Very interesting---why the unions? and how the unions? and who the unions?......

Dont give me the crap line of so they dont have to worry about their jobs and they can perform better......

Regardless of the cause, I would not want to be in the position of fixing this economic monster that has been created.  There are no easy black and white answers.  If you do one "thing" there will be another "thing" that suffers.  Cause and effect I guess.  

IMHO the government has adopted a guess and by gosh approach to fixing the economic crisis because nobody really knows how to fix it at this point.

I agree

here the repubs come after the working people to give the money to the richest

I still say that Obama has placed himself in a very challenging situation between the unions and businesses. And I agree with Rene, EVERYTHING is such a mess. And I don't know what the solution is to get out of it. I do believe that it will take a very very long time to fix it.

If I were Bush, I'd pass Obama the baton 'right now' and bow out! Bush is a lame duck and Obama clearly want the power..NOW! So I'd give it to him..NOW!

There is nothing complicated about a house of cards falling......or a pyramid made without straw.......when the tower of babel is swaying in the wind
let it fall and start again.....there will be hell to pay no matter what.....sometimes I wonder if this is planned by those folks with the box seats at the
top of the pyramid....remember the term transparency......it will be used over and over and over and over....until it rolls off everys tongue as easy as
water......remember the mind numbing word tolerance???-----it's the same.....

Quoted Text

Don’t blame public employees for state’s fiscal mess

    Re Nov. 15 letter, “Unions helped create state’s fiscal bind, must help in solving it”: Of all your recent editorials and letters blaming public employees and their unions for the state’s fiscal mess, the one by David Mearns is the most ridiculous.

    I am very sorry that Mr. Mearns is currently unemployed, but unless his job was stolen by a state worker, he is blaming the wrong people.

    As a public employee for over 30 years I have already had my pay lagged twice before and given two weeks’ salary to the financial bailout of the state during the Cuomo administration. How much did Mr Mearns donate to the financial recovery of the state when he was employed?

    Every time the state gets into fiscal trouble, the first people that the governor looks to for help are the public employees. Why aren’t any private-sector workers or their CEOs, who on the average make much more money than we do, ever asked to help out?

    As for our unwillingness to cooperate with the governor, Mr. Mearns is again ignorant of the facts. Over a month ago, CSEA gave the governor’s office a list of over 10 ways that the state could raise money to lower the deficit without invading taxpayers’ pockets. This included finally collecting the tax on cigarettes from the Indian [reservations], which currently accounts for as much as $1 billion in lost revenue for the state. All in all, our suggestions would bring in over $5 billion to the state’s coffers.

    It’s time that people started examining the real facts on the fiscal mess that the state and, indeed, our entire country is in and blamed the banks, insurance companies and financial brokers who are the real culprits in this recession. They and their friends in Congress who gave them carte blanche to run wild on Wall Street for the past 10 years are the real villains, not public employees who are basically just trying to earn a living and support their families.

    Once again, I’m sorry Mr. Mearns is currently unemployed, but try blaming the company who let you go instead of a group of hard-working public employees who had nothing to do with it.

    JOHN ANGILLETTA
    Scotia
http://www.dailygazette.net/Re.....=Ar00704&Locale=

Quoted Text

    Every time the state gets into fiscal trouble, the first people that the governor looks to for help are the public employees. Why aren’t any private-sector workers or their CEOs, who on the average make much more money than we do, ever asked to help out?

Well Johnny, we, in the private sector, aren't 'asked' to help because we are 'forced' to through our taxes. And that is for both the the private sector employer and employee! Remember Johnny....WE in the private sector pays for your job, your health benefits and your pension that you do not have to claim as income when you retire!!!
Pallleeeezzzzz!!!

Now John is blaming the Indians???? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.......

And maybe his CSEA would like to put the food on his table??? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha......

Oh wait,,,,better yet.....let me pay my taxes, then go fill up my gas tank and while I'm there I will purchase a few lotto cards, pick5 and 20 scratch offs
.....is that the kind of income we need.......

we all know you need to support your family.....THE FACT REMAINS-----WE CANNOT AFFORD OURSELVES.........

Your Union is just as bad as the wallstreet gurus........

Quoted Text

Unions not to blame for state’s fiscal mess

    A Nov. 14 letter to the editor blames the unions for New York state’s current fiscal situation and calls upon them to solve the problems created by Wall Street and corporate greed. Had the author taken the time to look at the Public Employee Federation’s Web site (www. pef.org), he would have seen that the union has a list of nine proposals, both cost-cutting and revenue-raising, that would do exactly that.
    As far as giving up a contractual 3 percent raise scheduled for April, this ill-advised action would do little in terms of actual dollars to solve the budget deficit. Further, while the economy was strong and New York’s CEOs and Wall Street were congratulating themselves with six- and seven-figure bonuses, nobody suggested that state workers be given more money. Instead, state workers and the people relying on their services were called upon to “do more with less,” as the corporate elite demanded more and more tax cuts.
    ...............................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00707

Quoted Text

After years of no-plan spending, fat-cat teachers deserve cuts VIEWPOINT
BY CHRISTOPHER CHICHESTER For The Sunday Gazette

    Dear New York State United Teachers:
I don’t care what gets “cut” in your local school budgets as Gov. David A. Paterson courageously attempts to bring fiscal responsibility to New York. In fact, if our governor takes a meat ax to your budgets, we should have a taxpayersponsored toga party.
    You’ve had 15 years of record spending increases, and were well-aware this doomsday was coming. You failed to plan ahead. Failed miserably.
    Your lesson plans constantly call for tolerance, harmony, respect and peace. I applaud you. Unfortunately, there’s one group of people you’ll never have a classroom Kumbaya sing-a-long with: taxpayers.
    Year after year, you’ve received school aid at two, three and four times the rate of inflation. I’d cite the exact record numbers, but you don’t care about the facts. You’re supposed to be educators, and simple charts that show explosive spending increases don’t matter.
    Sen. Hugh Farley and his colleagues in the state Legislature backed a Brinks truck up to all your schools. You’ve experienced the days of wine and roses for over a decade. Now it’s time for reality. I am your reality check. Your schools comprise a massive public sector work force. The ratio of staff-tostudents you have at your disposal is offthe-charts compared to other states. You have too many assistant principals, assistants to assistant principals, makework teacher aides and patronage employees. You have too many doubledipping lawyers leeching off you. And you have too many formulas, special mandates and self-imposed rules that impede teaching.
    Yet, you’re doing nothing to reform your employee structure and your regulations. Absolutely nothing.
    Why do you think parents and guardians have been flocking to charter schools throughout the Capital Region? Because they understand your non-essential bureaucrats and your deep sea of red tape doesn’t educate our children.
    Charter schools are your Apocalypse Now. They are New York’s only true grass roots movement, and you scorn their competitive existence.
    In these trying financial times, you need to tell your superiors to get rid of any person or any mandate that hurts your ability to achieve excellence in the classroom. If you can’t do it on the local level, lobby the state Legislature. That’s how you’ll save money. ........................................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar04301

Holy Cow!!!!!

AINT THAT THE FAT CAT TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wisdom and knowledge cannot be hidden behind $$$ and, if it is-----SHAME on those who do so..........

BRAVO CHRISTOPHER CHICHESTER!!!!!!! I'm sure that ole' Chris didn't make many 'teacher friends' with this editorial! Excellent article!

WOW.......Good for him.  People need to learn that throwing more money, more money, and some more money at an issue or a problem does not necessarily solve it.  I speak at our school from time to time and am amazed to see the number of adults in a classroom with only 15 or so students.  I guess they are teachers aides.