doesn’t it make you wonder?
Right-to-work advocates say states with those laws on the books are more conducive to economic growth. A recent report in the libertarian Cato Institute’s Cato Journal written by Ohio University economics Prof. Richard Vedder found that about 4.7 million Americans moved to right-to-work states between 2000 and 2008.
The article said pay is higher in non-right-to-work states — but, employing an economic model, Vedder estimated that right-to-work states saw economic growth increase 23 percent faster between 1977 and 2007 than non-right-to-work states. Source
Whereas …
Collective Bargaining:
Collective bargaining is a type of negotiation used by employees to work with their employers. During a collective bargaining period, workers’ representatives approach the employer and attempt to negotiate a contract which both sides can agree with. Typical issues covered in a labor contract are hours, wages, benefits, working conditions, and the rules of the workplace. Once both sides have reached a contract that they find agreeable, it is signed and kept in place for a set period of time, most commonly three years. The final contract is called a collective bargaining agreement, to reflect the fact that it is the result of a collective bargaining effort.
In essence, the employee is completely out of the loop and relies solely on the union organizers to negotiate the above conditions. Let’s hope those union organizers have their members’ best interest in mind.
In case you’re not sure what the teachers’ union is up in arms about, here is what Governor Walker has proposed:
The long and short of it is, Wisconsin is dead broke, and Governor Scott Walker is looking to put an end to the gross fiscal mismanagement that got us to this bad, bad place. One of the ways he aims to do that is to ask the state’s public employees to start chipping in toward their benefits. They currently pay not one thin dime toward their pensions (for which there is zero vesting period) and a teeny, tiny little contribution toward their healthcare coverage. This would be bumped up to a 5.8 percent pension contribution (in line with the national average) and a 12 percent healthcare contribution (half the average paid by a private sector worker).
If you think the unions are unhappy about that, you should hear them on the following provisions:
Collective bargaining – The bill would make various changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages. Total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on the consumer price index (CPI) unless approved by referendum. Contracts would be limited to one year and wages would be frozen until the new contract is settled. Collective bargaining units are required to take annual votes to maintain certification as a union. Employers would be prohibited from collecting union dues and members of collective bargaining units would not be required to pay dues. These changes take effect upon the expiration of existing contracts. Local law enforcement and fire employees, and state troopers and inspectors would be exempt from these changes.
In essence, Governor Walker is asking the Teachers to pay toward THEIR OWN RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND HEALTH CARE. How unreasonable is that?? (That was sarcasm). Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. The state is broke. The tax payers have been taxed to the brink of bankruptcy, in fact, many people are unemployed and yet these teachers have the audacity to complain because they have to pay into their own retirement and health care? At least they HAVE jobs!! Talk about insensitive and selfish!
Let’s not forget the alternative here: Governor Walker is trying to help these teachers out because if something isn’t done, the government will be forced to layoff thousands of workers because they simply don’t have the money to pay them. What’s the lesser of two evils here?
And yet, they somehow expect the state to come up with the money it needs to pay them. Where do they think the money is coming from? Though some people honestly don’t believe the state is broke, that it is, in fact, just a ploy to somehow punish them what they’re due (??), most people understand that the state is broke and most people assume, because it’s always happened this way in the past, that the state will kowtow to their protests and rob Peter to pay Paul. In other words, the state will cut other programs in order to pay them off.
THIS is what is wrong with unions. THIS is why people are getting sick of unions. Because when they don’t get their way, they throw temper tantrums, bully and walk off the job leaving the children of Wisconsin high and dry. If they TRULY cared about the children, they would go back to their classrooms and teach them, not flood the streets, with some of the children in tow, I might add (and coincidentally, how despicable is that?? Most of those kids have no idea what they’re even picketing).
Whatever happened to the tax payer? They are, after all, footing the bill. Why doesn’t the tax payer have any say in this? Because the unions won’t allow it, that’s why. Taxpayers are just the money machine – screw ’em.
And what about the weenies (Democrats) who left town so they wouldn’t have to weigh in on this controversial topic? They fled because they owe the unions for electing them, which puts them between a rock and a hard place. And they’re staying away so the chaos can build because that’s how the Democrats operate. They thrive on chaos because they like to take advantage of people’s confusion and cash in on high emotions to bully people into doing what they want to do.
It’s sickening.
And here are two more things I find sickening about this whole ordeal:
The Democratic National Committee’s Organizing for America arm — the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign — is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights. And Obama’s political wing — an extension of the SEIU, it would appear — is still hawking the protests. According to Politico’s Ben Smith, it has published at least 54 tweets promoting the rallies.Source
With all due respect, Mr. President, butt out. This is a state issue, not a federal issue.
And the “alleged” fake doctor notes that teachers are collecting by the fistfuls so they can lie to their employers and excuse themselves from their duties. If true, what a great example we’re setting for our children, eh?
I don’t know guys. This is messed up. I know that unions CAN be a positive thing, but it seems, over the years, they’ve gotten too big for their britches and they are just more trouble then they’re worth, not to mention, they’re hurting our country with their unreasonable, and self-entitled demands.
Maybe we’ve reached a point where it’s time to get rid of the unions. Or at the very least, get rid of what exists now and go back to the drawing board. I wonder how that would affect jobs and the quality of our education system?
At any rate, I predict this is just the tip of the iceberg. If (and that’s a big IF), Republicans stay strong, this country might actually see some positive change.
I gasped when I read about the people being gunned down at the shooting in Arizona on Saturday. I cried when I read that six people had died (including a nine-year girl who had coincidentally been born Sept. 11, 2001 and was there because she was on the student council at her school and was interested in politics) and that Congresswoman Giffords had been shot in the head by a rifle at close range and was listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
I thought about all of the families affected by this tragedy. I thought about Giffords’ husband and how he must have felt when he learned that his wife, a woman who had dedicated her life to being a public servant, had been shot. I thought about the parents of the mentally disturbed young man who instigated this tragedy and OMG, can you imagine what they must be feeling right about now?? Can you imagine what they must be going through as parents of the boy, THEIR CHILD, who caused all of this mayhem??
I honestly can’t comprehend what they must be going through right now.
And then, I made the mistake of getting on Twitter and all I felt was RED HOT RAGE at the assholes who, instead of concentrating on the victims of this crime and trying to learn just what happened and why, spent their energies on pointing fingers and placing blame on political figures and institutions all in the name of personal hatred and progressing political agendas.
I was angry, sickened and discouraged by the public reaction that ERUPTED from this tragedy.
The blame game began before the smoke from the crime scene had even dissipated. Suddenly, it became the conservatives’ fault that this mentally disturbed young man (and he has a record of increasingly alarming activities over the years) went Rambo on a shopping center on a sunny Saturday in Arizona.
It was now Sarah Palin’s fault that this happened because she dared to use the symbol for crosshairs on her map to indicate those were the Democrats to beat in the next elections because they voted against health care reform. (Though some dispute they aren’t crosshairs at all but rather the symbol for surveyors, but that’s splitting hairs). Do I think that was a good idea? Oh hell no. I knew that was a mistake the moment I saw the map – I just KNEW it would be a matter of time before the left tried to twist that imagery around to suit their particular brand of blame game.
I’m not a Sarah Palin fan. I don’t dislike the woman, but I don’t worship her feet, either. I admire her guts for putting herself out there and for not being afraid to say what’s on her mind. Do I think she’s the most eloquent speaker I’ve ever heard? Definitely not. Do I think she’s stupid? No, but I do think she’s impulsive and that sometimes cast her in an iffy light.
And I DEFINITELY don’t understand people’s irrational hatred of the woman. Truly. THAT baffles me.
Other than Palin, the left is now blaming FOX News, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and their strongly-worded rhetoric for this mentally unbalanced individual openly firing on an innocent crowd. Let’s definitely NOT put the blame on the actual person who pulled the trigger – that would be the RATIONAL thing to do.
Look. Do I think the right gets a little carried away with the rhetoric at times? Definitely. Do I think the left-wing media reports speculation more than facts all in the name to rile people up and increase their ratings? Absolutely. But it’s all part of the rhetoric game and I’m most convinced that RATIONAL people, and I’d like to believe that’s 98.2% of the population, see it for what it is, an Ethos game – a trick of the trade to play on people’s emotions and get them fired up about what is happening in our country and to try and persuade people to their side of the fence. But placing blame on these institutions just to further a political agenda when in fact, they are not responsible for what happened is irresponsible and pathetic.
And if we’re perfectly honest, (and I usually am because that’s who I am), we could attribute anything to causing this sort of thing happening. Palin could just has easily placed hearts instead of crosshairs on that map and there would be a mentally unstable person out there that would think, “OH! It’s a message! I’m supposed to locate these people and cut their hearts out! I GET it. *winkwinknudgenudge*.” The bottom line is, we can say and do anything, no matter how innocent the intention, and there would be someone out there that would misconstrue the message and cross that moral line.
They’re called emotionally unstable and they don’t have a political affiliation, they have a mental disease. HUGE difference there.
And before you think I’m trying to justify the right and their rhetoric because I am, after all, a conservative myself, not so fast. There have been COUNTLESS examples of the left doing this very thing in the past. For example, does THIS map look familiar? What about the phrase, “BEHIND ENEMY LINES” construing that fellow Americans that dare to disagree with the left’s agenda are enemies? Or what about this map, along with a complete legend labeling Republicans “targets” – you don’t think THAT might incite violence? That’s blatantly strong rhetoric, don’t you think?
And let’s not forget Obama’s juicy little comments he’s made over the past several years:
Obama: “They Bring a Knife…We Bring a Gun”
Obama to His Followers: “Get in Their Faces!”
Obama on ACORN Mobs: “I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!”
Obama to His Mercenary Army: “Hit Back Twice As Hard”
Obama on the private sector: “We talk to these folks… so I know whose ass to kick.“
Obama to voters: Republican victory would mean “hand-to-hand combat”
Obama to lib supporters: “It’s time to Fight for it.”
Obama to Latino supporters: “Punish your enemies.”
Obama to democrats: “I’m itching for a fight.”
My point is, BOTH sides are guilty of explosive rhetoric. I’m not saying it’s right, and I’m certainly not condoning it’s usage, but it’s part of the game. We could sit here and point fingers and give examples for HOURS, maybe even DAYS, and then … what? Nothing has been solved. Nothing will be done. Two wrongs don’t make a right … and never will. I wish it wasn’t like this. I wish we could sit down and have rational discussions about our political differences and then come to a fair compromise. But it doesn’t work that way. There are too many variables and it’s really up to the people to use their heads and maintain their tempers – otherwise, you have THIS type of thing happening. People diverting blame and fabricating reasons all to further incite people and drive that political wedge.
So I implore you readers, when something like this happens (and unfortunately, it will again because we are a fallen nation full of evil and sin), I hope you will STOP, GET THE FACTS AND THINK before angrily waving your weapons or jumping on a particular bandwagon.
The future of our country honestly depends on people keeping a level head.
Do me a favor, put the blame where the blame BELONGS. Don’t fabricate an enemy – we have enough real-live enemies as it is, we don’t need any more.
Write From Karen 