Watauga County's own bobblehead in the NC Senate isn't going to be able to distance himself from his own Republican caucus. They want to cut K-12 education even more than the Republican majority in the NC House.Laura Leslie of WRAL in Raleigh has video of Senate Democratic Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt's reaction to Mr. Soucek and his colleagues' plans for public education in this state:
"We are destroying the public school system in this state, period," Nesbitt said, pointing out that K-12 schools had already faced two years of steep cuts under the Democrats. "When you've got those cuts already, and you put these on top of them, it's just a death blow .... They're not doing this because they have to. They're doing this because they want to," he said. "I'm beginning to see a pattern here that makes me think the Republican party doesn't like public schools."
Ya reckon?
Gov. Perdue is described as "thoroughly angry" at the Senate's proposal for public education spending, and a spokeswoman for The Guv said, "It’s hard to imagine how far backward this would take our state. If not dead last, then close to it. And that’s not a place we can afford to be right now."
Proud legacy there, Mr. Soucek! But then, everybody should be enrolling their kids in Christian academies anyway, right?
23 comments:
You are mean spirited and basically off your rocker with the truth.
Excuse me, but Soucek was elected to serve and represent his constituents. He's not doing that.
Mr. Soucek, please wake up! Aren't you supposed to be doing what's best for your constituents? Do you really think forcing job cuts at ASU and in the public schools is going to improve the economic outlook in our district? I know half a dozen educators who have left this area or are planning to leave because of the cuts already made. Your actions in Raleigh have real consequences for real people. Please don't let ideology trump what's best for those you represent.
I didn't really intend for this to be an open letter to Mr. Soucek, but I hope he hears what the people of the High Country are saying!
Just what are the people here saying?
Not Really, I hear differently from what you claim to be heaing.
Anonymous, perhaps we run in different circles but all I'm claiming is exactly what I'm hearing. I haven't heard anyone that I know personally, not one single person, argue in favor of these cuts.
I hear that people are tired of government growing faster than the private sector....and tired of government employees making more than those in the private sector....and of government employees having significantly more generous benefit packages than anyone in the private sector.
Keep it up Dan! That's why we elected you! Don't listen to the whining losers...they would have you raise taxes and give it all to the teachers union members!
Amen, Anonymous. 'Couldn't have said it better myself.
And many in the public sector have had it too well for too long at the expense of the private sector.
I think it is a free market and free country. Tell your friends in the private sector to get a public job if they are currently paid less than "government" employees. It sounds like the reason they aren't succeeding in the private sector is because they aren't smart enough to realize they have choices with better opportunities. Your argument is worn out and makes no sense. If you think that public employees are better off than private employees you are a fool, especially since NC is a non-unionized state. But our tea-drinking brethren still don't understand that little piece of fact.
What I hear is that people are angry that bank CEOs pay themselves massive bonuses,Wall Street executives that almost destroyed our economy are rolling in our money, and oil companies are raking in tax credits and profits while holding our economy hostage. We are happy that people who perform vital functions, such as teaching our kids, repairing and building our roads, fighting our wars, and keeping our cities operating are getting decent pay. We just want the 1% of rich jerks who own 95% of the wealth to share in our sacrifice, for a change. interesting video
Well, Anon, if we all did what you recommend, get a public sector job, which by the way, some cannot because they are not politically correct enough or they are not connected enough, then where will the public sector get its support? Where does this County obtain most of its revenues?
The point is, the public sector IS expanding, and the private sector is being squeezed out, by taxes and regulations implemented by the public sector.
"...choices with better opportuntities..." is nothing but a meaningless cliche.
Sadly, your statement about this being a free market and free country is not true. It is an economically managed and controlled market to benefit fewer and fewer, and we are definitely not free.
People in the public sector work as janitors and maintenance people to keep our public buildings safe and clean. They teach your children, staff hospitals, protect vital records, patrol the streets, put out fires, fight your wars. They also pay taxes. This Republican meme that public workers are responsible for our country's decline is just evil. Back in Eisenhower's time, when the richest were taxed at rates greater than 90%, our country was doing very well and our economy was growing by leaps and bounds.
I wonder if those same people were crying out and demanding change when the private sector was growing so much faster than the public. With greater risk comes the possibility of greater rewards. The teaching profession has no opportunity for job growth, and certainly no possibility of riches. The private sector has opportunity for advancement and high salaries. When the economy is booming and private industries are paying great salaries, are these people arguing that it's unfair that the public sector isn't keeping up? Apples to oranges. We want to improve teacher quality, but now we aren't even going to offer modest cost of living raises or good benefit packages? We're going to take away job security and most resources as well? We're going to overload classes and increase testing? And now the teachers and university faculty are the "fat cats" living off the public's generosity? The funny thing is, I still haven't heard any teachers demanding raises. It IS about the kids, but it's just much easier to justify the cuts if you try to deny that. It eases the guilty conscience to convince yourself that teachers are greedy and lazy.
Hard to say what the people you may know are saying. It depends on who you know I suspect.
What I heard people saying last November 2, was "ENOUGH!". Enough out of control spending, enough raising taxes and enough of the entitlement class whining for more and more.
"I think it is a free market and free country."
That's anon's first error. He believes that crap, and still will not believe that Sen Dan was bought and paid for, not by constituency, but by big money.
Geez, this "debate" is stupid. In case you die-hard private-sector people don't realize it, public workers WORK. Further they pay TAXES just like everyone else. They buy in the same stores you do, go to your churches, live in your neighborhoods. If you prick them, do they not bleed? If you poison them, do they not die? And if you wrong them shall they not revenge?
Pitting private vs. public workers plays only into the hands of those few who would enrich themselves at the expense of all.
@Brushfire - Yep, this is exactly what people have been saying in conversations I've had recently. That the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of us is widening and that it's unhealthy for our country. And especially that cutting the budget by cutting jobs rather than maintaining the 1-cent sales tax hike is foolish and shortsighted.
I forgot to mention this: Elon University did a poll back in mid August that found that 82.8% of Democrats, 75.1% of Independents and 68.1% of Republicans supported keeping the one-cent sales tax increase for one more year. That's a strong majority in every group.
Interesting factoid I just learned last night - private sector jobs have grown by about 1.5 million and public sector jobs have SHRUNK by 450,000 in the last two years.
But don't let any facts get in the way of any arguments.
Dan is doing the right thing - keep it up Dan! If wind bags like JW don't like it, then I know he is doing the right thing!
Some do work and work hard. Others have tenure and cannot be fired so they do nothing.
It isn't a matter of the quality of the public sector employee. The ones that I know seem to be dedicated and hard working people.
If there is any issue, it's the question of whether or not every one of them is needed and necessary. Like any other business, if costs can be reduced without sacrifice of quality or service, it should be done.
And there is also the question as to whether or not every government program should continue to exist.
Maybe so, but maybe not - it certainly doesn't hurt to look for ways to reduce government expenditures.
That is a good point. Many government programs should be eliminated because they are redundant, no longer needed, or were useless from the start.
NC is not a unionized state and teachers are paid 47th lowest in the nation and our current per student expenditure is the 49th lowest in the nation. We can't afford more cuts in education.
Post a Comment