Paying (again) For Idiots

While I doubt I could be accurately described as a socialist, I do believe that those downtrodden by life in general (not through their own stupidity or laziness) should get a hand up every now and then. I also think that industrious labor should be rewarded, and that when someone must bite the bullet or swallow a hard pill (I love cliches when I'm p'ed o)the distress should be equally distributed. When it is not, I tend to Vesuviate (I also like to make up expressive words)...like today.
The state of Wisconsin has done such an horrendous job of managing finances that it finds itself several billion dollars in arrears. Understand, I had NOTHING to do with this bungling: people supposedly a LOT smarter than I am couldn't even manage to balance the checkbook. Anyway, to correct this egregious error, the legislators decided that ALL state employees would be forced to take eight days off of work this year without pay...and do the same next year. The state employess who screwed this up will, supposedly, bear the burden along with those of us who were more responsible with money. In some small way, the powers-that-be-that-probably-shouldn't-be feel that they are spreading the pain; and they are, to a certain point. This is where I start to smolder.
The last 12 years of my teaching career, I was bound by the QEO, legislation which prohibited teachers from fairly negotiating any new contracts. Mind you, NO OTHER state employee was so burdened, just teachers. In the end, as long as districts picked up what amounted to the cost of insurance raises, that was about all we could get...and there was NO recourse to mediation or arbitration, and work stoppages had been rendered illegal after the Hortonville thing when med/arb was offered as a compromise. Where were the rest of the state employees then sharing the pain?
So today, I discussed the upcoming "furlough" year with my supervisor at school. He inidicated that 3.065% would be deducted from each check for this year, but that he expected me to come to work without taking any days off! In short, I could continue to work 35 hours a week (15 of which I'd "volunteered" the last two years)AND "share the pain" with all other state employees.
In a year when my retirement check has diminished and my health insurance premium has gone up again, this is unacceptable.
Oh yeah, did someone say we didn't need health care reform? I don't see the insurance companies and Mobil/Exxon "sharing the pain."
Rant over. I'm off to look for a job. I hear Wal-Mart is hiring.