Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker should rein in teachers union
-
Print
-
Create a hardcopy of this page
-
Font Size:
-
Default font size
-
Larger font size
Posted: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 12:00 am
|
Updated: 6:20 am, Wed Mar 9, 2011.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker should rein in teachers union
Oh, that bad old Gov. Scott Walker picking on the poor
defenseless teachers in Wisconsin. Gee, he wants to take away their
Viagra (cost to taxpayers, $780,000) and their sexchange operations
courtesy of the taxpayer.
The Wisconsin taxpayer pays Milwaukee public school teachers
74.2 cents for retirement and health benefits for every dollar they
receive in wages. According to the manager of financial planning
for Milwaukee public schools, the average Milwaukee public school
teacher salary is $56,500, but with benefits, the total package is
$100,005.
The district's contribution for pensions and Social Security
total 22.6 cents for each dollar of salary (teachers contribute
nothing) and the school district pays the entire premium for
medical and vision benefits, and more than half the cost of dental
coverage. Teachers can retire in their 50s and their entire premium
in effect in retirement is paid until they are eligible for
Medicare, and then retirees cover only the growth in premiums after
they retire. Overall, the school districts' contributions to health
insurance for employees and retirees total about 50.9 cents on top
of every dollar paid in wages.
"In Wisconsin the teachers union doesn't just bargain for more
health dollars. It also bargains to require that local school
districts buy health insurance through the union-affiliated
health-insurance plan, called WEA Trust. This gives the union (not
the state) ultimate say over health benefits. It also costs the
state at least $68 million more annually than it would if schools
could buy the state-employee health plan — money that goes to the
union outfit" (Kimberley Strassel, Wall Street Journal, Feb.
25).
"What these numbers ultimately prove is the excessive power of
collective bargaining. The teachers' main pension plan is set by
the state legislature, but under the pressure of local bargaining,
the employees contribution is often pushed onto the taxpayers. As
the costs of pensions and insurance escalate, the governor's
proposal to restrict Collective Bargaining to salaries — not
benefits — seems entirely reasonable" (Robert M. Costrell,
professor of educational reform and economics at the University of
Arkansas, WSJ, Feb. 25).
Phyllis Roche
Lodi
Posted in
Letters
on
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 12:00 am.
Updated: 6:20 am.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days. You will see 10 articles for free before being asked to register, and then you can view 10 additional articles by registering or logging in. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thanks for visiting Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 free articles every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) total free articles remaining ((%remaining_reg%) before being asked to register and (%remaining_sub%) before being asked to subscribe). Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You have viewed (%viewed%) of your 20 free pages in 30 days. Please login or register at this time and enjoy the next (%remaining%) articles free of charge. After your 20 free articles, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. Because you have already viewed this article, you may view it again as many times as you would like without subtracting from your remaining free article views.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for registering on Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days, and you currently have (%remaining%) remaining. Then, if you enjoy our site and want full access, we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading Lodinews.com. You're entitled to view 20 articles for free every 30 days. This is your last free article this period. On your next article we'll ask you to purchase an affordable subscription.
(%remaining%) Remaining
Thank you for reading 20 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 20 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription at this time and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 209-369-2761.
Joanne Bobin posted at 3:48 pm on Thu, Mar 10, 2011.
As a representative of this publication, Ms. Anger really should not be commenting (plus I did not see the POINT of her comments but to lay out how much money she and her husband have). Also, I wonder why Ms. Anger's column, "Women of a Certain Age" has no ability to receive comments - maybe because it is the worst written column in the LNS and adds nothing but "gossip" value?
My point - that Ms. Roche, who has been sending LTE for a good 20 years or more never composes her own submissions. They are consistently "lifted," as in PLAGIARIZED from other publications without Ms. Roche giving credit. Yes, I've checked many of them and they are taken word-for-word.
Bottom line...Ms. Roche likes what she reads - agrees with it - submits it as her own thoughts and writing. That is just plain wrong.
Charles Nelson posted at 1:05 pm on Thu, Mar 10, 2011.
Well, Ms. Bobin, heres a quote for you, properly attributed.: "All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service."- Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That's right, the most Socialist president in history before the 2008 elections, was against public employee unions. He knew that it wasn't in the best interest of America, and he was right.
posted at 8:15 am on Thu, Mar 10, 2011.
What IS Joanne point? Doesn't do much good to "grade" other comments without stating an opinion. Mine? I contribute 20% TO A 401K. My husband has a federal pension. Yea...a pension (now a dirty word) but we still pay out big bucks for our own medical, dental and supplemental retirement accounts. That pension is subject to freezes and increased medical share placed by congress. You pay your own way in this world. Even with now vilified pension systems, a free ride is simply not in the best interest of the national economy. Wake up! Who on earth believes that everyone should pay more so others can continue to pay nothing. Where on earth is that fair? Oh that's right...its fair right here in our ever-increasing socialist structure.
Gerald Krein posted at 10:15 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
So Joanne, what is your point? Have you fact checked Ms. Roche and have something to say about the article. Do you have information that disproves what is said in the article? I don't really care where the info comes from as long as it is accurate.
Joanne Bobin posted at 4:15 pm on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
As usual, Ms. Roche's letters are basically plagiarized from whatever JBS garbage ends up in her mail/email box. She obviously does not check any of the claims made in these "articles." The first half of her letter is taken word-for-word from a Robert Costrell article (also taken from the WSJ), but without the credit.
Please, Ms. Roche, either stop writing nonsense, or do the research and write an original letter based on your own ideas and FACTS.