West Virginia Teachers Strike Enters Its 4th Day

I have some good friends caught up in this. They vote for people and policies all the time against their self interests: they want a tax cut (there's one proposed for business property), and don't have a way to make it up. This just exacerbates what they have experienced in recent years: budget cuts, no important investments, deferred maintenance, deferred compensation, spending down the rainy day fund. There have been no significant pay raises for years. At the same time, the Public Employees Insurance Agency has raised premiums, so take-home pay has actually gone down for many. They have about 700 vacancies in schools across the state, with some classes taught by people who are not fully certified. It's a mess. And of course they are already near the bottom of rankings for education in the first place.

While my children were not raised in this great state I can say that it is a sad state of affairs considering what we pay these Teachers. They are entrusted with an ever changing landscape when it comes to the type of student they teach. They are often the only true role model these students have, teaching and inspiring the next generation, hopefully insisting them to go off and do their absolute best at whatever it is that the choose to do. Without thes eTeachers many more of this already challenged group of today’s youth would be lost to crime and suffering, fairs that none of us want for our children. So I ask the State legislature to step in and find the money to pay these great Americans for the awesome work they do, Day in and day out. Thank you all! PS, raise property taxes. Do whatever it takes. Oh yah, and make sure we do not have fraud, Waste and abuse in other areas.