gregintenn

buttonhook, I work for the state as well. I haven't had a raise since you have. If it gets to the point where I think i'm not being trated fairly, I'll simply leave and do something else. I don't get on an internet forum and cry about it. I don't tell everyone what a hero I am, and that I'm being mistreated. I will leave. If you like teaching, teach. If it is as bad as you say, there are a world of other opportunities out there waiting for you. My youngest son has a wonderful teacher this year. My oldest son had a wonderful teacher in kindergarten. That's it! The rest of them haven't been worth the air they breathe. The entire time I attended public school, I had maybe one decent teacher. I've heard that old "if you can read, thank a teacher" crap until I could puke. I was reading proficiently before I entered kindergarten. I can say that I learned very little in the thirteen years I wasted in public school. My children both attended a private preschool at a Methodist church, two half days a week for most of a year. My oldest son is in the sixth grade, and he learned a lot more in that preschool than in the entire time he's attended public school. Guess what? That preschool didn't have a union. Buttonhook, Please don't think I'm simply picking on you, you may be a fine teacher; I don't know. I've heard these same old NEA/TEA talking points; word for word since I was five years old. Surely they could write some new ones every so often. The thing is that all of us have sacrifices to make. I'm willing to bet that there are very few, if any here who simply punch a clock, stay there 8 hours, punch out and go home.

It is a stupid law, and pizzes me off, but I don't get upset at the person who actually asks for your I.D., as they are simply doing what is required of them. I am upset at the stupid politicians who enacted the law. If it's that important at a restuarant or convenience store, wouldn't you want to do it at a liquor store as well? I though I read somewhere a while back that the law had expired or something. I haven't been able to find that again to verify it.

Somebody got a tax refund check!!!!

Less than a C note. They are a good shotgun if that'w what you want.

Cry me a river.....if you aren't satisfied there, find different employment! I've had my fill of teachers' bitching about how bad things are. If you ever get out here in the real world, you'll find that things are bad all over. A teaching degree is the easiest college degree to get. That, and the summer off, and you'll understand why every school has a room full of job applications. What I want is a teacher concerned with TEACHING my children something; not fundraising, or getting out of school early because of snow, or rain, or heat, or cold. There are a precious few quality teachers, and a plethora of sorry ones. I have no idea where you fit in, but your undying support of the teachers' union gives me a clue.

Stick it in the bottom of your closet. As long as it isn't subjected to extreme heat and doesn't get wet, it'll outlive you.

So how was the show?

There are a lot of fine members here. Sounds like you met one.

I'm glad to hear no one was hurt. Now I expect to see a chitload of firewood in the classified section.

Cool! I'll bet you liked it, didn't you? I've read about others using a vacuum sealer, but I haven't tried it.

If the movie is as long as the book, it needs to be a mini series. I did love the book, but man it was long.

Thanks for the offer. To be honest, I'm not a fan of excessive recoil.

I'd like to try a Ruger LCR sometime. The trigger on them feels great. They seem to fit my hand well too.

I highly admire quality teachers. You can usually tell who they are by their view of the teacher's union. The good ones don't have a use for it. A top notch teacher should earn six figures. It's all the lazy ones that we can't get rid of due to tenure that I have a problem with.

I just bought the one I wanted to begin with. Once upon a time, an Essex frame was the one to start with. I didn't see the quality in them others claimed.I'm guessing a Para or Springfield would work pretty good, as would a Colt or Kimber. My father made a tack driver out of an Auto Ordinance, but it took a lot of work one shouldn't have to do to a higher quality gun.

Around here, they're usually $500 trailers. How about a match? Why would you spend 5k to clean up something that should be disposed of anyway.

You are assuming I don't pay taxes as well. Let's make this a fair comparison. We both work for twenty five years, me with the state, you in the private sector. I'm making 25K per year with the promise of a pension. You're making 50k per year without a pension. To make this an apples to apples comparison, let's say that when they take my pension away, your company decides they've overpaid you the last 25 years, and you need to repay half of what you've earned in that time. A portion of my income is deposited into the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. It really isn't as good a deal as cash, because if I die before I can collect it, it's gone. When your taxes increase, so do mine. You'll never meet a more conservative guy than me, but whan I make a promise, I try to keep it.

Punishing law abiding citizens is NOT the way to deal with crime. Please give an example of how it has worked in the past.

So do flourescent light bulbs, but you see the government outlawing the alternatives to them.

I agree it should be phased out. Civil Service laws make public sector jobs a little different from private sector jobs. If a person has dedicated their life to a profession with the knowledge their retirement is taken care of, I don't see that it's fair to jerk the rug out from under them once they reach retirement. Were they not promised this in the beginning, I'd agree with you, but as I said before, the pay for a public sector job isn't all cash. It would be a good idea to change this in the future, but it doesn't seem right to reneg on prior obligations.

When did the State take on the responsibility of cleaning houses? DO they scrub the blood stains out after a fight, or rebuild your house after a fire? This is just a fear tactic to get you willing to cede yet another luxury of being a free U.S. citizen, in the name of public safety.

I too work for the state. I could get a job Monday making twice my salary. I am happy where I am, doing what I do. Part of my job consists of a furnished vehicle, paid State holidays, 80% on health insurance paid, and a pension. I'm happy with the deal, but I'm not going to be happy if I work there 30 years and then they tell me they've decided to forego my pension. It is part of my salary, in my opinion.

You should have dragged him out of his car and gave him the ole "I'm a taxpayer" speech. My neighbor is a Trooper, and he's called out at odd hours, nights, weekends, and holidays. They have paperwork to keep up with. Every job isn't a clock in clock out, stand at a machine or sit in a cubicle for 8 hours kind of job. Being a Trooper is a 24/7 deal.

If someone promised you a pension after working for them for 30 years, and you work for them for 30 years, yes! You do deserve a pension. You don't deserve to work for 30 years for less pay than a comparable private sector job with the promise of a pension, and when you get there someone decides to change the rules.