Refusal of lawmakers to take furlough days insults state employees who had no choice
One of the arguments offered by lawmakers asking state employees — including teachers — to accept unpaid furlough days is that everyone is sharing the pain.
Well, that argument just went down in flames with the refusal of two House members to accept the pay cut on the “principle” that they signed on for a certain salary and they want their full pay
In an AJC exclusive, the paper reports that seven legislators did not the prescribed furlough days last year, most out of so-called “confusion,” but two others out of “principle.” (As to that confusion defense, more than 200 other lawmakers weren’t confused about the process. Why were these few so foggy on the details?)
Here is what the story says:
Four of the five senators who skipped the furloughs in 2009 said they were confused by the process governing the way lawmakers take such days, and the two House members said they had no intention of taking them. All seven are Democrats.
Rep. David Lucas of Macon and Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams of Avondale Estates said they oppose the furloughs on principle. Both said the leadership ordered the days without consulting members, who ran for the office with the expectation they would be paid a certain salary.
“If the general public wants to get rid of David Lucas for that, then fine,” said Lucas.
Somebody ought to take Lucas up on that offer. To refuse a pay cut that rank and file state workers had to take is not only arrogant, it is insulting. Teachers and other state workers signed up their jobs also expecting a certain salary. They are not getting it.
Because we’re in a dire recession if Lucas and Williams haven’t noticed.
The story also says:
Legislators are paid $17,342 a year; 11 unpaid days would cost the average rank-and-file member about $725 each.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston said in a joint statement that updated estimates that state revenues will be down $1.2 billion for the fiscal year ending June 30 led to their call Tuesday for more voluntary furlough days for lawmakers.
“As elected leaders, we must lead by example,” the joint statement said. “We are not immune to the revenue shortfalls that are affecting our state and our families.”
Robyn Underwood, legislative fiscal officer, said the 11 furlough days will save the state about $170,000.
Four of the senators — Valencia Seay of Riverdale, Minority Leader Robert Brown of Macon, Lester Jackson of Savannah and Gloria Butler of Stone Mountain —said they intended to take the furlough days.
They said that in an “oversight” they had not filed the proper paperwork to have the money deducted from their checks.
“Their perception was that it was automatic,” said Benjamin F. George, Brown’s chief of staff. “It was not that they objected to it. This is nothing that any of them would have wanted to happen.”
The fifth senator, Ed Harbison of Columbus, said he had asked to take the furlough days and didn’t know until Tuesday that it hadn’t happened. He said he has asked that money be taken from his paychecks two days a month until he’s caught up.
Underwood confirmed that Harbison made that request, and she said she plans to offer to do the same for other legislators who did not — but want to — take all 11 furlough days.
Senators had to sign a form to take part in the furlough, while House members had to submit a letter to opt out, Underwood said.
This is when I wonder why these folks run for office and they keep getting re-elected.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
75 comments Add your comment
irisheyes
January 27th, 2010
8:04 am
“Rep. David Lucas of Macon and Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams of Avondale Estates said they oppose the furloughs on principle. Both said the leadership ordered the days without consulting members, who ran for the office with the expectation they would be paid a certain salary.”
Perhaps someone needs to remind Rep. Lucas and Rep. Williams that every single teacher in the state of GA signed a contract with the expectation that they would be paid the amount in the contract, and that certainly hasn’t come true. Reading this article this morning quite literally made me sick to my stomach. After all of the bashing that Sonny has taken for his budget, it’s obvious that stupidity crosses party lines. I wish I lived in either of these reps districts, because I would immediately begin to seek the election of their opponents.
Write Your Board Members
January 27th, 2010
8:22 am
Of course, two of the 7 are part of the DeKalb delegation, including Rep Williams. Just another sign of the overall dysfunction of DeKalb.
teacher/parent
January 27th, 2010
8:45 am
The fact that the furlough days for the legislators are voluntary is laugable; the fact that two of them refused ‘on principal’ is disgusting. I hope all of the voters in those districts have ‘principles’ as well and vote these folks out. True that the 170k that will be saved is only a drop in the bucket, but at this point, every little bit helps, AND it’s ‘the principle’ of the thing-if everybody has to take one for the team, then that should mean EVERYBODY.
KP
January 27th, 2010
8:52 am
Rep. David Lucas of Macon and Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams of Avondale Estates are more Democrats that still don’t get IT!! Even Obama is compromising and we should all make sure the President of the United States’ office knows exactly what is going on with his state-level fellow Democrats. My daughter has been a dedicated high school teacher in this state for 7 years and absolutely was not given a choice on taking furlough days. I have no doubt that this will be Rep. Lucas and Rep. Williams last term.
clueless
January 27th, 2010
9:14 am
Are these representatives actively opposing furloughs for other state employees as a matter of principle, or only protecting their own pockets?
Wounded Warrior
January 27th, 2010
9:18 am
Those lawmakers that were confused as far as furlough days…they obviously don’t understand that they just work 40 days a year, and make more than alot of people full time. To the ones that won’t, how ’bout the boot!!! The straining 36 days to work this year is just to much on their wallets. THEY HAVE A JOB…I haven’t worked in over a year, and would love to work 40 days, and also to have a non taxable expense account that matches their salary. They keep the rest of the money from the expense account. THESE 7 PEOPLE ARE ALL DEMOCRATS. REMEMBER THEM WHEN VOTING COMES AROUND.
Wounded Warrior
January 27th, 2010
9:21 am
my comment got lost
Wounded Warrior
January 27th, 2010
9:23 am
all of these lawmakers are Democrats. The ones that don’t comprehend, well, the 40 days are just so many days to work. The ones that won’t, remember them come November.
Reality Check
January 27th, 2010
9:27 am
Excuse me if this sounds like a racist comment but……how many of these folks are black?
pay attention folks
January 27th, 2010
9:32 am
Why didn’t they just dock their pay? Duh!
Ernest
January 27th, 2010
9:34 am
I know Coach Williams and if this is true, I’m disappointed in his behavior and response with respect to the furlough days. He is a recently retired teacher and should have have done so to show solidarity with the other government employees that have made the same sacrifice. I’m not in his district but I will let him know my concern.
Vee
January 27th, 2010
9:49 am
It is very unfortunate that furloughs are required, but if it means they get to keep their jobs & benefits as opposed to the alternative, unemployment, then so be it. I applaud Casey Cagle for leading by example. This uncompromising attitude is precisely why the country can’t get the healthcare initiative approved; everyone has the solution but yet we are in dire straits. No one is immune any longer, welcome to the real world; it hurts no matter who you are.
state worker
January 27th, 2010
9:50 am
Coming for a state worker…the lawmakers should be the main ones furlough they make the most money if they cut there pay check it will help the debt that this state is in! I just don’t understand, its okay for Perdue to cut the state employers and teachers salary but when it comes to them getting there money cut its a problem “THIS IS THE BIG ISSUE”
seriously?
January 27th, 2010
9:53 am
Dear Reality Check: there is no excuse for your ignorance. What if they were purple? What then?
I cannot understand how furlough days can be optional for certain state employees. Dear Legislators: get with the program. I’ve been a teacher for 17 years, and I sign a contract every year too. This article made me furious. This educator will be one of the first to the polls.
whoreallycares?
January 27th, 2010
10:07 am
Hmmm,
I TOO signed a legally-binding contract..one, I guess that was only legally binding for ME….I signed a contract to work and get paid for 190 days. If I broke my contract, I’d be terminated. My county and state broke my contract-with no penalties…
They lost $725? I lost $900…and another three furlough days this spring? ANOTHER $900. What this has meant is that I didn’t spend the typical $600 in my classroom this year…I can’t afford it.
The losers? My students…because MY county did not adequately fund my program yet again…
To seriously?
January 27th, 2010
10:10 am
you must be purple.
Renee
January 27th, 2010
10:13 am
This is just another sign of the UTTER STUPIDITY of our elected officials. Having already taken 3/4 of my required furlough days–which I also did not “sign up for” when I accepted my job offer–I really resent the attitude of these law makers. Unlike this stellar group of 7, I am truly thankful to have my job and I am willing to make some sacrifices to keep it as long as possible. Apparently these elected officials feel differently about their jobs. It appears to me that they have no respect for the State of Georgia or their constituents! Remember these 7 names come election day.
Joy in Teaching
January 27th, 2010
10:31 am
I certainly hope that the voters in these people’s districts immediately begin petitioning for a recall of these “fine” politicians. They need to be given the boot.
General Sherman
January 27th, 2010
10:45 am
PRINCIPLES..When did politicians acquire this trait??
General Sherman
January 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Reality Check..They are all african american!
retired
January 27th, 2010
11:15 am
Well, I am sure there are at least two who will be unelected. I would bet the others just thought they woould get away with it, but, at least they did the right thing. The teachers contract was first broken in the 70’s when the state took away our pay raise a week before school started. The governor and assembly that did that was all democrat. This travesty to teachers is not just a republican thing.
Teacher
January 27th, 2010
11:16 am
Dear DOE,
As a teacher, I refuse to take a furlough day on a matter of principle. Please do not take any money out of my check.
Thank you,
Teacher
jboy
January 27th, 2010
11:26 am
Just another example why Our Legislative Perks need to be changed so that a Legislator has to depend on Social Security and medical coverage JUST LIKE every other American and not be treated as an ELITE. It’s total BS. It is repeated accross our Great Land in all the States. A person gets elected THEN he’s got it made the rest of his life, even if it’s only one term, he still gets the full benefits described above. IT AIN’ RIGHT! IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
Mike Hunt
January 27th, 2010
11:34 am
All Dem’s too…this is what happens when people don’t vote or when people (in these districts) who do vote are clueless about the politics/politicians…mainly lib-tards
john konop
January 27th, 2010
11:35 am
This issue is very troublesome to me. I have run businesses during some very tough times ie post 9/11 and now. And both times I required my executive staff as well as myself to take a 20% pay cut instead of laying off workers. Knock on wood I have been able to stir the ship in tough waters.
Leadership in tough times comes from the tone set at the top. If the leadership will not sacrifice first than you will see dysfunctional behavior in your company and or organization that will affect a positive cohesive work environment.
I think we could solve many problems with the budget if we asked the leadership to first sacrifice at the DOE, Education……
One example the DOE spends around 300k in overhead to spend about 50k a year after servicing debt.
In the tough times we must be realistic how and when we spend money. And I would hope executives in government making over 6 figures would take a 20% hit on pay before asking others to take a pay cut.
irisheyes
January 27th, 2010
11:55 am
I just hope their inbox exploded today with angry e-mails. I’m eating lunch right now, but you can bet that I’ll be sending one this afternoon once my students leave. I may not be a constituent of these particular representatives, but I’m a taxpayer and a teacher, and if they’re asking me to sacrifice, they better be d*** sure I’m expecting them to do the same.
General Sherman
January 27th, 2010
12:32 pm
Call me a racist if you like,but please answer one question honestly.Why does the City of Atlanta,Dekalb and Clayton counties have the most corrupt elected officials? That just happened to be majority african american.
Pen
January 27th, 2010
12:46 pm
And once again the race card is played. I don’t think race has anything to do with it Gen Sherman. They’re politicians. Name one politician-white, black, yellow, purple, striped-that at one point did not do something slightly corrupt. You probably can’t.
On another note, this is appaling. To be able to outright refuse to take the furlough days when so many teachers HAVE to take them is ridiculous. I hope the residents of these counties show how angry they are come election time.
Joy in Teaching
January 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
I’m now more furious than ever:
Ernest “Coach” Williams is a a retired teacher and member of THREE academic associations: Georgia Association of Educators,President; DeKalb Alumni Association, Albany State University, and Organization of DeKalb Educators, Executive Board.
How on earth can someone who has been in education ask that teachers, among others, take furloughs yet *refuse* to take one himself? OMG, but the exact nano second I leave campus today, I am going to call his office up and b***h like there is no tomorrow. I just programed his office number into my cell phone.
The other representative, David Lucas, has been in office since 1975. I hope the good people of Bibb county (teachers, state patrol, fire fighters, health department workers, etc) who were forced to take furloughs despite their contracts storm his offices with pitchforks in their hands. I’m thinking that their voting him out might be the least of his problems after his little speech at this point.
Those in the legislature with the mentality of these two fine gentlemen need to just get the h**l out of the way and allow those with actual leadership ability to take their place.
what's right for kids???
January 27th, 2010
1:15 pm
This article made me throw up in my mouth. HOW DARE THEY???????
what's right for kids???
January 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
Who wants to bet that these may be the same miscreants who have back taxes?
General Sherman
January 27th, 2010
1:41 pm
Pen..Touche on the crooked politicians,but you still did prove my theory wrong about the number of african american politicians in the city and counties.A very disturbing number,since all seven were a/m! This is not racial,just a fact.
General Sherman
January 27th, 2010
1:43 pm
PEN..SHOULD HAVE BEEN DID NOT PROVE MY THEORY WRONG.
Sophie's Choice
January 27th, 2010
1:47 pm
Reality Check– yes, your question is racist. The race of the legislators in question is irrelevant, and you & “General Sherman” know that. Was it relevant that Glenn Richardson is white, or should we assume that only middle-aged white Republican males are philandering liars?
Tom
January 27th, 2010
2:32 pm
Every time someone mentions white or black, there always seems to be someone who brings up the race card. I saw the pictures of the legislators on tv last nite, all seven were African-American, I think?? Why is this? Do they need the money more than the other legislators? I’m sure the African-American teachers, troopers and all other employees of the state are just as upset with these people as white citizens are. They all along with the tax cheats deserve to be kicked out of office. Anybody who would vote for these people must have their head in the sand and has no respect for their fellow Georgia citizen. Two of my children are public school teachers and they are dutifully doing their part with this sacrifice they must make. I really don’t know how they can sleep at nite when they refuse to make the same sacrifice that other Georgians are.
CONCERNED CITIZEN
January 27th, 2010
2:34 pm
I am not surprised by the action of “Coach”. I wonder why he thinks that he can refuse to join in the pain of his constituents all across of 89th who have taken furlough days and scrambling to find a way to make ends meet. . I am working to get newlyannounced candidate Kenneth Samuel elected to replace this heartless representative. The question is “Who does he represent besides himself.
Lets fight back!!
January 27th, 2010
2:36 pm
As a resident of Georgia, I am appalled and embarrassed by the actions of these legislators. Earnest (Coach) Williams represents house district 89 and is being challenged by Kenneth L. Samuel on July 20th. Go to kennethsamuel4ga.com to find out more information on his candidacy. Help elect him to office through your contributions if you are just as disgusted by Coach Williams behavior as I am! I will find out the information on Lucas and post it as well. I do not believe he is being opposed at this moment.
Jacky Jack
January 27th, 2010
2:48 pm
Help me with my math please. Legislators make $17,342 a year. Legislators work 40 days a year. $17,342 divided by 40 eqauls 433.55 per day worked. $433.55 x 11 furlough days equals $4,769.05. Where do you get the figure $725 as loss of pay for each legislator?
Jacky Jack
January 27th, 2010
3:00 pm
Is this how they figured the amount for each furlough day? 52 weeks in a year x 5 work days per week equals 260. $17,342 divided by 260 equals $66.70 per day. $66.70 times 11 furlough days equals $733.70. Is this how they figured it? Instead of dividing by actual days worked (40) they divided by actual “normal” working days in a year (260)? Did they divide teachers salary by 190 (actual days worked per year-contract). Or did they divide teacher salary by 260? As it appears? that is the way they figured the legistor loss of pay. If I’m a teacher, I would prefer the legislative format. I’m confused.
jj
January 27th, 2010
3:01 pm
Math
$725 / 11 = $65
17,342 / 65 = 266
52 weeks X 5 days = 260 days
My guess is they are saying they work all year even if they are in session only 40 days per year.
Simply Amazing
January 27th, 2010
3:05 pm
I live in the 89th district and I am extremely disturbed by Coach Williams actions. I’ve always thought that he was a nice guy, but his behavior is simply unacceptable. Although I don’t know much about Kenneth Samuel, I’m going to visit his website right now! Thanks “Lets fight back” for providing the information. I’m pretty sure he will have my vote!!
irisheyes
January 27th, 2010
3:24 pm
Wrote my e-mails. Let’s see if I get a real response back, or just platitudes about how they have always been on the teachers’ side, and they’re not taking the furloughs to show the governor that furloughs are bad.
Big t
January 27th, 2010
4:53 pm
TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS…
DIVADEWEE
January 27th, 2010
5:01 pm
First, I do not believe that the other legislators were “confused”. If they were, it is not too late to rectify that. As for the two who oppose because they were not consulted, who was consulted? Want to let them know how you feel? Email, contribute to the opponent’s campaign, volunteer to get the message out. These legislators count on voters to “forget” all about this at election time. I won’t forget and I don’t live in either area. I will be out there campaigning against them because they may not represent me now, but who knows where they will be in the future?
Donna
January 27th, 2010
5:32 pm
And people wonder why our government is such a mess! I hope all the police officers, firefighters and teachers remember these “elected” officials who are better than we are.
catlady
January 27th, 2010
5:56 pm
If they were “confused”, they are too stupid to be legislators. If they did it on purpose, they are too greedy and self-serving to be legislators. At any rate, give them the boot. And I want my pay reduction figured the way theirs appears to be!
Also, I want to work 40 days and get a year’s credit toward retirement. As it is now, if I work 260 days I still get only one year’s crdit toward retirement. Or next year give me my full salary for working only 8 weeks.
Maude
January 27th, 2010
6:09 pm
Please vote these people out of office!!
Ole Guy
January 27th, 2010
6:36 pm
Mr George, Chief of Staff to Minority Leader Brown, states that the perception was that the deductions were “automatic”…the inference being that, had it been known that an active, conscious effort, on the part of the individual legislator, was all that stood between good leadership and horrible leadership was a misunderstanding…oh, excuse moi, I believe the operative word is “confusion”. I think I can find it deep within my recesses to respect (with reservation) a leader who says, in effect, “hell yea, that’s the way it’s gonna be, because of principles”…as opposed to the pure 100% bs answer, “I thought it was automatic”. Being neither a teacher, nor a civil employee, I am not familiar with the processes with which they must contend, however, I am prone to believe that the deductions in their paychecks are, indeed, automatic…unless the process is different for lawmakers.
d
January 27th, 2010
7:21 pm
Big t….. TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS are getting us a fully funded fish pond and horse park in Houston County — right where Governor Perdue will be living once he leaves office in January while we have to deal with these furloughs…. no cuts there. I wonder why… oh yeah, who does he have to answer to? He can’t run for reelection this year.
ScienceTeacher671
January 27th, 2010
7:58 pm
I could believe that the two representatives were truly acting on principle if they’d expressed their principles way back last year when the governor started furloughing state employees, and if they’d argued against those furloughs FOR EVERYONE PAID BY THE STATE back then.
Really, the General Assembly’s main job is to create and pass a balanced budget. It was obvious 2 weeks into the fiscal year that they had royally failed in this process during the 2009 session. Did they go back and fix their mess? NO!
(I suggested to my legislators that they should do so, and they said it would cost too much for all of them to go back to Atlanta. My thoughts were that, since they had failed in their job and since they thought other state employees should work for nothing, they should do the job they should have done earlier without charging the taxpayers.)
To find out 6 months later that these “lawmakers” have principles only makes them appear self-serving. And the ones who were “confused” are apparently too stupid to make laws for the rest of us.
ScienceTeacher671
January 27th, 2010
8:00 pm
d, Sonny doesn’t care, but he can’t sign the budget until the General Assembly passes it…and if we’re stupid enough to let them get away with blaming Sonny for pork they could’ve removed, I guess we deserve what we get.
Macon Teacher
January 27th, 2010
8:00 pm
David Lucas is just an old politician who has forgotten what it is like to not be a state rep. He has been there forever and truly thinks he is special. His wife is on Macon City Council and has the same mentality. I wish I could say that Maconites would hold him to the fire for this, but the Lucases will continue to reign in the “almost” independent kingdom known as East Macon. The area is so poor and uneducated that the electorate just sees that Lucas gave them more money for some social program so they vote him another term. So sad, but a perfect case to prove the need for term limits. For the record, Robert Brown, another one of the seven, serves as state senotor for the same group of voters. This is so embarrassing.
Lovie Jones
January 27th, 2010
8:24 pm
I am not suprised that someone made those comments. It could work in our favor. One legislator stated on WSB TV that it was unconstitutional or not legal to furlough teachers and take our pay. Where in the heck were you guys when this was done to teachers? I am all for saving jobs for others. etc., my concern is this – let me know sooner than the day before the furlough takes place.
retired
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
All these legislaturs need to be gone ….confused or not!
Sp Ed Staff
January 27th, 2010
9:48 pm
Valencia–I can remember when you were on the BOE. You always said you were for teachers. I am disappointed in you. Whatever will teachers tell students when they ask about this?
Tweets that mention Refusal of lawmakers to take furlough days insults state employees who had no choice | Get Schooled -- Topsy.com
January 27th, 2010
10:05 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by nathan_mcgill, Maureen Downey. Maureen Downey said: Let them eat cake and take furlough days; lawmakers refuse furlough days that were forced on teachers. http://bit.ly/bl3kjv [...]
d
January 27th, 2010
10:59 pm
ScienceTeacher671 — I agree, but I think the governor has the legislators (at least the Republicans) wrapped around his little finger and what Sonny wants, Sonny gets. He’ll be fishing and riding while we’re using outdated resources in the classroom, and even worse for me being in Social Studies, no body cares about us, so at least you’ll have a bit of a better chance getting new microscopes or test tubes!
catlady
January 28th, 2010
7:48 am
How it works is this: the days you are absent are submitted to the school board office. If you are over your sick leave total, it is deducted from your pay. If you somehow don’t submit your days off, they don’t deduct your pay until someone finds out about it. Deduct these lawmakers’ furlough pay immediately, including any per diem they requested. (Do they get per diem on days the legislature is not in session?) I know it can really bump up their pay.
Furlough days should be automatic for anyone in state government. I sure didn’t have any choice of what days I would be off,
Also, since like the legislators I work year round preparing materials, etc, for my students, I want my furlough figured on the 260 rather than the 174 or however many we are now being paid for. That would mean another 1200$ in my pocket.
catlady
January 28th, 2010
7:51 am
And I want to be reimbursed for my travel expenses from my home to my work, like the legislators are. That would be $3000 more in my pocket. And I want to be reimbursed for expenses for my work–another 800$ or so.
I will pick up the additional $5000 (figuring it the way the legislators want to) on Monday.
Jacky Jack
January 28th, 2010
8:28 am
Can anyone explain to me why legislators are considered full time employees of the state when they actually only “work” 40 days a year? I asked Maureen and she said they had to attend town hall meetings, etc. Very similar to teachers attending PTO meetings, chaperoning school events, etc. Yet when furloughed days are computed teachers divide their salary by 190 (actual work days on contract) and legislators divide their salary by 260 (”normal” amount of work days in a calendar year). This seems totally unfair and appears to be another way the legislature is “sticking” it to us while they say publicly they suffer just like other state employees. I say BS.
Maureen Downey
January 28th, 2010
8:52 am
catalady, One of the biggest rackets – in my opinion – is that legislators have a per diem of more than $200 a day during the session, no matter if they live a block from the Gold Dome or 200 miles, (I am at home, and can’t access my story archives, but will get the exact reimbursement numbers later.)
Maureen
clueless
January 28th, 2010
10:09 am
Maybe the “per diem” should be addressed along with the ethics legislation.
retired
January 28th, 2010
10:51 am
Term limits……..
Samantha
January 28th, 2010
11:30 am
So….they had a CHOICE if they wanted to take furlough days? That’s a joke! Nobody else had that same option. They are supposed to lead by example..I think that they should be made to pay the taxpayers and State back for all of the days they didn’t take off! We are paying their salaries! Not the other way around. Not only should they be made to pay the taxpayers and State of Georgia back; but they should be made to pay it back with interest added to it.
For the rest of us; if we owe the state one red cent and we are late paying it back they add interest to it.
Last, but not least they should be fired! I as a tax payer want them to give up their seats! They are a poor example of leadership!
teacher/parent
January 28th, 2010
11:43 am
Someone check my math. A rough count (I’m in a hurry)-56 GA Senators and 179 Reps x $200 per diem x 40 day sessions. That comes to $47,000 per day and 1,880,000 per session.
what's right for kids???
January 28th, 2010
12:47 pm
Maybe instead of furloughing them, they should have their per diem cut by half.
Kira Willis for Governor!
Maureen Downey
January 28th, 2010
1:30 pm
teacher/parent, I have to correct my faulty memory. The per diem is $173 per day; Here is a piece I wrote when the Legislature raised the rate. Legislators get that during the session and any time they meet. (By the way, they can declare a meeting of one, as some have done and collect the per diem in the off-season.)
catlady
January 28th, 2010
4:15 pm
Like I say, I will be ready to pick up my $5000 for this year on Monday.
Also, Ms. Downey, I don’t think the rest of us get nearly that kind of per diem if we travel on state business.
I think we should open a bare-bones motel and mess hall (school type food, with the size portions we teachers get) for those who don’t live in Atlanta, so they don’t need to have the per diem. They can stay 2 to a room like we have to!
Reality Mom
January 28th, 2010
4:38 pm
We should be able to get a tax credit for all of the furlough days. We could get a form from our dept stating how much we lost per day and be able to take the full amount as a credit.
Y2Educate
January 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
So much for all the time that educators spend serving (without pay) as after school tutors, sponsors, their own administrative assistants, program directors, interior decorators (when was the last time you saw a school without any decorated bulletin boards, classrooms, and hallways), etc. On principle alone, in most other professions, we would be compensated for all the extra time and effort that we put forth. So how are we thanked in the state of GA? We are given even less days, with less pay, to accomplish the same goals.
Ole Guy
January 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
I realize that very few, if any, people wish to adopt any procedure which smacks of military. However, I feel that the voting public may find this proposal of interest:
During my early days in the military, the tactical officers (training officers) employed the concept of mass punishment. The idea was that if just one Candidate screwed up, the entire company would suffer the wrath of mass punishment, generally in the form of runs and low crawls, dragging gunny sacks full of rocks. This exercise was often held following the day’s final meal, which added the vomit factor through which all were compelled to share and endure.
The entire purpose of this arcane treatment was actually two-fold:
* As future leaders, we were expected to work together in achieving end goals. This working together was to be accomplished under any-and-all circumstances, no matter the degree of unpleasantness encountered.
* When one of the “links” in that chain of cooperative endeavor failed, the entire end objective was in dire jeapardy.
Now I know we can’t have our esteemed legislators behaving like 23 year old Officer Candidates, but we, as voting citizens of Georgia, can sure as hell send the message that when one of them “screws up”, by way of pleading confusion, the entire bunch of law makers have screwed up by not learning to work together…VOTE EVERY DAMN ONE OF EM OUT! I MEAN EVERYONE!
Kay Hosey
January 29th, 2010
9:41 am
As a teacher under contract, I can understand how Lucas feels. I guess we can count on Lucas to lead the fight for state employees and teachers on the furlough issue. Shouldn’t tax payers pay for services? Why do the state’s employees have to take on the unfair burden of the economy crunch. Should we have a temporary tax to cover the state’s expenses? Hey Lucas….give the govenor a call!
elementary teacher
January 29th, 2010
1:17 pm
Excuse me if this sounds like a racist comment but……how many of these folks are black?
In reference to the above comment by “reality check”…….ALL of them!
Report All the News
January 30th, 2010
8:20 am
When reporting on state lawmakers who refused to take furlough days, not a single local television station reported that they were ALL democrats. I just watched the Saturday morning recap and again that fact was omitted. Had they been republicans, that would have been the lead story. And numerous bloggers have mentioned that all the lawmakers were African American. How can those comments be considered racist when they are simply stating a fact? Using the racism charge to suppress the truth is an old and tired argument.
The continued liberal bias in the news sickens me. The ’silent majority’ of conservatives won’t be so silent come election time. As the independent voters from Massachusetts to Virginia have loudly proclaimed, the curtain has been pulled back to reveal the smoke and mirrors of this administration. A reckoning is coming.
Ole Guy
January 30th, 2010
4:49 pm
Look…I don’t give a damn about race, religion, party affiliation, or preference at the bar. Some of you folks are injecting a lot of superflous crap into the picture which, one way or the other, don’t mean a thing. Don’t take this personaly, but you’re having difficulty focusing on the issue, as though the race issue is, in itself, going to somehow make a difference. Can’t you people see…this is exactly what these damn politicos want…divide and conquer.
As I’ve indicated in previous comments…when one screws up, they all screw up. You people insist on re-electing the same boobs who insist on appointing the same morons, etc, etc. Come election time, they say the right things, smile the right smiles, and promise all sort of glittery trinkets…and like fools, rather than take the time to examine track records, you re-elect em. VOTE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF EM OUT…NO QUESTIONS, NO EXPLANATIONS.