My dear friend and veteran Wake County educator Angie Scioli has an important message for Senate Democrats who are facing an important budget vote today: 

I don’t speak for all teachers, but I do speak for more than a few. Here’s the deal: Governor Cooper has “gone to the mat” for us. He has, in some manner, included all five things we teachers marched for on May 1st in his budget. He vetoed an inferior budget sent to him. He’s fought for our most vulnerable families to have access to healthcare.

The Republicans are asking you to stab him in the back tomorrow, and they are holding our salaries hostage in the process. It’s shameful politics.

I say we don’t negotiate with hostage takers. It’s easier for me to say that- I’m a dual income family. But if we stab people in the back who fight for us, and reward people who use us as pawns, we will regret it, long term. You don’t betray people for a few pieces of silver.

I say we give “the deal” a hard pass. Let’s be faithful allies. And let’s work like crazy to make sure we win in 2020 by reminding voters how the majority played hard and fast with teachers and the working class.

I’m willing to “make do.” We teachers are so used to “making do” we hardly remember anything else.

Please support a no vote on override [today].