On Barrett goes after Walker in Wis. recall debate

Posted on May 30 at 4:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Fear -- These families that would lose their homes were living well beyond their means in the 1st place. By your own admission, they have the 1200-1500 in house payment and 2 car payments. If this is true, then they were over committed anyway. They need to scale back.

On Janesville School District plans to expand free summer meal program

Posted on May 30 at 4:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

German -- The general problem is that more and more people are claiming and gettting benefits. Mind you -- I am all for supporting those that really need support. However, when military retunring from IRAQ sees a 50% increase in diability claims, then one stops to ponder, why. It it real or are more people claiming because they can. I have family members that run to Walmart and waste their own money on junk every payday. They have cells, TVs everything.... Yet they get the social engineering benefits. DO they really need it -- no. But they get it. The tests conducted on whether you should get benefits are far too loose. We are all seeing money flow like water, money coming from loans against our futures. Money that simply doesnt exist.

On Barrett goes after Walker in Wis. recall debate

Posted on May 29 at 9 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Fear -- I read your example of teh $85k family and they are over committed finnacially. Pure and simple. They have either too much house or too many NEW cars. They are living well beyond their means. I know a family with far less committed making $30k more. 1 car payment, $600/month house, plus normal benefits and living costs.

I would tell your freinds that they need to scale things back and should never have stretched their crdit commitments as far as they did.

On Wis. recall leaders struggle to gain momentum

Posted on May 23 at 1:13 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Reading some of the comments would be humorous if not disturbing. The division doesnt come from Walker. That is a response to the hand delt. When you have public unions that use gang like tactics to maintain a system of benefits and compensation that nobody else has access to, they have already divided or segregated themselves from the majority of the public. You cannot expect taxpayers to continue to foot the bill. You can take ALL the income from the wealthy and wouldnt even fix a small crack in the economy. These guys criticize others for utilizing the same tactics as they apply everyday. Personally-- its time that the right uses some of the same tactics.

On CRG tied to anti-teacher flier

Posted on May 23 at 11:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

MGD -- You mean your mom the teacher has to work as hard as the rest of us---- OMG..

Many people are still stuck in the 9-5 mentality. That was gone many years ago. People these days work many more hours or multiple jobs. Its the norm. Its reality. At least teachers have a 3 month recovery period every year. Most load up the kids for 1-2 weeks, drive them somewhere and work just as hard to make sure the kids have a fun vacation. I really dont care to hear how ANY one profession works harder than another. Get over it.

On CRG tied to anti-teacher flier

Posted on May 23 at 7:23 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Somehow this seems to have gotten off topic... but if a GM worker at Janesville cant make it on teacher pay -- then they should either get a different job or get a Kudos for helping educate our kids. Whaht that does tell me is GM workers made WAY TOO MUCH and thats why the rest of us needed 2 jobs to buy their vehicles. Autoworkers were the most spoiled brats imaginable and combined with poor management they nearly destroyed an industry. Most public employees and unions have increased benefits and wages to the point they are strangling growth and the economy. This has been predicted for years and now we can see its true.

On CRG tied to anti-teacher flier

Posted on May 22 at 4:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Poo -- be careful -- I would bet that when they are looking at those salary levels -- they are restricting it to the most desirable. Software, electrical and mechnical. There are many other engineering fields, that fall far short of that. Not taking a shot, but I know that the data has been skewed to track kids to engineering, because so few are willing or sometimes capable of meeting the difficult cirriculums of engineering programs. Most of the people that I have seen making that kind of money have been top of the class or minority. Plus there are turn & burn companies that hire 50-100 engineers, then lay off in 2 yrs and pick up more -- weeding out the weaker ones.

My point wasnt really about that -- that was a side note. The real message was that I wouldnt use just the flier. My concern goes deeper and I would not want specific / certain teachers instructing my children in a public NOR private setting if they let their conservative nor progressive beliefs affect the information flow. I want my kids to make up their own minds. I see people like fear and some others (yes sometimes you) that only present one side. There are always two sides. They should get the REAL facts about both sides and then decide on their own. Most people in general are unable to remove their bias from their discussions and interactions. Teachers spend allot of time with our children and radicals have no business in a classroom for EITHER side. You and I can discuss and disagree using our own life lessons and perspective. Kids do not yet have that experience and perspective from which to base any conclussions.

On CRG tied to anti-teacher flier

Posted on May 22 at 2:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I agree with Vat and some others. The starting salary of teachers, if as stated, $30-$40k is in line with entry level engineers. Yet an engineering degree is much more difficult and more in demand than teaching. There are exceptions to the rule -- always... exception :: A female, minority engineer may start at 2-3 times that of a typical entry level engineer. But thats an extreme. The engineer works 12 months and probably 60-80 hrs/week. Pays for 20% healthcare and 401K. So when you consider the 9 months and 3 months off, a pension, and free healthcare. The teacher makes 30-40% more than an entry level engineer. That being said -- the article is about radicals and its tough for a teacher to set aside their convictions if they feel strongly, whether I would agree or disagree with their position. This sounds like its about whether I would want that teacher filling my childs ears with thier possibly extreme beliefs.

On CRG tied to anti-teacher flier

Posted on May 22 at 12:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Personally -- I have not read the entire flier, but what has been written in the article seems reasonable. If I felt I had what I considered to be a radical teacher -- which would be any teacher that promotes their political / personal agenda or gains and attempts to sway young minds, then in my mind that is a radical or irresponsible action. I would also consider teachers that took sick days for Madison protests to be radical. A teacher that took a vacation day, or unpaid day to protest would be fine, as they should stand up for what they believe in. There is a right way and a wrong way. Posting salaries -- well thats public info -- and some teacher may have a value of $120k -- but I would need to understand the background, and experience of said teacher. So to me its more than the salary, you can take finite data and extropolate a cause and effect. You need more information than a flier could provide. It would be but one data point for me. Not the complete data set which I would use to make a decision of whats best.

On City of Janesville, police get tougher with problem landlords

Posted on May 22 at 9:21 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I would agree with the targeting. Buy I think this is a bigger thing. See the statement

"Others include buying and demolishing deteriorated property, low-interest loans and lead removal".

The city just wants the property , so if they do, they step up the inspections and violations, and just steal the property from the owners. Thats whats coming. Where was the interest the last 30 yrs as the new owner stated.