AZ Gov. Doug Ducey caves to teachers’ outrageous demands

Though his press secretary denies it, Ducey is looking ever more like a guy with senatorial aspirations

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey had a chance to stand tall. Instead he rewarded the abysmal behavior of union teachers who abandoned their students to strike for a massive 20% raise.  He played tough for a nanosecond, telling the teachers there was no pay hike in the near future, then reneging, followed by an acquiescence or two preceding the final capitulation. If nimble Ducey didn’t have his eye on a mighty political payoff, he could fill the role of state contortionist.

Instead of emulating President Ronald Reagan who on Aug. 5, 1981 fired 11,359 unionist air traffic controllers of the almost 13,000 who went on strike in defiance of his order for them to return to work, issued two days earlier.

Reagan, a former two-term Screen Actor’s Guild union president, didn’t stop there.  He declared a lifetime ban on the rehiring of the strikers by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Within days the FAA began accepting applications for new air traffic controllers, and ultimately the Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association (PATCO).  Robert Poli, PATCO president, was found in contempt by a federal judge and ordered to pay $1,000 a day in fines, for the disruptions his union caused. 

There were inconveniences during the strike and after Reagan made good on his threat, (video) but such a strike never happened again.

Ducey is thinking politically instead of on behalf of Arizona students abandoned by their striking teachers, who should also have been fired if they didn’t return to work.  He appears to be letting his future political aspirations get in the way of sound judgment. Ducey’s longtime friend and mentor John McCain, diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in July 2017 has remained at his compound in Cornville, AZ. missing crucial votes. The Arizona senate seat is not a museum piece. 

Ken Rudin, Political Junkie, answers the question about governors appointing themselves to the U.S. Senate. It has happened. Of the nine going back to 1933, all but two were Democrats and the results were uniformly dismal.

Joy Pullmann, an author and executive editor of The Federalist, does a masterful job with this commentary, “Fire All Striking Teachers And Send Their Paychecks To Students’ Parents.” Obviously it was not on Ducey’s reading list.

It should be.

Education Week, a publication of the liberal teachers’ union, clearly states teachers plan to ride this victory to effect changes across the Arizona political landscape.  The teachers, who overwhelmingly vote Democrat, have no allegiance to Ducey.

Today’s front page shows a smiling Ducey surrounded by educrat admirers, who got their way, via protests and walk-outs, which the teachers coyly termed, “walk-ins.” The headline blasts, “The winners today are the teachers”

A further look reveals the truth, with this line under the photo, “K-12 advocates skeptical, say walkout still planned.” There is no pleasing a riotous mob. They should have been fired.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that this is where the people who influence our children and grandchildren put their union dues.*

* H/T Center for Responsive Politics