NOT TOO LONG AGO IN WEST VIRGINIA THE TEACHERS DECIDED
THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE AND THEY STRUCK, AND
IT TOOK A WHILE BUT FINALLY THEY DID GET A PRETTY GOOD DEAL FOR
THEIR EFFORT IN TERMS OF PAY, BENEFITS, AND ONE OF THEIR
BIGGEST CONCERNS ACTUALLY WAS HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
NOW THE MEDIA I THINK THAT A POOR JOB AT
TALKING AND COVERING THAT TOPIC.
BUT DESPITE THAT, THANKFULLY
TEACHERS UNIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY PAID ATTENTION AND IN
THE WAKE OF THE WEST VIRGINIA STRIKES OTHER STATES HAVE
DECIDED TO TAKE SOME SORT OF COLLECTIVE ACTION WHEN IT COMES
TO THEIR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF THE LATEST,
AND IT WAS ANNOUNCED A DAY OR TWO AGO THAT THEY WERE GOING TO
DO A WALK OUT ON MONDAY.
THEY HADN'T AS FAR AS I KNOW
ANNOUNCED ANY SORT OF ONGOING STRIKE, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO
DO A DEMONSTRATION, AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS I BELIEVE THEY
WERE AT PRESENT THE 47TH LOWEST AVERAGE PAID TEACHERS IN THE
COUNTRY.
WHICH IS PRETTY INSANE.
AND THEY HADN'T GOTTEN A RAISE
IN SOME THING LIKE 10 YEARS.
SO THEY ANNOUNCED A WALKOUT.
OKLAHOMA LAWMAKERS DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING TO TRY TO WARD OFF
THAT WALKOUT --
THAT MIGHT NOT SOUND HUGE BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT OKLAHOMA
TEACHERS AREN'T MAKING $200,000 A YEAR, SO THAT'S SOMETHING
CERTAINLY, BUT IT WON'T BE ENOUGH TO STOP THE WALKOUT.
THE
PRESIDENT FOR THE OKLAHOMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION HAD THIS
TO SAY AFTER IT WAS ANNOUNCED
THAT THE RAISE WOULD BE FUNDED
--
I'M GLAD THAT THE UNION THERE ISN'T JUST FOCUSED ON THEIR OWN
WAGES OF TEACHERS, BUT ALSO OF SUPPORT STAFF IN THE SCHOOLS AND
FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL WHICH IS TRENDING DOWN NOT JUST IN
OKLAHOMA BUT IN A NUMBER OF STATES OVER THE LAST DECADE
PLUS.
THIS IS A STATE WHERE TEACHERS WOULD HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE
ONE DAY A WEEK WORKING AT WALMART TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND
ALSO JUST THE PAY, AND FILLING QUOTAS, THERE WERE SO MANY
TEACHER SPOTS LEFT EMPTY THAT THEY WERE FILLING QUOTAS WITH
SECRETARY SPOTS AND UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE TO BE TEACHING KIDS.
BUT
I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKE AWAY IS THE PREEMPTIVE MEASURES ON
BEHALF OF LEGISLATORS BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF STRIKING AND THE
FEAR OF UNIONS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A 100 YEAR WAR ON WORKERS
AND UNIONS WE HAVE SEEN TAKE PLACE WITH THE RICH AND POWERFUL
AND IT HAS WORKED, WE HAVE ERASED IT FROM OUR
CONSCIOUSNESS, WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ACTUAL MONUMENTAL
MOVEMENTS THAT UNIONS AND WORKERS HAVE HAD, THE EIGHT HOUR
WORKDAY, THE WEEKEND, ALL LABOR PROTECTIONS.
THIS IS A HUGE
MEASURE, IT'S ALSO JUST SHOWING HOW SCARED LEGISLATORS ARE
BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE POWER OF WORKERS AND THE POWER OF PEOPLE
WALKING OUT, BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHO REALLY PUTS THE WEALTH INTO
SOCIETY AND WHO MAKES SOCIETY FUNCTION, BECAUSE THE RICH AND
POWERFUL WILL CEASED TO BE ABLE TO WORK ANYTHING WITHOUT THE
WORKERS AT THEIR BEHEST.
THEY PUT THEM TO THE TEST IN WEST VIRGINIA, THERE WERE
LITERALLY NO SCHOOLS IN ANY COUNTY THAT WERE OPEN, SO
IMAGINE BEING A PARENT AND HAVING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE
YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS THAT DAY?
AND THEY KEPT THE
STRIKE GOING UNTIL THEY WON, SO TEACHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE
SAYING WE HAVE TO GO ON STRIKE TOO AND PUT THEM TO THE TEST.
AND IN OKLAHOMA THEY WILL GET TO THE WALKOUT, THEY HAVEN'T YET.
THEY JUST THREATENED, AND THEY GOT A GIANT INCREASE IN THEIR
PAY, AND THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED.
IS NOT A QUESTION OF
GETTING MORE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT MORE, IT'S LIKE PEOPLE NEED
TO GET PAID WHAT THEY ARE WORTH, AND RIGHT NOW TEACHERS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY IN MOST PLACES AREN'T GETTING PAID WHAT THEY
ARE WORTH BECAUSE WE HAD THIS RADICAL RIGHT WING SOCIAL
EXPERIMENT CALLED TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS WHERE WE GIVE ALL THE
MONEY TO THE RICH PEOPLE AND IT SOMEHOW SPREADS TO THE REST OF
US MAGICALLY WITH THE MAGICAL TRICKLE-DOWN FAIRY.
IT DOESN'T
WORK, AND WE ARE NOW REACHING THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF THAT
SOCIAL EXPERIMENT AND REALIZING IT'S COMPLETELY FALSE AND WE
HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO THINGS BECAUSE YOU
CAN'T CUT PUBLIC SERVICES DOWN TO THE BONE.
I DON'T THINK THE ANSWER IS CUTTING OR MAKING OTHER WORKERS
PAY FOR THE TEACHERS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
TAXING CIGARETTES,
OIL, THIS IS OTHER AVERAGE WORKERS WHO ARE PAYING MORE
FOR GAS, SECRETS, ALCOHOL, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE
ANSWER, I THINK THE ANSWER IS TAXING THE RICH.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
CAN WE PUT THIS IN CONTEXT?
THIS IS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST
STORIES I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME, ONE OF THE REDDEST STATES
IN THE COUNTRY, THE STATE THAT PRODUCED SCOTT PRUITT -- IS
EVERY STORY ABOUT OKLAHOMA HERE?
IN OKA HOME A SPECIAL AT TYT.
IT'S ALL ONE DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
OKLAHOMA.
HERE IS A RED, RED STATE THAT AGREED TO RAISE
TAXES.
NO MATTER WHERE THE TAXES ARE COMING FROM.
AND ON OIL AND
GAS.
THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY, AND A REALLY GREAT, HOPEFUL THING
FOR THE FUTURE.
AND IN THEIR CONSTITUTION YOU HAVE TO GET THREE FOURTHS OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO AGREE IN ORDER TO RAISE ANY TAX.
SO THEY HAD TO
GET THREE FOURTHS OF A REPUBLICAN DOMINATED LEGISLATURE
IN BOTH CHAMBERS TO AGREE TO THIS TAX, AND THAT TO ME IS ALSO
REALLY HOPEFUL BECAUSE YOU ARE STARTING TO SEE THIS POPULIST
BRUSHFIRE REVOLT NOT IN PLACES LIKE, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK AND
CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON AND VERMONT, IT'S, LIKE, HAPPENING
IN OKLAHOMA AND WEST VIRGINIA AND PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IT AND
THEY WON'T PUT UP WITH IT ANYMORE, AND THEY WILL FORCE
EVEN A DOMINATED REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE, I IMAGINE IT'S 75%
REPUBLICAN, VOTING TO THE TUNE OF 75% INCREASE TAXES BECAUSE
THEY REALIZE THIS SOCIAL EXPERIMENT OF TRICKLE-DOWN
ECONOMICS DOESN'T WORK, IT'S BROKEN.
AND IT DIDN'T EVEN REQUIRE A TWEET FROM DAVID HOGG.
I LOVE THAT 75% THRESHOLD, OKLAHOMA IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE
ONLY STATE THAT HAS THAT, AND THE STATES THAT HAVE AN EXTRA
THRESHOLD FOR CERTAIN LAWS, WHY IS IT ALWAYS FOR TAXES?
LIKE
WHAT STATE DO YOU NEED 80% OF THE VOTE TO TAKE AWAY ABORTION
RIGHTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
IT'S ONLY RAISING TAXES.
AND
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IF YOU GET ENOUGH OF A MAJORITY
YOU CRIPPLE SOCIAL AND LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS POSSIBLY
FOR DECADES ON ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES, IT'S ONE OF
THOSE TRICKLE-DOWN POLICIES.
BUT I FIND THIS TO BE POSITIVE TOO,
YOU MENTIONED DAVID HOGG, I LOVE THAT THE UNIONS ARE GETTING MORE
ACTIVE, I THINK THERE ARE FEW INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT COULD BE
BETTER FOR AMERICA RIGHT NOW THEN AN ENTIRELY INVIGORATED,
ACTIVE, PASSIONATE UNION PUSH ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACROSS ALL
INDUSTRIES.
BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF UNIONS IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO
WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF HUGE MARCHES, EVEN RECENTLY THE MARCH
FOR OUR LIVES, AND THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING OUT THERE, THEY ARE
GETTING OUT IN THE STREETS AND GETTING OUT TO RUN IN PRIMARIES,
AND I KNOW SOME INDIVIDUALS MIGHT LOOK AT A PARTICULAR MARCH
AND SAY THAT SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF TIME, I'M NOT OF THAT
OPINION, I THINK THAT AMERICANS HAVE BEEN POLITICALLY APATHETIC
FOR FAR TOO LONG, SO ALMOST ANYTHING THEY CAN GET MOTIVATED
FOR I'M A FAN OF.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE MARCHING FOR
LITERALLY THE CONCEPT OF SCIENCE, OR FOR THOSE SORTS
OF THINGS, THAT I THINK IS A VERY POSITIVE THING.
AND I'M ALL FOR UNIONS BEING AS BIG A PART OF THAT AS POSSIBLE.
AND THESE PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF THE CONTAGION OF STRIKE STOP AND
WE SAW THE WEST VIRGINIA TEACHERS STRIKE WORKED, THIS IS
GOING TO WORK, UNIONS AND STRIKES WORK AND THEY PUT THE
FEAR OF GOD INTO LEGISLATORS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND I HATE THAT
WORKERS ARE DEMONIZED, WORKERS WHO WALKOUT, THEY SAY THEY DON'T
CARE ABOUT THE KIDS -- THESE PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE
KIDS, OUR SCHOOLS ARE UNDERFUNDED, THERE IS NO
INCENTIVE FOR THE RICH AND POWERFUL TO PUT FUNDING IN THE
SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY DON'T NEED THE MASSES EDUCATED, IT'S MOSTLY
SERVICE SECTOR JOBS, THEY JUST WANT THE 1% THAT THEY CAN PUT IN
THEIR PRIVATE EDUCATION.
SO WE NEED TO EMBOLDEN WORKERS AND
SUPPORT THEM FOR WALKING OUT AND ENCOURAGE THAT THIS IS THE
ANSWER TO HOLD THE RICH AND POWERFUL ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT CONSERVATIVES ARE HAPPY TO GIVE THEM GUNS.
PENCILS, NO.
PENCILS, CROWNS, PAPER, I JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
BUT
IF YOU NEED GUNS WE'VE GOT THEM COVERED.
THAT'S THE CRAZY
TWILIGHT ZONE POLITICS WE ARE LIVING IN IN AMERICA TODAY.
I WAS IN DC FOR THE MARCH ON SATURDAY AND IT WAS
EXHILARATING, AND IT DON'T THINK THAT THE ENERGY THAT WAS CREATED
BY THOSE 800,000 IN DC AND THOSE MILLIONS ALL OVER THE
WORLD WAS LIMITED TO GUNS, I THINK IT WAS LIGHTING THE MATCH
THAT IS GOING TO SPREAD ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND I THINK WE ARE
MOVING INTO A POSITIVE TIME AS WE HEAD INTO THE MIDTERMS WHICH
IS WHERE THE REAL TSUNAMI CAN HAPPEN.