Bah-wa and Elmer Fudd's Opinion

Many people are expressing outrage over the Chicago public school teachers' strike.
Before I offer the names of self-proclaimed experts on the matter let me profile some income averages. American teacher's average salary (K-thru-12) is approximately $41,000.00 annually. Please note it is well-documented that many elementary teachers use personal monies to purchase supplies for their students. A minister's (pastor) entry-level salary is in the mid-thirty thousand dollars and the clergy average salary is about $55,000.00. I believe that the general societal perception of both preacher and teacher is that their respective work is a 'calling' from God and thus they should somehow expect and accept lower pay. Never mind that the preacher and teachers' kids must live on that 'less' income.

A physician's yearly income ranges from 120 thousand-to-160 thousand. If you sign a major league baseball contract the minimum salary is $400,000.00 and those who like to point out that teachers 'only' work nine-months a year, well the baseball player reports to work seven months a year! New York Yankees' third baseman, Alex Rodriguez earns 30 million dollars annually, which figures out to be approximately $40,000.00 per-at-bat! The street-corner prostitute makes about $49,000.00 per year but likely does not have good retirement benefits.

Okay, here are a couple of folks who have all the answers: Television personality, Babara Walters, who has an estimated net worth of 150 million dollars is adamantly opposed to any teachers' strike and stated those strong opinions. Republican Presidential candidate, Willard Romney said he thought the Chicago teachers were wrong to strike and added, of course, that President Obama supports those wrong-minded educators. Romney's most recently reported yearly-income was 21.6 million dollars. He does not like reporting his income because he gets all teary-eyed mentioning his 10% tithe to the Mormon Church. I was just wondering what is one's standing in the Mormon Church should it be discovered one 'does not' tithe the 10%; just wondering. Oh, Romney's estimated net worth is 264 million bucks.

The only common denominator between all income-earners is teachers. Those folks committed to the grandest enterprise...education of our youth. Certainly, man does not live by bread alone but man will surely die attempting to survive on lip-service hoorahs! I was that public school educators for 39-years. Today, at age 73, I cut my own grass, wash my own auto and coupon grocery shop.

I conclude that too many in this America are either self-centered, greedy or stupid. I am leaning towards 'stupid' considering that folks pay a hundred bucks for Yankees' baseball tickets to watch Rodriguez fail 67% of the time.