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Robert J. Elisberg

Robert J. Elisberg

Posted: March 3, 2011 09:54 AM

The Republican Party has let us know who they believe is at blame for America's collapsed economy -- a crash which has devastated the nation and caused massive unemployment.

Teachers.

Not the financial industry that dealt in high-risk, mortgage-backed derivatives which collapsed the housing market.

Teachers.

Not Wall Street executives manipulating toxic assets, not big bankers manipulating bad loans, not corporate CEOs manipulating markets.

No, no. Teachers. The real high-finance scourges of the American economy. Those rich, jet-setting, highfaluting teachers. They're paid truckloads of money, have such cushy jobs, rake in ungodly benefits and have bankrupted America.

Teachers.

Just watch Fox News. They know. See Republican critic after Republican critic blast these money-grubbing, greedy, lazy, freeloading moneybags who are offensively overpaid, get off work at a leisurely 2:30 in the afternoon, have three months of vacation, and can live off their fat pensions in high-life luxury retirement, jetting to Paris and Biarritz and drinking champagne cocktails while sucking the life out of the Real America.

Teachers. Why do you think they turned down the low-paying corporate jobs, or avoided going to paltry law school, or medical school? Because they wanted to make the big bucks.

And as these teachers lay waste to the American economy, thank God above that Republicans have been there to make sure we've been able to provide at least some comfort to the needy Wall Street executives, big bankers and corporate CEOs with desperately-required tax cuts and corporate loans, allowing them to squeak by on their meager existences of pennies a day.

All because states have been economically ruined by teachers. Greedy, fat cat teachers. And avaricious janitors and sanitation workers. And nurses. Nurses! Bad, bad people those nurses, who only care about themselves. All these people, these are the ones Republicans tell us have destroyed the American economy. Just cruising along on big overblown paychecks and cushy jobs. Whose high compensation packages have caused the great recession, bankrupting states across the nation bringing about massive unemployment. Teachers, janitors, sanitation workers and nurses -- and also road repair crews, bus drivers, park rangers, and snowplow operators.

You know, the upper-class elite of American society.

These are the people who have made the American economy collapse, who have bankrupted America with budget deficits. Once upon a time, of course, we thought these were the very people who made America. Who were the backbone of the nation. But leaders of the Republican Party and its brave governors, they have shown us the light.

Thank goodness that we have men of courage like Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) who understand that it is these people who must sacrifice, who must cut back their retirement pensions, who must alone bear the burden of the economic disaster that they brought about. Make them sacrifice for the woes they have caused society. These teachers, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, road repair crews, sanitation workers, park rangers, and snowplow operators. "Public workers." Ha! They're who caused the economic recession, which has caused the budget deficits. They caused it. They should pay for it. They should sacrifice for it.

And if we're being honest, if you just got rid of them all, think how the budget deficit would disappear and how much better society would be then! After all, Gov. Walker, his fellow Republican governors and the loudest voices of the Republican Party clearly think teachers and public workers are overpaid, underworked and don't provide enough service to society, so who even needs them?

Thank goodness too that Gov. Walker had the foresight to give a corporate tax cut of $140 million before there was a new budget, because otherwise these stricken corporations would truly be suffering. Or at least the one-third of corporations in Wisconsin that actually pay taxes. Far better that your child's teacher take a pay cut and that nurse and swanky janitor, too, before some corporation. After all, the corporations need the money.

If teachers, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, road repair crews, sanitation workers, park rangers, and snowplow operators decide they're not paid enough for their glamorous jobs and want to quit -- let them. They're apparently not worth what we pay them anyway.

We should all just say "thank goodness" that Republican governors across the nation are placing the blame for the economic collapse and for their states' budget deficits right where it belongs -- on the backs of greedy, overpaid, unnecessary teachers. Nurses. Janitors. Bus drivers. Road repair crews, sanitation workers, park rangers, and snowplow operators. You know...

Everyday workers.

If it wasn't for such forthright Republicans, we might otherwise be seeing blame for the economic collapse placed on Wall Street executives and big banks, and that would be so unfair. As unfair as pointing at tax cuts for corporations and millionaires for adding to the deficits. As unfair as forcing all of them to sacrifice for being the ones who caused the great recession.

No, no. Republicans have it right. Protect the big financial institutions. And place the blame for the great recession, economic collapse and budget deficits squarely where it belongs. On greedy, overpaid, unnecessary teachers, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, road repair crews, sanitation workers, park rangers, and snowplow operators. Make them pay for it.

But mostly teachers. It's their fault, really.

Who needs 'em?

 
 
 
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01:52 PM on 03/14/2011
Aren't these the same "pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps" Republicans who advocate the importance of the family and the self - who now blame the teachers for failure of the students? All of the sudden it's not about personal responsibility? Where is the parent accountability? It's the missing ingredient in this whole debate:

http://TheEducatedSociety.com/what-no-education-reform-ever-addresses/
12:47 PM on 03/05/2011
I think it would be a good idea if everyone stopped generalizing. "Teachers," "Republicans" "Government"...when you cast such wide nets, it's difficult to catch any truly insightful thoughts because you haul in all this cluttered, biased, and even hateful commentary instead of anything that could possibly promote understanding. But then, promoting understanding wasn't the point here, was it?
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rbelmonte
always grateful
11:30 PM on 03/10/2011
I fully understood, and furthermore I'm in total agreement with Robert.
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skwan91607
Favor to Internationalism
11:51 AM on 03/04/2011
Republican members in congress are the TREASURE HUNTERS for American CORPORATIONS who paid them and rewarded them hugely. The process to give corporation a voting identity by supreme court is like A LEGALIZED CORRUPTION.
PENSION FUND, SOCIAL SECURITY FUND, MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION FUND, ...etc. are where the big money located. Those COWARDS in congress try whatever they can to dip their hands in with the stupid excuses such as reduce deficit, reduce entitlement, reduce pension. Those funds are set up legally and belong to the designed individuals but only managed in group. They want to bankrupt them by pulling tricks called PRIVATIZATION to move into corporates' pockets. Trickle Down economy is to build another form of SLAVERY, The Haves controlled the Haves-Not. Such attempt to privatization these big Money Funds is HIGHWAY ROBBERY. The tell-tale concept of FREEDOM without adequate financial backing is MEANINGLESS. Open your eyes to find out CAPITALISM is never to build a society the Rich dictating the POOR but to build more MIDDLE CLASSES. It means we must have a system to fairly distribute the WEALTH of a nation that creates collectively by all citizens, never by a few riches. Go other way like WHAT GOP ATTEMPT TO DO NOW is a WAY OF ROBBERY TAKING CARE ONLY A FEW PEOPLE and make MAJORITY HOLDING THE BAG. It is unacceptable. We refuse to take "So be it". We have no interest to READ ANYONES LIP. GOP THE CULPRITS, NOT TEACHERS
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Oldchef
Former Executive Chef, tr0ll watcher
11:19 AM on 03/04/2011
The shameful attempts by the Republican governors to shift responsibility for the deficit from reckless tax cuts for the wealthy to pension obligations for government employees, have, fortunately, been exposed for the scam it is. That being said, the unfortunate part is that it's working to some extent. Bills stripping the rights of union members have passed several houses in different states, over fierce opposition from an awakened populace. The fortunate part is that the public is aware of the scam and aroused from their former lethargy. Hopefully, when the next election comes around, these financial criminals will be voted out of office.
09:53 PM on 03/03/2011
I'm very sorry for causing all this trouble.

:::::hangs head in shame:::::

/Public school teacher, 20 years
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Enjay 1
Enjay in E MT
11:40 PM on 03/03/2011
Well you should be sorry MsJoey -

If it wasn't for education - we'd all be following the sheep instead of protesting or writing our representatives!

Thanks for teaching MsJoey! Hope you get to keep your day job.
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:47 PM on 03/04/2011
Me too.

32 years, two masters, national board certified.

I am heartily sorry for these my offenses.
09:05 PM on 03/03/2011
Good thing they blame those pesky public servants than point the finger at themselves for creating and issuing bonds based on projected tax revenue that never materialized due to the many home loans imploding! Heck, they need to fire that pesky state finance officer too!!
08:11 PM on 03/03/2011
Yeah.. Homeschool for everyone. Let's start with self esteem classes and then move on to the righteousnes of moral equivelancy.... Serously? Is this what you honestly think? Any reasonable person knows that you are over simplifying a complicated issue... Teachers are not the cause of everything, but the pension obligations are unsustainable. It just took a financial meltdown to show it so glaringly... And, before you even mention bail outs.. Remember the housing crisis was started by giving loans to unqualified people. Thank you Barney Frank and Chris Dodd....
02:12 AM on 03/04/2011
Your are forgetting something.

When we had the economic meltdown of 2008, billions (maybe trillions) of dollars were lost on Wall Street. Much of that vanished money belonged to public pension funds.

Add that even in the good economic years, many governors didn't put money or enough money in the public pension fund leaving "future" governors to deal with it down the line.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Vanished public pension money from the economic meltdown and governors who did not bother to put money in the pension funds...........left the pension funds without enough money to pay out the future pensions.

And NOW, the teachers (and other public workers) pay the price. Underfunded pension plans mean pensions will be trimmed or eliminated.

A contract is only enforceable if the oligarchs benefit. Teachers aren't oligarchs, so their contracts will be busted like their pensions.

To add insult to injury, teachers are being demonized!
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:54 PM on 03/04/2011
You forgot two things.

There used to be regulations in place that restricted how state pensions could be invested. Republicans deregulated that specifically so Wall Street could get their hands on that money.

Republicans also changed the way pension solvency is reported, making them all look insolvent even when they're not.
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:52 PM on 03/04/2011
Absolutely.

Let them all homeschool their kids.

The wealthy will employ all of the teachers for one on one tutoring.

The moderately well off will let their illegal nannies teach their kids Spanish.

And the rest will fall further into poverty when Mom has to quit her job to stay home and teach, or they both work, pay for childcare and then have to spend their evenings teaching a kid that is too tired to learn.

Do it.

My resumé is ready.

I've got a bachelors in music (for those parents that want a teacher qualified in the arts), a multiple subject credential, good for grades K-8, a masters degree in eduacation, a masters degree in library and information science, so their kid will get plenty of technology education embedded in the curriculum and I'm national board certified.

My starting salary will be six figures and I'll demand healthcare as well.

Also a copay into my 401K.

I'll actually be a LOT better off.

Higher salary and only a few kids a day instead of several hundred a day.

Bring it on!
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TRex86
Enjoying life in West Ohio
08:02 PM on 03/03/2011
A Social Darwinistic syllogism for the new Gilded Age.
Fact: Blue collar and middle class families have had stagnant incomes for 30 years.
Fact: The top one percent of Americans have captured 80% of the gains in wealth for the past 30 years.
Therefore, we cannot afford to raise taxes on the wealthy because the "bottom 99 percent" consist of greedy leeches, who are stealing from helpless, down-trodden billionaires.
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04:48 PM on 03/03/2011
This indictment of teachers is actually what every right wing mediocre mind wants to hear. It essentially is about lowering the importance of education, and substituting money chasing for self development as the measure of achievement. That is very attractive to marginalized and underdeveloped minds because its so much simpler. Hence the anti-intellectual movement is really the base of the republican party, and their propaganda can be understood through this lens.
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:55 PM on 03/04/2011
They've been substituting investing for production in America for decades.

Our economy started to tank when America stopped producing anything except stock dividends.
03:18 AM on 03/07/2011
Well told!
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Enjay 1
Enjay in E MT
04:43 PM on 03/03/2011
Makes perfect sense Robert - however a bit more follow through

Get rid of public teachers - less state & local costs (buildings / salaries / benefits)
Close all public schools for "home schooling" - less state & local costs (as above)
One parent MUST quit their day job to home school any children under 16 - jobs available
Less kids will obtain GED or graduate - employers pay less for less qualified workers - corp benefits
Next generation is further "dumbed down"- will accept their limited lot in life without complaint
College is ONLY for the wealthy or brain-y
Prison population will explode
Konnie
PO'd PROGRESSIVE
09:45 AM on 03/04/2011
make that "private" prison population will explode. (it's all about corporate profits doncha know - those who run private prisons make very large political campaign contributions too)



WHAT DO YOU WANT AMERICA TO BECOME?
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RandyK100
Retired Info Tech
11:19 PM on 03/20/2011
I agree, and sentences will be longer.
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:57 PM on 03/04/2011
Dumbed down kids more likely to be brainwashed (by Fox) into voting Republican.

Not that it will matter.

Elections will be a sham anyway.

Corporations already own D.C.
03:38 PM on 03/03/2011
Truth and facts are meaningless. What matters is who controls the conversation and what words are used. The corporate media prefers we keep rewarding those who collapsed our economy. The ever increasing concentration of wealth must continue. Who they vilify this week is just a matter of convenience. Gays, Immigrants, public workers, China, Japan, the villain is ever changing and never really the villain. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
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lgillooly
03:34 PM on 03/03/2011
Don'y forget those bad people that lost their jobs and now are milking America dry with unemployment checks. Can't they live off the land ?
sonoffestus
Got smart & got out!
07:07 PM on 03/03/2011
I think they are munching down on their boot straps first, then comes the grass followed by dirt.
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mlaiuppa
Pres. Sarcasm Society. Like we need your approval.
10:58 PM on 03/04/2011
Glean the fields at night!
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marijam
Independent
12:46 PM on 03/03/2011
Actually, there's a new theory being floated - financial terrorists who have it in for us.
12:32 PM on 03/03/2011
Save the melodrama for your screenplays, Bob.
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CTDFalconer
Think twice, post once.
02:47 PM on 03/03/2011
Save the sniping for your Halo game.
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Robert Cantor
I am a human being descended from an exclusive gro
02:48 PM on 03/03/2011
typical rightie,
has no idea what sarcasm is
because you, all of your kind, see the world in extremes.
12:31 PM on 03/03/2011
No, government caused the collapse. We're finally seeing the inevitable government gravy-train wreck.
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CTDFalconer
Think twice, post once.
02:46 PM on 03/03/2011
The government didn't cause it, they were only complicit in the collapse because of their permissiveness in regard to wealthy corporations. If we had sensible rules in place like Glass-Steagall and proper oversight of banks an investment houses (one and the same now) the crash would probably not have happened. The point here is that reckless speculators trashed our economy, and the fallout is landing on regular folks who had nothing to do with it.
Konnie
PO'd PROGRESSIVE
09:56 AM on 03/04/2011
government did cause it. they were bought and paid for by LARGE MONEY. and LARGE MONEY
told them how to write the laws and regulations that would benefit LARGE MONEY, and get rid of
the laws and regulations that would hamper LARGE MONEY greed and self-interest. LARGE MONEY and their government campaign contribution slaves rigged the system and tilted the table too far in their averice and broke the system. I don't think they meant to, they just weren't as smart
as they thought they were. And now rather than demand justice - make LARGE MONEY give back, put some LARGE MONEY and government slaves in the pokey - LARGE MONEY reframes the debate and blames the victims. and the LARGE MONEY owned media
repeats the falsehood as they are told to do.


WHAT DO YOU WANT AMERICA TO BECOME?
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Robert Cantor
I am a human being descended from an exclusive gro
02:48 PM on 03/03/2011
silly