Maybe We Don't Want That Amazon Headquarters Anyway

For a different viewpoint on that Amazon headquarters:

Amazon's New Headquarters 

Should Be in Hell

"Amazon is one of America’s largest and most successful corporations. It is worth nearly $500 billion. Its stock is booming. Its CEO is one of the world’s richest men. It has the wherewithal, in other words, to do whatever it wants. If Amazon wanted to purchase five square blocks of midtown Manhattan tomorrow and build skyscrapers on it, it could, just by writing a check. More to the point, if Amazon wanted to help revitalize an American city by investing $5 billion in it to build a new headquarters there, bringing 50,000 new jobs to town, it could. Just by writing a check.

Instead, Amazon is holding a multinational audition, asking for cities to submit proposals to win the exciting opportunity to host tens of thousands of tech (people). Amazon wants to know that cities have an educated work force and good transportation networks, sure, but they don’t need the cities themselves to tell them that. What they are asking cities to submit are economic incentives. They are asking for tax breaks. They are in essence conducting a giant beauty pageant in which desperate municipal governments attempt to offer them the most lucrative possible package of public resources. This is not unlike a rich man standing up in the midst of a crowd of beggars and yelling, “Who will massage my feet for the lowest price?”

Do we really want to give away possible supporting tax money for our schools and infrastructure?

Can we afford that?

It's as I said a long time ago and have said since, our city, county and state governments need to stop letting themselves be used like this. They need to stop allowing themselves to be manipulated to give the lowest and best tax package, just to land possible new business and companies to come into their jurisdictions.

They won't stop but they should.

What We've Done to Teaching and "Education" in America

The Fellowship for Putting Stupid Theories into Schools

We’re known by many names across the spectrum left to right

Promoting fear and ostracism, ignorance and blight,

We promise health and happiness in dimly distant days

And ask your current sacrifice to give ourselves a raise.

We don’t get caught because we’ve got new education rules

As one by one we take away our children’s thinking tools

The Fellowship for Putting Stupid Theories into Schools.

It’s awkward when our kids come home with something they have learned

That would have in the good old days have got us staked and burned.

They question blind authority as if that were old hat,

They judge our bland hypocrisy – and we’ll have none of that!

They’ve even said that we should have alternative energy fuels!

But we’ll stop that: we’ll take away their critical thinking tools,

The Fellowship for Putting Stupid Theories into Schools.

Postmodernist, conservative, we’re pretty much on par

We undermine enlightenment embracing the bizarre.

Oh, nothing good will come of it if children learn to think --

They’ll realize we’ve left them at and teetering on the brink.

Our only hope’s to rot their brains and turn them into fools

By teaching tests instead of teaching critical thinking tools.

The Fellowship for Putting Stupid Theories into Schools.

Whenever you have heard a child say something really dumb,

Or seen adults enamored with what art has now become,

Or read about the legislature’s vote to buy a tank

Instead of raising teachers’ pay, it’s us you have to thank –

It isn’t just by accident our citizens are fools --

For we’re the ones who give the zealous ignorant their tools:

The Fellowship for Putting Stupid Theories into Schools.

-- Marcus Bales

SOCIALISM!!

Really, it gets tiresome.

How Much More Can----and Will---Kansans Take?

Everything Republican Governor Sam Brownback and his political party cohorts have touched, fiscally, financially and dealing with taxes, it seems, have turned to debt and red ink.

We've all been following them for these few years now and watched the debt rating be downgraded and debts rise and budgets be slashed, sure. But the latest budget cuts, now to the schools, are being the unkindest and even worst, the most painful and even hopeless, of all.

I saw this last evening:

Wichita schools would lose $22 million on possible state spending cut

And that, I thought, was horrible, for one not-that-large a school district.

But then I saw this:

Schools could lose $197 million under spending 

cut scenario

Truly horrible.

Just short of 200 million dollars, nearly one quarter of a billion dollars, to be cut from the school budgets across the state.

How do you have hope for your children, for the future, for your state, if you don't--hell, can't--invest in the next generations?

Quote of the day -- Something America Needs Far More

Lessons from Bolivia for us?

So it would seem:

Schools or Prisons---Our Priorities

On the start of a new school year

And taking it one step further, it doesn't end when formal schooling does.

Or it shouldn't, anyway.

Note to Kansas Statehouse and Governor

Breaking Kansas News

According to Kansas Representative Paul Davis on his Facebook page just now:

A few minutes ago, a three judge panel declared the current school finance funding unconstitutional. We're still reading through the ruling, but it appears that the court is ordering the Kansas Legislature to restore per-pupil funding to $4,492 by FY2014.

As he said, that is some big news. 

This will make Governor Brownback and all his Republican cohorts in the Legislature have to go back and come up with a big pile of money.

So much for those brilliant tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, eh, Sam? 

 Link:  Paul Davis

Schools and schooling in America

From a Business Insider article on Finland (first link below):

"Since it implemented huge education reforms 40 years ago, Finland's school system has consistently come at the top for the international rankings for education systems.

So how do they do it?

It's simple — by going against the evaluation-driven, centralized model that much of the Western world uses."

Then check this out--it's not due to money because, as the article below will tell you, Finland spends around 30 percent less per student than the United States.

We need to learn, folks, clearly. It's not only not about money, it's not about testing incessantly, either, if these people and their results are any indication, as they should be.

Links: http://www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-school-2011-12?op=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/from-finland-an-intriguing-school-reform-model.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

Great description of teacher seniority systems and why schools have them

So many people, it seems, get upset by unions, period, buy by teacher's unions, in specific, it's just mind-boggling.

Imagine, a group of workers who organize so they protect themselves and have at least a little power and authority in the workplace. Why, it's just disgusting. It's Communist.

Not.

If you don't have or aren't in a union, it's just you against the company.

And guess who's going to win that one every time?

It surely isn't going to be you.

Taking this further, I don't think most people understand teacher's seniority rankings, either, so they have some sort of protection in the classroom and workplace.

Well, over at that bastion of all-thing-union, St. Louis, Missouri, there's an article today in the St. Louis American that gives what I think is a terrific, brief description of why there is seniority systems for teachers:

"Why is that districts across Missouri have "seniority" rules? Because it makes sex, race, age, politics or even teachers who stand up for student safety not a reason laying that teacher off. If a weak, misguided administrator chose to save money by hiring two temporary cheaper workers to replace a more senior staff person and churn them with new temporary workers, it destabilizes schools."

There. That's why there are seniority systems for teachers.

Once in a classroom and school, you have a much better understanding of it, too.

It's important more people understand how and why this works and why it's so necessary, not just for teachers but for good schools and the students' benefits, too, ultimately.

Link: http://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/article_d1ee41b0-9a3e-11e1-8bd2-001a4bcf887a.html

Bill Cosby can't come to Kansas City enough

Seriously--and I'll say it again--Bill Cosby cannot come to Kansas City enough. (Link to story at bottom). The guy is great. This is a guy who came up from meager beginnings, worked hard his entire life, was bright and creative and unique (we all are, keep in mind) and made it big. What other person has a better or more appropriate story to tell the students of the Kansas City, Missouri School District? Now if only Michael Jordan, especially, but others, too, would do more of this work. Many thanks to you, Mr. Cosby, for your tours, speeches and this good work. Kudos to you. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/24/3450316/bill-cosby-urges-urban-youths.html

LEARN

The third and final video for your entertainment today. This seems appropriate given that schoolchildren and teachers and administrators will be going back to school tomorrow, you know? Besides, we should all continue to LEARN

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

One last time---enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

KCMO School Board Interim Superintendent

What was that all about, anyway? How is it that, two days ago, word came out that one seemingly very young (and white) Derek Richey was going to be the Interim Superintendent. Then, all of a sudden, yesterday it's announced that, no, no, Dr. R. Stephen Green, President and CEO of the Kauffman Scholars program is, after all. What the heck happened there? Anyone for bad and hasty communication? And I thought they also declared publicly that they wanted someone from inside the District that was on the previous superintendent's "team", so they had continuity. Where did that go? In the meantime, we still have that nagging question, too, about why Airick West stepped down and--most importantly--if he did anything illegal while in his position. Answers, please? Russ Ptacek? Can you get us anything here? Links: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/blog/morning_call/2011/08/kc-school-board-president-west-resigns.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_kansascity+%28Kansas+City+Business+Journal%29; http://www.kmbc.com/news/29041546/detail.html; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/us/31missouri.html?_r=1

On the US, "heroes" and our non-functioning systems

From yesterday's New York Times Sunday Review section: "As the national narrative shifts from the war on terror to the specter of decline, the uniform performs another psychic function. The military is can-do, the one institution — certainly the one public institution — that still appears to work. The schools, the highways, the post office; Amtrak, FEMA, NASA and the T.S.A. — not to mention the banks, the newspapers, the health care system, and above all, Congress: nothing seems to function anymore, except the armed forces. They’re like our national football team — and undisputed champs, to boot — the one remaining sign of American greatness." --William Deresiewicz, essayist, critic and author of "Solitude and Leadership", an address delivered at West Point in 2009 and widely taught in the armed forces. Link to original post: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/opinion/sunday/americas-sentimental-regard-for-the-military.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=our+sentimental+regard+for+soldiers&st=nyt

Craziness coming out of Kansas, part I

There were two articles today in the Star, telling two different stories of the lunacy permeating Kansas right now, due to the Right-wing crazies that seem so rampant.

The first, by Steve Kraske, tells of a Johnson County Senator, John Vratil, who is extremely  concerned about education and budget cuts in education in the state house, because of where Republican legislating budget cutters want to take the state:

Johnson County lawmaker fears for Kansas public schools

Sen. John Vratil is talking about the future of Kansas public schools. As far as he’s concerned, that future is fade-to-black bleak.

Under one set of numbers he’s seen, basic state aid per pupil drops from $4,012 a student … to $3,937 … to $3,780 … then to $3,705 by 2013. Flat spending going forward from there.

“You adjust that for inflation and we are spending less for K-12 education than 1992,” the Leawood Republican said.

That will translate to a very different classroom experience, he argues. Teachers will have to be laid off. Class sizes will go up, up, up. Shortages of supplies and equipment are inevitable. Entire school districts will close. Schools won’t be as clean as they once were.

And get this: He says some state lawmakers want nothing more than to rid the state of public education.

That's enough to scare you right there.  Sure, more money never means necessarily better grades and performances from students but if you want really poor results, cut the number of teachers so you have more students per class and that's bound to have negative effects.

The rest of the article tells, frankly, of more insanity.  If you haven't read it and you live in Kansas, you might want to check it out.  (See link below).

More on Kansas kraziness later today.  Unfortunately, we're not done.

Links:  http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/05/2702025/johnson-county-lawmaker-fears.html

Republican leaders: Out of Touch

First up, Texas.


And the first thing you have to know is that Barbara (Mrs. H.W.) Bush "pointed out that students in Texas currently rank 47th in the nation in literacy, 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in math scores."


Texas children rank near the bottom of the entire country in test scores and Babs is pointing it out, drawing attention to it.


Good for her. 


Look at this short list of statistics on the state:


Nobody wants to see under-performing, overcrowded schools being deprived of more resources anywhere. But when it happens in Texas, it’s a national crisis. The birth rate there is the highest in the country, and if it continues that way, Texas will be educating about a tenth of the future population. It ranks third in teen pregnancies — always the children most likely to be in need of extra help. And it is No. 1 in repeat teen pregnancies. 


But what do the Republican leaders in Texas want to do?


Here's your answer:  


"...the Texas State Legislature is looking to cut about $4.8 billion over the next two years from the schools."


Brilliant, no?


Could they be more out of touch?


And how did Texas get in such a fiscal, financial mess in the first place?  It's good you asked:


...Perry, the state’s governor, and his supporters made things much worse by reducing school property taxes by a third in 2006 under the theory that a higher cigarette tax and a new business franchise tax would make up the difference. 


Which they didn’t.

So the children in Texas are already hurting nationally in terms of performance and grades and the legislature wants to slash the education budget.

More brilliance, to be sure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you fix schools or test scores by throwing money at the problem at all.  What I am saying is that, if your kids aren't doing well in school, chances might be good that being able to hire more good teachers and get the teacher-to-child ratio down might be a good idea and that takes more money, for sure.  When your kids scores are low, that's not the time to slash the education budget.

My second and last example today showing how Republican leaders make it clear they're out of touch comes this time from Washington:

Republicans aiming to unhinge the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation have turned to a new line of attack and have told the Treasury, Federal Reserve and other regulators to do more due diligence, according to a letter obtained on Thursday.

The letter raises questions about whether U.S. regulators are adequately following federal rule-making procedures such as reviewing public comments and conducting rigorous economic analyses of the rules' impact on the industry.

So let's get this straight--our economy nearly collapsed entirely within the last 2 years, nearly taking down all world markets with it and it was brought on by a horribly lax and unregulated banking industry, as has been proven in many different ways with many different companies, I think that's clear.

But these rocket scientists in Congress--bought, paid for and owned by the banking industry--want to make sure we at least slow down banking regulation, if not do away with it entirely.

Brilliant.

Links:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/opinion/17gailcollins.html?src=me&ref=general
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_financial_regulation

The stupid coming out of Jeff City, part II

Sometimes it's just difficult to believe what people come up with.

Case in point:

Proposal: Missouri parents to get public money for religious schools 


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A state House member wants to amend the Missouri Constitution to let parents receive public funding to send children to religious schools.


The proposal by Republican Jay Barnes, of Jefferson City, would repeal a prohibition on public money going to religious schools. If approved by the full House and Senate, it would go on a statewide ballot.


Barnes's measure would allow parents to get a state stipend to help pay for their child's education at a religious school or any other accredited school outside of their assigned district. The stipend would be equal to the amount of state and local funding a public school would have received for their child.


The proposed amendment would also let the government donate money or items to religious schools, but not real estate.


Well, isn't that comforting?  It would "let the government donate money or items to religious schools but not real estate."  What a relief that is.  At least we're not giving them real estate, too.


Let's realize religion for what it is in America, too, by the way.  It's a business with very little overhead since most of the workers or staff are volunteers, the money comes in at least every week and, finally, it's all tax-deductible.


And now we're going to give them money, too?


I have to get in that racket, I have to tell you.


Then, this is to "amend the State Constitution"?


What about the much older, national Constitution the country is based on?  Don't you think we should amend that, first?


What part of "separation of church and state" do these people not get?


You want to know what the biggest problem with this is, folks?


Sure, you start by putting this in the constitution and you begin giving "money or items to religious schools" because right now, what you're thinking is those nice Christian, Protestant and Catholic. right?  Right?


But down the road, when a Muslim or Buddhist or Zen or Wiccan school wants y'all to pony up some money, watch all the hypocrites down there in Jeff City--and all over the state, really--go blood-red-in-the-face-crazy because they don't want their money going THERE.


Besides the fact that in case no one was noticing, we have a budget crisis already.  Why would we start giving "money or other items" to one more group in a time of budget deficits?


And these people, these Republicans, are fiscal conservatives?  


I don't think so.


Link to original post:  http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Proposal-Missouri-parents-to-get-public-money-for-religious-schools-116298019.html

Quote of the day--on being a "Liberal"

"If by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal,' then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal.'"   --President John F. Kennedy