HOGS: Screaming before the slaughter

The April 10 edition of the Coeur d'Alene Press ran a piece on the Idaho Legislature about several education bills which were signed into law and will take effect shortly. This piece also elaborated on a movement by the "parents of students and teachers" to bring forth a referendum in an attempt to repeal several bills enacted into law. To them I now want to say, "Good Luck." The piece also mentioned how the Democrats in the Legislature complained vehemently about this year's process.

Fat Hogs always scream before they are slaughtered. The "fat hog" that I refer to here is the Teachers Association in Idaho, its union and administrators. For decades teachers responsible for teaching in the public sector, and its unions all across America, have had ample opportunity and money to educate our nation's children. As they grew fatter over the years by gaining more and more power over all parents and taxpayers, most Americans were too busy trying to earn a living to pay much attention.

In 2008 when the current recession began, things began to change. More and more citizens, not just in Idaho but in all states, began to lose their jobs. Slowly they began to discover that things could not continue to go on as they had for 40 years prior.

The media, which does a great job in controlling what the "Joe Six-packs" of this country hears and discovers, unknowingly made a fatal mistake. It began to cover in-depth what was happening in Wisconsin and by doing so were informing all Americans just how far the teachers unions had gone. Unwittingly, the "media" began to educate the "Joe Six-packs" and all of a sudden they are beginning to wake up.

Certainly, Idaho teachers are paid less than many other states. So what? I am paid less for what I do too. What was accomplished in Boise this legislative session will be talked about for decades to come. The decisions which were made these past few months will change the direction in which education in Idaho goes. Democrats, teachers and union administrators are going to "squeal" louder and louder in the coming month and years. That's a very good sign for the rest of us because it indicates that we are definitely on "the right path." The louder the squeal, the greater our affirmation will be that putting children first is the right thing to do.

I am not attempting to change a single Democrat's thinking. I gave that notion up long ago. I am 66 years old and moved to Idaho just a year ago. Yes, I am a Republican and yes, I have fallen in love with Idaho's beauty and have lived in other states. I raised 32 children in Washington and paid all of the property taxes, sales taxes and a multitude of other fees which that state saw fit to impose on its' citizens. And yes, on top of all of that, send my children to a private Christian school because their public school system in the area I lived in "sucked." I know very little about the education system in Idaho. However, I know much more about what motivates people and what extracts "quality" from them. A merit system in the educational community is long overdue.

Fat Hogs never go quietly. Just ask the United Auto Workers. Or the Air Traffic Controllers of the Reagan era. Fortunately through, they do go, and I am grateful to God that He has allowed me to live to see this one go. I am going to enjoy my remaining years helping in any way I know how, to aid in the coming extinction of the NEA in America and Idaho teachers unions are simply another arm of this body. It is gratifying to know that there are many others in Idaho and across America who are also willing to finally stand up and "slaughter this fat hog, once and for all."

STANLEY KWAKE

Bayview