AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage on Friday criticized the Maine Education Association for its endorsement of the same-sex marriage question on the November ballot.
LePage said in a press release that the organization’s support for the referendum was an example of the “political game this union plays.”
The 150-year-old organization represents more than 24,000 active and retired teachers.
Its endorsement of the referendum question was announced Thursday by Mainers United for Marriage, the organization campaigning for its passage.
In a letter to MEA President Chris Galgay dated May 24, LePage “reiterated his challenge to the MEA to partner with the State to improve professional development opportunities,” according to the press release.
“In Maine, we are blessed with many great teachers. Too often, however, union bosses worry about a wide variety of efforts — political campaigns, lobbying, protecting bad teachers, insurances sales, and providing golf and skiing discounts — which are not related to furthering the education of our children,” LePage said in the letter. “I believe that by re-focusing your union’s energy on professional development, students will dramatically benefit.”
Efforts to reach Galgay and other leaders in MEA were unsuccessful as of 6 p.m. Friday.
David Farmer, spokesman for the Mainers United for Marriage, said Friday that MEA was one of more than 50 organizations that have endorsed the effort to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine. Given the organization’s previous support on the issue, MEA’s stance on the referendum was not surprising, he said.
“It is in their organization’s ethos to support issues of fundamental fairness,” he said.
Farmer said the campaign “is actively reaching out to the labor community seeking support” for the referendum.
In his press release, the governor said that he has not yet received a response to a similar challenge he issued last year.
“The union is failing its members if it’s not offering opportunities for them to improve their craft,” LePage said Friday. “We must always put our students first and the union has clearly failed miserably to acknowledge this.”
He promised to budget state funds to match dollar for dollar increases in professional development funds offered to teachers by the MEA.
“We agree with the governor but recognize what a great challenge it is to be in education,” Carroll Conley, head of the Christian Civic League of Maine and the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, said Friday. “We think it would be better if the MEA would focus on academics rather than social engineering.”
Conley was the principal of Bangor Christian Schools in Bangor from 1992 to 2000.
To view the letter LePage sent to Galgay, visit http://bdn.to/meagov.
Nice tie…
thank you yet again Governor LePage
LePage is absolutely right. The NEA sticks its nose in where it does not belong and teachers’ hard earned dues, which are quite substantial, are spent for promoting all these political and social issues when they should be spent on teacher development to improve children’s reading and math scores.
They do but you people do not want to hear that you have blinders on
Huh? So what’s you point? The NEA is a huge political PAC, pushing everything but quality education. Needs to get back to the basics.
A huge part of providing an education to children is ensuring a safe, positive environment for ALL students…and it is the law to treat all students equally. As long as the civil rights of any American citizen is being denied and all citizens aren’t fully equal then the educational environment is NOT safe and positive for the students directly impacted by the inequality. Not only is the MEA correct in their position…it is their RESPONSIBILITY to stand on the side of equal protection and fairness.
You are right in that equality is an important issue, but way off base thinking a teachers union ought to be pushing unequally on the issue. It is often called bias. Gee, the people can’t even agree on this issue, why should our kids be subjected to a push from the N(MEA)? That’s my only point here.
They endorsed it, they’re not making members go knock on doors.
I work in the social services field. There are ethical standards that it is my responsibility to adhere to. One of those standards is to stand up for justice and inequality for those whose rights are being denied. Although I’m not sure the same is true for teachers, that there is a professional code of ethics that they are supposed to follow, I would not be at all surprised if this were the case. This is why members of certain professions tend to be politically active regarding social issues. Some things are just the right thing to do, even if it’s not popular and even if you aren’t entirely comfortable with it. This is one of those cases. Supporting SSM doesn’t mean you have to like or agree with it. It just means that you are capable of recognizing the fact that this really is a civil rights issue. As a heterosexual woman the mere idea of homosexuality is just alien and sort of gross to me…not gonna lie. That being said…it is NOT my place to decide what anyone else can or can’t do. It’s not for me to decide whether or not God approves, either. That should be between those individuals and Him. I don’t wear the sandals in this joint, and neither do you. Seriously…how exactly do you believe it would impact you? It’s not your place to pass judgement on your fellow man. As it stands now any church is allowed to deny marrying heterosexual couples whose union they don’t approve of on religious grounds. SSM would be no different. It’s no more skin off your butt than it is off mine. Why can’t you just live and let live?
You make the NEA sound just like the catholic church
An infinity amount of likes!
So teachers shouldn’t teach math and reading? I think that social issues and morality are part of what the church teaches, not schools.
No, the techers should stay away from social justice. Teach nothing of Lincoln, Mandela, Gandi, King…
Teaching about those is not the same as teaching what is moral and what is not. That is the place of parents.
Their teachings were all about about morals !!!!!!!!!!
Yes, they were. And teaching history and philosophy is not the same as teaching morals.
What about Maine churches using their collection plates to defeat same sex marriage? They should lose their tax exempt status.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/ap-newsbreak-maine-churches-taking-collections-to-fund-foes-of-gay-marriage-ballot-question/2012/05/25/gJQAKUYwoU_story.html
Churches can’t lose their “tax exempt” status. Churches aren’t even required to organize as a 501c3. Check out the tax code (IRS Code § 508(c)(1)(A)).
Codes are changed every day.
Haven’t changed on this matter. Your point?
It hasn’t changed yet. Does not mean it won’t.
I guess I prefer to deal with the here and now, especially with no indication that this part of the tax code will be changed.
Good luck with you goal.
Agreed. All need to pay a fair share or shut the hell up.
Wrong.
Why? If they want to have a say in how my taxes are used shouldn’t they be sharing the burden? Churches used to contribute to society to a much greater degree. Today they are operated much more like a business, and put a much less amount of funds to the less fortunate of society. Imagine how many hungery people could be fed if all the gold in Vatican City were sold.
They are all sharing the burden as individual tax paying citizens.
“Churches used to contribute to society to a much greater degree. Today
they are operated much more like a business, and put a much less amount
of funds to the less fortunate of society.” Supporting data please?
I have issues with the Catholic church as well, but the last time I checked, Vatican City is across the pond. I’m more concerned with what’s happening in my neck of the woods where I can have an impact.
The Catholic Church is the largest Charity in the history of the world. Each year ,every year, they are the biggest charitable donor,in $’s by far.
That’s just the Catholics. In this Country , people of faith vastly out- donate their Liberal neighbors in Charitable giving.The point is, the Churches help far more hungry people than Government welfare or personal spending by Liberals.
Atheist Groups, well, you can add up what they donate one hand.
Thank you Catholic Church for bringing all the Somalis here who for some reason end up on welfare paid by the rest of us and not the biggest charity in the world as you called the Catholic Church.
Churches cannot endorse candidates or political parties — but they can take stands on moral issues. If they were not allowed to take stands on moral issues, the government would be infringing on their freedom of religion.
By the way, my church supports full equality for gays and lesbians, including the freedom to marry. There is also a statewide organization, the Religious Coalition Against Discrimination, that supports same-sex marriage. See their web site at http://www.rcadmaine.org/
I’m a straight guy, married for 33 years, a Christian, and I support marriage equality. Prejudice against gays and lesbians is a sin.
I also support the right of churches to say what they believe. I don’t always like what many of them say, but I’m against muzzling freedom. That’s always a bad idea.
Good post. I’m on the other side of the issue – I do not endorse SSM, but you expressed what churches can and cannot do very well. Thank you. This post actually is helpful in the debate.
Unions hold elections to elect their officers. If they don’t like what the officers of the union do then they have the right to vote for different people in the next election. I haven’t heard many teachers complaining about what their union does . It is only right wing politicians who seem to have a problem with the teachers union. That isn’t surprising seeing that one of the stated goals of the radical right is to do away with unions.
“The political games that this union plays”?……………………… he already come out as opposed to the question! MEA represents 24000 teachers, supposedly, he is the leader of the entire State of Maine (and parts of Florida). Mr. LePage, you have been playing “political games” since you first announced your candidacy, and now you are belligerently accusing others of doing the exact same thing. Hypocrisy is rampant in your administration, and this is just another demonstration of it.
You are wrong the union holds work shops for teacher so they can do a better job of teaching an i read that in here
MEA doesn’t do crap. Teacher workshops are primarily done by agencies of the state, such as the DoE through the MMSA (Maine Math Science Alliance) and ELA (English/Language Arts) specialists, state-funded STEM efforts, the University of Maine, and organizations such as MAMLE (middle school educators), ATOMIM (math), MSTA (sciences), MSSM (Maine School of Science and Math), SERC Institute (Acadia National Park’s Schoodic Education and Research Center), and many other non profits.
.
MEA couldn’t care less. They’re as bad as the MPA (Maine Principals) who are having their fancy Samoset meeting right now so they can play golf and stay in a resort on their home district’s dime. They do the same in the fall in Portland at the downtown by the bay hotel. MEA is corrupt. MPA is corrupt.
If you had one clue what the MPA does you would not say this. It is not even close to the truth.
lol, funny. He listed many specifics and that is all you have .
You lie the union dose do classes so the teachers can do better so don’t lie What about state agences that go to meeting out of state they go to tresorts but i bet that slip your mind huh ?
…
I’m not a fan of this Governor nor many of his policies but my impression is, like it or not, he stands by and follows through on what he says in most cases.. The idea that you excuse the MEA as toothless and non political indicates that you may have a blind spot when it comes to anyone in disagreement with the Governor.
I wasn’t referring MEA as toothless and non-political; I didn’t use either word. What I was referencing was the fact the governor represents more than a million people, and he has come out opposed to the question. Yet he claims that the MEA, who represents a fraction of what he does, are playing “political games” ? He’s a hypocrite!
yes, he stands on what he says… but the fly in that ointment is that what he says is boorish and ill-informed and biased. He represents the entire state? NOT ME. I am part of the MAJORITY of Mainers who did not vote for him… he is a boorish thug.
I think he was damaged by his childhood. Maybe his teachers couldn’t overcome his impovrished, abused, life. I mean, those things shouldn’t have affected him, right? I am just so sick of people who don’t know what it’s like to get a child who deals with stress, neglect, and/or trauma in his life to “behave” or even care about learning. I wish some of these people…even LaPage…could stand in front of a classroom for a few days. He can do the planning, the performing, the managing of the class, the grading of the papers, the testing, the re-teaching when the child didn’t get it, the buying of things needed to teach that awesome and creative lesson. Finally, don’t allow anyone to get away with being homophobic because that child may have same-sex (unmarried) loving parents. Maybe that child has some feelings of developing sexuality that cause him to think he might be gay. Let’s not teach him that he is trash and might as well hang himself.
I suggest you look at whom the MEA donates to at election time. My point was the MEA is NOTHING BUT political. And yet you don’t appear interested in addressing that.
Also known as blind partisanship.
Hey, I get it. It’s the mantra of our country now. “As long as they agree with me it’s okay.”
Scary direction we’re headed in.
Did you just happen to fall off a turnip truck? All unions are political. The primary function of a union is to advocate for it’s members.
And those interest are shared by the DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Correct???????
Did you just learn to read or are you this dim.
What’s going on in Madison?? The UNIONS are preparing for a recall against a REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR. That recall is being fired by a difference in opinion with a REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR.
I suggest you show me a couple of example in which the union sided with a REPUBLICAN. Then perhaps we can have a discussion ON FISCAL ISSUES. Now that I think of it you might luck out with Indiana. The Union there seems to be showing some common sense.
Wouldn’t know what a turnip truck looked like. I’m thinking perhaps, YOU WOULD.
How is it some agree with my point and yet somehow attempt to turn it around as though THEY had an epiphany?
You are the one that asked about Madison. Would you really expect a union or any group of people to side with someone who has stated that his goal is to abolish them. Oh and as far as a union siding with a republican The Screen Actors Guild which is a union at one time elected a fellow as their president. His name was Ronald Reagan.
Really?? How about SAG now? Or even the last twenty years? Did ya happen to watch the press dinner?? Did you happen to see what older established Democrats had to say about it? That’s what you throw out. SAG? LOL The President hanging our with Lindsey Lohan and Kim Kardashian. LET THEM EAT CAKE!!
Now, the point is DIFFERING IDEOLOGY. Stock footage, RNC BAD UGH!. DNC GOOD UGH. Or visa versa depending on your own ideology. That’s what’s happening in Madison.
And please don’t portend to tell me what’s going on in Madison. Great city. Certainly dwarfs anything here in Maine. Spent 10 years there and trust me, I am far more informed on the local politics then you are. I suspect you’d enjoy the CAP TIMES. You should check out their site.
My goodness you are good at one thing aren’t you. Making false assumptions. I admit I haven’t been to Madtown in quite a few years but I don’t think I would have to live there to be able to read , yes even with only three degrees from UM I can read, what is going on in Wisconsin. Of course I wouldn’t be anyplace close to as knowledgeable as you. Or at least as knowledgeable as you think you are.
Does that even make any sense to you?
“Oh they only represent 24 thousand. The governor has a million”
That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. The union is part of the ideology of, and is supported by the Democratic party, PERIOD. Do you dispute this? If not then you may want to recant the ignor(lacking in knowledge)ant comment you made.
“Ohh, it’s the 300 against the Hordes. The teachers are so helpless!”
PLEASE..
Sounds to me like the teachers could teach Gov. LePage a thing or two…
How would we ever know?
Teachers now are afforded the same privilege as any other white collar job. More in many cases. Problem is we can’t vote them out and we can’t figure out if they’re doing a good job.
Try “figuring out” by looking at your kids’ work, speaking with their teachers, asking questions, going to school board meetings, help out in classrooms, tour schools, and seeing that YOU are the best parent you can be in all areas, not just in providing for basic house, hearth, and care.
How dare they treat everyone as equals regardless of their sexual orientation.
the union should spend time on improvement of its teachers!!!
“In Maine, we are blessed with many great teachers…”
You should’ve stopped right there governor–quit while you’re ahead.
Agreed. what he does is start out saying something nice, then turning into his real self and slamming people. His bullying self run amok. Lure them in, stab them and take their money.
Thank you, Governor LePage, for standing with common sense Mainers who will still oppose this anti-family referendum in November.
The National Education Association is the largest lobby in D.C., so the Maine one is in lockstep with it.
It is not right for our children and grandchildren that Obama is going to mandate the teaching of “alternative lifestyles” in public schools. Anti-bullying is playing right into his hands, also.
What is anti-family about this? It’s pro-family. Obama “is going to mandate the teaching of alternative lifestyles in public schools”? Where did you get that? Anti-bullying is playing into his hands? So you’re pro-bullying? You have saddened me.
We do not live in the 1950’s perfect family world anymore. The anti-family part of the referendum would be a no vote, as it pretends that these families don’t exist. They exist and they aren’t going away, irrespective of what happens with the referendum.
You have it all wrong. In every line of your post. You don’t want anti-bullying legislation? Really? You think fair treatment of all citizens is anti-family? WOW, oh just WOW.
What a dumb move for an education association to make. Send em back to school.
The
Governor never misses an opportunity to demean the State workers of
Maine nor to cast broadside attacks against the public sector unions
which represent them.
Disguising his disdain for public education, he praises teachers yet proposes public funding of private schools.
Now he’s pushing public employee unions to spend member dollars while
a few months ago he was threatening cutting the education budget.
In this same press release, the Governor alluded to a national
organization dedicated to making private profit by selling national
teacher certifications. The group is the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTs). They are Not-For-Profit corporation in
much the same way that the Maine Heritage Policy Center is.
It should not go unnoticed that the NBPTS is a very conservative
“education is a good business” group which for several years
participated as a member of the Education Task Force of the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in crafting ALEC legislation
introduced in many states including Maine. Last month “… given recent
events” NBPTS announced its disaffiliation with ALEC.
NBPTS standards are of their own making, are the basis for their fee
based instruction and result in a certification which is merely a
compliment to (not a substitute for) state certifications. Moreover, states
pay a fee (in taxpayer dollars and in addition to the teacher’s fee) to
participate in these programs.
Education can be a very lucrative business, especially when the Governor is pushing your wares.
And by the way, endorsing the equality of civil rights for all citizens is good education.
Kudos to the MEA.
And his comment to a group of students recently that school is not that important, but being a business person is… well, we see where his feelings lie. He is no friend to education (because an educated polis would not cotton to him or his ilk.
He’s on the wrong side of the gay marriage issue but spot on about the MEA
Thank you Governor Paul LePage for all your hard work..
Most Governors would have been sleeping by now and waiting for a orginized group to tell them which way the wind is blowing.
I dont see what the MEA has to do with such an issue..can we focus on the kids please?
The teachers, school districts, parents DO focus on the kids. Why can’t people understand that the union’s role is not what LePage is trying to guilt them into doing. It is the state and local government’s job to pay for education, including professional development. Why should teachers pay more out of their salaries to pay for things that we, the taxpayers, are supposed to support? Teachers are already picking up the tab for basics in the classroom that school districts are too strapped to pay for.
The lying sadist ,Paul Lepage is calling people out for playing a “political game”
In 2009,Lepage said he supports gay marriage.
Then during the election to told Evangelical voters he opposes gay marriage.
Then once he won the election he said “let the people decide” in a referendum.
how many faces does he have? as many as he needs to deceive people.
i am sooo tired of someone claiming to be “majority” when they aren’t. the majority of mainers aren’t bigots
No, that is true. Not all, just our governor and his minions.
Ya know, I realize Teachers don’t make a Kings ransom but a disproportionate amount seem to have the funds to play a lotta golf. I’m sure those discounted passes come in handy.
It’s the “principal” of the thing. They’re the ones on the course. Or the teachers with “supplements” because they “coach a sport” or “serve as athletic director”. Pretty good hack job if you can get it. Nothing extra is given to the teacher who volunteers their time to lead a science fair (which MPA tried to kill), debate (which MPA killed), music (which is ignored by MEA), or math (which is all funded by outside non-profits).
David, try teaching. NOT a “hack job.” Hard work.
You are going to hold it against them because they make enough to play golf? How much do you think they should make? Keep in mind…6 years of college and constant training after
Thank you, Gov’ner! Their arguments are stale, false and in the grand scheme of the big picture, immoral. Teachers themselves are tired of being held hostage between the unions and the taxpayers, an action as despicable as terrorists placing women and children between themselves and our troops.
While “anewvoice” has a constitutional right to say what that person believes, it is not American to compare a legal, democratically run, member organization to a group of lawless terrorists. Have you no shame?
“…it is not American…”
**********************
Attempts at censorship of my Free Speech “is not American”. There is no need for me to be ashamed of my opinion. If you were more proud of your own opinion you’d have no need to bully mine…..Enjoy your weekend!
Ah! Standing up for MEA’s gay members is like giving a golf or a skiing discount! Well played, Lepage!
Why are you correlating a union endorsement, with classroom education practices. They are teachers, they are adults and are in a group as adults called a union.
The union (the adults) are endorsing an issue, as adults. The endorsement has nothing to do with how things are going to be taught in a classroom. You are just attempting to project the image that this endorsement is going to end up in the classroom, which is just not the case. Teaching civil rights is in the classroom now, and this is a civil right. Teaching civil rights is not causing children to fail, I’d place that responsibility more on the parents than the teachers. You can have an MBA teaching an accounting class, but the kid has to be there, and do his or her homework, and learn.
exactly rusjan! It is the cause du jour to blame unions for everything under the sun (except for what could possibly be blamed on the teachers themselves. There is a blame game being played here and you are right!
Same way teacher blame parents?
And rightly so.
Teachers told my parents do not expect much out me. I would not be able to learn much. Having an IQ in the low 70s at the time. I would be willing to bet money if my IQ is now In the low 70s those teachers must have IQs in the mid 60s. My senior class rank was 9th put of a class a 64 students. Higher grades on my senior year than the valedictorian had I should have been ranked 5th . (Last semester did not count toward class rank.) I may have been the exception to the rule. In third grade I spent have a year on the first spelling word list. You had to spell the word and say it out loud after you spelled it. I had speech problems so I could never move to the next list because I could not pronounce the word “women”. Thank you MR. Dave Sweet but no thanks. In latter years I had teacher that know I was above average in some areas that made a real difference in my life. Otherwise I might have always gone on thinking I am stupid. Yes parenting makes a teachers job more difficult . And teachers can not save the world. Blame is nothing more than A childish excuse for not doing the best you can. Accept not all kids have perfect lives and do the best you can with it. Those teachers that blame parents and can not move past blame probably are the ones that would not be teachers if they did not have decent parents. A teacher job is to help kids not just teach. If a teacher can not accept that they have no business teaching .
Your story is a familiar one to me. A kindergarten teacher told me what a disappointment my child must be to me, how I shouldn’t expect too much. Well, my child just graduated from college with honors. There are some real lemons teaching – just like in all walks of life. My child was fortunate to have parents who didn’t buy what the teachers were selling. And we found some good teachers along the way who saw what we did in our child. The education establishment has a lot to learn. Sometimes they get a little too attached to methods that don’t work with a certain percentage of the population. Hopefully the new trend of individualized learning will reduce the number of kids experiencing what you and my child did.
You just proved my point. A concerned parent taking responsibility.
As every good parent does. There are many good teachers but I think it unfair of you to dismiss Bob’s experience so casually.
A lessor educated parent will not challenge A teacher when a teacher says A kid can not learn will go on believing what the teacher says. When I graduated school with honors my mother was shocked . She said she always thought I was slow. I asked her why she said because the school told her so. The whole blame game dose not solve the real issue . If I was to blame my parents then I must also blame my grandparents. We need to educate teacher better on how to teach different kids and allow them to do it. Some of my teachers knew a was not “slow” and did make a difference . This whole teaching to a standardized test idea will not work for a lot of students.
Of course you are right about better educated teachers. Better pay for teachers would also help to encourage smarter people into the teaching field. Respect for teachers would also be helpful.
Our Governor supports none of the above and he does everything that he can to disdain and disparage.
The overwhelming majority of teachers are extremely professional dedicated public servants who serve us very well. They do the hardest job there is for low pay and little thanks. Not sure how long ago your experience was, but still it is hard to believe a teacher would outright tell you that you should be disappointed in your own child. Very hard to believe. I suspect you are exaggerating that. The idea of an “individualized self paced education plan” is not doable and is a very, very bad educational model. Decades of research prove the importance of group based learning, and such a plan will not occur in most schools and will be scrapped by those who do try it because it is unworkable. It is also a ridiculous model that does not model the real world of work and higher education and training. College will not be self paced. Neither will vocational school, or law school, or nursing school, or radiology school, or medical school, or military training, etc. etc. etc. When we all go to our professional development trainings for our fields, they are not individualized and self paced. It is a silly, silly, silly idea and a BAD educational model. The lazy kids need to be appropriately pushed. And you challenge the gifted with enrichment options and advanced level courses which are done in virtually all school systems. Enough of this latest silly fashion in education which is bad and undoable. If people want this model, pay tuition in a Montessori school or homeschool them.
“Not sure how long ago your experience was, but still it is hard to
believe a teacher would outright tell you that you should be
disappointed in your own child.”
It was stunning that a teacher could be so cruel – and so wrong. But it happens. Many teachers are great but a lot of them aren’t. You find that out when you have a child who is different or learns differently. I don’t lay all or even most of what is wrong in this country at their feet. I certainly don’t think politicians and buffoons like LePage have anything to contribute to improving education.
The system we have now does work for the majority of people. The problem is the ones who have a different personality or learn in different ways are sometimes left behind. This kid does not speak up in class well his participation score will be low . Some people are born introverted some extroverted . Some learn by hands on some can learn from a book. Kid develop at different rates . In the old school of thought a kid who was slow by 3rd grade would always be slow . IQ relates to grades and IQ is a fixed number. Well sometimes they are right sometimes they are wrong. Some kids are good in some areas and week in others . They assume (sometimes) because a kid is weak at something they must be slow. Good parenting makes a teacher job easier . Some of the smartest people I know are self taught.
A great way for a child to succeed, not to expect much of them! [sarcasm implied].
I think the teacher thought she was being kind. She probably truly believed my son was unteachable. But it was unimaginable to me. At home he was lively, curious, bright. And to Tinserblic, who thinks I exaggerate, I have to tell you that I don’t have to. It was staggering to me to hear this teacher speak like that and I will never forget her words. In any case we took an extremely active role in our boy’s education, homeschooling for many years while maintaining a relationship with some very good teachers who helped and supplemented what we were doing. People learn and grow at different paces. If education doesn’t respect that and work with it they will always leave a certain percentage of students behind.
Good for you! Your child is very lucky to have parents like you! ~I was always told in my training that if what you are teaching isn’t getting through to the student, you have to change the way you are presenting the information…. People learn in many different ways, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to figure out what works…And not give up!
Thank you. We feel very lucky to have had such a special child. He has grown into an incredible young man and the struggles we shared as a family have made us very close. I do think education is evolving to reflect the differences in learners and adjusting to meet the student “where s/he is.” Teachers like you will make it happen.
teachers are not parents, however, in many cases, parents don’t act like parents and sometimes another adult in the child’s life has to step in…that is going beyond the job description and caring about children.
I agree in many cases teachers step in. Thank- you teachers for doing that. Now if that is not in the job description it should be put in. Teachers do not get rich by any means but the pay scale they have now has gone up a bit compared to other jobs in the last 10 or 20 years.
Firefighters are unionized. Police are unionized. Nurses are unionized. The linemen and women at the electric company are unionized. Each union contributes to political parties and takes stands on different issues. If the teachers union wants to endorse gay marriage isn’t it that their right? I can not remember anything in the Constitution saying you only had a right to your opinion if you were not in a teachers union. I guess freedom of speech in Maine only is allowed as long as it goes along with the thinking of Paul Richard LePage. This doesn’t have a thing to do with education. It has everything to do with the fact that LePage is against gay marriage and that the teacher’s union came out in favor of it. More BS from Maine’s BSer in Chief. Oh Governor just where are all those JOBS, JOBS, JOBS you promised us back in 2010 when you were running for office?
LePage thrives on stoking up the hatred of fanatics. This predictable and easily manipulable constituency is why Republicans can keep taking money away from the middle class and underhandedly slipping it to big corporations. Get the fanatics raving about their pet issues with your right hand, and with your left hand take away more and more of their financial means (which of course fills them with even more manipulable hate).
How hypocritical you are by obviously referring to SSM as a “pet issue” among possibly others when all along you have been vociferously arguing for and “raving” about SSM. One has to wonder who is being “fanatical” here, you or the Republicans you are pointing the finger at. My oh my!
The Republican party uses racism, sexism and homophobia to stir up hatred. The core of the party is angry white males. You’ve got your climate deniers, your birthers, your gay-bashers, your liberal-haters and so on.
Yes, I have pet issues, such as a human right to affordable healthcare. What makes me angry is that the GOP is blocking affordable healthcare and around 40,000 die a year in this country from lack of insurance:
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/harvard-medical-study-links-lack-of-insurance-to-45000-us-deaths-a-year/
Meanwhile the delusion–disproven over and over–that giving more money to the rich will produced trickle down wealth–continues to be a fig leaf over the corruption of the conformist, lockstep GOP party.
———–
We have been studying Washington politics and
Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.
The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in
American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html
————
There’s a June bug bouncing off the screen tonight – it’s futility reminds me of your ad infinitum logorrhea against angry white males and your vacuous adoration of socialism. You write with guile but your words echo the slogans of the bureaucratic collective.
You are the fig leaf over the impotence of the proletariat.
Com’on, the Democrats have been in power for 40 years prior, you really expect us to believe it’s the Republicans that were really blocking affordable health care? I know scores of Republicans that don’t fit your “racism, sexism and homophobia to stir up hatred” stereotype.
Gee and we wonder why union membership is down in this country.
What a wonderful age we live in. Corporations are people and have freedom of speech. Corporate-sponsored, supposed non-partisan organizations like ALEC can write and pass laws, essentially circumventing the integrity of the legislative process and substantially changing the economic, health, and environmental conditions we live under. But an organization of educators is not supposed to express a point of view about fairness and human rights.
Unfortunately, on such a hot topic, a vote by all members would have made this easier to take…at least we would know what way the majority of teachers feel in this matter.
You’re changing the subject to avoid the current issue of the propriety of unions to engage in a wide range of political issues and activities. No one, including the governor, is questioning the right of so-called labor unions to take stands on various issues.
That said, it’s only fair to point out as the governor did say the state teacher’s union (MEA) is not about protecting employee rights and improving education nearly as much as it should be. Also, it is certainly not representative of roughly half of its own constituents who disagree with it, on social issues in particular. That’s one very good reason why I strongly oppose forced labor union membership dues as a condition for employment.
If as you and the Governor say, that the union is not protecting employee rights which is the primary purpose of a union in the first place, shouldn’t it be the members who should be complaining? LePage being critical of a union of any type is hardly a surprise. He has been doing it to various unions since he took office. If as you say roughly half of the members of MEA disagree with the way the union is being run why haven’t they replaced the officers? I find it strange that we have not heard an out cry from, as you claim, the roughly half of the MEA members.
“If as you and the Governor say, that the union is not protecting employee rights…” Did the governor and I say the union is not protecting employee rights?? Reread my comment and the newspaper article for a more accurate rendering. If you are going to paraphrase me, please do so correctly from now on.
The union is well organized after decades of structuring and re-structuring, unlike the teachers who disagree with its stands on social issues other than education. It knows full well its supposed to represent all the teachers, yet it does not when it goes off on another tangent. Most labor unions unfortunately are doing the bidding for the Democrat Party. It’s plain and simple. So when the MEA takes a stand against the governor on issues not pertaining to education, it’s really speaking on behalf of the Democrat party.
The party and its union allies like to speak about fairness, yet represent only half their union members all the time while sticking their thumbs at the other half.
The MEA should represent all the teachers in this matter and put it to a vote to its members before making this statement. That was not done.
Furthermore the MEA and its parent organization, the NEA, should stick to education matters, and to teacher rights and privileges. I know a lot of teachers who are very frustrated with the MEA. When I hear them vent I tell them to quit their membership. I think most of them are too intimidated to quit or don’t seem to be aware of the extent of their own union’s far-left affiliation. If the MEA and its family of like organizations died today, we’d have much to cheer about. I say all this as one who has been a life-long union member who feels betrayed by their misuse of membership dues.
I wonder why they lifted my first post for review? It certainly wasn’t off the subject and I didn’t treat anyone any different than I have been treated…….hmmm? I wonder if Adrianne Bennet was reading them and complained? That would be cool, (of course two of the post were reviewed by a member of her own camp…..typical LePage….duh!) This is getting old anyhow…… next.
Your hate of Paul LePage continues to cloud your judgement. I assume it is your belief that the 24,000 union members are all for this referendum and it was unanimous to place their support behind it. And did your business put out its support of this proposal? And did your town, town council, fire department, police department and maintenance department announce its support of this referendum? I agree with you that people have a choice to choose freely but non political institutions supported (by force) by member dollars have no right to spend those dollars on anything other than member issues and this is not an MEA member issue.
Teachers salaries are publicly funded as is the military and it’s members. Teachers taking any stance on any controversial/political issue has the same level of appropriateness as a military group or individual taking a stance publicly on such issues. It’s just not appropriate.
Where in The United States Constitution does it say you give up your right to an opinion if you become a teacher? I must have missed that part.
Constitution?
We dont have to follow no Stinkin Constitution!
Angus King and now Maine Law says that you have to give up your fingerprints if you want to be a Teacher!
Think About It!
If you were sitting across the desk from a DHHS caseworker, and this worker got into a conversation about a political issue, and his/her point of view was of a republican viewpoint, would you be comfortable with that person being paid on government wages to have this or any viewpoint while performing their job? A military member cannot provide any comment at all while performing duty or while in uniform. And rightfully so. They are representing the government as a neutral entity providing a service to the country. I don’t see where teachers have any different role. They are providing a service by educating while our tax dollars pay for that service. HAs nothing to do with free speech and the constitution. As long as any of these groups aren’t in an official capacity, they may have any opinion they want.
cmy6 the first thing I should say in answer to your question is that I am a republican and have been registered as such since 1967. If I were sitting across from a DHHS caseworker and the worker got into a political discussion what I would do or say would depend on if this conversation were taking place during the caseworkers working hours or off hours. If it were during working hours I would inform the caseworker that I love to discuss politics and would welcome the opportunity to continue the discussion some other time, but that for the time being we should limit the discussion to the reason we were meeting today. If it were during the caseworker’s off from work time then I would welcome the discussion.
Neither the teachers’ right nor the teacher union’s right to take a public stand is being questioned. Rather, the propriety of it is being questioned.
But since you brought up the teacher’s right to take a public stand on various issues of the time, why is the MEA union trying to speak on behalf of all its teacher membership when roughly half of the membership disagrees with its stand on SSM? This should tell you something about this “labor” union it’s supposed to be. Like its parent organization, the NEA, it is more of a political organization than a labor union. I think the governor deserves credit for pointing that out.
This is the second time you have posted that roughly half of the MEA members disagrees with the union’s stance on SSM. Would you care to provide verifiable sources for your statement?
how can it be verified if no vote was taken amongst the members? that should have been done before the higher ups decided to speak for everyone on this very emotional issue.
that’s right, ask Don Mendall what happened to him when he voiced an opinion on SSM? Didn’t his co-workers in his district file a complaint to have his license revoked for making an ad against SSM? Yet the other teacher who made an ad FOR SSM IN HER OWN SCHOOL was off scott free…..luckily, the state board realized what a horrendous thing was done to this man and dismissed it. Guess you give up having any opinions at the door when you become an education.
Quaint thought but legally way off
You have no idea what you are talking about. In reality, students who express views against homosexuality are called homophobic, narrow minded, religious bigot… In our local high school the so called Civil Rights Team have become the bullies in the high school.
Feel free to be a bigot.
Bully
The union’s endorsement is indeed inappropriately (cor)related with classroom education. In fact the teacher’s union anticipates using the educational system to engage in social engineering. A curriculum has already been developed for that purpose.
Parents need to wake up to what is happening. The effort to legalize so-called same-sex marriage is aimed at changing the culture to accept unnatural homosexual activity as a harmless expression of love just as heterosexual activity is intended to be. A ramped up cultural war akin to the abortion issue lies ahead if SSM becomes law. If one thinks the country is divided and disunited, the current uneasy situation will get far worse if the country as a whole adopts a change in the traditional definition of civil marriage as formal union of a man and a woman recognized by law.
That’s one reason among many why I oppose the referendum question to include same-sex couples in the definition of civil marriage.
Look at Canada, there was no cultural war after that country legalized same-sex marriage. People on both sides accepted that it was now legal and they got on with their lives. It is no longer an issue and rarely talked about in that country now.
And marriage is in fact a stronger institution today in Canada than in the US if you go by divorce rates. The only state that has divorce rates as low as Canada interestingly enough is Massachusetts, so this whole “threat to marriage” argument is a load of nonsense.
Check out this site and you will see why the divorce rate is lower in Mass. and why you jumped to conclusion.
Why The Massachusetts Divorce Rate is Low: Few Get Married | NOM Blog
http://www.nomblog.com/12872/
In Canada one may get arrested for speaking out against homosexuality. It’s not the free country some people presume it to be.
Instead of quoting an obviously biased source, go onto the US Census website and look at the stats yourself :
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces.html
Yes, the marriage rate in Mass is lower than many other states, but if you divide the divorce rate by the marriage rate to get a divorce rate that is relative to the number of actual marriages in that state, with the exception of Nevada which obviously has biased statistics because of all the visitors that come there to get married there ( a marriage rate that is 5-8x greater than other states), the three lowest states are (in order) Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
I encourage you to go to the above website, download the Excel file and do the math yourself and you will see why you jumped to conclusion.
Therefore, controlling for the marriage rate per population, the 3 states with the lowest divorce rate are still three states that have legalized same sex marriage.
Do you actually believe the garbage you post? Anyone with a child in school,if they bother to be involved and open their eyes, knows full well that the Gay agenda is being pushed in our schools.
Children from several area High schools recently took part in some sort of LGBTG gathering in Machias . A weekend/overnight event that included, among other things, a Drag show complete with “men” well into their 30’s Preforming for High School kids. Did I mention that many of these kids attended thru a school club which is chaperoned by teachers during school hours on school grounds, teachers who also Chaperoned during this over nigh event.
I see my last post on this was deleted, we’ll see how long this one stays up.
At my local high school they had a so call Tolerance Day , that the students were given a choice to attend or not. Most of the students choose not to attend. So the Civil Rights team planned it again not letting the students know when it was going to be, when students tried to leave they were not allowed to. The tolerance day focus was mostly on homosexual students. Christian and conservative students were mocked. Wow talk about tolerance. The Civil Rights team have become the bullies of the schools here in ME.
ERTER
Carroll Conley, head of the Christian Civic League of Maine and the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, said Friday. “We think it would be better if the MEA would focus on academics rather than social engineering.”Apparently its O.K for the Christian Civic League to social engineer.FREEDOM FROM RELIGION.
.
Only you can bring this down to an issue of teaching civil rights.
I “liked” that one for you, because I take that as a compliment. It IS about civil rights, and homosexuality is a fact in society, like it or not. You cannot wish it or demand that it go away, it’s not going to. MEA has the right to endorse whatever it wish politically, just as you do. Obviously, it’s members agree or else it would not be endorsing.
Lepage’s own employee, William Schneider said he supports gay marriage during a radio interview last week. Why isn’t Lepage telling his AG to stop playing “political games.”????
What has that got to do with improving education?
I’d wish Lepage would explain in detail how his corrupt and sadistic administration has improved anything but the bank accounts of his cronies in Canada and on Wall st.
Again, what does that have to do with improving education? Oh, I see, your hatred for him blinds you from answering the question.
Your not my boss. So do like Lepage told you to do an KMB.
I thought I heard that too. But did you see the story on him in the PPH? It says there that he doesn’t support gay marriage. http://www.pressherald.com/news/schneider-known-for-strong-resume-character_2012-05-25.html
A lot of false information in your last two sentences. I wonder if you have children in the public school system because I do and I know what is being taught to my daughter.
Bravo to you, Kevin. LOVE involved parents! I raised all my kids in public school and all 6 are very successful adults, with not one of them “taking” from the system!
Your kids had the luck to have you as a parent. not that being said if those kids were not raised by “good” parents odd are most of your kids would not have fared so well. So it it a kids fault if he has bad parents? or is it the schools job to help those kids?
There is an old saying, ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’.
You can encourage, support, accommodate . You are right you can not make them drink. Maybe turn off the electric fence in front of the troth might help. We have to realize not all kids learn the same way.
The people who have the power to turn of the electric fence are the parents. The foolish theory that childrens self esteem will be ruined if they are left behind a year is a complete and utter failure to the child. We do them no favor by allowing them to go through the system unprepared for the realities of life after school.
Grade retention can be helpful for some students . Most will loose what is gained by staying back in a few years and still be behind. A lot higher percentage of kids held back will not finish school at all than ones just passed . I think it would have to depend on the case. If you take two kids one drops out but gets a GED the other gets passed along but can not pass a GED the one with the diploma will usually get a better job. Keep a kid in school till he is 22 what are the odds he stays in school?
There’s an even older saying: You can’t spell for feces.
Yes I know I can not spell. I also had speech problems . At the time in my life when I was suppose to learn how to spell I was “retarded”. It was not till middle school where I started to catch up. I was special Ed . I got to play in a sand box in the little room. For a good part of the day. I will probably never be able to spell very well. I would be willing to bet that somethings I know more than you do. Like RLC circuits, polar coordinates, finding cube roots without any tools IE. pencil paper calculator. Just saying you can not always judge someone as being stupid because they are weak in some areas . Other wise I could say 90% of people are stupid. Just saying.
Your spelling looks pretty good to me, Bob. It sounds like you’ve made the best of a bad situation. My hat is off to you.
My hat’s off to you, as well, Bob.
And you can argue your points without being patronizing or resorting to insults.
Your condescension is appalling and reflects poorly on you.
The schools aren’t perfect, Bob, that’s for sure. There are some great teachers and some poor ones. There is no substitute for having great parents. It is a crapshoot for all of us. I had good parents but they didn’t have much formal education. Still, they put a roof over our heads and food on the table. They were loving and caring. They did OK by us but there were certainly other kids that had more educational advantages due to their highly educated parents than we did. And there were others who had far less. It is not a kid’s fault but it is tough for teachers – with 20 or 30 kids in the classroom – to make up for a less than ideal home environment.
Yes I agree with what you said. Now we as adults must move past the blame game. It is tough for teachers . I do not have an issue with teachers who say it is tough . When did blame ever solve problems? Even some poor parents are still decent people who do the best they know how.
Don’t care for the Governor’s approach but my kids have got to learn more then what’s politically correct this week, and how to “Find themselves”
No Phys. Ed in many schools because of fear of lawsuits??? What a mess The United States must look to others at times. Our teachers are just as responsible for our failing schools as anyone.After all, THEY are the teachers. The amount per child is not the issue. Seems as though other countries are doing better with less. What does this say about our future leaders?
Hey, quick thought. IF, That’s IF teacher’s maintain they need more money I suggest they dip into the unions funds.Wouldn’t that be the selfless, noble thing for them to do?
They’re beholden to the NEA. MEA is just the local branch of that mafia. It’s a top-down, not bottom-up operation. Dues are excessive.
teachers is the plural of teacher; teacher’s is the possessive of the noun “teacher.”
Bully for Paul!!!!!! So glad he has testicals.
what are testicals?
are they like testimonials? or are they the rotted low hanging fruit on our governor?
I thinks they mean Ballz,
They’re similar to testicles, only they have a longer reach to them, as do tentacles.
blah, blah, blah, blah……..so sick of him
Maybe Mr. LePage should stop telling private organizations how to conduct their businesses and pay attention to his own job?
to bad the parents cant teach more life skills. Its not the mea’s job to advocate outside of schools. There job is to help teachers keep things right between administration.
Maybe you should have paid more attention in class.
yes, the MEA is a mediator for details of employment and working conditions, not on what to teach. Some people just do not understand and they do not bother to find out the details and facts. So SICK of this fact-free group who likes to spout on and on without reality being in play.
The MEA made no statement regarding what to teach about this issue.
I would like to say that God made us all different and for us to love each other no matter who we are or what we are and one thing I learn is not to judge who someone is or what they are for in the bible it states Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. So I walk away not to judge or condemned for if I did I will be judge when I meet my maker.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/ap-newsbreak-maine-churches-taking-collections-to-fund-foes-of-gay-marriage-ballot-question/2012/05/25/gJQAKUYwoU_story.html
How do you feel about tax exempt Maine churches playing political games?
These churches want to play in the big game? They need to pay taxes to have a voice in things. NO tax exemptions I say. Let everyone pay a share and have a share in the decisions. Otherwise they need to shut up!
In a related development, NAMBLA and GLAAD came out in favor of encouraging more of their members to become certified Maine teachers.
You mean being one-sided like LePage? Not exactly open minded on a lot of issues.
one sided all right. too bad all we see is the back side.
The whole system is broken. Most Teachers do the best the can with the tools they have. Teaching kids to test well on standardized tests is nonsense. It dose more to make kids that are behind behind further. They who myth they taught teachers about IQ is total BS. My IQ in first grade was in the low 70s . They told my parents not to expect much out of me . I was held back .They discussed holding me back a few more grades . I can imagine a kids finishing High school in his 20s not likely. Well anyways I caught up in school . I may never be able to wright a coherent paper or even spell . My point is the school pretty much wrote me off as being slow borderline retarded. They are not taught that sometimes these kids do catch up. By the time I finished High school “again the odds” I graduated 9th in a class of 64 kids. They take a kid that is slow in a couple of grades an assume they are slow and will never be able to catch up. Education today has a lot more to do with memorizing facts that teaching kids how to learn. Take a kid from a lower social class they start off school behind some would catch up . Treat them like they are slow and do not believe they can catch up and most will not.
You are completely WRONG on this Bob… schools do SO much to help students who are at a different level of learning than their peers and are very successful with interventions. I am sorry you had such an experience. It is better now. AND school is in no way about “memorizing facts,” but really about teaching kids strategies for learning and thinking. Visit a school near you and ask questions. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Yes things have changed a bit since the 70s. I do not blame teachers . I blame the system . All and this focus on high test scores . Making homework as much as 50% of a child’s grade when test scores are counted as 30% puts kids from uneducated parents at a bigger disadvantage that come from families not conducive to doing homework. I did deal with a school near me for my son . For educators with doctoral degrees I . Yes they could wright circles around me . The lack of abstract reasoning ability or ability to do math without a paper and pencil I was not to impressed with. Not all people learn the same way . The system seems to think that one size fits all . They seem to think something is wrong with someone who is introverted as a opposed to someone who is extroverted. They seem to favor this conformity to authority over free thinking. Very positive people but not open to knew ideas. Lets say they teach a kid global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels . If I kids marked that wrong he would get a wrong answer . I would say prove oil or natural gas is even a fossil fuel. We know thier is methane on Titan (Saturn’s moon). If a kid marked that wrong he would get a wrong answer . Even if the teacher is proven wrong latter. Not praised for a higher level of thinking. They say the dropout rate at Bangor high school is less than 5%. Funny every State of Maine website put it as one of the highest in the State of Maine. They may send 80% of kids But more than 20% drop out of Bangor high school. Buy saying they drop out rate is less than 5% without explaining more about how they get that number is misleading if not outright lying.
When school first became mandatory the purpose was to make a better work force. Not much has changed in the last 100 years . Not much has changed. We do not want people who question authority.
I’m sorry, but if you went to grade school in the 60’s, and where from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak,you might as well forget it. I have a higher IQ over 120, but have always had trouble with spelling, no one even tried to help me with my spelling. Also spelling counted on written work, and written test. Even though I knew the answers, my grades where low, I was deemed as lazy. When I got to high school, I got the help, I needed and was even on the Honor Roll a few times.
See you get it. My point exactly . Having passed my professional license on my first try with a grade school IQ in the low 70s . What are the odds? When you figure 70% of community college grads fail on thier first try. Good thing I did not go to college no way I would have passed .
You do not see the world through the eyes for someone that came from the other side of the tracks. I bet you are successful in life and worked hard to do so. I bet you did not grow up in poverty with 2 illiterate parents. I have some issues with education . I do ok for myself that being said I have no formal education beyond High school . My lady friend has 6 years of college deans list . She comes from a middle class family . She can spell I can not . That being said her 4.0 in calculus I can do better at her with numbers. In school I was a slow learner she was strait A’s . In some ways she is a lot smarter than I am other ways I am smarter than her. I am one of the lucky ones. In someways I resent the educational system . I can teach myself most any subject that interest me without having to pay for it.
It looks to me, Bob, like you’ve done really well for yourself and by yourself. Who cares today what side of the tracks you came from? You got yourself heading in the right direction and I take my hat off to you, sir.
You sound like a great human being and have accomplished much in your life. How to spell well isn’t everything in life, and your math skills seem to outweigh all the challenges that you faced in your school years. Best wishes to you and your lady friend.
I know what you mean i was a slow learner in school but i recieved no help i was told to study i ask the teacher how do you study all she said was study
I’m glad that the MEA took a position on this issue – gay and lesbian teachers deserve the same rights and privileges that others have. The primates in our society who continue to cling onto the 1950’s model of marriage are going to either drive themselves insane or learn to think differently over the next couple of years, because this issue is not going away and it’s not going back.
Thank you to Penguin for being the loudest (and potentially most primitive) face of the by-gone era.
they already have the same rights. the sodomites are so unhappy with themselves they think they will feel better if everyone tells them their lifestyle is ok, while it is unatural.
My question is how do you keep from scratching your knuckles when you drag them along the floor when you walk?
Am I ever glad you came along. We finally have found an expert on gay marriage. I have a couple of questions that I could use your expert opinion on. Are lesbians sodomites? If two guys live together can they file federal income tax and check off the married filing jointly box? Oh yeah and if these sodomites are so unhappy why are they always referred to as gay? If same sex marriage is so wrong why is it that Mass. which has had same sex marriage since 2004 has a higher per capita rate of marriage and a lower per capita rate of divorce then Maine? How come we hardly ever hear about gays getting protection from abuse orders or killing their lovers like we do with heterosexuals? Why do States that have same sex marriage have a lower poverty rate then States that don’t?
Why is it unnatural because a mystical book says it, because you say so, enlighten me further with your great wisdom. Did you learn what a sodomite is in school or what it is from somewhere else? Why does everyone have to be a sodomite that wishes to marry someone of the same sex? What if they were not a sodomite but want to get married anyways would that be okay? Why do you feel that people who would like to get married but cannot, have the same rights as everyone who can get married. Please share the knowledge of those rights with me so I may be enlightened from a world of darkness. I also want to know how many “sodomites” you actually know for a fact to be sodomites, that are unhappy with themselves because their lifestyle is unnatural to them. Please be honest because I really need for you to put forth an effort in you answers. Otherwise I might think your a just another religious babbler who is trying to force the thought limiting opinions of some religions into the lives of people who do wish to maintain the separation of the church and state.
Sodomites? Really?
Time for some bananas.
Interesting choice of terms, Sodomite is. Do you realize that many heterosexuals are sodomites? Lots of very religious young people practice such things and consider themselves virgins. You need to step outside of your cave more often…
LePage yet again finds himself on the wrong side of caring for or meeting the needs of the majority of Maine citizens. Send him that message loud and clear in November. Vote a straight DEMOCRATIC ticket! Send the GOP/Teas packing!
The majority of Mainers do not support SSM. You will find that out in November. You will also find out that the majority of the people do not support the Democratic socialist agenda. You will find that the majority of American’s want a President who can create jobs, not more welfare.
Actually, the majority of Mainers and all Americans don’t give a rat’s patootie about same sex marriage one way or the other. Many are afraid that legalizing SSM would change their way of life or that it will some way adversely affect their children. I know this because I used to feel the same way. I lived in Vermont then, and Civil Unions passed. I got to see first hand that all of the things the radical right said would happen (to scare families) was all a loud of bullcrap. It changed nothing negatively. All it did was allow a bunch of bright entrepreneurs a chance to start making a fortune on destination ceremony planning to cater to all the tourists that went to Vermont and spent a small fortune all over the state. Maine’s economy could really use the boost it would get…and it WOULD create jobs, which is more than LePage has done for Maine.
Really. Passing SSM will create job. Now thats some funny stuff right there!!!!
It’s true. Destination weddings are huge. Maine relies heavily on tourism for revenue and is a popular destination for vacationers. Because only a few states have SSM, any same sex couple wanting to be married have to travel to a state where it is legal to do it. They stay in local hotels, dine at local restaurants, hire local businesses to take photos, cater, provide flowers, provide the venue, shop at local stores for keepsakes…as do all of their wedding guests. Same sex couples reward states that legalize same sex marriage…and Maine would be the first where the people voted in support of it. It would attract a massive amount of same sex weddings. All of these businesses would need to create new jobs to meet the higher demand of services. Anyone with more than one brain cell should be able to see how SSM creates jobs…especially now that I have explained how it works. I saw this happen in Vermont…and my employers at the time started providing Civil Union ceremony packages for destination weddings. They became filthy rich from it. One of the partners was a staunch republican and extremely conservative…but he liked money more than he cared what other people do, lol.
Farthest you’ve been from home and you think you’re enlightened in comparison to the average Mainer.lol I know a few others like you.
I’m pro-gay marriage by the way.
What? This doesn’t make any sense. You’re upset because she’s not from Maine and has first hand experience with a certain issue? I truly don’t get the people who are threatened by people ‘from away’. And I was born and raised here.
Do you really think the SSM would bring financial gain to many in Maine ? Really ? I think the “Wench” is off on this one a bit !
I think she may be over-estimating the impact but Ogunquit is kinda P-town north.
Read this:
http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Badgett-Sears-Ramos-ME-Econ-Impact-Feb-2009.pdf
There is actually a pretty extensive study that was put out that goes into detail about how much revenue SSM would bring to the state of Maine, as well as job projections. I am not just blowing hot air out of my kiester…I have actually seen it happen first hand. Maine will lose nothing by legalizing SSM…people who are homosexuals will still be homosexuals, will still pair off and have long term relationships and do what they have always done throughout history. Legalizing SSM will NOT cause a mass exodus of same sex couples to move to Maine. Vermont was the first in the country to recognize same sex couples and it did NOT happen there. The couples come to the state to get married, spend a butt ton of money and then go back to where they came from. Tourism generates revenue and boosts small businesses…everyone knows that. SSM would boost tourism and bring in more visitors. That makes jobs, period. It’s time to do what is right for Maine and Maine NEEDS the jobs.
No, my point was that she has never been any further from Maine then Vermont and yet thinks she has some worldly understanding. Please, I’ve spent half my life, “away”
Lotta backwoods Mainers that feel this way.
And how do you know Old Wench has never been further away than Vermont?
Do you have any firsthand knowledge of living in a state that has approved SSM?
They don’t know…they just assume because they are too much of a coward to acknowledge that they are basing their opinions on the issue on fear rather than facts or knowledge. It’s far easier to attack me and attempt to discredit than it is to admit that they might just be wrong.
Not that it’s any of your business, but…I got married at 18 to someone in the military. That was nearing 30 years ago. I have lived all over the place, thank you very much. I left Maine at 18 years old and have moved back several times over that time. I’ve lived in 7 states, including the south and large cities. Some of the places my ex was stationed include Okinawa, Guam and Bermuda. Next time perhaps you should not assume…
I was born and raised here as well…but it’s easier for some people to attack the person and try to discredit them by any ridiculous means they can think of than it is to admit that perhaps they make sense. That’s easier for some people than it is to question their thinking and admit that maybe, just maybe…they are wrong on a given issue.
Interesting that you presume to know where I have lived. Vermont is hardly the furthest I have lived from Maine. My ex was in the military, so we traveled and moved pretty extensively, thanks.
And no, you don’t know anyone like me.
Jealous much?
you are so right
Election results reflect only the sentiments of those who actually voted. They do not necessarily reflect the sentiments of the state as a whole.
Ya, keep up your delusions. Come November, the TeaPublicans are going to get pounded into electoral oblivion and that goofball joke LeBUFFOON is going to find himself the lamest of lame ducks. And as to “socialism,” the TeaPubs are the real socialists, giving all our tax money to the oil corporations, the military industrial complex, and the bloated military. Yup, TeaPubs are PURE CORPORATE TOADIE SOCIALISTS.
Thank you, you’re a great example of the blind partisan hatred that is driving our country into the ground.
As an independent I have to warn you that they are quite right that Republicans are going to get spanked hard next election. They embraced the Tea Party radicals and cater to them. It is the independents such as myself that decide the political tide and independents don’t like extremists and radicals…they prefer moderates, sanity and pragmatism. Obama is going to be re-elected and the Republicans all over the country are going to take a severe hit as punishment for becoming so radical. I’m not a huge fan of Obama and never have been…but I don’t trust any Republicans anymore. It will stay that way until they rid their party of the invasive cancer that is the Tea Party.
you just go to show what side of the fence you are on. Teachers should be teaching, not preaching. They should leave thier opinions at home. Don’t try to push YOUR views onto my kids. That is not why you are there.
Not even LePage has said that the teachers are trying to push their views on kids. Any more fairy tales you would like to tell us?
Perhaps Matt JC thinks I’m more of an old time conservative than Mr. LePage? Now there’s a personal insult that no conservative has ever tossed my way here. Just goes to show you, ya never know what these hard right conservatives who’s minds are still stuck in a past century might say. Sometimes what comes out leads to some good chuckles.
I don’t know Still. I have been watching some of the things you have been posting lately and I’m starting to wonder if you might be becoming one of those looney tuney radical right conservatives. I’m thinking that you lay awake at night thinking of getting one of those really swell three corner hats and a pair of pajama bottoms made out of an American Flag so you can go stand on a street corner and proclaim yourself to be a ”REAL PATRIOT”. I bet you would just love to stand up at a public meeting and tell everyone , “I LOVE AMERICA” and then go on and say things so everyone would know that you can’t stand Americans. Just think you could wave the flag (not the one your pajama bottom is made out of) and tell everyone how much you love The Constitution and then in the next breath try to deprive your fellow American rights that are guaranteed by that same Constitution. You could go on and on about how hard you work and tell everyone how the Government “steals” from you. You could act like the poor are the reason for everything that is wrong with America today. You could scream at the top of your lungs that we need to cut, cut, cut spending and then demand that we get into a new war especially if it is against Iran. Oh oh I think I might have made a boo boo. I was thinking about Darkcat not you Still. Sorry my bad.
You haven’t had children in School for awhile I see.
Nope but I have 5 grand children who are all in school at varying grade levels. What is your point?
In response to -“Not even LePage has said that the teachers are trying to push their
views on kids. Any more fairy tales you would like to tell us?”.
That you might want to pay attention to what is going on in those schools. My freshman daughter was asked to take part in a Teacher sponsored and promoted LGBTG weekend/overnight meet and greet in Machias recently.Turns out many Children went. The activities included things like Drag shows and “Networking” sessions . All under the guidance of, yup, Teachers.
Good for them! Our LGBT students need a safe place to celebrate who they are without fear of attack or harassment. The even in Machias is always very touching.
It was actually teenagers and college students, not children.
Did your daughter ask to go to this event?
Since when is endorsing a political position part of school curriculum? Good grief…by the time kids hit 6th grade they know about homosexuality and more often than not they even know someone who is homosexual. Kids learn about this sort of thing from other kids, not teachers. If you don’t realize that then you need to dig your head out of your butt.
Point of Information to the BDN: The MEA is giving you a false statement. That 24,000 includes University of Maine System employees who do not teach, Community College employees who do not teach, and any number of other school-related employees who are NOT teachers. MEA pads their numbers in this manner to appear more “representative”. Plus, they include the many members of the “represented groups” who refuse to pay dues into this corrupt NEA-run mafia.
they do not “pad their numbers” but rather include staff as well as educators… employees of schools CHOOSE whether to belong to a particular union and often join together with educators at their job sites in order to make contract negotiations smoother.
The MEAs mission is to protect teachers while those teachers try to provide a quality education for our children. The organization is well within its bounds and mission to vote and do this if a majority of members or council members feel this way. Why you may ask? How many gay teachers out there do we have. More than you would think and I for one think it is the responsibility for the MEA to fight for the partners of those gay teachers to be afforded the same rights of marriage which comes the literal benefit of sharing health insurance with a spouse just like a heterosexual couple.
Teachers religion and family life should be kept private from students teachers should be professional. However, this is not an issue of what is being said or taught. This is an issue that is harming the people it is the organizations mission to look out for.
keeping people in the dark by not offering a comparative view is unhealthy… unless we want to produce generations of ignorant people who can’t deal with issues because they have had no exposure to those issues…
It is those generations of ignorant people who help to get buffoons elected and the right knows that only too well.
The poll question should be worded “Is Governor Lepage uncivil in his dealings with unions.” You can say what you want about unions, but you have to give them their due.
Good to see that Maine has a Gov. that is willing to take a stand and not play politics-sick and tired of our political leaders bowing down to the wims of the vocal minorities for so call political correctness Bullcrap-Thanks Gov.
Apparently you fail to realize that by speaking out on this LePage IS playing politics…
Right On Paul !!
It’s high time Galgay and his union thug lemmings put reading, writing, and arithmetic back in the classroom and took the indoctrination out.
you clearly have not visited a school lately… no indoctrination happening… and the union does not set curriculum… individual school districts do that…
Are you telling me they got rid of the Tolerance Days, Civil Rights Teams, and social studies classes where the social welfare nanny state is promoted? Or the ‘science’ classes where more time is spent preaching the global warming hoax and the left’s latest environmental agenda items than simple physics or chemistry? All are nothing but propaganda forums for the pinkos and perverts.
Back in the 1940-50 we had a man like you Gov. -Remember “Give them Hell Harry” and ended up as a Pres. of this great land of ours
Harry Truman (president 1945-53) was a great man.
Paul LePage is a little, mean-spirited, angry child.
IQ can vary by as much as 30 points in just a few years . Contrary to the myth taught in the educational system.
That must explain, then, the way Gov. LePew just keeps getting dumber and dumber.
Isn’t this whole idea of LePage’s about professional development funds from the State a “political game”? Why does the state even need to deal with the MEA on this issue at all? Why not just distribute the money for that purpose? Whether it is through the MEA or not, the teachers will pay for a portion of their development anyway. Clearly, LePage wants the MEA to spend less money on its activities.
The MEA does what they want with the money from their members, regardless of what their members want. I pay into the MEA (not very happy about it, but anyway).
In my opinion they should not come out on EITHER side.
completely a civil rights issue…
MEA represents its members in labor issues. The Equality question to be voted on this November is a labor issue. I’m glad they endorsed the issue.
Love LePage! Keep going!
keep going is right: south until he hits Florida or north until he hits Canada
And let’s hope he blows a gasket!
….
Maine teachers see first hand the incredibly bright future we can expect (not so much) from the sacred union of men with women. Kinda hard to argue with that perspective.
huh?
this post makes no sense… explain please
sacred union? you are referring to church-sanctioned marriage? WAY different from civil marriage.
I’m a retired Maine educator that how is a member of MEA solely to gain access to dental insurance. I was never a member during the 36 years of service in the state. Oh, and thanks LePage for screwing me over on my retirement….but, this is a different thing. At the present time I’m truly no sure how I would vote on this issue. However, I certainly don’t need the MEA to tell me how any more than anyone else! So I find myself for the first time this governor has been in office agreeing with him.
You may not need the MEA to tell you how to vote but it is still their right to have an opinion. The governor is a patronizing buffoon who doesn’t want the rest of us to have any opinion that differs from his. He has screwed all state workers but is busy advocating laws that will protect his pension (after only 4 years on the job) and, if he gets his way, he won’t have to pay taxes on the first $20K. Have a nice day.
You are indeed entitled to your option on the matter. But, you are presenting anyone other than yourself. MEA doesn’t speak for me and many others and shouldn’t be giving that impression. Oh, that’s my option btw. I still don’t have one on the subject of gay marriage but will before going into the voting booth. Now to the rest of your reply I agree totally.
I just can’t wait until this bully is up for renewal.
He is right of course, regardless of your view on same sex marriage. One has nothing to do with the other.
I agree that the Union’s focus should be on professional development, however, there will be children from families of same sex marriages (whether legally recognized or not) and educators who do not endorse already put of barriers for children to learn and continue to keep racism alive!
Unions are not in charge of teacher development or curriculum; they are concerned with labor issues like workplace conditions, salary, benefits, etc. Professional development is an issue locally with each school district board. Most boards are desperate to find funding for professional development. This costs money and the governor keeps cutting funding. It is a real problem. Union funds are not the property of school districts or of individual schools or teachers. It might be a great thing for you (and others) to go to board meetings when the next budget season arrives. It is eye-opening and I think you might see that school districts struggle every year to do more with less.
Quite honestly, I am not a fan of unions, it was part of the topic. Our educators need all the financial, professional, and community support they can get, as their job is not an easy one.
Well said and true. My question is how does this endorsement promote anything for their membership. Are there really that many gay teachers that want to get married? Is that why they are taking such a stand? Would it be a majority of their membership or even over 10 to 20%? We have been on the band wagon about the tax exempt status of churchs, do you know the tax status of the MEA? Might it also be tax exempt? Ok I digress (by the way, spelling was never my strong point). How about the MEA giving from its funds to assist those hardest hit school districts or school unions to help with professional development? Sounds like a good use of members dues. A far better use I think then that of pushing social agenda. I support teachers and our schools, but lets not kid ourselves, there is a reason that our schools (in Maine and Nation wide) are losing ground educationally to the rest of developed nations. I am not pointing a finger of blame. There is more then enough of that to go around. I am simple asking why, and saying how does the MEA supporting a social political agenda help Maine students or teachers improve?
LePage
Why dont you mine your own bussiness. Is there someone in your family need a job. I am sure you can fine them one. 2014 can nt get here soon enough.
Just another chance for Poor Paul to bite the ankle of a union and get a pat on the head from the Koch brothers.
What would he do without his “kochlear” implants?
OMG are you a good example of the radical right… you see demons under every rock; you want to blame someone, blame NCLB for mucking up the system and making it nearly impossible to do anything but pander to the “tests”
Why do people think it is helpful to their argument to just call names and put people down instead of having a concise counter argument. You really make your side look petty and childish. Personally I think that marriage has no place in government. Heterosexual, homosexual, or even polyamory. But to denegrate people does not put anyone in your corner.
Thank you, Mr. LePage. I quit the teachers’ union years ago because they couldn’t stay out of politics; and I didn’t want to be associated with a group endorsing things I didn’t approve of.
So you would like the union to stay out of politics and let the governor bully them into the dust?
So, you must turn down the salary and benefits your union bargains for, Mr. Spuddy Hypocrite.
What is WRONG with education is lack of funding, tying funds to property taxes when the non-property owners don’t have a share in the responsibility to fund their own kids’ educations. What is WRONG with education is people who do not KNOW what they’re talking about spouting off with authority on a system they don’t understand; what is WRONG with education is holding teachers responsible for outcome when PARENTS (many) could care less about being involved in the kids’ outcomes from home; I could go on and on but …
Thank you, Carol. You are right…Couldn’t have said it better.
Some of those “special Ed ” kids you teach will surprise you down the road. Lets not blame anyone and just do the best you can. I would be willing to bet if I took the ASVAB and you did too even though I had an IQ in the low 70s . I would score higher then you in some areas. You would score higher than me in others. Well I only have a HS. diploma . Playing the bad parents card is like saying my dad is a drunk and that why I drink. Different kids have different personalities . Different MBTI types if you buy into that stuff. My INTP is way different than your ES(T,F)J .
So is it a kids fault he comes from a poor dysfunctional home? It not the teachers problem right? I say it is the duty of the teachers to do the best they can to educate kids even if some need more help than others. By wrighting it off as bad parents is an excuse to not go the extra effort to educate kids to the best of thier ability. But what do i know my IQ in first grade was in the low 70s . Not every kid come from a Brady bunch home life deal with it. Who knows some or the “slow” ones might be smarter than some of the “smart” ones with the right help. The job is not as easy to educate kids with problems . But to just wright these kids off as kids that will never learn should be criminal.
Why are you assuming that teachers just write these poor kids off? I know a lot of teachers and they do the best they can to help these kids but they can’t go home with them and see that the parents do the right thing. To many times parents who are to lazy and incompetent to deal with their own children use the public school system to deal with problems they should have the backbone to deal with at home and when they fail they like to blame someone else.
Yes a lot of teachers are good some are not so good. Homework has little to do with learning. A lot of teachers place more weight on homework grade than test scores. Why do teacher blame parents? Yes they will have a more difficult time with kids from poor parenting but please do not use that as an excuse. Some teachers do not have much of a clue . Maybe do to the fact that the majority of teacher come from parents with at least a high school education. Do not get me wrong I do blame teachers I blame a system that seems to not let teachers have the freedom to give the extra help as much as it should.
If you blame a system that you think doesn’t work then you sure can’t be on board with the efforts of the Republican Party all across America that de-funds public schools and lays off thousands of good teachers which increases the size of every classroom so that a teacher who may have had 20 kids in a classroom may now have 40 or more. When a child may need a little more special attention by their teacher to bring out their full potential don’t you think increasing the amount of students per classroom would be extremely counter productive ? Presidential candidate Mitt Romney just stated that he didn’t see a problem with increasing class sizes because he believes this would not have a negative effect on the students ability to learn. The Republican agenda to privatize education and make it a profit driven institution is only going to result in hurting those most in need of help if they get in the way of someone making more profits, just as privatizing our prison systems has encouraged trafficking in human misery and a privatized health care system has denied effective health care to millions of our tax paying citizens.
I agree . I am no fan of Obama but what choice do we have? Government might not be the most efficient system from a dollar and cents perspective, But since when did big business care about the disadvantaged?
Agreed. If the teachers that i had in aroostook had not taken the time to help me with certain aspects of my education i probably would never have made it through . but that was in the sixtys when teachers from southern maine came to our one and two room schools for around nine hundred dollars plus room and board a year , never complaining about leaving thier own families , freezing thier butts off to get the place warm for us or staying after to help those of us that needed xtra help without xtra pay. but the differance between then and now is they were not there just for the paycheck. Thanks to the MTA if you ask most teachers to stay after to help the reply is” Thats not in the contract i’ll file a grievance” . The old ways look better all the time.
If you rent you are paying property taxes . By paying your landlord who pays the taxes . Lets all stop paying rent and see how long these people can keep thier apartment buildings.
Educational success is more closely tied to that of their parents and to family resources than it is to what teachers they have. That is why I think the idea of rewarding or punishing schools and teachers for academic attainment is a wrongheaded policy.
Allowing politicians to meddle in education has had horrible results. Each new “set” of politicians that comes along has to make his own mark, with some new set of “standards.”
Non property owners pay rent which covers the landlords property taxes. Get educated please before you comment ! I could go on and on but…
I hope you are not saying that renters who don’t pay taxes directly should not have any say in the educational system. Let me inform you it has long been established by the U.S. court system renters ARE indeed taxpayers even though they may not pay taxes directly. Furthermore, it has been established as well that being a taxpayer is not a criteria for the right to have a say in and the right to vote in public matters. I think Bob, the prior poster, is aptly educated to know better.
good points!
What is wrong with education is the lack of accountability and the method of funding, not the lack of funding. If parents paid for their OWN children’s education, they would be 1) much more involved and would take much more ownership in the quality of the product and 2) much more likely to hold the student accountable for his/her results and 3) much more likely to hold the school system/teacher to high standards.
It’s a basic principle of life that when people invest their own time/money into something, they will care about it at a much higher level.
I would want my kids and grandkids to learn about all different lifestyles,but then again I’m not homophobic! Like the man said, it’s O.K. to marry your cousin, but not your gay cousin, LOL Get a life and get out of everyone elses. Time to thump that Bible!
My belief is that marrage is a commitment between two people and God and that government and others have no buisness in imposing their personal moral beliefs on others when it is not of their concern. With that said the MEA has no buisness endorsning an issue that is none of their concern one way or another. It would be nice if people would mind their own buisness and let others live their lives without interference !!!!!
That is not his money! It is ours unless he’s going to dig into his own tight little pocket. He needs to not spend taxpayer money to combat something as political as gay marriage. He acts like he owns this State.
On this issue, I totally agree that an educational organization such as the MEA should never endorse any political topic without a consensus of the entire membership. Spending dollars to help improve the education of our children should be our mission. Marriage is way off topic.
Should we require 100 percent consenus to do everything in government and the workplace too? Can you spell GRIDLOCK?
True-and if you can spell “gridlock,” thank a teacher. If you can’t, thank Bubba Lepage.
It doesn’t sound like LePage is blasting them for endorsing gay marriage, but for expending their energy on political issues when they should be focused on education issues. Sort of a misleading headline.
It is none of LePage’s business what the union focuses on. They ought to focus on getting somebody else elected next time around.
Paul LePage is such a sad, angry little man.
The MEA is a union to protect teachers rights, jobs and working conditions. It is not there to provide professional development that the DOE and schools are supposed to provide, although it does provide some. The union is supposed to lobby for political issues and campaigns. More than likely the leaders of the union supported the bill to support students and teachers that are gay. In schools we are required to treat everyone as equally as possible including gay students (and teachers). How could we stand against bullying in the schools but allow it to occur at the state level.
My wife is a retired teacher, and we think the MEA should keep their nose out of the Gay marriage issuie
She should teach you how to spell.
Sorry to hear that. I’m not a teacher and I’m in favor of equal protection under the law. Marriage grants many, many rights. It is not equal protection if some Americans are not afforded the same rights as others. Seems like a teachable moment to me.
Why isn’t LePage getting his undies in a bunch over churches getting involved? The MEA is taking a position, but so are a multitude or religious organizations and churches…and they are actually raising money to fight civil rights. As to your point about presenting BOTH sides of an issue…perhaps you should start calling up religious leaders and complaining to them in the same fashion you complain here.
I noticed that you skipped over his point, didn’t want to touch the “both sides of the issue” thing, I guess.
As for what you did manage to say,”We” don’t ,as Taxpayers , pay the wages of religious leaders. “We” are not obligated to have religious leaders teach our children.Religious leaders are not charged Funny how the enlightened, free thinkers always have a problem with the “two sides of every argument” thing.
I don’t have a problem with discussing both sides of the issue. I also understand why some people don’t like the idea of SSM…it’s mostly fear. There are absolutely some people who are just bigots, but I don’t think everyone who opposes SSM are horrible people. I think mostly they are just afraid that legalizing it would be harmful to their children. I used to feel the same way until I lived in Vermont during the time Civil Unions passed. I saw with my own eyes that those fears, while understandable, are not going to happen if SSM is passed.
Are you another person ” from away ” trying to tell us what’s good for us ?
Nope…I was born and raised in Washington County. I have lived in other states from time to time, however, so I am quite familiar with what it’s like to live in other areas. The people in Maine are much like people anywhere else with the exception of much of the population being isolated and never having lived anywhere else. This leads to fear, often intense, of change. As a result, Maine ends up about ten years or so behind everywhere else. Maine is the only state I have ever lived in where the majority of jobs have no benefits at all. We just moved out of Maine again because of the economy. One of my family members graduated with honors from college and the only job they could find was for $8 an hour with NO benefits at all…none. Here, they had several companies competing for them…more pay and full benefits…including health insurance, 401k, paid vacation, paid holidays, education reimbursement, etc. What this family member is getting is the NORM everywhere else in the country. It’s not about the economy why people in Maine don’t get this, nor is it about political parties. It is because the people in Maine are scared and stubborn about any kind of change….so they vote against their own interests…including against things that would bring jobs and boost the economy.
People from Maine go to live in other states.
Good point. Why isn’t LePage telling the churches that they should be concentrating on making sure their followers are better Christians?
And why aren’t the courts telling us that nowhere in the constitution does it say that SSM is a civil right?
Read the preamble, sugarbritches…
I know it by heart, now tell me what you speak of.
”
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
It would fall under promoting the general welfare and securing the blessings of liberty. Without equality these things are being denied because the benefits and protections of marriage are only granted to SOME Americans and not ALL.
Yeah…I see it there! Right after the right to have health insurance and food!
Those silly Framers and their invisible ink…
I think you need to look up what “general welfare” means. It includes health, happiness and well-being. The constitution even clearly states that Congress is to collect taxes to provide for the general welfare of the people….
Article I, Section 8.
If the religious setting had been okay with homosexual marriage, such marriages would have happened a very long time ago. Now the Teacher’s Unions are usually on the liberal side and preaching change or revolution in some form or another. They really should concentrate on the field of education and socio-political agendas.
Education in the classroom should reflect society. In order to prepare students to embrace diversity and develop fairmindedness, teachers should be teaching these qualities in the classroom. Not bigotry or racism.
” Homosexuality is a fact of life and exist within society.”
So is pedophilia. and we don’t have to accept that either.
Homosexual relations between consenting adults – the kind of relations that occur in same-sex marriages – do not involve assault and rape. Try to at least sound intelligent.
This comment is disgusting. You do understand the difference between a loving relationship involving consenting adults and a forceful, criminal relationship involving an adult and a child, don’t you? If you don’t, then I’m kind of scared of you.
“consenting adults” do a lot of unaceptable behaviors.
Ask muslims around the world.
_____
More like ask the Christians around the world. They do more harm than any other religion.
You actually make even the worst radical muslim seem moderate.
Pedophilia is against the law, homosexuality is not. There is no reason to compare homosexuality to pedophilia. You do realize that a large majority of those who violate children live heterosexual lives?
Why on earth some boneheads like to associate homosexuality with pedophilia is really beyond me. The fact of the matter is that pedophiles are sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children. It makes no difference if that pedophile is attracted to same or opposite sex children. Since you went there, however, let me point out to you that the majority of pedophiles are actually sexually attracted to children of the opposite sex.
BDN, your link “Its endorsement of the referendum question was announced Thursday by Mainers United for Marriage,” is dead.
You reference the Governor’s press release, yet provide no link to it: “LePage said in a press release that the organization’s support for the referendum was an example of the “political game this union plays.”
Your link to the Governor’s letter is live. Are you suggesting that the press release to which you refer and the letter are one and the same?
If you claim that they are one and the same, I do not see the phrase “political game this union plays.” in the letter.
Could you clarify or provide a link to the Governor’s press release?
Knowing how much LeRage hates seeing people get benefits, I’m guessing the real reason he opposes same sex marriage for teachers is to prevent more people from getting health insurance through their married spouses. But I could be wrong.
—-
Those who yell bully every time something doesn’t go their way are weak in their own self absorption.
….
I really hate this paper for posting lies about are governor or any other republicans. Not once did you guys ever blast Baldie when was gov..
Hey Gov LePage. Go down to BIW and tell them that unions are bad. See how much support you will not get.
Fighting against gay marriage is abhorrent to the virtues of fairness, decency and equality. The future will look back on LePage as retrograde and morally primitive.
What he thinks about marriage does not really matter. Marriage shouldn’t be regulated by the government at all. You should argue your point, not attack people. Your opinion would be more highly regarded if you did that.
And while we’re at it why not create another national park for them to play in? Are you the chairperson of the Maine Democratic party or do you just vote straight party line ?
BDN, your link “Its endorsement of the referendum question was announced Thursday by Mainers United for Marriage” is live now, but sends you in a loop to your article posted above.
Lepage married a man, why is he against others doing the same thing?
If you were 1/15th the man you pretend to be, you might have some standing to discuss the issue.
It’s fine that a group takes a stand on an issue, but one must be careful about getting sucked into one side or the other through association in instances like these if the membership was never asked formally and voted on taking a stance.
According to the Lepew administration if you don’t agree with them you are Evil.
Union participation will continue to dwindle with acts like this… Teachers are divided on this issue just like everyone else in Maine (50/50)…. If you are a teacher and disagree with this endorsement, please vote with your pocket book and QUIT THE UNION this fall…
You can buy some liability insurance (the only real benefit) for $100 year, and pocket the other $600-$700 in annual dues.I wonder if they would endorse lowering the marriage age to 15 next. Used to be that way 150 years ago why not now! Once they are out of 8th grade, would solve all the issues of sexual misconduct. Our small school has weddings in the gym all the time, i can just see two 15 year old girls marching down the isle. Just give it a few years, its a slippery slope folks.Some school districts have union participation under 50% today.Most of the funding goes to the NEA to support Obama and does not benefit Maine teachers or students.Did the union ask its 24,000 members what they thought?Who are the few people at MEA that make decisions on endorsements?They don’t represent me….Regards,Teacher from “The County”
I did a quick google search. In Maine you can marry at less than 16 with parental consent and consent from a judge. Guess you can still marry at 15. 150 years goes by in the wink of an eye.
Ditto to mainemajority…Bravo Governor LePage!!!!
I noticed that you skipped over his point, didn’t want to touch the “both sides of the issue” thing, I guess.
As for what you did manage to say,”We” don’t ,as Taxpayers , pay the wages of religious leaders. “We” are not obligated to have religious leaders teach our children.Religious leaders are not charged Funny how the enlightened, free thinkers always have a problem with the “two sides of every argument” thing.
We subsidize churches since they don’t pay property taxes like the rest of us. Nonetheless, paying one’s salary to provide a service to us doesn’t give us the right to muzzle their free speech. I pay my plumber to fix the toilet but I don’t tell him what he can or can’t say.
Does a third party force you to pay your plumber or do you do it voluntarily for your own benefit?
Increasingly, people seem to think that because they pay taxes and taxes are used to pay teachers and government workers, that these workers no longer have the rights of other citizens. Fortunately that is untrue. I’ll repeat my point since it appears you missed it:
paying one’s salary to provide a service to us doesn’t give us the right
to muzzle their free speech.That applies whether it is a plumber, state house janitor or teacher.
The time to bust all Public sector Unions, so I encourage this type of behavior.
What do you do for work, Larry?
If LePage was not so insecure with his own sexuality he would not have t0 attack the MEA and the Teachers of Maine! Shame on you Lepage!
Oh My God, LePage is enough to turn the gayest man straight
…or the straightest man gay. Either way, he consistently removes the “kind” from “mankind.”
Maybe the MEA just wanted people to know that they support EVERY student and their parents, no matter what their sexual orientation may be.
Wrong. The union has disregarded the students and teachers who do NOT support gay marriage.
If the union had come out in opposition to the November ballot issue, I think you’d be writing a different tune.
Good for them. Let’s disregard everyone who wants to withhold rights from some Americans.
As much as it pains me to say this, I am with the Governor on this one.
Teachers (and so many others, like nurses, and other social servants) get it. Teachers understand that not all of us are born straight, and that gay or transsexual students suffer…harassment, discrimination and bullying. Their union’s stand on this is their right to free speech and opinion. Now our Governor is trying to dictate how teachers speak and think and opine? He must go away. Equal rights for all!
Now you had your soap box moment, how does this improve education?
part of education is how to get along with ALL people no matter who they are or were they come from
Attention: If you are not gay, gay marriage does not affect you. Move on.
Attention: if your dues payments are going to a union, you have the right to require they stay neutral on controversial political/social issues. Move on.
Their due paying members also had the right to require that they not stay neutral, and they voted to do exactly that. Move on.
Ahhh, so you DO care about people’s rights!
My first reaction to this article was that I wish that LePage hadn’t gotten involved in this. My feeling is SSM will pass in Maine and we will be the first state that voters actually pass it.
Then I had this thought. With this move the union made an error and LePage is taking advantage of it. Nationwide unions are being sucked dry and this is an issue they will likely commit money to. They will be financially weaker without gaining anything. A kind of mini- Wisconsin that is being repeated all over the country. The unions are committing suicide and I bet in 10 years they will be extinct.
For the sake of America, I hope you’re right.
Wow!! This guy just keeps going and going, doesn’t he? Where does all of this hate come from? By that I mean, his hatred and lack of compassion for the people of Maine.
LePage is just a gorilla in a cheap suit … he sows no evidence of evolving whatsoever. can’twe impeach this embarrassment?
LePage is just a gorilla in a cheap suit … he shows no evidence of evolving whatsoever. can’t we impeach this embarrassment?
I’m with the Governor on this one.
Same-sex marriage is very controversial, with many citizens on both sides of the issue. The teachers’ union ought to be sensitive to the fact that many in the public are not in favor of same-sex marriage.
There was a day when those who work in educational institutions kept political opinions to themselves. I know the political inclinations of very few of my teachers. There were a few who did not know enough to keep their opinions to themselves, but they were the exception, not the rule.
And the union doesn’t speak for all teachers, either. They should know enough to keep still.
Families with gay parents need the same rights as other families. It’s simple.
It is controversial, but is the union supposed to say that they’re unsure whether some families deserve equal rights or not?
Why not just keep still? The unions members are not unanimously for gay marriage, I am fairly sure.
I just hope you’re not one of those that says it is OK for the union to voice an opinion, but the churches need to be silent.
If individual teachers wish to campaign for gay marriage, that is their right, on their own time (not in school, though). Just the same as it is OK for individual Christians to campaign for/against the issue – but not OK for their tax-exempt church to actively campaign or tell its members how to vote.
You’re right – it is simple.
Unions have been expressing opinions for years as have churches. Now that the opinion is in favor of gay marriage conservatives (starting with the governor) want to muzzle the union.
Churches haven’t and won’t be silent on the matter, so what’s your point with bringing that up?
I think it’s perfectly fine for the union to do this. No one forces anyone else to have a gay marriage. It only impacts families with gay parents and gives them much needed rights and protections. I will never understand how someone could possibly say their religious beliefs ought to be good enough basis to discriminate against others and use the law to hinder them.
they represents more than 24,000 teachers? How many of them support ssm? Im sure not all of them do, and that is a reason i dont agree with unions or other groups comming out on either side of an issue. Just becuase i belong to a union or pay my fair share, in my case, dosent mean i agree with what they are comming out for or against and i think that that is wrong. They are there to help their members improve their jobs and that should be it. Help them with wages, benifits, or in this case help the teachers teach our kids not come out on one side or another of a very contraversial issue which is going to devide people as it has done.
as for ssm. Im not really for it or against it. It will not affect my life whatsoever. The divorce rate in America is around 50 percent. Yeah seems to me that we have lost our way when it comes to marraige as a country anyway, do you really think that gays will mess it up even more. Churches have the right to speak out, their members belong to them and give money to them cause that church stands for what they believe and by all means shout out what it is you stand for.
Its not black and white anymore. Its not conservative or liberal. Its not left and right. Everyone just needs to stand back and think about what they stand for and not take it out personally on the poeple saying what they think if it is diferent from their own point of view.
Represent both sides? Like “it is our opinion that some people may or may not deserve equal rights”? Come on, get real.
My wish is that people as individuals could stand up for themselves without a “boss” dictating what they should believe in.
The same could be said about the people that listen to the rush limbaugh show to they can’t think for them self he dose there thinking for them
Mommy, the Emperor has no clue !
Who cares if gays get married? Crazy religious people, and people who don’t know enough to mind their own business that’s who.
Well the CHURCHES are collecting money to fight equality by sending out the collection plates, using church signs to promote their political agenda, so what’s wrong with the MEA doing the same thing?
Please review the differences between a publicly-funded union and a non-profit church.
Why don’t you list them for us, Naran. How exactly is the union publicly funded? Are you claiming that the dues paid by union members out of their salaries are public funds because taxes pay their salaries? What about the fact that churches are subsidized by the public since they pay no taxes?
No reply by Naran, what a surprise. Lepage pays her to write on here so just ignore her.
The framers of the Constitution understood that the power to tax is also the power to destroy. For this reason, exempting religious organizations from taxation was essential to preserving their freedom to practice their faith free from political pressure. It was to prevent the government from taxing them out of existence.
Churches are supported by the voluntary donations of their members.
Public education is paid for by taxpayers, using the force of law to collect taxes.
You can choose to join or not join a church, but you cannot choose to pay or not pay taxes. There’s an element of coercion to the support of public education and for this reason it should remain apolitical. Members of the MEA are supported by tax money and so, by extension is the union itself.
Not a very fair comparison. That is like saying teachers don’t really earn their money, and that it still belongs to taxpayer’s after we have paid a teacher for their services. Members of the MEA pay their dues out of their own pockets, not ours. They have every right to take a stand on any political issue of their choosing. Their own members voted to take this position.
Churches actually are subsidized by all tax payers, whether the tax payers want to subsidize them or not. What’s more is that according to the Constitution, I am not supposed to suffer some nasty religious gay-bashing bigot’s hate being written into law against me.
after almost 2 years of hizzoners statements, getting blasted by him should be considered a badge of honor.
The MEA should stick to its core mission of supporting its members’ career interests and effective education. This incident is just one more thing that will add to parents’ frustration with today’s public school system. The leaders of the MEA are a very selfish group who chose to promote their own political agenda at the expense of our kids’ education and future. They should be ashamed of themselves for this selfish act!
Ok, it isn’t at all logical that they would also want to support “career interests and effective education” for all, including their gay faculty members and gay students? They should be ashamed for supporting equality? How could their stand possibly hurt their ability to educate?
Supporting the alternative lifestyle choice of a handful of their members is by no means a career interest worth supporting. Why don’t they come out in support of gun rights initiatives, to support their members who are in support of protecting gun rights? At least this “right” was one of the original ones deemed important enough by our forefathers to include in the original Bill of Rights?
I disagree. I don’t believe a person’s sexual orientation is a choice. I know it wasn’t for me, and something tells me that you didn’t ‘choose’ to be a heterosexual. It is a tired argument. No one would choose to endure hate and ridicule on a regular basis. Considering it is also a part of their job to care about the welfare of their colleagues and students, this issue is worth supporting. I don’t think any of us need to see more kids bringing guns to school, so it is pretty easy to understand why they wouldn’t jump to support gun rights. If anything, they would have a reason to be against gun rights. When it comes to marriage equality, they are personally affected through the children and parents with whom they interact.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on whether or not sexual orientation is a choice. A man’s sexual parts are designed for procreation with a female only, and visa versa. If you’re focus is solely on the pleasure part of sex, and the idea of sex with the opposite gender is not appealing to you, then that to me is more a result of some other event in your life that turned your interests away from what nature designed. You say it is a tired argument, because your side has managed to convince some people that homosexuality is natural, but many of us out here still believe that the only “natural” sex is that which leads to procreation. And even if you win your “right” to marry someone of the same sex in this state, your “marriage” will always be an unnatural one, according to God and to Nature. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but it will always be the heterosexual relationship which continues our species, according to both evolution and to God. I would think the MEA would want to support traditional marriage, because it is only the traditional marriage that can create children for their members to educate.
WELL PUT purelogic…An interesting quote I found..
“When school children start paying union dues,that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”
by:Albert Shanker(1928-1997) former president of the American Federation of Teachers
You are entitled to that opinion. As you said, we have to agree to disagree, and I appreciate your ability to hold a civil dialogue. However, I don’t believe that your opinion on marriage and procreation should decide whether I am allowed to legally marry my partner or not. I can’t believe anyone would ever want another person to be able to decide if they were worthy of marriage. Unfortunately, there are many unwanted and abused children in this world, and many gay people have stepped forward to be their parents, including my partner and I. Despite what you consider natural, our families deserve equal recognition. My children should never be made to feel like the love of their parents is worth any less than heterosexual parents. I believe the MEA recognizes that.
The MEA has already turned the classroom into a platform to advance the socialist agenda. Now it wishes to turn it into a recruiting station for perverts and pedophiles (to the extent there is a difference).
Another comment deleted by BDN awesome.
Homosexuality is here weather we like it or not.. I don’t personally approve of it but it is not up to me to dismiss it for millions of homosexuals.. I think if we embrace it and learn to live with it and maybe educate our children to be more open minded about it then there would be less violence against homosexuals.. I have a relative that was jailed for Gay Bashing and Attempted Rape as they termed it.. I wish he would of been a little more educated about it instead of beating that poor woman and almost raping her.. I’m sorry but most woman not all but most women that are gay choose to be because some boy or mans influence made them that way.. Raping a homosexual woman is not gonna turn her back to a non lesbian.. I am all for the Maine Education Association for endorsing this..
This is more of ALEC’s program to divide and damage America one state at a time. (ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council. It is not an organization from Maine nor of any other particular state for that matter. It is an organization of right-wingers trying to impose their beliefs on America.) The Maine Education Association has helped and continues to help in educating Maine’s young people. The MEA fights to maintain reasonable pay for teachers. Without the efforts of the MEA, teachers would be paid considerably less, and you know the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”
Hogwash. The Maine Education Association is the number one obstacle to giving Maine students a quality education. It is their protection of the incompetent and the indolent that have destroyed the quality of education in Maine.
I wonder if, during his years prior to his adoption, the Hon. Gov. LePage was sodomized by someone he somehow trusted, and this accounts for his hatred of people who love each other. He should be ashamed of himself for advocating hate, and disparaging an organization that strives to empower its members to create environments where all are welcome and educable.
You should be ashamed of yourself for writing such nasty and despicable comments, using an assumed name.
To the Hon. Governor LePage: my goodness, I sure thought this was your speech but the name seems different — plus, when do you have the time to travel down to NC to preach? Must be your ideological brother, Paula.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2839yEazcs
Educate childen; do not indoctrinate them…..either side of the spectrum
How did this Draft Dodger ever become Maine’s Governor ? Maine, shame on you !
And I wonder how many Memorial Day functions he’ll show his face at for photo ops this weekend?
Nice couple they make, him, the hypocrite-in-chief and his wife, a former union steward at a paper mill, now married to the biggest union hater in the state.
So to rephrase it… Equal rights is not something Teachers should endorse… got it.. .thanks.
More like special rights for perverts.
This was just an opportunity for LaPage to bash a Union, he hates Unions and everyone who is a member of a Union, whether it be the Maine State Employee Union or the Maine Education Association, he hates unions and any chance he gets to bash them he does. He dislikes employees who work for the State of Maine, including teachers who are part of a union and another state of maine employee who is part of the union. He just likes to bash and abuse the citizens of Maine who work for the state and/or are Union Members.
“In Maine, we are blessed with many great teachers. Too often, however, union bosses worry about a wide variety of efforts — political campaigns, lobbying, protecting bad teachers, insurances sales, and providing golf and skiing discounts — which are not related to furthering the education of our children,” LePage said in the letter. “I believe that by re-focusing your union’s energy on professional development, students will dramatically benefit.”
I assume our Governor has heard the expression that people in glass houses should not throw stones. When you consider that he has give positions to unqualified family members, hired people without the proper interview ethics, Vetoed bills that would help underprivileged Mainers, and consistently challenged the legislature on every aspect of the goverment when they do not agree with him, he should be the LAST person speaking of ethical behavior and fairness. He wouldnt know what it was if it bit him where the sun doesnt shine. Enjoy your finaly 2 years as Governor Mr. Lepage, they will be your last.
Some of the commentors here are under the impression that the MTA speaks for all the people in their union, I would say that is presumptive. I agree with Gov. LePage a teacher’s union should be about education and stay out of the special interest business!
Speaking hypothetically,
I wonder what Gov. LePage’s reaction would be if “Homeschoolers of Maine” came out publicly endorsing the defeat of legalizing gay marriage.
Would he praise them with courage for protecting tradional marriage……
or would he tell those homeschool teachers to stay out of politics and focus on teaching their children?
He promotes Catholic schools: http://www.pressherald.com/news/portland-sees-cost-in-school-proposal_2012-02-18.html
So hypothetically he could teleport through time and ask Pope Joan, who apparently studied at a monastary.
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1453197&page=1 – abcnews.com “Looking For Pope Joan”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=QCs4fK-Cb8o&feature=fvwp Aes Dana “Manifold”
I apologize for not being able to edit without Diqus messing with me.
What is the other side to this issue? Discrimination and treating minorities unfairly? Sorry, but there is no credible “other side” to the gay marriage issue.
It seems to me that Christians are a minority in this country so why not give them what they want ?
Mr. LePage, you are not the arbiter of opinions. You obviously aren’t even the arbiter of your own mouth. Please stop treating Mainers with disrespect.
Where are the jobs, where are the great changes in prosperity you said you would bring to the office? So far all we’ve heard about is your opinion and your denigration of the very people who work very hard to support you.
Please pipe down and do your JOB, the one YOU are PAID to do. You get free housing, food, transportation, police protection and escort service as a part of your compensation and the citizens of Maine are receiving poor performance and shoddy service from you. We want our money’s worth and we aren’t getting it. GET TO WORK!
He has been working. The States economic outlook is much better than it has been in years. Thank you Governor LePage for working FOR the citizens of the State, not the special interest.
LMAO!! LePage isn’t for special interests?!? Just keep telling yourself that.
Sorry r Farmer, these groups don’t represent the “labor community”, they represent themslves.
What a Bird Brain!
Like your opinion posted here today, those so called ” Union Bosses ” have a right to express “their” opinion!
Oh! By the way! Unions don’t have Bosses, they have Representatives, and or leaders.
Workers have Bosses!
They belong to the company!
I am in agreement with our Governor on this one. Mr Rusjan’s comment about prepairing our students for society. Teaching about a subject is a far cry from endorsing it. The MEA is saying we want same sex marriage or we agree with it. That is not teaching about it, it is a ringing promotion of it. No where does it say anything about this being an question of it being taught, trust me, it is being taught. Let the individual teachers vote on this, that is their right and a portion of their voice. How is it the job of this union or any union to come out on an issue that is social policy, and not directly related to the advancement, protection or vocational well being of their members. It is politics, plain and simple. An attempt to move a political agenda. An agenda that I might add that not all of the members that they claim to represent agree with. Educational standards in this state are hurting and instead of answering our Governors call for developmental improvements they work on pushing a social agenda that has, in the past, failed. The question MEA members and all of us need to be asking is why?
LGBT students historically have suffered in their educations because of the irrational and hateful bullying non-acceptance of gay people. The teachers are setting a fine example for their students, by rejecting the bigotry.
I am so embarrassed that he is governor (let alone resident, oh, he is isn’t a resident) of Maine.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/09/19/903227/-Is-this-a-trait-Mainers-want-in-their-next-governor- – He’s a resident, at least when it comes time for his wife to file for the Maine Homestead Exemption
http://www.ptla.org/maine-homestead-exemption-tax-relief-maine-homeowners – Pine Tree Legal Assistance Maine Homestead Exemption
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=295 – The much venerated Roman Catholic Saint, Joan of Arc, was burned to death for wearing men’s clothes, as she said God and angels had told her to.
Looks like her day has come.
Libby Mitchell should’ve fallen on her sword 1 month before the election. Hers was a lost case, and for good reason. That dailykos story just says all you need to know about this little man.
I remain embarrassed that he is governor, let alone resident.
Libby actually voted for SSM, unlike Eliot Cutlery.
http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/6680/elizabeth-mitchell (May 6, 2009)
Remember, when you make a deal to throw someone under the bus, you may wind up with treadmarks on yourselves.
The MTA Trokskyites — aided and abetted by legions of sluggish union lackeys — have been at the forefront of dumbing-down America’s next generation of fast-food vassals and disoriented effeminates for a number of years. All one has to do is look at America’s educational standing in the world today and compare it to former times when discipline and the core precepts of education reigned supreme in the corridors and classrooms of the public school system… and funding was a fraction of what it is now.
That was when teaching was an honorable profession. With the increasing involvement of big government it has become a repository for the lame and the lazy.
” Education involves life preparation skills” , perhaps educators should prepare our students to make life decisions for themselves instead of telling them what they think ! MEA is very wrong on this one .
How did this fool ever get elected?
With lies an they fell for it hook line an sinker
Just another effort to keep this issue going when, repeatedly, the voters of this state keep saying NO!…. Sad to think that there used to be a time when the majority ruled in this country.
How did once turn into repeatedly?
The United States is a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy. The Founding Fathers set it up that way, with the judiciary a co-equal branch of government, to help prevent “the tyranny of the majority.” Nothing about gay people marrying each other takes the least thing away from anti-gay bigots’ constitutional rights.
Get YOUR nose out of UNION business. Go Unions stay strong YOU are the only entity that believes in livable wages and safe work places. Yes, there is a cost associated with that. How else do you protect yourself from deceptful politics?
WoW so much hate….why is it so wrong to acknowledge that there are people that are different then ourselves and let them be who they are?? Religions call being gay an alternative life style, good cover for the truth that being gay is more…Religions make it sound like being gay is a choice, but how many studies have shown that it isn’t a choice or wish to be murdered, tortured and brutalized by those people who think it’s weird to be gay and is so afraid of the unknown??? Saw a program on History channel that found lost scriptures that didn’t make it to the Bible, one of them stated that a young man, not Lazurus, was brought back to life by Jesus and he asked Jesus if he could spend the night with him…..this scripture was left out by the mainstream religious zealots of the Christianity. Who are the hypocrites now? As for our children, well, I know that there are children being raised by gay couples and feel ashamed that society looks down on them….isn’t it wonderful that finally a bureaucratic entity finally recognizes the fact that parents come in all different shapes and walks of life??!!
The MEA has become a political machine. It is loaded with bureaucrats whose intent is to collect money from teachers in order to ensure the future of their OWN jobs. The MEA, like all bureaus, does very little for anyone but themselves. The MEA has no positive effect on education in Maine. If they disappeared tomorrow very few people would notice. The MEA has no business endorsing anyone or anything.
Five will get you ten that if the teachers demanded a thorough audit of how their dues money is spent, it would make Paul Violette’s Turnpike Authority look like a pillar of virtue.
I’ve read a number of comments about the reasons why students aren’t doing well in school. As a teacher and a parent of three, I know there are many reasons why some students don’t do well. Some of these reasons do involve poor teaching, but they also include lack of funding and poor home environment.
What some people are missing, is that the endorsement of a political issue has nothing to do with that. An organization can back an issue without it taking time away from the “job” of that organization, just as I can back an issue without it taking away the time and effort I put into my classroom and my students. Too many people are making his a classroom issue and it is not.
If they had endorsed a Conservative referendum, the Left would be up in arms! Since it’s a Left supported question, then everything is fine, as it should be. That is so two-faced it’s pathetic!
But that’s Unions for ya’, walking in lockstep with the Left!
LGBT equality is not a right/left thing. It is a matter of human rights. President Ford supported equality, as does former Vice-President Cheney.
Everything is a right/left thing! So is SSM. To call it otherwise is a farce.
Case in point; If all the same rights were granted under the title ‘Civil Union’, would they still be fighting for “Marriage” ? Yes!
Both career criminals.
First, your idea that this organizational decision has anything to do with a school district’s curriculum shows that you don’t have a clue about how a curriculum is established. The MEA has NOTHING to do with establishing school curricula. Next, once again LeBUFFOON is just pounding his goofy paunchy chest and shaking his flabby jowls. Come November, this goofy goofball is going to be turned into the lamest of lame ducks when we send the corrupt corporate TeaRadicals in the legislature back into private life where they belong. Then they can spend their days worshipping their corporate masters and kissing Rush Limbaugh’s big fat you know what while they continue to INDOCRINATE themselves with the corporate anti-Christian, anti-middle class, anti-worker lies and propaganda on FAKE-News and the OxyHeadRushLimpmind radio show they infect their minds with day in and day out.
Interesting Link, Maine MEA takes 7.8 million (2008) in teacher dues each year.
If you are a teacher you must read this.
http://teacherunionexposed.com/state.cfm?state=ME
Money is basically funneled to Obama and other liberal causes.
95,4% of contributions go to democratic party.
Supposedly the “Union” helps with pay and benefits… But in reality its pure supply and demand. Teaching is a great job, offers a great work schedule (180 days a year), and there are a ton of educated moms that find the schedule great for raising a family.
There is a reason why starting teachers with a 4 yr degree only make $30,000 a year.
Imagine paying $700 of that $30,000 to the union as a new teacher.
Their counterparts in private industry make 45,000-50000 out of school.
Keep on drinking the Kool-Aid.
What you aren’t mentioning is that without a union, the starting pay would be half.
I don’t get it? Isn’t LePage gay?
I, for one, am more than happy to have the teachers union on our side. With 150-200 local churches funding opponents of marriage equality, the teachers union certainly helps balance the scale. If opponents are going to rely on fear mongering and misinformation, it helps to have educators that can accurately dispel any of their falsehoods.
Why is LePage only singling out the teachers union and not the churches who are using their money for political gain or ‘social-engineering’? We don’t have ‘separation of union and state’ laws, but last I checked, we do have separation of church and state. So eye for an eye Guv.
The MEA also represents many educators in same-sex relationships. Their stand announces their support for the teachers that are currently ineligible to receive benefits that typically go to teachers in traditional marriages. They see firsthand how inequality affects the lives of their gay colleagues, gay students, and gay parents. This is very much a teachers issue. They understand that it should be their concern that all people be treated fairly with love, dignity, and respect, regardless of sexual orientation.
You don’t like unions ok get rid of all unions an at the same time get rid off all the benefity that the union has gotten for every one even those that are not in the union an see how you like it than. Plus there will be no agenceys in Maine an DC that will help you if you have a problem in the work place. They will be able to fire you because on age , color of your skin ect
LePage loves that kind of talk, he gets all excited when someone says “get rid of all the people that don’t do as he wants then to respond. Can’t you see his face now ? just does words “get rid of all” The people i knew at Mardens said that was his favorite style of management!
Point of fact: Teachers who pay union dues can choose not to contribute to the political activities of the union. The portion of dues that unions spend on political activities represents the interests only of those who approve of this activity.
LePage, if you want to tell a union how to conduct itself try joining one first.
As a state worker, you have that right.
Wow, I guess the BDN doesn’t want conservative opinions because both of my benign comments were flagged for review, one of which had over 175 likes. Welcome to the former Soviet Union and China. Pitiful!
You just figuring that out? BDN has been a Far-Left, bastion of the idiotic Progressive movement for years. It’s the home of all the Socialist and misfits. Just reading their posts illustrates that fact. But even they deserve a home, I guess.
Best use of the BDN is house-training the puppy!
Ahh, i see the paid lobbyists are out loose again making false counter comments which is their usual rants due to their Dendrites are not firing again.
You used to be able to roll up the BDN and use it to discipline your dog. Nowadays it’s so thin, all the dog does is snigger at you.
I don’t understand why LePage is acting so surprised. The teacher’s Union supports and promotes homosexuality by segregating boys only and girls only classrooms.
Your crazy it was the school board that came up with this not the the union
No that’s just the latest feeble attempt to avoid responsibility for their failure to do their job.
And again we see where Paulie stands on the position of letting the public decide. So much for his idea of democracy. And we all wonder Mainer’s are all scratching their head’s and keester’s in frustraton. Thank God November is comng …………
Anti-gay bigotry manifests in the schools and therefore, teachers have a duty to take stands against it. As several “Dear Colleague” letters from the U.S. Dept of Ed, Office of Civil Rights make clear, all students have a right to a fear-free, harassment free education, and also in many instances, LGBT students are protected under Title IX. Marriage equality is only one part of equality overall, but without all parts of equality in place, equality doesn’t exist. What marriage equality means, is that adults may marry individuals of their same sexual orientation. In a period when the theocRAT anti-gay bigots are poisoning minds against sexual minorities, it is fully appropriate for educators to take a stand against hate. The Catholic Church, to cite one example, actively demonized gay human beings during the WWII period — and gay people wound up being deported to concentration camps, tortured there and murdered. They were singled out for especially bad treatment, sometimes even from other prisoners. Sometimes, to escape the torture, they would fling themselves at the electrified perimeter fences of the concentration camps. Today, still, in far too many of the nation’s school districts, gay students are subjected to constant criminal harassment, with school administrations doing nothing to stop it, and sometimes participating in it. Some of those victims end their lives to escape the tortures. The Vatican had a power-sharing agreement with Mussolini. He gave them independent nation status and in exchange, they agreed not to criticize him. The public schools had mandatory daily lessons in Catholicism. Officially, Mussolini said there were no homosexuals in Italy, yet he and the Vatican worked hard to persecute gay people. Many were sent to concentration camps further north than Italy, but there was a concentration camp near Trieste, and today there is a memorial to the gay victims there. The main lesson of the Holocaust is “Never again!” The teachers union absolutely is right to take a stand against bigotry. www.homocaust.org
It’s a quandary. On the one hand, the governor is dead wrong to oppose this measure, indulging in the usual sort of petulant heel-dragging people of his kind always go for when society evolves in a direction that challenges their fragile confidence. On the other, the MEA pretty plainly is jumping on a bandwagon for PR purposes here as opposed to taking a considered and principled stand. This, too, is consistent with precedent.
But, hey, insincere help is better than no help at all.
The “Worst” Governor in the history of Maine is again dead wrong on this issue. If fact he is dead wrong on everything that comes out of his mouth even when he is on Vacation which is almost every time someone is looking for him. He does leave Addrienne some note on what to say while he is gone but she does not announce them as she cannot read his rampant style writing. What a Clown you green shirt people have for a Governor!
Well lah-dee-freakin’ dah. There are not many members who gives a rat’s patootie what this governor thinks.
Good call, MEA! You make me proud!
Shut up and teach
LePage will be enjoying a lucrative pension in 18 months…….it cannot come soon enough. He is an embarrassement to Mainers of all likes and dislikes.
You perverts are being played.
Galgay and his union thugs will TELL you that they support your cause, but let’s just see how quickly he grabs the union checkbook and writes you A BIG FAT CHECK to help you with your PR campaign.
He’ll hide in the weeds when you perverts pass the hat. He knows that if he spent hard-earned dues money to support special rights for perverts his membership would have his head on a pike.
Remember what Michael Myers (D-Pennsylvania) of ABSCAM fame said: Money talks and Bovine Excrement walks.
Are you sure the bigots aren’t being played? Get you all riled up and hate some minority group just so you’ll vote for them?
Governor LePage practices “brownshirt” politics, identify an unpopular group and then raise the roof against that group for the benefit of the true believers. It’s easy. Just make a speech about those damnable _______________ (fill in your favorite unpopular group here) making sure you point out how those damnable __________________ are destroying our beloved country, state, fatherland, motherland, whatever.
In this instance, Governor LePage gets a bonus. He can attack gays, unions, and teachers all at once.
Oh for crying out loud……it’s marriage people…. and no one is saying Homosexuality 101 is going to be taught in any schools (even though heterosexuality is automatically taught-love the double standard) and here’s a news flash……unless you plan to keep your children hidden under a rock and held captive in the wonder bread white bubble of Maine (god forbid) for the rest of their sheltered lives….your children will meet all kinds of people in their lives…..black, yellow, red, brown, gay, straight, religious, Atheists, vegetarians, short, tall, smart, dim, etc., and the list goes on……I think it safe to say that if people were actually and truly worried about ‘traditional marriage’ they would be legislating bills banning traditional divorce not gay marriage……there’s that double standard again……go figure.
what a teacher tells you about your kid has nothing to do with the fact the the teachers union can support or not not support an issue just like the gov and state reps, churches and private biz. wa wa wa peguins
Teacher’s Union blasts LePage for homophobic stance on marriage.
Lepage is into everything going from welfare to same-sex marriage’s. The only Govenor this state has ever seen thats in the paper 24/7 !!!! SO he must be doing something right. Maybe bring the price of fuel down somemore. Brewer, Me today I payed $3.51 per gallon. Augusta today it was $3.73 per gallon. WHY?????
Just look at how angry and hateful he look there spewing at his podium… Speaks volumes.
“When school children start paying union dues,that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”
by:Albert Shanker(1928-1997) former president of the American Federation of Teachers
The goals of the teachers union machine are not academic excellence, professional development and fairness. As former NEA official John Lloyd explained it: “You cannot possibly understand NEA without understanding Saul Alinsky. If you want to understand NEA, go to the library and get ‘Rules for Radicals.’” The goals are student indoctrination, social upheaval and perpetual agitation in pursuit of bigger government and spending without restraint.
http://sleepless.blogs.com/geo…
Where in the world did you come up with such ridiculous ideas? Have you been a member of the NEA? How about reading any of their publications? Any quotes? I doubt if you can come up with any.
Saul Alinsky wanted to see the most disadvantaged in America get a fair shake. What was or is wrong with that? I wonder if Jesus Christ would have preferred to break bread with Saul Alinsky or JP Morgan.
Lepage has diaper rash again.
If teachers spent their paid time, teaching reading, writing, arithmetic and if doctors and nurses spent their paid time making people well and not involved in politics maybe we’d have smarter, healthier people.
It is to bad they are not as concerned about the quality of teachers, and education, as they are about gay marriage.