Government

Providence Mayor Follows the Law…Pearl Harbor-Like Attack Comparison Follows

Providence, RI is yet another American city facing a fiscal crisis and will probably be forced to close a few schools next year as well as fire some teachers. Because the law in Rhode Island requires it, Providence Mayor Angel Tavares was forced to send out nearly 2000 pink slips or else the government would have been on the hook to pay salaries to any teachers that they terminated after that date. He explained it quite clearly to MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer:

The notices had not yet reached the teachers when the attacks on Mayor Tavares and this difficult decision began. The Providence Journal reports:

“This is beyond insane,” Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith said Tuesday night. “Let’s create the most chaos and the highest level of anxiety in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress. Now I know how the United States State Department felt on Dec. 7 , 1941.”

Mr. Smith, we understand that you felt as if the mailing of the pink slips was a sneak attack, but you really should not be surprised by this as it has happened in the past.  Just last year 100 teachers received the notices and in some difficult economic years, up to 500 were ‘pink slipped.’  Is it really necessary to compare the fiscally responsible actions taken by the Mayor of Providence, as compelled by law, to a murderous attack on America that killed THOUSANDS of people?  The facts below are from the good people at Answers.com

According to the National Park Service, there were 1998 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, 233 Army personnel and 48 civilians killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. This comes to a total of 2388 Americans killed.

Comments (45)

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  • pamela kay
    Posted on February 25, 2011 at 2:55am

    Kudos to the mayor, I hope others follow his example. This guy is a little progressive twit.

    Report Post » pamela kay  
  • pamela kay
    Posted on February 25, 2011 at 2:53am

    THEPATRIOTDAVE, I agree with you but am shocked that it took you so long to see it. It is not just MSNBC all of the mainstream media is infected with the progressive agenda. Thank God that we still have FOX and talk radio.

    Report Post » pamela kay  
  • isobamamadd
    Posted on February 25, 2011 at 1:02am

    A New Pearl Harbor Attack = it is called our Democratic Congress . What can be more Dangerous to this Nation than Commie Sympathizers in the White House and Out of control Unions and their Leadership,Having free and unlimited access to the PRESIDENT? Put in Spooky and his desire to collapse the Dollar,and networking with Communist Groups .Not to mention what they Teach our Children and What they purposely don’t Teach.

    Report Post »  
  • islandlady
    Posted on February 25, 2011 at 12:21am

    Living hours from Pearl Harbor the comparison is unacceptable! I say we get back to basics fire them all and let the cream of the crop rise to the surface and stop paying the lazy, ungrateful, un-american
    teachers.

    Report Post » islandlady  
  • Contrarian51
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 11:37pm

    Nice to see the left toning down the rhetoric even further. What an absurd comparison. I started to wonder if Mr. Smith was insane or just a turd, and then I started to wonder if it’s possible for a turd to be insane. I actually googled the question and it seems that while it’s not uncommon to refer to someone as both insane and a turd, I found no instances where one was a noun and the other was the descriptive adjective.

    Report Post »  
  • LSX
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 10:13pm

    They just fired them all tonight!

    Start from scratch next school year!

    *

    Report Post » LSX  
  • jagr1850
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 9:09pm

    the teachers jobs are no different than a factory job …sometimes a factory makes changes and jobs are lost or added…these teachers must break away from the idea they not replacable…..they are just
    jobs they are not permanent …

    Report Post » jagr1850  
  • fgw32909
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 8:09pm

    @ Cheez – If you aren’t a stand up comic, you missed your calling. Thanks for making an old guy laugh. I couldn’t type for 15 minutes after reading you “Dr. note” remark….

    Report Post »  
  • franknshadow
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 8:00pm

    The ability of the left, the liberals and the progs, is that they do not respect, nor abide by, the rules of common decency.. I am more concerned with this than almost any other thing we’re dealing with right now.. Hypocricy has reached a new level of outrage that is so blatant, and under-exposed by the people we relied on for information that credibility is a joke anymore.. Especially a network like msnbc..

    Report Post » PrfctlyFrank  
  • ASIAGULLA
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:40pm

    Impeachable offenses defined: Bribery, perjury, and treason are among the least ambiguous reasons meriting impeachment, but the ocean of wrongdoing encompassed by the Constitution’s stipulation of high crimes and misdemeanors’ is vast. Abuse of power and serious misconduct in office fit this category. It is also defined as “whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history”
    I wonder if “The Lawless Obama Regime” as described on Rush Limbaugh’s program fits any of the offenses defined as Impeachable?

    Report Post »  
  • randy
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:29pm

    “This is beyond insane,” Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith said Tuesday night. “Let’s create the most chaos and the highest level of anxiety in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress.

    BOO FREAKING HOO!!! Cry me a river!!!

    Report Post » randy  
  • southernloyalty
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:23pm

    Just fire them all. Its not like the kids are learning anything these days anyways. Might as well just save the money and not bother sending kids to school. I dont’ think there would be much effect.

    Report Post »  
  • reckless
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:10pm

    I can’t imagine the stress the poor educators are under. Just imagine hoping that your performance is good enough to maintain employment.
    This is completely unfair and something I have to do every working day. I feel your pain.
    Dripping with sarcasm….
    …sincerely,
    Reckless

    Report Post »  
  • simple thought
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:03pm

    you are a stupid ass to compare peral harbor to this,
    you have the gump syndrom…stupid is as stupid dose……..

    Report Post »  
  • toru66
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:01pm

    Apparently, Mr. Smith like so many in union leadership can’t tell the difference between the unemployed and the DEAD. I personally think it is unacceptable to make that kind of comparison. NO COMPARISON WHATSOEVER. When your argument is so weak you have to use such a comparison, you might as well just step down and let someone smarter to run the union. Geez!

    Report Post » toru66  
  • justice
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:54pm

    Let’s repeat again we private sector taxpayers are not responsible for your wages and retirement. Start a 401k.

    Report Post »  
  • icediva
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:53pm

    When Unions were formed they helped the working guy, right? Thats why they collect dues right? So with all the collected Union money why doesn’t the Union just right the unemployed checks?
    Maybe if they didn‘t pay Union dues they’d have a nest egg to fall back on!!!

    Report Post »  
  • Fight for America
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:31pm

    One teacher was interviewed/approached and on video she made some calm comments. However, one of the things she said was that she was baffled. I wish someone had asked what she was baffled about.

    The contract or law requires that teachers be notified in advance. They were.

    Providence is in a financial pit.

    The school district is in a financial pit.

    It’s hard to pay anyone if your checking acct. says zero.

    Baffled (if this applied to what I think she meant) would suggest no understanding of money. Clearly the unions and their members understand money quite well. They want it all even if, for years, they’ve been told that the wallets are full of dust. Baffled? “You” wanted too much, demanded too much, the taxpayers can’t afford you, you did good in the boom times and don’t want to be hit like everyone else in the bad times. It’s not personal. It’s Business 101.

    Report Post »  
  • mcellu
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:27pm

    I don’t know which part of your headline was more shocking – “Providence Mayor Follows the Law” or “Pearl Harbor Like Attack” follows.

    Report Post »  
  • getperks
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:27pm

    The size and scope of what it will take to save this country from these Alinsky tactics is terrible. It’s like when a terrorist wins because we have to change our routines to protect ourselves.

    Report Post » getperks  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:21pm

    Steve Smith says the US State Dept was under stress Dec 7th 1941. At least this idiot got the day right, but as usual the Prov Tea. Union Pres missed the mark. The Soldiers and Sailors at Pearl Harbor , Wake Island, the Phillipines were“Under Stress”. Gen Short and Admiral Kimmel were thrown under the bus by Roosevelt and others in his Admin as scapegoats for their looking the other way.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • beckwill
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:12pm

    It would be a laughable comparison if it wasn’t so sad. Maybe the pink slipped would rather step into the fate of those at Pearl Harbor. Hmmm laid off or dead.

    Report Post »  
  • ibanrfknm
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:12pm

    More hysterical hyperbole by those opposed to any reasonable attempts to gain control of spending.

    Report Post »  
  • KEA
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:09pm

    So how many people are the Union thugs going to kill?

    Report Post »  
    • aLinedog
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:16pm

      a lot. Not yet though.. they’re waiting on their SEIU issue brown shirts.
      -line
      Vive la REVELUCION! Yeah I probably misspelled it.. so what- better dead than red.

      Report Post »  
    • chazman
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:31pm

      Gee … wrong analogy. Ya think? Total ********.

      Report Post »  
    • hempstead1944
      Posted on February 25, 2011 at 8:20am

      All of them…..

      Report Post »  
  • JUSTANOTHEROPINION
    Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:07pm

    Dear Mr. Smith,
    To compare Pearl Harbor to a responsible Mayor just proves what we allready knew about you, You are a piece of trash with no respect anybody you sanctimonious pig!

    Report Post »  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:17pm

      in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress.
      ——
      Oh yeah ????
      Prove it with a doctor’s note :D

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:23pm

      So 2000 people being fired, or potentially fired compared to the loss of over 2000 dead in the opening move of a massive world wide war is the same?

      I do not think so, save for the myopic and demented understanding of someone who is used to the union getting their own way and suddenly confronted by a parent who will say ‘no’ and make it stick.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Curator_JDR
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:50pm

      What do you expect from a kamikaze for Obama? In this world of deception, truth = lies and logic is a complication. “Logic is always false” — (The Dada manifesto) – There is a very good and easy to understand 4 part web movie that explains how Progressives destroyed personal choice and established PC by controlling American Art. You can easily see how they propagandize everything these days. Start with part 2, watch it here and you’ll be amazed: http://www.marcrubin.com/dada2.ivnu

      Report Post » Curator_JDR  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:51pm

      Wow, so on a sunday morning, 2000 teachers were suddenly bombed, with no declaration of war, by the Imperial Japanese Navy. And during that attack over 3,000 sailor were killed, but the teachers, all they got is a pink slip.
      I can see how this is exactly like Pearl Harbor.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • tower7femacamp
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 6:55pm

      Just close all the schools and put our children in factories making toys for China
      That is the plan after all.

      Report Post » tower7femacamp  
    • home_of_the_brave
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:12pm

      The sad thing is while the unions and states battle this out the students are the ones who really lose. The Unions will be the death of America, in a fiscal crisis families have to cut back and make responsible, tough, choices why can’t they be reasonable and do the same. Paying a little more for your medical coverage and retirement package seems reasonable compared to losing your job all together.

      Report Post »  
    • aLinedog
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:18pm

      @Cheez.
      ROFLMAO! you said it, brother…
      -line
      “You got my cheezwhiz, boy?” -unidentified man to Elwood Blues.

      Report Post »  
    • LSX
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:28pm

      Isn’t it great?

      All the parasite, public union thugs and illegal alien BT card users who voted the former mayor of Providence into Patty Kennedy’s congressional seat, did that just in time for the new mayor of the capital city to be left holding the bag.

      If we were Progressives, I’d call it racism because that elitist white congressman David Cicilline left this poor Hispanic Angel Tavaras with a huge union generated deficit that he created.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cicilline

      Remove the unions – it removes the problem!

      *

      Report Post » LSX  
    • thepatriotdave
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:33pm

      C’mon people, we are talking about MSNBC. Don’t tell me you are shocked by this attitude!?

      I use to think that MSNBC was just run by idiots, but I’m now convinced they are also working for an overthrow of the U.S. Government. Maybe it’s time we picket and protest MSNBC as being anti-American!

      http://tinyurl.com/4rv8xsm

      Report Post » thepatriotdave  
    • Tony
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 7:37pm

      The public employee union leaders flat out don’t care. They don’t care about our country, their state, their city, their neighbors, even their own grandchildren’s futures. They don’t give a flip for the lower half of the seniority list of their own union members. Where will these members go in a state that requires them to be a member of the union, in good standing, to go back to work after layoff.

      We must end the choke hold public employee unions have on Americans that force them to belong to their union if they wish to work for government agencies. In fact, we must repeal all federal and state laws that require anay union membership to work in any profession, for any employer, or in any location. Enough!

      Report Post »  
    • fgw32909
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 8:05pm

      Cheez,
      If you are not in stand up comedy as a profession, you missed your calling. I couldn’t type this for 15 minutes after reading your “Dr. note” remark.
      Thanks for making an old guy laugh.

      Report Post »  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on February 24, 2011 at 9:15pm

      Too bad the Japanese weren’t Union members, just think, they wouldn’t have attacked on Sunday, a 15 minute break during attacks (give us a chance to load our guns) no flights longer than 2 hours, and they would have had to hire the handicap. I would have loved it if a few more of the pilots were blind.
      We could have beaten them in a week.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • freeus
      Posted on February 25, 2011 at 2:05am

      Excuse me Mr. Union boss, but perhaps maybe you could tell us just who isn’t under unbelievable stress these days? Stop the drama and get real and join the rest of us.

      Report Post »  
    • BLEMON01
      Posted on February 25, 2011 at 7:53am

      Re: CHEEZE Prove it with a doctor’s note :D
      Pearl Harbor Syndrome
      Signs and Symptoms: hearing humming noises, seeing big red dots.

      Report Post » BLEMON01  
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