Originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal, September 6, 2004.

Yikes! Here I was all set to get back into these weekly missives and the combined forces of a short work week, the start of school activities, and jury duty are kicking my butt.

Long story, short: A local school district, Kentwood, is teetering on the edge of a teacher strike and threatening to take other West Michigan districts with them. The teacher union has dug in their heels on changing their health care plan. I pay a lot of money every month for health care that is nowhere near as good as the alternative plan the teachers union is turning their nose up at. If the Kentwood teachers walk, other teachers (including those in my district) have authorized a possible sympathy strike. This is very likely not going to happen, but the idea cheeses me off.

Other part of the story: The situation is mostly the fault of the Kentwood School Board which has gone to extraordinary lengths to be inflexible, confrontational, and even stupid. Check this link to see just how stupid:
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1092926934252270.xml

Now, back to the craziness....