Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Professor, thanks for debunking that idiot, Krugman, who never saw a red state that he didn't hate.

I did the math and if you average out the dropout rates of both states, Texas and Wisconsin, Texas actually has fewer kids dropping out before graduation than does Wisconsin, 4.43% (Texas) compared to 4.73% (Wisconsin).

Also I wonder how many children enter Wisconsin schools being handicapped right off the back by not being able to speak English. Over 10% of our population are illegal immigrants (mostly from Spanish speaking countries) where the non-English speaking parents cannot teach their children to speak English. It would be interesting to see the stats on that.

Wisconsin's union membership for teachers is at 98.2%. The percentage is the same for Texas, only it is reversed. Texas teachers are 98.2% non-union.

Cost would also be interesting. How much does it cost to educate a child in Wisconsin, compared to Texas. I warrant the cost is much higher in Wisconsin, and it seems with little visable results.

In the last 10 years, Texas has been closing the gap of dropouts between white students and students of minority groups. I read that black students graduate at a rate of over 60% in Texas, while in Wisconsin the black graduation rate was 49%.

@retire05

You might enjoy this article. I don't think I've ever enjoyed reading an article as much as this one.

First paragraph:

Reporting from Oakland — Not many schools in California recruit teachers with language like this: "We are looking for hard working people who believe in free market capitalism. . . . Multicultural specialists, ultra liberal zealots and college-tainted oppression liberators need not apply."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charter31-2009may31,0,6518091,full.story

Perhaps for struggling, overregulated, overtaxed and over-politicized liberal Manhattan businesses that slogan could be adjusted to: "If You Stuff Your Store Outside the City, It May Come Back."

Texas does have a balmy business climate that's easy on joints.

I have been spending my time doing a little research. Here is what I have found:

average elementary and secondary teacher salaries in Texas - $45,543/yr

average elementary and secondary teacher salaries in Wisconsin - $49,730/yr

A difference of $4,187/yr. but.............

Texas has no state income tax, and the $1,100/average of union dues paid by Wisconsin teachers is kept by Texas teachers.

Also, I found a COL calculator that showed that a teacher in Fort Worth who made the average Texas salary would have to make over $52,000/yr to have the same living standards in Wisconsin as they had in Texas (cost of housing, taxes, food, transportation, etc contributing to the COL). The difference was even greater for teachers comparing Houston/Madison, not quite as great for Austin/Madison. Austin being the most expensive place to live in Texas accounts for the difference.

So the Wisconsin teachers, with their state income tax and union dues, are actually worse off financially than Texas teachers.

It has been proven that people in right to work states live better on equal salaries to those in "closed shop" or union run states.

"If You Store Your Stuff Outside the City, It May Come Back Republican."

What does that even mean? It makes no sense.

@DavidD - they want people to rent storage space in Manhattan, not one of the less expensive suburbs, hence the suggestion that anything outside the city is bad/Republican. Yeah, it is stupid, but it fits the mentality.