The Daily Show: Crisis in Dairyland: Apocalypse Cow

Man, do those teachers live large!!! Enjoy! 🙂

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Daily Show: MTV Cribs, Teacher Style, posted with vodpod

American Workers vs. Multi-Billionaires

I’m a huge Prince fan, but I’ve loved rap, R&B, and hip hop since I was a tweener. Here’s a great video – politically tinged hip hop. I love it! Enjoy. 🙂

ETA: Tip: If you find a better version of a video on a site other than YouTube, just copy that site’s embed code. Forget downloading direct from YouTube. I learned that the hard way. This version lets you see the signs without them being chopped. 🙂

The Daily Show: Diane Ravitch on Education

Diane Ravitch : Research Professor of Education at NYU and former United States Assistant Secretary of Education

Awesome interview. She points out the failure that is No Child Left Behind and the correlation between poverty and low performance.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Diane Ravitch – The Daily Show with Jon Stewart…, posted with vodpod

The Daily Show: Crisis in Dairyland: For Richer or Poorer (Teachers and Wall Street)

Thank you for “getting it” and expressing it in such a way that makes people laugh…then think. 🙂

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Crisis in the Dairyland – For Richer and Poorer…, posted with vodpod

Walker Worshippers

Sorry We’re Late Scott. We Work for a Living was a sign in the Tea Party counter protest. As opposed to union workers who don’t? Roads are clear of snow. Thank your union snow plow driver. Have your life saved in a county hospital ER? Thank your union doctor. Perpetrator get 20 to life for their crime against you? Thank your union prosecutor.

I am really getting tired of this anti-union crap. Those signs were irritating as hell. Especially, Pay Your Share. They are willing to! They agree to increase their contributions to their pensions and health care. What they object to is being stripped of their collective bargaining power.

Governor Walker can balance his budget without gutting the union. This piece of crap legislation is also vindictive. If he proposed to strip collective bargaining power from every union, then I know he’s anti-union but fair across the board Police officers, firefighters, and state troopers (who supported his campaign) were spared. So this is part anti-union, part payback, part thank you. Who knew one lousy piece of legislation could say so much?

I really hope that the union protesters and Senate Democrats will stay the course. Keep fighting the good fight. And I hope the Walker Worshippers are enjoying their Saturday and Sunday off to protest at the capitol. The 5-day work week was fought for by unions.

Wanted: 14 State Senators

Wisconsin Governor Calls on Democrats who Fled State to Return

“Come back, Daddy loves you!” cried the union-guttting governor. Why did they run away? I think the reason is two-fold.

• Tactical

They’re using the Wisconsin Constitution to their advantage. They know that the Senate doesn’t have enough live bodies to vote on it. They know that they can’t be arrested when Congress is in session. Those who went to IL know that the police can’t arrest them and drag them over the state line.

• Symbolic

Without them (at least one), you can’t have your vote. You won’t get what you need to do, done. Same thing with these union workers. They are needed. It’s not hard to see the parallel between the senators fleeing and the teachers on strike. Also, if you don’t have experience with collective bargaining and strikes, you do now.

This is exciting. Time for Jiffy Pop! Go Senate Democrats! Stay on the lam.

Walking Out on Walker

State Democrats Absent for Vote as Wisconsin Budget Protests Swell

Right on! Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said, “We will return and do our job, but the governor has to do his job.” He noted their return is contingent on changes to the controversial legislation which is supported by Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

I read this piece of crap legislation. 144 pages. Deep into the legalese abyss, page 82 is what really screws the teachers and other municipal employees.

SECTION 223. 111.70 (4) (mb) of the statutes is created to read:
111.70 (4) (mb) Prohibited subjects of bargaining; general municipal employees.

The municipal employer is prohibited from bargaining collectively with a collective bargaining unit containing a general municipal employee with respect to any of the following:

1. ANY factor or condition of employment except wages, which includes only total BASE WAGES and EXCLUDES any OTHER COMPENSATION, which includes, but is NOT limited to, overtime, premium pay, merit pay, performance pay, supplemental compensation, pay schedules, and automatic pay progressions.

They can’t bargain for better working conditions or hours. They can’t bargain for changes to annual pay raises.

Oh all of this doesn’t apply to police, firefighters, or the state patrol. They get to hang on to their rights to bargain. Selective screwing.

Walker called the walkout a “stunt.” Nope. When you punch the constituents of state legislators in the gut, you really shouldn’t be surprised when they stick up for them.

Against a THUG.