Comments for PubliCola

Comment on Olympia Wrap Up, Pt. 1 by ivan

ivan — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:31:55 +0000

Sparky says, perhaps unknowingly repeating right-wing talking points:

“How do you propose to improve teacher quality when unions prevent teacher evaluation, better pay for better performance, and removal of under-performing teachers?”

Unions do not prevent teacher evaluation. Unions (which are teachers) demand fair evaluation procedures performed by objective criteria that are agreed to by all parties, and that are not arbitrary or capricious.

School districts, being staffed largely by bureaucrats instead of educators, can't get it right, and haven't yet.

As for better pay for better performance, who is to decide what constitutes better performance, and on what basis? Some test score, maybe? Or some other bureaucratic standard? Or who kisses the principal's ass, maybe?

As for removal of underperforming teachers, what are we to do? Let principals or district bureaucrats cherry-pick the teachers they like and don't like, and make up some cockamamie bullshit about “underperforming?”

Unions aren't “afraid” of these things. Management doesn't want them at the table. It is because these issues have defied solution for so many years that teachers have said: “Look, we'll go with what we KNOW is “evenhanded,” one salary scale and layoffs based on seniority.

Are there underperforming teachers who should be sacked if possible? Of course there are. Has this happened pursuant to collective bargaining agreements? Of course it has.

I take your point about rewards. Other countries have raised the salary scales for ALL teachers, and the results speak for themselves. The problem we face here is that too many Americans, and certainly too many so-called “reformers,” want something for nothing, and want to skim your tax dollars and mine off the top.

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by City Employee (Really)

City Employee (Really) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:30:04 +0000

A City light or Seattle Public Utility truck…..

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by Sparky

Sparky — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:18:44 +0000

Line crew truck

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by poliTICKLING

poliTICKLING — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:59:00 +0000

I still don't know what's big and yellow and sleeps four.

Comment on A Mini-Editorial on Journalism Etiquette by Mikos

Mikos — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:39:03 +0000

“Match”? Never heard that one. Reporters know when they've been beaten or not and where their stories originated.

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by Entitled Hipster

Entitled Hipster — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:35:59 +0000

For those not following the story: Electricians, line workers, construction drivers, and other physical labor jobs at City Light are already unionized. Those sectors of City Light have already had jobs cut and overtime is strictly curtailed. Next time the power goes out in your neighborhood you'll experience the results of those cuts.

These new “unionizers” are management, planners, and political appointees trying to avoid cuts like the ones they already imposed on the line workers.

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by Progressive1

Progressive1 — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:35:35 +0000

Well– i am very progressive, and I support the union, but if the union streches too far, then i am against it. The Union has recently changed their core value of advocating for the powerless mess to a mouth peice of the specail interest. Nowadays, Unions worry about contracts and dues rather than the well-being of the working class. This is disturbing to many progressive and social justice advocates. The unions need to show that they stand for the progressive values- if they want to earn our support.

Comment on More Afternoon Fizz: Election Results by giffy

giffy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:18:57 +0000

Also known as the stupidest election around.

Comment on A Mini-Editorial on Journalism Etiquette by Prospero

Prospero — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:12:10 +0000

This is the same whining you hear out of the Stranger crowd. If it's an exclusive and there's no way to “match” it, then yes, you credit (“The Seattle Times, in a copyrighted story today, reported that …”). But, if you re-report the story, check all the facts, do your own work, why would you credit someone who broke it first? It's the sincerest form of flattery and immature to keep crying about this. Get over it.

Comment on National Broadband Plan Is Cash for Clunking Carriers by Nemo

Nemo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:06:28 +0000

Be aware that the FCC also never hinted they would enforce ANYTHING related to Broadband a long time ago. Whenever you hear references to “encouraging” something, e.g. competition, infrastructure, services, etc. that is a code word for tinkering with the margins at best, nothing happening at all, at worst. The bottom line is COST, not access. That means cost to the user, NOT the government or the telcos and media conglomerates. Every analysis and report I have seen for the past five years dances around that, without really addressing it.

As with Obie, do not pay attention to what is said, but what is done.

Good analysis of this Glenn. The NYT article on it was highly suggestive of the same issues, except couched in milder terms for popular consumption.

Now, when can the City of Seattle get it's act together and create muni broadband for the public?

Comment on Afternoon Fizz: Shhh. Don’t Tell Mike McGinn by giffy

giffy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:58:08 +0000

There is nothing progressive about making everyone, including the very poor, pay more for electricity so some people making 60k+ can unionize.