Obama's Middle Class - Vocal and Upset

The timing couldn’t be worse.  The Chicago teachers are striking and Obama’s right hand man and fundraiser-in-chief is forced to side with the people over the union.

Obama had hoped to solve the recession problem in a couple of years when he took office in 2009.  So he sent stimulus cash to the school districts to make up their shortfalls.  The revenue would come back soon, he thought.  But he was wrong.

All that stimulus money did was delay the inevitable.  The public sector was running out of money and would need to cut jobs, wages and benefits. 

More public sector workers are being laid off these days than private industry.  That sounds unfair but it really isn’t.  The private sector made its big adjustments three or four years ago.  And they have been careful not to hire back too many people.

But the public sector has more union representation and are more soft-hearted than real management.  Besides, they keep their kingdoms by spending all their budgets and asking for more each year.

Even so, they eventually have to trim when the money is gone.  And they are trimming.

So, here we have a crass representative of the CTU by the name of Karen Lewis.  She is not going to budge and she has the perfect in-your-face attitude.  Some videos of her in action are viral You Tube clips.  Let’s just say she isn’t much of an example of a professional educator.

And their isn’t much sympathy for the plight of the school teachers in Chicago.  Look at their customers.  Unemployment in Chicago is third worst in the nation and a solid point higher than the national average.  Minorities fare far worse.  And even in the better neighborhoods, people are underemployed.

Did I mention the high property taxes in Cook County…or the sales tax…or the 5% income tax?

And the union turns up their noses at 3% raises, a nice health insurance plan, job protection and legendary vacation days.

Even the folks on welfare have seen cuts in their perks.  Some of the freebees are gone and qualifying takes added paperwork.

It all leads to parents asking the question, “What are the teachers complaining about?”  Good question.

So, Obama perpetuated the problem back in 2009 by sending free money to school districts that simply kept hiring and paying as though there was no recession.  They finally woke up to the problem and now must fight the unions to lower costs.  Karen Lewis is the personification of unions fighting back.  Welcome to Obama’s middle class.