It's now estimated that about 150,000 teachers will lose their jobs next year because of the financial crisis touched off by the financial industry. Hedge fund manager Tepper earned more in one minute (32K) than the average entry-level teacher earns in a year.
"In a saner world, we would have placed a 50 percent windfall profits tax on all financial earnings in 2009. That would have helped compensate for the massive public subsidies we provided to your industry. It would have replenished our local, state and federal coffers. But as a nation we are cowed by financial power. We simply do not have the will to challenge our distorted distribution of wealth — at least not yet. However, with the stroke of a pen, you can help re-balance the scales."