Showing some respect to teachers.

When did being a teacher become a bad thing? When did teachers become one of the "privileged?" The Union debates going on in Wisconsin has turned into some sort of mental fungus that is rapidly spreading across the nation. People making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year are pointing to teachers as the source of all the budgetary woes befalling the nation. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who makes $137,097.00 a year is accusing teachers and unions of ruining his state with their salaries and other benefits. He is being backed by two BILLIONAIRE brothers who would like nothing better than to see salaries of $70,000 a year cut in half and all the teachers benefits taken away.

Now, just for a moment, lets take a look at the sheer stupidness of all of this. We have a man who makes twice as much and you can bet has way more benefits than these hard working people teaming up with men whose anti-union/anti-middle class attitude is well known by anyone who can read. This should have sent up red flags across the board. The Press should have been crying foul. The common person across the nation should have been shouting from the rooftops against this injustice. Has that happened? No.

Instead, we are bombarded with press reports calling the teachers "elitists", "privileged", and "uncaring." We hear people from the Senate on down talk about how teachers make to much money and their benefits are too high. And even worse, for the most part, the American people seem to be buying this load of Horse Kark. Instead of standing by these people who help educate our children, we rail against them while dancing on the end of the strings being pulled by the Haves of the nation.

Now God knows I am no financial whizz. I can do basic math up to long division, but could never balance my own check book. Thats one of the reasons I married an accountant. I can't speak for how great the benefits received by our teachers are today. (When I was teaching they sucked, but that was a long time ago.) However, I can do math, so lets take a look at the "massive salary" most teachers receive every year and how far that goes.

Most news reports I have seen quote the average teacher salary in Wisconsin at about $70,000 a year. Now I am guessing that is gross not take home, but let's run with that figure for now.

+$70,000.00 Take Home Salary
-$12,000.00 House Note
- $6,000.00 Car Note
- $4,800.00 Utilities
- $2,400.00 Food
- $2,400.00 Gas
- $4,800.00 Clothes
- $3,600.00 Credit Cards/Loans
- $6,000.00 Misc.
Total remaining from net= $28,000.00

Hm, seems like a lot doesn't it, but not really. First of all, those figures are way low end estimates based off a single person living by themselves whose spending and expenses are on the lower end of average for an American. Most of the expenses I listed are probably closer to half again as much for most Americans.

Now If you add in say two kids that just adds even more massive expenses to the pot. School fees, uniform fees, clothes, shoes, computers, more food than is really decent since kids eat like horses. Kids are expensive and a lot of people have them.

Add to all of that, God help you if you have to replace a water heater or get the plumbing fixed. Once had to shell out $3000. to get a drainage pipe fixed and recently payed $1.400. to get my truck fixed. When you add all of these things in, $70,000. (which is not net pay) doesn't seem like a lot of money.

I am fond of pointing out that my Daddy and Momma never made a lot of money but somehow managed to raise three kids and keep us fed and clothed. So it is possible to survive on smaller salaries. Course I am also quick to point out that we never lived in a house with central heat and air and our clothes were generally hand me downs from the next one up. (Ever had to wear one of your sister's shirts to school and you are a guy?)

These teachers who work hard to educate and guide our kids can make do with less. Hell anyone can. But ask yourself this, would you want to? Would you want to be forced to not give your family what it needs just to survive because people who make a hell of a lot more money than you order it? I doubt it because I know I wouldn't.

So get off the hate band wagon, folks. Fight for these people not against them. "There but for the Grace of God go I" is a quote that should stick in your minds because your profession might be next.