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The Big Picture
by Glynn Wilson
The people of Alabama have barely had time to digest their Thanksgiving turkey and do a little Christmas shopping for their families before the radical Republicans in the Legislature and their corporate media mouthpieces start talking about doing more damage to the state after the first of the year.
Could it be that House Speaker Mike Hubbard of Auburn is so pissed off at his favorite football team for losing to Alabama on Saturday that he just had to call up the Army Corps of the Associated Press to drop another bombshell on the people on Cyber Monday?
I mean, can’t we just sleep late every now and then on a rainy Monday before the forces of darkness spoil everything with more gloom and doom?
Hubbard indicates the Republicans sat around over Thanksgiving and cooked up another evil plan to destroy education in a state that is already near the bottom of every ranking in the country on education. He says the Republicans plan to push changes in retirement benefits for new public employees and to try to legalize charter schools.
“There’s a new sheriff in town,” Hubbard is quoted as saying in the Gannett-owned corporate chain Montgomery Advertiser.
You see Dr. Paul Hubbert and Joe Reed are both retiring from the Alabama Education Association, a professional association for teachers that the press in Alabama treats like a cabal of corrupt union bosses, and the Republicans can’t wait to stick it to the teachers again next year.
They pretty much destroyed teacher tenure last year and eliminated the tax break teachers get for paying association dues, so AEA had to scramble and set up a direct deposit system. Indications are that most members continued their memberships by paying up.
The Republicans also monkeyed with the retirement system for public employees, forcing many teachers into a decision to either retire now or maybe even move to another state to teach. They raised the percentage of salaries teachers had to pay into the system from 5 percent to 7.5 percent.
Now the Republicans apparently plan to try to destroy any incentive for good teachers to work in Alabama and to destroy the retirement system completely. Teachers can now retire after 25 years of service. They are considering raising that to 30 years and attaching an age factor to the formula as well. Who is going to want to do the awful job of teaching in today’s high schools after these guys get through?
Hubbard complains that the $1 billion a year paid out to retired teachers is “unsustainable,” even though it is paid for from their salaries and interest earned on investments over the years.
Eric Mackey, executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, is quoted as saying they are open to discussion about changes for new employees, but they oppose the Republican plan, cautioning that big changes could have a negative impact on education in the state.
“The pension and health benefits are two of the things that help us attract good teachers,” Mackey said.
Mark Kennedy, chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, posted this on his Facebook page Monday morning.
“This is not going to get any better until you and I, together, start working now to turn this state around,” he said. “Now is the time to show that people count. It may be illegal to give a teacher a gift for Christmas but let’s let them know that we care.”
Clearly the Republicans are not interested in attracting good teachers or finding a way to better fund education in Alabama. The Big Mule corporations they speak for do not want an educated work force. It is in their interest to continue fostering anti-intellectual ignorance in one of the most backward states in the country.
Unless the people get united and fight for change in Alabama, the Republicans may get their way. Have you booked your ticket to Oregon yet? If not, consider joining one of the Occupy groups around the state. Get informed and support the alternative, independent Web Press.
Why Do Working Class People Vote Against Their Economic Interests?
© 2011 – 2016, Glynn Wilson. All rights reserved.
