POLITICAL THREAD

[DwayneMeighan]

https://m.ctpost.com/local/article/Police-Bridgeport-high-school-locked-down-after-12791327.php

Police: Bridgeport high school locked down after staffer threatens killing spree

BRIDGEPORT - Harding High School was put in lockdown Wednesday after police said a school employee threatened to go on a killing spree.

The school’s principal, Dane Brown, told officers that Lemon had made threatening statements to another teacher.

Police said Lemon stated that he hates white people and couldn’t wait “for the panthers to give the OK and a revolution begins because he will execute every white man he gets his hands on.”

Lemon also stomped on an American flag in a classroom telling the students, “This is what I think about it,” police said.

Police said the principal subsequently found an anonymous note in her mailbox stating, “Mr. Lemon talks about shooting whites a lot! He watches radical stuff during class. I am scared he will do something… he is crazy.”

 

[BombadEER]

 

[WKBlu]

https://m.ctpost.com/local/article/Police-Bridgeport-high-school-locked-down-after-12791327.php

Police: Bridgeport high school locked down after staffer threatens killing spree

BRIDGEPORT - Harding High School was put in lockdown Wednesday after police said a school employee threatened to go on a killing spree.

The school’s principal, Dane Brown, told officers that Lemon had made threatening statements to another teacher.

Police said Lemon stated that he hates white people and couldn’t wait “for the panthers to give the OK and a revolution begins because he will execute every white man he gets his hands on.”

Lemon also stomped on an American flag in a classroom telling the students, “This is what I think about it,” police said.

Police said the principal subsequently found an anonymous note in her mailbox stating, “Mr. Lemon talks about shooting whites a lot! He watches radical stuff during class. I am scared he will do something… he is crazy.”

He is 63. Apparently grown impatient, he needs the revolution to happen quickly.

 

[WKBlu]

Broward County Public Defender says he has never encountered such a deluge of fan mail.

Some weird ass people out there.

 

[shadow1316]

Guy is a future star. Very well said.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Yup. Making actual working people (that can't just up and decide they aren't going to work because their wittle feewings are huht) find childcare in the middle of the night sure is going to garner a lot of sympathy for the teacher gravy train cause...

On social media today people are outraged about teachers not going to work. I mean outraged. Don't blame them. It's a ridiculous thing to do over a bill that doesn't really even do much that I can tell (assuming that's what's actually in it).

 

[qwesley]

She goes to work at 7 am and gets home usually at 6pm.

Prob not the reason you think

If they would legalise weed & gambling this would all go away.

Show your work

 

[Pelosigalore]

Prob not the reason you think

She doesn’t want to hang out with her husband, no reason for her to get home at 6.
Maybe 4

 

[Mashburned]

Teachers still get the 1.5% "cost of living" RAISE and their retirement is in an awesome hybrid 401k plan! SAD!

So, aside from the political grandstanding nonsense, the fact that Bevin is a Republican, what exactly are teachers upset about? I need an example.

And guess what? Your precious lil gambling and marijuana stuff will come! It's inevitable. And your precious Dems will get the credit for that. Everyone is gonna have their cake and eat it too. Chill.

 

[Mashburned]

From FL to KY, the school system is being absolutely butt raped by democratic political campaigns.

Imagine the stupid kids in these schools seeing all this, watching all this. Omg theyre protesting! This is super serious! I'm voting Democrat for life! Republicans want to steal retirement from teachers and also murder children with guns! OMG!

 

[crazyqx83]

On social media today people are outraged about teachers not going to work. I mean outraged. Don't blame them. It's a ridiculous thing to do over a bill that doesn't really even do much that I can tell (assuming that's what's actually in it).

Most teachers in the state are out of school next week for spring break. They could have waited 1 day and then gone to Frankfort for an entire 10 days to protest and raise all the hell they wanted. they instead chose to take a day off at the taxpayer's expense and threw parents and students under the bus to fend for themselves after most were in bed for the night and woke up scrambling to find childcare.

It will be telling to see how many teachers are in Frankfort next week during one of the many paid vacations they get thru the year. Put your time off where your mouth is. If all of them run off to Gatlinburg or PCB I will have zero sympathy when they're sitting in a classroom at 85.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

Everything I have read still sounds pretty good for current teachers...

Moving to a CB plan where the teacher has to put 9% in and the state/local kick in 8% of comp. That's pretty damn good.

Moving 27 years for full bens to 35 years - sounds reasonable as people are living longer.

In the real world 9%+8% is excellent.

 

[qwesley]

Everything I have read still sounds pretty good for current teachers...

Moving to a CB plan where the teacher has to put 9% in and the state/local kick in 8% of comp. That's pretty damn good.

Moving 27 years for full bens to 35 years - sounds reasonable as people are living longer.

In the real world 9%+8% is excellent.

Counterpoint: "Retiring at 50 with lifetime benefits was a promise!"

 

[vhcat70]

This bill reportedly will require local governments to pay an additional 2% of the salaries/pension contributions for their school system employees, with even greater increases in some counties. That inevitably will come in the form of property (school) tax increases for you and me.

Not sure how local governments can be made to pay for salaries/pensions of separate, non-government school districts. Local government have no say over school district operations, just collect their taxes for them.

 

[warrior-cat]

I'm on my 62nd hour working since Monday and will likely hit 100 this week, haven't worked less than 12 hours in a day since January, dealing with demanding clients and bosses, paying 100% of my own retirement (other than profit sharing), paying $170 a month for parking, etc. and get to read about how rough teachers have it because someone is trying to fix their pension before it collapses.

I choose to do what I'm doing. Teachers choose to do what they do. That sentence above is not me complaining. I sacrifice a lot at certain times for the freedom and flexibility it affords me. At any point in time, I could go do something else.

If teaching math to an 8 year old and having the summer off is too difficult, I'd be happy to give some of those teachers a shot at becoming an actual professional and teaching an adult who thinks they know everything and who isn't forced to come to your building and listen to you every day the intricacies of the tax code and why it isn't your fault they owe money to the government. On the other hand, I sure as shit wouldn't want to spend my day teaching kids.


In other words, you all would be best served to stop whining. I think the way the bill was passed was total bullshit, but the way you've handle the situation (and "debate" over the last few months) is total horseshit and makes me understand why they had to slide something through this way, because you all are completely unreasonable. Maybe it's unfair, but with this bullshit "sick day" stunt, and all the recent school walkout bullshit, I'm starting to lump you all together as paid activists and not people who are educating our youth.

For 20 years of my life I did a job that started at 0530 and ended when the bosses said work was done. Many weekends, many weeks without a day off with the hours going 24 a day with a couple to 3 hours sleep in those days. Yes, combat arms MOS's keep you working very long hours. My pension I promise you is less than teachers. But, it is something I chose to do too.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

Counterpoint: "Retiring at 50 with lifetime benefits was a promise!"

Sometimes the adults have to step in

Honestly though, surely they could've done a numbers crunch and said -

If you want the pension, your pay is flatlined and might decrease but you can keep it. But for anyone who opts out of the pension plan and gets into the DC or CB plan we are offering an immediate raise of XXXX. (The 27 to 35 years would have to stay though)

 

[Brandon Stroud]

For every "ZOMG MY WIFE IS A TEACHER AND SHE WORKS 80 HOURS A WEEK AND DURING THE SUMMER!!" rolleyes There are 20 people on a scale between phoning it in and outright not giving an eff. Now, that is probably true for most professions. The difference, of course, is most professions don't get 5 months off a year, get to retire at 55 with guaranteed salary and benefits, accrue 3 full years of sick days that they can cash out to retire even earlier, etc.

The problem is, as always, everyone wants their cake and to eat it too. Republicans want teachers to work for $25k/year but with no extravagant benefits. Teachers want to make $50k/year, but with all of their current benefits. The best solution is paying teachers more, dialing back their benefits, make it easier to hire and fire teachers, and cutting things like sports programs and administrators. But no will go for that.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Mic drop moment. One of the best I've ever witnessed.

 

[DSmith21]

The new pension bill covers all or most state government employees. Why are the teachers to only ones who are throwing an absolute fit? They really aren't losing that much in the bill other than being able to pad their pension calculation with unused sick days.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

Teachers still get the 1.5% "cost of living" RAISE and their retirement is in an awesome hybrid 401k plan! SAD!

So, aside from the political grandstanding nonsense, the fact that Bevin is a Republican, what exactly are teachers upset about? I need an example.

And guess what? Your precious lil gambling and marijuana stuff will come! It's inevitable. And your precious Dems will get the credit for that. Everyone is gonna have their cake and eat it too. Chill.

The existing pension plan will become more expensive for the state as less people enter in and instead are funneled into the hybrid plan. They realize at some point more revenue will be needed or their promised benefits will be cut.

The COLA is important to them because they do not and cannot even receive spousal SSI. Even the new teachers coming in will remain ineligible also.

The inability to accumulate sick days towards retirement was not in the original bargain either. There is a compromise out there with a reasonable cap but as it is it will cost the school systems more ( vs. the state in the retirement ) as all teachers will take their sick days as opposed to losing them.

 

[WKBlu]

 

[Pelosigalore]

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The biggest blunder of the trump administration is hiring this clown.

 

[Bill Cosby]

Jeff Sessions is ultimate cuck.

Someone should just trick him into assigning the full powers of the AG over to someone else.

manwhowantstoassignfullpowersoftheAGtosomeoneelsesayswhat...

What?

BANG, I'm the new AG. First order of business, I'm appointing Willy Special Investigator on all things Clinton related.

 

[DSmith21]

Not wanting to defend Sessions but he actually already had someone outside of the D.C. bubble investigating the FISA and Clinton Uranium One matters. He has also only said "no for now" to a special council.

"United States Attorney for Utah John Huber has been investigating whether the FBI abused its authority in surveilling a former top aide to then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and whether federal officials should have probed deeper into allegations of Hillary Clinton’s ties to the sale of U.S. uranium rights to a Russian-controlled company. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a letter to some congressional leaders Thursday that he appointed senior federal prosecutors — led by Huber — to review concerns raised by Republicans that the FBI ignored those issues while focusing on investigating the Trump campaign for possible collaboration with Russia."....

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/03...ing-trump-aide-ignoring-clinton-uranium-ties/

 

[WKBlu]

 

[JStaff2187]

A big problem is all the bloated paper work teachers have to do now. As said earlier, 75% of it is just unnecessary. And also what they’re being forced to teach. I know a teacher who is a social studies teacher. The administration wants him to teach cursive and addition as well. Why? Those things have nothing to do with social studies. Also this commons core BS. A lot of teachers I’ve talked to do not like it and don’t fully understand it. Yet they make them teach this way.

Whoever said the board is the problem is 100% spot on. I work in a district where the past superintendent made $90,000 a year. He hired his wife to some fluff job making $70,000. He then hired all of his buddies from home to assistant principal jobs... one school of which had NEVER had one before making $60,000. That’s a shit ton of money for (at least) 2 unnecessary jobs.

I can vouch that some teachers do work from 7:00-7:00. They work hard, teach well, have kids that don’t belong in their classes (behavioral and in some cases even special ed students) and put up with a lot of BS. I’ve also seen the cloud of dust left by some teachers at 3:08 PM as they fly out the door. I’ve seen teachers that have their aides do 75% of the work and just click at a computer all day. That’s a mixed bag.

Testing is another issue. They pressure teachers to make their students wizards and score extremely well on state testing because they’ll receive more funding. There’s also been motions to make a teacher’s job dependent on testing which is kind of crazy. Problem with this is a lot of teachers focus on teaching how to take a test rather actually teaching about content.

At some point it all became about test scores, kids having fun and their feelings rather than learning (except the rushed attempt during test to cram them with testing knowledge) loads of paper work that is completely unnecessary and board members making bank.

It’s just a major cluster phuck.

 

[Xception]

 

[JStaff2187]

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[fuzz77]

I agree I don't like the process. The content will have to be judged on it's own, although I'm not optimistic.

I just think it's a little curious to think everyone is up in arms over something before they know what it says. Typical Dem behavior - just oppose everything no matter what

Uh, they are up in arms because they don't know what is in the bill. FYI, there are plenty of conservatives who are equally outraged. I guess that's "typical" Rethug behavior?

I guess you think we should just let them pass whatever and then not offer opinions until it is done?

And isn't "oppose everything" exactly the approach the GOP took during the Obama years?
Did you complain about it then?

 

[AustinTXCat]

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Good. Pay me a reasonable fee and I'll help that SOB pack.

 

[AustinTXCat]

 

[P19978]

This bill reportedly will require local governments to pay an additional 2% of the salaries/pension contributions for their school system employees, with even greater increases in some counties. That inevitably will come in the form of property (school) tax increases for you and me.

This "reform" is projected to save only $10 million per year, yet it's guaranteed to result in less money being paid into the current pension system because new hires won't be a part of it. As a result, we'll be right back here in a few years after the next economic downturn with Republicans arguing that we have to cut benefits for everyone because we don't have the money to pay them. All this while the Governor continues to fight against the disclosure of how current pension funds are invested, who receives commissions for handling those accounts, etc.

The solution to this problem has been and will continue to be broadening the revenue base by legalizing and taxing expanded gaming and cannabis, not increasing current income, corporate, or property taxes. But the Republicans headed by our carpetbagging Governor have repeatedly refused to consider these options.

Every legislator who supported fundamentally changing the pension system in this state without actually reviewing the bill, requiring an actuarial analysis to understand its impact, or allowing the voters to see what they're doing before the vote should be gone.

It's a travesty, and I'm embarrassed to have been involved in Kentucky Republican politics for so many years.

But isn't this really a DEMOCRATIC party problem, since they have controlled the state for decades... and did NOTHING to resolve the problem?

 

[santamaria78]

View embedded media

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/3...ying-sniper-rifle-and-dyeing-hair-report.html


This is how it should work. Even citizens should be allowed to be deported

 

[vhcat70]

The new pension bill covers all or most state government employees. Why are the teachers to only ones who are throwing an absolute fit? They really aren't losing that much in the bill other than being able to pad their pension calculation with unused sick days.

What I've heard, true or not, is that the teachers pension obligations have been largely funded by their respective school districts to something like 60-75% whereas the state has basically stiffed their funding for state workers for decades & thus is in for only about 20% of obligations & yet teachers are being lumped with state workers as an equally part of the problem. Net, they're getting the short end in their opinions.

 

[warrior-cat]

Uh, they are up in arms because they don't know what is in the bill. FYI, there are plenty of conservatives who are equally outraged. I guess that's "typical" Rethug behavior?

I guess you think we should just let them pass whatever and then not offer opinions until it is done?

And isn't "oppose everything" exactly the approach the GOP took during the Obama years?
Did you complain about it then?

Welcome to our world. You did not seem to mind when Obama care was being passed through in the same manner.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

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The biggest blunder of the trump administration is hiring this clown.

I agree. He's beyond horrible. No doubt he was required to appoint him as part of getting Republican backing at the last minute. But sessions to date does nothing but hamstring this president every way he can.

He needs to go the second this nonsense special counsel is finished

Uh, they are up in arms because they don't know what is in the bill. FYI, there are plenty of conservatives who are equally outraged. I guess that's "typical" Rethug behavior?

I guess you think we should just let them pass whatever and then not offer opinions until it is done?

And isn't "oppose everything" exactly the approach the GOP took during the Obama years?
Did you complain about it then?

The first sentence of my post you quoted was "I don't agree with the process"

So you ignored that and went on an unnecessary masturbatory diatribe that didn't even disagree with my position, without even realizing it.

Congratulations on spewing a bunch of words for no reason.

 

[P19978]

The KY pension fund is ****ed because they invested most of it in bad hedge funds right before the stock market collapsed. The fund was also siphoning off insane amounts of fees and admin costs. And Bevin is still letting them invest in that same fund. The legislature also keeps taking from the pensions to cover general fund shortfalls. If they would legalise weed & gambling this would all go away.

As usual, almost everything in this post is false... but you guys already knew that lol.

Here's the attachment for anyone who wants the truth: https://trs.ky.gov/financial-reports-information/

If you look at the plan's costs (medical, etc), they skyrocket while market performance was poor (the SPX was down 37% in '08, full SPX performance, see here: https://ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual).

Fees, IIRC, are about $16mm on about $20b in assets.

Full disclosure: I was a trader on the KTRS pension account from '08-'17... that's how I know Plat is wrong. IIRC, their basic strategy, like most pensions, is index plus.

And Plat, don't bother trying to engage me: I'm posting this for intelligent people, not you.

 

[qwesley]

And isn't "oppose everything" exactly the approach the GOP took during the Obama years?

Since you had had 3000+ pages to criticize Obama/Dems and failed to do so and also live in TN....kindly GFY with a pile of rathole questions.

 

[PhattyJ4UK]

The only teacher i want getting a pension is Funkycat.

Other than than that. F*** teachers. Never seen a generation of more stupid kids than the millineals. Bunch of pussy revisionist historians.

80% of teachers are liberal Idiots like platinum. Our town had a 100 year old silo torn down last week. Leading the outrage on Facebook was a local teacher. I didn't know she was a teacher until the end, but she was getting everyone in a frenzy trying to march on the mayor's office, misspelling a whole bunch of words and just being an idiot.

It took me 3 seconds of Googling to show that it was privately owned and had nothing to do with the mayor or anyone else. She still kept being a petulant child.

Pretty scary/sad/infuriating that a large percentage of our children are being taught by these types.

Once again it's NOT about the teachers. Blame the disconnect with PARENTS

While it starts at home.. if you don't think teachers, especially in elementary aged kids... have a big influence on 6 year olds that they are for hours a day..I don't know what to tell you.

Prob not the reason you think



Show your work

I've had the pleasure of 2 teachers recdntly whose husbands thought they were at work grading papers.

 

[DSmith21]

If anyone is curious as to what teachers make in Louisville, here is a searchable database. I looked up a high school teacher (age 50) that I know and he is making $73,500. That is pretty decent money when you add in the government benefits and time off vs. private sector.

https://www.bizjournals.com/louisvi...son-county-public-school-salary-database.html