DISGUSTING… WI Progressives Blame Scott Walker For Teacher’s Suicide (Updated)
Posted by Jim Hoft on Saturday, March 19, 2011, 1:35 PM
These People Are Disgusting…
The far left is using a woman’s suicide to attack Governor Scott Walker.
The Progressive, a liberal website in Wisconsin, reported this week that a Wisconsin teacher committed suicide because of Governor Scott Walker’s union bill. The website says she was “distraught” to learn that she was going to have to pay 12.6% instead of 6% of her insurance premium cost?
Really?… Really?
Jeri-Lynn Betts, an early childhood teacher in the Watertown, Wisconsin, school district, died on March 8 of an apparent suicide.
A colleague says she was “very distraught” over Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on public sector workers and public education.
Betts, 56, was a dedicated teacher who was admired in the Watertown community.
“She was an amazing person,” says the Rev. Terry Larson of the Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Watertown, where she was a member. “She really put her heart and soul in her work,” adds Larson, who officiated at her memorial service on March 15.
“She was one of the good guys,” says Karen Stefonek, who used to teach with Betts. “She was very, very dedicated, and worked so well with the little special needs children. She just was very, very good with them, and very well respected in the district.”
In the days after Betts’s death, two members of the school district contacted The Progressive about her death, calling it a suicide and saying it was connected, at least in part, to the policies that Walker has proposed. He has demanded that public workers, including teachers, contribute a significant amount of their salaries to health care and pensions. And in his budget, he proposed taking $900 million out of the public schools, imposing a freeze on property taxes so local governments can’t chip in more for education, and allowing any student, regardless of income, to go to a private school with a taxpayer subsidy.
“She was definitely very distraught about it,” said one of her co-workers, who requested anonymity. “She was feeling a lot of stress about the legislation that was going through.”
Sad. The poor woman killed herself because she didn’t want to pay a higher premium?
She killed herself because of this?
each state employee will contribute 12.6% towards their health care costs beginning April 1st. Presently, state employees contribute roughly 6%. The national average for workers’ contributions in the private sector is 25% so this is not an unreasonable request of our state workers.
UPDATE: A concerned coworker of Jeri’s sent this in. I am withholding the name.
Read the whole thing–
I was a co-worker. She was truly a wonderful, and gentle, woman who worked for our district for over 25 years. During that time, as you might imagine, Jeri worked in many different buildings because over the years her EC program relocated to multiple locations. I want to be clear that she moved with the program, and was not shuttled from building to building for any reason, since as we see, the vile left will lie about everything. No matter the building, or who you spoke to, everyone had the highest praise for Jeri as a teacher and a person. No exceptions. None. As tremendous an asset as she was to the district, she was a greater asset to the community. She devoted countless hours to her church and to programs to alleviate hunger in the city. She was a blessing to all.
I will not honor the charge about her death with a response. As one of the contributors above asked, I ask you to please keep your comments about Jeri kind. She deserves no less. As for Mathew Rothschild, the editor of the Progressive–do as you see fit.
This human garbage, Mathew Rothschild, started trying to contact teachers in the district the day after her passing. He was rebuffed–the polite term–by everyone I know, including both administrators and teachers, who understood that there was no purpose for Madison scum to do a story on Jeri, except as political propaganda. How hideous is your soul to do so. Instead of celebrating her life and accomplishments, of which there were many, leftists instead sully her name and reduce her life to a momentary smear of their political opponents.
I pray for her family and those who knew her. Even those who betrayed her memory.
This will pass.
The good Jeri did will live long past the evil Rothschild and his minions have done. Her students will go on to live wonderful lives. They will use knowledge and skills imparted by Jeri throughout their lives. Long after they have grown up, they will do things Jeri taught them, and when they do, they will remember Jeri’s kindness and love. They, and their families for the lifetime of their children, will warmly recall everything Miss Jeri did for them, from teaching proper etiquette to celebrating the adventure of learning, but most of all, they will remember her with love.
Jeri will be missed.
And always loved.
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Published May 22, 2012 at 5:04 am - 41 Comments
ohio commented:
Of course this will becone a cause. What do you expect from libtard, union brained morons?
Rachelle commented:
It IS one way to save on health costs.
IronDioPriest commented:
Aw. Truly, I feel badly for anyone who can’t see that in a life of guaranteed ups and downs, there’s always hope for a better tomorrow.
Do I believe that this woman committed suicide because of an alteration to her benefits package? Only if she was batsh*t f**king insane anyway.
Do I believe that Leftists are despicable, shameless, evil sons and daughters of b*tches who would use the suicide of a distraught woman to further a Marxist agenda? Every day of the frackin’ week.
Dee Vind commented:
Really? This is Ms Betts salary and fringe.
First name Jeri-Lynn
Last name Betts
Year and session 2009/10
Highest degree Master’s degree
Salary $71,808
Fringe $18,234
Position title Teacher
assign descript Early Childhood Special Education
Low grade served PK
High grade served PK
Bilingual code No
Full time equivalency 100%
Work site Watertown Sch Dist / Schurz Elementary
County name Jefferson County
Taqiyyotomist commented:
It seems more likely that she killed herself after being shown, starkly, just what kind of violent goons and insane thugs she works for and with.
It’s plausible.
Taqiyyotomist commented:
Maybe she and her family were about to “feel the heat” after she expressed an “incorrect” viewpoint to her colleagues, and she knew it.
Kevin Delaney commented:
One can also lay blame on the unions that agitated and got everyone worked up into a lather. One can blame kollective bargaining. It was the kollective bargaining process that created the unfunded pensions that put Wi over the brink financially.
The leftist game of interpreting every action as a praxis in the social revolution simply heightens emotions and turns people against each other in a very ugly way.
Spider commented:
This is pathetic.
Someone is dead, obviously mentally disturbed to take your own life.
Instantly its used by the commies to attack a governor who is making hard decisions, and trying to get the state back on track.
Shame on you!
Stuart commented:
So if the government raises my taxes 6 1/2% and I commit suicide, its all their fault?
If I work for a private firm and they are forced to raise my insurance premiums 6 1/2% it’s their fault if I commit suicide? Or have to take a pay cut? Its all their fault?
For God’s sake you union morons let’s get real.
DRJ commented:
Can we blame President Obama for every suicide when people lose their jobs or face higher taxes and costs of living?
Oldsailor commented:
The state university that I occasionally attend to keep my certs up just raised their tuition 6%. Where is my 9 mm?
Peter commented:
So if how much we’re paying in gasoline doubles in price & someone commits suicide we can blame the no-drill administration?
Bill Mitchell commented:
She was stepping over a dollar to pick up a died.
No sympathy. She deserves a Darwin Award.
raybojabo commented:
Here is the only part of the article that is not libturd spin:
Pat Theder, Jefferson County coroner, looked into Betts’s death. “Our investigation is still pending,” he says. “We’re waiting for a toxicology report. She may have ingested something. We’re doing toxicology to determine if she took over the therapeutic amount of her medication and whether that was enough to kill her.”
Wm T Sherman commented:
The dead woman is not the issue.
Matthew Rothschild using her death for propaganda is the issue.
CA Zim commented:
Please be kind, I knew her, she was a good friend of our family. I can’t say for certain, but it is my understanding that there was more going on, but I don’t know the whole story. But really please be kind!
vast commented:
She died on the 8th. That day Rachel Maddow was gloating on her show that the WI unions had won! It wasn’t until the evening of the 9th that the Senate voted.
John Cooper commented:
Sorry about your friend, CA Zim.
My daughter is an “early childhood” (e.g. Pre-K) teacher. The stuff she tells me would definitely drive me to drink. The little brats scream obscenities at her, kick her, and urinate in the classroom. Many of their parents are coke-heads and some are even in jail. Thanks to “the rules” there’s nothing she can do about their barbaric behavior, so I guess they’ll just grow up to be criminals.
Sparky commented:
There is more to this sad story than is being reported. What is egregious, however, is the union using the tragedy to spin their anti-Walker, anti-America rhetoric. They have no morals and no shame.
But, then, you know the Progressives can’t let a crisis or tragedy go to waste!
starz2 commented:
OMG, people will believe anything…there are no sources for these comments, no links, no link to anything in the comments section. OMG, people! Propaganda! We’re being sucked. Don’t belive everything you read, see, ie, palm trees in Madison.
The Tonester commented:
Finally! Something that wasn’t Bush’s fault! Give them time and they will tie back to W!
Frank M Arouet commented:
Commies don’t care who they hurt. I wonder how her family feels that “one of her co-workers, who requested anonymity” is telling people that Ms Betts killed herself over Gov Walker’s policies. How brave of the coworker who requested anonymity to keep his/her name out of the media while smearing the name of Ms Betts! In the article on The Progressive website, they quote a co-worker as saying that Ms Betts had a long history of depression. Persons suffering with a biologically based mental illness such as Major Depressive Disorder are more likely than the general public to complete suicide. In her obituary (http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2011/03/17/obituaries/obit4.txt), Ms Betts sounds like a wonderful person who doesn’t deserve to have her sad untimely death manipulated by left wing nuts for their selfish political agenda.
Ginger commented:
CA ZIM
Yes stand up for her but please do not let no one bash her not even the unions! OK?
God Bless Her. A lot of prayers are going out for her and her loved ones.
Edouard commented:
You know, I pay 100% of my health insurance premium cost, which I chose to do and I’m nowhere near committing suicide over it.
Insinuating blame for this act on the governor is Orwellian propaganda of the most abhorrent kind.
I an reluctant to speak ill of a dead person I don’t know, so I’ll just say if she was so upset about this public union conflict as to take the drastic step of ending her own life, then it’s obvious that she lacked all perspective and was pretty highly delusional.
If blame is to be placed anywhere, it belongs with the shameful, deeply over-exaggerated, apocalyptic rhetoric of the public-union left, which needlessly got these people far more freaked out than the facts of the situation actually warranted.
shane mcgowan commented:
This woman committed suicide for roughly $4,200?
Oldpuppymax commented:
A conservative governor, doing the job he was elected to do, blamed for the suicide of a nut. Lest we forget who and what we are fighting each day for our liberty, this is a perfect example.
aprilnovember811 commented:
These people are like the “Boy who cried wolf.” You just don’t even listen to them anymore. What about the people who’ve lost jobs because of Obama? How many suicides can we attribute to that? Maybe someone can do some research.
Robert commented:
So, lets assume this is true, then the question becomes how do we get more of these union thug parasites to follow her excellent example?
wanumba commented:
The claim of suicide isn’t even validated so we have an unsupported claim based on an unsupported claim by people who have a political ax to grind.
The woman in question isn’t claiming any of this, she’s dead. So, whether she had faults or not is irrelevant.
The ones to hold to the truth are the morbid opportunists who are pretending to speak for someone who is in no position now to confirm or deny the hysterical allegations.
That’s why the Dems prefer funerals and dead people. They can’t stand up and say, “Hey! Liars!”
mg4us commented:
How asinine!!! Not buying it Lefties. . .
If the Leftist loons are this pathetic to lie and use a poor woman’s death as an excuse to gripe about paying their fair share. . then they are bigger idiots and fools . . . and should in no way be connected to teachers. . . let alone children in their care. . .
I hope other teachers take notice.
Ginger commented:
How in the world do they know if she committed suicide did she leave a note? Please give this time. Even if she did we have no right to shame her!
FORGER - Racist Czar commented:
Semi O/T, but union a$$hole related – Cape Girardeau clinic told to stop serving public
“CAPE GIRARARDEAU, MO (KFVS) – The Craftsman Independent Union released a statement Friday saying the United States Department of Labor has directed it to stop providing services at its Midtown Family Medical Center to anyone other than employees represented by the union or their covered dependents.”
It’s easy to cheer for the Good Guys in other states, but this time it hits home because this is where my Wife and I go for our routine Medical Care. I’m going to go see my Doc Monday, and Heaven help the union a$$hole that tries to stop me…
Cocked, Locked and Ready To Rock
zimmo1 commented:
let’s put the blame where it belongs….Bush…..liberalism is a Mental disorder
xqqme commented:
May she rest in peace.
Don’t turn her into a martyr.
bitterclinger commented:
I guess I’d want to remain an “anonymous source” if I was spewing something this hateful. To blame anyone for another’s death (whether a suicide or not) is the height of ignorance and cruelty.
But what can you expect from a bunch whose favorite author dedicated his book to Lucifer?
squeaky commented:
irresponsible but what else is new.
“…high pedestrian railing into the air. “The second my body left the ledge,” he says, “I realized, I don’t want to die.” not as many suicides get a 2nd chance – don’t they say that your body reacts much slower than your brain.
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20144235,00.html
Mo commented:
This woman was teaching kids???If she was so unbalanced that she took her life because she was going to have to pay an extra 6% of her healthcare costs(while most of us pay 100%) I think she did the students of Wisconsin a favor!!!
Marsh626 commented:
Leftists are losers and dregs with mental health issues. Don’t blame us for your backwardness.
Dave-O commented:
My condolences to you and your family CA Zim. May she rest in peace. People compound an already tragic situation by attempting to spin it as some kind of political statement. Shame on them.
Scott commented:
“She was definitely very distraught about it,” said one of her co-workers, who requested anonymity. “She was feeling a lot of stress about the legislation that was going through.”
First, note that the author of the article attributes every other quote used in it to a specific person. Except this one.
Now, let’s get this right. Teachers were willing to defraud taxpayers by conducting an illegal strike. Teachers were willing to get fraudulent sick notes to falisify an unexcused absencse. But for some reason this teacher is unwilling to go on the record to state the suicide victim was distraught from Walker’s policies which implies it contributed to her suicde? Why not?
Possibly because it’s a fabricated quote? No teacher said it? It’s made up? Fake? Didn’t happen?
squeaky commented:
[The Craftsman Independent Union released a statement Friday saying the United States Department of Labor has directed it to stop providing services at its Midtown Family Medical ] what next – your political affiliation. helping you make a decision you may not agree with but if you want x y or z you have to ………barack is going to “Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives” yada yada yada. a touch of cynicism is good and with obama a truck load is even better.
Granny commented:
#34 – if you read all the way to the bottom of the story, you will see that the Department of Labor has not put out such an order. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure the DOL CAN put out such an order. Any medical related issues, including insurance and clinic/hospital licensing, come under Department of Public Health, and in most cases specifically the STATE Department of Public Health.
One of the commenters notes that there is fraud in the Medicaid billing and certainly the federal government would get involved in that, but again, this is a Department of Public Health issue, not a Department of Labor.
Frankly, the whole story sounds fishy in the max to me, like the union is trying to gin up trouble.
wanumba commented:
#43 March 19, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Scott commented:
“She was definitely very distraught about it,” said one of her co-workers, who requested anonymity. “She was feeling a lot of stress about the legislation that was going through.”
First, note that the author of the article attributes every other quote used in it to a specific person. Except this one.
Now, let’s get this right. Teachers were willing to defraud taxpayers by conducting an illegal strike. Teachers were willing to get fraudulent sick notes to falisify an unexcused absencse. But for some reason this teacher is unwilling to go on the record to state the suicide victim was distraught from Walker’s policies which implies it contributed to her suicde? Why not?
Possibly because it’s a fabricated quote? No teacher said it? It’s made up? Fake? Didn’t happen?
……….
Very good point. The unions encouraged and enabled fraud thru colluding doctors to write up fake sick notes. It’s NOTHING to conjure up fake suicide excuses, and the dead person isn’t able to complain or sue for how she’s being used.
squeaky commented:
Granny
“Frankly, the whole story sounds fishy in the max to me..” maybe like never letting a crisis go to waste.
squeaky commented:
“Very good point. The unions encouraged and enabled fraud thru colluding doctors to write up fake sick notes.” usually for some perceived greater good. it might be wrong but it’s so right.
jimg commented:
It’s not sad at all. I feel absolutely no sympathy for a person who not only kills herself, but in the process – announces the reasons and then allows others to turn it into a partisan political stunt.
There is plenty of death going on right now. Like Japan. I’ll keep my emotions on those who deserve it, and not some selfish liberal who couldn’t be bothered to stay alive by choice and pay a bit more of her health care costs.
jimg commented:
Don’t belive everything you read, see, ie, palm trees in Madison.
I hope this is parody. The ‘palm trees’ meme was debunked – countless times – weeks ago.
If you’re not joking, watch the entire segment, Einstein. Not just the section the lefties pulled out of context to make it look like something it wasn’t.
janabanana commented:
She was obviously living WAY beyond her means. I make 1/2 that and my premiums jumped 25% this year and my out of pocket went up 200%. Its always such a waste when people feel MONEY is the reason to end their lives.
Arch commented:
If any union member wants to end it all over having to pay for a portion of their fringe benefits, I’ll load the rounds and (assuming they are good enough to hit their own heads) guarantee they won’t need rehab. I suggest a Hornady XTP (extreme terminal performance) loaded to 370 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. In fact, all you union guys don’t have a hair on your a$$ if you don’t kill yourselves over this issue.
lakewriter commented:
A majority of those leaving comments are buying into this false story!! Be reasonable. A poor lady is no longer with us – a lady with a good heart for children. No one knows why but common sense says it’s not health care premium related! This was a troubled person, so let’s leave her out of the comments section except perhaps a plea to be aware of the person sitting next to you, you dont know what mental torment she might be going through. Be a friend to those whose path crosses yours – and do it in memory of this poor lady.
To the issue – these union people bowing to such cesspool depths. While the survivors of this woman are no doubt grieving, let us hope that one will have the courage to stand up and say the charge is ridiculous. Reasons for the suicide do not have to be made public, but maybe they would want to respond to these hateful people by stepping up and shutting them down. We can only hope.
Espresso Logic - The 6th Sense commented:
Aw jeez. C’mon Liberal Retards. You can do better. Did your dog eat your homework?
Paul A'Barge commented:
Not sure. Are we complaining? I’m not. There’s plenty of room in the moat.
FORGER - Racist Czar commented:
Yeah, the whole thing seems to be a union thug operation. I just wanted to get this out there because no one outside this area will ever hear about it. And that is just what the unions are counting on, the media covering up their thuggery.
It’s spreading folks, it’s going places where there isn’t even pro/con union legislation in the works. They are making their move because they see the end of their chance coming in the 2012 election.
If we have one……………………
It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that some union corksocker overheard one of the Docs or Nurses at Midtown Med express support of Gov. Walker and his cohorts in common sense and got his thong in a knot …
BTW, my political party is TEA Party affiliated, Child of the Cold War, Anti-Commie, Conservative American Cracker.
Oh, $hit, I left off Racist… Jugear’s flunkies sed I wuz….
JoeS commented:
In CA, young teachers are getting fired because old teachers and the unions refuse to allow votes to cut salaries and benefits.
Unions only care about themselves. Greedy thugs
squeaky commented:
[When you hear that "The Unions" are fighting mad and rallying for this cause or that, you should know that a huge percentage of the membership is being coerced.]
http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/localviews/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_teacherunions_loc_13.1abb648.html
Just Chillin commented:
She is a troubled person,then the libtards blame as always to someone else. God Bless the woman, I hope she finds her way to wherever she wants to be. Even I disagree with her, RIP.
squeaky commented:
[ Hundreds of New York City public school teachers accused of offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct are being paid their full salaries to sit around all day playing Scrabble, surfing the Internet or just staring at the wall, if that's what they want to do.] while this was from sept 2009, you have to wonder if it’s still going on. and i’m sure it isn’t a novelty.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528780,00.html
MARION commented:
TYPICAL SAUL ALINSKY (RULES FOR RADICALS) LEFTIST//PROGRESSIVE//LIBERAL//DEMOCRAT TACTICS.
Rock commented:
We are talking about Wisconsin, correct? The state with a union based, thug infested police force, why would you be so quick to believe her death was a suicide? I remember the 50′s and 60′s the lengths unions went to enforce their demands on the nation. Murders, beatings threats against families was a way of life for the leadership. Nothings changed, they may be better connected, better dressed, but they are still as violent as ever.
wolf t. commented:
Mentally disturbed WI teacher kills self. Did the union bosses make her crazy?
Well, we all know of one teacher not getting a raise this year! I hope the eulogist will mention her contribution to balancing Wisconsin’s state budget by not collecting a pension.
Iconoclast commented:
I’m very sorry for Ms. Betts, her family & friends. Whether or not this is a suicide, her passing leaves a hole in their lives.
That said, even if this should be ruled a suicide, I doubt like Hell she killed herself over the legislation. I note there is (as yet) no note nor any assertion by her survivors of this being at the source of her death. As several have noted above, most Americans have experienced far worse events at some time in their lives. If she could deal with little hooligans for 30+ years, somehow I doubt the legislature’s actions would traumatize her to this degree.
Iconoclast’s Rules for Reading Leftist Commentary:
(1) Consider the source. All leftist writing contains false information or inference – frequently 100% so, other than prepositions, articles and punctuation.
Concerned Coworker commented:
Let me speak on behalf of Jeri.
I was a co-worker. She was truly a wonderful, and gentle, woman who worked for our district for over 25 years. During that time, as you might imagine, Jeri worked in many different buildings because over the years her EC program relocated to multiple locations. I want to be clear that she moved with the program, and was not shuttled from building to building for any reason, since as we see, the vile left will lie about everything. No matter the building, or who you spoke to, everyone had the highest praise for Jeri as a teacher and a person. No exceptions. None. As tremendous an asset as she was to the district, she was a greater asset to the community. She devoted countless hours to her church and to programs to alleviate hunger in the city. She was a blessing to all.
I will not honor the charge about her death with a response. As one of the contributors above asked, I ask you to please keep your comments about Jeri kind. She deserves no less. As for Mathew Rothschild, the editor of the Progressive–do as you see fit.
This human garbage, Mathew Rothschild, started trying to contact teachers in the district the day after her passing. He was rebuffed–the polite term–by everyone I know, including both administrators and teachers, who understood that there was no purpose for Madison scum to do a story on Jeri, except as political propaganda. How hideous is your soul to do so. Instead of celebrating her life and accomplishments, of which there were many, leftists instead sully her name and reduce her life to a momentary smear of their political opponents.
I pray for her family and those who knew her. Even those who betrayed her memory.
This will pass.
The good Jeri did will live long past the evil Rothschild and his minions have done. Her students will go on to live wonderful lives. They will use knowledge and skills imparted by Jeri throughout their lives. Long after they have grown up, they will do things Jeri taught them, and when they do, they will remember Jeri’s kindness and love. They, and their families for the lifetime of their children, will warmly recall everything Miss Jeri did for them, from teaching proper etiquette to celebrating the adventure of learning, but most of all, they will remember her with love.
Jeri will be missed.
And always loved.
Tom Oconmowoc commented:
Ths is very said. But to commit sucicide over this means that this person was not mentally stable. So maybe it is better for the childern of Watertown that she is no longer in the classroom. Maybe she could have taken out some students with her.
Rock commented:
#
#66 March 19, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Ron Tackett commented:
Let me speak on behalf of Jeri.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
I would say you did so with compassion. I hope her family will take some comfort in what you have said.
The utter brutality that the union leadership employs to gain control and power is on trial here. And as long as greed motivates those involved, this will be but one more sad incident suffered by a few so a mob can have their way. The solution seems clear, embrace the unions and their ways and continue down the same tragic path, or stop feeding the multinational union monsters, who see Americans wealth as a target for the taking.
Scott commented:
Ron Tackett:
I’m sorry for your loss. What a nice tribute you gave to your friend. It really is sad that all the good things she did in her life, that touched so many lives over the years, has been demeaned by a hack who is politicizing her unexpected death.
My condolences. Peace be with you.
kansas commented:
So if her insurance costs were 1000 a month then her premium would go from 60 to 120. She killed herself over 60 a month with a 5000 a month income? That’s a little hard to believe. You would think lying POS Democrat Union Scum could come up with something better than that.
jimg commented:
After reading Ron Tackett’s comments at #66, I completely retract my insensitive remarks at post #50.
My anger was stoked by the ghouls who used her death as a means to further their own partisan interests.
Well-spoken, Sir, and may she R.I.P.
DMartyr commented:
Two words: DARWIN AWARD.
Meg commented:
Could her death have been accidental?
lora commented:
One less unstable teacher around those kids.
Sasja commented:
Seems to me she didn’t care about the folks she left behind. If she did, she would not have done such a selfish thing as to deliberately take her own life for whatever reason.
Bee Accountable commented:
It would be blaphimous to use this woman as a political pawn. We don’t know her story. May she rest in peace.
Dubya Bee commented:
I am a friend of a friend of Jeri’s and heard about her death over a week ago. As related to me, it was indeed a suicide, precipitated due to fears about her employment and fears about the future for her special-needs students.
What the news story fails to mention is that she was battling depression and that is the real underlying cause. People who want to make her a ’cause celebre should be using it to fight for better treatment for mental illness.
Valerie commented:
My health insurance went up 30%.
Using this poor woman’s suicide in this way is disrespectful of her pain. May she rest in peace, and may her family find comfort.
JonahVark commented:
So her health insurance may cost about $1,00 a month.
She pays $60 before the increase and $126 beginning April 1st.
She makes earns almost $72,000 a year.
And they are trying to say she was distraught about paying $66 dollars more a month and so committed suicide? It appears that they are using this poor woman’s death to promote their own agenda. How sick is that?
Taqiyyotomist commented:
Ron,
Thanks for the post, and I, as well, would like to apologize for my initial comments. They were uncalled for.
jorgen commented:
Like Iora #74 said: “One less unstable teacher around those kids.”
Radegunda commented:
Sasja #75, the claim that suicide is always “selfish” is glib and shallow. What we know about Ms. Betts in no way indicates a selfish sort of person. The reports do not suggest that anybody (e.g. a minor child) was dependent on her for survival. Most likely, she had somehow come to feel that she had nothing of great importance to contribute to the world and that the world would go on happily without her.
Since I didn’t know her, I can’t say. But I have some experience with people who have suicidal thoughts. Often they believe that their existence is just a waste of resources, etc.
RandomThoughts commented:
My heart goes out to her family and friends. It’s ludicrous to think that a comparatively trivial increase in heath care costs would precipitate anyone’s suicide. Clearly the poor woman had other issues weighing on her, undoubtedly clinical depression among them.
I have nothing but disgust for those who would use this tragedy for their own political ends. I wish I could say I’m surprised at them, but I’m not. Just disgusted.
Jim commented:
Maybe the rest of the lefty, commie rats should follow her example!
oldguy commented:
Did she immolate herself. Anything else is unimaginative and not worth paying attention to, unless she would have strapped on a suicide belt.
kay commented:
it takes a lot of willpower to take your own life. you have to feel like there is nobody there for you. you have no way left to turn. there are no other options. this is for those that actually go through with it.
i’m very very sorry that she was driven to that bleak place in her mind where she thought this was the only option.
so very sorry.
kay commented:
To make it out that Walker and the republican senate who voted on raising contributions 6% to pay for the teacher’s healthcare is to blame for this woman’s suicide is ludicrous.
Can teachers not have 2nd jobs? Can they not go waitress tables at the local I-Hop restaurant on Friday/Saturday nights?
maybe they can, but we don’t allow them to have 2nd jobs because then we get all high and mighty about who is teaching our children. Oh, she’s a teacher AND A WAITRESS? Oh, he’s a teacher and a plumber? can’t have that!
We need to either accept that teachers are not priests and have other interests outside teaching children which might verge on the “adult” interests that make some cash but they can still teach OR they teach and we pay them to sit on their asses for their downtime when they could be doing something else.
Now what’s it going to be? Real life or cloister-ville?
idahogie commented:
#83: I have nothing but disgust for those who would use this tragedy for their own political ends. I wish I could say I’m surprised at them, but I’m not. Just disgusted.
#85: Maybe the rest of the lefty, commie rats should follow her example!
Nice place here. Half of you pretend that Hoft is telling the truth, and the other half act just the way Hoft is accusing others.
chris commented:
To all of the heartless people posting here. Some one’s family member is dead, you remarks are disgusting and you should be ashamed of your selves. Have you ever had politicians lie about you on National TV programs? Have you ever had news commentators support these lies and propagate them on National news? What has been done to public service workers of the State of Wisconsin is disgusting. You have all bought it hook, line and sinker. The very wealthy are very happy with you guys, that’s the plan, turn the working class on their own, especially those that still have jobs and benefits. This way they won’t look at the ones who caused the financial crisis in the first place, corporate American and their bought and paid for politicians. I doubt this suicide was about the money. I would think it is more about the character assassination and psychological games being played on the national news. People like you bought into it and turned on family, friends and neighbors because they haven’t been screwed quite as badly as you have, yet. You may want to actually read some of these bills to see what the governor is truly trying to do, much of it is against our constitution and has less to do with unions than it does with looting the State. The vilification of the union workers was to keep you from looking at the facts. Wake up before all of these educated people move on because many of them can and will. The rest will be left living in the fascist state that your allowing to be created.
FYI so you know
Fascism (play /ˈfæʃɪzəm/) is a radical, authoritarian nationalist political ideology.[1][2] Fascists seek to organize a nation according to corporatist perspectives, values, and systems, including the political system and the economy.[3] They advocate the creation of a totalitarian single-party state that seeks the mass mobilization of a nation and the creation of an ideal “new man” to form a governing elite through indoctrination, physical education, and family policy including eugenics.[4] Fascists believe that a nation requires strong leadership, singular collective identity, and the will and ability to commit violence and wage war in order to keep the nation strong.[5] Fascist governments forbid and suppress opposition to the state.[6]
Hey just heard there is a massive recall on wipes manufactured in WI tied to deaths but you’ll all be happy to know if it happens to your loved one thanks to your governor you can get a maximum of $200,0000 dollars for punitive damages. One of his first acts after giving the state $$ to corporations in tax cuts was to change the law for corporate responsibility in law suits, specifically punitive damages. Punitive meaning the damages meant to punish a company that knowingly puts out damaging products but doesn’t care and puts them out anyway. Now they can fit the $200,000 into their cost benefit analysis and may decide that a couple of deaths are financially not going to eat into their bottom line , so they will put them out anyway. Welcome to the world where people count less than money.
I hope you all get some compassion for your fellow man sometime in the near future.