Counterproductive?
I like Elizabeth Best. She is a local attorney (and a very good one at that) and, while I often disagree with her on political issues, she and I have had several email discussions about those same issue that I found both enlightening and fascinating. When she authors a guest piece for the Tribune, I always read it.
She wrote one this morning about the school levy. I, personally, found it counterproductive for reasons that will remain unstated. I am curious, though, what you think:
I write in support of getting our priorities straight.
Soon, this community will have an opportunity to recognize the social importance of education, and our responsibility to fund it.
The mill-levy vote is coming up – ballots were mailed out on Monday.
I have heard the usual grumblings that some don’t want to pay more for education. They argue that “my kid isn’t in school” or “those teachers get summer vacation. They get enough.”
Those things are fun to say, perhaps, but they are not honest and they deny the reality of what we ask our schools to do. We ask our teachers to be at school with their heads and hearts focused on not only teaching our kids the three Rs, but to provide therapy and counseling, to get them into jobs or college, to see to it that they succeed academically, to coach them in multiple sports, to teach them manners, and to provide untold other services.
Many of these expectations, unrealistic though they may be, benefit our society as a whole. Whether or not it is “my kid” they are teaching, we all benefit when our teachers meet our demands.
We say they have it “easy” because they share vacation in the summer. The truth is that most teachers can’t afford to take that time off. Instead, they work second and third jobs to support their families and pay skyrocketing health insurance premiums.
During the school year, it is the norm for them to be at work for 12 or more hours a day, to work weekends, and to take work home. We expect them to do everything a professional does, while we pay closer to fast-food hourly wages.
Every time a mill levy comes up, we whine about the relatively low cost of a social necessity which has positive results for all of us.
Let’s compare the relatively conservative sum that the district is asking for with our monumental waste of lives and money in Iraq. This war of choice (imagine what we would have thought if Roosevelt attacked Denmark in retaliation for Pearl Harbor) will cost us $2 trillion.
Our kids are being killed and maimed. Stripped-down, using current dollars, this war has cost us more than World War I. And that’s just money, not blood and tears. We are spending $6 billion per month on our war of choice.
Our school district is asking for a mere $53 per house worth $100,000 to teach, safely shelter, guide, counsel, coach, encourage, cultivate, and prepare 10,500 kids to be productive taxpaying citizens.
They don’t want to kill or maim our kids. They just want to teach them. Our teachers are often asked to do what we probably should be doing. They sacrifice.
When they finally get to summer, most of them are exhausted, but to support their families they usually work another job or two.
Vacations are unlikely to be lavish, if they happen at all. This levy is not going to change that. It might just make it possible for them to return to work in the fall and come close to meeting the cost of living increases brought on, in part, by our war of choice.
Not only can we afford it, we owe it. Let’s pay up.
Elizabeth A. Best practices law in Great Falls. She describes herself as a “proud taxpaying citizen.”
WHOA. I had to re-read parts of it because I wasn’t sure I was reading it right.
Not only is it counter-productive, it’s downright stupid. Has she ever heard of the “apples-oranges” argument?
I trust your judgment that she’s a good lawyer, but she ought to stick to that instead of historical analysis.
Hey, Elizabeth. Stick with the day job.
When I read this kind of junk, it makes me wonder what they teach in law school.
A “proud, taxpaying citizen?” My ass.
“When they finally get to summer, most of them are exhausted, but to support their families they usually work another job or two.”
Whatta load o’crap!
Ooo…ooo…they’re tired by summer. Oh, and they have to work all summer long….
Yeah, like the rest of us idiots.
If I were an employee of the school district or a board member, I would be very upset by this letter. I think it’s safe to say it’s going to have the opposite effect of what she intended.
I spoke to someone today who was 50-50 toward the levy. They read this letter and voted against it. They admitted their vote was based upon emotion, but they were thoroughly put off by her remarks.
Not a smart move at all.
I like Elizabeth Best because she schooled (pun intended) our Mayor (and now would-be PSC Commissioner) Ron Tussing in court down here in Billings — not that I as a taxpayer enjoy having to foot the bill for Tussing’s shenanigans. Not that this comment has anything to do with a tax levy for schools in Great Falls.
Is Elizabeth Best another shill for the school board? If she enjoys paying taxes so much I might give her a call and she can pay mine. What a load of crapola rhetoric. But I expect nothing less from the Tribune. They haven’t printed any letters or editorials opposing the school levy. I’m sure the taxpayers can see thru this smoke screen and will vote appropriately…………..NO!!
“We expect them to do everything a professional does, while we pay closer to fast-food hourly wages.”
It sounds like she does not consider them (teachers) professionals like herself.
I believe they are paid fairly for this area, well above the hamburger flippers I am aware of.
Too bad being a good lawyer and integrity don’t go hand in hand. I’ve always considered Best professionally to be a flake despite her court room successes. I don’t think the court of public opinion will be as fruitful for her BS.
Interesting, very interesting. I am just guessing that an attorney does in fact make more then a teacher. Of course they went three additional years to college and do, for the most part, work during the summers but maybe teachers are underpaid in the Socialist viewing of fairness.
The fact is that many of us, including myself, don’t have the great insurance and retirement package afforded to our school teachers. When my employer reaches the summer I too am tired yet that is when the extra shifts and overtime are required. Am I complaining? No because I actually like my work and enjoy the extra check for the overtime duty. If I hated my job I would look for another, no matter what the compensation. I knew what top pay was with my company when I signed on years ago and had the choice at that time to either take the job, or keep looking. Teachers, likewise knew what the pay scale was BEFORE they even went to college!
In fairness to the teacher however, I do appreciate all that they do for the community and I also realize that the mill levies passing most likely will have nothing to do with their pay scale. I am voting no for the simple reason that I think there is pork yet to be trimmed.
Now that is creative writting, if I was on the edge of a yes or no vote she definately would have swong me to NO. Received my ballot in the mail today; odd that I did not read anywhere that these levy’s are permanent. States it right on the ballot. Anyone ever notice how they try to down play the cost of the levy? Only $34.25 on a 100K home and another $20.78 for the HS levy. For me that is $165.09 does not sound like to much but then take into consideration that for the next 5 years they will ask for more levy’s to add on top of that.
Now in direct responce to Mrs. Best. I am completely appalled that you would compair this levy request to the war in Iraq. “A war of choice” “A waiste of lives”
That is completely disgraceful.
If teachers really cared, they find a way to scrap the unions and save the children from becoming indoctrinated.
The misplaced loyalty in socialist rhetoric is really scary. She sounds like she is channeling Eric Feaver and his talking points.
There is just something a bit whacky with people who think taxpayers should be forced to accept levy after levy for some emotionally-charged, sniveling rant without holding government employees and unions accountable for every penny they spend.
Just whacky and disturbing. Ick!
*looks puzzled* HUH?!?
I don’t really get what she was TRYING to say here.
Chello,
You should be pleased that your daughter had an English teacher in school, I’d hate to read HER spelling if she were under YOUR tutelage.