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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (186146)	3/28/2012 3:14:18 PM
From: Steve Lokness	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542907

<<<<<If you cut our public schools--school teachers are public employees--by half, it would be an unmitigated disaster.>>>> Of course and I never suggested such a thing - and frankly it is insulting to even hint that I did. AND, no one is suggesting a cut of 50% across the board. The highest figure used for any State was 5%. Geeeez. But to think that you couldn't cut building and planning by a lot of workers is just nonsense. Perhaps in your State housing has recovered - in virtually every other State it hasn't. If housing numbers have dropped precipitously, then building inspectors and planners would not be needed in any of the former numbers. There are millions of people formally employed in the housing industry that are now working some place else or unemployed. Why shouldn't the State and Local government also cut back? <<<<<What you are advocating is an ideological change of government, back to a much smaller government in a society in which it simply won't work.>>>>> That is absolutely false! I have said no such thing. But to employee people in government that have nothing to do is nuts. It's insane! And when people such as Krugman make this argument he loses the debate, the discussion.

To: JohnM who wrote (186146)	3/28/2012 7:00:42 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542907

I don't know what all districts are like- but I do know in our district we are now running one VP less than we used to. It used to be one VP for each grade level (or each 500/600 kids) which worked pretty well. The VPs handled all the discipline, the testing, the awards, etc. The counselors handle college counseling- now we have 2- so each of them gets to "counsel" around 1000 kids. Used to be we had 4- one for each grade level. Our classes are huge, because we've reduced teaching staff. Our district office is running very low on staff. Human resources for our district of 3 high schools, 5 middle schools, a home school office, 2 alternative high schools, and many elementary schools- is 5 people (including secretaries). It's gotten to the point that getting things done is glacially slow, because the folks at the district office are wearing so many hats.