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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (349020)	2/16/2010 7:07:31 AM
From: TideGlider	9 Recommendations Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793969

Unionized Rhode Island Teachers Refuse To Work 25 Minutes More Per Day, So Town Fires All Of Them Henry Blodget \| Feb. 15, 2010, 9:00 AM \| 20,345 \| 167 PrintTags: Economy, U.S. Government, Jobs Go ahead and sleep. I make way more than your Dad. A school superintendent in Rhode Island is trying to fix an abysmally bad school system. Her plan calls for teachers at a local high school to work 25 minutes longer per day, each lunch with students once in a while, and help with tutoring. The teachers' union has refused to accept these apparently onerous demands. The teachers at the high school make $70,000-$78,000, as compared to a median income in the town of $22,000. This exemplifies a nationwide trend in which public sector workers make far more than their private-sector counterparts (with better benefits). The school superintendent has responded to the union's stubbornness by firing every teacher and administrator at the school. A sign of things to come? Mish Shedlock has the details at Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Central Falls Rhode Island Fires Every High School Teacher Here is an interesting email from "Jason" regarding high schools in Central Falls Rhode Island. Jason writes: Hi Mish, As I'm sure you're aware, Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Central Falls is one of the poorest towns in the state. It looks like the pictures everyone's seen of Detroit or Flint. There are lots of boarded up windows, abandoned buildings, decrepit factories with broken windows, etc. It's an absolutely depressed community. According to Wikipedia, the median income in the town is $22k. Teacher salaries at the high school average $72-78k. Apparently 50% of the students at the school are failing all of their classes, and the graduation rate is also under 50%. In an effort to turn the school around, the superintendent requested some changes be made whereby the school day would be slightly extended, teachers would perform some extra tutoring, etc. The union balked and refused the terms, so now she is firing the entire teaching staff of the high school and replacing them. This is yet another example of unions digging their own graves by refusing to negotiate or accept reasonable terms. Sentiment is on the side of the superintendent, at least among the folks I have discussed the issue with. Jason With that backdrop, please consider Central Falls to fire every high school teacher. The teachers didn’t blink. Under threat of losing their jobs if they didn’t go along with extra work for not a lot of extra pay, the Central Falls Teachers’ Union refused Friday morning to accept a reform plan for one of the worst-performing high schools in the state. The superintendent didn’t blink either. After learning of the union’s position, School Supt. Frances Gallo notified the state that she was switching to an alternative she was hoping to avoid: firing the entire staff at Central Falls High School. In total, about 100 teachers, administrators and assistants will lose their jobs. Gallo blamed the union’s “callous disregard” for the situation, saying union leaders “knew full well what would happen” if they rejected the six conditions Gallo said were crucial to improving the school. The conditions are adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer. businessinsider.com Report TOU Violation Email This Page

To: unclewest who wrote (349020)	2/16/2010 10:10:06 AM
From: greenspirit	1 Recommendation Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793969

Uncle - I believe these comments represent a good cross section of the submarine force opinion on the matter. bubbleheads.blogspot.com

To: unclewest who wrote (349020)	2/16/2010 10:18:17 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793969

He explained the Lord does not expect us to fix evil. He does expect us to avoid it. I thought your opposition to Gays in the military was religiously based. Nothing wrong with that. But this will be a secular decision, based on what is best for the country on a secular basis. I don't like it. You don't like it. We have separate reasons for our decision. I know that no amount of discussion on this subject will change your mind.

To: unclewest who wrote (349020)	2/17/2010 2:27:41 AM
From: Hawkmoon	5 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793969

UW.. I certainly sympathize with you. But I've always tried to keep in mind that normally only sick people (sinners) need a doctor (spiritual healing). I've tried to guide my perspective of gays through such a filter. The reality is that homosexuality has ALWAYS been an element in the Military, as well as the rest of society. They may have kept it behind closed doors, or via intimidation, hushed it up in cover-ups, but it still existed. I recall reading James Michener's autobiography where he recounts his WWII years spent as an historian/investigator for Admiral Halsey. He had been assigned to look into some discipline issues at an isolated Marine base and discovered that the senior NCO, an administrative Staff Sergeant, had basically intimidated/manipulated nearly three dozen young marines into performing homosexual acts in their own little gay bordelo they called "the club". Unit integrity had been destroyed and the unit commander, a promising Marine Captain, had lost total control over his men (obviously because he was being blackmailed to keep it "hush-hush or lose his command). It became so bad this sergeant actually had the balls to lock the Captain out of his own compound. The whole case was hushed up, the participants dismissed from the service (during wartime!!) and nothing ever put in the official record. That kind of sticks with me when I consider this issue of gays in the military. It's not so much that they are gay (although I disapprove of such lifestyles on spiritual, as well as biological grounds).. There's just no way to preserve unit integrity in the midst of sexual tensions and petty jealousies, especially in the heat of battle, let alone the boredom of garrison duty. It's the same reason I don't approve of women in the foxhole, despite their demonstrated ability to perform in many combat (and CS) roles (MPs and fighter pilots being foremost in my mind). Today I will be advising one grandson and one niece of military age to set aside everything I told them about serving in the army, I'm confused as to what will be the result/purpose of denying this country of the talent and dedication of your family values? If everyone who thinks as you do takes the same path, then is it not possible that the majority of military membership will then be homosexual? But, IMO, it's a losing political battle if it is waged along religious or moral grounds. I think we must keep the discussion focused on unit integrity and preserving good order. A soldier must be able to count upon his fellow soldier to focus on the mission and not his @ss.. ;0) IMO, it's the best argument by which to defeat the social engineering of our military (which has historically been ahead of the rest of society regarding civil rights). Just my thoughts on the matter. Hawk