Just how bad has it become?

Now, I will not share what my beliefs are on the defendant’s innocence or guilt but I will say that I disagree with a majority on that particular hash tag. But to watch some of these so-called “moral” citizens that claim to be loving parents cast some of the most vial and repulsive phrases at a woman who under the Constitution of the United States in entitled to a fair criminal proceeding by claiming the “citizens of Florida” are wasting tax payer dollars for a trial that should never happen just because these individuals happen to believe she is guilty and have done so long before one minute of testimony had even occurred. The fact that I have witnessed first hand those that claim to be loving parents and educated citizens suggesting we fore go all proceedings and send her directly to Death Row and inject the needle tells me a lot about a society. It tells me about a society that I no longer wish to be a part of. It tells me that we, as humans who are supposed to have the mental and intellectual capacity to use reason, rational thoughts, and logic has become a society that wishes to lay blame on someone. We have subscribed to the mentality that someone must be responsible for all things bad in this world.

Then when we look at the current state of public education, Governors nation wide are doing their best to break teach morale while furthering an agenda that they wish to provide. But just like many of those in the Casey Anthony lynch mob, these same Governors are instituting sweeping changes about things that, frankly, they have no flipping idea about. It would be one thing if Governor Rock Scott actually has an academic background in the classroom and made decisions because he truly believed in the changes he is pushing and hoping for. I could actually respect that. But it’s not.

Just like the Casey Anthony gawkers. It is truly saddening that so many of those people do not understand the legal process or the inadequacies that accompany it. The fact that someone is charged with a crime automatically makes them guilty in the court of public opinion. To rehabilitate that images is far harder than getting a charge removed from your record. Even if acquitted, there is no way in the world this young woman will ever resume a normal life. She will no longer be employable much less find a decent suitor to settle down with and have a family. She will always be referred to as “tot mom” or formerly accused child murderer” much like OJ Simpson who was hardly, if ever, referred to as acquitted.

So what is the correlation to education you ask? It’s simple. If and when all of these new reforms cash grabs fail to accomplish the very things these idiot Governors promise, the damage will have already been done. For the last several years, we have heard that the reason for students failing is because we have bad teachers. Now that the playing field is changing, one has to ask just who are they going to blame next? The truth? It doesn’t matter. These same morons will be exiting their office long before the true results show success or failure. They face no accountability outside of election terms.

The other correlation is that the public in general is proving to be too stupid for their own good. Every one is looking to Congress and state elected leaders to deliver us from a horrible job market and down economy. This is very dangerous. Whenever the public is dependent on those in power to fix a problem, the dependency only grows further. There is no way the government is going to give back control. This is evidenced by the large amount of people working in government and the size government has evolved to. It is no coincidence that government (federal, state, and local) are generally the largest employer in every single state, county, and city. One other less reported fact is combined, they have one of the higher combined salaries of employment for their respective areas.

But you and I are more like Casey Anthony that any of us want to admit. While we may not facing charges of murdering our own child, our fate and our future lays outside of our hands and power. 12 jurors will determine the fate based off of circumstantial evidence that will dictate what type of sentence she will face if convicted just like our elected leaders hold the same power to legislate their own ideals regardless of the evidence. Both the jury and politicians will go home at the end of the day and pat themselves on the back and say to themselves “Good job, you made a difference today” while those who do not have that power sit idly waiting for the best.

Modern day society is not the world our forefathers envisioned for us when they penned the most sacred document to each and every American. Our forefathers were great men who envisioned life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to each and every citizen. But as our society has become dumber through the years, the heard-mob-blood letting mentality has easily replaced a society that was once compassionate and gentle and one that embraced everything our forefathers fought and died for. How arrogant are we to think that we are more educated and have a firmer understanding of basic rights to ignore and discredit their vision. We did not fight for our freedom, we benefited from their efforts. But to act like we are the judge, the jury, the executioner, or the authority on making decisions about what is or is not right in regards to our freedoms and education is just plain despicable.

According to this report, Governor Walker is full of shit. Not only did the removal of Wisconsin’s citizens right to collectively bargain, it will not balance his state’s budget as he claimed it would and will leave cities to bare the brunt of the failure. Now, city managers and mayors will be forced to fire or lay off employees in their cities where outrage will be deflected from those actually responsible; Scott Walker and his Republican assholes legislators.

Congrats Governor, you have confirmed everything teachers and union members everywhere have said what your true intention is.

Remember, politicians do not want political reform nor do they want campaign finance reform or limitations.

Still think the general public union is the problem?

Let me break it down for you what it really is.

It’s just another way to bust the unions. Point blank. Ignore all the bullshit coming out of the mouths of Republicans. Unions have historically contributed more to Democratic candidates than they have to Republicans whereas corporations and organizations like the Florida Chamber of Commerce contribute politically to Republicans. Yet, have you noticed there are no proposed bills limiting or eliminating contributions from these types of companies?

What even more appalling is the sheer audacity these politicians have in claiming they are looking out for the rights of the public workers.

If I hear one more politician make the outrageous claim that teachers that have tenure have a job for life, I am going to completely flip out. No one has a job for life in any profession, except perhaps politicians. Politicians are the only ones outside of business owners that get to set their own salaries without much input from the people. Politicians are the ones thjat get to craft the law that favor them not just while they are in office but to favor them when they leave office and move on to companies those laws have favored.

Even in the seedy underworld of pornography, their workers are treated with much more respect than public workers. At least in their profession, when they get screwed, they are compensated for it.

Public employees have no choice but to take it in the ass and are expected to extend gratitude with a smile. If those employees speak out in opposition, they are accused of violating their public service and accused of being greedy while their private sector counterparts do not make as much as they do.

I used to sing with pride about how great it is to be an American. America has seriously deteriorated into a complete shit hole. There is no such thing as democracy or fairness. Democracy only works with all parties have a seat at the table and their voices are respected and heard. Democracy has never consisted of making decisions, proposing and ramming through legislations with limited or restricted debate. The dream of fairness is continually declining.

I find it comical how other countries are rebelling against their governments and the United States urges these nations and their leaders to adopt and embrace the United State’s version of democracy for their people.

Our forefathers would be truly disgusted with the crap the tax paying citizen (and I mean ALL tax paying citizens) have to put up with today.

At the two previous high schools I had the pleasure of teaching at, both highly valued their sports programs. Riverdale, my first school, seemed to gravitate around the success of its football program especially as they neared winning their district title and reaching the playoffs. It seemed as if each week we had some sort of pep rally to show support for the football team. These pep rallies shortened the teaching periods and students loved it because they got out of class. Yet, I can’t seem to recall any sort of assemblies that encouraged student performance on standardized testing.

My second school, relatively new, spent the first part of the semester going crazy over the success of their football team. After spending two years going winless, Baker Bulldogs won their first game. Students were crazy with excitement as the wins started to mount as they positioned themselves for the playoffs. Again, like Riverdale, I recall several assemblies for students to rally around the football team’s success.

The difference between these two schools? Riverdale was annually average when it came to school grades, receiving a C each year since school grades were introduced. Baker was a B and continually improving. However, near the end of the school year, myself among others, were told we were not being renewed because of budget cuts. Yet the sports programs at both schools continued on. Did I forget to mention I was part of the coaching staff during my second year at Riverdale?

I do believe it is a sad day when budget cuts are handed down and academics are impacted before sports programs. When continue to send the wrong message to students when we say we cannot afford one teacher but we can afford to fund a sports program that does nothing to expand student academic success.

Now don’t get me wrong. I support athletics in all levels of education. I am rampant fan of all sports. But when it comes time to cut budgets, I do not believe cutting teachers is the first necessary step. Some will argue athletic programs give students a well-rounded educational experience. But what is the point of having these programs if the students cannot perform academically?

I know first hand, some of my former players were not as intelligent as some of the other students. Without football, these students would most likely not have a chance at any sort of college degree without some form of a scholarship. But are we really serving the best interests of these students because they can run a 4.4 40-yard-dash or throw a football 60 yards but cannot construct a single coherent written sentence?

As en educator who was cut for monetary reasons while money continued to be allotted to a football team, I find it deplorable why we still are looking for clues for why our students are not making the grade even when hard working educators are cut.

It is the responsibility of the school’s administrators to ensure they have the student’s priorities correct when making these decisions. Yet, you can look at every single high school and see they have a football team and most likely a baseball team. Some field teams in a wide array of sports. What is even more disturbing is some of these schools are failing yet athletics remain the focus. Why?

One has to wonder if administrators placed more priority to funding their academics than they did funding their athletic program if this would have increased student achievement, even by the smallest percentage point. Would that not be worth it?

President Obama and Arne Duncan, if truly sincere about their desire for quality education, should push for failing or struggling schools to suspend or eliminate their athletic programs.  Failure to do so continues to send the wrong message to students that society cares more about how many home runs you can hit or how many touchdowns you can score more than how they perform academically.  Then again, maybe that’s the point. Where else would colleges get all of the students to field their teams and balance their athletic budgets?

(sidenote: You are truly very creepy in the way you are leering at Michelle Rhee in the photo to the left. Just saying!)

I am here to extend my gratitude to the Republican party. That’s right! You heard me. Thank you Republicans and Governor Scott. “Why?” I hear you ask. Why would I extend my appreciation to a group of morons hellbent on destroying everything that is true and dear to my heart?

I thank them because they have finally accomplished something that many have been trying for a long time to accomplish. They have inspired many to care who would most likely not have cared about the current state of politics. Their attempts to dismantle the very spirit of Floridians statewide has awaken an entire segment of the population that has rested on its laurels assuming that justice would always prevail through common sense and good intentions.

You have angered an entire population of students who one day you will ask to cast their vote for you and your hidden agendas. Do not think for a minute that your dastardly deeds will be forgotten. It will not be forgotten how you tried to rip away their hopes and right to a quality education while you gave away their per-student-funding to Florida’s corporations. Thank you for getting students to feel passionate enough to speak out on behalf of those that sacrifice and spend countless hours helping students succeed academically.

Thank you for awakening a state and creating such a stirring debate that has drawn in citizens that would otherwise care less about what type of legislation is passed in our state capital. Because of your efforts, from this day forward, each and every Floridian that casts a vote on election day will be forced to look past all of your campaign promises and lies and explore what your hidden agenda truly is. No longer will you be able to count on voters to be left in the dark and not hold all of our elected leaders accountable.

Most of all, thank you for invigorating a state by showing that you care nothing about what is best for the people, instead, what you want for the people despite public outcry and backlash. Your foolish stubbornness to ram legislation through despite those who are most impacted (public employees and students) have told you emphatically ”NO!” clearly demonstrates what your clear goals and intentions are.

You have inspired many students and public workers alike to become more educated on the state Constitution and our inability to throw your asses out of office that will most certainly end up on a ballot allowing the citizens of Florida to pass a recall amendment.

So enjoy your time on the throne which you intend to rule with an iron fist as you ignore those who put you there in the first place. Like all emperors and dictators, each and every one of you will fall from your throne at the hands of  the people and the revolution you have inspired.

None of my votes put any of you into your elected offices. But you can definitely count on my vote each election forward to ensure you never return to your throne ever again.

Legislators introduced and passed a “Student Success” bill. They claimed this bill will lead to more accountability of educators and was presented to the media as such. Much like how Governor Scott has said that Florida’s Retirement System cannot continue at its current rate and proposed to cut Florida’s education budget by an estimated $3 billion. Governor Scott claims this is a necessary step to help balance the state’s budget.

Sounds plausible right?

Wrong. The funding that is being cut from education is not being put back into the state coffers to help balance the budget. Instead, the funds being cut from education are being given to corporate interests in the form of tax breaks. So it does nothing to help balance the state’s budget.

Governor Scott, you Sir, are nothing more than a liar. You are a thief. You are stealing the opportunities and futures from our students. You are depriving today’s students their basic rights to receive an education. You act with impunity in the form of a dictator that refuses to negotiate or compromise. Education is not nor ever has been a business. Yet, through the grace of the voters, however miscalculated, you were elected to office to represent the people you were sworn to govern while upholding the state Constitution. You are making decisions that will be long felt after you are out of office and nothing more than a distant memory in the minds of the voters and those impacted by your moronic decisions. Because the state’s voters lack the ability to recall your sorry butt combined with the misguided party members, you now have free reign to destroy a state that you will surely leave after you and your supporters have bilked from us.

You do not care one bit about creating jobs for Florida. 700,000 in seven years? I hope to hell you are not in my state in seven years. For all of these jobs you had promised to create, I find it comical the majority of your time has been spent gutting nearly every state program that is funded by the taxpayer…LET ME REPEAT…FUNDED BY THE TAXPAYER… NOT you.

Who in the blue hell do you think you are to take away students across the state and their right to receive an education? Just why do you think you know so much more than the experts in their fields who are in the classroom? Because your daughter taught one semester down here and she “believes in measuring”? From what I understand, she wasn’t all that well liked or effective in her stint. What makes her the authority on such issues? More importantly, what makes you such an authority? Where is the time in the classroom to make you such an expert to expect classrooms across the state to have the ability to absorb your drastic cuts?

As a proud parent of four children, three who are currently in the public school system and making honor roll each consecutive quarter, what gives you the right to take my taxes and divert it elsewhere that will not benefit my children’s education?

Look, I get it. I understand you are business first. What I don’t get is why continue to lie? Why lie to the public and say you are cutting education to help balance the budget when not one single dime from those cuts is going back into the state, instead, it is going to go into the pockets of corporations through tax cuts? Why not come right out and be specific about your goals and intentions? I am sure many teachers would have more respect for you if you were honest (and I do not mean when you are invoking your Fifth Amendment rights) and laid it out on the table what you are trying to do.

Say you hate the unions. Say you hate teachers. Trust me, we can handle that. We all have heard much much worse from our students. Say you could care less about student’s futures. Just quit the bold face lies that you and your Republican comrades are feeding to the public. This is what really pisses us teachers off. It’s not as much the crap you are trying to pull to balance your budget on the backs of my colleagues and our students but more so your disharmonious  approach when presenting it to the public by claiming teachers have been living the good life for far too long. This Sir, is NOT democracy and I am pretty sure your law professors from SMU did not teach you this.

Democracy only works when two parties present their sides in a truthful honest manner, welcome debate from supporters and those who oppose where the general public can then make an informed decision based on the facts provided. But for you to speak the truth Sir, appears impossible. You know that by presenting your true intentions would expose the man behind the curtain that claims to care about Florida’s future when the truth is, you only cared about yourself and big business.

You, Sir, are nothing more than a fraud. You are no better than the banks that gave  out loans to homeowners who they knew they could not afford the loans their customers took out. You are a self-admitted businessman and in every business, the number one goal is to turn a profit. But here is where you falter. Public service is not a business. Public service is pursued by those with a true passion and desire to help make our communities a better place for all, not just those we pick and choose. Those who go into public service do so with the obligation of serving the people. You chose to run for Governor. You chose to tell lies about not cutting education. You chose to criticize a profession that taught you how to speak, read, write, and communicate that enabled you to go to college to learn about business. But the education you received back then is not much different from today’s education yet you feel differently. You developed a love of learning from your teachers but you wish to take that away from today’s students. Shame on you.

I just hope you, yourself, submit to your quarterly drug tests for state employees.

But let’s get one thing straight.

You work for me not the other way around.

The power of recall is an important one that every state and its voters must have in order to rectify a mistake made by the majority of voters. I am willing to bet there are a ton of voters who cast their ballot for Governor Rick Scott that wishes they could now take their vote back and give it to Sink. The power of recall is a necessary tool for all voters regardless of political party. Without the threat of being recalled, it allows every politician to run on empty campaign promises and do the exact opposite after they take their oath. Much like our esteemed moronic Governor Scott. It allows liars like Scott to speak out of both sides of their mouths. Promise the voters one thing, deliver corporations and businesses another.

What is even more shocking is that currently, only 18 states empower their voters the ability to recall elected leaders. Only 18 states have an opportunity to fix their voting mistakes should public sentiment change after granting legislative power through elections. Only 18 states have the power to prevent elected leaders from holding their states hostage until the next election cycle. Many states, especially in this difficult economic time, cannot afford to wait through a destructive four years to replace a poorly elected leader.

At the rate Scott is going, this years $3.3 billion cuts in education could turn into $6.6 billion next year. He has the ability and party majority to push through any legislation he and the Tea Party deems fit and Florida citizens cannot do a damn thing about it.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

But what does Scott care? Even if he fails in his re-election bid in 2014,  he has plenty of time and party votes to stack the deck so far in his favor and to give enough breaks to his friends, supporters, and corporations that could prove to be detrimental to Floridians to recover.

It should not matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican. The ability to recall an inept, incompetent, and flat out liar regardless of political affiliation is an important that voters should push for. Yes, I would be saying the same thing if it were a Democrat in office.

There is now a push in Florida to put the ability to recall on the ballots and allow Florida voters to recall future elected leaders regardless of state or local level. Floridians deserve a right to recall statewide legislators and prevent them from ruling with no accountability or impunity.

Please take a moment and sign the petition to show support for Floridians Right To Recall (HJR 785/HB 787) so future Floridians can have the power to take the legislative power we grant to elected leaders if we determine they are working against the best interest of our citizens and tax payers.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/get-rick-scott-out-of-office/

Also, please take a moment and join the Facebook page Floridians Right to Recall

Regardless if you support Governor Scott or not, this is one right the voters in Floridians should have to keep ALL elected leaders in check and serving the people and not their own self interests.