RW sister's email

[ErikJ]

This is the first of many paragraphs of a long RW rant filled email she sent me. She is even a teacher! I think her brain has been turned to mush by watching too much Fox. I was going to send her some stats about how 1/4 of millionaires pay lower tax rate tthan average households and the famous Joe Republican essay and something about the Wisconsin protests about Walker union busting but I havent kept up on that enough. So what would be a good response to this especially concerning teachers union protestsm in Wisconsin?

"Teachers and plumbers are NOT paying higher taxes than millionaires. Not to mention, frankly, I, a 6+-year college graduate and professional with 30+ years experience, am a little insulted to be listed with plumbers. The sad thing is -- they make more than we do so a lot of good our asinine unions do us. Now, THAT is an insult. I would drop out of my union in a heartbeat if I could but they won't let me. It's communism at its best! I have to pay exorbitant dues every month to 3 unions and I get NOTHING absolutely NOTHING in return. Well? I take that back -- we got a REDUCTION in pay this year -- thank you very much, stupid progressive liberal socialist union of mine. By the way, I hope you realize unions are the catalyst behind losing so many jobs to overseas. I hope you do NOT support unions! There was once a need/place for them, now they are contributing to the destruction of the American economy. We need to break up ALL unions."

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Why can't she drop out of her union?

And why is she in 3 unions?

I've never heard of such nonsense.

Tell her that the union doesn't pay her, the district does. She's aiming her fury at the wrong target.

[ErikJ]

14. I think I heard Wisconsin was going to cut 30%

30% out of the PUBLIC schools and give it to private voucher or charter schools.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. That doesn't support her claims.

[Mojorabbit]

2. fact check on the rich paying less in taxes here. Hope it helps.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/aug/18/warren-buffett/warren-buffett-says-super-rich-pay-lower-taxes-oth/

[n2doc]

3. She should move to a 'right to work' state

I'm sure the pay and bennies cuts would be more than offset by the reduction in union dues....:sarcasm:

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Teachers unions are exempt from closed shop laws

That's why this makes no sense. If she's so unhappy with the union, she can quit. Of course, she'd have to decide which of her 3 unions to leave, if not all of them. LOL

[proud patriot]

5. What a load...

she can quit her union jab any day she wants and go work for a private school. Ohhh and Her monthly union dues probably don't total 20 bucks

[ErikJ]

17. I heard private schools only pay 65-70%

of what public school teachers make.

[proud patriot]

28. and have worse benefits if any.

but still the choice is hers. if she wants the benifits of higher pay, retirement security, and health insurance she chooses to pay the dues.

[tabasco]

6. Sounds like baloney to me.

You sure you got a sister?

[ErikJ]

10. Yes, 6 of them!

The oldest sister is very liberal and all the others are very conservative, Christian conservatives! My mother was very conservative, so they take after her I guess. Side-note, my liberal sister and I did a lot better in school than the other sisters.

[gateley]

7. Sadly, she's far from the only one who feels this way. :-( Hope

you won't have to see her at Thanksgiving - this is all you'd hear about.

[EC]

8. Does she realize that every civilized country in the world

have employee unions? The jobs lost went to 3rd world countries - many of which are also now organizing unions and bettering working conditions and pay. What does she teach by the way?

[ErikJ]

12. Speech therapy

She is quite the talker but seems to be a Foxbot now.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Tell her to go work for a hospital or private medical practice.

Speech therapists can make big money in a hospital.

Of course she'd lose her summer vacation. :)

[Iggo]

9. I'll assume that's really from your real sister...

...and so I won't normally say what I feel about people who think that way.

[ErikJ]

16. That's why she wont talk to my

very liberal brother anymore. She got in such a fight with him (long-distance) that she actually put a RESTRAINING order on him not to email her any more. haha

[glowing]

11. They don't get the difference between % of income and actual total money

paid in taxes. That's why they think they pay more $ than we do.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. She can drop out

She just has to say such to union rep...for starters

[NBachers]

15. What's she got against plumbers? Plumbing is the keystone of civilization

[ErikJ]

23. Plumbers are cool

People with real actual useful solid skills are great. Wish I would have picked up a skilled trade.

[Sentath]

37. In Song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL_K9C0spPg

[Demit]

18. I particularly liked how she harrumphed at being listed with plumbers.

She is simultaneously feeling above them in status and envious of their income. I suggest you send this part to your sister's plumber :)

[rurallib]

19. if she thinks unions have screwed over teachers, she should have been

a teacher before they unionized. I am old enough to remember those days.
An average worker back then made @ 3,000 to 5,000 - teachers usually less than a thousand. No insurance, sick days or planning periods.

[ErikJ]

20. Bingo-good one

I will surely tell her that. I think the Joe Republican essay is really good about what unions have done for us.

[MedicalAdmin]

21. 3 unions. WTF?

She is full of shit. I have been a teacher in 4 states in every part of this country except the atlantic and deep south. And there is only one union for teachers in each place. I have never hear of even 2 unions in a single school. Heck, has anyone even heard of more than 2 national teachers unions?

Help me out here.

Plus she can drop union coverage by requesting it. Perhaps she is too stupid? Or perhaps she just like having something to bitch about to deflect attention from her own crappy choices?

Hey - think about posting the entire email (parts that aren't private, I mean)...

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. There are three unions in MO

But no teacher belongs to all three.

[MedicalAdmin]

41. Exactly.

A union represents it's members. They usually don't share simply because there isn't a need (usually).

[ErikJ]

27. What would she lose

if she dropped out of the union(s)? I might post the whole thing but the email is very long and I havent read the entire thing yet. I wanted to reply to her one paragraph at time this time so she doesnt get overwhelmed by all the facts and figures which she seems to have a hard time grasping.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Liability coverage

If she's sued, she's on her own without union membership. Most teachers can't begin to afford the lawyer they need to protect their assets if they are sued. And yes, it certainly does happen. Union dues pay for the lawyer and the settlement, if the teacher is found liable.

She'd also lose legal representation if she was fired or laid off. Last spring, my district fired 80 teachers. Most of the ones who were union members got their jobs back.

[MedicalAdmin]

42. OK - so she isn't exactly batting a thousand on the IQ tests then....

She would lose liability (although that can be purchased as a rider insurance policy on a homeowners policy) and most importantly legal representation if she was wrongfully terminated or sued.

But there is no way she is in all 3 unions. I would ask to see proof. It just doesn't make sense.

[saras]

22. If she's a teacher, demand she back up each claim with facts. She knows how.

You treat each claim like you'd really like to believe it if only you could find some trustworthy data to support it. You won't, of course, and the data will suggest other interpretations.

You can't tell her that they're lying to her. She has to discover it for herself.

[digonswine]

25. Them six years of learnin' were wasted-apparently.

[Ikonoklast]

29. She wouldn't last one day as an apprentice plumber.

She can wipe her own as with her degree and experience, and quit the union any time she cares to.

[tsuki]

30. I am a little insulted to be listed with plumbers. That says it all. nt

[JoePhilly]

32. +1

[ErikJ]

34. Fox exposure will do that-divide and conquer the 99%

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Not me. Plumbers make great money.

:)

[BR_Parkway]

35. Dear Sister - Obviously, they're getting what they pay for. At least my

plumber has enough sense to look at a problem and figure out how it works. Good luck and if you ever do wake up from your FAUX news induced slumber enough to realize how much you've been a tool, be prepared to be really pissed off.


Hugging you as tight as I would a tree,

Sis

[Motown_Johnny]

36. 6+ years of collage and she doesn't understand percentages?

I don't suppose there is any reason to voice my opinion on how backward she is on unions, so I won't bother.

[ErikJ]

38. Here's my response

And I used a few of the posts here for additional info. Thanks!

Yes P_____, its true. ONE-FOURTH of millionaires pay a lower tax rate than plumbers or teachers.!
INEQUALITY.ORG TOP READ
One in Four Millionaires Pays Less in Taxes than Some in Middle Class, by Lori Montgomery
Published on Washington Post, October 12, 2011
A Congressional Research Service study of 2006 tax returns has found that “about 94,500 households making more than $1 million a year paid a lower tax rate than the most heavily taxed households earning less than $100,000 year.” (source)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/10/12-6
----------------------------------------------------
Then Warren Buffet said this last August.

"The "mega-rich" pay about 15 percent in taxes, while the middle class "fall into the 15 percent and 25 percent income tax brackets, and then are hit with heavy payroll taxes to boot."
Warren Buffett on Sunday, August 14th, 2011 in a "New York Times" op-ed--

That is SO incredibly unfair! I and YOU pay a higher tax rate than Buffet who makes $60 million a YEAR! How can ANYBODY justify that?

----------------

No WONDER the US has increased our debt 1000% since Reagan took office!! The top 1% is ripping off America!

--------------------------------------------

P___________, you can drop out of the union if you want and how the heck can you be in THREE unions? My friend told me that is impossible -and just drop out of the union if you want.

He also said that before teacher's unions they were making only ONE THIRD (1/3rd) of the income of average workers! Do you want to go back to that?

------------

In Wisconsin REPUBLICAN Gov Walker is cutting 30% of the PUBLIC school budget and GIVING IT TO THE SCHOOL CHOICE PRIVATE SCHOOLS! Their teachers make 65% of what PUBLIC school teachers make! IS that what you want?

Maybe you should move to Wisconsin where Walker is trying to KILL the public teachers unions so he can drastically cut their salaries and benefits to equal the private school teachers.

You havent been keeping up on the Wisconsin Protests since last February? Walker got elected in Nov 2010 and has been going to war with the public sector unions trying to cut their pay and benefits to "balance" the state budget. WHY? because he gave so many tax cuts to the millionaires and corporations of Wisconsin they are now deep in DEBT! So he's going to make the teachers and firemen and police pay for it! Nice guy.

I'll respond to the rest of your lengthy email later.
Take Care

[Initech]

40. I'd just respond with: "Quit watching Fox, stop listening to Limbaugh, think for yourself. Bye."