[wintertime]

How many of those government retirees are government school teachers?

Look at any state's budget and government education is the budget elephant sleeping in the living room.

A solution would be to move to tax credits, vouchers, and charters provided they would be given the option to hire non-government teachers.

[greeneyes]

In my county, most of our teachers do not belong to the NEA, though they have been trying for years to gain some traction here. The District pays the health insurance for the employee only. The individual pays for his spouse and children (unless the spouse also teaches in the same district).

The teachers health insurance at retirement is still at the district level, they are part of the district's group, and is paid for by the individuals-not the state or the district.

The teachers pay into a retirement system with an employee match that is managed by trustees who hire several money managers to invest the dollars which includes stocks, bonds, and other investments. It is reviewed each year to make sure it is actuarially sound. I do not see this as a big drain.

I actually taught until my children were old enough to go to school, and then I left to work in banking at a much larger salary and way more fringe benefits. Many of the people who I taught with were hardworking and dedicated with traditional conservative values.

I just can not paint them with the same brush as the urban teachers who belong to the NEA.

If the government guts medicare, I may go back to teaching long enough to qualify for their insurance at retirement, even though it will cost more than medicare.