I have been opposed to delaying the 4 percent cost-of-living (COLA) increase for government workers scheduled to kick in on July 1st, preferring instead layoffs of non-essential staff. However, after reading a ton of whiny, outrageous, and downright insulting emails which have been sent to state legislators - all at that the behest of the Nevada teachers union (big surprise there, huh?) - over the past few days, I’ve may have changed my mind.
These people who owe their very paychecks to the taxpayers of Nevada harbor an entitlement mentality which is damn near impossible to comprehend. And they seem to think THEY are the only people in the state who are suffering from the present economic slowdown. Here, take a look at some of what these people have written over the past week…
“The cost of living adjustment appropriated by the 2007 Legislature belongs to us and you should not seek to rob us of our raises,” whines Joy Findley in an email to state legislators. “We are counting on that money to pay our bills and feed our families.”
And yet Ms. Findley’s union is perfectly OK with raising taxes so that the rest of us have less money to pay OUR bills and feed OUR families so that she can have mo’ money to pay her bills and feed her family. Some might call that rather selfish. I do.
“Do not take away the COLA that we need and deserve,” whines Scott Miller, a Clark County school teacher, in his email to legislators. “If you choose to do this, I suggest that you ask yourself who benefits in the long term. Who suffers? Do you have children? Would you steal from their piggybanks too?”
There you have it. Telling government teachers - who are already pretty well paid for nine months of work and very well compensated as far as insurance, retirement, days off, summer-long summer vacations, etc. - that delaying a 4 percent pay raise is akin to stealing from a kid’s piggybank. And this greedy SOB is teaching our kids?
Oh, and this one is a real doozy:
“I moved across the country from Illinois, leaving my family and the home I have always known behind,” whines Lisa Tanin. “Without thousands of individuals such as myself doing the same thing, Nevada would not be able to fulfill its obligation in educating the future of Nevada. Clark County would not be one of the most successful urban school districts.”
Clark County is one of the most successful urban school districts in the country? I thought smoking crack was against the law?
But little Ms. Tanin was just getting’ warmed up: “Most teachers in Clark County are not from Nevada and have homes elsewhere that they can return to where just as much money, if not more, will be paid to them.” You know what I say? Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
But Tanin still isn’t finished. “Some teachers are even homeless,” she claims. “This (COLA) is a minimal amount owed to the teachers in this state.”
Bluff-calling time. Name them, Ms. Tanin. Name the homeless teachers. Tell us where they teach and under which bridge and box they’re living. If you can’t name them, you’re a liar, plain and simple. So tell us who these homeless teachers are. If there’s one in Carson City, he or she can come live in our spare room until they get on their feet. They can work off their rent by giving additional lessons to my home-schooled kids in the evening and on weekends.
“Don’t punish the State Workers for the Governor’s mistakes and promises!!” whines Nancy Risner, an Excise Tax Examiner II over at the Nevada Department of Taxation. “Please tell Gibbons you support the State Workers and the Teachers and refuse to take food out of their mouths!!”
Yes, the high cost of gasoline and the national housing market collapse is all Jim Gibbons’ fault. So is global warming, by the way. And yes, delaying her pay raise is taking food from her mouth. Must be a lot of food, because Ms. Risner certainly has a big mouth.
“Please tell me that you plan on waiving your usual fee for this Special Session to help save the State money?” whines Amy Bayouth to state legislators. “The money you will ‘earn’ from those few days will be more than my husband and I will earn from this COLA all year long. How could you possibly justify that?”
Actually, state legislators are paid a pittance - or as one public school teacher would put it, a “penitence” - for their service in the Legislature, and will receive, I believe, only a small per diem for each day they attend the special session. Facts are rather inconvenient things sometimes, aren’t they?
For good measure, Ms. Bayouth adds, “Taking away State employees’ COLA will take food off the table of the very people who help keep your state running seamlessly.”
Seamlessly? When was the last time Ms. Bayouth visited the DMV or the welfare office?
“On July 1, 2008 we as state workers were to receive a 4% cost of living adjustment,” whines James Orr and Lilian Craft Blanch in identical but separate emails from the University of Nevada. “This is not a raise.”
Let’s see: You get a salary…then on July 1st you’ll be getting more money for doing the exact same job…but it’s not a raise? Must be that publik skool math again.
“I am sure you have already heard all the reasons why we need our Cost of Living raise: Gas, food, mortgages, etc. So I will not waste your time. And to be totally honest, I doubt you all really care,” whines Chris Bartlett, who clearly has never read How to Win Friends and Influence People. “If you take away our Promised - twice - Cost of Living Raise rest assured my vote will go to the ‘Other Guy’. And this is echoed through out my office.”
Ah-hah! Whining PLUS a political threat. Now we’s gettin’ somewheres! Must be a teachers union leader, not just a member.
“I will start by saying that I am a concerned citizen and state worker,” whines Rick Bowden. “With regards to the special session the Governor is about to convene I want to say that I feel the proposal to suspend our 4% COLA is a slap in the face to all state workers.”
At the end, Mr. Bowden included the following…
“This communication, including any attachments, may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited.”
The fun part: Mr. Bowden sent his whiny rant to state legislators from his government email address over at the Department of Transportation. That makes it a public record, not confidential. Sorry, Charlie.
“Contrary to popular public opinion often fueled by the rantings of pompous bobble-headed radio pundits,” whines Linda Hoxsie, “most state employees are hard working, dedicated staff who come to work everyday, give 110% to jobs which are often stressful, difficult, and sometimes unpleasant, all the while dealing with a public perception that we are lazy, ignorant, blood sucking parasites.”
Gee, I wonder where taxpayers could have gotten THAT idea?
“As a concerned educator in Nevada, I believe the best way to resolve poor education funding is by having every Hotel throughout the State charge a $1.00 surcharge for every booked reservation to support Education in Nevada,” whines Justin Truitt, embracing the very foolish notion of further jacking up taxes our tourists, the un-American epitome of taxation without representation. “It is upsetting to know that I live in a state with some of the worst education funding in the country.”
Well, gee. Perhaps we’d have more money for education if we weren’t paying people like Justin Truitt to teach non-academic classes.
You see, Justin - who also used his government email account to whine to legislators about possibly not getting his COLA - gets paid as the Director of Bands and Percussion at Spring Valley High School. Now, music is a wonderful thing. But if you want your kid to get music lessons, pay for it yourself like I do. Why should taxpayers subsidize music lessons in public schools which can’t even teach reading, writing and arithmetic, hmmmm?
“Every day, I work with our future nurses, future teachers, future law enforcement, future chefs, future accountants, future scientists, future business people, future casino dealers, and on and on,” whines Angie Holland, a professor at the COMMUNITY College of Southern Nevada. “I have this opportunity and privilege by teaching the students I interact with at CSN, the invaluable art of public speaking.”
Hello? Why do chefs and casino dealers need “the invaluable art of public speaking?” Just deal the cards and bake me a pie.
More to the point, why should taxpayers be subsidizing this decidedly non-academic pursuit. Many years ago I came to the conclusion that I needed to improve my own public speaking abilities. To do so, I paid several hundred dollars out of MY OWN POCKET to take a Dale Carnegie course. If Angie wants to teach public speaking, let her do it in the private sector. Government shouldn’t be providing any “services” you can find in the Yellow Pages.
OK, let’s wrap up. Here is the winner of the Joan of Arc Martyr of the Week Award…submitted by Rebecca M. Glaser of Greenspun Junior High - naturally, via her government-issued email account from the Clark County School District. My smart-ass comments in parentheses…
“I have a B.S. in Math, a B.S. in Math Ed. and an M.S. in Math (She sure has a lot of B.S., that’s for sure). I could have done anything, but I CHOSE to teach. (Well, since it was YOUR choice, why are you whining to us?) I have been teaching in Clark County for 15 years and I am TIRED of being treated like a second class citizen because of my chosen profession. (Then quit and see how well you do in the real world)
“Gas prices are sky high. (For everybody, not just teachers) Utility prices are sky high. (For everybody, not just teachers) Groceries are sky high. (For everybody, not just teachers) My husband and I have three young children, ages 2, 4, and 6. (Big deal; mine are 8, 6 and 2) Two of them require daycare. (No, they don’t. Outsourcing your children’s care during the day is a CHOICE that YOU made. It’s not a “requirement,” it’s an option.)
“By taking the 4% COLA that we have been given UNDER CONTRACT (Wrong. The COLA isn’t part of your contract, it’s an optional gift from the Legislature. And what the Legislature gives, the Legislature can take away), you are taking food off of our table, clothes off of our kids’ backs, and forget the ‘extras’ completely. (What a load of crap. Your kids will still have food and clothes with or without the COLA - although you might have to cancel your HBO and Showtime.) Do YOU have kids??? (Yes, many of the legislators who are receiving all these whiny emails have kids; it’s not just whiny teachers who have kids)
“I assume you all went to school at some point. (Duh, everyone is compelled to do so by the government) Teachers are what helped make it possible for you to do what you do today. (Yes, but none of mine whined like this!) I guess that doesn’t matter to you. (Please read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”) We work hard every day. (So do the taxpayers who pay your salary.) Shame on you for forgetting your teachers. (Shame on your for being such a whiny ingrate)”
If teachers allow their students to act like such crybabies in their classrooms, maybe that explains why so little teaching actually gets done in some of them. Grow up, people. And here’s a little lesson many of you apparently weren’t taught when you were kids: Life’s not fair; get over it.
Posted on June 23rd, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Brilliant!!!
You’re sounding more and more like a Ron Paul fan every day, Chuck!
Thank you for raking those teachers over the coals.
I remember as a high schooler hearing my teachers complain about their salaries. I went home and asked my dad (who was a pastor of a small church at the time), “So… just how much do they make?”
My dad came down on them about as hard as you have. He and my mom were raising 4 kids on less than half of what a first year teacher was making. And he never complained about his salary, and we never went without food or clothes. We had to cut back here and there–only water when we went out to eat, no cable, bought food that was on sale, no name brand clothing (unless it was on the clearance rack).
Let me tell you–the education in frugality I received from my parents is doing a lot more good for me now than the education I got from my geography and English teachers (the core complainers).
The fuel prices are ticking me off, but they’re not putting me out. I’ve had to pull out a few of my notes from my parents; reviewing the best ways to make it in hard economic times.
It is scary that these nearly-homeless folks are teaching our kids. No wonder our children are completely financially inept when they hit the real world! Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) talks about how your finances revolve around your mentality, your attitude.
The COLA teaches that you deserve more for doing the same (or less). Rich Dad teaches: If you want to be rich, find a way to do more and more with less and less (see Figure Wal-mart at right). Our teachers, by their side comments and general attitude, are teaching that you should be entitled to an A, money, a car, happiness just because you showed up to class.
Sheesh! Maybe it really is the fault of our teachers that our public education system is lacking. Here I was blaming the bureaucrats! I thought Washington had put all of our teachers in a box, and there was no chance of success.
Hah! And now I see that the teachers walked into that box willingly, resting their thinking caps at the door.
Now, everyone repeat with me: V-o-u-c-h-e-r.
I was a Ron Paul fan LONG before most of today’s groupies ever even heard of him. I just haven’t been a “tard” about it. You change the system by changing elected officials, not by getting your panties in a wad over a totally meaningless convention.
“And yet Ms. Findley’s union is perfectly OK with raising taxes so that the rest of us have less money to pay OUR bills and feed OUR families”
Dear Mr. Muth,
It is really sad to see that a personal letter written to a Nevada State Legislator has fallen into the hands of someone who makes a living in the way that you do sir. For the record, I did not ask anyone to raise taxes. What is the point of this shameful blog? Are you brazen enough to tell us which Nevada Legislator gave you the letters and why they simply did not respond to our inquiry through their state office?
Joy Findley
No.
And I didn’t say “you” asked for taxes to be raised. I said your UNION did. For a teacher, you seem to have some difficulty reading for comprehension.
Education is the best gift to our kids from parents,community ,country,and global society.
Kids are our future!