STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 3: Teachers & Unions NOT to Blame for Wisconsin's Economic Woes!

Republicans and Wisconsin Gov. Walker are attempting to blame Teachers and Unions for all of their "Budget Crisis" issues. This is like the Gambling Addicted Dad blaming the kids for his losing at the crap tables, then forcing them to give up their lunch money to pay off his bookies. The Budget crisis in any state is NOT due to the Teachers, their pay, their benefits nor the Unions.
As we all know, the reason we are in this economic mess is primarily due to the shenanigans on Wall Street. We cannot allow Republicans to target our Teachers and Unions and use them as scapegoats. It's all a SCAM! They know our Teachers and Unions are NOT at fault. However, what they are really doing is attempting to Bust the Unions across the country. Union members traditionally vote Democratic. They are Union busting in hopes of gaining more strength for the 2012 election. We've already seen the attacks on Teachers and Unions beyond Wisconsin, in neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Now let's talk about how the Wall Street shenanigans are the root cause for the problems in Wisconsin.

As we know, our economic mess started in the early 2000's. Almost everyone was getting calls from lenders to refinance their homes or purchase new homes. Bankers and Mortgage companies were lending money to everyone. There were countless independent people also hawking cheap, unscrupulous, balloon mortgages, reverse mortgages, and scam loans. You didn't need good credit. Loans were easy. Everyone was raking money in. Builders were building new homes in every neighborhood. Most of these homes were overpriced, particularly in states on both coasts. Home flippers were everywhere -- buy low, sell high for a quick profit.

Banks, Mortgage Companies and Lenders were not holding on to these mortgages. Wall Street unscrupulously bundled these very risky loans and sold them as securities -- Bonds or Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). To those of you who don't "play the market," Bonds, or asset backed securities are sold as "low risk" investments. The shady bankers/mortgage companies sold them as highly rated, virtually risk free investments. Many states purchased these CMOs from their State Pension Fund monies, believing what they were told by their Investment Advisors (also Wall Streeters), that they were safe, risk free investments. We are talking about State Pension Funds....YES, the Teachers and Other State Workers' Pension Funds. These same Pension Funds that Governor Walker is saying are bankrupting the State.
IF THERE ARE SHORTAGES IN THESE PENSION FUNDS, IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE STATE WORKERS OR THE UNIONS! IT IS THE FAULT OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS SHENANIGANS THAT OCCURRED ON WALL STREET IN THE EARLY 2000's AND WHICH ULTIMATELY CAUSED OUR ECONOMY TO NEARLY COLLAPSE IN SEPTEMBER, 2008.
What is astounding is that Governor Walker knows this, yet continues to Blame the Teachers and the Unions. And even more preposterous, even with all of his so-called Budget shortfalls, he continued with his TAX CUTS to the rich-Big Business, many of whom were the connivers in the Wall Street Mess!

The reason Republicans are targetting teachers and unions is just part of the Republican Agenda. If we allow them to Bust the Unions in Wisconsin, look for them to target Unions in every state in the Country. Once they abolish Unions, look for them to fulfill the rest of their Republican Political Agenda:

1. Eliminate Entitlements including: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid

2. Privatize the School System (No More Public Schools)

3. End to Global Warming Initiatives

4. Demolish Planned Parenthood

5. End Unemployment Compensation

6. Mass Deportation of Latino Immigrants and Racial Profiling bills like sb1070 in Every State; Changing Birthright Citizenship.

7. CONTINUE to Cut Taxes for the Rich and let the Wall Street Crooks Walk!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 2: The Unions' Many Accomplishments & Why Big Business Wants to Destroy Them!

Unions have helped America and follow our Founding Fathers' principles that All People are Created Equal and should be treated fairly. Prior to Unions, greedy Big Business took advantage of the working poor. They forced workers to work long hours for low wages in unsafe conditions. They fired at will.

American Workers have realized significant improvements in the work place due to the accomplishments of Unions. Union Accomplishments Include:
- End Long Work Hours (+80 per week - set standard at 40 hrs per week)
- End Unsafe Working Conditions: set safety standards; eliminate toxic dumping
- End Child Labor Abuses
- Established Minimum wage; Overtime Pay; Vacation Time; Pensions; Healthcare
- Equal Pay for Equal Work for ALL Employees Minimizing Preferential Treatment towards "Favorites"

WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL TO UNIONS FOR MAKING SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND LIVABLE WAGES A NORM IN AMERICA!
LET'S NOT LET BIG BUSINESS SUPPORTED REPUBLICANS TAKE ALL OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AWAY FROM US!

My Father was a proud Union Member. He worked in the auto industry in Michigan most of his adult life. He worked very hard and he was never a rich man, but he did believe in the union. All workers were paid equal wages for equal work, regardless of race, color, creed or gender. The union helped establish safe working conditions, so in the auto shops, this potentially hazardous work-environment, there were very few fatalities or dismemberments.

Now, the Republican Party (based on the urgings of their Big Business contributors) has decided to demolish the Unions. Republicans are funded by Big Business, particularly the Koch Brothers. They want to continue to: . DRIVE DOWN WAGES
. DRIVE DOWN BENEFITS
. END PENSIONS
. REDUCE, LIMIT and in some Cases, END REGULATIONS, including SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS!
. INCREASE THEIR OWN MULTI BILLION DOLLAR SALARIES & BONUSES

To do this, they want to Obliterate the Unions -- totally Demolish them, thereby ending the working man's last hope of arbitration, collective bargaining. In other words, they want to take away all of the GOOD the Unions accomplished and DESTROY THE MIDDLE CLASS. They want to revert us back to the 1920s. Pre-Regulation.

WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL TO UNIONS FOR MAKING SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND LIVABLE WAGES A NORM IN AMERICA!
LET'S NOT LET BIG BUSINESS SUPPORTED REPUBLICANS TAKE ALL OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AWAY FROM US!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 1: Why I Love Teachers

Over the last several days, tens of thousands of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public sector workers have camped out at the Wisconsin State Capitol. They have been protesting Republican Gov. Scott Walker's attack to Break the Unions. His plan includes reducing their take-home pay -- by increasing their contributions to their pension plans and health care benefits -- and BREAK THE UNION. Although Republican Walker CLAIMS he was forced to impose cutbacks because the state is broke, teachers found that he offered generous TAX BREAK to BIG BUSINESSES that were equivalent to the value of their proposed givebacks.

Teachers do not have large salaries, particularly considering they are required, at a minimum, to have Bachelors degrees; all continue their education and many have Masters degrees. The starting salary for Wisconsin teachers is $25K; the average salary is $46K. In return for lower salaries, their unions have helped them negotiate pension and healthcare benefits. Where the STARTING salary for teachers is $25K, overall, the average salary offered to 2010 graduates is $48.4K, almost DOUBLE the amount of starting wage for Teachers in Wisconsin. Now the governor wants to unilaterally slash what has been negotiated. The Governor is WRONG. He is deep in the pockets of Big Business/Koch Brothers! (more on this in Parts 2 and 3 of this topic)

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you!

I LOVE TEACHERS! As President Obama has often said, "Education is the Great Equalizer!"
You have to be a very special person to become a teacher. Most teachers know and understand they will have low salaries. Most are compassionate, caring human beings who care about educating our children. I had several teachers in my lifetime that were very influential in helping me become who I am today. Perhaps the most influential was my 1st grade teacher.

We were a poor, hard working Mexican American family with ten children. My Dad worked three jobs and my mother was a stay at home mom. Every summer, we picked crops - migrant laborers. My father wanted us to learn a good work ethic.

In first grade, I was the only Mexican American in class. I was shy. The first time I stood up to read in class, I stumbled over my words and the kids laughed, whispering I couldn't speak English. My teacher, a nun, stood next to me, put her arm over my shoulder, and she told all the children in class, "Dee is a little shy today, but she is a very good student. We are All God's Children! And she is going to prove to us this year how good she can be!" I finished reading and the kids didn't laugh again. My teacher encouraged me and encouraged me, often saying, "Dee, you can do anything you set your mind to!" I believed her. Within months I was in the top reading group and by the end of the school year, I won the spelling bee. I attribute much of who I am today to that one teacher. Had she ignored me, I could have easily failed. There were other teachers throughout my school years who were also very influential. I am grateful to them!

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you! God Bless You! God Bless America!