In an attempt to force legislatures to increase taxes California Teachers Association union members staged a protest at the state capitol yesterday. At 6pm when the capitol closed the union members refused to leave even when asked to do so by the California Highway Patrol. In the end 26 of the protesters were arrested.
“They chose not to leave, leaving us with no option but to physically remove them,” said CHP Officer Sean Kennedy.
Among those arrested was the California Teachers Association president David Sanchez. Sanchez said he was willing to be arrested “on behalf of the California students and our teachers who are in public education.”. The union Sanchez is in charge of takes $200 Million a year out of the pockets of teachers.
“I am not willing to sit idle while a handful of Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly refuse to face the realities happening in the classrooms and communities across California,” Sanchez said in a released statement. “So a few CTA members decided to visit two of them to today to let them know that we are in a state of emergency and it’s time they started acting like it.”
The highly partisan Sanchez make no mention of attempting to cut costs. He also makes no mention of attempting to stop programs that waste millions of dollars every year. His only comments have been about raising taxes.
Thursday’s occupation was part of a week long campaign to put political pressure on politicians to raise taxes.
This is a very politically slanted article. Sanchez does not “TAKE” money, nor does the union he represents. WE choose to support our union. I am thankful for people like Sanchez, and the other educators who were representing California Teachers while the rest of us were TEACHING the children of our taxpaying public. I did not have enough pencils this year…nevermind colored pencils, lined paper or markers. We stopped using those supplies months ago. Children share paper that I can not provide for them. There need to be no more cuts to our educational system. It can not withstand any further cuts.
Sincerely,
A desperate California teacher
Heather I feel for you, but your union is not the answer. You may give freely and that is your choice, but it does not change the fact that $200 million is TAKEN from teachers and NONE of them have a CHOICE. I am sure $200 million could buy a whole bunch of pencils and paper. The unions are about political power and not about helping you or my kids. BTW we all have biases and I am sure this article is no different, but it is factually correct.
Matt …
Any local school may choose to join the union or not, as that local sees fit. All members have a right to vote to continue with the union or disaffiliate at any time.
The members who vote are well aware of how much the cost of union membership is BEFORE they choose to assess themselves for the benefits of union membership.
It does not work that way in our district, but I’ll take your word that it works that way in your district. Either way teacher’s cannot opt out. If an individual teacher does not want to have their money taken from them there is nothing they can do about it.
Why do teacher’s unions spend money to support a convicted cop killer? What does that have to do with teachers, education, or students? It doesn’t the CTA wants power, political power, nothing more.
Sure it works that way in your district. If you can get 50% +1 of the teachers to vote to disaffiliate you can do so. But if 50%+1 of the teachers vote to keep the union then you are correct … everybody pays.
I have no idea what you are talking about with a cop killer. Be specific.
I hope you aren’t teaching English in your district.
So in your district 49.9% of teachers have no choice at all and the money is taken from them. Sad. Here is the specifics on the cop killer.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/calif-teachers-union-endorses-convicted-cop-killer/
And congrats on the grammar police award.
It is funny in the 60s and 70s we protested government and now we are protesting the people.
When you think teachers are overpaid, take a look at the politicians who are appointed to various boards that meet once a month and are paid about $127,000 such as the Runner family. Sharon was on the Agriculter board until she could run for State Senator, after timing out of reelection as a member of the state Assembly. How many politicians qualify for this hard work, (one day a month meetings). But what is more serious is the idea that the STATE owns the State Property, That is Public Property owned by all of US, WE the People. So when are the teachers suppose to demonstrate? During school hours? The CHP recently told a citizen, you only have Free Speech on your own property, and then only if you do not annoy anyone. This happened in Hemet, CA this last February. The citizen was not advised of his Miranda Rights. The danger? He was reading the bible outloud on public sidewalk by the DMV offices. I wonder what would have happened if he was Reading the Constitution and Bill of Rights, now those are really dangerious documents, we have to be careful not to educate the citizens, and especially our children, that we have rights. Do “WE the PEOPLE” still own this nation? Read the First Amendment, “the right to petition the government”
More money for prison guards, less money for Teachers, sure makes sense, and you elected these leaders?
No kidding Don. I agree.