Posted on 03/14/2011 6:16:54 AM PDT by Gopher Broke
In Wisconsin, using what’s being called “the nuclear option,” Governor Scott Walker and the state’s Senate Republicans stripped out the financial components of the governor’s unpopular budget repair bill. That allowed them to vote on provisions to eliminate collective bargaining without the presence of the 14 Senate Democrats who had fled to Illinois to prevent its passage.
In Idaho, the state legislature passed several bills to overhaul education, including a bill to strip teachers’ rights and end decades of positive collaboration between teachers and their districts. Similar attacks are underway in states across the country.
Despite these setbacks, we will not be silenced.
Educators continue to stand up for their rights. This week, Ohio teacher and NEA member Courtney Johnson testified before a House panel about how attacks on workers’ rights and cuts to education will affect her students.
In a statement released immediately following the Wisconsin vote, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said, This is an affront to teachers, nurses, students, firefighters, construction workers and other everyday people who stood up, spoke out, and learned how much their voice mattered to their elected leaders. The response will be unified and the collective voice of millions of working Americans from all across this nation will only grow louder.” Outrage over the Wisconsin vote went out in shockwaves from Madison Wednesday night and reverberated across the country. Statements of support for public employees’ rights poured in from Members of Congress as well as other lawmakers and allies. Take Action Today!: It's time to remind America that teachers, school support staff, firefighters, and other workers play a vital role in protecting and strengthening our communities. And it's time to take a united stand against politicians who seek to vilify unions and take away our rights.
Stand with those struggling to defend collective bargaining rights. Sign the NEA National Petition for Workers' Rights.
Support protestors and rallies across the country by giving a tax-deductible donation to the 51 Fund .
Tune in to MSNBC on Saturday, March 12 for news coverage of the "We Are Wisconsin" rally, which is slated to be the biggest day of protesting in Madison since the stand-off between Governor Walker and Wisconsin's middle class began.
Private School Vouchers Headed for a Vote: Tell Congress to Invest in Public Education
On March 17, the House of Representatives will vote on legislation (H.R. 471) to renew and expand the District of Columbia private school voucher program. As Congress looks for ways to reduce federal spending, including a House-passed bill cutting billions from core education programs, there is no reason to divert $60 million in scarce resources to a pilot program that has been proven ineffective by numerous studies.
Take Action TODAY: Tell your Representative to oppose renewal and expansion of the DC voucher program.
Tell Congress to Reject Education Cuts and Invest in Our Future
This week, the Senate rejected a House-passed “continuing resolution” (CR) that contained draconian cuts to education and other priorities. The Senate also rejected a Democratic alternative that included significantly fewer cuts and would have increased funding for education. Both measures fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage.
All Democrats voted against the House-passed measure. However, three Republicans – Senators Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah, and Rand Paul of Kentucky – also opposed the measure as a signal of their support for even deeper cuts. The Democratic alternative failed as all Republicans, 10 Democrats, and Vermont Independent Bernard Sanders voted in opposition. While some Democrats opposed even the smaller budget cuts in the Democratic alternative, others voted against it because they favor deeper funding cuts. See how your Senators voted on the House bill and the Democratic alternative.
As lawmakers continue to look for a compromise, the Senate will likely agree to another short-term CR to avoid a government shutdown when the current CR expired on March 18.
Your voice is critical to keep up the drumbeat for investments in education.
Take Action TODAY: Tell Congress to craft a continuing resolution that invests in education for our nation’s future.
Cheers and Jeers
Cheers to:
Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Ron Kind (D-WI), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), George Miller (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), and other lawmakers and allies, who released statements supporting public employees and decrying the vote in Wisconsin to strip educators’ and others’ rights. Read all the statements of support.
Representative Todd Platts (R-PA), who stood up for his principles and went against his Party, by joining with Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in voting against legislation to expand the District of Columbia private school voucher program.
Wisconsin State Senator Dale Schultz (R), who was the only Republican to vote against the bill to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who reintroduced this week legislation to create a National Classified School Employee of the Year Award, honoring the contributions of education support professionals to their students, schools, and communities.
Jeers to:
Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who held a mark-up and passed out of Committee a bill to renew and expand the District of Columbia private school voucher program. Chairman Issa supports funneling $60 million to private schools through ineffective vouchers while at the same time supporting deep cuts to proven programs like Title I and Head Start that serve students with the greatest needs.
Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who at a hearing in the House Education and Workforce Committee this week asserted that federal education programs have “achieved nothing” and questioned the necessity for a federal Department of Education.
That allowed them to vote on provisions to eliminate collective bargaining without the presence of the 14 Senate Democrats who had fled to Illinois to prevent its passage.
I thought it was about the children?
Man, that must have been a huge rally. Too bad the cameras have left town.
My guess is that the unions are about to discover that turning out rabble in a hippie college town like Madison when a cause is fashionable is one thing. Convincing a weary and broke nation to continue to support their gravy train is something else
Oh, boo-hoo.
The NEA aren’t for the working people any more than any of these other communist organizations are. They’re more interested in protecting illegal immigrants and promoting health care for everyone than they are in improving children’s education.
Are you aware that the Democratic legislators in Indiana have gone to Illinois also? Where is the coverage? And let’s keep in mind that Illinois is Obama territory........what is the deal?
They’re ramping up the threats in Michigan now.
Demanding to examine payroll and customer records for protest targeting.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/michigan-unions-use-astro-turf-protests-to-intimidate-businesses/
The Left seems to have developed a political tin ear or, as Bobby Jindal said of Obama, they are in denial of reality.
Wisconsin elected Republicans to run the executive branch and both houses of Congress, yet, the Democrats act as if it never happened. When 12 Democrats thwart the will of the people the unions ignore that and claim themselves to be the will of the people.
Talk about the Big Lie and turning reality on its head, both are in full display all over.
The Educators do not have the right to steal.
All together now: “Collective bargaining is not a ‘right’, collective bargaining is not a ‘right’, collective bargianing is not a ‘right’...”
This is a boring comment, I know, but it is important.
Every time you hear/see someone use the term “rights” as it applies to collective bargaining, please correct it to “privileges”.
A good article about the so called bargaining “rights” with a good comment from the supreme court.
“Public-Sector Bargaining Privileges Are Not Inalienable Rights”
http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/14734
Thanks for the article. It covered many excellent points.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.