The NEA sent the announcement around to the constituency today, without the usual flood of leftist invective. It's as if, finally, reality is beginning to set in. The Stimulus kept Detroit schools afloat one final year, likely in the attempt to buy enough votes in 2010 to keep the Congress in Democrat hands, or hoping that the economy would rise from the dead after decades of decline.
Neither happened. Even Himself is making appropriate noises in public about reducing spending, even if he obviously means not a word of it. In any case, there will be no no Stimulus Part Two. Not even on the radar.
Detroit has fallen to its population of 1910. The public school system is unsustainable in its present form, and no amount of invective will change that. It isn't that DoseWascawyRepubwikans can be blamed, since Detroit has been in the hands of the Democrats for decades. They ran the city and school system both. Into the ground, as it turns out.
So, Reuters reports:
The emergency manager appointed to put Detroit's troubled public school system on a firmer financial footing said on Thursday he was sending layoff notices to all of the district's 5,466 unionized employees.
In a statement posted on the website of Detroit Public Schools, Robert Bobb, the district's temporary head, said notices were being sent to every member of the Detroit Federation of Teachers "in anticipation of a workforce reduction to match the district's declining student enrollment."
Bobb said nearly 250 administrators were receiving the notices, too.
The district is unlikely to eliminate all the teachers. Last year, it sent out 2,000 notices and only a fraction of employees were actually laid off. But the notices are required by the union's current contract with the district. Any layoffs under this latest action won't take effect until late July.
In the meantime, Bobb said that he planned to exercise his power as emergency manager to unilaterally modify the district's collective bargaining agreement with the Federation of Teachers starting May 17, 2011.
Under a law known as Public Act 4, passed by the Michigan legislature and signed by the state's new Republican governor in March, emergency managers like Bobb have sweeping powers. They can tear up existing union contracts, and even fire some elected officials, if they believe it will help solve a financial emergency.
"I fully intend to use the authority that was granted under Public Act 4," Bobb said in the statement.
A quick search about Public Act 4 leads one to the State of Michigan website, with a summary of the law--twelve steps involved (irony not lost upon us...), and we pick up toward the end:
Step Nine: If the Governor confirms the determination of a financial emergency, the Governor is required to declare the unit of local government in receivership and appoint an Emergency Manager who serves at the pleasure of the Governor.
Step Ten: Upon being placed in receivership, the governing body and chief administrative officer of the unit of local government are prohibited from exercising any of their powers of offices without written approval of the Emergency Manager, and their compensation and benefits are eliminated.
Step Eleven: Within 45 days of appointment, an Emergency Manager must develop a written financial and operating plan.
In addition to other powers, an Emergency Manager may reject, modify, or terminate collective bargaining agreements, recommend consolidation or dissolution of units of local government, and recommend bankruptcy proceedings.
Step Twelve: A unit of local government is removed from receivership when the financial conditions which were the basis for the underlying financial emergency are corrected in a sustainable fashion as determined by the State Treasurer in accordance with the Act.
Detroit Public Schools are at Step Ten. No amount of name calling, marching on the capitol, striking, work slowdowns, ballot-box stuffing, voting the dead, voting the illegal aliens, voting the felons, race-baiting, or any of the standard repertoire of The Left changes the fact that Detroit has shrunk dramatically in size from its once great status. The can was kicked so far down the road, for so long, that Detroit ran out of road.
By the way, the layoffs begin in Wisconsin next Friday, as promised by Governor Walker earlier this year.
Showing posts with label Wisconsin Governor Walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin Governor Walker. Show all posts
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Elected Government Of Wisconsin Passes A Labor Bill
That's what elected governments do. They govern, because voters send them to the state capitol to govern.
Even when there is an angry mob screaming at them:
You are cowards!" spectators in the Senate gallery screamed as lawmakers voted. Within hours, a crowd of a few hundred protesters inside the Capitol had grown to an estimated 7,000, more than had been in the building at any point during weeks of protests.
"The whole world is watching!" they shouted as they pressed up against the heavily guarded entrance to the Senate chamber.
They were screaming at the wrong people. Their advocates had fled the state, and abdicated their duties.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's "budget-repair bill" - a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
Walker said Wednesday night that Democrats had three weeks to debate the bill and were offered repeated opportunities to come back, but refused.
But, tucked away in the middle of the article is a tiny little gem:
Within hours of Wednesday night's vote, protesters had seized the Capitol's lower floors, creating an ear-splitting free-for-all of pounding drums, horns and whistles. Police all but gave up guarding the building entrances. But Wisconsin teachers unions urged their members to go to work on Thursday rather than join in the re-energized demonstrations.
Because now, if the teachers wildcat strike, the local school systems can fire them, and replace them with other teachers, honored to have the job. And not likely to stand with the teachers union.
Now, the union leadership is faced with collecting voluntary dues from the membership, because the obligatory deduction from the paycheck will soon be a thing of the past. This should be interesting, finding out just how many state employees are willing and voluntary union members.
The lower house, the Assembly, will pass the bill on Thursday, and Gov. Walker will sign it. The Dems will certainly attempt to litigate it into the ground, since they always litigate to get their way, especially when they know they don't have the votes to prevail on their own.
Good luck with that...
Even when there is an angry mob screaming at them:
You are cowards!" spectators in the Senate gallery screamed as lawmakers voted. Within hours, a crowd of a few hundred protesters inside the Capitol had grown to an estimated 7,000, more than had been in the building at any point during weeks of protests.
"The whole world is watching!" they shouted as they pressed up against the heavily guarded entrance to the Senate chamber.
They were screaming at the wrong people. Their advocates had fled the state, and abdicated their duties.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's "budget-repair bill" - a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
Walker said Wednesday night that Democrats had three weeks to debate the bill and were offered repeated opportunities to come back, but refused.
But, tucked away in the middle of the article is a tiny little gem:
Within hours of Wednesday night's vote, protesters had seized the Capitol's lower floors, creating an ear-splitting free-for-all of pounding drums, horns and whistles. Police all but gave up guarding the building entrances. But Wisconsin teachers unions urged their members to go to work on Thursday rather than join in the re-energized demonstrations.
Because now, if the teachers wildcat strike, the local school systems can fire them, and replace them with other teachers, honored to have the job. And not likely to stand with the teachers union.
Now, the union leadership is faced with collecting voluntary dues from the membership, because the obligatory deduction from the paycheck will soon be a thing of the past. This should be interesting, finding out just how many state employees are willing and voluntary union members.
The lower house, the Assembly, will pass the bill on Thursday, and Gov. Walker will sign it. The Dems will certainly attempt to litigate it into the ground, since they always litigate to get their way, especially when they know they don't have the votes to prevail on their own.
Good luck with that...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Scott Walker's Fireside Chat
OS suggests his readers view, and judge for themselves.
On to the day.
Work to do.
Taxes to pay.
On to the day.
Work to do.
Taxes to pay.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Memo To All Those Protestors In Wisconsin
It doesn't matter if there are 10,000 or 50,000 of you gathered on the lawn, or if you stay there six weeks or six months.
First salient idea: One incontrovertible fact that will not go away is: Wisconsin is facing a yawning hole in its state finances.
Somewhere between $3.1 billion and $3.6 billion. That's with a 'B', not an 'M'. A tenth of a billion is one hundred million. That's a lot-o-money, honey. Unlike the guy in the White House, who very happy for you to stand in the cold on his behalf, the governor of Wisconsin does not have his own Ben Bernanke to print up shipfuls of Wisconsin dollars.
Second salient idea: To ask you to contribute 5% or so to your pension costs, and 12% of your health insurance costs still gives you one of the best deals going. Ask your neighbors, that is, your neighbors who still have jobs.
Third salient idea: Those clowns in Rockford will come home, eventually. The AFL-CIO bosses will go home. And, sooner or later, you'll have to go home. Remember, as great as it feels to stand in a large crowd and curse the governor, most of the people you live around, attend church with, who go to ball games like you do, drink beer at the pub like you do--those people don't work for the state. They pay taxes, send their kids to school hoping that they'll get a good enough education from the schools. If they perceive that you are a lout who would happily let the state go to hell and become a laughing-stock, just so you and your unions get their way, expect a very chilly reception back home.
Also, if you ever enter the private sector (and you yet may), your prospective employers may not greet your present activities with open arms. They do pay attention, have long memories, and are positively allergic to hiring union/activist types.
Hope ya'll get the memo...
First salient idea: One incontrovertible fact that will not go away is: Wisconsin is facing a yawning hole in its state finances.
Somewhere between $3.1 billion and $3.6 billion. That's with a 'B', not an 'M'. A tenth of a billion is one hundred million. That's a lot-o-money, honey. Unlike the guy in the White House, who very happy for you to stand in the cold on his behalf, the governor of Wisconsin does not have his own Ben Bernanke to print up shipfuls of Wisconsin dollars.
Second salient idea: To ask you to contribute 5% or so to your pension costs, and 12% of your health insurance costs still gives you one of the best deals going. Ask your neighbors, that is, your neighbors who still have jobs.
Third salient idea: Those clowns in Rockford will come home, eventually. The AFL-CIO bosses will go home. And, sooner or later, you'll have to go home. Remember, as great as it feels to stand in a large crowd and curse the governor, most of the people you live around, attend church with, who go to ball games like you do, drink beer at the pub like you do--those people don't work for the state. They pay taxes, send their kids to school hoping that they'll get a good enough education from the schools. If they perceive that you are a lout who would happily let the state go to hell and become a laughing-stock, just so you and your unions get their way, expect a very chilly reception back home.
Also, if you ever enter the private sector (and you yet may), your prospective employers may not greet your present activities with open arms. They do pay attention, have long memories, and are positively allergic to hiring union/activist types.
Hope ya'll get the memo...
Friday, February 18, 2011
It Appears The Missing Wisconsin Dem Senators Were Located In Rockford, Il
...by members of the Tea Party, who located their chartered bus (chartered bus???) at a local Best Western golf resort.
Once discovered, they booked it back north again to Wisconsin, where, it is understood, the police are looking for them--to transport them back to the statehouse and their elected duties.
This is like a script from a slapstick movie, too funny to fabricate, however. Real life is just soooo much wierder than anything the screenwriters can invent.
And someone obligingly obtained video of two of these selfless public servants climbing in a car in Rockford, claiming they were headed home.
Once discovered, they booked it back north again to Wisconsin, where, it is understood, the police are looking for them--to transport them back to the statehouse and their elected duties.
This is like a script from a slapstick movie, too funny to fabricate, however. Real life is just soooo much wierder than anything the screenwriters can invent.
And someone obligingly obtained video of two of these selfless public servants climbing in a car in Rockford, claiming they were headed home.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Profiles In Courage (NOT!): Fourteen Wisconsin Dem Legislators Leave The State For Parts Unknown
Wouldn't want to actually..you know..debate the merits of the proposal. That would require work, and thought, and...OMG!!!...we might lose! And the unionized employees we've ridden to office on for all these years might actually have to...OMG!!...work in the same economy as the rest of the citizens! OMG!!
Really. Rather than do their duty, they skipped town.
Just in a few minutes ago...
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin state senator says the 14 Democratic lawmakers who are boycotting a vote on a controversial anti-union bill have left the state.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach says the group wants to force negotiations over the Republican-backed bill, which would strip most public employees of their collective-bargaining rights.
Erpenbach told The Associated Press that he and his colleagues had left Wisconsin, but he would not say where.
He said the plan is to slow down the bill because it's "tearing the state apart."
Senate Republicans can't vote on the bill unless at least one Democrat is present. Police could be dispatched to retrieve them, but it was unclear if they would have the authority to cross state lines.
Welcome to Athens, Wisconsin.
And the true face and character of the American Left.
'We want to negotiate, as long as we get our way.'
So much for the 'adult conversation' Himself blathers about. The grownups have arrived to the state house, and are cutting up the credit card and taking away the keys from Junior. He's pissed, so he storms out of the house...
Really. Rather than do their duty, they skipped town.
Just in a few minutes ago...
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin state senator says the 14 Democratic lawmakers who are boycotting a vote on a controversial anti-union bill have left the state.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach says the group wants to force negotiations over the Republican-backed bill, which would strip most public employees of their collective-bargaining rights.
Erpenbach told The Associated Press that he and his colleagues had left Wisconsin, but he would not say where.
He said the plan is to slow down the bill because it's "tearing the state apart."
Senate Republicans can't vote on the bill unless at least one Democrat is present. Police could be dispatched to retrieve them, but it was unclear if they would have the authority to cross state lines.
Welcome to Athens, Wisconsin.
And the true face and character of the American Left.
'We want to negotiate, as long as we get our way.'
So much for the 'adult conversation' Himself blathers about. The grownups have arrived to the state house, and are cutting up the credit card and taking away the keys from Junior. He's pissed, so he storms out of the house...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The State Of Wisconsin v. The Public Employee Unions
The Chicago Tribune reports that Gov. Walker has the votes needed to end collective bargaining between the government and public employee unions.
The unions, especially the NEA, are not amused, and use Wisconsin as a case in point about those gweedy, wascawy Wepubwikans who are starving chilluns and depriving them of their futures.
Wisconsin, for example, faces a two-year budget deficit of $3.6 billion. Ellsworth Community School District in Wisconsin is slashing 24 of its 150 school personnel positions to save $1.1 million.
One of the educators not returning next year is Shelly Moore, a 13-year English and drama high school teacher at Ellsworth Community High School. Moore teaches grades 9-12. She also is the school’s only Advanced Placement instructor. Moore took her message to Congress last week, reminding lawmakers that investing in education is the right thing to do for students, communities and the nation.
“This is devastating,” said Moore. “How am I going to look at my students in the eye and tell them I won’t be here next year to help them? In all my years teaching, I’ve never seen so little regard for our future. We have to put students first.”
Ms. More's tale of woe is further detailed here.
OS keeps looking for NEA's proposals to stop the arterial bleeding of red ink from both state and federal budgets, and only encounters these stories of heartbroken union members.
They also spend a lot of time and energy going after any alternatives to the 'single-provider' government system.
Hmmm....
NEA and their state organizations have always been the frontline troops for the left edge of the Democrat Party. They helped push Jimmy Carter over the top in 1976, and were rewarded with the Department of Education, which has become a vast black hole of increasing expenditure and decaying returns. Any program, anywhere, anytime, that increased the cost, size and reach of government was loudly supported, and still is. Their support of Obama was breathless.
Obama kept his promise, and mainlined boatloads of borrowed cash into the states to prop up the unsustainable system, gambling (literally, putting the future wealth of the nation on the table) that this would generate enough votes to consolidate control in 2010, when he could really really really get on with the borrowing and spending to set up for 2012, when he really really really get on with the borrowing and spending from 2013 onwards.
Reality has finally set in, just a bit, and the painful cuts (long overdue) are now just being proposed. The worst is ahead.
Now, Himself is finally giving a news conference, talking about having 'an adult conversation', a 'full open debate with the American people', etc. etc. Is this the same guy who in 2009 was holding public speeches about letting the Republicans join in, as long as they 'rode in the back of the bus'?
It's time, long past time, to send the NEA on its way, for the counties and townships and states to take back their school systems from the Federal government and the unions. And, if the unions remain imbedded at the state level, it's time for the localities to take their schools back.
The current system has failed. It began failing in earnest in the 1970's, with the rise of the NEA. It is time to change course.
Now.
Or, alternatively, we could just print up a whole-lotta moh' hot money, and helicopter it down to the states. That's what The Left tells is the answer. That's what they've always told us.
The unions, especially the NEA, are not amused, and use Wisconsin as a case in point about those gweedy, wascawy Wepubwikans who are starving chilluns and depriving them of their futures.
Wisconsin, for example, faces a two-year budget deficit of $3.6 billion. Ellsworth Community School District in Wisconsin is slashing 24 of its 150 school personnel positions to save $1.1 million.
One of the educators not returning next year is Shelly Moore, a 13-year English and drama high school teacher at Ellsworth Community High School. Moore teaches grades 9-12. She also is the school’s only Advanced Placement instructor. Moore took her message to Congress last week, reminding lawmakers that investing in education is the right thing to do for students, communities and the nation.
“This is devastating,” said Moore. “How am I going to look at my students in the eye and tell them I won’t be here next year to help them? In all my years teaching, I’ve never seen so little regard for our future. We have to put students first.”
Ms. More's tale of woe is further detailed here.
OS keeps looking for NEA's proposals to stop the arterial bleeding of red ink from both state and federal budgets, and only encounters these stories of heartbroken union members.
They also spend a lot of time and energy going after any alternatives to the 'single-provider' government system.
Hmmm....
NEA and their state organizations have always been the frontline troops for the left edge of the Democrat Party. They helped push Jimmy Carter over the top in 1976, and were rewarded with the Department of Education, which has become a vast black hole of increasing expenditure and decaying returns. Any program, anywhere, anytime, that increased the cost, size and reach of government was loudly supported, and still is. Their support of Obama was breathless.
Obama kept his promise, and mainlined boatloads of borrowed cash into the states to prop up the unsustainable system, gambling (literally, putting the future wealth of the nation on the table) that this would generate enough votes to consolidate control in 2010, when he could really really really get on with the borrowing and spending to set up for 2012, when he really really really get on with the borrowing and spending from 2013 onwards.
Reality has finally set in, just a bit, and the painful cuts (long overdue) are now just being proposed. The worst is ahead.
Now, Himself is finally giving a news conference, talking about having 'an adult conversation', a 'full open debate with the American people', etc. etc. Is this the same guy who in 2009 was holding public speeches about letting the Republicans join in, as long as they 'rode in the back of the bus'?
It's time, long past time, to send the NEA on its way, for the counties and townships and states to take back their school systems from the Federal government and the unions. And, if the unions remain imbedded at the state level, it's time for the localities to take their schools back.
The current system has failed. It began failing in earnest in the 1970's, with the rise of the NEA. It is time to change course.
Now.
Or, alternatively, we could just print up a whole-lotta moh' hot money, and helicopter it down to the states. That's what The Left tells is the answer. That's what they've always told us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)