Exploitation and Extortion… NTU’s Favorite Tools

I have been quiet as of late, due to the collapsed lung and other issues, but I think I can make up for my absence. I think I want to open up my favorite can of worms, the Nashua Teachers Union contract negotiations. We are called cruel, heartless, and frequently have our intelligence questioned if we disagree with the teachers union here in Nashua. So let me once again put my neck on the line, and call it like I see it: The Extortion artist are at it again.

Last year, a great number of teachers found religion and observed "Good Friday." Amazingly, there are quite a few teachers who no longer observer "Good Friday". School was right on time, and all the "religious" teachers of last year seem to care very little for their "Christianity" this year. I find this rather insulting as I am a Christian (practicing…. Meaning I haven't quite gotten it right yet) who would never use my religion as a bargaining chip for personal gain. Actually, I would never use another person's religion for my gain either. I find it appalling that the teachers are able to work this year on "Good Friday." But then again, why would they have to exploit "Good Friday this year? Instead, the union has stated they are going to strike as of March 31, 2008. At least this time they had the stones to call it a strike.

I think we should let them strike, but make sure we get the right message out first. If the correct spin is put on this issue, the teachers union will look like the aggressor and the city of Nashua will not look like such monsters. The Nashua Left-o-Graph, better known as the Nashua Telegraph, has been printing only pro-NTU stories. The Citizens here believe the teachers are getting screwed, and this is the only way to fight back. The problem is the reporting is not balanced. The telegraph has refused to talk about the issues I have raised of the year (Please look at my "No merit for teachers" posts from 2007._

Part of this posting will be an email to the mayor of Nashua, Donnalee Lozeau. The next paragraph is the beginning of the letter. This letter will be sent to Patty Rogers in the Mayors office and to Donnalee herself:

 

03-12-08

RE: Nashua Teachers Union and contract negotiations

 

Mayor Donnalee Lozeau,

First, I do not want the City of Nashua to continue to look like "the bad guy" in this melodrama. Second, The Nashua Teachers Union (from here to be listed as NTU) has gone too far. Third, the Telegraph has been reporting from the pocket of the NTU. With that said, I would like to suggest that you release a statement that puts the blame where it belongs, and also clears the City of the liable suggested within the pages of the Telegraph.

If I may be so bold, I have an idea for how to phrase such a statement. Of course you need not use my idea in any form, but my hope is that you will find valor in my suggestion. I do not feel that the city of Nashua should continue to bear all the blame for the actions (or inaction, if you will) of the NTU. I believe that the NTU believes they can simply push the local government around by spreading propaganda and smearing the local municipal offices. Public opinion is very important, and the NTU is using this to their advantage. Therefore I suggest you take the next step by placing the responsibility where it belongs; back in the lap of the NTU.

My suggestion of such a statement is as follows:

"The city of Nashua is taking every step necessary to ensure the educational process of the Nashua students is not disrupted. We have been, and continue to look for options that would be mutually agreeable to the Nashua Teachers Union and the City of Nashua. We understand that the Nashua Teachers Union has threatened to disrupt the education of the students that the teachers are responsible for. It is unfortunate that the Nashua Teachers Union has used the children of Nashua to force action on the teacher's contract, yet we can not make hasty decisions that could be detrimental to the economics of Nashua. Therefore we will work diligently on a suitable contract for the teachers, but we will not rush to any decision simply because the teachers union has threatened to disrupt our children's school year. The city can not guarantee that the teacher union will be appease before the March 31 deadline, though a valiant effort will be made to ensure the lightest impact on the children of Nashua. We are currently looking to…."

and continue from there. As I am not sure what avenues you have open, I can not continue. But the idea is to place the blame where it belongs. The teachers union is trying to force your hand by using public opinion. Therefore, the best alternative is to find a way to take the "soapbox" out from under them. Let the city know it is the NTU who is threatening the students, not the City of Nashua. Paint the city as an open and flexible unit that is working to find common ground. Allow the teachers union to appear as the impassive, unrelenting, bullheaded aggressor.

If you need to contact me, please feel free to email me at this address or call me at XXX-XXXX

Mychel Elderd

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nashua, NH XXXXX

Media Puppeteers

The average person listens to a story, gets the 30 second blurb, then commits it to memory as if it is fact. The media knows we don't research the facts of the case, therefore they only give us the half of the story they want us to know. Though I have urged people to research the facts on their own, as an author I am not and would never claim to be innocent of having a bias. Authors have a bias, and it tends to show in their work. My bias is obvious, and I do not try to hide it. Even this posting is agenda driven.

Sometimes a news source's bias is slightly askew from what we would expect. A perfect example appeared this morning on WorldNetDaily. They threw me off when they went after John McCain and one of his latest endorsements.

John McCain can not seem to get a clear break. It seems that every time he turns around, there is another strange story raised somewhere in the press. This time, I found an interesting story from a Christian Right Wing (by my estimation) online news group, WorldNetDaily. It seems McCain is being backed by a lobbying group that represents the Kosovo Liberation Army.

According to the story, when you research the "KLA," you find that they have ties with al-Qaida. I have been looking around a little, and was unable to find a hard link until I found this. I will not say whether there is or is not a link because I have not had a chance to fully investigate. In all honesty, from what I have been reading it seems there is a link.

Endorsements are a point of interest for the media and, by proxy, the constituents. I remember a few weeks ago, there was a buzz about Obama and Farrakhan. Obama tried to distance himself after Farrakhan said he liked Obama as a candidate. A quote from ABC: "Farrakhan said that if Obama was avoiding controversial black leaders like himself, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Rev. Jesse Jackson for fear of alienating white voters it would be an acceptable price to pay for an Obama victory." For some reason, people were very concerned with these words. Keep in mind, the story is from last year! Where was this story a year ago, and why is it news NOW?

So, do such endorsements matter? That depends on your point of view. Many people believe that if you are sponsored by a group, then you have an agenda that is in line with such groups. Personally I find that laughable. There have been groups and organizations that have supported me that have no links to my agenda, nor could I say I agree with them. John McCain would never consciously act to benefit al-Qaida, nor would he actively seek a common goal with the group. McCain has seen and knows too much, to align himself with a terrorist group.

If you can find proof that is contrary to my thinking, please forward the link to me. At this time, I think this is just more "New York Times" style agenda driven dribble. Stories like these only seem to surface when someone is trying to weaken the position of a candidate. We know this is done on purpose, and we know why this is done. I don't want the reporting to change, but I would like people to understand there are two sides to every coin. If we were to expect the news world to be unbiased, we would not have any news.