If you are a retired public school teacher, you should thank the Republicans in the Legislature for making sure you retirement check is there every month.

In 2009, after 100 years of Democrat leadership, the teacher retirement fund had 49.8 percent of the amount of money needed to pay every teacher who was eligible to retire that year. Thank goodness they all didn’t retire.

In the past 10 years, in spite of opposition from Democrat legislators and the teachers’ union, the Republicans have built that fund back up to where it is at 72.9 percent.

And they are not finished.

In fact, the retirement funds for public employees, judges, teachers, policeman and firefighters have all gone up since 2009. That’s because the Republican House and Senate has put in about $400 million year to make those funds solvent.

Years ago, Democrat leaders told teachers that they would have low pay but great benefits – including a generous retirement plan. The problem was that the Democrats spent the general fund money that was supposed to be set aside for those pensions.

And because they kicked the can down the road, Republicans were not able to raise teacher salaries until they got the pension funds under control.

You won’t hear this information from the big newspapers or the other mainstream liberal media. They blame the Republicans for “underfunding” public education.

The checks are there because of sound Republican financial principles compared with empty Democrat promises.