About Those Underpaid Union Teachers

While an amazing 57% of Americans were recently shown to believe that our teachers are underpaid and overworked… FACTS prove otherwise, much to the dismay of Obama and his Union bed-pals working to get him reelected in 2012. A new study by the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation finds that public school teachers receive total compensation more an astounding 50% greater than that of private sector employees. When studying the complete employment package that includes vacation time, benefits and job security, we see that unionized public sector teachers have really pulled the wool over the eyes of the American taxpayer when it comes to their often-stated “We are overworked and underpaid” soundbites.  

 

Unions pay big money to elect political bed-pals, who then turn around and approve fantasy-land salary and benefits packages for Union teachers that result in the collapse of state budgets across America. As we see here, 92% of all Union cash since 1990 has went into Democratic campaign coffers: 

Since 1990, labor unions have contributed over $667 million in election campaigns in the United States, of which $614 million or 92 percent went to support Democratic candidates. In 2008, unions spent $74.5 million in campaign contributions, with $68.3 million going to the Democratic Party. Already, unions have contributed $6.5 million to the 2010 elections, and $6 million has gone to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.

The NEA and the AFT Teachers Unions are big players in Obama’s reelection campaign, and this is the main reason for his current “pass my Jobs Bill right now” temper tantrum, in which he wants to “create or save” millions of Union teacher jobs with Federal tax dollars. FACT: In doing my own research, I have yet to interview one child who could tell me that they showed up for school this year and found no teacher there to teach the class. NOT ONE. Incompetent, or unnecessary teachers should be sitting at home, not being paid federal tax dollars to overburden state budgets.

The Obama Administration has said that it wishes to make greater federal funding for education a priority during the years ahead, and has shown no willingness to support school choice in the form of vouchers. This is directly related to campaign donations of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers which from 1990 – 2008, have contributed more than $50 million to support Democratic candidates running for office. Teachers unions also spent record amounts to elect Democrats in the 2010 elections, but common sense Americans, along with the Tea Party spoiled those plans. That is the reason we see Unions protesting common sense state budget cuts across America: Many states now have new, common-sense conservative Governors and legislatures that mean business as far as obeying state laws that require them to balance their budgets are concerned.

Both of the above-mentioned unions have been strong supporters of increased federal aid to public schools and have strongly opposed school voucher programs. Of course they are against school vouchers, and this is also known as feeding the goose that is laying the golden eggs to fill Democratic campaign coffers which in turn, allows Liberal-fake-Democrats to remain in power. It is a never-ending vicious cycle of irresponsibility that keeps repeating itself….until the taxpayer money-pit runs dry, that is.  See Wisconsin, Ohio, and California for blatant examples of how Union teacher and other public sector employee pensions, healthcare and bloated salaries end up killing state budgets.  Over the course of the last four decades, states have used budgetary gimmickry to hide the trillions of dollars of unfunded pension liabilities.  Eventually, the truth comes out that there just isn’t enough money to pay all the state pensions that have been promised and agreed to by irresponsible politicians  begging for reelection. The folks who have put in 20 or 30 years of service don’t want their pensions cut, while the current batch of Union employees do not want to contribute enough money to the pension funds to keep them solvent in the very near future.

So much for Union solidarity there. Meanwhile we have the Occupy Wall Street protesters shoulder to shoulder with big labor unions in condemning American “greed.” The very same greed that teachers are shown to have an abundance of, raking in 50% more in total compensation than private sector workers, and still claiming to be underpaid.  How about that OWS protesters? Will we see signs condemning teachers union greed any time soon? I won’t hold my breath.

 

 

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Rich Mitchell

Rich Mitchell is the editor-in-chief of Conservative Daily News and the president of Bald Eagle Media, LLC. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Bald Eagle Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and

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