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2008 Legislature: Session ends on quiet note

We have a major problem with Tyrant Judges in Box Elder County, The Legislature does not know or care about this
We have a major problem with a lack of Constitutional Lawyers watching the Chicken House.
Box Elder Court denies the Utah State Constitution
The Courts are operating Un Constitutionally
The Justice Courts are Courts of Prosecution and Collection
Forget the Justice part
This court is all about collecting money legal or not legal.
The Ordanances are violations of ones Civil Rights to live in their home un incumbered with Law Enforcement over stepping their bounds.
The cops are not your friends, Failed to learn the peoples rights

Great job of summarizing all the bills, changes and impacts. Though I would like to know more details about the special funding granted to Salt Lake City for TRAX.

It may not seem obvious to many, but the most important thing the legislature had to do this session was to deal with the decline in math education. We are simply not adequately preparing future scientists and engineers and others wanting and needing a first rate education. Future engineers will be able to adequately apply what they have learned, but when it comes to innovative problem solving they will have problems because the math taught them in junior high and high school doesn't challenge them enough to solve problems that are not of the canned variety.

Math education used to do this quite will but has been simplified and dumbed down. There will be a task force to deal with math education. I urge those about to serve on this committee to do your best, to be dilligent and to restore what has been lost.

Our future will depend on your efforts and your dilligence.

This was neither comedy nor "comity," Governor--this was tragedy. Buttars, Dayton, Peterson, Tilton, Valentine, Hughes--the whole know-nothing, corrupt bunch--need to be replaced.

Well I'm glad the legislators and governor are having fun patting each other on the back. They just forced me off my health insurance by raising PEHP's rates $298 a month.

Another session of broken promises for Utah teachers. That makes about twenty three in a row!!

How can you say there have been 23 straight years of broken promises for Utah teachers? Nearly every year that the legislature has had a surplus (and even when they don't), they have given a huge portion of it to school boards to lower class sizes, or build new schools, or increase teacher pay. How the school districts deal with that money is another issue. At a committee hearing a legislator asked a superintendent how much money it would take for educators to stop asking for more. The answer? "There is no amount, Senator." Both of my parents and my only sister are educators. I'm a high school athletics coach. I'm the first to say teachers should get paid more, but if the UEA wants to get anything, they need to stop their constant whining. Try some other tactics. I know there are leaders on the hill, such as Speaker Curtis, who fight for educators but get shot down because everyone is just so sick of the whining. Give it a rest.

A 19% increase in pay over three years is a broken promise? I WISH I had that. How much is enough? Really, how much is enough?

The public went in with EVERY reason to believe we were going to get a tax cut, but we were handed a dead fish and a tax hike!?
Every year it's the same story...Record surpluses reported up front, then less than expected tax revenues expected hence, no tax cuts. WE ARE OVER TAXED but the legislators just want to SPEND, SPEND, SPEND OUR MONEY.
I think we need to change some laws that say ANY tax hike, state or federal, needs to be approved by the people who are paying that tax. What ever happened to 'no taxation without representation?'
This is an election year and I suggest we do something about our elected officials NOT serving the people but funding their own self interests and little pet projects.

How is it that legislators think those who buy their own health insurance gets a tax break?

Whatever makes them happy doesn't make us happy. They are the winners and we are the losers.

See, here's the difference. When the average Joe works hard, he gets promotions, raises, congratulations.

Most teachers get nothing and have to beg for a legislative vote (on a yearly basis) for a raise.

Our raises (per pay schedule) are eaten up by increasing costs for medical insurance. I'm already having to cut off my own son for dental insurance. Just can't afford it!

All this, and we're about the lowest paid teachers in the country. Teachers are leaving the profession forever and many are going elsewhere.

The dept of education in universities are chock full of kids that will never see the inside of a Utah classroom. We subsidize their education through taxes and they go to another state!

If you want successful education, we need to keep people here.

Just the other day, our administrator announced that next year's schedules would be early this year because the district needs a few more months for hiring. They just have too many openings.

Less teachers=more kids per class=less education.

We're already WAY above the limit for kids/class. Don't believe the published numbers. They are averages and include small classes of resource and special ed worked in.

I'll tell you how much is enough . . . enough to attract the best and the brightest to the profession. Now THAT would be enough, and it's independent of you and me how much that is. I would love to see my daughter taught by a chemistry teacher who actually knows something about the subject. I complained to the principal, and he said, "If you can find me a chemist who would be willing to teach for what I can pay, I'd be the first to hire." I'm not a teacher, but even from a distance I can see that our anti-intellectual legislators insist year after year on keeping our teachers at starvation wages. The tiny increases they give barely keep up with inflation.

Don't you just love to hear the teachers whining? Like the previous post stated a 19% increase. That is not even on my wish list. Cry me a river.

I'm glad the governor and legislators are proud of themselves for the 19% teachers raises over the years- however, the facts are is that Utah educators are still one of the lower paid states. A starting teacher is barely above the poverty level.

As reported in the Deseret News-A person receiving a "Purple Heart" will receive free college payments up to $10,000. I am trying to figure this one out. A soldier can receive a Bronze Star for Heroism or a Silver Star and receive nothing. Like the lady who received a scratch on her hand during a bombing and received a Purple Heart. For all the COMBAT soldiers that have spent months in the field being shot at I feel this legislation is a little off. I guarantee even a recipient of a Purple Heart would want a person who was decorated for Heroism to receive the same benefits if not more! In Viet Nam the majority of the medals for heroism went to combat soldiers- the scratches were ignored and if you were not medivaced you were not serious enough to get a Purple Heart. I have great respect for the Purple Heart for a REAL wound- but my respect for my first sergeant with his 3 CIB's, 4 Silver Stars, and 4 Bronze Star's with a V is a little greater- He would not be eligible for a college credit because he did not have one Purple Heart.

The teachers get burned! We are dead last and hear the same thing , year after year time to head to a state that respects it's teachers so i can retire with some peace of mind!

Teachers do not make enough money, period. The increases are appreciated, but we are so far behind that it isn't enough to catch up.
The legislature gives more money, but the class sizes still increase every year with the influx of people in the state. When the rising price of insurance and rising inflation, it is difficult to make a living.
I have taught English for six years. I routinely work ten-hour days and the custodians in my building make more money annually than I do (and I think they deserve to be paid well). I love teaching, and I work hard, but I routinely question whether or not it is worth it when I could double my salary in the private sector.
Believe me, $30,000, and a lot of unpaid overtime, is not enough for a family of four.

I have a masters degree and have taught for 16 years. I made $54,000 last year. I'm o.k. with that. The starting salary needs to be increased to about $40,000 a year if we are going to attract quality, new teachers.

I hate the UEA and its whining every year. They fight against giving math and science teachers more money. Why? Because the UEA leaders usually don't teach and are looking to protect the old timers. They want the WPU money so they can negotiate it where they want.

I love that the legislature is giving money straight to the teachers again.

I disagree with paying me more than others. Favoring one over the other will only cause future shortages of band teachers...
or special ed...
or language...
or history...
or english...

Let's not try and solve one problem by causing another. Fix it by raising the wages to the national average and fixing it there permanently.