As much as I truly love my job, there are things I miss very much about being a public employee. Worrying about budget cuts as part of a state system is not one of them.
My former colleagues posted a letter from our (well, their) much-respected chancellor announcing some unexpected budget cuts. Today this appeared in my newsfeed: "State tells UW System to make additional $65.7M in budget cuts".
Reading about the additional budget cuts to the UW System, I am saddened to think of the toll on the health of state employees.
I have lost track of how many of my friends and former colleagues went on anti-depressants, increased the dosage of psych meds, or had other symptoms exacerbated by the stress and soul-wearying attacks on public employees. How much can a person or a community bear? How many days have been lost, how much scholarship was not done, professional hallway conversations did not take place, and joy in teaching was lost because of Scott Walker's short-sighted decisions? How many people have just given up?
And the physical health is just as bad, with stress-related physical symptoms and missed work days due to viruses that were able to take hold because a human being's immune system can handle only so much.
I have lost track of how many of my friends and former colleagues went on anti-depressants, increased the dosage of psych meds, or had other symptoms exacerbated by the stress and soul-wearying attacks on public employees. How much can a person or a community bear? How many days have been lost, how much scholarship was not done, professional hallway conversations did not take place, and joy in teaching was lost because of Scott Walker's short-sighted decisions? How many people have just given up?
And the physical health is just as bad, with stress-related physical symptoms and missed work days due to viruses that were able to take hold because a human being's immune system can handle only so much.
Although my job certainly has its challenges, I feel much more joyful and light-hearted than I did during my last six months in the UW System. While part of that is due to the fact that I am in the right place for my soul, I know that it is also the result of feeling free from the restraints of working in conditions that are continually worsening as a result of Walker's leadership.
It breaks my heart to think about how long it will take my friends and former co-workers to heal from this year.
It breaks my heart to think about how long it will take my friends and former co-workers to heal from this year.
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