 | ||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
Dec. 1, 2009 – This letter was sent to the “South Florida” Sun-Sentinel by someone who perhaps should have stayed in school when he was younger. Maybe he would’ve learned something:
The Broward Teachers Union recently rallied in response to the decision to not allow a COLA increase in teachers’ pay. Gee, what a shame. How about the senior citizens of this country not getting a cost-of-living increase for 2010? This large segment of our society by and large lives from monthly check to monthly check. And yet the government wants to increase the Medicare premiums. So I say to the Broward County teachers, first, be thankful you even have a job in these tough economic times, and second, with the quality of education being produced both locally and nationally, I would tone it down a bit. I remember back in my day, the same complaint was being made that school teachers didn’t earn enough. My answer is if that is the case, and this has been going on for decades, why did you choose this field? Nobody is ignoring the fact that being a teacher is at times tough, what with shootings, stabbings and the like. What the public needs is for the teachers to show a better product, i.e., the student. Life is tough—wear a helmet.
–Dan Torchio, Margate
My answer to Torchio:
Mr. Torchio makes a good point about our senior citizens not getting a COLA increase. What he is missing is that the COLA increase asked by the Broward Teacher’s Union was a small part of why we went out in the streets to demonstrate. Not only was our COLA denied, but so was our contractual step increase. This was in our contract when we signed up as teachers. The contract was broken and the reason given was “there is no money.” We have to read how bonuses have to be given out to corporate CEOs because “it’s in the contract.” What about teachers? Are we less worthy than a CEO? And while we are told that there is no money for raises, the school board is spending money on projects that often come in way over budget, as reported in the Sun-Sentinel. We have to see our family health insurance premiums jump over 40% weeks after the school board negotiated a switch of health insurance provider. We have to see school board members investigated for corruption. This is what Mr. Torchio should be angry about. Not about us teachers asking for our promised pay raise. And, by the way Mr. Torchio, we consistently deliver a better student. Our school grades reflect that. We do our jobs, and we do them well and thanklessly. And enough with the tired, used up refrain of “be thankful you have a job”. I want a job with dignity, one that pays me what I’m worth for the education and experience I’ve acquired and for the sacrifices that teachers make, often unnoticed by people like you. And now I want to really speak my mind and answer Mr. Torchio in a way I wouldn’t do for the Sun-Sentinel as I’m sure they would not publish it. (Editor’s comment: And they didn’t. The Sun-Sentinel is consistently one-sided in this debate.) I don’t know why your letter drips with the sarcasm it does Mr. Torchio. I can only guess that you have some ax to grind with teachers. Do you feel the same way about firefighters or policemen? Would you tell them that they don’t deserve a raise and to be thankful they have a job? Why do teachers deserve less respect? With all respect to policemen and firefighters, teachers begin at a starting salary which is significantly lower than these two professions, and we’re required to have a college degree. Why this disparity? And yet we persevere in the face of unjust criticisms from the likes of you. Go back to school Mr. Torchio and learn about respect and empathy.
Oct. 15, 2009 – I hardly see the loss of insurance to Ian Pearl as an outrage. The outrage is that his parents seem to think that the rest of [us] should pick up a ridiculously high tab for keeping their son alive. His death will be a personal tragedy for his family. They have been extremely lucky to be in the situation they are in. Most people in that situation would have been to a funeral many years before. Eventually their son will die, as the rest of us will. The outrage is that the family has had a 227% annual return on the money spent on health insurance. That is by no stretch of anyone’s imagination a right. It does illustrate, however, one of the biggest problems with our current health system, the disconnect between service and cost. Treatment cannot be free; it must be paid by someone. MRIs and other procedures require electricity to power equipment; nurses and doctors have specialized skills and have to feed their families. A technician has the skill to build a pacemaker and is compensated. No one can magically snap their fingers and make it all free. Early in life it was instilled in me that with freedom comes responsibility. The same can be said of indivdual rights. The “right” to healthcare also comes with the responsibility to use it wisely. Those who abuse it now, will continue to do so no matter which third party pays the bill. Until the disconnect between the service and cost of service is fixed, much of the current arguements are for naught. –AW
Oct. 11, 2009 – Freddie Mac, a company that is 80% owned by the government and which benefited in a $51 million dollar bailout last year, has just offered its new CFO a compensation package valued at $5.5 million dollars. This obscene compensation package was given to Ross Kari, Freddie Mac’s new CFO, despite the fact that Freddie Mac might be in need of further taxpayer-funded bailouts in the coming months.
At a time when those very taxpayers who bailed out Freddie Mac are losing their jobs, not getting pay raises, or losing income (see story below), this pay package comes as a slap to the face. As an outside pay expert stated “We are in a period when this shouldn’t be acceptable”. It appears that despite all the talk of capping executive compensation packages in the wake of the multi-billion dollar bailout, it’s business as usual in Washington. Why? Because the powers-that-be know that they can get away with it courtesy of the apathy of the American people.
Oct. 11, 2009 – One of the largest school districts in Florida has decided to implement cost-cutting measures by demoting members of its cafeteria staff and taking away the staff’s hard-earned wages. One cafeteria worker, who has a commendable four-year record with the school district, was stripped of her 78 cents-an-hour raise. She is, however, expected to continue performing the duties that earned her that whopping 78¢-an-hour raise. Additionally, the cafeteria workers are still expected to complete all their assigned tasks (and more) despite the fact that cafeteria workers were laid off and hours were cut across the board. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure out that this means they will be working harder for longer hours but earning less.
This same school district was exposed just this month alone for: 1) Paying outrageous amounts of overtime for selected workers (bus drivers were making $48 an hour, considerably more than teachers); 2) Budgeting $4 million for a new bus depot that is still unfinished but whose costs have now ballooned to $14 million; 3) Having a school board member arrested for corruption; 4) Shelling out $90,000 to rent 30 parking spots; 5) Being overcharged $700,000 for clean-up costs after a hurricane. It appears that the school board wants to recoup these losses by taking money from its most vulnerable and hard-working members, many of whom earn enough to qualify for the federal government’s poverty level. What a fine lesson the school board is teaching.
Oct. 11, 2009 – This is a follow-up to one of the outrages we featured on this website. A teacher ordered a $31.67 video for classroom use and was charged a late fee of $21.00 because he paid the bill two days late. He returned the video (unopened) in protest over just an onerous late fee charge. This did not end the affair. After repeated negotiations between the teacher and Bill Me Later, the company involved in the dispute, offered to settle the dispute for $7. When the teacher accepted, they tacked on a $23 late fee!
To this teacher’s credit, he is fighting back. Most people would have just given in and paid the $30 (for something they never even got!) just to end the harassment. This teacher has written letters to the Better Business Bureau, to his political representatives, and to the Attorney General of his state.
Do you have any similar horror stories of companies trying to rip you off or intimidate you? We want to hear from you. Stand up and let these companies know you will fight back. American taxpayers have bailed out these “too big to fail companies”, many of whom are inflicting these outrageous business practices on the same people who saved their companies from dismal failure.
Oct. 2, 2009 – Last night on the “Tonight Show” I heard Jay Leno and Bill Maher discuss health care reform in a way that brought fresh air to the ongoing debate. In few words they described what the problems are, exposing the lies and distortions put out by the health care industry and its Republican and rightwing allies, including that Sarah Palin, something the media as a whole has failed to do. The fact is, you and the rest of the media have not done a good job of exposing these lies and educating the public about the truth of health care reform. President Obama has spoken himself blue in the face, but his critics, including the media, insist he hasn’t been clear enough. What more can he say than he hasn’t already said? After all, the legislation is being written in Congress, not the White House. And all the handwringing about costs! It is nothing but a clever smokescreen for inaction on the issue. (Congress never seems to have trouble finding money for wars.)
The fact is, the health care industry is fighting tooth and nail against genuine health reform because they want to preserve their precious profits. It’s all a matter of money as Bill Maher said, noting that this is the only country in the world that makes a profit out of people’s suffering. (Has anyone else in the media said this?) So get with it, including support for the public option, which will level the playing field, enabling people who can’t afford it to get health insurance.Be honest and incisive in your reporting, remembering that the first rule of journalism is to get at the truth of things, letting the facts fall where they may, and not simply a matter of being impartial and objective. One must also be honest, truthful and courageous, taking sides when necessary. This, from a retired journalist.
Good luck! –GDS
COPYRIGHT ©2009. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPUBLICATION OR REDISTRIBUTION OF THEPEOPLESOUTRAGE.ORG CONTENT, INCLUDING BY FRAMING OR SIMILAR MEANS, IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.