Month: March 2010

Obama Is Wrong On Central Falls, Rhode Island, Mass Firing of Teachers!

Ronald 2 Comments

The controversy over the mass firings of the entire teaching staff at the lowest performing high school in Rhode Island, in Central Falls, has reached a new level with President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan endorsing the action by the superintendent.

The fact that the teachers union was demanding more pay for extra time and commitment led to this action by the top administrator of the school district. And certainly, the scholastic performance of the students is atrocious, with half the students failing every class, and only seven percent on the normal grade level in math!

But realize that a vast percentage of the students in the school and district are immigrant children who have a language barrier adding to their problems in performing well in school.

No one is saying that it is acceptable for students to do this poorly, and for no one to have accountability. But did it ever cross the President’s mind and that of the Education Secretary that there is also accountability on the part of students and parents?

Immigrants through many generations have had to deal with poverty and difficult times, but have achieved and accomplished through their own strength of character. To blame teachers en masse is unjustified and scapegoats them for the failures of students to commit themselves to learning, and also the importance of family involvement!

Certainly, it can be argued that teachers unions tend to protect inferior teachers, and that besmirches the many good and dedicated educators. There is an argument for periodic reassessment of teacher performances, but it should not be based solely on student performance, but rather on how teachers relate to students on a personal level. That is, are the teachers putting out efforts to educate, and are they sympathetic and caring in their personal approaches to their students?

If it is shown that a teacher is refusing to provide help to their students, and are antagonistic toward them and fail to fulfill the expectations we have of professionals in the classroom, then there are grounds for their removal, and tenure alone should not protect such inferior, incompetent teachers. But let’s not go ahead and endorse the mass firing of teachers in Rhode Island or elsewhere based on a power play by the superintendent, or the desire of conservatives to go after unions as an anti labor strategy!

Oh, and by the way, IF we truly want the best people in the classrooms all over the country, it is time to stop blaming them for societal ills and start compensating the “best and the brightest” so that we gain the best minds committed to the education of our future generations!

If we continue to go down this road of scapegoating and mass firings, it will only lead to more teachers leaving the profession, and therefore, furthering the decline in our educational system!

Treat teachers with dignity and respect, and insist on excellence and maximum effort, and you will gain much more than by using them as a political football, whether on the part of the Obama Administration or the conservative enemies of our education system!

American Politics In Crisis: No One Is Trusted Or Believed!

Ronald 1 Comment

The problem of our political system is that whether Democrat or Republican, we have reached the stage where events and behavior makes most Americans lack trust or belief in any politician, and that is indeed sad! 🙁

Between the dalliances of Republicans like John Ensign, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, David Vitter, Mark Foley and others, and that of Democrats like Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey, John Edwards, Eric Massa, and yes Bill Clinton sadly along with others, most Americans have a very low opinion of the morals of our leaders.

Add to that the financial or other behavioral irregularities of such political leaders as Charles Rangel, David Paterson, Rod Blagojevich and others on the Democratic side and Bob Taft, Joe Wilson, Marco Rubio and others on the Republican side, and you get total cynicism by vast numbers of Americans!

Politics has become an industry where winning power is the only important thing, even though stalemate and gridlock is the constant result after elections. Negativism and character assassination is the norm, and radio talk shows, cable news, internet blogs, and political activists are only interested in confrontation, rather than compromise!

The sense of a common bond and a bright future are being lost, and yet there is no real alternative except to “throw out the rascals” and replace them with new leaders, who unfortunately will be likely to follow the same pattern, due to the overwhelming influence of lobbyists and pressure groups that care not a whit for anything but their own selfish interests!

And we live in a country which is oriented toward cutting taxes but keeping spending at the same or greater rate, but no one has yet figured out how to keep services such as education, hospitals, social workers, police, firefighters, paramedics, higher education, prisons, road, and other public needs met by cutting taxes. We live in an unreal world in which somehow we want and need the services, but want OTHERS to pay for them! The answer, unfortunately, is that we face the greatest cuts in public services since the Great Depression until we understand that the only way to meet public demand is to pay MORE taxes!

This is what the conservatives and the Tea Party Movement do not understand! Either more taxes are essential, or crippling cuts in public services that no one wants will have to occur! The age of constant cutting of taxes is nearing an end, whether we like it or not!

But will the American people ever again trust anyone who leads us? That is the question of the present and the future, and the likelihood is that the answer is NO! 🙁

National Journal Rankings: Liberals And Conservatives In The Senate

Ronald 1 Comment

A new rating of the Senate by National Journal reveals the following.

The most liberal senators are Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Roland Burris of Illinois, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, both of Rhode Island, with all of them in a five way tie. Interestingly, all are in their first term in the Senate, with the exception of Reed, and Burris will be leaving the Senate after a two year appointment.

The most conservative Senators are in order as follows: James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. Bunning, thankfully, is leaving at the end of this year. Obviously, the name Jim is very much connected for now to the right wing! 🙂

So Oklahoma has the distinction of having two of the most conservative senators, and Rhode Island two of the most liberal senators.

The big problem revealed by this survey is that the moderate center in both parties is becoming more than ever an “endangered species”, which makes it likely that the future Senate will be as intransigent and uncooperative as it presently is. This is not good for the American system of government, when there is no give and take, no compromise spirit, that exists in the upper chamber.

The nation needs a new version of Henry Clay or Lyndon Johnson to promote compromise and action in the Senate, but sadly there is no one obvious on the horizon to fill the shoes of these two great senators of the 19th and 20th centuries in the 21st century! 🙁

The Hypocrisy On Health Care Of Republicans: Totally Embarrassing!

Ronald 1 Comment

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC has just revealed the total hypocrisy and lack of embarrassment of two GOP Senators and a Senate candidate on the issue of Health Care Reform.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who has four times in the past twenty years voted to cut Medicare spending, and spoke up on the need for Medicare and Medicaid reform during his 2008 Presidential campaign, now is trying to stop health care reform by working to guarantee that there are no future cuts in the Medicare program, just the opposite of everything he has always stood for!

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who last September said he agreed with 80 percent of the Obama health care plan, now says he does not agree with any part of it, that it is all “junk” even though the administration has included a number of GOP suggestions in the revised health care bill, and in theory, he should, by his own earlier statements, agree with more than 80 percent of it now!

And GOP Senate candidate Sue Lowden, running for the nomination to oppose Senator Harry Reid in Nevada, put out a campaign commercial that opposed federal government intervention in health care, as that would threaten Medicare! The problem, of course, is that Medicare IS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! Does Lowden think the Nevada population is that stupid, and could it be that all three Republicans mentioned have a problem with being honest and truthful?

The Republican party continues to embarrass not only itself, but its history under Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower and even Ronald Reagan. This party is proving to be bankrupt of any ideas or vision, and it is hard to imagine the American people being bamboozled by their propaganda and lies! If that does indeed happen, it is more because of fear and ignorance than anything else, and would be a sad commentary on the future of the country! 🙁

Grace Groner And The True Purpose Of Wealth: Do Unto Others!

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Grace Groner died at age 100 this past January 19, and had gained many friends during her century of life.

She lived frugally in a small one bedroom cottage in Lake Forest, Illinois, and enjoyed traveling in her retirement years and contributing a scholarship fund to her alma mater, Lake Forest College. She never married or had children, but always was gregarious and judged people by their character, rather than their material assets.

She was a secret millionaire from a stock investment in 1935, which kept on multiplying over 75 years, and she laid secret plans to give her assets upon death to her alma mater, so when she died, and it was revealed she had left $7 million to the college, it absolutely astounded people, including the college’s President.

This is a beautiful story, as Grace could have been selfish and materialistic, as so many wealthy people are, not caring about those less fortunate and only concerned about retaining their wealth, and looking down on those who were struggling through life, in a harsh, judgmental way.

Instead of leading a dissolute life, and making no contribution to mankind, she made the ultimate sacrifice. She lived as if she was not wealthy by good fortune, and decided to donate her fortune to college students, the future generation, and therefore to encourage education and occupational advancement.

For her wisdom and generosity and decency, Grace Groner should always be remembered as the unusual wealthy person: a truly decent human being! 🙂

John F. Kennedy And The Proposed History Channel Miniseries

Ronald 1 Comment

The History Channel, a cable station which often has had excellent programming, and has successfully promoted many citizens’ interest in history, is now on the road to the promotion of myth and sensationalism, rather than historical truth.

Already controversial for a series a few years ago that promoted the view that Lyndon Johnson was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy, now plans are in the works for a miniseries on the Kennedy Presidency, with actors reenacting the events of the Kennedy Administration, but with great distortions and mistruths as the basis of the miniseries, an agenda being promoted by political opponents of the Kennedy family.

With up to 20 scenes that portray the President as seemingly always engaging in sexual affairs, and apparently focused on that rather than the duties of his office, the series looks as if it will be a hatchet job on a President, who despite his shortcomings and admitted love affairs in office, actually had major accomplishments, and should not be remembered by future generations of students and citizens primarily for his escapades, but for his courage in the areas of the civil rights movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

It is a disgrace when history is so popularized that it becomes a mythology that will much longer remain in the minds of Americans, than the actual important truths and contributions that are made by historical figures.

The History Channel should immediately change the nature of the upcoming miniseries in 2011, or cancel it promptly! 🙁

Shannon Meehan: Iraq War Veteran Who Deserves Commendation!

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Shannon Meehan, an Iraq War veteran, who ordered a strike on a building in which an Iraqi family was killed in the summer of 2007, and who suffered from brain trauma injury and post traumatic stress disorder as a result, is taking a step to make a major contribution in the future. He is running for the Pennsylvania state legislature as a Democrat in this fall’s election.

Meehan has felt guilt ever since the tragic event almost three years ago, and the fact that he does is both sad but also inspiring as one would hope that all soldiers feel a responsibility when mistakes are made. The fact that he wants to offer himself to improve his state and our country by engaging in American politics is a wonderful result of his earlier, courageous commitment to defend our nation!

It proves that despite the cynicism and anti government mentality of the Tea Party Movement, that we still have many patriotic Americans who see that if we attack our government and promote division, that makes the chance of success and progress less likely.

Meehan is a fine young man who represents the best of American youth, and the author hopes he will succeed in his quest for the Pennsylvania legislature, and will be seen in the halls of Congress in the near future. We need more people of character, principle and morals to lead our nation into the future!

Mitt Romney’s Appearance At The National Press Club: Presidential Potential

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who failed to win the GOP Presidential nomination in 2008, is on a book tour for his new work, which is seen as the prelude to his Presidential candidacy in 2012.

Already believing that Romney is the Republican party’s best bet against President Obama in 2012, the image that Romney left at the National Press Club appearance this afternoon was a good one.

While of course Romney attacked President Obama on both economic and foreign policy, he also made two statements worthy of note.

He was asked if the United States should be considered a Christian nation, and he responded by saying that of course the Judeo-Christian values of honor, family, home, loyalty, etc. have had an important impact on our history, but at the same time we are also affected by other religious values of other faiths, and that it would not be correct to call us a Christian nation. That statement made the author feel very reassured, as we are NOT a Christian nation, but at the most a nation with a heavy majority of people who are born to one Christian sect or another. Romney made it clear that we were not designed to promote one particular view of God on the nation at large. Coming from a Mormon, who will have trouble, unfortunately, gaining support from evangelical Christians who distrust the Mormon church, it is a statement that makes one feel comfortable that his goal is NOT to promote theocracy in America.

Romney also said that he is a conservative (although his record in Massachusetts belies that), but he stated that the goal of government should not be to go too far to the Left OR too far to the Right in making government policy. This statement reassures those who do not want a dramatic swing to the Right, and makes Romney, despite whatever rhetoric he might utilize, seem to be an ultimate centrist or moderate if he were to win the White House, a view that the author has long believed.

Romney has the potential to bring the Republican party back to the center of American politics, but of course the rightward tilt of the GOP in Congress and the growing influence of the Tea Party Movement could very well become a barrier to his having the chance to gain the Republican nomination.

If the Republicans were smart, and they probably are not so, they would nominate Romney as having the best chance to be a strong opponent of President Obama, and who would likely be a mainstream, acceptable President were he to triumph in the election of 2012.

Protests Nationwide Against Higher Education Budget Cuts And The Tea Party Movement

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Higher education is facing a crisis nationwide, as state budget cuts and outrageously higher tuition costs are forcing many students to drop out of college, take more years to complete their degrees, and add an overwhelming burden of long term debt through student loans that will predetermine, in many cases, the fields they specialize in for a career.

This is not an issue just of how it affects individuals; it affects the future economic, social, and security interests of the nation!

The Great Recession is undermining the ability of state and local governments to provide the proper education to the eighty or more percent of students who do not have the economic means to attend private universities. If we do not provide moderately priced public higher education, it will lead to many students not fulfilling their intellectual potential. It also will force many students out of comparatively low paying fields, including nursing, teaching, and social work, which desperately need the best, most committed people for the nation’s secure future.

This crisis also weakens the long term knowledge base of millions of students, who often come out of public high schools poorly equipped to deal with the real world, because of a low general knowledge of what they need to know. Having the stress of needing to work multiple jobs to just survive in college makes the ability to learn permanently harmed, and undermines the purpose of college beyond career preparation: intellectual investigation and inquiry.

Unfortunately, the only solution long term is an increase in taxes and aid from the federal government, but that conflicts with the reality of the economy, with millions of people out of work, and millions not able to pay property taxes as their homes are foreclosed.

It also conflicts with the Tea Party Movement, which promotes cuts in taxes and cuts in government spending, an impossible scenario as that only promotes long term inferiority educationally in all of the states. It is the right wing, conservative willingness to back constant deficit spending for wars, and deregulation of the economy that has led to this horrific Great Recession.

If we have the Tea Party Movement succeed this fall, the situation educationally will only worsen dramatically, as their complaints, and solutions of the crisis we are in will only create further chaos and anarchy, which may just be their purpose ultimately! 🙁

Sarah Palin: What Are Her Plans For The Future?

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Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 Vice Presidential nominee on John McCain’s GOP ticket, is confounding observers by her busy life and plans.

She has become a commentator on Fox News Channel, has now tried comedy on Jay Leno’s late night show, and is shopping, according to reports, for a reality TV show involving Alaska and the Palin family!

This is not the typical route for a person contemplating a possible run for the Presidency. It would seem, rather, that between these activities and her best selling memoir, that she is more interested in being a good capitalist and exploiting her fame, or lack of it, from her Vice Presidential run.

The question is whether Sarah Palin could utilize this unusual background and life plans in the present, and a year from now catapult herself into the Presidential race. If that does happen, which seems more unlikely every day, it will be the oddest route to the Presidential race ever seen!