What I Don't Understand

What I don’t understand:  The feeling of many of the counter-protesters is that many teachers and public workers are making too much money when statistics show that we are actually making less than people of similar education in the private sector. 

In a free-market system, certain jobs are paid more than others because they require more education, training, or skill.  And in a perfect free-market system, we train ourselves at what we do well, so that we will be rewarded for the contribution whether it is selling cars, running a company, fixing a computer, policing a city or assembling a product.   Each job is important. 

Some job skills can be learned in high school or on the job, some take a short training period and some take much more training.  If the jobs that require more skill and training do not make more money than the jobs that require little skill or training, there is no incentive to train for the highly skilled positions like teaching or engineering. 

So, yes, I make more than the factory worker.  I also spent five years in a state university studying my butt off (teachers in the UW system must maintain a 3.5 grade point average in their chosen subjects and in their education courses) , not making any wages, becoming an expert in two subject areas and learning how to be a good teacher. 

I have skills that I paid in cash and sweat to get.  I work hard and pay dearly to maintain my skills as a professional.  It’s not simply “It’s not fair that teachers make more money than factory, retail or construction workers”.  It's right. 

And anyone who doesn't think so is a communist.  ;)