As government employee unions continue to rally across the country in support of the Wisconsin protesters, they are becoming completely unhinged. (Being surrounded by hygienically-challenged individuals who continuously shout mind-numbing slogans will do that.)
All the protests are understandable. The Democrats and the unions had a very bad election last November. Their only hope of stopping the inevitable demise of collective bargaining privileges for public sector employees is by swaying public opinion. The unions are playing a very weak hand, and the protests are their “ace in the hole.”
But what’s inexcusable is the attempt of some protestors to villanize and make veiled threats against private American citizens (namely “The Rich”).
Last weekend, some 2,500 government workers rallied outside the California state Capitol, to demand that the Golden State does not follow in the footsteps of Wisconsin. True to form, the government employees were spreading the vitriol and intimidation there, too.
For instance, “Melody,” a 1st grade teacher, had this to say about ‘where’s the money in this country’:
“Well, isn’t it in the top 1.5% of people? I think they should start telling us those people’s addresses!”
Ms. First Grade Teacher, who are “they?” SEIU’s Andy Stern? AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka? MSNBC?
And what would you do with the billionaires’ addresses, Ms. First Grade Teacher? Add them to your Christmas card list?
Or do you want to ambush them at home, like the SEIU did last May to Greg Baer, the deputy general counsel for Bank of America? (The SEIU thugs were so intimidating that Baer’s teenage son, who was alone at home, locked himself in the bathroom out of fear.)
Is “Melody” typical of unionized public school teachers? I certainly hope not, but she certainly represents the most vocal wing of the teachers union.
And one final point: isn’t it interesting to see what animates the teacher unions, what gets them protesting in the streets? It’s the money – not the low level of academic achievement – that gets the teacher unions worked up.
Just look at what is going on in Wisconsin. The average teacher compensation package in Milwaukee Public Schools recently topped $100,000. That’s a great deal for the teachers, but less so for the taxpayers who are drowning in red ink. So when Gov. Walker tries to get Wisconsin’s budget under control, the teacher unions go bananas and close down the schools.
But when data shows that two-thirds of Wisconsin 8th graders can’t read proficiently, the teacher unions are strangely silent. Where’s the march on the Capitol over that, teacher union members? (No wonder teacher unions don’t want performance pay. They’d be penniless and in a state of regret.)
The vitriol and feigned outrage going on in Madison and across the country shows that the unions are only concerned with their financial needs. The unions are willing to do whatever they can – even confronting “billionaires” at home – in order to keep the gravy train running on time.