I know a number of you have experienced this first hand, and I have second hand to date, having a few more clients go on the past due list than normal.

Well tonight, at our school board meeting I had to decide on one of three options, which would essentially put 1 or 2 teachers who I know, who have taught my kids, out of a job. Talk about gut wrenching.

We went with the lesser of all evils. Instead of taking a big bite of crap, we took a little one. The person I affected the most was in the room, and I feel so bad. She left before I had a chance to talk to her.

I really wish that the State would fund adequate education, as mandated by the State Constitution. While I realize that I am a politician (albeit I have done my best to be the most politcially incorrect one out there, as I doubt many others have essentially called someone a pussy and told them to man up and deal with life in an official meeting), I have a great amount of disdain for those at the upper levels in our government. I can have an effect on a small community, yet I have no control of those who make decisions in the food chain above me.

Worst night I've had in years. Sorry for getting sand in my mangina. Time for a beer.

man i know what you feel like we just sent out rif notices to 24 teachers. i hope we get to keep some of them. when you have to cut over a million from a 17million+ budget after cutting 800,000 last year. a lot of good friend gone.
we are now looking at other staff. it is the kids that end up on the short end.

Larry,

I know you know the feeling, and I'm sorry that you know what I mean. It sucks.

I had to lay off 6 guys(30%) back in October. Not an easy thing to do when you have worked with them for a long time. Sorry you had to do that Dogfish

In the Snoqualmie Valley School District they are going to lay off several teachers and also cut out middle school sports.............what's next, each child must bring a desk and chair from home to sit in?

Dogfish-

I had to do my lay-offs last spring - I really enjoy that "hinkey" feeling when I have to give "the speech". NOT! None of those people are currently working as far as I know.

My wife works in HR for our county and is responsible for benefits for lay-offs and retirement. Last month she had to process 100+ employees. Due to new legislation (federal), she also has to go back to 9/08 and rework COBRAs for all employees laid off or fired. Due to predicted budget shortfalls, the next round of lay-offs will "only" be about 60 people.

We should be lynching people on Wall street and raiding their bank accounts. We should hold their servants in government accountable too. "They say I'm a dreamer, well I'm not the only one." I don't think Lennon intended my sentiment though.

It's bad all over...just not AS bad here in Wa.

It does suck even more, by putting a face to a statistic....

Mf

im getting a raise, so i guess i have nothing to complain about.....i dont think the crappy economy has hit my area, not sure if it will.

Yeah, I've heard the price per pound goes up as summer approaches, just pray they never legalize it and ruin the profit margin.

In our district we had to cut almost 300K out of a 6 million budget. We managed to due it without RIFing anyone, primarily because our sup't. got the ball rolling by voluntarily giving up 6 days. The rest of the administrative staff followed, then the certified staff, the classified, the coaches, etc. So, everyone will get a little less next year, but no one will get the shaft. The biggest budget reduction we've had since I've been on the board, (we've had a chronic enrollment decline) but the least painful.

I know exactly how you feel Andy. Sorry for your rough night.

In January we had to lay off 4 people, out of 8 production hands. One had been at the company 4 years longer than me. I went to each of their offices, sat with them, and gave them their notices. I hated it, it still feels bad. These people were all supporting their families making 50-60K salaries, one was a single mother. I felt like puking for a week.

My wife is one of the 24 larryb talked about. The thing that pisses me off most about the state/school districts and their lay-offs, is the seniority system. It seems like in every district there are a lot of teachers, who are past retirement age, are practically phoning it in, and they are pulling the biggest salaries. Then you have your new hires, the teachers in their 20s and 30s who not only give a crap, they take part in all the extra-curricular stuff and make a bigger difference in more kids lives. Not only that, their salaries are smaller. I understand rewarding years of good service, but dammit, this is America, when you no longer produce you should be put out to pasture (IMO).

That is a reason I like small business way more than government or corporate work. Getting paid or keeping your job because you earned it makes so much more sense to me. When I did my lay offs, I kept two who had been with us less than 2 years, but their upside is better and they just got more done than our longest tenured employee.

I gave a long lecture to my interns a few weeks ago about how a government job is the least safe thing to have since you can get laid off no matter if you are the best at your job or the worst. The only safe job is one where your boss lays awake at night worrying about what life would be like without you, and can do what it takes to keep you.

Rant over.

today i'm going into work to sign my severance paperwork, then it's into the unemployment line for me.

it's bad enough with the economy right now, even worse to be in a dying industry.

When I took on my first manager's job at a company bleeding red, I had to lay off my nephew. His wife was 7 months pregnant with their first kid. It never gets easy, especially when the person is productive and you know when things pick up you won't be able to bring them back as they have another job or have moved.
It's a big part of the reason I turned down the manager's job where I am now. Too old and tired to look in the face of a valued, good, productive employee with kids that run to your desk to say 'hi' when they stop by the office and have to tell them to pack up their stuff.

We cut one office staff person through retirement, ended an Asst Principal position as our school remodel will be done next year, and our Sup/Principal gave up 10 days. Cuts were made from the top down.

Tough one.

We had some kids there who actually echoed what RR was saying. One young woman said that "there are a lot of the new teachers out there that teach with so much more enthusiasm, and you can see that they really care and it it difficult to see them possibly lose their job, while a few of the older teachers just show up and collect a check". This was from a 13 year old young lady, one of Hunter's good buds..

Poor teachers, It blows my mind that we can make cuts from what already is too little....
This economy sucks. I feel very fortunate in that my company appears to be bucking the tide. We are actually hiring Geologists and Engineers right now in our Seattle office.

The title and escrow busines is also picking up. It remains to be seen if it lasts but the new orders are both refis and sales. We've hired one new person and may hire a couple more.
I've been working 1/2 time since the first of the year (mutual decision) and have gone to full time (arrggh) a couple of days a week.

Definately noticed a positive trend in the real estate business the past month or two. Not slammed but busy for the first time in a year, think the worst is behind us but many people are hurting right now and I feel their pain...

this prob wont come out right how i write it but...

the High School i graduated from had a lot of money issues, rather than laying off teachers they opted to cut ALL of the after school sports...it may just be me, but i feel that is the best decision there is....i dont have kids, i dont mind paying for kids education thru taxes, as these kids will be running the world when we are older...but i do belive that the after school sports should be held up more with the Parents...there is no reason why some of the away games cant be carpooled more by parents instead of busses...and so on...after all kids go to school to learn...that is the most important thing...i did a lot of things to pay for me to swim when i was in High school...none of it was funded by the High School, i mowed lawns and raked leaves, washed cars and took up a night job at a pizza place, just to support my swimming habit...put some of these kids to work...i got weeds to pull in my backyard i would pay the neighbor kids to pull gladly..but these kids are lazy now a days....c

I don't think a very high percentage of the obese kids are volunteering to play sports.

I was waiting for the politician/union link to be made. Very well said. It's not just on the state level with the teachers union either.