Amusement is always the result when leftists rush headlong into an issue before thinking their comments through to the end. Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks is the latest, as he threw his support fully behind the teachers in the Los Angeles district poised to go on strike.
That a liberal pundit would back a union is not a surprise in any manner. But the critical barbs he was tossing in order to support them were not being flung towards an opposition but were tossed over his shoulder, hitting his own targets.
My kids go to a public school in LA. Their teachers are going on strike tomorrow. All the wealthy put their kids in private schools & then the government bled the public schools dry. 80% of kids in #LAUSD need lunch assistance. Fund the schools! I support the teachers! #Strike
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) January 14, 2019
My, sure sounds like Cenk is upset with those running the show in CA. Now, who would that be? Who has run and operated the California school system for generations?
Yeah, I agree! The left-run California gov’t is the worst…
— Aggressively Average (@WatermelonJim) January 14, 2019
Democratic mayor- check. Democratic Gov- check. Democratic super majority in Legislature- check. Most liberal court system in country-check. Prayers to you.
— Psoastic (@psoastic) January 14, 2019
Why don't you blame the GOP for this…
OH – because the @GOP is extinct in California, and you have 100% @CA_Dem representation!
Teachers are one of the the biggest funders of @CA_Dem, and they can't (or won't) find the $$$???— James Crum (@jrcrum) January 14, 2019
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Better tell those Democrat teachers to tell the Democrat School Board to tell the Democrat Assembly to tell the Democrat Senate to tell the Democrat Governor to do something!
— Beer N Ammo (@Beer_N_Ammo) January 14, 2019
Nope, that would require self-awareness. But looking over Cenk’s tweet there is so much to untruck here. Let’s start with the Democrat elites who place their children in private schools. They tout the public system which they then avoid for their own families. Plus —
the wealthy pay for said private school _on top of_ the massive amount of property taxes they pay, so thats a non-starter.
— Perennial Misfit (@audiokat) January 14, 2019
so school lunches are not the reason for their financial problems–that comprises a trivial fraction of their total budget. Besides, public schools are funded primarily through property taxes, which the wealthy pay regardless of where their child is enrolled.
— Taryn Bijan (@vox__humana) January 15, 2019
The wealthy putting their kids in private just means that there are less kids in public schools they still pay taxes (more than anyone else does for literally no benifit to themselves) so don’t try and raise their taxes for nothing
— Andrew Frumkin (@andrew_frumkin) January 15, 2019
Okay, that didn’t work.
Now on to the government.
From 2015 to 2016, school funding increased by 9.8 percent in California -the biggest jump of any state in the Union, and three times the national average. If we look at a five-year period, from 2011 to 2016, we find school funding up 26 percent in California.
— tzimm (@gotstagetpaid) January 15, 2019
This is accurate. School spending has increased, and yet they cannot get the money into the schools.
However rising expenses have also hit the schools, in the form of an influx of new students due to the sanctuary status granted to undocumented student-aged arrivals. This is coupled with rising pension obligations and rising cost of living expenses in the state (per the Public Policy Institute of CA), and before you know it the schools are actually bleeding money, despite the increases.
Here's yet another case of government causing a problem and then being beseeched to fix it.
— Gerald Fried (@TrueSutureSelf) January 14, 2019
The govt stole school money. Solution, give more money to the govt. for schools. Makes sense.
— Jamie Kidwell (@jamie_kidwell) January 14, 2019
Now there you go, using pragmatism and common sense. Where do you get off?! They would not be liberals if they did not criticise political figures before declaring the need for MORE government.
Then there is the “lunch assistance” portion. Does Cenk truly believe 8/10 students are going hungry, in L.A.?
No, 80% of kids don't need lunch assistance… 80% of parents realize that they can apply for it and lie about income on the application because there are no verifications conducted.
— Osprey Tweek (@DevilDog6326) January 14, 2019
This is a long established fact. Schools offer free lunches, then studies count how many students exploit this offer, then they count those as “underfed students”. To say 80% “need” assistance is way off the mark.
Right? Homeowners pay the property taxes for schools & landlords pass it on to renters–unless you live in subsidized housing. School lunch is a fed program. & CA schools get more $$ for disadvantaged & spec needs kids–but their admins, principals & school district ppl make $$$
— DARmama (@Phullfos1) January 15, 2019
"California liberals like me created the crisis, and I'm offering a solution to the crisis I helped create."
— Tom (@TexCatholic) January 14, 2019
Ever shall it be the case.
When the music stops, and you're the only one still standing.
— John Chatterton (@shadowdiverjc) January 15, 2019
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