When did the movement to attack teachers and firefighters begin?

[justiceischeap]

I know Repubs have long attacked police forces by cutting their funding, etc. but when did this concerted attack begin on teachers and firefighters? People complaining that teachers get paid too much because they have the summer's off or don't work long enough hours. Why the disdain for people that probably spend more time with your children than you do?

I don't get it. It just doesn't make any sense to me why Republicans think this is okay (and I'm not just referring to politicians but their followers as well).

[valerief]

1. When Fox told them to. nt

[justiceischeap]

2. Buy why?

What is the end game? Is it the union issue?

[liberal N proud]

5. Privatization

You will have to pay a corporation to send your child to school. The more you can afford, the better education your child will receive.



GREED!

[Drale]

6. Because without teachers

the entire population will be as stupid and ignorant as the tea baggers. In essence a stupid population is an easily controlled population.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. About the time Obama praised firing the teachers in RI

It's been a nonstop attack from both sides since then.

The right wing attack started under Reagan. The pukes were angry that Carter created the Fed Dept of Ed and they were also mad about desegregation.

[justiceischeap]

7. Thanks!

I think we can safely say, our national politics started falling apart under Reagan. I guess that's what happens when you elect a guy whose most famous for acting with a chimp.

[Jakes Progress]

11. Began with bennet under reagan. Continues with duncan under Obama.

It is a keystone of the neocon manifesto. Ending public education. Started with the lying "Nation At Risk". Continued with "Waiting for Superman".

I don't think Obama is a republican. He is a reagan democrat. The deification of reagan by all things media took footing in too many who came of political age during that time. Too many Democrats came to accept the propaganda written by the neocons. I still find people who call themselves conservative Democrats, people that don't like unions, people who think their taxes are too high, people who identify as a Democrat without knowing what that should mean.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. IMO, a big part of it is to disable public unions, the largest comprising

of public school teachers, police, fire fighters. To control how much money and compensation they're given for their services.

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop on federal civil workers like law clerks, bailiffs, secretaries, civil agencies' employees, etc.

[valerief]

14. That's it! TIAA! nt

[FSogol]

8. George HW Bush called teachers unions the greatest evil facing the US.

:shrug:

[HereSince1628]

9. It's a common American working class characteristic

to gripe about your job and to especially gripe about people who aren't working when you are. Doesn't matter that the unworking are working an alternate shift, or have put in 60 hour weeks for nine months, or are unemployed...that's all out of sight and out of mind.

The important thing is that the "WE" are working and since "THEY" aren't, "THEY" are not as good as "US". "WE" feel distinctly better when "WE" can carp about "THEM." Fair pay and working conditions are not nearly as important as being able to stand on a molehill and gripe.

[FarCenter]

10. Its usually Democratic mayors and politicians that threaten to fire teachers and firemen

It is a budget bargaining ploy.

They know that the public is most upset by layoffs of teachers and firemen (and police too), so they propose to fire them first, rather than all sorts of other types of public workers.

If they threatened to fire deputy assistant adminstrators, program coordinators, and other useless bureaucrats, the electorate would applaud.

[NNN0LHI]

12. It was soon after they finished attacking union auto workers for being overpaid

Lot of people seem to have forgot that already.

Don

[peacetalksforall]

13. I know that it started in the 70's. Someone close who shocked me who I thought

was quite rationale started ranting about the teachers. It made me tear up and does to this day.

I couldn't get a good enough reason out of this person, but I know this for certain - this formelry rationale person started watching the 700 Club and sent them money. In listening to the program to try to figure it out, I was convinced.

I believe that the Republicans brilliantly figured out that they had to conquer from every angle - school boards to Supreme Court and that has been proved. They have successfully done this starting forty years ago without revealing much. It's a 'piecing together' experience and Pat Robertson is still living and doing the same things. Except he added acquiring gold from his mines in Africa using donations to pay for his jets. Guess who else acquires gold (as from the recent haul in Libya). It appears the fight of the rebels to conquer libya was coordinated so that the NATO countries got all the gold first?