Commentary

COMMENTARY: You Get What You Pay For: Putting Our Money Where Our Values Are

MILWAUKEE COURIER — According to the Center for American Progress, the teacher shortage in Wisconsin is somewhat of a nuanced issue. The aftermath of Act 10, teacher licensure requirements and population decrease in rural districts are some factors that contribute to the rough terrain of K-12 education.

Published

7 years ago

April 1, 2019

Oakland Post

By LaKeshia N. Myers

Growing up, my parents often told me, “you get out of it what you put into it”—the “it” could be a variety of things: school, sports, or overall effort in one’s life. But what was certain, was that there had to be an investment.

I find that our society’s investment in education is no different. For years, education has been fiscally neglected; educator salaries, have remained relatively flat and student achievement has suffered.

In Wisconsin, we have seen the overall investment in both K-12 and higher education decrease, meanwhile our spending on corrections and law enforcement have continued to increase.

Allison Dikanovic of the Neighborhood News Service outlined the rising costs associated with juvenile incarceration.

According to her article, for every young person a county sends to Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake, the county needs to pay the Department of Corrections a daily rate.

Juvenile incarceration costs the county $144,000 a year per youth. For fiscal year 2019-2020, the yearly rate for a young person to go to Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake is $182,865 and for 2020-2021, it goes up to $200,932.

To put this in perspective: one year of education at Harvard University costs $46,000. Therefore, it costs more to incarcerate a child in Wisconsin than to educate one in four years at Harvard University.

According to the Center for American Progress, the teacher shortage in Wisconsin is somewhat of a nuanced issue. The aftermath of Act 10, teacher licensure requirements and population decrease in rural districts are some factors that contribute to the rough terrain of K-12 education.

But nothing is as apparent as the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to attract and retain educators to the profession. One alarming reason for this has been teacher pay.

Prior to Act 10, most teachers were paid based on a scale that measured their educational level and their years of experience. There were slight increases in pay for each year of satisfactory performance and the more education one earned, was rewarded by a bump in pay.

According to a 2012 article in the Journal Sentinel, graduate school enrollments in education began to sharply decline after the enactment of Act 10 because school districts were no longer required to pay teachers for earning advanced degrees.

When we devalue educational attainment, especially in the teaching field, this causes a ripple effect. If teachers are not valued for their education, why should we expect students or parents to respect education or treat educators as professionals?

In no other profession are individuals expected to work beyond their prescribed hours, have advanced knowledge, answer phone calls at home, work from home, and oversee extracurricular activities without being compensated. This is a troubling phenomenon and must be addressed if we ever hope to regain our standing on the world stage. But, just remember we only get out of it, what we put into it.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.