Say Anything Blog

I think it is interesting to note that while you cite that the budgets are rising at three times the rate of inflation that there are budgetary items that rise at more than the rate of inflation that must be included in these school budgets, like health care, gasoline, etc…

Although I do agree that the transparency of budgeting and spending is imperative if the citizenry are going to support the education system.

Puzzled, the inflation rate is an average of all items including those three items.

P: You have stated the cause and effect relationship that produces inflation.  Congratulations!

Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

I think Puzzled believes that private citizen families are supposed to adjust their lifestyples to pay for their own expenses as they get higher and then make more sacrifices so their employee’s don’t have to.

So Brenarlo, what have the school districts and political subdivisions spent that they don’t need to?  I wait with baited breath for your list of unneccessary expenses for counties, cities and school districts.

what have the school districts and political subdivisions spent that they don’t need to?

Hmm, without transparency it’s hard to say.

So Brenarlo, what have the school districts and political subdivisions spent that they don’t need to? I wait with baited breath for your list of unneccessary expenses for counties, cities and school districts.

How about teacher salaries?

Given the waiting list for teachers at the Minot School District it seems to me that we could be filling those positions with a lot lower wages/benefits.

But Whistler is right, we do need more transparency in the process as well so that we could provide a more detailed list.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Rob, Ya gotta be kidding me?  Lower the teacher salaries and benefits?  Because there is a waiting list?  They are teaching our kids for crissakes.  How do we know those on a waiting list are high quality teachers?  How do we know they are in the needed areas for instruction? 

God, you want everyone to be paid the very lowest possible money anyone get can get by paying.  to hell with quality, to hell with the fact that we are 50 or 49th in wages.  Why don’t we just have indentured servitude for all workers.

Brenarlo seems to have a list since he’s the one who said they are spending unnecessarily.  Maybe he should just ask his republican mayors and commissioners and school board members where the waste is?

Actually puzzle, many teachers are very well paid.

Yes, Whistler, some are but you also have to look at experience and degrees.  those who are at those levels usually have a masters or doctorates and many years of experience.  Is there something wrong with paying our teachers well?  They teach our children our most valuable resource.

I think the crux of the matter is that we do not have any problem recruiting teachers and keeping those positions full.

Paying any higher than that is not justified.

P: In a socialist system, people are paid according to their political clout.  Teachers have very little political clout.  Administrators, who have more political clout(due to the unions), make much more than teachers.  Most of the money confiscated by the govt for schools goes to the administration, not to the teachers. In a free enterprise system, teachers would be paid according to how much they were valued.

Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

How do we know those on a waiting list are high quality teachers? How do we know they are in the needed areas for instruction?

Unfortunately, puzzle they are all certificated ergo they are all of equal quality.  The union doesn’t allow us to adjust pay for better quality teachers, so obviously they think that they are all good quality.

Congress is the only whorehouse in history to consistently lose money!

TW: With all due respect, we have no idea what the real supply/demand relationship is with teachers.  I do know we have about twice as many administrators as we should have, and they are paid more than the teachers, on average.  They teach few, if any, students.  You figure it out.

Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

Well obviously the teachers are the productive element on the schools systems.

I for one would advocate a free market approach to education via vouchers.

Now credit where credit is due, the kids coming out of North Dakota are as good as they get.

TW: Vouchers are still confiscated taxpayer money; they are not anything like the free market.  That would be where the only taxpayer money in schools is the tuition parents pay to send their kids there.

Media uncovers more Palin stories in one weekend than Obama stories in two years. Still no bias detected

Obama: more experienced than Bristol Palin

to hell with the fact that we are 50 or 49th in wages.

According to a study done by the teacher’s union that doesn’t take cost living or the benefits the teachers receive into account.

What’s hilarious is that I posted that comment just so I could see you blow a fuse.  I just knew that a union demagogue like you couldn’t possibly bear the idea that perhaps we should pay teachers market wages as opposed to the inflated wages and benefits they get from collective bargaining.

What’s amazing to me is that you think that market wages won’t attract qualified applicants.  That’s such a crock.  The private sector, which doesn’t negotiate with unions for the most part, outperforms the public sector across the board while keeping costs lower.

Your union baloney is such a load of crap.  We could have better schools at less expense to the taxpayers if we got rid of the teachers unions...but that would mean the NEA wouldn’t be able to collect millions in dues so that they can advocate for gay marriage and stuff.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Puzzle, read this quote from gilbyguy again:

The union doesn’t allow us to adjust pay for better quality teachers, so obviously they think that they are all good quality.

Get that?  Unions decrease the qualify of education are kids are receiving.

In fact, all union workers are less productive than non-union workers.  In fact, the only difference between union workers and non-union workers is that the union workers are less productive and cost more.

But hey, lots and lots of union dues right?  That’s all that matters.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Perhaps gilbyguy should ask local administrators how they are negotiating those teacher contracts and perhaps gilbyguy should check out other union contracts that have negotiated innovative strategies in their school contracts.

And Rob, you are full of crap.  North Dakota has some of the finest teachers in the country.  They have educated Rhode’s scholars, scientists, more teachers,researchers etc.  North Dakota has a high quality education system and yes, Rob, most of those teachers are in a union.
Are there improvements that can be made?  Of course, if a system is not always looking at ways for improving the institutions where they work they will decrease in value.  That is not happening in North Dakota.

So put the talking points away.

The fountain is EGF mayor lynn Stauss plan.  He’s looking for support from both sides of the river.