Teachers and their sense of entitlement

[wreckhog]

MADISON, Wis. — With the district in a financial crisis and hundreds facing layoffs, the Milwaukee teachers union is taking a peculiar stand: fighting to get its taxpayer-funded Viagra back.

The union has asked a judge to order the school board to again include Pfizer Inc.'s erectile dysfunction drug and similar pills in its health insurance plans.

The filing is the latest in a two-year legal campaign in which the union has argued, so far unsuccessfully, that the board's policy of excluding erectile dysfunction drugs discriminates against male employees. The union says Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and others are necessary treatment for "an exclusively gender-related condition."

But lawyers for the school board say the drugs were excluded in 2005 to save money, and there is no discrimination because they are used primarily for recreational sex and not out of medical necessity.

The filing last month comes as the union, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, is also protesting hundreds of layoff notices issued to teachers for the coming school year. Citing a "financial crisis" caused by exploding benefit costs and revenue shortfalls, the district's outgoing superintendent proposed laying off 682 employees in April.

The district gave layoff notices to 482 teachers in June, but recalled 89 of them last month. Additional teachers may be called back, but these are still the first layoffs of Milwaukee teachers in decades.

Cost of Viagra would pay for 12 teacher's jobs
At least one lawmaker questioned why the union is fighting for Viagra while teachers are losing their jobs. A consultant for the school board has estimated that reinstating the drug benefit would cost $786,000 per year — the cost to keep perhaps a dozen first-year teachers employed.

[deb]

Do the lawyers for the board have any objection to providing benefits to treat alcoholism?  Bet not.  If that is the case, then they are saying that erectile dysfunction is not a medical condition but sobriety dysfunction is.   

[wareagleguy]

What is the point of this topic?

[victorcharlie]

The point is, the largest employer in my County is the School Board.

We, the tax payers are providing benefits for them.

It's costing us money, so we have a right to question how it's spent.

Every year, the school budget goes up.

[Land_Owner]

The topic is really "Unions and their sense of entitlement."  Since no one polled the Teachers I am betting they would agree, Viagra is the LEAST of their concerns; something the Union thought up at such an insensitive time.

[Dee]

In Texas the teachers don't pay into Social Security but, instead into their Teachers' Union retirement plan. But ahhhh the catch. Many have been guilty on retirement of going to work for a school for one day or one week, working at a very good wage, and filing for Social Security based on that one day or one week's wage, and getting not only Teacher's Retirement, but Social Security also. One of the coffee heads at the cafe one morning bragged that his wife had did this and was now drawing TWO CHECKS.

[gypsyman]

Well, this just shows me how stupid teachers are. If I was a laid off teacher, and I knew my job could be brought back, if one of my fellow ''Union'' brothers, had to play for his own hokey pokey, I'd be mighty p***off.
Didn't say wether the judge has ruled. Even so, I'd be mad at my union for being this stupid. 'Course, as Forrest Gump's mother said, ''stupid is, as stupid does''. gypsyman

[torpedoman]

The point is, the largest employer in my County is the School Board.

We, the tax payers are providing benefits for them.

It's costing us money, so we have a right to question how it's spent.

Every year, the school budget goes up.

Quit voting for the property tax increases that fund it.

[beerbelly]

 Teachers , tenure, the biggest entitlement in America.
                          Beerbelly

[Dee]

Teachers , tenure, the biggest entitlement in America.
                          Beerbelly

Not hardly! FARM SUBSIDIES for farmers, AND THEIR WIVES!, far over shadow the teachers. I know one farmer alone here that gets $160,000.00+ a year in subsidies between he and his wife, and she is a stay at home mom. He and another farmer just bought two grain elevator companies, and are leasing them to other farmers for grain storage, where they can hold grain until the price suits them.

[Pat/Rick]

Home school and charter schools. Keep your kids away from defunct public schools and the schools can watch their gooberment headcount funding go buh-bye.

[wareagleguy]

Dee,
I was loosing faith in you but you came around.   I am waiting to see if you can link big foot to some wacko farmer.

[Dee]

Hang in there wareaglet, I'll figure out a way, and get back with you. It's fun watchin you react out of guilt for being a farm welfare recipient yourself. I know your weak and can't help yourself, so I can always count on ya ta try and rile me, but, really your fun, and just don't realize it.

[1marty]

if it makes the teacher happy they should get it. We give our money to big banks who  use it to foreclose our houses. We're paying for those jerks on capitol hill who do nothing. They just repaved 10 miles of road by me which didn't need repaving. They erected a big sign that the money came from the recovery act. Viagra-they need some fun after teaching those little morons the whole day.

[Dee]

If a bank forecloses on your house, it's because you didn't make the payments. A deal is a deal.

[dukkillr]

If a bank forecloses on your house, it's because you didn't make the payments. A deal is a deal.

+1

[1marty]

When the banks ran into financial trouble they ran to the government to get "tarp" money-your taxes. A deal is a deal-when they make crappy loans they should fail.

[dukkillr]

When the banks ran into financial trouble they ran to the government to get "tarp" money-your taxes. A deal is a deal-when they make crappy loans they should fail.

Yup.

[beerbelly]

There are more than 6.2 million teachers, I don't think the farmers come close to what they are milking us for.
                                    Beerbelly

[Dee]

I certainly don't disagree with that Marty, but taking out a loan is a legal contract sayin you'll pay the agreed upon amount, in receiving the item purchased on CREDIT. It doesn't relieve the borrower from HIS RESPONSIBILITY. If one doesn't like the bank don't go in and make a loan. They can't make crappy loans if people don't accept the terms.

[Dee]

There are more than 6.2 million teachers, I don't think the farmers come close to what they are milking us for.
                                    Beerbelly

There ya go AGAIN beerbelly. Blockin me, and then commentin on my posts. The fact is, you don't know how much the farmers are getting, cause you haven't looked, but one family can get each year enough to pay 4 or 5 teachers salaries, and they sign their wives up too.

[wareagleguy]

Dee,
Where are these farmers that get all this money?  I am a third generation farmer and half my family are farmers and none of us has put a penny in our pockets from the government.  I sure would like to get in this game.  You seem to know all about it, so tell me because I must have missed out.

[Dee]

EWG Farm Subsidy Data Base. And you said some time back that you had gotten government subsidy on a thread some time ago, and I doubt you or you farming family have missed out on the farm welfare, every farmer knows about them, and most all get them. The question is, have you signed your wife and kidds up too.

[wareagleguy]

I did get ONE check from Uncle Sam.  It was to pay for half of a litter house that the EPA changed the rules on all the farmers and required we pay for a house that was going to cost more than two years of my farms income.  Uncle Sam paid half of that cost.  I do not consider that in any way a subsidy because it was to satisfy a government mandate in which I paid most of the bill.  That has been the only check I have ever got from the government.  My real income comes from working as an IT Engineer for a LARGE power producer.  The government came in a few years ago and mandated the power producer add environmental equipment to the generating plants in which the government threw in several “Grants”.  These grants paid for millions of dollars in the upgrades that the government was now mandating.  So, I got nothing that the billion dollar company didn’t get.  That is also the reason that of ALL the farmers I know have multiple jobs including both the husband and wife working.
Now most of the farmers on the FSDB that are getting to big numbers you use as examples are the mega farms with thousands of acres of farming land.  This is a VERY small number of the total farms in this country.  This is also crop farmers and I hope you know there are many other farmers.  These other farmers get nothing.
This brings me to the “Farm Welfare” you describe.  I know nothing about it, enlighten me.

[Dee]

Why should tax payers pay for half of your litter house? If your a business man, pay for it yourself. I ran two business and the government gave me nothing, and I expected nothing. I had to keep my trucks and equipment up to DOT regulations, and had to comply with traffic codes, and regs. I got no "government aid" and expected none.
When I was flipping homes I had to bring the homes up to city codes, and governmental regulations. I got no "government aid" and expected none. If you can't make it without "government aid" or "subsidies" YOU SHOULD go out of business.
When the government for example changed the emissions laws on big trucks the price went up a little over $10,000.00 PER TRUCK. There were no "trucking subsidies" given. You paid the difference out of pocket. It's just like farmers getting UNTAXED fuel. It goes on and on. The farm lobby has the politicians in their hip pocket, and farmers think they deserve it.
As far as the mega farmers the only ones getting the "farm subsidy welfare"? BS. I know lots of farmers that don't fall into that category, and if their smart enough to fill out the paper work they get it. Then they file for it in their wives names many times also.
It's government hand outs plain and simple.
NOW! I used farm subsidies as an example to being at least as big as teacher unions, and that was all I intended to do. You and I have been over this before, and I have just duplicated info I have already given to you in prior threads. I'm not going to hijack this thread just because a farmer doesn't like my opinion of "farm subsidy welfare", so I am done with the farm discussion.

Teachers unions also have a strong lobby in D.C., and school taxes are paid by property owners whom don't necessarily have, or have ever had kids in that school district. I think the parents should be paying for their own kids education, AND athletic programs.

[wareagleguy]

I have no problem keeping my farm to code but when the government comes in as MAKES A CHANGE that I can either go out of business or perform the change then YES the government needs to work with the business to make it happen.  If that means money then the government needs to pay.  This is done every day and big business gets money too for the same reason.

I find it funny you used your trucking company as an example of how you paid your own way.  The fact is the trucking industry is the NUMBER ONE subsidized business in the country.

[williamlayton]

The wife taught in public schools for almost 40 years-
She retired and worked one day at a school that paid SS.
She gets what A woman who never worked a day in her life would get from her husbands SS.
It was the law and she took advantage of it---without any guilt.
Teachers don't knock down the money most in industry make.
They worked and earned a degree.
They take the crud some of you folks send too school to be raised.
They can't fail them because the parents raise too much hay.
They can't disclipe them because the parents raise too much hay.
They can't even touch the little primodonnas---cause your kids are too brittle.
You complain if they send home work home.
You avoid teacher confrences.
You raise a stink cause your kids don't study and make poor grades.
You raise a stink because the kids know that mom and dad won't back the teachers.
You raise a stink because your kids don't study and learn, blameing the teacher for being a poor teacher.
You won't sign deficincy notes sent home.
You want the teacher to baby sit all day--come home and spend another three hours grading papers she has to assign during class time because the little jewels wont do homework a bring it in the next day.
The little louses are sorry students because you don't challege them at home and expect excellence from them.
I am tired of teachers taking the rap for poor parenting.
A teacher can only teach if they have a student willing to learn.
Don't say they don't challenge them at school---they do and you complain because  they are unfair towards your lousy brat.
Blessings

[wreckhog]

Complaining about the kids when one chose to teach them for money seems petty. The Viagra bennies are greed and any honest teacher would concur.

[wareagleguy]

William,
I totally understand what you are saying.  That is why I ask my mother why in the world would you tech school.  She taught high school almost 40 years and still teaches part time at a local junior college.  She has a master’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in mathematics.   When she retired from public school she was making about $32,000 a year.   The reason my mother retired was because she was threatened by a student when she tried to take a pager from him.  He told her he would kill her if she touched him.  She when to the school principal and was told that nothing could be done with the child because he had spent the maximum number of days in detention for the year.  She gave her two week notice on the spot.
The problem is not the schools but people thinking just like many on this post.  Blame everyone else.

[nw_hunter]

The wife taught in public schools for almost 40 years-
She retired and worked one day at a school that paid SS.
She gets what A woman who never worked a day in her life would get from her husbands SS.
It was the law and she took advantage of it---without any guilt.
Teachers don't knock down the money most in industry make.
They worked and earned a degree.
They take the crud some of you folks send too school to be raised.
They can't fail them because the parents raise too much hay.
They can't disclipe them because the parents raise too much hay.
They can't even touch the little primodonnas---cause your kids are too brittle.
You complain if they send home work home.
You avoid teacher confrences.
You raise a stink cause your kids don't study and make poor grades.
You raise a stink because the kids know that mom and dad won't back the teachers.
You raise a stink because your kids don't study and learn, blameing the teacher for being a poor teacher.
You won't sign deficincy notes sent home.
You want the teacher to baby sit all day--come home and spend another three hours grading papers she has to assign during class time because the little jewels wont do homework a bring it in the next day.
The little louses are sorry students because you don't challege them at home and expect excellence from them.
I am tired of teachers taking the rap for poor parenting.
A teacher can only teach if they have a student willing to learn.
Don't say they don't challenge them at school---they do and you complain because  they are unfair towards your lousy brat.
Blessings

Now that we know what a sorry lot our children are, I was just wondering...........Did you have children?

There are plenty of students that are willing to learn today, as well as some who are not.
I'm raising a Grandson because his Mother (My Daughter) was  killed in a traffic accident last year. He will be a senior this term and is doing quite well in school, and even has, and does his homework assignments.

Most of the teachers in his school are well qualified, and do a great job. A few of them couldn't teach an Orangutan to pick their nose.

Thanks to the teachers unions, these poor excuses for educators get the same pay and perks as a good one.
I have a niece who teaches, and enjoys these perks and she shouldn't be allowed near a school, much less in one.

My Grandson has a neighbor hood friend, that graduated this year. He along with three other brothers and two sisters were home schooled by their mother. She did this without any help from Uncle Sam and a Teachers Union and saved you and I money doing it. She didn't have to teach all the political correct, and same sex BS in the process.