“A group of parents in petitioning Mesa Schools to give teachers a raise. The average teaching salary in MPS is $54,398. If teachers can’t figure out how to live on a salary that is nearly double the average salary for the general population of Mesa, how are they smart enough to teach children?”
“At the voting for a new Pope, when all the smoke was rising, just wondering if any of the Cardinals inhaled.”
“It was good to see the chief deputy of the peoples ‘MCSO’, Comrade Steven Seagull(sic) appeal to Comrade Putin for any information on the Islamic-Socialist-Hawaiian/Kenyans birth certificate.”
“Interesting that although Michael Crow supports in-state tuition for illegals, he didn’t dare do it while asking legal Arizona residents to pay more. Because he has stated he supports that idea, he should be fired for it.”
“You know how to make a conservative mad? Tell him a lie! You know how to make a liberal mad? Tell him the truth!”
“The leftist lemming that labeled Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, etc as ‘hate mongers’ needs to realize that just because someone doesn’t support the left’s free lunch mentality doesn’t mean they are haters.”
“Here’s a quote I would consider hate-mongering, made by Glenn Beck: ‘This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture ... I’m not saying he doesn’t like white people, I’m saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist.’ There will be more examples coming.”
“In response to a letter from Ethan Klein: What planet are you from Mr. Klein? What jobs? Free healthcare? Commit crimes? Where do you get your stats and what analysis do you use to make this determination? There are U.S. citizens here that do not pay for hospital treatment either. You are correct on ‘they don’t have many possessions,’ but is that really a reason to rob stores? Come on, take a look as to who is really doing the crimes. Do you homework first as a backup to your findings. What can of kind of job do you do, if any, that you believe they are taking away from you? Lawn work? Cooking? Maid service? Tell me.”
TruthSeeker posted at 12:58 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
Teachers do make more money than they would like you to think. I know of two teachers who retired at age 53 and are now collecting Social Security at age 62. They admitted that they are making more money now collecting their pensions and Social Security than when they were working. They take about six lavish vacations each year now and have several timeshares in exotic locations. When they were working, they were able to travel extensively during the summer months, unlike the rest of us who have to work year round for 2 weeks off. I definitely don't think teachers are underpaid. They are just like members of Congress. They shouldn't be paid more and live a better lifestyle than their constituents. I don't feel sorry for teachers at all.
truth posted at 2:17 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
It's without dispute that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, like most other Argentines, failed to openly confront the 1976-1983 military junta while it was kidnapping and killing thousands of people in a dirty war to eliminate leftist opponents.
Bergoglio, now the new Pope Francis I, has been identified publicly as an ally of Argentine’s repressive leaders during the “dirty war” when some 30,000 people were “disappeared” or killed, many stripped naked, chained together, flown out over the River Plate or the Atlantic Ocean and pushed sausage-like out of planes to drown.
The “disappeared” included women who were pregnant at the time of their arrest. In some bizarre nod to Catholic theology, they were kept alive only long enough to give birth before they were murdered and their babies were farmed out to military families, including to people directly involved in the murder of the babies’ mothers.
Instead of happy talk about how Bergoglio seems so humble and how he seems so sympathetic to the poor, there might have been a question or two about what he did to stop the brutal repression of poor people and activists who represented the interests of the poor, including “liberation theology” priests and nuns, during the “dirty war.”
Bluepoet posted at 3:18 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
#1- Actually, that $54,000 figure was for teachers with 21+ years of service, and that was in 2006. Teachers in Mesa Public Schools have lost nearly $10k of salary, since then, on average. And, the average income of all people in Mesa, is $49k. Or, it was, in 2009, anyway. So, yeah, the ones who are still teaching may just be suspect, as to their "smarts", huh?
#2- Hah, that was real funny, but, like any highly-paid hucksters, the cardinals are high on their religion, which is the ultimate opiate of the masses, after all.
#3- You forgot to include "marxist commie pinko", in the list, there goober... turn in you holy sheet.
#5- A conservative is someone who wants change-just not now. A liberal is someone who wants change--yesterday.
#6- Such a waste of good alliteration! It's one thing to disagree, it's quite another to make a living from spreading propaganda, disguised as news commentary. That's the politics of hate, on both sides of the spectrum...the lemming was right, btw...those are fine examples of the hate mongers on the right, and, by no means a comprehensive list. The ones on the left are just as vitriolic...
#7- Yes, Beck is a master of political commentary--in his own mind. I'll be he laughs all the way to the bank, every week, at all the idiots who actually take his scripted feelings seriously.
Accuracy posted at 4:04 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
VENT #7: “Here’s a quote I would consider hate-mongering, made by Glenn Beck: ‘This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture ...”
The above comments by Glenn Beck, in July 2009, were made on Fox News after Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (African-American), was arrested at his Cambridge, Massachusetts home by a local police officer that month in 2009. The arrest, by Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley, was called an example of “racial” profiling. Law enforcement organizations and members objected to President Barack Obama's comments and criticized his handling of the issue. And Beck called Obama "a racist" during the discussion of how the president handled the issue under the spotlight of the news media.
chatmandu002 posted at 4:09 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
Vent #1: It's not what the teachers are being paid, it's the teachers' retirement payments and benefits, as with other public sector workers that's killing our future budgets.
Retiree2000 posted at 10:11 am on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
Both Venter #1 and Truthseeker are way off base. As Bluepoet points out, teachers have had their wages frozen for a number of years and the $54K figure is for teachers with over 20+ years of experience with advanced degrees. Teachers have to earn a master's degree within seven years to advance on the pay scale. They pay for that advanced education out of their own pockets. A master's degree at ASU, NAU or U of A will cost in excess of $20K, so it takes a long time to recoup that outlay. Pursuing a doctorate is a greater expense. While teachers are usually on campus teaching and performing non-teaching duties (bus monitoring, playground duty, dance chaperoning, etc.) for about 40+ hours a week with no overtime, they also spend an average of 2-3 hours a night grading papers and preparation for the next day's classes. All of that time is uncompensated.
Teachers do have the summers off and if they teach over 30 years in Arizona (figuring they start at age 22-25) they can retire with 80 points (age plus years of service). New teachers coming into the profession will need 85 points. Their pensions are not exorbitant, retiring after meeting the 80 points will get them 40%, which on a $55 three year average salary equates to $22K a year. They also pay into social security which combined with their pension contribution equals 17.5% of their salary. Yes, at age 62 they can take early social security, like any other worker who participates in SS. That means that they would get an additional $1K per month. So that would equal less than $3K per month in retirement. Not all that much to live on, if you ask me.
Add into the equation minimal support from today's parents, rude and obnoxious students, lack of support from administration and a reduction in expenditures for education by the Arizona legislature, I can't see any reason why a sane person would want to be an educator, especially when you include a $30K starting salary!
Retiree2000 posted at 10:19 am on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
I apologize for my incomplete sentence. It should read: By the way, anyone in the Arizona State Pension system has not received a cost of living adjustment to their pensions (meaning they are frozen) since 2004. As we all know, inflation has a way of eating up an income. Just look at the price of gas from 2004 to present day ($2.02 versus $3.75). Do you think that a $22K pension pays for six vacations a year?
Arizona Willie posted at 12:33 pm on Fri, Mar 22, 2013.
Retiree2000: the ant-education ant-union people here love to take the most extreme example they can dig up and present it as though it was the normal / average.
Abstract01 posted at 9:30 pm on Fri, Mar 22, 2013.
I am in agreement with Retiree2000.
One thing to consider about that three month "vacation" is that most teachers work for that time so that they can make ends meet.
I know of three teachers who worked construction and/or industrial jobs in the evenings and on Saturdays.
Teachers who are dedicated to their profession, and caring toward their charges have my admiration.
Teachers who "put in their time" and rely upon the NEA or unions to shake out a "better deal"- well, they are receiving more that they are worth.
PS, I do believe that an organized workforce protects the workers from unethical business activities--but who protects the workers from the bosses and thugs?