Oklahoma state employees haven’t gotten a raise in a decade.
Oklahoma teachers now make less than they did ten years ago.
We are hemorrhaging our best trained, experienced, and gifted educators, not because they don’t want teach here, but because they CAN’T AFFORD to live here.
This doesn’t even touch other state employees, like social workers, who would also like to eat.
I’ve heard many of the lines of bullshit.
“Why should I pay more for schools if I don’t have kids?” Do you seriously want to live in a country surrounded by uneducated people? How do you think that will effect the economy? Do you think that will help us keep up with technology, medicine, or those other every day jobs that we desperately need? (I have a rant o’clock about why I love vo-techs, and why we need to encourage them more but not for now)
We can’t judge teacher pay by other states in the surrounding area, much less on the coasts, because Oklahoma is drastically different than Kansas. *Blink* *Blink* Yeah, Kansas cares enough about education pay teachers, provide for their kids, and isn’t forcing wonderful, dedicated teachers to migrate.
Well, in fourth grade I had a terrible teacher who didn’t care about me, so all teachers worthless. My fourth grade teach was a mean, mean woman. I had a teacher mock me for having a broken ankle and not being able to participate in gym. One of my high school math teachers told my class how stupid we were every class period. Yes, bad teachers SUCK. But, BUT, I remember having so many more teachers who wanted me to succeed, who tried to encourage my talents, and even some who saw the terrified, painfully awkward little girl and tried to help her.
We don’t have the money to pay them. My day-glow white ass the state of Oklahoma can’t find the revenue to pay the people it depends on every day to make stuff happen. (God knows they find a way to pay our Governor and legislators, and they are pretty fucking useless lately except for a few.) Tax the damn oil companies.
I don’t hate the oil and natural gas industries. Let’s get that out of the way. I hate how so many Oklahoman’s seem to worship energy companies like demigods, like Jesus’s second cousins or whatever. The industry does provide a lot of jobs in this state, and has shaped our history, much like the way we treated the indigenous people who lived here before white folks “settled” it. But, no, really, I don’t hate the industry. I hate how we don’t make them pay to be here.
But, Selina, you left-wing, pinko-commie, snowflake, libtard, oil and natural gas makes LOTS of jobs. We can’t risk them pulling up their drills and going home. Capitalism is a beautiful thing. The state has the oil, which they want. Oklahoma has already goatsyed ourselves ecologically for them. They aren’t going to find this much oil in a state this friendly to them. Asking them to pay their fair share is not unreasonable.
I know right now we are being told people on disability, food stamps, and welfare are taking all of the country’s money. I get how people are being told illegal immigrants are taking away jobs because everyone would be picking lettuce for 3 dollars a day or some shit if it weren’t for them damned illegals. Truth is, corporations pay less taxes then we do.
I know we are conditioned to stare doe-eyed at big companies and be thankful they let us touch the hem of their robes as they walk by. They are so kind to give us jobs and sometimes, if they are one of the good ones, even give us benefits out of the kindness of their heart. Bullshit. They exist to make money. Any job they open is because they need a worker to make them more money.
Oil is the same way. They NEED Oklahoma to make money. They have it real good here. Oklahoman’s are some of the toughest people in the country. (Except for me, I’m dandelion fluff.) We have a lot of oil. We decided to stop giving a shit if industries wreck our lands. Supply and demand means they need us, too. They aren’t here out of some kindness.
Except they don’t pay taxes. They skate by saying the people they employ pay enough taxes to cover them. How does this not piss off everyone in the industry? You are literally paying the taxes for your multi-billion dollar making company. How are you not ENRAGED?
Back to the point, if we taxed these companies they won’t leave. They need us. If we tax these companies, maybe our teachers and state employees won’t have to leave either.
Also, don’t look up goatsey in a public place.
Geeks a Geeking