Strike?

This is not Virginia related, but thought I would post on it anyway. I grew up, and most of my family still lives, in Middletown, Ohio. It is a city of around 52,000 people. The largest employer, AK Steel, employs around 3,400 people, of which 2,700 are members of the union (AEIF).

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

On Feb. 17 and 18, AEIF members voted 2,368 to 56 to authorize a strike if no agreement was reached by the midnight deadline.

.....

AK’s management says it needs what it calls “industry competitive’’ labor agreements to sustain profitability in the global steel-market. Analysts have estimated AK has as much as a $50 a ton cost disadvantage to its rivals because of its labor costs.

There is not much else in Middletown. There are some other steel processing plants, but if someone is looking for a good job they go to AK to find one. I am no big fan of unions and this is another reason why. AK does not make money like they used to and they have tremendous pension and healthcare costs that could easily bankrupt them if there are not changes.

One of the big sticking points is pensions and healthcare. AK wants the employees to pay part of their insurance, right now I do not believe they pay any. If the employees are that unhappy with the thought of having to pay part of their own healthcare they should find another job (do you think they could?) where they are not responsible for any of their healthcare costs. I have no problem with the union trying to negotiate the best deal, but when the company draws the line if the employees are not happy with it I am sure there are plenty of unemployed people who would gladly work for what the company is offering.

Another point of contention is the number of job classifications. There are currently 1,000 job classifications. Remember, there are only 2,700 union employees. Wow, makes me think of the story (not at AK, I do not think) someone told me about how if a maintenance worker was going to be working and needing tools a person would be required under the union agreement to be working the counter where tools are checked out. Sure wouldn't trust the maintenance worker to get his own tools.

I am not sure what the demand for an out of work steel worker is, but I doubt it is very high. Maybe for once a union worker could be appreciative of the job they have and realize that in spite of how terrible they think they may have it, it is not really that bad after all.

I Am Taking Money from the General Fund

Do you hear that? The caterwauls you hear are from those who nearly have a breakdown with the mere mention of someone going towards the sacred general fund.

One more cry that we will be paving the streets with textbooks or hospital beds (and probably cute little puppies too) and I am likely to go jump in the James. Despite what you hear, teacher pay will not be cut. Education funding will not be cut. As Norm has said a million times, when it comes to a choice between roads and schools, schools ALWAYS win. Anyone who believes otherwise is foolish.

Jim over at Bacon’s Rebellion gives us these numbers to ponder:

FY 2003...... $ 9.55 billion
FY 2004...... $ 9.97 billion (+4.4 percent)
FY 2005...... $11.2o billion (+12.4 percent)
FY 2006...... $12.05 billion (+7.6 percent)
FY 2007...... $13.70 billion (proposed) (+13.7 percent)
FY 2008...... $13.95 billion (proposed) (+1.8 percent)

This on the heels of a post over at QandO fairly recently that tells us that from 2001 through 2006 at the federal level “K-12 education spending increased from $23 billion to $40 billion.”

How do our schools manage? It must be tough getting by with those types of funding increases.

To suggest the state should not move money from the general fund to help pay for transportation is mind-boggling. Big government in Richmond has collected far more money than it should have over the last several years. Moving surplus money to areas where it is needed most makes sense.

For a moment, let us pretend I have a grocery fund at home. Every week I eat well. I put $100 into my fund and every week I spend that amount. Somehow I "unexpectedly" end up with extra money in my grocery fund. If I spend that extra money on something other than groceries I am not going to starve. I was never starving before and I am not going to start now because I am still spending the same amount.

Similarly, the government is not starving. A government cut is usually a reduction in the rate of growth. The House of Delegates plan that would give teachers a 3% raise instead of 4% is not a cut in pay. They are still making more money (whether they deserve it or not).

I took three years of German in high school. It is too bad that I never really learned much German, but I do still remember one thing my German teacher used to say:

Life is a swirling sucking eddy of despair filled with broken promises and shattered dreams in an ever darkening universe.

In short:

Life Sucks

If teachers believe they are not making enough money in their current position perhaps they should look for a new job. But maybe it is not that bad after all.

The National Bird

I recently finished Benjamin Franklin : An American Life by Walter Isaacson. It was an ok book. I enjoyed the parts most that focused on the political aspect. When it came to reading about all of his lady friends I was not as interested.

One interesting thing was that Franklin thought the national bird should be the wild turkey. I know my history is lacking so it may be common knowledge, but I had no idea. Here is a link to a little history about it. Nothing against the turkey, but I am glad the eagle won out.

Tony Snow to be in Reds' Opening Day Parade

Like Chad I am a big Reds fan. And I also like Tony Snow, so I thought it was kind of cool when I came across this article that says Snow is going to be in the Reds' Findlay Market Opening Day parade.

It is still a little ways away, but the start of baseball season is always exciting. Not as exciting as football, but still exciting. I just hope that the Reds have a good year.

Can Virginians Drive?

Zach notes the finishes of Virginians in the Daytona 500. Outside of Sadler, not as good as one might hope, but to have four drivers in the race is pretty impressive by itself.

Too bad all Virginians cannot drive like that. Via Drudge comes the article about how there were over 100 accidents caused by less than an inch of snow on I-64 between Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. Wow, that is bad. I sure hope we can give them all tickets so we can increase the revenue for transportation......

Are They Selling the Old Ones?

Henrico County schools decided on Apple for the laptops for the middle schools. Will they be selling the old ones and will it bring on a repeat of the scene from last year?

More seriously, why do middle school students need laptops? Is there not a better use of $15.8 million? Pencil and paper no longer make the grade? Maybe I am getting old fashioned, but does a laptop help a student learn math, history, science, etc that much better than with a pencil, paper, and a book?

Word of the Day - Harebrained

As seen on these very pages yesterday, I called the Senate plan for financing roads a "harebrained idea." It appears the RTD agrees.

This year's gold medal for tax complification goes to the Rube Goldbergs of the Senate Finance Committee, who have come up with an idea so astoundingly hare-brained it just might become state law.

The word harebrained, sometimes spelled hairbrained, has been around since at least 1548. Check out the link for some history of the word. One particularly useless bit:

"...the reference is pretty clearly to the apparently stupidly senseless behaviour of hares in the mating season...."

Maybe we need a new word - senatorbrained:

the reference is pretty clearly to the apparently stupidly senseless behaviour of legislators (specifically senators) in the general assembly session

Maybe that is a little harsh, but that they believe new revenue (taxes) must be created or raised every two years is absurd.

Keeping your receipts

Norm has some good posts about the scheme proposed by some of our brilliant senators:

Save Your Receipts
More on Keeping Your Receipts

If there is a more harebrained idea to come out of a legislature I am not sure what it is. One thing is for sure, I would save and send my receipts. If I only bought a gallon of gas I would send in the receipt. Of course, I would end up in the red on the transaction due to the cost of a stamp, but it would be worth it to get a dime out of their hands.

In their effort to be creative the Senate is showing us that that is exactly what they lack. I do not see the House going for this idea, but if they were I would see the rebate lasting a year, after which the Governor and Senate would claim they need more money for transportation and cancel it.

TMG Recap

Looks like I am the slacker in the group of bloggers that was that at the Tuesday Morning Group meeting yesterday. What happened was that I went to the General Assembly Building afterwards and a masked legislator stole my notes thinking they were tax dollars the state was entitled to.

The primary draw was former Gov. Jim Gilmore. I had also hoped to see Sen. Cuccinelli, but he was unable to make it. Norm was there (in a tie, no less) and has an excellent recap. Old Zach from SST was also there and has a recap as well. It was nice meeting him.

There are also articles in the RTD and the Daily Progress.

Victoria Cobb from the Family Foundation spoke first. She talked about the three school choice bills (SB 545, HB 1294, & SB 189). SB 189 was the most comprehensive bill and the one that would have been the best. However, it died a quick death. What surprised me is that SB 545 was sponsored by Sen. Stosch. That shows some improvement and perhaps a reason to be optimistic, but then when you look at what happened to SB 189 it shows how far we have to go. HB 1294 has passed the house, but the limit seems very low. I wonder what real impact it will have if passed.

Up next was former Gov. Gilmore. This was the first time I have heard Gov. Gilmore speak, except when he was at a Kilgore event I attended. I thought he did a good job. He talked about what he is doing now, (not surprisingly) the car tax, transportation, and the state of affairs at the RPV.

I was impressed with his defense of the car tax relief. Gilmore said that the budget will always equal the revenues. It will always all be spent and suggested that money not spent would go one of two places - to complete the phase out of the car tax or to the rainy day fund. I suppose rebates were left out because they have no real chance of happening.

It is unfortunate that the government feels they should always keep everything the taxpayers send them. Gilmore said changing that attitude would be mountain climbing. When we cannot get rid of a 200 year old tax like BPOL it seems we are unable to climb a mole hill. The car tax relief is better than nothing and I certainly want to see the end of it, but we need a TABOR. Until then, if the car tax relief keeps one government program from being created and keeps a nickel in my pocket than it is worth it.

To put more money into transportation Gilmore suggested we move the existing sales tax on car parts to the transportation fund. Sounds reasonable to me. He most definitely does not think we need another tax hike. Another good point was, if we raise taxes, what do we do with the money? Are there plans out there to improve congestion? Or would we be throwing money at a problem with no real solution in mind?

The most interesting part of his talk referred to the current state of affairs at the RPV. Taking a swipe at Kilgore he said we can't run on "niche issues" like the death penalty. We have to focus on people and the issues they care about - education, safety, transportation, and taxes. The RPV is not solely to blame. The bulk of the blame falls at the feet of the legislature he claims. I agree. If we had fiscal conservatives in, primarily, the senate we would not be in this mess. Another problem is that many of the GOP leaders have reached that point based on seniority.

Gilmore stressed that we must be the party of ideas. We cannot be "Democrat lite." And we must make our case everyday to the people. I hope the former Governor continues staying out front and putting his ideas out there. I know there are those who do not care much for him, but I am a fan.

Education spending

Some good posts over at Morgan's Riflemen and Elephant Ears about one of my favorite subjects - education spending. A weekly paper in Goochland cannot be read without someone complaining about school funding or teacher salaries.

I was talking to two of my cousins who attend Goochland High School over the weekend. There are some things that struck me. One of my cousins has study hall in the teachers lounge. The first thing that surprised me was that they are allowed in there. That was a sacred area when I was in school. At least it seemed to be.

In this lounge they have a washer and dryer. Why? That really baffles me. In my high school we had a washer and dryer in a classroom, presumably so we could learn to do laundry. (I only ever saw it in use once when a guy on the football team did not wash his jersey from the previous week, but I digress.) What is the point of having a washing machine and dryer in a teachers only area? Maybe there is a good explanation, but that alone makes it more difficult to believe the cries of the school administration when they say they need more money. What other non-essential items do they need?

There is also a courtyard. Why is a courtyard necessary at a high school? They claim it is for making it easier to get from class to class. So a courtyard was the only option? Maybe a different architect should have been consulted. From what I recall the cost was relatively low, but that does not excuse the fact that it is unnecessary and wasteful spending.

One last thing, there are at least 6 "teacher pods" as I believe my cousin called them. These rooms are for teachers to go to grade papers. What? Do teachers not have their own classroom? What is wrong with using the classroom for grading papers?

BATFE Abuse at Richmond Gun Shows

Via the NRA-ILA comes the news that there will be a hearing regarding the actions of the BATFE over the past year or so at Richmond gun shows. This made news last year. To be honest, I am not sure how much it was reported, but in the 2nd Amendment crowd it was big news. I am somewhat surprised that a hearing is taking place.

BATFE agents copied lawful gun purchase transaction records and provided this information to local police officers, who in turn conducted "residency checks." Federal law prohibits the release of this information except to state and local police to identify prohibited purchasers or recipients of guns. The information provided to local police prompted multiple instances of officers showing up at the homes of those who lawfully purchased firearms from licensed dealers at area gun shows. On occasions when the lawful purchasers were not at home, agents questioned family members (for example, inquiring of a wife if she knew her husband was at a gun show and/or had purchased a firearm) or their neighbors. In other cases, reports surfaced of lawful gun owners and holders of valid carry permits having their firearms confiscated.

I am not sure if I would be more upset about the BATFE breaking the law or about them telling my wife. But seriously, I am happy to see that something is being done. However, I doubt it will produce any real consequences or actions.

ETA: Forget to mention the hearing is today. Apparently it can be watched online.

Health Savings Accounts

Something I have been meaning to post about for a while now are Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Madisonian over at SST points us to the Washington Post op-ed about health care. Not surprisingly the op-ed is not in favor of HSAs. The author claims HSAs only help the rich.

I am not rich, but I really like the the idea of HSAs. I am not sure why health insurance has to be so different from other types of insurance. I do not know the answer, but when did it become an employers obligation to provide health insurance? Why do we not purchase health insurance like we do life, home, or auto?

A couple of good posts regarding HSAs:
Becker-Posner blog - Health Care Reform
Marginalizing Morons

Upgraded to Silver

Not Larry Sabato has updated his blogroll. Thanks for the upgrade! There are those that do not like his rating system, but I think it is kind of fun. It always sparks debate and it is something a little different than the standard. The only real complaint I have about the current levels is where One Man's Trash is. Norm is platinum all the way.

They were right

A lot of it has melted, but I figured when I got up this morning I would not see any more snow than I did last night. Much to my surprise the weather forecast was correct.

Virginia's largest employers

This should not surprise me, but it does everytime I see a list like this. I came across a list of Virginia's top 50 employers and 24 of the top 50 were either federal, state, or local government. Of those 24, 10 were public school systems. In fact, coming in at number three was Fairfax County Public Schools. It does not give employment numbers on the list I found, but they are behind Wal-Mart and in front of Newport News Shipbuilding.

It always amazes me how many are on the taxpayer payroll.

Public-Private Partnerships

I have been reading Benjamin Franklin : An American Life by Walter Isaacson. I am about halfway through and one thing that caught my eye was this:

By coming up with what is now known as the matching grant, Franklin showed how government and private initiative could be woven together, which remains to this day a very American approach. He believed in volunteerism and limited government, but also that there was a legitimate role for government in fostering the common good. By working through public-private partnerships, he felt, governments could have the best impact while avoiding the imposition of too much authority from above.

I did not realize the PPPs had been around for 250 years. Interesting. I also found this about the Pocahontas Parkway. I did not realize that Route 288 was a PPP.

Smoking ban lives to see another day

Via the RTD, SB 648, the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act, was voted down 20-18 in the Senate today, but it apparently lives to see another day. As is currently worded it would allow localities, not the state, to ban smoking in restaurants. Sen. Bell may change the bill to make it statewide, rather than local.

Quite frankly, I am surprised the bill received 18 votes. I am not a smoker now, nor have I ever been, but if the owner of a restaurant or any other establishment wants to allow smoking in his or her building, they should be able to. I do not consider it a right of mine to be able to go into a smoke free building.

Oh, those crazy senators. If this fails next thing you know they will propose requiring any restaurant that allows smoking to have a cigarette license, similar to a liquor license.

Another Democratic nominee for the Senate

James H. Webb Jr. announced yesterday he will seek the Democratic nominee for the Senate race this year. Here is the RTD article.

Webb, who was secretary of the Navy under Republican President Ronald Reagan, resigned in protest of cutbacks in the Navy fleet. He has been a strong critic of the war in Iraq, saying that the Bush administration has never developed an exit strategy.

Webb is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Marines in the Vietnam War. He is the author of the nonfiction book "Born Fighting, How the Scots-Irish Shaped America," as well as six novels.

I am not sure who will be expected to win between Webb and Miller, but it is interesting that Webb, who served under President Reagan, wants to defeat Allen, who is probably the most "Reaganesque" Senator we have.

What, no MythBusters or Mail Call?

It seems everyone and their brother has posted their response to "Four Things" and I've got one small problem. I did not see one mention of MythBusters or Mail Call. Those are about the only two shows worth watching. Watching the guys on MythBusters blow up a cement truck or R. Lee Ermey pump some watermelons full of lead is great tv.

Proposed taxes die in committee

As has been posted nearly everywhere else, the new taxes proposed by the Governor died yesterday in the House Finance Committee. Elephant Ears notes that two of those who voted against the increase voted for the tax hike in 2004. Hopefully this means that the House is more unified against any increases.

While reading both the Goochland Courier and Goochland Gazette last week there was a letter to the editor from Dr. Frank Morgan, the Goochland schools superintendent. Not surprisingly, he does not want to see money come from the General Fund to pay for transportation and takes to quoting Governor Kaine. Taking money from the GF to pay for transportation would be “a road to fiscal disaster; a road paved with school books, nursing home beds and public safety resources.” Dr. Morgan goes on to say "The state’s legitimate transportation needs should not be solved by shortchanging education, not to mention human services and public safety."

Hearing stuff like that makes me want to throw up. Over the last 30 years inflation adjusted education spending is up 70% while student enrollment is up 13%. Meanwhile, I believe SAT scores have remained the same. Education does not suffer from a lack of funding. And moving money from the GF to transportation will not be the beginning of a lack of funding.

The only group that suffers with the current rate of government growth are the taxpayers.

There's a lesson here that we all should write on the blackboard 100 times -- in a child's education, money can never take the place of basics like discipline, hard work, and, yes, homework. - Ronald Reagan

Mammuthus jeffersoni

In an effort to be clever the name for this blog comes from the Mammuthus jeffersoni (aka Jefferson Mammoth). The Jefferson Mammoth is similar to the woolly mammoth. Since the GOP logo is an elephant I originally thought Elaphas maximus would be a good name, but quite frankly, I do not just want to be a GOP cheerleader.

From what I remember mammoths are the only elephant like creature to have roamed the US, but now, like Republicans with Jeffersonian principles, they are extinct. Hence, the name. Ok, not all Republicans have abandoned the ideals of smaller government, free markets, and individual liberty, but we seem to be outnumbered.

"I know my own principles to be pure and therefore am not ashamed of them. On the contrary, I wish them known and therefore willingly express them to everyone. They are the same I have acted on from the year 1775 to this day, and are the same, I am sure, with those of the great body of the American people." - Thomas Jefferson