@edward said
Elements of Divide and Conquer technique involve:

creating or encouraging divisions among the subjects in order to prevent alliances
that could challenge the sovereign (like labeling groups the 99% and 1% and encouraging animosity between those groups)

aiding and promoting those who are willing to cooperate with the sovereign
fostering distrust and enmity between local rulers (like suing state governments who pass laws you don't like)

encouraging meaningless expenditures that reduce the capability for political and military spending
(like a stimulus package and forcing people to buy health insurance or face fines)

Look at the video. Walker says he is pursuing a "divide and conquer" strategy. What does that say about HIS tactics?

They are damned organized and bright for a bunch of 5-year olds. They managed to get over 35,000 volunteers to collect over a million signatures in short order. Hats off to them for accomplishing an incredible feat -- they get an A+ for effort.

Edward, the million signatures never existed. It was proven to be exaggerated by over 100,000. And where was that totally motivated million people on primary day?

And Walker's policies have put Wisconsin at #1 in the nation for private sector job losses:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Governors/2012/0425/Wisconsin-posts-biggest-US-job-loss-as-Gov.-Scott-Walker-fights-for-his-job

Edward- And where did those job losses come from. Hmmm.... The city of Milwaukee. 4,400 in March 2012 alone or in month Barrett saw 20% of the total Wisconsin job losses in one month.

Even though Ron left in a tantrum, with his experience and degrees, he makes $70,044 per year plus $30,000 in benefits. According to his contract, he pays $39.75 permonth for a family plan or $477 premiums per year with a $4,000 deductible for a total of $4,477. This is per the current RUSD contract. HE chose this profession knowing full well he would not make as high of pay with his degrees teaching.

I'm not attacking him, just pointing out the facts. But I have heard that collaboration "BS" and that doesn't make a good leader. It has proven out in RUSD as their is no leadership by playing nicey-nice all the time. Sometimes, leaders have to do what is best for the good of the majority, sometimes out of necessity. In Walker's case, it was both.

The facts (and I realize that words scares many people) are that I make $67, 460, have met my $2,000 (single, not family) annual deductible twice since last August due to my brain surgery. I face at least annual MRIs for the foreseeable future; $2K met easily annually. I don't know how much Unified pays for my insurance and benefits. I know we employees saved RUSD close to $20 million by changing our insurance. I haven't had a raise in a couple years and don't see one on the horizon. This year added a 5.8% pay cut. I regularly put in eight hour days with maybe 15 minutes to eat lunch. It's fairly normal to spend 4-6 hours each weekend checking papers and planning for the next week. I also volunteer for all of the activities at Red Apple, from garden club til 5 twice a week in the spring and fall, family movies nights 4-5 times a year, dances, concerts, and so on. In two weeks, we take our 80+ fourth and fifth graders to camp for three days. No extra pay for that either. My current school is full of family support and kids who respect all adults. We continually put out successful students. At Case, where I taught at-risk freshmen, I was called a "bitch-ass, mother fucking teacher" by a student who didn't even know me simply because I wouldn't let him in a side door after school. I walked away not knowing if he might have a gun in his droopy jeans.

Ron,

Thank you for your service to Wisconsin.

I'm rather appalled and embarrassed at your level of pay (for someone with 39 years experience and two Master's degrees it is very low, and I agree, other states are paying 20% + more for someone with your credentials).

Thanks again for your hard work and service.

Sorry, I would have thought with 2 Masters, you would have Been a Step X, so they are only paying you the Master's + 24 level. And the $4,000 is the family deductible.

I'm not trying to change your opinion, and know I won't. But I want to share with you some of the outside world figures. My wife is a health care professional working in a Milwaukee hospital. Through her years at different places, she has 20 years experience. Currently, she is paying for our family, $320 bi-weekly for our insurance premium, or $8,320 per year with a $2,000 deductible for 80/20 coverage, meaning that after the premium is paid, and the deductible is met, we still have to pay 20% of billing. So just to get to the 80% coverage, she pays $10,320 that is deducted from her pay. She has no pension, but has a 401K that is 100% self-funded. This plan is the same whether you are making $30,000 per year as a Nursing Assistant or a Doctor making $150,000+ per year.

If I had to carry insurance for my family as an officer of my company, my premiums would be in exccess of $10,000 per year with the same deductible and coverage. The national average for the type of insurance you have is about $750 per month or $9,000 annually.

According to DPI, the fringe benfit package you have cost the district about $30,000. The average annual increase has averaged anywhere from 10 to 20% annually over the past decade.

As far as the pension, I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, you are paying 5.6% of your salary or $3,775 ammually, or about $315 per month. RUSD is paying the same. Tou didn't lose any dollar amount in your pension as you will not pay that portion after you retire and you compensation is based on your best years gross pay.

I understand that you put in a lot of hours during the school year, but you also have another benefit. You do have four months off. Putting that into perspective, and I don't mean to dismiss your grievances, but you are getting $67k for 8 months work. You also have to realize that in the private sector, salaried positions re expected to work more than 40 hrs per week. Salaried employees in the public sector are expected the same. That is reality.

I will tell you this, and you could ask Dennis Wiser, who sat across the table with me in negotiations representing the REA as Executive Director. One of the things I tried to do was take the sum of the benefits and salary, and allow the union to divide it up any way it saw fit. I also agreed to to two, two year contracts that had salary increases of 4.5% each year. All I asked for was the modest premium contribution that you still pay.

Again, I'm not writing this as I "know all" because I don't. I share this with you as my personal experience, which hopefully is beneficial to the dialogue.

Edward, thank you.

And while I may never know what it is like day in and day out, I have some idea as I volunteered the three years I was on the board to teach Junior Achievement at Wind Point Elementary for 3 hours per week, 6 weeks per year. I did that so I would at least have some experiences that you experience every day.

It was interesting to say the least the lack of support from administration in disciplinary procedures. And while Wind Point is in a great neighborhood, it was at the time 50.1% free and reduced lunch. I also had special ed kids in my class from hearing disorders to 1 non-cognitive learner. It was challenging, but I felt necessary if I was going to sit on the board.

I do apologize for dismissing your opinion on leadership. I should have stated that I don't agree with you.

I have always held the belief that professionals should not be unionized. I believe teachers are much better than that and should be compensated based on their own merits and not collectively. Great teachers should be paid better than not-so-great teachers. And I don't believe in tenure. A teacher, should always strive to be the best they can be, and my belief is that tenure only provides a safety net for those that are poor or mediocre.

I wish you well. I have always thought good teachers are the district's best asset. For me it's never been about the teachers, but I do have issues with the union leadership.

And Mr. Dey, I know no teachers who only work eight months. Not even counting June, it's nine months in front of children, minus 10-15 days for religious holidays. Then add a few days in August that are required, 5-10 days in June, depending, taking summer classes that are required in order to maintain our certification, many breadwinners teaching summer school to make ends meet, and I come up with a good 10 months+ You have no idea of the intensity of a modern classroom, the hundreds of decisions a teacher makes every day, the hours spent outside of the classroom, the endless meetings for IEPs, school improvement, various school committees... I just wish I knew the root cause of your and others' hostility toward the educational community. Baffles me. SO glad you aren't on the school board any more. Not running away, just following my dad's advice involving a pissing match with a skunk. Peace and good luck in your inner battles. I'm done now.

I have no animosity towards education; I do have animosity towards poor education. Big difference. I don't believe I have ever said or written one word that implies animosity for teachers. My issue is with the union leadership, AND the Administration. Racine Unified as a whole, so I am judging "collectively" is a poor performing district. It wasn't always that way, and money has nothing to do with it.

It is attitude. 50% of our African-American students are not graduating, 73% overall. With the exception of Case HS, Jerstad Elementary and West Ridge Elementary, the achievement gap is widening. Because we have examples of those three schools closing the achievement gap, we know it can be done. I don't hear excuses from those principals, just results.

We know that the REAL School and Walden also are successful. No excuses, just results. With the state that are city is in, failure is not an option. We can't keep blaming parents, or poverty anymore. We have to start accepting responsibility that it is the District's job to educate these students, no matter the situation. It can't be done by throwing more money at it, we've tried for years and it has only gotten worse. We can't do it by trying to solve all the social and societal ills through the schools. We've tried that. And we can't just pay lip service and complain. We need solutions, and I offered some up. I'm trying, and I hope those inside keep trying as well.

I think he answered some questions about his plans (in the little time he had) in the debate on TV last week. I wish I could remember the details right now, but I cannot. And to be honest...I do not know enough about running a state to even understand it all. Did he have a public plan lined out as well as Vinehout? No. And i hope we see more details in the next couple weeks. I do think it would be very helpful to his campaign if he makes his ideas more public.

Vinehout sadly just did not have enough name recognition. No one knew who she was. One of my favorite quotes - Politics is just one big ass blast. LOL Sorry, but it is true. The way everything works simply SUCKS. Its all about money. BUT perhaps she will have the next 2 years to raise the recognition and money she would need in the next election.

Right now, we need someone who will mend the division in our state. I see Walker and his actions as evil. Pure and simple. And so much damage has been done in such a short amount of time. For me, its not all about money. And let's face it - his numbers aren't any better. They are just moved from column A to column B. I can have a surplus too if I don't pay my mortgage or take a bunch of money from people who need it. AND it isn's all about what we see right now. There are consequences in the future to the actions taken now. Taking all these people off of Badgercare will have to be paid for in the months, years, decades to come. THat is only one example.

And I do plan on writing a piece separate from this on why Barrett will be good for Wisconsin. His positives, etc...

And I see unions ripping off the taxpayer as evil. It's simple, the idiot doesn't have a plan and he will get a worse beating from Walker this time. I say something else but I wouldn't want you to go off on another rant. Argue the points.

I regularly dealt with kids threatening me or others, sleeping in class, arriving to class when they felt like it, breaking up fights and other similar activities. I promise I didn't teach them that. I'm thinking it came from their homelife, or a lack thereof. In spite of that, most of my students achieved an average reading level increase of two years. Sadly, also many of them then dropped out of school shortly after becoming old enough to do that. Some dropped out to raise their newborns, some because being in a gang was going to provide a better life. Didn't teach them that. Yes, I didn't go into teaching to get rich. If I was still in Michigan, I would probably be at a salary of over $80K; Illinois, closer to $100K. I was making $60K when I left Detroit in 2001 and signed my contract with Unified for $47K. They put me on the top step because of my experience teaching reading and my certification. Walker's attack on teacher and nurse unions was just a slap in the face to both professions disguised as a budget adjustment. His true motives just became very clear in the video with his $500K supporter girl friend. Divide and conquer. Well, if that was his goal, and apparently it was, I will have to agree with you - he has achieved his goal. I'm am puzzled as to what type of person would want to live in Wisconsin now as class sizes increase and good teachers retire and the press is full of vitriol. Your turn to play the "Democrats created the issue" card. Play on.

Ron, when RUSD improves, I'll stop bashing the district. Your district, and mine, is 2nd worst in the state. 20% points down from state average in almost every category, and only 73% graduation rate. 50% for African-Americans. By any standard, that is failing our children. Excuses don't cut it anymore. When you had the money, the results were the same. If that is acceptable to you, as a teacher, than sadly, that will never change. And never say never to Caledonia pulling out of Unified.

That isn't why. But you can think what you want. Regardless, no...I am not proud when I am pushed to that point of making low blows and insults.

Wednesday, June 6 btw, is the day the democrats vote in the recalls. :)

" As for the governor, he should at least deserve your respect that we won't become another IL, CA or Greece. But that is probably too deep for you to understand."

How can you equate IL, CA, and Greece? Have you lived and worked in all those places? They are NOT AT ALL THE SAME, not even close.

Walker is using the shock doctrine method of governing, which never ends well.

Election day is June 5. Now they are so scared of losing that they have to lie and use shenanigans . . . typical right-wing dirty tricks.

@Edward: The June 7 was a typo, and the subsequent June 6 is my own feeble attempt at humor to justify the typo :P

And yes, IL, CA and Greece are all alike. The difference is degree of decline. All are facing bancrupcy. I hope you aren't a contractor waiting for Illinois to pay you. They aren't paying.