Teachers

So here I sit, on a Friday. The teachers have decided to walk out of the classrooms because they have been working without a contract since sometime last year. Now, I'm all for action against the government when they're not listening, but this is just stupid. I'm one person, and I'm losing $150 dollars for every day that they decide they shouldn't work. If I decide to walk out of my job because my boss doesn't pay me enough (which he doesn't), I'd be fired. I get unions, I've been in them, but there has to be a different approach to job action that isn't such an inconvenience to the students and their parents. The government has tabled some legislation to force the teachers back to work, and that's fine, but maybe they should think about solving the problems instead of forcing the teachers to live with the contract they signed 3 or 4 years ago. I don't know exactly how much more money the teachers want (and it's ALWAYS about money), but the teachers expecting a raise every 4 years isn't an outrage. If I worked my butt off for a few years, with inflation being what it is, cost of living, etc... I'd expect a bit more money too. I can see how the Liberals view this situation. I guess if it were the NDP in power, being more left than the liberals, they'd just throw money at the situation and dig the province a little further into the debt hole we're now in. Absolutely stupid. We should take a better look at Alberta and we could learn a lot about fiscal responsibility. Pay off your debts, get rid of the interest on the billions you owe, and there will be a lot of money every year for things such as health care, education, and tax breaks. BC, Alberta, and Quebec (if I remember correctly from my Poli Sci courses, it could have been Ontario instead of Quebec, either way, it surprised me) are the only provinces in Canada to make money each year. That money is taken and split up between the provinces. Now, I'm all for equalization payments. I don't expect people in the Eastern provinces to live in poverty while we reap the rewards of having such great natural resources, but, like the paper I wrote a few years ago showed, if Western Canada separated and became it's own country we would have absolutely no debt and life without Ottawa would be a whole lot simpler.

Sorry, got all pissed about something that didn't really relate. I'm home, losing money, and so are countless other parents. Fix the problem, Gov't, or I won't be able to pay my bills this month.