WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Tonight, Republicans across New Jersey made their voices heard. They wanted candidates on the ballot who are laser focused on creating jobs and keeping taxes low. And this evening, they did just that by nominating Republicans that are committed to fiscal restraint.  After the election of Republican Governor Chris Christie last November, this all-star team is ready to build on our Republican gains in the state and offer real leadership.  I am confident this November the people of the Garden State will turn out in droves to put our candidates in office. Congratulations to each and every Republican nominee across New Jersey who won their primary today.” 

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Blanche Lincoln’s victory in the Democrat primary ushers in a candidate who has lost credibility with the people of Arkansas. From her liberal voting record in support of the failed stimulus and government takeover of health care, to her transparent political posturing on the campaign trail, Arkansas voters learned that they can no longer trust Blanche Lincoln. “Throughout her campaign, Lincoln has made it clear that she will simply fall in line with President Obama’s big-spending, big-government agenda, putting her vastly out of touch with the majority of Arkansans. I am fully confident that in November, Arkansas voters will stand behind Rep. John Boozman and his positive message of putting Arkansas first, and fighting for limited government, lower taxes, and real sustainable job creation.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Kristi Noem on winning South Dakota’s congressional primary.  Like Senator John Thune, Kristi Noem is focused on a limited government that will reduce our national debt, lower the tax burden and focus on creating real jobs in the private sector.  Electing a true conservative such as Kristi Noem is a top priority for the Republican Party, and we are committed to providing the resources necessary to win this seat.”     

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Governor John Hoeven and State Representative Rick Berg on winning their respective primaries.  In North Dakota the unemployment rate is 4.9 percent – the lowest unemployment rate in the country and a testament to both John’s and Rick’s strong leadership for the Peace Garden State.  “With a national unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, Washington needs their fiscal conservative leadership to create jobs and get our country working again.  The Republican Party is committed to providing the necessary resources to help these two outstanding candidates defeat their Democratic opponents this fall.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Tom Graves who was victorious in Georgia’s special election run-off this evening. Georgia’s 9th District will be well represented by another conservative Republican who is committed to limited government and reigning in out-of-control government spending.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “I would like to congratulate all Republican nominees across Maine who won their primaries today.  With Maine’s unemployment rate steadily hovering around 8 percent, Paul LePage will lead the Republican ticket that will work to create jobs by standing up for the conservative ideals of small government, low taxes, and fiscal responsibility. These Republicans will help bring sweeping victories in November and help get our country back on track. ”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Tonight, Republicans across New Jersey made their voices heard. They wanted candidates on the ballot who are laser focused on creating jobs and keeping taxes low. And this evening, they did just that by nominating Republicans that are committed to fiscal restraint.  After the election of Republican Governor Chris Christie last November, this all-star team is ready to build on our Republican gains in the state and offer real leadership.  I am confident this November the people of the Garden State will turn out in droves to put our candidates in office. Congratulations to each and every Republican nominee across New Jersey who won their primary today.” 

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Blanche Lincoln’s victory in the Democrat primary ushers in a candidate who has lost credibility with the people of Arkansas. From her liberal voting record in support of the failed stimulus and government takeover of health care, to her transparent political posturing on the campaign trail, Arkansas voters learned that they can no longer trust Blanche Lincoln. “Throughout her campaign, Lincoln has made it clear that she will simply fall in line with President Obama’s big-spending, big-government agenda, putting her vastly out of touch with the majority of Arkansans. I am fully confident that in November, Arkansas voters will stand behind Rep. John Boozman and his positive message of putting Arkansas first, and fighting for limited government, lower taxes, and real sustainable job creation.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Tom Graves who was victorious in Georgia’s special election run-off this evening. Georgia’s 9th District will be well represented by another conservative Republican who is committed to limited government and reigning in out-of-control government spending.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Kristi Noem on winning South Dakota’s congressional primary.  Like Senator John Thune, Kristi Noem is focused on a limited government that will reduce our national debt, lower the tax burden and focus on creating real jobs in the private sector.  Electing a true conservative such as Kristi Noem is a top priority for the Republican Party, and we are committed to providing the resources necessary to win this seat.”     

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to Governor John Hoeven and State Representative Rick Berg on winning their respective primaries.  In North Dakota the unemployment rate is 4.9 percent – the lowest unemployment rate in the country and a testament to both John’s and Rick’s strong leadership for the Peace Garden State.  “With a national unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, Washington needs their fiscal conservative leadership to create jobs and get our country working again.  The Republican Party is committed to providing the necessary resources to help these two outstanding candidates defeat their Democratic opponents this fall.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to State Senator Robert Hurt and all of the Virginia Republican nominees who won their primaries tonight. The Republican Party is excited to have such strong candidates who will go to Washington and stand up to President Obama’s liberal agenda by fighting for limited government, lower taxes, and all of Virginia’s small businesses and job creators. I am fully confident that the entire slate of Republican candidates from the Old Dominion State will secure victories for the GOP in November.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today:  “Congratulations to all the Iowa Republicans who won their primary races this evening.  Iowa’s strong Republican slate headed by Senator Chuck Grassley and Terry Branstad will stand against the big-government policies of the Obama Administration and provide commonsense solutions to create jobs and improve the economy.  With the unemployment near 10 percent and our nation’s debt exceeding $13 trillion, Iowa voters can move America back on the right track by electing leaders who hold conservative values of small government and low taxes.  I’m confident that in November, Iowa will send a clear message across the United States that the out of control spending and growth of government under the Obama Administration needs to stop.” 

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “Congratulations to State Senator Robert Hurt and all of the Virginia Republican nominees who won their primaries tonight. The Republican Party is excited to have such strong candidates who will go to Washington and stand up to President Obama’s liberal agenda by fighting for limited government, lower taxes, and all of Virginia’s small businesses and job creators. I am fully confident that the entire slate of Republican candidates from the Old Dominion State will secure victories for the GOP in November.”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: “I welcome job growth any day, week or month of the year, but the figures released today need to be stamped with “Buyer Beware.”  While Democrats will likely cling to the slight uptick reported this month, the reality is that these numbers are greatly inflated by hundreds of thousands of government census jobs that are both temporary and based on questionable reporting. Of the 431,000 jobs reported, more than 411,000 will disappear when the census is complete.  “The underlying fact is that 9.7 percent unemployment is unacceptable by any standard. No amount of spin will resolve the fact that the President’s policies have been a colossal failure when it comes to creating jobs.  If his speech in Pennsylvania was any indication, President Obama has no intention of slowing his high-spending, big-government agenda that prevents the private sector from creating the jobs we need to put our economy back on track.”

At long last, mainstream media that cover the state capitol are starting to catch on that it's not the number of dollars we spend on education that counts, it's how those dollars are spent. In a <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/22/2768848/editorial-performance-must-be.html"><span style="font-style:italic;">Sacramento Bee Editorial</span></a> published on May 22nd, the Bee took on the issue of choosing which teachers should be kept on as school districts statewide grapple with how they're going to cut spending. <br /><br />It's about time, no, it's long overdue, that we start holding teachers accountable for what comes out of their classrooms. <br /><br />Teachers unions have successfully wiped out any accountability between teacher pay and what goes on in the classroom. Career Teachers are so used to automatic raises and benefit bumps, that even suggesting they should be graded on how well they teach is met with excuses, evasions, and outright hostility.<br /><br />Recent letters from teachers in response to the Bee Editorial demonstrate their hostile attitude toward *gasp* having their workplace efforts evaluated as if they were mere mortals. A self-described social science teacher claimed that layoffs based on performance would infringe on his "rights" as a civil service employee. Is this social science teacher not aware all citizens enjoy equal rights, regardless of who employs them? He goes on to claim that seniority and tenure protections are essential to academic freedom, and to protect teachers from age discrimination and retaliation for labor union actions. You'd think a social science teacher would know that separate laws guarantee academic freedom for teachers, as well as protections from age discrimination and for labor organizing. <br /><br />No wonder he doesn't want anyone checking his work. <br /><br />In another letter, there's the usual party line that seniority and tenures rules "protect all teachers from the whims of supervisors and school boards." Come again? Someone needs to remind this crowd that school board members are elected by the public, who in turn hire the Superintendents that manage our public schools. Is that what's being taught in our classroom? That decisions made by duly-elected public officials are mere whims? <br /><br />If you want to know why schools are failing our kids, all you really have to do is look at the attitudes evident behind these letters. Protected not just by civil service work rules but by union-negotiated labor contracts, public school teachers (with the exception of non-union charter schools) have lost all appreciation for the workplace realities they're supposedly preparing our students for. The teacher who goes straight from earning a teaching credential into public school employment is rapidly enveloped into a collectivist work environment. In teacher land, raises are based on how loudly the group shouts at the bargaining table. Raises and classroom placement aren't based excellence or exceptional performance. In fact, they're forbidden by contract. Whoever it was that first said "90 percent of success is just showing up" must have been a teacher. Those of us competing for jobs and raises in the real job market know just how silly that sounds.<br /><br />Instead, teacher salaries and work assignments are based on time on the job. Is it any wonder 90 percent of new teachers, (often the hardest working and most enthusiastic) leave teaching within three years? <br /><br />Everyone can remember lousy teachers from their own school experience, but firing even the most worthless teachers requires "due process," a lengthy and expensive process costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's a tall expense for cash-strapped districts even in the best of times. The inability to fire the worst members of any work force is a guarantee for mediocrity among the rest. <br /><br />Until we break the union-stranglehold over our public school system, our students will be denied the opportunity to learn from teachers whose own work experience demands and instills excellence.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4415342305243133312-4421031008453102847?l=blog.cagop.org' alt='' /></div>

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today:   “After three months of stonewalling and obfuscation, the Administration’s credibility is blown on this subject.  Last night's revelations and the disturbing pattern they uncover raise serious questions about who is in charge in the Oval Office.  Rather than running a federal government facing a devastating economic crisis, two wars, and now perhaps the worst environmental disaster in history, the White House Chief of Staff and his Deputy are acting like Chicago party bosses.  Who is running the store?  President Obama spent last week trying to convince Americans that the buck stops with him.  But these incidents make us question: is this President Obama's White House or Rahm Emanuel's?”

  WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement tonight: “Andrew Romanoff’s admission that the White House did in fact approach him with the possibility of a major appointment in order to clear the political playing field represents a troubling pattern of the same Chicago-style “scratch my back” politics that Barack Obama routinely condemns.  “After weeks of stonewalling the American people and months of behind-the-scenes political horse-trading, the Obama Administration needs to answer serious ethical and legal questions about these practices.  It is clear that the Obama Administration is not capable of living up to the same standards they campaigned on and an independent investigation is necessary to learn all the facts.“The Obama Administration campaigned on bringing change to Washington and the promise of being the most transparent White House in our nation’s history. Today, those promises were clearly broken and the American people deserve answers.”