Those in power at fault for mess

People, please stop blaming our governor and the public for the mess in our state government and put the blame where it belongs, which is on the union members and the Democrats who are in power.

How many Republicans are there? They are almost nonexistent. Union members voted their union representatives in office. They let the representatives make decisions for everyone. Now everyone is screaming. What are the Democrats doing? They are sitting on the fence waiting (braying like donkeys, which of course is what donkeys do) before they leap to the side that has more advantage for them.

People, you can only blame the ones in power now. This is what happens when one party rules. It is time to rethink past decisions.

Will we keep the Democrats in power or go with a more conservative group who believes and listens to our people?

Teachers getting unfairly blamed

Nancy Gordon reflects the sentiment of several recent nincompoops writing about the teachers taking furloughs to offset budget shortfalls (”;Teachers should do the right thing,”; Star-Bulletin, Letters, Oct. 22).

Apparently our teachers have been selfish, money-grubbing parasites gorging themselves at the public expense, and should now “;do the right thing”; and work without pay in “;service to the community.”; The last time I checked, “;the right thing”; is to pay a person who performs a dollar's worth of work the dollar that is due.

Of course, to those who think working in overcrowded classrooms (30-plus students while many privates cap student-teacher ratios at 20:1), without air-conditioning, with students of widely varying abilities and problems (something private schools deal with by admitting only the cream of the crop and excluding the learning-disabled), being forced to meet unfunded federal mandates of No Child Left Behind (also something the privates can ignore), paying for school supplies out of pocket, working long hours after the scheduled work day and on weekends, and being underpaid in the most expensive state to live in the nation — is not service enough.

Further, by taking furloughs, the teachers are sacrificing needed income and being forced to deal with the aftermath of long weekends that disrupt lesson plans and create conduct problems when the students return.

Those selfish teachers should be so ashamed.

Moving rail project shows leadership

Thank you for publishing the truth in your editorial, “;Keep moving on rail”; (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 26).

We should be applauding the mayor for his willingness to take the hits to move this project forward at a time when it is most needed. All of these people who are trying to make rail into a political issue don't get it. Ask yourself this: Wouldn't it be easier to run for a higher office by not taking on anything controversial? I'd rather have someone who is willing to stay the course on tough issues, even if it damages his political career. I am tired of do-nothing, say-no-to-everything leadership.

Keep the project moving forward!