Walkout is destructive, unprecedented
read more recent story comments Reader comments| Cerberus Thursday, March 3, 2011: 12:12 pm More from Cerberus  | Mr. Foley I am glad that you are willing to throw out "old fashion" models of pay in favor of more modern "performance" based pay. I commend you for willingness to base your pay on the goals that you and your peers set for yourselves BEFORE the session begins. I am glad that you are willing to allow all Hoosiers to receive the same benefits (Health & Retirement) that you receive while you are serving. I am also glad that you and your peers are willing to submit to performance rating such as "Highly Effective", "Effective", "Satisfactory", "At Risk", "Low Performing". The true loss is the fact that the people who represent us (both sides) continue to vote down party lines with little to no thought. The evidence of such attitudes is your very own statement that, "each party has become more polarized and unified in their positions." BTW, Did you drive to Illinois to see what could be done to get things "moving"? |
| Bluecollar Thursday, March 3, 2011: 1:13 pm More from Bluecollar | Thank you Mr. Foley for filling us in on what had transpired prior to the walkout. I was not aware of all of that.It does help us to know all of the information. With that said, Hoosiers deserve to know how much tax revenue will be lost if and when we become a "right to work" state. You know, the income the Federal government takes in from union taxpayers who are in a 28% tax bracket now but will be in a 15% bracket after they start making $10/hour. Let me help, 28% of $30 per hour is $8.40/hr and 15% of $10/hr is $1.50/hr. That's a difference or loss of income to the Government of $6.90/hr for each person who loses their union job and replaces it with what the republicans think we should make. BTW, people who make $10/hr don't buy new cars and by homes and stimulate the economy... Or have healthcare. They live paycheck to paycheck hoping to avoid ANY bump in the road so they don't need the governments help. I still say, we would all be more than happy to take this pay cut if ALL business owners signed a treaty to drop the price of goods by an equitable rate. And our elected officials did the same. One more thing... Why is it OKAY for a business Exec. to grease politicians to get bills like "Right to work" passed but it's immoral for a union exec. to do grease a Democrat to vote against it? |
| Reality Check Thursday, March 3, 2011: 4:32 pm More from Reality Check | You already vote exactly how you are told anyways, so, what's your point Rep. Foley? You probably cannot even name the school districts your represent? When is the last time you spent a regular classroom day in one of your schools? Do you know what RTI, AYP, Acuity, Benchmark, Core 40, Singapore math, 504, IEPs, etc. etc. means? How about differentiation? I think all legislators should have to do this in their daily plans. How about this: We base your pay off your ability to accurately predict the budget? OR, by how many bills you get through, regardless of who is in charge? Or, how about we look into your retirement plans? Your per diems, commitee pay and salary that you receive for 60 and 90 days work? Or, let's just have some "radical" fun by paying you based on the health habits of your house districts? It's not perfect, but at least it is some way to base your pay? Hey, how do you get to be on the particular committees and such anyways? Wouldn't have anything to do with senority, would it? I know that's how the Senate is seated! I suspect you should have some answers to all of these questions. Third Houses are coming up, and I just gave you some homework. Would any of the legislators coming be willing to take the 8th grade math portion of ISTEP or the end of course assessment for high school courses and let the community see your results? And then compare them by each legislator and district? Just checking... |
| jdigger Thursday, March 3, 2011: 10:23 pm More from jdigger | We know the state is in need of money why are we still wasting time on the whole gay marriage thing. All this will do is cost Indiana a lot of legal fees and we will lose in court. |
| Liberty Friday, March 4, 2011: 9:46 am More from Liberty | This shows that the union has way to much control over government and has become a state and national economic security issue. If a union can order a strike at the level of our own congress and shut down our government this nation has fare more of an issue than budget shortfalls and a much more pressing corrective legislation to pass. This reminds me of playing monopoly with a young person who has been spoiled for many years by his parents. When the game is drawing to a close and it's evident they are going to lose the will stand-up and flip the game board over scattering all the pieces everywhere just so you can't finish the game. They then claim they didn't lose. In this case millions of children are losing and as young adults will have to suffer the heavy burden of carrying a union government education system designed to break the backs and the minds of every citizen while laundering taxpayers money into the unions political party. Pray for what's best for the children of the state. Peace :) PS, Parents, let this just be another good example and encouragement to home school your children and spare them of all this union teacher garbage that only disappoints and confuses the young and impressionable minds. Homeschool convention season is about to begin. Visit one this year and go. You will certainly be enlightened at the mass in size and scope of supports and resources. You will leave encouraged and wondering why some union teachers lied to you. Peace:) |
| redeagle Friday, March 4, 2011: 11:23 am More from redeagle | There you go again Ralph making sense. Don't you know that never wins elections? Oh yeah, I forgot. Your party has been busy making common sense decisions on behalf of your constituents instead of staging political theatre to try and pump up your demoralized base in the wake of huge election day rebuke. |
| Bluecollar Friday, March 4, 2011: 1:27 pm More from Bluecollar | Really Liberty? This reminds me of a bunch of people getting on a ship and sailing across the atlantic and starting a new country. Reminds me that if you continue to suppress people they will eventually fight back. The republicans need to learn what a "living wage" is. |
| Liberty Friday, March 4, 2011: 1:50 pm More from Liberty |
Hey Blue, My advice to you or anyone especially young people. Because one should only be paid by what level of value to others they have developed within themselves, their living wage is only commanded by the value they provide others. I do agree with you that when people feel suppress and want something others don't want to give them, they should and do have the right to get on a ship and sail across the Atlantic and starting a new country. Peace :) |
| Bluecollar Saturday, March 5, 2011: 5:17 pm More from Bluecollar | The term "living wage" isn't something philisophical. It's an estimate of what it costs to live in this country. What it costs to have transportation, Roof over your head, decent meals... Nothing extra. That estimate is currently $15-19/hr for a family of 2-3. JUST TO GET BY. You won't be able to afford healthcare with it either. I understand the problems with education and the teachers union... But crushing ALL unions and their workers down to $10/hr because business owners think thats what they deserve? I don't think so. |
| Lassiter Sunday, March 6, 2011: 12:00 am More from Lassiter | The conversation over "Living wage" seems problematic in this country. I know of a lot of people who do not make anywhere near the "living wage" that you find on the calculator of the NEA or other union websites, however, they still "get by" with a roof over their head and decent meals. I also know of people that make much more than the "Living Wage" that are hip deep in debt with mortgages, loans and credit cards because their wage is not enough to live as high as they choose to live. Its all relative. You either "get by" on your wage or you do not. Reality dictates that if there is not $15-19 per hour to be had, you and your family is better off with $10/hr than nothing. In life, we don't get what we want, we take what we can get. That is why unions are calling for marches all over, to collectively take what they can get. It's always been that way and always will be. People marching in the middle east and North Africa would be tickled to death to get what people here are protesting against. |
| Reality Check Monday, March 7, 2011: 9:26 pm More from Reality Check | Public school teachers in Indiana cannot strike. Once again, Liberty shows ignorance on the subject and injects hate and fear into the topic he so loves to stir the pot with. If things are so good in North Africa, go move there. I'll take America and I"ll quote Ronald Reagan: "Being in a union is a basic right" It's funny though: Bankers, Wallstreet and Laymon brothers almost cause a systemic failure of the US economy and in the past two years it is now the fault of the unions. I wish I could eat hot steamy turds, but I was born to know better than that. |
| not keith rhoades Tuesday, March 8, 2011: 7:42 am More from not keith rhoades | Martinsville had a council member walk out of a meeting last year, did he forfeit his pay? |
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