Republicans target teacher benefits in 2006

[Judi Lynn]

Republicans target teacher benefits in 2006
Thursday, December 22, 2005
By Judy Putnam
Lansing Bureau
LANSING -- Term-limited Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema says he will push teacher pension and health care reform next year as he finishes his 20-year legislative career.

The powerful Republican from Wyoming said in a year-end interview with reporters Wednesday that he also hopes to create new tax cuts for small businesses, avoid tax and fee increases to keep government spending within the revenue available, and reduce regulatory burdens on companies.

"If those are all done at this time next year, I'd consider that a great year,'' said Sikkema, who is finishing his second term in the Senate. He also had six terms in the House of Representatives.

Earlier this month, the Senate voted to approve changes in teacher health care, encouraging districts to join pools for employee health insurance and creating a statewide catastrophic loss claims pool to cover large claims for self-insured pools. The legislation stalled in the House, where leaders tried to tie it to teacher pension reform, which didn't have a majority to pass. The deadline for the GOP-controlled Legislature to pass the bills is the end of 2006.
(snip/...)

http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1135208408164740.xml&coll=1

[roguevalley]

1. beat his ass, Michigan

[NVMojo]

2. yep, beat his ass bad!!!

[texpatriot2004]

3. "he will push teacher pension and health care reform"

Term-limited Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema says he will push teacher pension and health care reform next year as he finishes his 20-year legislative career.

Hey jackass, these things don't need to be reformed! How about reforming CORPORATE WELFARE! Or here's an idea, the GOP culture of corruption and the Cover-up Republican controlled Congress.

I mean really, those teacher's pensions? What are they just raking in the dough? Whatever!

[Hardrada]

4. Do we have guillotines in this country right now

or will we have to import them?

[texpatriot2004]

5. I think we should bring them in special from France. n.t

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. I was just going to say that same thing

I am not all that familiar with teachers' pensions nationwide, but I didn't realize any of them needed reforming. It certainly isn't an issue any teachers I know are concerned about.

[amandabeech]

23. I believe that the idiot Sikkema has been in the legislature

in both houses, and may have been in before term limits took effect.

I am originally from a tiny speck on the map about 90 miles NW of this clown's district. Wyoming is in the Grand Rapids area. Grand Rapids is sometimes known as the "Salt Lake City of the Midwest" due to a high concentration of extremely conservative Christians, many of whom are descended from Dutch settlers who left Holland because it was too liberal. This was in the early-mid 19th century.

I'd love to move back to be closer to my elderly Mom and her Swedish-bachelor-farmer brother, but I've had enough of being a political minority person.

[alusmotdnabed]

6. I know this is a bit off topic...

And I'm sorry...but can someone please explain to me the purpose of TWENTY-YEAR term limits?

After more than 6 or 8 years, what's the point?

[rodeodance]

7. beware of anything marked 'reform' from this Repug Congress!

[harlinchi]

12. That was my first thought as well. I'm sure we're not alone! n/t

[texpatriot2004]

15. That's the truth. nm

[Golden Raisin]

8. Underfunding education is deliberate.

Poor salaries/benefits do not attract the best candidates to teach our children. The children do not get the best education they could. It's called dumbing down the electorate to produce more sheeple who either don't vote at all, or vote for BushCo. Starving/cutting educational budgets also creates more young people who can't find work or a decent-paying job, therefore providing continuing expendable cannon fodder for wars like Iraq.

[saigon68]

17. To produce legions of the same Rustic idiots who say

Its a good thing there is no gay marriage --imagine two guys kissing

And that trampy young girl down the street is now stuck with that kid--- she's a whore

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. It's just another tool to persuade the public that they need vouchers

to get their children the best possible education.

[fortyfeetunder]

26. It's deliberate when one wants to dismantle public education

It's becoming clear with underfunding NCLB, etc, that public education is being designed to fail...

[Rainscents]

9. This is kind a shit I get real mad with people who are in UNION and

vote against their best interest. So many UNION members vote fucking republicans and bash UNIONS! We need UNIONS. If this country still had strong unions like back before deregulation (Reagan), most of this shit would not be happening today as we would have much more power to fight the corporate whores... UNIONS fight for workers pensions, health-care, SSI, Prescription plan, safety, on the job injury claims, short and long term disabilities pension, death benefit, etc... I could go on and on.

Sorry about my writing, english is my second language and I can't spell for crap!

[Voltaire99]

11. You're right.

The decline of unions means capital wipes its ass with American workers.

But they don't seem to mind the view! After all, who needs a job, decent standard of living, retirement or a rational government when he's got Jesus and 10 credit cards?

Your English is terrific, by the way.

[bleedingheart]

21. yup...they vote based on "morality" issues and then find their paychecks

slashed....how very moral...

[Auntie Bush]

25. As long as you spell crap right and realize what a load of crap

that bush* is...is all that that matters.

[shenmue]

10. Eeeeeeeww

He nasty.

:puke:

:dunce:

:nuke:

[Sabriel]

13. Oh, THAT'LL attract people to the profession!

Let's face it, there's not much attractive about it right now, and this may be another nail in the coffin. Make way for privatization of "public" education.

[KansDem]

14. Did I read this sentence correctly?

...avoid tax and fee increases to keep government spending within the revenue available...

Where has this guy been? He certainly hasn't been in the present-day GOP.

[NashVegas]

16. "Get Rich or Get Out"

I think I need to read that book.

[AnneD]

20. Let me tell you what Tom DeLay did for the teachers in Texas...

and in other states.....If your district does not do SS and you have a retirement pension....you cannot collect a portion of your spouses survivour benefits (even though everyone else in the US can do this). And worse yet, a person like me, that has worked more than enough quarters to qualify but later in life worked in the school system will not be able to collect a portion of the SS (that I earned and was a high amount) and less of the Teacher's retirement, but only the TRS, which will be far less than SS. We had SO many teacher retire last year rather than face this blow to the teachers.....One funny note; when Tom came back last year to Sugarland and went to his church, he made the mistake of asking on of the congregants-a teacher, what he could do for her. She gave him a verbal tongue lashing he won't soon forget and he looked red faced and stupid. It was priceless. The teachers almost lynched him at the town hall meeting last year. Again, another priceless moment. There is not enough tar and feathers to cover these guys.

[pagandem4justice]

22. Yes, treatment of teachers in TX has gone to the dogs

I've only been teaching 5 years, but there has been a significant decline in how we are treated by the state and by districts, and it's not just related to TAKS and NCLB. Districts have slashed funding for everything, because the feds and the state have slased their funding in turn. Retirement funds (TRS) have been looted, raises are nonexistant, the Leg won't pass a reform funding bill, etc. (Don't even get me started!)

I thought that I'd stay in education longer, but I am looking for a private sector job now, since we're being slowly strangled here.

[ismnotwasm]

24. Teachers?

What the fuck is going on?
I'm not a teacher but everything I know about them tells me the "reform" they need is increased benefits and wages, up to date as well as adequate supplies to teach. Smaller classroom sizes so they can make a real difference. Full public support because children are, and will always be the future. Incentive and encouragement for parental involvement.

That old bastard needs to retire. Maybe he can help volunteer in a inner-city kindergarten with 25 kids. I did that in a classroom with 15 kids, 5 of whom needed special attention. The teacher did the very best he could, and and the school was very supportive- together they did a good job, but 5 behavioral problem kids in a classroom makes for a rough teaching year. And this was considered a "small" class.

Have I mentioned that I can't stand republicans today?

[thatsrightimirish]

27. Already tried this in California

Not very successful!

[Rainscents]

28. California teachers got organized and took it to street!

This is what people need to do!