WELCOME TO OUR WORLD

For those who are not aware,Wisconsin is currently going through some issues with Budget shortfalls, and we need to find ways to save money. Currently our newly elected republican governer has made a proposal regarding public employees, with the exception of Police and Fire employees.Among other things, he has proposed that public employees begin contributing to their pention to the tune of 5.85%, contribute 12% to insurance costs, and he wants to remove the collective bargaining from the negotiation process. This would mean that salary can be negotiated, but not other benefits. Some other things he is proposing involve merit based initiatives so good teachers will get recognized and bad teachers will lose there job. Well as you would expect, teachers are not happy. Protesters have taken to the streets. Both sides are digging in, and in the process, the national conservative talk radio has jumped on the band wagon.
I have issues with everyone involved.
First, I am a privately employed citizen, who has paid well more that 5.85%of my pention. In fact like most, I pay 100% of my pention in the form of an IRA right off the top of what I make. Second I have paid well more than 12|% of my health insurance for my entire working life. I have heard many people claim that because Police and Fire fighters are not a part of this legislation that they must somehow be special.Well, to that I say, what makes the public employees so special that they have not had to pay for these benefits, while I in the private sector have been. I say nothing. Nearly everyone in the private sector lost benefits two years ago, assuming they were lucky enough to keep there job. If we didn't like it we were free to protest while the employer replaced us. People were laid off and their jobs became a part of our jobs. No raise, no vote. Many even took pay cuts to remain employed. Protest all you want public employees, that is your right, but its also your time to suck it up.
Second, lets discuss protesting. In this great country of ours we have freedom of speech. We have the right to take to the streets in peaceful protest of our government. But as a responsible employee, you do not have the right to call in sick to protest. You do not get to walk off the job to protest. Those constitute a failure to be a responsible employee and should be subject to immediate termination. 17% of the unemployed population is waiting to have your job and contribute to their health insurance and pentions in the process. PROTEST ON YOUR OWN TIME.
Now lets deal with the conservative media.You claim that Walker was voted in and the democrates were voted out, and there for he should be allowed to make watever changes he wants. Sorry, you dont allow Obama that type of leeway. Remember, he was voted in in a landmark clearing of the republicans. If someone agrees with you they are smart, intellegent, common, American. Any one who disagrees with you are Liars, idiots, hitlers or natzies. They are un american or terrorists. One talk show host went as far as to say that when the democratic minority in the Wisconsin senate walked out and prevented a vote by exercising their minority party rights in legislature, that they should be arrested.??? Arrested? for behaving well within the law and exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech. (Protesting) Stay off our band wagon. You don't have the ability to be objective, and you do not have to. You are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else, but I see you for what you are. Hypocrites. STAY OFF OUR BAND WAGON.
Finally, I come from a home where my dad was a teacher all of his career. My opinions here will not be popular with him, My sister and her husband also work in the school system, so my opinions will not be popular there, but you cannot dispute that my opinions here have nothing to do with democratic or republican views, just what I feel is fair and just. Just like 70% of the working private sector employees. I don't expect the people who have been able to benefit over the years by their contracts, to understand. They will protest, they will object, and then, they will need to join the rest of us.
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD
PS. Teachers all say "Its about the children". Well?? If these concessions are not made, teachers WILL lose there jobs and class sizes will go up, ergo, the quality of education will go down. Hmmmmm???????

I think this whole think is an interesting display of democracy in action.

Team MVP

As a resident of Wisconsin I would be remise to write anything in a public forum and not first talk about this weekend. What do you ask? happened this weekend. Well I will tell you. Sunday, or more accurately SUPER BOWL SUNDAY two very formitable NFL teams engaged in a trench warefare, the likes of which are rarely seen in todays football. With so many rules, protecting so many players, (and rightly so) its not often anymore you see the type of battle those who watched, experienced this weekend. Both teams fought with all of there might, but in the end there can be only one winner and The first loser. Final score Pittsburg 25, Green Bay Packers 31. What makes the victory by the Packers so much more appreciated, is not just that they fought and won against a formitable foe, but more that they fought all season against insurmountable odds. Week after week, The injured reserve list grew until 15 of the final 53 players were on injured reserve, not able to play the rest of the year. While Pittsburg came into this game worried that they would be without their starting Center, Green bay was without their top running back, one of there top recievers, and an entire defense that any team would kill to have in their lineup. Yet they never quite. What you heaard week after week was, injury was no excuse. As a team when one falls another is called to perform, and they did. But there were also those times when there was no one left to step forward. Then the Manager needed to sort through lists of others who were deemed expendable to others. Perhaps the misfits of the league. Some examples: Green who was released and driving home across country when his agent called - Turn around and get to Green bay, they need you today. There was also Walden, who was out of the league, not belonging to any one. He was at home residing himself to try again next season. Then the call. Green Bay needs you. Time after time Ted Thompson had to go back through years of notes on any player he may have ever had an interest in and bring them into camp. Then the coaches had until game time the next week to have them ready to step up. No excuses, its what championship teams do. And they did. By all accounts this team should have been down for the count at week six. While others were giving up, The packers dug deeper.
There are so many heros who contributed to this team from managers, coaches, to players, that it is impossible to look at this team as individual players. They are the definition of "TEAM".
Having said all of that, there are players who you can't help but be happy for. Individuals who exceled not just on Sunday but quietly and humbly for years. Players like Donald Driver who played year after year. He bagan as a 7th round draft pick. Essentially an unheard of receiver. He was indispensable to this team. A Player like Charles Woodson, who was invited to Green Bay to finish out his career quietly, who ended up having the season of a lifetime. Playing at a level few players ever achieve in there career. Finally, Aaron Rogers. The Packers have been blessed in the Quarterback position for decades. While Green Bay had one exceptional quarterback in Brett Favre, and no one can dispute he was great, other teams had 6,7,10 different quarterbacks in the same time frame. But just as the sun sets in the sky at the end of the day, a team must decide between past greatness or future exceptionalisum. Ted Thompson recognized the need to make a very unpopular decision and let number 4 retire. The Packers were a team and number 4 no longer wanted to be a team player, he wanted to be a premodona. We all watched over the last three years while number 4 disintegrated on and off the field, and the Man who did not earn or deserve to recieve the kind of critisisum he took quietly and humbly fullfilled the promise he made three years prior, when he was drafted. On draft day he was expected to be picked number one and unexplicably fell from 1 to 24. He could have been bitter, he could have been angry... instead he said to Ted Thomson - "You won't regret this" This is a Man we could all learn something from. At Superbowl 45, there was anything but regret. Aaron rogers, kept his promise to Ted Thompson and in doing so was awarded MVP of the game in his first Super Bowl.  Something number 4 could not achieve in his storied carreer. There will be many more for #12.
Make no mistake, I believe that Ted Thompson is the MVP of this team today. He found the players we needed to keep this team going. If he had not made that excrusiatingly difficult decision three years ago, we would not be the Super Bowl Champs today.
Here to TEAM MVP - THE GREEN BAY PACKERS