Often when the larger community is divided into opposing groups, it is toward a goal. For years now, NYSTA has been permeating the media with the idea that unless you are for big school budget increases year after year, you don't like the kids. Given that the kids become struggling taxpayers in the blink of an eye, it is a ludicrous stance. Still it seems to have caught on.

Just a few months ago, the leaders of New York State Teacher's Association thumbed their noses at Gov. Paterson when he asked for a 4 percent property tax increase cap. A group that actually cared about the future (the children) would empathize with the increasing burden taxpayers (former children) are paying and at least sit down and have a serious discussion about where we're headed. Not considering the larger community shows us the true priority of the NYSTA leaders.

NYSTA's priorities, like any good union, are chiefly money and power. There's nothing wrong with that, that's what unions do. What I find disgusting is that they pretend to put children first and fiscal conservatives like myself are painted as evil-doers. Luckily they are exposing themselves and when people see the way NYSTA reacted to the governor's unprecedented “deep fiscal doo doo” speech, a whole bunch more catch on to the hoax. We're very close to the day when “it's for the kids” will be a non-starter for this lobby.

Are the teachers worth their salaries, full benefits and full-pay-and-benefits retirement packages (after only 20 years)? I think they are. (I also think that most people work hard enough to get similar compensation but rarely do.)

Can we and our children afford to continue paying them at this rate? It's not looking that way. Retirement packages alone are starting to bankrupt municipalities.

Now the question is what will NYSTA do at the bargaining table? Will they show empathy for the current taxpayers and the children (future taxpayers) and ask their constituents for some good faith concessions, given the tough times we're in? Or will they continue to put money first on their agenda, cripple our state's treasury and further limit our children's future opportunities?

We all love the kids, we all love the teachers. Try to leave emotion out of the equation and just look at the numbers. It's a mess.

Joe Lonsky

Genoa