this is old:
It has recently occurred to me that one of my primary
enemies will be the S.T.O.P. committee... (So Tired Of Paying.) It's a group
that asks the people who support it to pay just under the amount that
law requires them to file the donor. That way, nobody can find anything
out about them. Here is an example of their logic: the treasurer wrote
this letter to the editor.
-Begin transmission from Letter to the Spokesman-
Teacher Strike Violates Rule of Law
The thugs of the Washington
Education Association are marshaling their dupes against innocent students,
parents, and hardiworking taxpayers to strike for a "more reliable revenue
source" in Olympia on Tuesday.
Well... I can't say I heard of that reason for striking.... the strike
was primarily for smaller class sizes and full day kindergarten.
If the WEA pulls this one day strike off, the future
promises to be a theater for more. This method of bullying a subservient public
into concession to their insatiable demands for a guaranteed annual income
increase is abusive and insensitive.
It is not abusive.... the public and the government have been underpaying
teachers for longer than a while. That's abusive. Their demands
are not insatiable, and, as I said, the strike was trying to accompish fundig
for classrooms that had already been voted in, not to get a raise for
teachers.
I can't help but wonder how
many teachers, while being recruited for this strike, have any idea what's
really going on. Do they know that teacher strikes are illegal? (RCW
41.59)
Yes they know. They shouldn't be illegal. How about when strikes were
illegal for all workers? Were those workers then evil for protesting their
impending doom? The state has a near monopoly on education.... If a teacher
wants to work somewhere else, their choices are slim and are often determined
by their political stance. If they are dissatisfied with their job, they
have few choices...
That union leaders are manipulating
them by defying a law that they know is on the books, a flagrant violation
of the will of the people that they are contracted to serve? And how can
the teachers and administrators keep saying "it's for the kids" when they
endorse with dues and strikes these strong-armed tactics?
They are not being manipulated by the union, at least not in that sense.
there are bad things about the teacher's union, like the fact that you must
pay part of your income to it regardless of your membership. What you speak
of, however, is not manipluation, because the teachers know it is against
the law. Also, the will of the people is behind the teachers... those initiatives
were passed. The will of the employer is not always right, and if
it is wrong, it demands protest.
Now as for whether it is aiding kids, when there are fewer students in a
class with the same number of resources, the students can better access those
resources. Therefore, one day (which will be made up) can improve student's
lives for years.
As for the school district officials,
their failure to issue injunctions against striking teachers violates their
duty to make sure both educators and students are in the classrom where
they belong.
So I'm not the only one who sees the injustice of disallowing strikes.
We live in a society that professes
to abide by the rule of law. Whether you support or oppose teachers in this
matter, the fact remains that public employee strikes are against the law
in our state. As parents, teachers, and responsible citizens, we owe it
to our kids to be exemplary in this matter.
My point remains that we shouldn't do something simply because of
it's legality. We should protest laws that we disagree with. I guess I don't
understand what you mean by "we live in a society that professes to abide
by the law." Don't all societies do that? What does that even have to do
with anything? Be a role model for your children and let them know it is
injustice to disallow striking anywhere.
-End transmission-
I went to that rally
that they were referring to... There was one in Spokane, it wasn't planned
when he wrote in... I met up with a fellow from STOP and talked with him
for a while. A sample of our conversation:
"Hi."
"Hi"
"So what is STOP, is it like an organized group or anything? What's
its purpose?"
"No... its pretty simple, actually, just concerned
citizens who don't want anymore taxes...."
"So... no underlying conspiracy, or anything?"
Ok, so I didn't ask that last one. But we talked for
a while longer. He said "money has never been the answer... You'll learn
that as you get older... We give them more money and the system just absorbs
it into more pay for public servants." That's the point... but i assumed he
meant public servants who are overpaid. "So if it's corrupt officials you
are against, why don't you protest that?" an indirect answer. "But where
does corruption begin? Right there..." He gestured toward my chest. "The
heart. You can't legislate against that. Making the mayor work for fifteen
thousand won't solve our economic problems." Neither will abandoning the
children of the sun. As I joined the group again to march to the Opera House,
I thought to myself, why do a few concerned citizens, without an organized
group, have a treasurer? It's almost a company... They had enough to buy
billboards against the transit tax... When I got to the opera house, I saw
the same fellow again and we talked for a while.
"One last question... do you have organized meetings
of any kind?"
"No... like I said, just concerned
citizens tired of these taxes... Did you know property taxes are
gonna be increased 36 percent soon? That's from
lobbies besides this one! It's insanity! I have to work
very hard... I have to raise an eleven year old grandson as my own because
the father split..."
There are many in similar
situations but worse economic standing... at least I assume he does not
live in poverty.
"Well why don't you protest your own situation
rather than undermining efforts of other to improve their own?"
It just sounds like what they
want you to do, you know? Make the lower classes war against eachother
and compete for the lower wage to raise the boats fo the rich. When your
enemy is united, divide him.
"I'm privately owned... I'm
a building contractor..."
At this point, another fellow
came up and said something I couldn't hear.
"Yeah, they kicked me off....
They said the sidewalk was privately owned..."
He was referring to the sidewalk
in front of the Opera House. The rally leaders had moved him away from
the marchers. While I can see reason in this.... The rally leaders had
a permit for the march in that area... it was not a private sidewalk. Somehow
the conversation evolved.
"...And the WEA has been fined
back to back 400,000 dollars for corruption! Both the WEA and the NEA are
notorious for corruption! they're
teaching the children according to political values we
don't agree with! People just follow the crowd, we don't and we have paid
the price for it.
but at least we have the satisfaction we are fighting for the truth.
If your beliefs lead you along the commonly walked path.... that's okay...
but don't walk it because its easier...."
I don't walk the more commonly
traveled path, and I definitely don't march my path because of its ease.
He might. After all... He has big business on his side.... The american
establishment is set up for him.... He had his facts, and the president
of the WEA chapter here, who I also talked with, had his. Progressive taxation...
First of all, property value goes up because there's
always the same amount of property, but there are more and more people every
day.
Secondly, maybe he should attack where the money's going,
not the fact that it is collected. Schools have, adjusted for inflation,
been paid over $500 less per child over the years. Sounds unbelievable. Sounds
disgusting.
I enjoyed speaking with the President of the WEA,
Tom... He seemed genuinely interested in me.... He even remembered my name
over an hour later... but hearing about the corruption.... It makes me want
to look it up, if only to make sure the the president wasn't involved.
The members of STOP piled onto a charter bus that
had somehow been arranged for this group of concerned citizens.... when
our debate team can't support one even it bunks with another school... because
of tax dollars that have not been sent to schools.... But that's democracy....
in a twisted, dollar-fueled sense...
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LiberalMan.tk
