With the rallies in Madison, WI going on the right-wing noise machine is generating zombie lies at an incredible clip. I know it's silly, but I thought I'd try to combat some of those lies. I thought I'd start with the following comment from a conservative I know:
1. If you work in private industry you almost certainly have to pay at least a small part of your health care insurance. Teachers pay nothing. Taxpayers pay for everything.
2. If you work in private industry you almost certainly have to pay for a least part of you retirement package. Teachers pay nothing. Taxpayers pay for everything.
3. If you work in private industry and your job is eliminated you may receive a severance package, some more generous than others, and unemployment benefits. But you will be expected to get another job.
If you are a teacher (even a young one, say 30 years old) and your job is eliminated, you will be paid for the rest of your life and never need to get another job. The taxpayers foot the bill.
So to counter it I made the following
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ajp6FoGPPnNMdGlqV2RYWXJKS28xVU5MUGpVcEx6SkE&hl=en&authkey=CKSPptoI
I'm not a teacher. I'm very well paid with loads of benefits at a company in Ireland. But my mom and dad worked in the school system in Kansas. And I had great teachers in the public schools I went to in Kansas and New York. So I'd like to try to help fight back as best I can.
It's late though so if someone would like to volunteer to help editing the spreadsheet while I sleep, my email address is kevin@ie.suberic.net. Send me your gmail address (or your GAFYD address) and I'll add you as an editor. I'll be up another hour or so.