admin @ Fri, 2006-09-15 11:00
Teachers don’t get paid enough. Seven hours a day, five days a week, 36 weeks a year, they take in our children, and endeavor to teach them what they need to know. With a class size of 25, and a baby-sitting rate of $5 per hour, that would come to $157,500.
Starting teachers are making about 22 percent of that figure. The average teacher is making about 24 percent. Nebraska schools are consistently turning out students in the top 10 nationally, and teacher pay is about 42nd. We are getting a bargain, and small-minded people still complain about having to pay for it.
It is a shame that Lucille Mangum decided to voice an inaccurate and uninformed opinion of the Lincoln Post Office’s hiring practices in the Journal Star (letter, Sept. 6). Even more disappointing is that she attributed her failure to obtain a postal service position to racism. While her remarks made for great rhetoric, they simply are not true.
As an equal opportunity employer, hiring for the U.S. Postal Service is done exactly the same across the country. A test is given, a score is issued, points are added for being a veteran, disabled veteran or other categories as covered by law. A total score is obtained, and the score is put in rank order on the roster at the location of the applicant’s choice. When the applicant’s score is reached, they are contacted for interviews and potentially hired.
We have not hired off the roster on which Ms. Mangum asked to be placed, and thus we have not reached her score. It is as simple as that. Had she called the Postal Service, we would have been happy to explain that to her and assure her that we had received the information we requested about her veteran status.
Anti-war critics such as Nate Elmer (letter, Sept. 3) seem to forget the lengthy congressional discussions, United Nations resolutions and Saddam’s refusal for inspections prior to the invasion of Iraq.
As well, the same intelligence used by Bill Clinton in 1999 to proclaim Saddam as having weapons of mass destruction was worthy. But when Bush uses the same reasoning, just four years later, mind you, the unhinged Left considers that to be lying and impeachable. The 9/11 hearings showed that Clinton decimated the CIA in the ’90s. Acquiring intelligence would no longer be done via informants with dirty backgrounds, but instead our eyes hopefully would catch the unsophisticated terrorist planning in broad daylight while our satellites circled above.
As to the “intractable conflict” in Iraq, I would rather take comfort from a rather recent letter describing Iraq as heading to democracy, with the locals joining the police, providing tips, and not to mention voting in remarkable numbers. This was quite problematic to the writer, who viewed the future of Iraq’s democracy as a death knell for al-Qaida, for the writer was in fact al- Zarqawi, prior to his death.
Furthermore, the anti-war critics fail to realize that one man does not control the terrorist world. The removal of bin Laden will not halt the threat of future attacks, only the removal of the Islamic fascists and their indoctrinators of fear and death, hopefully prior to their acquiring the ability to unleash terror rather than waiting for UN resolution upon resolution allowing them time to proceed.
As a student, I find it troubling to read the negative views Susy McDermitt has on Planned Parenthood (letter, Sept. 7). Students do need freedom, but not in the twisted way McDermitt claims. Freedom is the right to enjoy all privileges that being a U.S. citizen grants.
Planned Parenthood provides services to college students who often do not have health insurance. Her call for abstinence is unreasonable and unrealistic. Planned Parenthood helps prevent pregnancy to begin with by offering different forms of birth control and the emergency contraception pill. Fewer college women are put into position to decide if they should get an abortion because they are on birth control.
My family and I go to the fair every year. It has been a tradition since I was younger. This tradition has been carried down to my daughters and granddaughters. Not only do we do activities as a family, but we also enjoy exhibiting items in photography, quilting, crocheting, food, etc. It’s a family activity that many enjoy preparing for throughout the year.
The kids had a great time on the midway rides plus watching the many “strolling” entertainers. There were a lot of exceptional concerts in the open air auditorium, in which a lot left standing room only.
When I was growing up, I remember that one Saturday was always set aside for veterans to get into the fair for free. This was a way for our veterans to be honored for their sacrifice and service to our country. Even though there is still a day set aside for veterans, it has been many years since they were allowed free entry. Now is it just a reduced gate fee.
The last Saturday of the fair was a football Saturday. It was advertised that anyone with a ticket stub from the Nebraska game would be allowed in free to the fair that day. I don’t understand why the fair values a football fan more highly than a man or woman who has fought for our freedom. Does anyone have an answer for this?
I must reply to Jessie Cobian (letter, Sept. 5) regarding her comments concerning illegal immigrants. She should not compare illegals who run across a border, change their name so as to not get caught, dodge taxes, decline to sign up for employer-provided health care (small fee versus free welfare), to immigrants from Europe who entered legally and were processed largely at Ellis Island and worked diligently toward becoming legal American citizens.
This is cache, read story here