Comments on: Teachers rally against education cuts during “Week of Action”

By: Steven A.

Steven A. — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:20:46 +0000

It’s so nice teachers think I and all other taxpayers should continue paying higher taxes in order to save their jobs.

And their unsustainable pensions.

Teachers only contribute 8% of their salary towards their pension.

Yet, the taxpayer picks up 12.25% (8.25% from district, 4% from state).

You would be hard-pressed to find ANY private-sector employer that has a 401K match even close to the deal teachers are getting.

Most 401Ks, IF there is a match, is 3% of the employee’s salary.

Not to mention, private sector must also pay another 6.2% into Social Security, along with another 6.2% from their employer. Anyone paying attention to Social Security these days? It’s going broke…it probably will not be there when those of us retire 20+ years from now. I would LOVE to NOT HAVE to have that 6.2% confiscated from me.

Speaking of going broke, teachers are in CalSTRS, which is nearly $60 billion unfunded. Who will bail out CalSTRS? And CalPERS. And UCRS. And the list goes on. Who? The taxpayers. Say, do those taxpayers with a 401K, do THEY have a government guarantee?

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:59:53 +0000

One of the Walnut Creek teachers I interviewed said she thinks union leaders at the state level are out of touch with the classroom and that the union should stop spending so much money on glossy mailers.
To see the Governor release his May revised budget live, tune into http://www.calchannel.com or http://gov.ca.gov at 11 a.m.

By: Anon

Anon — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:30:08 +0000

To #1, #2, and #3
Yes! You are exactly right.

By: mdusdmomx4

mdusdmomx4 — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:34:38 +0000

Whoops, not medicare, I meant Medi-Cal. Also those on free or reduced lunch did have to prove need on a semi-annual basis. Basically we would be a State that could help in the short term, so people and families can come up with long term solutions.

By: mdusdmomx4

mdusdmomx4 — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:33:18 +0000

I would gladly pay more in taxes if it was guaranteed all districts in California were funded equally and fairly. If those on welfare, food stamps, Section 8 housing and Medicare were all drug tested, checked out and given a time limit, such as 1,2 or 3 years. No more extras for more children too. If all Unions were no longer allowed to donate to ANY campaign and teachers tenure was dissolved.

By: g

Sat, 14 May 2011 19:37:13 +0000

We are already very heavily taxed. Extending current taxes will only whet the appetites of the greedy and allow waste to continue!

One group fights to extend these taxes…another group is fighting to change the rules for passing parcel taxes…another group is threatening to close more schools, more parks, more police and fire stations, more, more, more if we don’t invent yet another tax! Well, some of us are all tapped out–and just “leaving” is not an option!