Want to know what getting sold out sounds like, Mississippi teachers?

Teachers of Mississippi, you've been told by every politician you meet how important education is to them, and how much they appreciate the work you do.

When given the opportunity to show their appreciation, however, some of them refuse to put our money where their mouth is.  Yesterday, a Democratic amendment to Speaker Philip Gunn's sham "teacher pay raise" bill that would have given teachers an across-the-board $5,000 pay raise was voted down.

And rather lustily, I might add.

Thanks to MPB, we have the actual audio of the vote on the $5,000 across-the-board pay raise.  I'll post it below, but before you click on it, know that the same folks proudly screaming "NO!" about your pay raise are the same ones bending over backwards to hand our tax dollars out to out-of-state corporations like party favors and using the public treasury to finance their friends' shopping malls.  So bear that in mind when you're in the voting booth next fall.

Without further ado, the audio.  Listen to how proud they are to vote down a meaningful pay raise:

Sneaky Republicans Hiding Their Tracks

During yesterday's debate over teacher pay raises, Rep. Linda Whittington (D-Schlater) introduced an amendment that would grant a clean pay raise to teachers. Whittington, it should be noted, once served on the House Education Committee but was removed when Speaker Gunn (R-Clinton) decided to remove her from the committee in order to pass charter school legislation last year.

Whittington's amendment was defeated during Wednesday's debate, but the trick the Republican leadership took to hide the vote record is particularly troubling.

The vote report for Amendment No. 1 (the Whittington clean pay raise amendment) says it was a voice vote when, in fact, it was not. The House had a recorded vote, which is located below.

Speaker Gunn clearly does not want to have the Republicans on record voting against a teacher pay raise. When backed into a corner on a hot-button issue, Gunn pulls an Orwellian trick like this to pretend like the vote simply never happened.

Sham "teacher pay raise" bill passes House committees

The Republican House bill regarding a teacher pay raise is a sham. Just like we thought, any Republican-backed pay raise would be peanuts. The press release below explains the bill, but as you think about the Republican teacher pay raise, remember this one fact: there is enough money sitting in the state's treasury RIGHT NOW to fund a year's worth of a $5,000/year across-the-board teacher pay raise. And revenue continues to exceed estimates. 

So, without further ado, the following is a press release from House Democratic Caucus Leader Rep. Bobby Moak (D - Bogue Chitto):

###

Today a teacher bill passed the Education and Appropriations Committee which would become effective January 2015.

 

A teacher must meet 3 of 22 benchmarks in order to qualify for a pay increase. The bill calls for teachers to be compensated under a benchmark program that calls for such things as the teacher gaining membership in the Rotary, Kiwanis or other club’s education committee.  Specifically excluded by language in the bill is the teacher having membership in a teacher organization as a benchmark.

 

The pay increase calls for general fund revenue estimates to reflect a growth of three percent or more in July 2016. Teachers with less than 5 years’ experience will be able to get automatic pay increases but eligible to lose them if they do not meet benchmarks in the sixth year. Teachers with more than 5 years’ experience will have to meet benchmarks in order to get the pay increase after an initial $1,500 increase over two years. The most pay raise any teacher could attain is $4,250.00 by 2018.

 

“The pay raise appears to be $500.00 beginning in January, 2015 with an additional $1,00.00 the next year. Thereafter, it seems the pay increases are tied to benchmarks, or merit pay, contingent upon completion of the benchmarks and growth in general fund revenues. The State Board of Education will establish a state standard rubric for compensating teachers.  I doubt this is what teachers have been working for during the last seven years since they have seen a raise. Finding more ways to play hide- and- seek with pay increases is the wrong way to treat teachers our children are entrusted to each school day.”

###

Bill Marcy: The Circus Continues

Senate candidate and notorious opportunist Bill Marcy is at it again. Last week, he was set up in front of a women's health clinic in Jackson having a mini rally with his five supporters. Standing with him is Tea Party leader Janis Lane who appears to be wearing what can be best described as a babushka. Is is puzzling that she is not leading the charge for Sen. Chris McDaniel. Then again, I stopped trying to figure out why the Tea Party does what it does a long time ago.

Remember her?

Source: Interview with the Jackson Free Press

Marcy then takes to Facebook to let us know he has been hearing voices tell him about an alleged challenge to his candidacy. First, Chris McDaniel does not have an "s" at the end of his family name. Second, his unnamed source has no idea what he or she is talking about. Third, the suggestion that Travis Childers (who has yet to announce his intentions for this race) is afraid of a self-promoting person like Bill Marcy is absurd. Fourth, speaking of oneself in the third person is a bit arrogant.

I could go on and on, but it is crystal clear that Bill Marcy is nuts. Marcy has not asked me for any tips or advice, but the one suggestion I do have is this: if this is how you ask for votes, you are doing it wrong.