Union Abuse in Peoria

One example of union abuse of power was detailed by the the editors of the opinion page (Our View) in the Journal Star (JS) on June 10, 2005 under the title of, "District 150 union leaders paid big bucks not to teach". The article reads, "With Peoria School District hemorrhaging red ink, six "teachers" in the union leadership have been paid nearly $1 million (not including benefits, my comment) over the past four years not to teach. Local taxpayers should be livid.

Together the six - Peoria Federation of Teachers President Terry Knapp, V-P Mary Connett, Treasurer James Lewis, Grievance Chairman Ken Meischner, (When he was 'teaching' I visited a PE class he was teaching and doing the entire session he never left his chair), Secretary Lillie Foreman and web coordinator Larry Burdette. All taught half-time or less, released from their classrooms to attend to their responsibilities as members of the district's two Local Professional Development Committees.

That means they were supposed to contact, counsel and handle the paperwork on recertification for some 1200 teachers. It also means that taxpayers coughed up nearly a quarter million dollars in fiscal year 2005 for efforts UNRELATED to to teaching children how to read, write and compute."

This is just part of the report of taxpayer abuse which doesn't even count the cost of substitute teachers. Knapp was making $106,314 including his union stipend of $19,771, which "is not paid by the district but funneled through the district so it can boost his pension." (one person estimated Knapp's pensions total more than $110,00) a year).

Just to remind you of the absurdities of pensions, teacher and administrator John Garrett retired at $158,901 a year, Ed Griffith at $152,227, Jeanne Williamson at $109,227, all young enough at retirement to take another position and collect one or more additional pensions.

It's hard to fault just them. It is what weak boards and "special interests" boards agreed to pay them.

So people are taking their kids out of #150. I guarantee you a lot more would move but they can't sell their homes in a depressed market brought on by a combination of special interest politicians, weak public boards and administrations, arrogant business people, power abusive unions, public apathy, greed on many levels, an "if I don't take it someone else will", etc.

No, folks, it not all the unions fault by a long shot. But the abuse by union bosses and the greed of a minority of their constituents are playing a major factor in the decline of this great nation. Think it's not in decline? Then you are watching too many sitcoms, watching overpaid athletes (next time they play the National Anthem see how many place their hands over their hearts) and spending too much time playing computer games or running up your credit card debt on things you or others don't really need.