Teachers should be thanked.

In tough economic times every state and county government looks for ways to cut spending and try to balance the budget.

My State of Florida has a constitutional requirement that our legislators must balance the budget. So the beginning of every year our legislators start sharpening the pencils. 

This year our new governor, Rick Scott, has also proposed cutting property taxes one very important funding for education.

Florida has plenty of homeowners that are "seasonal" owners. We also have many retirees as the weather and lower cost of living makes our state attractive. So when a vote goes to raise taxes, property or sales tax for education it is a very hard road to travel down. Sometimes our residents forget that all though they may not have any children in the school system what our schools are educating today is our future leaders of tomorrow.

As the pencils are sharpening several proposals for budget cuts are of course in education. Our teachers in Brevard County have not had a pay increase in 2 years. Now the state is asking them to start paying into their profit sharing by 5%. Instead of a pay increase now they will lose in their monthly paychecks. The health insurance has hit almost every private sector with a huge increase and the teacher union has also been effected. Again another lost of usable income.

So as the legislators are sharpening their pencils and looking where to cut the media and other groups attack unfairly our teachers.

We say we want to create more jobs in Florida to help turn our economy. Educate your youth.

We say we want lower crime rate. Educate your youth.

We say we want to be competitive with our countries and keep the jobs in the US. Educate your youth.

We Floridains need to put the education of our children a priority. Praise our teachers, pay them well so they good teachers will stay in the industry. 

Families will move to Florida for good schools.

Companies will move their company headquarters to Florida if their future employees can feel that their children is getting a good to great education.

I suggest we let our teachers know we appreciate them. Thank them for helping create our future.