When you have an income tax you lose whatever little local control over education you have as a taxpayer. When more tax dollars come from the state instead of the local communities, teacher unions can lobby the state for increased funds thus accelerating the spending race in public education.
If we get an income tax in New Hampshire you will see education salaries sky rocket to the levels they are in Illinois. An income tax will not guarantee lowered property taxes, budget deficits or an underfunded pension system. Illinois' pensions are currently underfunded by 27 billion dollars.
Interesting tidbits from the article below.
"More than 40,000 Illinois public school employees, or about 25 percent, have total compensation of more than $100,000 per year."
"Over the past five years, that totals about 75,000 unemployed teachers. What other profession has a 30 percent unemployment rate but growing numbers of $100,000 salaries?"
This ladies and gentlemen is why we must rip public education from the iron fisted grip of the unions and educrat associations.
Quote of the Day - "Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks." Current Communist Goals
Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -
January 10, 1963
The following article appears at the Heartland Institute's website.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Illinois Public School Teachers Out-Earn Private Sector
Written By: Bill Zettler
Published In: School Reform News > April 2009
Publication date: 04/01/2009
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
While most of us struggle to make ends meet and put off our retirement plans in today’s contracting economy, Illinois school employees continue their unabated raid on public funds.
In fiscal year 2008, 11,254 Illinois public school employees had annual salaries exceeding $100,000, up from 9,591 in 2007. When pensions, retirement health insurance, and employee insurance are added, public school employees’ total compensation is about 30 percent more than their salary. That means more than 40,000 Illinois public school employees, or about 25 percent, have total compensation of more than $100,000 per year.
And that $100,000 does not include the value of tenure or a nine-month work year.
Comparing Compensation
As the accompanying table indicates, many subjects being taught by very highly compensated public employees could easily be outsourced to the private sector for much less.
Another point of comparison is how much these public employees could make in the private sector with their education and experience. For example, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the Chicago area, salaries for non-teachers with bachelor’s degrees in fine art range from $24,000 for floral designers to $58,000 for painters, sculptors, and commercial designers working 12 months a year. Yet the state’s taxpayers give 71 public school teachers statewide, employed just nine months a year, between $100,000 and $161,000 a year in total compensation for those same skills.
In addition, taxpayers must guarantee the teachers their jobs (tenure) and pensions, whereas the private sector guarantees neither.
The same dynamic applies to other subjects, such as music, dance, and physical education. It seems unlikely, for example, that many experts in Latin and Hebrew make $137,000 plus tenure and pension in the private sector. To my knowledge, neither priests nor rabbis make nearly that much.
High Hourly Rates
The hourly rate calculation shows teaching jobs in Illinois compare favorably to the billing rate for professional services such as lawyers—except a lawyer’s hourly rate would include overhead such as cars, phones, computers, office space, and secretaries. What the lawyer takes home is a fraction of the hourly rate, whereas Illinois teachers are taking all of it home. And of course, no one guarantees a lawyer’s job or pension.
Thus the state could save the taxpayers some money by hiring a lawyer to teach driver’s ed or, better yet, to teach Latin, pro bono.
Teachers and their unions frequently argue they need to be paid more, or otherwise fewer qualified people will enter the profession. But substitute teachers are available for about $150 per day. Why not hire one to replace that $1,400 per day art teacher?
Also, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois districts outside the Chicago area pay much less yet seem to be able to fill their positions without a problem. For example, Cairo District 1 has a driver’s ed teacher with 19 years of experience working for a salary of $41,000 and an art teacher with 28 years of experience working for $52,000 a year.
Even allowing for a substantial cost-of-living adjustment, those public employee positions are filled at a fraction of the cost suburban Chicago schools pay.
Replacements Waiting
Most importantly, ISBE reports in 2007 there were at least 18,000 more newly certified teachers in Illinois than available teaching jobs. Over the past five years, that totals about 75,000 unemployed teachers. What other profession has a 30 percent unemployment rate but growing numbers of $100,000 salaries?
Clearly it’s wrong to say school districts won’t be able to hire teachers without paying six-figure salaries. The only thing making taxpayers liable for the outlandish compensation plans seen in the Chicago area is collusion between politicians and the teacher unions.
Taxpayers should not be forced to pay more for a given service than it should cost if purchased from the private sector. Taxes are exacted from the citizenry for the common good, and no good is served by overpaying for public services.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Will this be the End of Farmer's Markets and the Start of Unseen Taxes on Your Food?
Are you someone who loves to plant a garden? Are you someone who loves New Hampshire's Farmers Market? Well get ready to possibly say good-bye to your loves. So thank you to all the socialist I mean democratic voters who may have taken even more of our rights away with one very careless vote.
The following piece appears at Campaign for Liberty.org.
The picture appears at Frugalicity.com.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment
Posted by LydiaScott on 03/06/09 03:36 AM
Last updated 03/29/09 06:36 AM
HR 875 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c1112RD9bb:e11439:
This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit the floor. One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have read it. As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is saying. Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to this devastating legislation. Devastating for everyday folks but great for factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few.
I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers. This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed. It will affect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it. It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods. If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed. That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF. The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share. Post your observations and insights below. Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.
Pay special attention to
* Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety.
* section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
Red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........
* Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
* Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
* Affects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
* Affects anyone producing meat of any kind including the processing wild game for personal consumption.
* Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
* Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with?
* Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
* Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
* There are many more but by the time I got this far in the legislation I was so alarmed that I wanted to bring someone's attention to it. (to the one person who reads my blog)
Didn't Stalin nationalize farming methods that enabled his administration to gain control over the food supply? Didn't Stalin use the food to control the people?
To read the rest of the piece go to the Campaign for Liberty.org website.
62% of Schools Failed to Make Adequate Yearly Progress
AYP reports from the Dept of ED are to come out on Monday. Last year 62% of public schools failed to make adequate yearly progress and 40% of schools are in need of improvement. Yet legislators continue to pander to the teachers unions and administrators while blocking real reform and doing what is best for New Hampshire's children.
We need to get rid of tenure it protects bad teachers and prevents schools from hiring teachers that could improve student performance.
Legislators and unions oppose school choice they would rather that your child sit in one of the 40% of schools in need of improvement or one of the 62% of schools that failed to make AYP rather than let you find an institute that could better prepare your child for life.
They oppose complete homeschooling freedom because despite how well homeschoolers do they think as providers of a failing education system they can do a better job than a parent who is truly doing it for the kids and for free.
It is not about what is best for New Hampshire's children it is about money and power. Shame on any legislator and educator who does not support educational freedom. You are a part of the problem and not a part of the solution. Seriously how do you look yourself in the mirror each morning?
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
The following AP article appears at Boston.Com.
CONCORD, N.H.—The New Hampshire Department of Education plans to release its annual Adequate Yearly Progress report on schools Monday.
To achieve passing progress, schools or districts must have met reading and mathematics targets. They must also have met state participation, attendance and graduation goals.
Last year, 175 schools achieved passing progress in all areas. The department said 282 schools failed one or more targets.
If schools don't meet adequate progress for two years in a row, they are added to a list of schools in need of improvement. Fifty schools were added to the list last year, bringing the total to 183.
We need to get rid of tenure it protects bad teachers and prevents schools from hiring teachers that could improve student performance.
Legislators and unions oppose school choice they would rather that your child sit in one of the 40% of schools in need of improvement or one of the 62% of schools that failed to make AYP rather than let you find an institute that could better prepare your child for life.
They oppose complete homeschooling freedom because despite how well homeschoolers do they think as providers of a failing education system they can do a better job than a parent who is truly doing it for the kids and for free.
It is not about what is best for New Hampshire's children it is about money and power. Shame on any legislator and educator who does not support educational freedom. You are a part of the problem and not a part of the solution. Seriously how do you look yourself in the mirror each morning?
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
The following AP article appears at Boston.Com.
CONCORD, N.H.—The New Hampshire Department of Education plans to release its annual Adequate Yearly Progress report on schools Monday.
To achieve passing progress, schools or districts must have met reading and mathematics targets. They must also have met state participation, attendance and graduation goals.
Last year, 175 schools achieved passing progress in all areas. The department said 282 schools failed one or more targets.
If schools don't meet adequate progress for two years in a row, they are added to a list of schools in need of improvement. Fifty schools were added to the list last year, bringing the total to 183.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Great Union Cartoon In The Union Leader
This cartoon expresses a sentiment that I have held for years. Public unions always expect taxpayers to give but they are never willing to give a little themselves. Private unions have destroyed the textile, steel and car industry in this country. Luckily the airline unions are working a little more than in the past to protect the business.
The following cartoon appeared in the Editorial Pages of the March 30, 2009 edition of the Union Leader.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
New Addition to the Peschke Family
Fletcher has been keeping the family busy. More frequent posting will resume as time permits.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I was wrong!
For years I have spoke out against the public education system. I felt I knew what was best for my children, I have come to the realization that I was wrong. There is no one who can better educate my children than the public education system.
My children will learn about diversity, that history is not a constant but it changes over time they will learn to read by recognition and not by phonics. My children will learn that being a good American means going green no matter what the science is behind going green. My children will learn that it is okay to spell a word wrong as long as you come close, they will also learn it is okay to say that 2 + 2= 5 as long as they tried hard and feel good about their effort. My children will learn that it is okay to be fiscally irresponsible and to question parental authority. My children will learn to accept socialism.
I know that taxing me as much as possible even if it means losing my home is what is best for my children. My children will learn that taxes are good and teachers and school employees should be paid whatever they want. My children will learn that it is okay to be a leech off of the rest of society and that personal responsibility is just not necessary in America today. My children will learn to hate America.
I now understand that it is okay for educators to use my children as political pawns. I know it is okay for them to tell my children to go home and tell me that their teacher will lose their job if we do not support the school tax increase.
Happy April Fools Day
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
My children will learn about diversity, that history is not a constant but it changes over time they will learn to read by recognition and not by phonics. My children will learn that being a good American means going green no matter what the science is behind going green. My children will learn that it is okay to spell a word wrong as long as you come close, they will also learn it is okay to say that 2 + 2= 5 as long as they tried hard and feel good about their effort. My children will learn that it is okay to be fiscally irresponsible and to question parental authority. My children will learn to accept socialism.
I know that taxing me as much as possible even if it means losing my home is what is best for my children. My children will learn that taxes are good and teachers and school employees should be paid whatever they want. My children will learn that it is okay to be a leech off of the rest of society and that personal responsibility is just not necessary in America today. My children will learn to hate America.
I now understand that it is okay for educators to use my children as political pawns. I know it is okay for them to tell my children to go home and tell me that their teacher will lose their job if we do not support the school tax increase.
Happy April Fools Day
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Monday, March 30, 2009
What would happen if administrators, teachers and school workers held these values.
Honesty - All financial documents including check registries and all employment contracts would be online. They would stop using the "It's for the kids" line.
Reverence - Students, parents and taxpayers interests would be first priority and placed above the interests of the employees.
Hope - Educators would hope for a change in the public education system where the money follows the child and not the institute. This would allow for the best education situation chosen for students to achieve maximum educational results while reducing dropout rates.
Thrift - All education spending would be kept in line with the CPI. Educators would work to streamline education and get rid of unfunded mandates. Education in the primary years would focus primarily on the three R's until mastered.
Humility - Educators would stop using the line "teaching is the hardest job in the world." Sorry there are many professions that are more difficult and dangerous than teaching and many are more important than teaching. If an educator cannot see this they should not be an educator.
Charity - All educators would volunteer to do two hours of free tutoring a week to aid those children who are not making AYP in math, reading, writing and science.
Sincerity - Educators would question their sincerity to the education of children every year. If in doubt they would walk away from the profession and open the door to the ten of thousands of applicants who are rejected every year because of the lack of teaching positions available.
Moderation - The Education industry would do away with all lobbyist and stop trying to squeeze as much money out of the taxpayer as possible. The education industry would fight to get rid of pensions and the defined benefit plan and switch to a defined contribution plan and/or social security.
Hard Work - Whiney Arrogant School People (WASP) would actually stop whining and put more effort into getting better education results without whining about their long work day/year and lack of payment for planning time. Many jobs do not get paid for extra work and paperwork time. Why would someone go into teaching and not expect to have to spend time before or after work making plans and grading papers.
Courage - WASPs would have the courage to reject their unions and status quo in education. They would fight for fiscal responsibility in education and they would work to get rid of tenure (this only benefits educators and protects bad teachers tenure does not benefit children). They would have the courage to get rid of the so many unnecessary mandates. As good or great educators they would not fear school choice or homeschooling freedom and would fight for both.
Personal Responsibility - Educators would take responsibility for all student results instead of just successes. They will stop blaming parents for failure.
Gratitude - They would be grateful that they have been given the honor to educate the children in their community. They would be grateful to have such a well paying job with a short work year, excellent benefits and an outstanding retirement plan that is bankrupting states across America.
Values hat tip Glenn Beck.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Reverence - Students, parents and taxpayers interests would be first priority and placed above the interests of the employees.
Hope - Educators would hope for a change in the public education system where the money follows the child and not the institute. This would allow for the best education situation chosen for students to achieve maximum educational results while reducing dropout rates.
Thrift - All education spending would be kept in line with the CPI. Educators would work to streamline education and get rid of unfunded mandates. Education in the primary years would focus primarily on the three R's until mastered.
Humility - Educators would stop using the line "teaching is the hardest job in the world." Sorry there are many professions that are more difficult and dangerous than teaching and many are more important than teaching. If an educator cannot see this they should not be an educator.
Charity - All educators would volunteer to do two hours of free tutoring a week to aid those children who are not making AYP in math, reading, writing and science.
Sincerity - Educators would question their sincerity to the education of children every year. If in doubt they would walk away from the profession and open the door to the ten of thousands of applicants who are rejected every year because of the lack of teaching positions available.
Moderation - The Education industry would do away with all lobbyist and stop trying to squeeze as much money out of the taxpayer as possible. The education industry would fight to get rid of pensions and the defined benefit plan and switch to a defined contribution plan and/or social security.
Hard Work - Whiney Arrogant School People (WASP) would actually stop whining and put more effort into getting better education results without whining about their long work day/year and lack of payment for planning time. Many jobs do not get paid for extra work and paperwork time. Why would someone go into teaching and not expect to have to spend time before or after work making plans and grading papers.
Courage - WASPs would have the courage to reject their unions and status quo in education. They would fight for fiscal responsibility in education and they would work to get rid of tenure (this only benefits educators and protects bad teachers tenure does not benefit children). They would have the courage to get rid of the so many unnecessary mandates. As good or great educators they would not fear school choice or homeschooling freedom and would fight for both.
Personal Responsibility - Educators would take responsibility for all student results instead of just successes. They will stop blaming parents for failure.
Gratitude - They would be grateful that they have been given the honor to educate the children in their community. They would be grateful to have such a well paying job with a short work year, excellent benefits and an outstanding retirement plan that is bankrupting states across America.
Values hat tip Glenn Beck.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Why New Hampshire Does Not Need An Income Tax Again.
The following piece appears at LoHud.com. If New Hampshire gets an income tax it will tax away what little local control of our education tax dollars we have as taxpayers. The below piece eloquently points out the problems with strong teachers unions.
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Teacher's union won't cooperate
Re Jo Rein's March 20 Community View ("A call for compromise on Mamaroneck school budget"): I agree with everything except asking the teachers' union for voluntary concessions. The chance of getting any meaningful concessions from any New York teachers' unions are zero, simply because they don't have to.
The writer asks, please, for concessions. Where have you ever heard the organization paying out money, allowing the recipient to dictate terms?
The 600,000-member teachers unions in New York are the most powerful special interest group in Albany - in 2008 they were the No. 1 spender in lobbying money, and among the top three in contributions to political candidates. Last year the union beat back attempts by the Assembly to pass laws allowing the firing of incompetent teachers (based on test scores), and capping annual increases in property taxes.
Our teachers are well paid, have gold-plated health and retirement benefits, up to 16 weeks off per year, and virtually 100 percent job security. I'd guess of their 600,000 members, as close to zero percent as mathematically possible were fired for incompetence.
You have to distinguish between the teachers with whom you interact all year, and their union. One has the best interests of our children at heart, the other has only one interest, and that is power.
So avoid any attempts at meaningful discussions with the union and concentrate on what we can control - elimination of courses and services. There is always the problem of unfunded state mandates - I wonder what group is lobbying for that.
Joe Gorman
Larchmont
Cathy
Spelling and grammar errors as well as typos are left as an exercise for my readers.
Teacher's union won't cooperate
Re Jo Rein's March 20 Community View ("A call for compromise on Mamaroneck school budget"): I agree with everything except asking the teachers' union for voluntary concessions. The chance of getting any meaningful concessions from any New York teachers' unions are zero, simply because they don't have to.
The writer asks, please, for concessions. Where have you ever heard the organization paying out money, allowing the recipient to dictate terms?
The 600,000-member teachers unions in New York are the most powerful special interest group in Albany - in 2008 they were the No. 1 spender in lobbying money, and among the top three in contributions to political candidates. Last year the union beat back attempts by the Assembly to pass laws allowing the firing of incompetent teachers (based on test scores), and capping annual increases in property taxes.
Our teachers are well paid, have gold-plated health and retirement benefits, up to 16 weeks off per year, and virtually 100 percent job security. I'd guess of their 600,000 members, as close to zero percent as mathematically possible were fired for incompetence.
You have to distinguish between the teachers with whom you interact all year, and their union. One has the best interests of our children at heart, the other has only one interest, and that is power.
So avoid any attempts at meaningful discussions with the union and concentrate on what we can control - elimination of courses and services. There is always the problem of unfunded state mandates - I wonder what group is lobbying for that.
Joe Gorman
Larchmont
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