California is teasing us at this point. California has always been a center of research and development and a testing ground for everything progressive. I get it. California is so committed to pushing forward, to the very edge of the Leftist frontier that it’s a miracle the state isn’t falling off a cliff. At this point, I believe that people are simply picking random causes from “The Big Bag of Progressive Ideas”.
The Fresno Teacher Association issued a list of demands that, if they are not met, may lead to a strike. The association, for example, wants to let homeless people park in the high school parking lot. Union members want yoga for free. My colleague believed it was an article from Babylon Bee and I can’t fault him. This is not fiction. If I had one week to come up with a strange topic, I never would have thought of this.
Washington Free Beacon reports that the union’s new contract proposal calls for high school parking lots to be opened for homeless families. The union admits the cost would be $500,000 to cover security. The district also wants to provide free laundry services, mental health services available 24 hours a day, and weekend yoga and meditation sessions.
A piece in The Daily Caller stated that the cost of yoga/meditation for union members was $1 million. This demand includes a $1,000 bonus per year for union members who regularly attend a yoga or dojo studio for at least 100 days. The costs for mental health and laundry services are not disclosed. However, the cost of the yoga and ersatz camping allowances is high. The taxpayers will foot the bill. Fresno residents will pay for the union members’ hot yoga session before mimosa brunches on Sunday afternoons.
Alec Schemmel, in his article for the Free Beacon, observes that “the union’s efforts to turn their parking lots into safe havens for homeless reflects a larger push by teachers’ unions throughout the country to utilize their bargaining powers to actualize leftist priorities.” He has a good point.
There is no guarantee conservatives will ever regain control of the nation, let alone the state. However, the Left has been pushing to pass as many progressive agenda items as possible. The more outrageous they are, it seems, the better.
It is not surprising that the union has a list of demands, but it should be. It is not surprising that the union wants to make a list of their demands, and that they assume that money will be found somewhere. Perhaps more taxes are needed on the “rich”.
It is safe to say that over the years, the number of Californians, wealthy or not, who welcome another tax, has decreased significantly. This group of educators was made up of people who were raised with an emphasis on “the feelings” and a lot of participation awards. It’s no wonder they think their demands will be met.
