More Outrage!

It is now out – almost 250 “public servants” in the Oceanside city structure are paid more than $100,000 a year! More than 75% of those are firefighters and police.

In Oceanside policeman makes a base pay of  $82,368 but with fringe benefits that cost to the taxpayers is $132,000 – and that does not include overtime, which can add as much as another $70,000!

Oceanside firefighters/paramedics score a base pay of  $77,436, but with benefits the cost to the taxpayers is $121,416 – and once again, overtime can add another $70,000!

Firefighters and police, on average, take home more money and retire better than the Commanding officer of Nuclear Submarines. Perhaps we need to pay submariners overtime for their months submerged…

Still, I think we all make a mistake if we are viewed as taking this out on individual fire and police.

The fault lies with the unholy alliance between politicians and union bosses – the union swings their support to the politicians who respond with outrageous pay and benefits which, in turn keeps the union leaders in power. One hand washes the other. Perpetually.

As an individual fire or police person, naturally they will gladly accept whatever money rolls their way.

In the end, it is the politicians who have the final yea or nay say. As we all can see, from Rangel to Bell City to Maxine Waters to Rod What’shis name – many or most of them are simply political prostitutes, selling out to whatever benefits them – and fire and police (and teachers) unions benefit them. Corporations do too, but nothing matches the boots-on-the-ground, phone bank, door-bell-ringing power of organized labor, and the unions can deliver money and manpower, and sometimes votes. (But always manpower.)

All voters know which politicians are in the pockets of unions, but like the residents of Bell City they just don’t much care.

The subject is NOT support for the police as opposed to support for the criminals. such talk is much like drawing the line as support for the Constitution or the Mosque.

In this case, it is simply a subject of pay, and that pay is in a gross sense, a measure of a society support — but there are places where society falters.

It does so when sports figures are paid more than teachers, and when firemen (who are really not primarily structure-fire responders,) are paid more than Generals and Admirals.

And, since it is all the taxpayer’s money it is fine for taxpayers to discuss the issue. I can see why police and fire are sensitive to the discussion of this issue — but it is our money that pays them and we have a right to learn the details about it and discuss it without our motives being questioned. If “public servants” make their employers mad, they have a lot to lose so it will be interesting to see the “push-back” from the union leaders.

But ultimately, as in the Bell fiasco, the fault lies with the voters. We permit it!

CBS News Joins in Exposing the Education Mess

The CBS Evening News reports tonight the shocking fact that 30% of college freshman entering class do not return for sophomore year!

The report attributes this in major part to the high schools not preparing their students properly for college.

“Some 28 percent were unprepared to pass even one of the subjects – math, reading, English and science — ACT measures.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do — especially in math and science,” said Cyndie Schmeiser, ACT’s Education Division president and chief operating officer.

A lot. One recent study concluded high school students in 23 countries were outperforming U.S. students in math. Students in 16 countries were outperforming U.S. students in science. And nine countries did better in literacy.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/18/eveningnews/main6785194.shtml?tag=contentBody;featuredPost-PE

I know the education establishment does not want to face this, but the move to reform or revolution is gathering steam – kicked off by the LA Times recent report evaluating 6,000 good and bad teachers.

The Teachers are Screaming! (Version 1034.2a)

The teachers in local newspapers that are featuring the publication of teacher evaluation results from the LA Times, are screaming. They contend that they should not be judged on one criteria. (To get into Annapolis, I was judged on ONE academic exam. Purely binary — make it or not. Two days of exams, Science, English, Math, History.)

Strangely, teachers prefer to be judged on one criteria: Seniority!

Of course the union wants NO evaluation methodology. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Seniority has no connotation of success or failure — they don’t even bother to measure the wrinkles.

All unions do the same thing — whether bricklayers or teachers — don’t do too much and make the laggards look bad, and never, never measure success and failure.

But everyone is NOT equal — there are even scientists, and engineers, and Astronauts who are better than others and in each and every profession (except teachers), the good are promoted and the bad washed out. When I was at Annapolis, we ranked every person in our class and below our class with whom we had contact on a ladder with only one person on each rung. That way there was a top and a bottom. US news and World Report today ranked Annapolis and West Point as the two most difficult schools to get into — but it makes no difference, we still had good and bad amongst us, and like teachers, everyone knew who was good and who was bad…but don’t count on unions ever admitting that.

Good teachers do not need unions. Bad teachers do not deserve unions.