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I really want to be as responsible and respectful to you as I can when I say this. For the record I like teachers very much and value their contributions. I don't think they are overpaid, and you certainly can't help it if the school year runs for 9 and a half months but, you just did what I hate and that is to 'spin' my comments.

People can't legislate themselves into an idyllic, happy for life, existance, through the government, or unions, or a mixture of both. That's what this whole thing in Wisconsin looks like to me. The perfect one two punch of government and the union contract that will take one to financial freedom, and all you have to do is vote for everything you want. It's almost like people are trying to merge the unions and the federal government. The law of supply and demand is what drives the market in this land, not contracts. That is unless Obama really does succeed in "fundamentally transforming" our country. My contract might state that I get all kinds of benefits and perks, but if my employer doesn't have work then I don't have work, or benefits. You can bet employers don't let uneeded labor stand around telling jokes for long no matter how good their contract might be.

There is no short cut to success. But here in this country there is opportunity. The hourly worker deserves to live a respectable lifestyle taking his contribution and his sacrifice into account. That is all unions do, give decent folks a chance. The emergence of unions on the scene in this country and the circumstances surrounding those days are a matter of recorded history. I really don't want to offend anyone at all but, to me, teacher unions are out of place, all square pegs in round holes. As I said earlier a misapplication of a good idea because service providing workers don't have the moral right to strike. Which is at the core of collective barganing. What are you going to use to bring pressure to bear if not refuse to work? There is no way that would be right because you would at that time be using your students as hostages. I know highjackers take hostages when they negotiate, it has the advantage headlines and results though.

When I was discussing my points earlier all I was talking about Kentucky Teachers, because that is what I know, I am not concerned with Wisconsin their mess their problem, but I care deeply about this Commonwealth, which is our mess and our problem.

See I would agree with you except local politics come into play. For an example coaching job comes open, the coach is exceptional, but his wife needs a job. So without a union, this wife would be hired and could replace any teacher. Also, let us say people on the local school board, their family members need jobs, so you cut other teachers and problem solved. A local politician brother's wife needs a job, another example. Or Site base council member family member needs a job.

Or let us say the school really wanted to save money to get its contingency fund up for whatever, cut a teacher raise the money. Now some on here will say what is the harm in that, and I will tell you the harm is not neccessarly the teacher getting cut, but the risk of a larger class size. I could go on and on why that is a really bad concept for the students.

I knew and know that you mean no harm in your posts and I don't take it personal. I just want people in the Commonwealth really to think about what they want and what they are willing to accept.

Right now, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is facing a shortfall in revenue, because of medicaide. We must ask ourselves what do we sacrifice, education or medicaide? Which one is more important? If you are Dr, Dentist, Eye-Dr. or Lawyer, you will choose the later. If you a parent of a child, and want a better life for them, well you decide. If you are a shop owner, are you willing to trust the government for payments on medicaide or would you rather have a teacher, spending real money (the tax payers) money and you get some of it back?