Discussion - How Should One Vote?

[bird35]

Also,  do not forget about teachers who work and coach in small towns.   You piss off Billy's parents and Billy's dad is the banker in town and behold.......Billy's dad comes after your job.  Not just your coaching position but your teaching job.   

I know I am spouting a lot of liberal rhetoric about tenure but remember I am a 40 year old, white guy who identifies with the Tea Party and one of the most conservative people out there.  I have voted Republican in every election since Bush vs Clinton.

[GH2001]

They get around it because:    They do not fire you for using your sick day.   You get a "Needs Improvement" on one of the 30 categories of our teacher evaluation.  Then at the end of the year the county is out of money and they RIF (Reduction In Force) all employees who earned a single "Needs Improvement" in any category.  The legal requirements to RIF someone is much less than what is needed to fire them.    So congratulations you did not get fired,  you got riffed.   Please be out of the building in 30 minutes.   

Then to add insult to injury................... You get a choice...........You can resign and collect NO unemployment benefits (even if you paid into the system for years)............OR you can be a RIF.
If you are a RIF then you are classified as a "Non-renewal of Contract."   

Teachers who do a poor job are classified as  "Non-renewal of Contract."   
Teachers who sleep with students are classified as "Non-renewal of Contract."   
Teachers who hit students are classified as "Non-renewal of Contract."   
Teachers who get RIFed are classified as "Non-renewal of Contract."   
If you are classified as "Non-renewal of Contract" you will never get another job in Georgia or any other state.  So not only are you fired but you will never work as an educator again in America.  But if you resign and do not give the county or state a black eye then you are eligible for rehire when the economy picks up.

The same state who pays unemployement benefits also makes the rules regarding teachers who are Riffed not getting benefits.
DO NOT GIVE UP TENURE WITHOUT A FIGHT

Newsflash - this is how all other jobs are in the country in relation to job security. No job is guaranteed. You accept a job somewhere and they pay you, then you play by their rules. I left a company before when their HR policies were just too much for me to bear (similar to what you described) and went to a much more family friendly company as it relates to time off and being sick.

[Tarheel]

How do you prevent this?  It seems like an inevitability. 

The candidate is going to lower taxes, deregulate business practices, and promote accountability.  So the hard working man votes for him.  Why?  Because it benefits him. 

The candidate is going to boost unemployment benefits, put stricter regulations on businesses, and promote fairness in hiring and firing.  So the unemployed man votes for him. 

This gets even more diversified.  Take social issues such as gay marriage, affirmative action, women's rights.  Then war issues.  Then religious issues.  Etcetera. 

What ultimately happens is that you have divided factions being pandered to by politicians who cannot meet everyone's desires thus leading to a state that is fraught with strife and frustration.  This seems to be where we are now and only seem to be headed more in that direction. 

What we need is a spark of nationalism and something to bring us together.  Unfortunately, this generally occurs during times of war.

We seem to be getting into two tracks of discussion here; one about tenure and the other about how one should vote.

Regarding how one should vote I do see what you are saying here and it is an inevitability because we as a nation have let the scope, scale, and size of our government get out of control.  To me the answer to this problem is always smaller government.  Cut it's costs, cut it's revenue, cut it's scope and get back to a constitutional republic that the founders envisioned in the first place!  Short of that the only other answer is a dictatorship and I'm sure there are supporters of The Pharaoh who would be happy to oblige.

Egad, I just realized that I'm starting to sound like Ron Paul!

[GH2001]

We seem to be getting into two tracks of discussion here; one about tenure and the other about how one should vote.

Regarding how one should vote I do see what you are saying here and it is an inevitability because we as a nation have let the scope, scale, and size of our government get out of control.  To me the answer to this problem is always smaller government.  Cut it's costs, cut it's revenue, cut it's scope and get back to a constitutional republic that the founders envisioned in the first place!  Short of that the only other answer is a dictatorship and I'm sure there are supporters of The Pharaoh who would be happy to oblige.

Egad, I just realized that I'm starting to sound like Ron Paul!

Well, they are related somewhat because tenure may be something a lawmaker either supports or opposes and I could see a teacher being very in tune to that issue. Its something that one could think is in their best interest when they are voting even if not good in the long run.

[Tarheel]

Well, they are related somewhat because tenure may be something a lawmaker either supports or opposes and I could see a teacher being very in tune to that issue. Its something that one could think is in their best interest when they are voting even if not good in the long run.

I don't disagree that it's related if one is an issues voter of course; there's no denying that most of us have become that.  I'm attempting to take a step back from the specific issues and look at the philosophical aspect of the question as originally posed by THS.  He followed the question with two examples of issues; the first being tenure laws, the second being unemployment benefits.

[GH2001]

I don't disagree that it's related if one is an issues voter of course; there's no denying that most of us have become that.  I'm attempting to take a step back from the specific issues and look at the philosophical aspect of the question as originally posed by THS.  He followed the question with two examples of issues; the first being tenure laws, the second being unemployment benefits.

I would have to say I vote more with my convictions. Although most of my convictions happen to fall in line with our founding documents. I think that is the most important part of why you vote for someone. Do they adhere to our founding principles of a Jeffersonian Constitutional Republic?

[Tarheel]

I would have to say I vote more with my convictions. Although most of my convictions happen to fall in line with our founding documents. I think that is the most important part of why you vote for someone. Do they adhere to our founding principles of a Jeffersonian Constitutional Republic?

Well, that, or you just vote for the prettier one...to paraphrase from Snaggle.

[Vandy Vol]

I vote for whoever looks like they have a bigger bulge in the crotch region.

[GH2001]

I vote for whoever looks like they have a bigger bulge in the crotch region.

Always thinking a step ahead. I like this guy. You sir, are a visionary.