Buckle up

Corps Man

Where In The World?

Hmmmm….

Gays in the Military

There’s a push on right now to do away with “don’t ask don’t tell” in the military.  It’s an issue that leaves me conflicted.  On the one hand, I see nothing wrong with gay folks serving their country.  In fact, I think it’s a bit ludicrous to exclude people from military service based on their sexual preference.  The military is a very merit-oriented profession where their job is to blow up stuff and kill people.  If they do that well, why do we care how they want to tickle their unmentionables?

On the other hand, being in a military unit isn’t like other jobs.  They sleep together, shower together, eat together, etc.  If a dude is sexually attracted to other men, how is it any more appropriate for that guy to shower with other men than it is for a heterosexual woman to shower with them?  If we are going to allow gay folks to openly serve in the military, why no go all the way and break down all of the gender distinctions? 

I also look to other countries that have allowed openly gay folks to serve.  Frankly, there haven’t been many major issues in the combat effectiveness of the units.  So in the end, I lean toward doing away with “don’t ask don’t tell” and just letting everyone serve regardless of their sexual preference.

Curious Job Posting

Hmmmm....

The Civil Rights Division encourages qualified applicants with targeted disabilities to apply. Targeted disabilities are deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorder, mental retardation, mental illness, severe distortion of limbs and/or spine.

I’m sure that Rahm Emanuel would oppose “f***ing retarded” people being attorneys for the U.S. government, but…

Hat tip The Volokh Conspiracy.

Creationism in West Bend’s Schools?

There is a brewing “controversy” regarding a few of the candidates for the West Bend School Board regarding creationism.  The entire controversy stems from answers to a single questionnaire.  

So… what do I think about this little kerfuffle?  First, I think it’s a manufactured controversy by some zealots on the Left who are looking for an issue to oppose some specific candidates.  As I have said in the past, there is a single important issue in tis election: the budget.  That’s why eight candidates filed for two seats.  That’s why the community is in upheaval.  That’s why the district is facing very tough decisions.  But, of course, the lefties can’t get any traction in the community opposing candidates who want to control the district’s spending, so they manufactured the creationism issue to get their base riled up. 

Second, the creationism issue is a non-issue because the case law is pretty settled.  We can’t teach creationism.  And even if one or two of the board members wanted to, it would never make it onto the agenda - much less be passed.  There isn’t any threat of this happening or any real possibility of the district entering a legal battle over it.  As I said, it’s a manufactured controversy. 

Third, should creationism be taught in school?  Yes, but in context.  I would be in favor of introducing the concept that many belief systems have alternate theories of creation.  Kids should know that there are alternate theories out there if they are to have a well rounded education.  But I don’t think it’s appropriate for teachers to drill down on any particular creationist theory.  Still, for people who think this is a big issue, they teach it at home.  I seriously doubt that any ardent Christian or Muslim or Atheist is going to be somehow poisoned by learning about each other’s beliefs. 

Again… the major issues facing the district are centered around one issue: the budget.  How we prioritize spending and manage the district’s issues are of paramount concern.  Those who want to rant about creationism are either intentionally trying to distract from the real issues or are zealots (on either side).  

West Bend Teachers Union Continues Negotiations

Heh.

The teachers’ association is proposing a salary increase of 1 percent the first year, and 3 percent and 4 percent in contract years two and three, respectively.

   In both scenarios, eligible teachers would still see the pay increases associated with years of experience and educational development as determined by a professional salary schedule.

Huh.  I seem to remember being criticized for suggesting that the union representatives’ assertions that they would “work with” the district during the levy debate was crap.  Seems I was right. 

I found this interesting too:

“The teachers in West Bend are highly educated,” Wickland said. “More than a third have master’s degrees. Put that level of education out there in any other profession and you will find they are more highly paid than teachers.

It continues to baffle me that we base compensation for teachers on an arbitrary level of education.  Seriously… is it really necessary for most 2nd grade teachers to have a masters degree?  What is the tangible benefit of them having such a degree?  I work in a technical field where degrees, certifications, etc. are plentiful.  Nobody in our industry pays more for a particular certification or degree unless it is directly related to the job role and is a tangible requirement to doing the job.  Personally, I am considering another degree, but it won’t impact my compensation by one dollar.  I want to do it to position myself in my career.  The notion that I should automatically get paid more just for obtaining another degree is asinine. 

As for the district’s negotiating position… it’s OK, but weak.  They want a two year contract to line up with the state budget.  The union wants a three year contact.  The district’s position makes a heckuva lot more sense.  The district is proposing “no increase to teacher salaries in the first year, and a 2 percent increase the second year.”  Overall that would be a good outcome, but as a negotiating position it’s weak.  Since the union is asking for larger increases, the district should start with cuts and work to the middle. 

The one thing I have been disappointed with is that the district has not come out forcefully on these contracts.  Yes, the funding formula is causing issues and the district is ultimately subject to the parameters of binding arbitration, but the district has leverage that it isn’t using.  The district can fire staff.  I would love to see the district come out in public and tell the teachers that if they insist on large compensation increases, then some of them will be fired.  Period.  Does it mean that the remaining teachers will have to work harder?  Yes.  Welcome to the real world where employees all over town have been asked to do more for the same compensation.  And realistically, there are roughly 1,000 district employees for 7,200 kids.  That’s a 1 to 7 ratio (roughly).  Most of the private schools in town operate at about a 1 to 14 or 15 ratio - including administration - and provide an equal quality of education.  If the district can’t operate its staff more efficiently, then there’s a management issue that needs attention. 

I expect the teachers’ union to negotiate hard for compensation increases (despite comments to the contrary), but the district isn’t taking an equally hard stance.  Personally, I think that many of the teachers are more reasonable and are not being accurately represented by their negotiators.  The district should speak publicly to those teachers and not rely on the negotiators to accurately inform the union members of the district’s position.  Of course, all of this assumes that the district has a firm position.

Making Up The Numbers

I’m sure that the government’s fictional job numbers are a great source of comfort for the folks out of work.

A new report touts more than 10,300 jobs created or saved in Wisconsin by federal stimulus money in the last three months of 2009.

But the jobs listed are based on new accounting rules that make it impossible to track the total number of jobs created or saved by the program. And the updated guidelines also make it impossible to avoid double counting from quarter to quarter.

Take the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

In the latest round of reporting, the state agency used the exact same job creation figure from an earlier report instead of generating an updated number. That’s now an acceptable reporting method, according to Gov. Jim Doyle’s office, which is overseeing stimulus spending.