Laying Blame
The public school teachers in Wisconsin are not responsible for the credit collapse, the national unemployment rate, the fall of the industrial sector or the fiscal crisis.
Allowing them to bargain collectively has not bankrupted Wisconsin. Its declining tax revenues have nothing to do with the fact that highly educated and trained professionals are earning a decent wage, albeit less than they would in the private sector.
So why are they being blamed and scapegoated? Why are they in the center of the storm over our fiscal future? Where are the Wall Street banks for whom there was no limit to greed?
And most important: Why should our children pay for this?
Make no mistake: They will pay.
I saw Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly drag the president of the teachers union in Wisconsin over the coals and then some when he refused to condemn what is being reported as resorting to phony sick days to allow teachers to go to Madison to protest. Is it wrong to not show up for work so you can protest? Of course it is. The governor isn't paying for that; you're not getting even with him. It's the kids who sit staring blankly at a substitute who pay.
But I can certainly understand the frustration of dedicated teachers at being the butt of bad politics. Everyone likes to talk about bad teachers. However many there are is too many, and they should be fired. But most teachers, the overwhelming majority of teachers, are dedicated men and women working against incredible odds to do right by their students. The teachers I know arrive early and leave late. They bring the school supplies that they buy out of their own pockets. They make themselves available to parents and students long after the school day ends. They are as frustrated by the bureaucracy in large school systems as anyone. Many of them, including many very good ones, give up within five years.
How will taking away their collective bargaining rights change that?
Did I miss the part in this debate where we thank teachers for taking on the social ills no one else wants to touch? The part where we express our gratitude to them for taking care of and trying to teach kids who come to school scared and hungry and unable to read or write? Was I not listening when someone made the point that teachers are the foundation of our nation's future?
There's plenty of blame to go around for what's gone wrong with the economy. You can blame Bush or Obama, Wall Street or the regulators. You can blame Fannie and Freddie and Congress and the Fed. But how do we get off blaming public school teachers?
People keep asking me how this will play politically: Will it help or hurt the Democrats in the next election? Will it help or hurt the union movement nationally?
The truth is that I (and, dare I say, most of the people opining) have no idea. Those are not even the questions that trouble me most. What worries me is the fact that when you turn teachers into scapegoats for problems they had no role in creating, they're likely to do more than call in sick to go protest.
At a certain point, like others who feel their work and commitment are neither recognized nor rewarded, they will simply quit. Frankly, I wouldn't blame them. But it means that whether it's the Republicans or the Democrats who gain, it will be the kids who pay.
To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
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23 Comments | Post Comment
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Hey Susan,
One last F%^&*%* time- the greedy bankers can do nothing unless our cowardly Congress refuses to regulate per Constituional mandate. You libs get every thing backward. One example - for six years Al Francken, Bill Maher, Keith booboo, and a host of other liberal verbal thugs were incivil to President Bush. Whoopee made Kerry laugh at her double entendre Bush. Silence from you and other libs until Oboohoo came to power. Now every Conservative is incivil. Oh, wait a minute - Union protests...Capuano...
Lib media template the last two weeks - Democracy emerging in Mid-East. What did President Bush say he wanted? Gee, do you suppose his policies laid the ground work for possible democracy coming to the Mid-East? Do you think Rachel or Chris will get any tingles in their legs?
Rush: Liberals can't win in the arena of ideas. How true.
Comment: #1
Posted by: T. Macrina
Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:11 AM
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These people are not paid less than they would in the private sector. That canard is getting very tired.
The "adjusting fo education and experience" argument is patently false. These jobs don't require the education or years of experience most currently have. The value a teach has plateaus at 5 years - regardless of education - yet the payscale doesn't reflect this. There is little measurable effect of masters and doctoral degrees in primary and secondary education, and most get additional hours and advanced degrees merely as a way to increase their compensation,
Comment: #2
Posted by: pb1222
Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:32 AM
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So the teachers unions should not be blamed in WI? I get it, but I was not to blame for the housing collapse either (my wife and I live within our means), I am not to blame for the unemployment rate (we are lucky to have jobs, and support unemployment insurance), and no one is hungry because we had a nice meal last night. But we are told we must "contribute" and pay a "fair share" even though we did not cause the problems.
I agree the teachers did not cause the problem, but just like the majority of us who did not cause any of these problems, we are all being asked to "contribute". Leave it at that.
Comment: #3
Posted by: igiveup
Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:46 AM
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FDR had it right. It's just not right for government workers to be unionized. It's not the members who are at fault for our financial demise, it's the union leadership, long known to be corrupt and in bed with politicians.
In the private sector where unions exist, they negotiate with the owner(s) who have to make a profit to exist. In the public sector there is no profit incentive so the wages and benefits just keep going up and the governent steals the money (taxes, fees or federal printing of the stuff) to keep the monster going!
It's disgusting and it's wrong!
Comment: #4
Posted by: Early
Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:31 AM
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So, Susan, how useful is your editorial when you don't even mention that only one-third of Wisconsin eighth grade students read at the eighth grade level? You also fail to acknowledge that these collective bargaining "rights" are what protects the incompetent teachers who fail these children. Further, the complacency and silence of their fellow teachers contribute to the failure of all teachers when it comes to these kids. It's becoming clear that these teacher unions don't care about kids and for that reason alone they should be abolished.
Comment: #5
Posted by: Lesley Barnard
Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:23 AM
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As always, liberals when faced with a facts endeavour to conflate two different problems and to set up a straw man arguement so as to knock it down. No-one is saying that teachers directly caused the financial crisis, however teacher unions and other public service unions and the lackeys they pay off and finance via compulsory union deductions, to wit, Democrat politicians at state and federal level did deliberately and concsiously cause the crisis and did therafter run up unsustainable debt and did contribute heavily to the dire financial straits of country and the bankrupting of the States. It was that fascist and liberal hero FDR that first (correctly) said that there should be no collective bargaining or unionisation of public service employees, a fact that Ms Estrich fails to mention. He did so for the good reasons that are being played out in front of the eyes of those who will see what is happening. Estrich is simply an apologist for what is in effect a money laundering scheme, a fraud on the taxpayer and a necessity for the Democrats. Teacher unions and other public service unions (SEIU) have been the greatest financiers of the Democratic Party in recent years. In return for campaign financing provided to Democrats through union dues teachers unions negotiate on a collective bargaining basis with those self same elected Democrats sweetheart deals and pensions and conditions and in true pay to play function the self same Democrats who are supposed to be representing the best interests of their tax paying constituents dishonestly pay off their public union masters. Could it be clearer or could it be denied that the state senators that have fled Wisconsi have abrogtged their duty to their constituents in favour of kowtowing to their real union masters and financiers upon whom they rely and which reliance is in large part made possible by collective bargaing.
Comment: #6
Posted by: joseph wright
Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:33 AM
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No single raindrop accepts responsibility for the flood.
Comment: #7
Posted by: David Henricks
Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:25 PM
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This time. I have to totally disagree with you. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (the most union president we ever had, and George Meany, President of the American Federation of LabprL have both stated that labor unions have no business in the public sector.
A private corporation receives profits from a created product. From that created product it hires people and pays wages and benefits. Government produces no product and receives no income other than taxes. Public unions negotiate with politicians who have no interests in costs since it gets unlimited income from taxes. Politicians give benefits to unions and unions give money to politicians to help them get reelected.
Teachers who cannot teach or abuse their students cannot be fired because of contracts forced by teachers unions.
Only one-third of Wisconsin's eighth graders have proficient reading skills. Yet, per student, Wisconsin gives one of the highest amounts of money. Let's get real. Right to work laws and arbitration rules have got to change..
We are out of money. It is time to stop the public school monopoly. By the way, I am a former public school teacher.
Comment: #8
Posted by: Ron Kohl
Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:39 PM
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Dear Susan,
Every good magician has a technique when he performs a trick of diverting attention from the trick he is trying to pull. In Wisconsin, this governor has tossed in the union issue and the public has fallen for his trick. Also in that bill is the provision that allows him to sell off Wisconsin energy assets in no-bid fashion to whatever entity he deems appropriate (Read Koch industries.) If this bill passes, Gov. Walker could literally give these assets to the Koch brothers for pennies on the dollar and no one could stop him. This is NOT about collective bargaining. That is peanuts alongside the energy assets sell-off or should I say sell-out.
If you let crooks set the rules, they will. Watch your wallet and your watch. My dad used to say before he passed, "NEVER TRUST A MAN WHO WEARS WING-TIP SHOES." By the way, he wore wing-tips to work every day of his working career.
Comment: #9
Posted by: robert lipka
Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:46 PM
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Teachers are most certainly to blame for this. They are overwhelmingly liberal and use their position to advocate for the welfare state and advance socialism. They have purposely kept their students ignorant of free market economics and the harmful effects of government intervention into the economy. They form part of the coalition that keeps Democrats in control. It was the people and ideology that they actively support that let to the housing crisis, gasoline prices rising, governmental regulations that destroy business opportunities and to the worst economy since the depression. It was the Democrats who fought all attempts to reign in the excesses of Fannie and Freddie Mac. They support all of the programs that have led to the huge budget deficit problems on both state and federal levels. They certainly are to blame as they have been as a group part of the process that has led us into the economic disaster we are facing today. So please don't tell me they are not responsible.
Comment: #10
Posted by: Gary Lehrer
Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:30 AM
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I am a conservative admirer of many of your columns - I think you're one of the more objective and fair minded columnists on the left - I know what you meant here but your column missed the point. My mom was a teacher, I have the utmost respect for good teachers but believe they are being corrupted by a greedy undemocratic union process which has most definitely resulted in poor results and an out-of-control financial benefit structure. The governors (not all Republicans) are right to address the problem and collective bargaining IS the main problem and needs to be truncated in the manner suggested by Walker/Kasich/Daniels among others. My only complaint about the teachers is that they're protesting along with the union goons (not all are goons, too many are) bussed in by the Democratic party, many out of state, many non-teachers with Obama's overt but mostly unofficial support, it's very unbecoming particularly as US Govt' workers themselves aren't permitted to have the same privileges the state and municipal public sector employees have. Otherwise theye're pawns of the system, innocent victims in a sense. However this is a long overdue movement to rein in the unions, they've overreached as the Democratic administration did the last 4 years or so, this is a huge losing issue for liberals and the MSM.
Comment: #11
Posted by: John de Carville
Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:19 PM
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Re: Gary Lehrer Where are your facts? Have you polled teachers on their political leanings? Where's the data showing the liberal (or even conservative) agenda is at the root of our current problems? When you subscribe to narrow ideology, eventually you're going to painted into an ideological corner. Get a clue.
Comment: #12
Posted by: Bob
Sat Feb 26, 2011 2:44 PM
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Very well said Susan, judging from the replies of your column; it's obvious this forum is overflowing with brainwashed teabaggers.
The very people who bash the union are the same people who benefit from the accomplishments the union put in place.
Nonunion teabaggers with their 'Joe the Plumber' mentality aren't refusing over-time pay when they work past a 40 hour week.
Nonunion teabaggers aren't refusing paid vacations.
Nonunion teabaggers aren't refusing maternity leave with pay.
Nonunion teabagger women aren't willing to accept lower wages than men who perform identical duties at work.
I could go on and on, oh yeah I forgot, for the teabaggers campaigning about they don't want government in their lives; I'm willing to bet they're the first ones who show-up for their unemplyment check when they get laid-off.
There is one reason and one reason only why the teabaggers are in this drunken state of hatred for the government today; the reason is plain as Black and White. None of the phony complaints by the teabaggers would ever be an issue if the President was White.
Comment: #13
Posted by: Jdrealtalk
Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:07 PM
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Recently, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, noted that one million teachers will be needed over the next decade to fill the ranks of the "Baby Boomers" who will be retiring from the classroom. Your opinion piece rightly points out that the negative attacks on the education profession will give those who might wish to become teachers pause to reconsider. Your views offer a counter weight to the recent unwarranted focus.
Comment: #14
Posted by: Lloyd Stableford
Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:07 AM
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Written thanks for a Wisconson teacher from an 8th grader..
Deer teechir
thankz fir teeching mee too reed and too rite. I m wun of thoze 8 graderz in the top 33% in Wis hu are prof...pfd prifish ....gud at reeding an riting. See how well i du. thankz as wel for teeching me to hate Amerika jus lik yu. PC is grate. I reeely lik it wen yu carry signs that hav cuss wurdz an stuff an tak sik daz when yu r not sik and teech me to steel from the taxpayir. wat iz a defisit an wy du we hav no moniy. What isd kolektiv barginning. Seemz that the longir i am in publik skool with yu the dummer i get compared to kidz in every othir cuontri in the wurld.
thanks teech.
Comment: #15
Posted by: joseph wright
Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:15 AM
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There are many errors in fact in your piece. First, you state that public school teachers aren't responsible for the debt in WI. Only partially true. They are a significant contributor as are all public sector unions. When the true "employer", the taxpayers, aren't at the bargaining table, it's simply collusion between parties in a symbiotic relationship. To insist that the collective bargaining arrangement as it stands hasn't been a significant contributor to the debt is idiotic.
Next, you say that the teachers are "professionals are earning a decent wage, albeit less than they would in the private sector." There is nearly universal consensus that public school teachers not only earn higher salaries than private school teachers, their benefit packages for which they pay comparatively nothing are orders of magnitude better, and they have virtually 100% job security while working 9 months. There has been no "shared sacrifice" by teachers or any other public union.
We spend more per student than any country on the planet and yet our students perform in the bottom third on standardized tests. To say that teachers don't have some role in this abysmal performance is delusional.
You say that good teachers are equally frustrated by the "bureaucracy" but neglect to mention that this bureaucracy is primarily driven by union work rules.
You then state that sure there are bad teachers but simply throw that remark away without examining WHY we can't get rid of them. The answer is simple...Teachers unions.
You say they aren't responsible...but they continue to vote for the very leaders who create the bureaucracy and participate in a corrupt bargaining relationship.
We spend more per student than any country on the planet and yet our students perform in the bottom third on standardized tests. To say that teachers don't have some role in this abysmal performance is delusional.
Comment: #16
Posted by: Econ101
Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:40 PM
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Collective bargining should be illeagal here's why...
Lets say I clean carpets for a living I go to a cliants house and we agree I will do the work. Then I go across the street and work out my fee with out my customers knowlage. WE agree on a price, then I go to the next house and explain that I am going to clean his neighbors and with the help of the guy across the street we worked out a price for service and now I need you to pay for it. Wow am I the only one who think's this is illeagal?
The only right you have as an employee is to show up and do your job no matter what day it is or how many hours it takes to do it period.
Comment: #17
Posted by: Thomas D. Farrington
Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:15 PM
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Re: Jdrealtalk
You are one of the problems. This is not about Racism!
Comment: #18
Posted by: Early
Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:54 AM
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Suzie you have gone around the bend.
Comment: #19
Posted by: Paul
Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:09 AM
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Susan:
Keep an eye on the transaction not the selected victim of choice for diversion.
This is a take down of the professional class.
A brief history of manipulation needs your attention: The New World Order based on the Thousand Year Reich needed a worldwide International Banking plan. This plan was intoduced to Ronald Reagan by the Hudson Institute and Herman Kahn with his book, "The Coming Boom." This plan outlines Creative Destruction by economic collaspe, which was investigated by the National Commission on the cause of the financial crisis and called "Deliberate."
This attack on unions is another step to downsize wages and perks. Part-time jobs will do away with overtime, pensions, insurance and reduce wages.
If the Republicans take down this money base provided by the unions that support the Democrats, they will be the only party with money and the leg of the middle class and the professionals will no longer exist.
Comment: #20
Posted by: Mark McCumber
Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:14 AM
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McCumber we are keeping an eye on the transactions of this administration. Prey tell who is it that constantly calls for an International Banking Plan; answer world order globalists like Obama the lap dog of Soros. Who is it that has preached creative destruction by economic collapse; answer Obam's other chosen mentors Cloward and Priven. The Thousand Year Reich of the nazis or as more accuratgely described the National Socialist German Workers Party ( fascists just like Obama) was a national socialist/statist goal that embraced and made use of crony capitalism just as Obama embraces today. The financial crisis was deliberate and was indeed engineered by a cadre of powerful statists aided by a dishonest Democrat congress and its paymasters Fannie and Freddie which were simply slush funds for Democrats. There is no attack on unions but there is a response to wrongful unionization of public employees feasting off the taxpayer and the destructive privilege of collective bargaining with public service unions. Your comments display a lot more than just a hint of mirroring. You have unintentionally but effectively described the Obama administration's objectives and not the objectives of Republicans or conservatives. Oops! What a fool!
Comment: #21
Posted by: joseph wright
Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:43 PM
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"Allowing them [public school teachers] to bargain collectively has not bankrupted Wisconsin."
False strawman -- this is not a claim being made.
"Its declining tax revenues have nothing to do with the fact that highly educated and trained professionals are earning a decent wage, albeit less than they would in the private sector."
False premise on two counts: it ignores benefits and their cost (and job security), and presumes a market value on their worth where such a market doesn't exist. If collective bargaining is eliminated entirely, only then would market forces indicate a "value" for attracting and retaining qualified workers. Hey, if an open market was allowed for determining teacher pay and benefits, it's quite likely that the best teachers would see higher pay than what they are currently getting. The worst teachers would be offered less pay, perhaps encouraging them to pursue a different career (or improve their skills).
"So why are they being blamed and scapegoated?"
Another false strawman. Teachers aren't being scapegoated. Union "bargaining" is being scapegoated.
Let's be clear, Wisconsin is not bankrupt. Yet. All the defined benefit retirement benefits granted over the last 20 years are starting to result in retirement payouts which are about to skyrocket, as a generation of public employees begin retirement without a retirement fund which can support the payouts. The actuarial disaster is very similar to the Social Security funding collapse which is looming in the next 20 years (unless the benefits are reconciled with the available funding). The "Budget Repair Bill", in part, seeks to avoid bankruptcy rather than recover from bankruptcy.
Other points missing from the essay: Increased efficiency from more flexible work rules, and cost reductions from more flexible benefits suppliers (e.g. low-cost, non union-affiliated health services provider).
Even without mentioning the corruption and collusion in union bargaining, the Budget Repair Bill makes sense.
-- Bob Elkind
Comment: #22
Posted by: bob elkind
Sun Mar 6, 2011 10:27 PM
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Your piece is very good. Teachers are, to use a military term, 'soft targets'.
There were two articles in the 'Huntsville Times' that talks about a possible connection between this attempt to destroy the unions and the Koch brothers based in Wichita, Kansas. They pumped a good bit of money into Walkers bib for the govenorship through a front organization, Americans for Prosperity. Who says we do not have corruption in this country. We just give it a cute name, 'lobbying'.
The two articles are in the 'Huntsville Times of 24 February 2011, Page A8, and 3 March 2011, Page A9.
Comment: #23
Posted by: Ray Bushnell
Tue Mar 8, 2011 9:58 AM
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