One of the great ironies of our time is that poorer red states like South Carolina, West Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana are "takers" who get much more back in Federal aid than they pay in income taxes while wealthier blue states like California, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are "givers" who get much less back than they pay. Yet their own senators and congressmen who are beholden to big business voted overwhelming for a tax plan that disproportionately punishes blue states by limiting the deductibility of our state taxes and mortgage interest and want to slash Social Security, Medicare and Food Stamps for their own constituencies who need it the most.
The role of government should be to help the neediest among us - but Democratic candidates have to explain to the red state voters who are takers that biting the hands of blue state givers is a bad strategic move. It is stoking a degree of anger, resentment and polarization I've never seen before in my lifetime. And there will be a backlash.
The Republican Party has morphed into a wolf in sheep's clothing pursuing its big business agenda under the guise of championing individual rights, gun ownership, the anti-abortion religious right and smaller government. Meanwhile West Virginia teachers make an average of $45,000 a year and schools have to provide breakfast and lunch for the kids because their parents can't afford it. Go figure....
21
In addition to her erudition, Susan Williams is also one of the nicest people in Southern West Virginia.
5
Let's get rid of Betsy DeVos and let the teachers run the Department of Education with Federal Funds, not property taxes, so all students have a fighting chance, not just the rich districts. Public Education is the foundation of Democracy and it deserves federal funds. And we must all call for the end of sheriffs clearing the room of dissenters when the People disagree with the incompetent GOP in charge. This continuing attack on our Freedom of Speech by sessions and dictator wannabe trump must end.
6
Hope this will be a wake-call for the people of red states, who continue to vote for Republicans against their own best interests. The Republicans do not value education, it's not in their best interests to have a well-educated populace. They'd rather keep people down. People who are educated, read, exercise critical thinking and question the status quo.
Please vote, everyone, let's fire the GOP!
20
I would much rather pay federal taxes to fee poor kids in West Virginia than paying for the obscene travel and vacation expenses for Trump and his family.
26
Not to mention the members of the cabinet who fly first class or take a military plane or who build $25,000 phone booths or $31,000 dining tables in their offices. There is plenty of money for me but none for thee.
11
Huh. I am bit more concerned with the question: "who is in charge of our nation?"
7
When ideology meets reality, which one wins? After decades of demonizing government and government employees; which strangely does seem to include GOP senators and congressmen, the GOP has painted itself into a corner.
The Greeks of Athens figured out in 300 BC that you need government for some things, many things. We, as a nation, need to educate our young, and you need to pay people a decent wage to do that.
18
It seems to me the central fact about Governor Justice is not that he is a Basketball coach, nor his wanderings from party to party, but that he is a billionaire scion who inherited his wealth. That is a more important fact than either of his hobbies.
(If I can be excused for telling a career journalist their job.)
29
Spot on! No doubt he is used to not being criticized for attending basketball games - or anything else, for that matter.
Another dilettante playing at politics like you-know-who. Its the latest in acquisitions.
10
Indifference to voters means one thing: the voters don’t call the shots. The GOP here, as in Washington, is bought and paid for.
21
I agree to a certain degree. IF people would vote we could change this! However, every time there is a low voter turn-out, like in 2016, the GOP wins! Please vote and get everyone you know who is eligible to vote!
5
Not all states have poor teachers... here in PA they make zillions.. average salary is $70,000 to $80,000... steps for getting courses in basket weaving.. almost fully paid medical care... and 30 and out pensions at almost your last year's salary.. and the school boards just pass it on to the homeowners in the form of property tax hikes!,,, enough is enough...
3
Zillions? $70K to 80K hardly seems like "zillions" given the education requirements and responsibilities teachers bear. And $47.8K to $63.1K which is what Reading PA actually pays as of 3/1/18 according to Salary.com certainly doesn't qualify as zillions. Where can a community make a more lasting and permanent investment that pays outstanding and continuing real-life dividends than in education?
12
Have your state's industries (such as they are) spent beaucoup bucks for lobbyists to get the PA state legislature to reduce THEIR property taxes? You might look a little more closely at how much corporations are allowed to skate by while you the taxpaying property owners bear the burden of providing future entrepreneurs/teachers/service workers/soldiers an adequate education. Stop attacking teachers for wanting a living wage and health care coverage.
15
You need a broader tax base to pay for decent education in your state. Good teachers are one of the best investments in the future of your children. From your own message, they don't make zillions. They make a basic middle-class income which is almost nothing for a profession with such great responsibilities.
4
The crisis in WV is a perfect example of why education funds need to be redistributed on a national level. WV was poor when Democrats were in charge (for 80 years) and now it's poor when Republicans are in charge. The economy has been based on extractive industries, with the profits going out of state (NY, PA, etc) and the environmental and human damage left behind. There is very little industry left to tax, and fewer and fewer rich people since their younger family members choose to leave, or perhaps only ever lived in the state during boarding school breaks. As it is, WV is in the middle of the pack in terms of tax rates, even though it is at the bottom in terms of per capita income. But New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA -- can't we find a way to move funds from those areas to the rural communities and poorer states that have difficulty funding an adequate education for their children? Can the teachers union in WV agree to allow fast track certification so that classrooms can be filled with teachers who actually know their subject (to fill math and science teaching slots, especially)? Would they agree, in return for a healthy raise, to allow evaluation and remediation of poor-performing teachers? WV spends more per pupil than Virginia and Oregon, and nearly the same as Wisconsin and Ohio.
6
As a former West Virginia resident who longs to return home, I am not surprised with what I see. West Virginia's citizens deserve better, but their legislature and leadership, whether democrat or republican, have always been apathetic to those needs. Why would I want to go back to the morass that is West Virginia when there is nothing substantial to return to? Well, for the simple fact that is is home and I love it there. I just wish that our leaders (I say that word loosely) showed the love for the State that its teachers are showing. An educated and trained populace is key to economic success, and those teachers know it.
16
West Virginians have ben poorly served by the state's political and business leaders for a very long time. Rather than help politicians have used lies and bogus economic theory to create a third world exploitative political and economic system. It will only end when voters fight back by electing people who represent their interest rather than the corporations that take the state's resources and give nothing back to the community. One can only hope that the teachers strike and brave people who are leading it will show the larger community what can be accomplished. West Virginians you have a rich strong history of fighting economic oppression. Like the words of the famous organizing song "which side are you on" are you going to take a stand or continue to be exploited by the economic powers that own your state government.
13
I thank the NYT for continuing coverage on the teachers strike in West Virginia and hope their example is used by others Union or non union.
Justice's net worth is 1.700,000,000 billion dollars made in the coal industry. He contributed to the income inequality in West Virginia as well as raping mountains and polluting the state. The disregard for the citizens of West Virginia by elected officials supported by lobbyists is a cycle that leaves people powerless. It is easy to criticize voters for electing Justice because people in general do not systematically lie in their personal lives. There are consequences you can be ostracized, reputations are ruined, it's a reflection on your upbringing, credibility of extended family members including your children who will bare your stain throughout their lives. Therefore people assume Justice or Trump would not risk lying to the public. There are no consequences for these characters who connive to fill State and Federal legislators with their wannabees. The voters are struggling to survive with stagnant wages and a rapidly riding cost of living. Progressives are addressing these issues. Democrats hand wring while Republicans pillage.
18
Republicans are in charge. Nothing more needs to be said.
27
Hang in there, teachers. You are right. The Republicans are wrong. You really need to prevail for the sake of us all in this country. Start a GoFundMe if you need to in order to make ends meet. You have a whole nation of women that want you to succeed.
13
They did (GoFundMe)! And millions of American donated. Oklahoma teachers are next! The question is: Will the hardware stores will run out of pitchforks before the GOP wakes up?
1
West Virginia's (so-called) government: Another fine example of WGIC - White Guys in Charge. Maybe the dinosaurs acted the same way before they became extinct.....
10
When I went to High School in WVa in the late 60's early 70's, the TEACHERS were better than any I ever saw in my life in Delaware, Mass, Mich. CA, and Arizona. They stayed late to lead the astronomy club, the science club, the full string orchestra - yes - one that played Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, and full pit-orchestra full-Broadway production of My Fair Lady.
High School gave me, an opportunity, to have a great life.
.
But the seeds of illness were becoming present back then. The local chemical companies started offering higher salaries to these dedicated teachers. And the decline began.
You get what you pay for. Public Education is 100 times more vital than Charter Schools and private schools. The well off will always have the opportunity to be well educated, if they choose.
A thriving, well funded public school is America's best hope to continue as the "Land of Opportunity"
64
"Who’s in Charge in West Virginia?" - Why that would be the donors of course. In W. Virginia, that includes coal mining, natural gas extraction, pharmaceuticals, etc. What do they want? Low taxes for businesses, low wages for workers, lax labor safety standards, environmental-, financial-, healthcare- deregulation, etc. Do they care about education? Not so much.
Real political leadership would be asking what would W. Virginia need to move beyond a coal and an extraction economy? A top-tier education system would be a pre-requisite, and much higher teacher salaries would be a good start towards that goal. But politicians of both parties are well aware that their donors put them office and can take them back out of office. They know that if they toe the line, they might be able to look forward to a board membership or some other perk once they leave office. There is no reward for leadership. Especially when that leadership vision will just get repealed after the next election.
When will we have an honest and rational national conversation on the role that money plays in our politics? This is a bipartisan issue and should concern both Republicans and Democrats equally. Why do most Americans and our media live in denial on the role money is playing?
30
Our media is in the game. They are owned by fellow plutocrats. Mustn't talk trash about the owner's golfing buddies.
5
It's encouraging to see teachers lead the charge in West Virginia. It's happening in Oklahoma and Kentucky.
One day, the people of the poorest states in the union will file a class action in federal court for denial of equal protection of the law. Why should the citizens of the poor South be denied the jobs and economy, the health care and welfare, or the education and standard of living of richer states? We're all Americans.
Go, Teachers. If they can't afford the pay raise, it's because they don't want to.
34
The Republican Party is rotting away at its core. Just reading the following makes me vow to never, ever vote for ANY republican politician again: "In this poor state, most students eat breakfast and lunch at school. Before the strike, every Friday, teachers and volunteers would fill backpacks for students who go home to scant cupboards."
Shameful! The states who vote republican are the poorest in the nation. Those who suffer most are children! Our children, our future. And they are being denied food just so the Republican Party and its shameless President can give tax cuts to billionaires! They have no shame, no conscience, no morals! And sadly, the poor don't vote or vote republican, turning this into a cycle of hell.
The Democratic Party needs to ditch its old guard that cannot change and start focusing on how to improve living conditions across the board. It is unacceptable that children are starving in OUR USA! You make America great again by taking care of her children, of her old, of those in need. Nobody wants to be poor, and many only need a chance to work themselves out of poverty. The Republican Party is denying them that chance. Democrats, step forward and start addressing the real issues. Poverty cuts across race, ethnic group, gender, gender orientation! Wake up and form a movement that addresses what we need to address.
53
There is a movement to address these issues: Our Revolution. They have backed and trained people all over the country to run as progressives. So far, they have been involved in over 120 winning races. We can't hear the bugles yet, but the cavalry is in motion.
2
As a teacher myself it is depressing to see how little regard legislators have for our services. Not even a living salary for the people who educate children. Where are the values in West Virginia? I hope those teachers have a voice in this years mid-term elections.
40
I hope the teachers get everything they are asking for. And then some.
The pendulum has swung much too far in the direction of plutocrats, including the ones who are in government positions. Those who aren't slumming oligarchs themselves are in the pockets of said oligarchs and are only looking to enhance their own bottom lines and could care less about the state and the people as a whole. Their protestations that giving teachers a raise would increase taxes of break the budget ring hollow when none of them feel like tightening their belts even a notch.
It's about time labor took back some power, whether it's labor "organized" through unionization or in some other manner. I hope teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky--and a lot of other overworked low-wage voters-- are watching and emulating.
33
Where is the money to come from for the teachers? No one in this Republican state wants to pay taxes, so where is it coming from? The air?? Space? Republcians want everything, but don't want to pay for it.
16
The governors salary should be linked to that of other public service employees.
9
Jim Justice is the largest landowner east of the Mississippi.
He is not depending on his governor's salary to pay his expenses.
He supports the 5% increase negotiated with the teachers. The WVA Senate is the one holding up the deal.
1
Who's in charge? You might as well asked, "who's on first?". The moronic confederacy of dunces which constitutes the alleged leadership of that state could give Moe, Larry and Curly a run for their money. How did this state lose its way so? When the largess Robert Byrd amassed for the state ended, along with the rapid obsolescence of coal, W. VA. has been left high and dry. Seeking refuge from their depression has led to the mass consumption of pain-killers which ease the pain only temporarily, leaving the consumer worse off than they were. Poring more salt into this gaping wound, poorly-paid teachers in one of the poorest states are on strike. All that's left are the locusts.
But according to the state's voters, Trump was the one, the only one he reminded them, who could save them from their plight, save "clean" coal, and make White America great again. So? How's he doing so far?
DD
Manhattan
25
Seems that, inevitably, transfer payments will have to be sent to West Virginia. I hear Oklahoma is next. Aren't these red states? Funny, no?
17
Where can we donate money to help support the striking teachers and help feed the children who depend on school meals?
11