[WideRight05]

What scares me the most about this is seeing just how much the teachers take to their unions. I know some teachers that are conservative yet are jumping all over Bevin over this issue. If anything, and I'm sure TRT will have something to say on this because it's something we've discussed before, it has once again exposed how people only truly care about something if they think it will hit their pocketbooks. Where is this kind of effort on abortion, where we have lost nearly 60 million children since 1973? It's truly saddening to see this cultish, and yes, as Bevin called it, thuggish behavior coming from teachers. The liberal ones, I expect this from. But the ones that I see that are pro-life, defend marriage, and have Christian values, this is disappointing to see them sit back on those issues while going crazy when something hits their pocketbook. While this all was going on, Kentucky has been in the process of passing a dismemberment abortion ban. It passed the House 71-11 with 18 people not present, it passed the Senate 31-5. My representative was one of the two that was not present - yet very few people of the teachers I know who are strongly pro-life knew that or even probably cared about it.

The Democratic Party is using this opportunity to get teacher votes and they are biting the bait hook, line, and sinker. West Virginia had a big fight over this recently, although their issue was related to a pay raise and not to pensions. The Republicans navigated a bill that gave them the 5% pay increase without raising taxes in any form and they forced a lot of spending cuts by doing that. The teachers unions STILL bashed the Republican Party after getting them a raise 2% higher than what they initially requested.

I am a CPA, and starting out in this field one doesn't just make a lot of money off the bat. A first year accountant probably makes in the $40,000 range and doesn't get summer off, Christmas vacation, and they are busting their tails working 50-60+ hours per week from January - April. My first job I made $37,000 per year and did that. Did I complain and whine? No. I busted my tail and continued to work to get better. This issue isn't pertaining to a raise like in WV, but rather making sure their pensions are not being cut. I get the concern, but actually look into the issue yourself before going on this big emotional rant after reading an e-mail that was sent out.

If these people actually kept up with politics, they would know that this stuff happens all the time with bills being slid in together. Look at the omnibus bill that just passed. Not that it's right, but a lot of times 2 - 3 bills might be crammed into one when you get deep into a legislative session. Apparently, nobody on either side has read this bill. Sure, it's fair to question the intention of it, but I find it funny how the Republicans haven't read the bill but yet how are the Democrats so sure that this is some teacher-hating bill if they haven't read it themselves?

What I like about Matt Bevin, he does not back down. I hope this doesn't cost him re-election next year. Unfortunately I am seeing people come from every corner bashing him on this - from "conservatives" to liberals to people who I see that typically don't care one way or the other about politics.