Hi… I was wondering if you had time to talk about God.
But first, let’s talk about the economy.
Normally, as I sit down to write this blog, I try to pretend that “the economy isn’t happening”… although, ironically, even Johnny Truant has recently been seen making occasional posts about the economy.
Sometimes, though, I have to face the facts. Those facts are:
- Teachers in my system are being asked to “voluntarily donate” part of their salary to help offset our system’s budget shortfall.
- When teachers leave the system for any reason, their positions are not being filled with new hires (we can’t afford them, but that will increase class size).
- If I do have a job, the local school system may opt not to supplement the state’s salary I earn (resulting in thousands of dollars less for teaching more students… see above).
- There is no absolute guarantee that I or my wife will have a job next year anyway.
- Obama’s tax cut has added a tiny bit to my monthly paycheck, which may help offset a fraction of my lost income, but it has also significantly reduced the income of the government which helps pay me… probably resulting in a smaller education budget in years to come, which will (over the long term) most likely reduce my earnings by several times the tax decrease. Save $50 (approximation) per month now so that I can lose $5000 (pure speculation) per year later… that’s the spirit…
At times like this, there’s one thought that does offer a little comfort.
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
I’m toiling, and I’m spinning, and I’m doing the best I can for myself… but it’s nice to remember that God’s got my back.
I hope that this thought offers you some comfort as well in these rough times.
(Image credit and license)
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This blog started as an outlet for a nice bit of fiction every now and then, but more of my real life or real memories keep appearing. Take it all with a grain of salt, though.
I would love to know where you get your information… the new budget Obama is pushing has more money going towards education… so your last bullet point doesn’t really make much sense
I never said Obama was cutting education at the moment. I said he was reducing the government’s income from income taxes, and eventually that’s going to result in some politician cutting the education budget. Any time the government comes up short of money, someone with more power than sense (who probably had their kids privately schooled anyway) suggests that public schools could get by with a few billion dollars less. Find me one economic downturn where that wasn’t seriously considered by a large portion of Congress… regardless of which party was in charge?
Very true… education has the shortest of short straws when it comes to budgeting… Georgia being a prime example of that, in the hands of both parties. I think the motto of the governor’s office should go something like “If it’s not broke, we’re not doing our jobs.” Speaking of, the state is also the reason teachers aren’t being replaced and class sizes are growing.
You know, I almost couldn’t believe the part about “donating” salaries until Mom ranted about it last night, too.
Yeah… I shoulda had a bullet point about the state (considering mandatory furloughs for teachers, considering cutting school nurses, considering a number of other really stupid ideas).
For the record, and since I mentioned it… anyone who thinks a “school nurse” is an expense that can reasonably be eliminated is speaking from ignorance. Someone has to be able to provide medical assistance to students on short notice for a wide variety of problems, and having non-medical personnel (think secretaries, teachers, janitors) do things like administer medicine and give medical advice is begging for lawsuits and other, even more serious troubles. The fact that our state legislature was thinking about eliminating school nurses is proof of how out-of-touch lawmakers are with the jobs they’ve been given the power to regulate.
Speaking of the devil…
Front page of today’s AJC says the state’s budget is going to be even shorter on funds than expected. Class, does anyone have any guesses on who’s going to get screwed over from that shortage? Anyone?