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| Aunt Christie: Teacher, Union Thug |
My aunt Christie is a teacher. She is a very good teacher, she wins awards, her students love her, they even started a fan page of her on facebook. If you are reading this, it's thanks to a teacher. If you can do basic math, it's thanks to a teacher.
If your house got robbed, and then caught on fire, would it be alright with you if you were asked to forgo the services of the police and the fire department, because after all, we are in a recession and everyone has to tighten their belts. We just can't afford to send the police and fire department out to just anyone.
All this talk of union busting in Wisconsin has really got my goat. The idea that further sacrifices need to be made by the most important people in the community; teachers, fire fighters, police, sanitation workers... people who don't make a great deal of money to begin with, is insane. That's not hyperbole. it's a statement of fact. It is utterly ridiculous to look to public employees, people who have chosen as their careers often dangerous, sometimes thankless jobs because they recognise the good these jobs can do for the community, as a place where austerity can be further demanded to pay for tax cuts for the rich, and to dig us out of deficits caused by greedy bankers, which they were able to do due to deregulation. It is beyond delusional: it is crazy. Actual "you need your head examined, stay away from me," crazy. On top of this add the clearly disingenuous notion that taking away their collective bargaining rights will help balance the budget. They exposed the deceit of this logic when they removed it from a budgetary bill so that they could pass it without a quorum.
Since these are public employees, the bargaining rights were taken away as a bill passed by the state's legislator, and signed by the Governor. I'm no expert, but I believe that collective bargaining is freedom of speech & striking is peaceful assembly. These are constitutional rights that the government can't take away.
I'm telling you, if I were a public employee in Wisconsin, I would go on strike immediately.
