Obama won a decisive victory yesterday and riding on his coattails came the Wisconsin Assembly!
This change in political leadership may have profound changes for us here at UWO.
- With democratic majorities in both houses here in Wisconsin, faculty will soon be deciding if we want to unionize.
- When it is time for the state budget discussions, UW-hater Steve Nass (though he did win re-election)will not have the kind of control that he used to. When it comes to the hard choices of how to allocate state dollars, perhaps education will be higher on the list than more prisons.
- Obama has promised more support for students going to college. How he can accomplish this in the midst of all the other budget issues he will face is unclear. However, we might have a new discussion about how this can be accomplished.
- The push for "accountability" for higher education will clearly move in different directions. I don't think we will be able to avoid the standardized-testing craze that dominates the political sphere. We should be able to slow down and have a rational discussion as to how this can be done. The threat that "they will do it to us if we don't hurry up and do it to ourselves" should recede.
As even David Brooks has pointed out, the Republicans have been running on an anti-intellectual platform for years. With a new Democratic administration in Washington, I hope for a new tone, less derisive towards academia and science in general!
P.S. Great Job WRST election night coverage! I spent much of the night with the sound of the TV off and the radio on. The students did an excellent job bringing our own experts to the airwaves!
27 comments:
You said:
"With democratic majorities in both houses here in Wisconsin, faculty will soon be deciding if we want to unionize."
So your goal is more money.
You undoubtedly want a larger salary and/or better benefits.
Who do you think will/should pay for these enhancements?
>>You undoubtedly want a larger salary and/or better benefits.<<
You name me one working person in this planet for whom that is not true. Go ahead. You say it like it's a bad thing. Are you content to earn the same wages YOU did 20 years ago? Why should college profs be any different?
So the taxpayer and tuition-payer cover our wages? You and I cover the wages of the folks assembling autos for GM. If only they would work for $4 an hour and no benefits, we could each get us a new Cadillac for $2000. What makes the public sector any different? They do a job for you; it costs you. Guys at GM do a job for you, it costs you. Would you tell the guys on the assembly line that they should be willing to work for substandard wages so you can buy a cheap Caddy?
I have never been in favor of unions for professionals, particularly in academia. However, because of the utter disrespect emanating from so many in the legislature, I'm afraid I would vote in favor of unionization if we were allowed that fundamental human right.
I can live without pay raises, I can get by with benefit cuts. But having our elected representatives treat us like scam artists and criminals is galling. We are trying to do a job for the people of this state, trying to make this a better place for everyone, and we are insulted and villified at every turn.
I would vote for a union just to force those who have insulted and disrespected us to show us respect. If they want a confrontational them-vs.-us system, then let's do it.
Flash,,,here's a news FLASH for you.
GM in Janesville is closing.
GM stock is trading at historic lows.
You're living in this odd world where you believe you are entitled to "things". You are sadly mistaken Flash.
The difference is you expect taxpayers to cover additional benefits for you. See that differs alot from even your GM example.
GM is a old school corporation ripe with FAT. I've seen the GM line in Janesville. Union employees sitting in the line placing one gizmo in a wiget hole. Very UNSKILLED, yet the demand wages that would be more appropriate for a MD or a PhD.
That is partly why our world is going down the crapper.
On one end you have Corporations and CEO's gorging on funds and profits that should be poured back into the business, or shared with stockholders. GREED.
On the other hand you have entitlement driven unions, primarily public sector unions, who demand more from the property taxpayer to fund larger wages and greater benefits all with no performance improvement measurements.
Both big corporations and big unions are ruining our country.
Lets hope our new President can place that on his very long "things to do" list and make some changes.
Anywhy, if you expect me as a taxpayer to fund a raise for you...sir, you can pound sand.
Okay, pick ANY business. ANY worker expects things to get better the longer he works faithfully for an employer. If that's a company, it drives up the costs of goods and services. If it's public sector, it drives up taxes. NO DIFFERENCE. TANSTAAFL, chief. You want stuff, you pay for it. GREED is wanting something for nothing, being unwilling to give a fair wage for an honest day's work. Ebeneezer Scrooge has nothing on you, bucko!
"Not from me" is EXACTLY what I am talking about! I do NOT expect better benefits, I can live with 1% pay raises. But that sort of rude disrespectful attitude burns my butt. That sort of ignorant anti-intellectualism, that sort of greedy tight-fisted skin-flintery is what will drive the university faculties to unionize, and THEN see what it costs you!!
All the people of this state have to do is say, Thank you, job well done. Won't cost them a dime. But they prefer to wallow in baseless insults and disrespect, so stick it to them, I say!
In order to make that work, all public sector unions should eliminate arbitration and allow their members to strike, unless they hold a highly critical public safety function.
Let bus drivers, plow drivers, city clerks, maintainence workers, teachers aids, professors, sanitation workers, meter readers, park workers, and these types of people strike if they feel they are being mistreated wage and benefit wise.
I'm sure that these positions could be back-filled just like in the private sector it the business organization (in this case the city or university) feels the demands are unaffordable.
The arbitration laws let public sector union employees reside in a protective bubble, shielding them from the reality of a capitalistic society.
Dump Arbitration, you are aware that this blogger (and many of his readers, one assumes) is a college prof and college profs are forbidden by state law to unionize, aren't you? We are forbidden this fundamental right of the working man. When we were respected, no one much worried about a union. Now that anti-intellectuals delight in insulting and distrespecting us, the idea of a faculty union is a lot more attractive.
So if everyone would just "show you the love" all would be OK then?
Sureeee it would.
No desire for more money, just show you some respect.
Ok.
Indeed, props to the WRST staff. Their election coverage demonstrated that we have a good group of bright, dedicated students on our campus. It was an honor to participate in such a quality student production.
Bob Hinrichs
r-e-s-p-e-c-t:
I cannot speak for the whole faculty, but for me personally, yes. Seeing as how we have no union to protect us, we pretty much have to accept whatever the state deigns to give us. No arbitration, no strikes, no QED for us. Not allowed. Illegal.
I suppose you are one of those who thinks all college profs make six-figure salaries. Fact is, lots of guys at Truck make more than some of us. You used to be able to look up all our salaries on-line, but the state took it down because other states were using it to help lure away faculty to states not run by a bunch of high school drop-outs.
So, yeah. A simple acknowledgment that what we do is of value to the people of this state would go a long way with me. It would cost not one cent more than ignorant anti-intellectual insults.
Would I like a raise? You bet. I make about $52,000 with a Ph.D. and after teaching in public schools for almost 20 years. Some of it goes to pay off grad school debt, some of it's goes into saving for a car to replace the two 1995 ones I own.
We're not all high-paid BMW owners. So, yeah, I wouldn't mind a raise.
Losers always assume that those who are doing better in life have cheated or ripped them off to get there. They cannot face up to the fact that they screwed away their opportunities and were more interested in having a good time than in building a future. So of course they are bitter and disrespect the former four-eyes and geeks who are now college teachers. Of course they exagerate how much their enemy earns and denigrate what they do. They are losers, will never amount to a pile of beans. Amazing they even know how to log onto a computer.
XBadger said...
Would I like a raise? You bet. I make about $52,000 with a Ph.D. and after teaching in public schools for almost 20 years.
I know elementary school teachers who've worked about the same amount of years as you, and have a Masters...but no Ph.D.
Several earn in excess of $65,000.00 per year (9 months work)
So why did you move from the "public schools" to UW-O?
What is it with the anti-union trolls?
Half the time you look at an Oshkosh blog, it is dominated by these nasty commenters.
My own experience has been that colleges with a faculty union had much stronger faculty governance.
It is pretty easy for the administration to ride roughshod over atomized professors--UWO is a good example. I would venture to guess that unions hold the line on adjuncts and part-timers better than their un-unionized counterparts.
Unions clearly have their issues, but our problem at the moment is having almost no voice in university or state politics.
"XBadger said...
Would I like a raise? You bet. I make about $52,000 with a Ph.D. and after teaching in public schools for almost 20 years. Some of it goes to pay off grad school debt, some of it's goes into saving for a car to replace the two 1995 ones I own.
We're not all high-paid BMW owners. So, yeah, I wouldn't mind a raise."
So a professor with a Ph.D. earns $52,000.00 at UW-O.
Maybe consider a city union job. Some with less education that are making similar or a bit more are:
Gentry, James
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Mrochek, Daniel
Fire Equipment Operator
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Fire Equipment Operator
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Ross, Gary
Fire Equipment Operator
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Rutter, Michael
Fire Equipment Operator
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Heid, Kurt
Fire Equipment Operator
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Herbst, Matthew
Fire Equipment Operator
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Heyroth, Anthony
Fire Equipment Operator
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Krause, Scott
Fire Equipment Operator
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Mcquillen, Robert
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Shikoski, Jason
Fire Equipment Operator
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Stini, Steven
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Johnson, Michael
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Bell, Michael
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Broeske, Scott
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $56,831.32
Buchholz, Robert
Fire Equipment Operator
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Clark, Jack
Fire Equipment Operator
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Czlapinski, Michael
Fire Equipment Operator
FIRE DEPARTMENT $54,645.50
Downs, Craig
Fire Equipment Operator
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Abbrederis, Scott
Fire Equipment Operator
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Erdman, Keil
Fire Equipment Operator
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Gee, John
Firefighter
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Hamer, Bret
Firefighter
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Heder, Christopher
Firefighter
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Homolka, Bryan
Firefighter
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Jaeger, Andrew
Firefighter
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Koch, Ryan
Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Koplin, Ryan
Firefighter
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Krajnik, Bret
Firefighter
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Krajnik, Michael
Firefighter
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Kramer, Keith
Firefighter
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Kraus, Steven
Firefighter
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Montag, Anthony
Firefighter
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Moxon, Rory
Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Notzke, Kyle
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Pinter, Andrew
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Blaha, Brian
Firefighter
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Burns, Brian
Firefighter
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Clark, Christopher
Firefighter
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Frank, Theodore
Firefighter
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Geiger, Joseph
Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Simonet, Donald
Firefighter
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Stelter, Gregory
Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Tate, Eric
Firefighter
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Waech, Douglas
Firefighter
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Wangard, Casey
Firefighter
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Wedell, Christopher
Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Firefighter
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Fisher, Jesse
Firefighter
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Luedtke, Bruce
City Sealer
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Tebon, Jayne
Public Health Nurse
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Zinth, Susanne
Public Health Nurse
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Krueger, Denise
Public Health Nurse
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Boyce, Anne
Sanitarian
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Knutson, Sandra
Sanitarian
HEALTH DIVISION $53,806.22
Augustine, Peter
Programmer Analyst
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY $53,806.22
Derenne, Maryjo
Police Officer
POLICE DEPARTMENT $55,498.30
Dolan, James
Police Officer
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Fuerbringer, Joey
Police Officer
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Grubofski, Tracey
Police Officer
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Guiliani, Christopher
Police Officer
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Haberland, Adam
Police Officer
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Harris, Matthew
Police Officer
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Harvot, Marilyn
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Hill, Philip
Police Officer
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Katz, Matthew
Police Officer
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Krueger, Deana
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Krueger, Jeremy
Police Officer
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Lecker, Andrew
Police Officer
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Lehman, Mark
Police Officer
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Linse, Gregory
Police Officer
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Markel, Melissa
Police Officer
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Marquez, Joaquin
Police Officer
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Munsch, Brian
Police Officer
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Nichols, Joseph
Police Officer
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Pizon, Brian
Police Officer
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Robertson, Brett
Police Officer
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Sagmeister, Gary
Police Officer
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Schafhauser, Mark
Police Officer
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Ansell, Brandon
Police Officer
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Augsburger, Carter
Police Officer
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Berger, Douglas
Police Officer
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Boerner, Ryan
Police Officer
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Brandl, Troy
Police Officer
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Buehler, Brent
Police Officer
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Ott, Duane
Police Officer
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Ott, Nicole
Police Officer
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Perry, Allan
Police Officer
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Sell, Derek
Police Officer
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Skeels, Edward
Police Officer
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Skelton, Timothy
Police Officer
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Vanderloop, David
Police Officer
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Kaye, Rachel Ly
Police Officer
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Waln, Max
Police Officer
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Wilson, Jeremy
Police Officer
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Zielicke, Timothy
Police Officer
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Zutz, Paul
Police Officer
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Wendt, Karl
Police Spec
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Waddington, Dennis
Police Spec
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Scovronski, James
Police Spec
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Drexler, Michael
Police Spec
POLICE DEPARTMENT $57,388.50
Oelke, June
Victim/Witness Coordinator
POLICE DEPARTMENT $51,132.64
Winnebloggo:
I respect your recent posting, as I respect all your postings. After reading your blog way back when, I decided to start mine but alas, I can't hold a candle to yours.
That said most of realize the shit hole we get in when we get an unmarketable terminal degree. Yes we could make more as a factory worker, or as one of your posters points out, pretty much anyone who works for the City of Oshkosh.
I've enjoyed higher ed, but decry the salary aspect and rejoice in the freedoms I do have (or had) vis a vis the course work I taught and through the adm posts I've held.
Are unions the answer. IMHO No! Public opinion is the answer. We need a mindshift from the public to value who we are and what we do and a union, IMHO, will not do that.
The Regents and the UW System need to focus thmeselves on showing what a value we are to the State as a whole not just to our students. Then, and only then, will we see a shift in public and gov't opinion to true value in our compensation package.
"Are unions the answer. IMHO No! Public opinion is the answer. We need a mindshift from the public to value who we are and what we do and a union, IMHO, will not do that."
Unfortunately, we live in a state where far too many people DELIGHT in their foolishness and ignorance, where stupidity is lauded and people take pride in anti-intellectualism. A place where people spends thousands upon thousands of dollars on beer, smokes, Packers tickets, tailgate parties, snowmobiles, fishing boats, and hunting gear, but scream bloody murder if the schools want to increase their tax bill $40 a year or charge them a $10 book fee. A state inhabited largely by myopic yahoos and yokels.
In the fable of The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs, the foolish owner killed the goose out of greed, to find out where the eggs came from. Had he been your typical Wisconsinite, he'd have killed it just because it's fun to kill things, and besides, it thought it was so much better than him.
No, the populace of this state is beyond redemption. As long as they are so proud of being stupid, as long as they insult and disparage anyone who tries to better himself, it will be useless. The only thing they understand and respect and fear is power. The answer is to unionize and force the rabble to deal with us on those terms.
The average faculty salary at UWO is $58.000. Newly hired PHDs get $45,000 to $50,000 outside the business college. This compensation is not only less than that of city employees but lower than the salaries of technical college instructors, all of whom are unionized.
The UW Oshkosh faculty can either vote for unionization if the state legislature actually allows such representation or continue down the rat hole.
Though Nemesis is rude in his phrasing, I agree. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The legislature wants to treat us disrespectfully? Fine. Let's unionize and force them to respect us.
The way I see it is the city pays too much, not the UW system paying too little.
From a different set of eyes.
Sure, 8:41, anyone who earns more than you is OBVIOUSLY a crook and a scam artist, right? You're so freakin' wonderful, that it's IMPOSSIBLE for anyone else to merit more pay than you get, right? Of course, hiding behind anonymity, no one has a clue if you're a high school dropout ditch-digger or president of GM. Is it just maybe possible that it is no more YOUR business what public employees earn than it is their business what YOU earn?
" Is it just maybe possible that it is no more YOUR business what public employees earn than it is their business what YOU earn?"
Wrong again sweety, I pay your wage with my taxes.
Get off your lazyboy and sweep the floor at least. Make it look like you earn your pay please.
>>Wrong again sweety, I pay your wage with my taxes.<<
Yeah, and whatever you do in the private sector ("You want fries with that?"), I pay YOUR wages with my purchases. If we could cut your pay and the pay of all those other private sector slackers to 50 cents an hour, it would save me a ton of money.
Same thing. No difference. Money is money. You want the garbage picked up or the streets plowed? You pay for it. You want a newspaper or a cup of coffee? You pay for it. No difference. TANSTAAFL.
Your taxes don't pay for much.
GPR (taxes) make up only 28% of the university's revenues. Tuition, fees, contracts, grants, etc. pay most of the cost. If cuts continue, taxes will become a trivial funding source.
We are close to becoming a private university now. When we do, there will be no reason to pay any attention to ignorant critics like you. You might want to apply for that floor sweeping job here though.
John and crew...
Pretty defensive guys.
The comments must be hitting close to home.
Nah, I just always get mad as he// about scurrilous lies and blatant stupidity. Got no beef with truth.
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