Let me say this first: I AM A TEACHER. (I know how heated people get when they hear about education in this area... so go ahead and please make your remarks. I THINK IT'S FUNNY, AND I DON'T CARE! I LOVE MY SUMMERS, HOLIDAYS, WEEKENDS OFF, especially to furthur my education! HAHA!).

So here's my "sob" story:
I leave West Virginia for a teaching job in Maryland, and they increase teacher pay and benefits in WV. I come to Maryland because teachers in WV were paid next to the last out of the 50 states, and now MD is furloughing and wants to increase insurance costs. Also, an increase in pension costs? I am taking home the same this year than I was my first year teaching! Christ... the WaWa ad next to me typing this is showing that an Assistant General Manager could make more than me!... at a gas station? How are they shaping tomorrow's youth, by showing how to pump gas??

(... and don't you love how the Board of Education "eliminated" positions that weren't filled to save money? If nobody held those jobs, where were those paychecks going? Where's the savings? Granted, some people making over 100K retired, and those positions were not filled, but please, someone, somebody help me understand this one, because the teachers are now resposible for doing the work.)

Meanwhile, my mortgage payment has increased a little over $100 each year so far because of insurance and county taxes (I've owned my home for 2 years, so do the math). Anyone paying more for the same coverage in insurance? I am. My house in WV would be $50,000/$60,000, and that would include at least an acre of land. Property taxes are about 1/3-1/4 of what Maryland's is. The only thing stopping me from going into forclosure is that I have a feeling of "I am an American and it is my responsibility and duty to live up to my obligations." To me, my American Dream is falling apart... and this sucks!

The crystal ball senses a moving truck in my future. My palm reading senses more county take backs. My tarot cards are showing the prince of darkness (take it however you want...) This is not a place I want to live anymore.