Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

[Kepler]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

What does an Air Force test pilot have that a child in a failing school district doesn't have?

Stimulant psychosis.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

Stimulant psychosis.

Bah, you need to use your imagination. Kids these days have access to all sorts of drugs.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

NEA conference, which obviously can't be during the school year

Nor is it in Arizona. This event is in Washington, DC.

A) who pays for this? If it is the NEA that pays for the event then that comes from teacher's dues which come from their salaries

The NEA.

B) do teachers pay their own way and stay in hotels for the week+ of the event? I suspect not

You suspect wrong. Oh, and teachers aren't the ones going to this. More on that later. They have to pay their own way for travel, dining and hotels. They do get discounts, but those are given to them by privately owned businesses, so take it up with them.

C) check the agenda, I will keep reviewing it but the first thing I noticed was nothing about overall performance but a lot of stuff about special interests.

That might be because this isn't a meeting for teachers. This is a meeting for NEA delegates, not the teachers themselves.

Oh, and the travel plans for future events include the tropical paradise that is Minneapolis.

But it was a nice try to say this is a taxpayer-funded holiday to Arizona for a week of golfing.

 

[MinnFan]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

The true state of the union

- The unemployment rate when Obama was elected was 6.8%; today it is 8.5% … and that is not considering the fact that 3 million fewer Americans are seeking work compared to 2007. If you put them back in the rate would be 11%
- There are now fewer payroll jobs than there were in 2000 and now, 40% of those jobs are considered “low paying.”
- Regular gasoline per gallon cost $1.68 in January 2009. Today, it’s $3.39 — that’s a 102% increase in just three years.
- Electricity bills have also skyrocketed, with households now paying a record $1,420 annually on average, up some $300.
- Since December 2008, food-stamp use has increased 46%.
- Nearly 20% of males age 25 to 34 now live with their parents.
- America’s annual budget has jumped to $3.8 trillion — and yet the United States brings in only about $2.1 trillion in revenue.
- America’s total public debt stands at $15.23 trillion; in January 2009, the debt was $10.62 trillion.
- Obama is on pace to borrow $6.2 trillion in just one term — more debt than was amassed by all presidents from Washington through Bill Clinton combined.
- The debt is rising by $4.2 billion every day — $175 million per hour, nearly $3 million per minute.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

What are the chances pirate actually admits he was wrong on this one?

 

[joecct]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

....(SNIP)
But it was a nice try to say this is a taxpayer-funded holiday to Arizona for a week of golfing.

But would it be accurate to say that this was a dues payed trip to DC, where I would guess that many of the delegates did happen to drop in on their <strike>employees</strike> legislators?

 

[Priceless]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

The true state of the union

- The unemployment rate when Obama was elected was 6.8%; today it is 8.5% … and that is not considering the fact that 3 million fewer Americans are seeking work compared to 2007. If you put them back in the rate would be 11%

Why choose 2007? That was a year when Bush was in office...why not 2009?

- There are now fewer payroll jobs than there were in 2000 and now, 40% of those jobs are considered “low paying.”

In 2000 Clinton was president and the US had just experienced the largest peacetime economic expansion in history.

- Regular gasoline per gallon cost $1.68 in January 2009. Today, it’s $3.39 — that’s a 102% increase in just three years.

And?

- Electricity bills have also skyrocketed, with households now paying a record $1,420 annually on average, up some $300.

The price of oil has gone up. Subsequently, the price of other heating materials has also gone up. A good question might be why has the Republican Congress slashed HEAP and other programs to help pay for this increase? Another question would be why the Republicans have been opposing attempts at renewable energy at every step?

- Since December 2008, food-stamp use has increased 46%.

If people are out of work, they might use Food Stamps, don't you suppose? Which reminds me, exactly how many jobs bills were proposed by this Republican Congress that was elected to boost jobs?

- Nearly 20% of males age 25 to 34 now live with their parents.

Yes, a lot of home owners were financially neutered by the crash of the housing market. If these males were banks and investment firms, they would have been bailed out, but they're just people so they were left on their own.

- America’s annual budget has jumped to $3.8 trillion — and yet the United States brings in only about $2.1 trillion in revenue.

Yes, we've been trying to raise revenue in this country, but every time that word comes up the Republicans want to talk about something else. Anyway, Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, so talk to them.

- America’s total public debt stands at $15.23 trillion; in January 2009, the debt was $10.62 trillion.

How much of that comes as a result of TARP and huge giveaways to the banks and the wealthy?

- Obama is on pace to borrow $6.2 trillion in just one term — more debt than was amassed by all presidents from Washington through Bill Clinton combined.

No, the United States is on pace to borrow $6.2 trillion in one 4-year period. Again, talk to Congress.

- The debt is rising by $4.2 billion every day — $175 million per hour, nearly $3 million per minute.

See above.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

But would it be accurate to say that this was a dues payed trip to DC, where I would guess that many of the delegates did happen to drop in on their <strike>employees</strike> legislators?

No, it would not be accurate, because this isn't a dues paid trip either (which is a stupid phrase anyway). They are paying their own way. The event itself is hosted by the NEA. How they're paying for the event is up to them. Maybe they have a grant from a foundation to hold the convention.

It's also unlikely that they're going to see their legislators either, since they'll be home <del>campaigning</del> celebrating the July 4th holiday.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

Very good op-ed from an unlikely source.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

The true state of the union

Yes, 28 years of neglect and greed destroyed the country's economy. Good to see conservatives have finally realized the true legacy of their supply-side policies and the rigging of governance to solely benefit a plutocracy.

 

[pirate]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

and the current infrastructure and curriculum was built by people who have spent more time trying to reshape education than deliver it.

The most common chorus I hear from educators about the old days is how restrictive it was and how it hurts kids to make them learn. I completely disagree. But, god forbid we segregate kids by ability and desire, which is all most private schools do. And not all private schools cater exclusively to the rich and famous.

If it was a pie chart the lack of performance would certainly have big wedges for bad parenting and kids with no interest (parenting again).

From Google: 14,000 school districts in US

Median salary of a school superintendent $74k.

That is a disaster.

who benefits the most? the teachers and administrators unions...guaranteed jobs while continuing to produce worsening results.

I went on one of the school administrators websites...when is the national convention? February. Not July. Right in the middle of the school year. Everybody fly to Arizona and play golf etc.

I'll look for the agenda but I suspect they guard that stuff closely so the people back home don't find out about the golf and dinners.

Well, let's see, where did I say the NEA was meeting in Arizona? Funny, I don't see that on here. I do see that I clearly stated school administrators and I do see that in a following post I pointed out that the NEA conference was a different time of year. So I guess I didn't say that the NEA was meeting in arizona.

I also didn't say the agenda included golf, that was just a guess based on the season and location.

I'm sure that never entered into the decision making process which is why the next one is probably in Syracuse in February of the next year.

But since we all agree that every one of the 14k school districts have a break in February for a week (that is right, isn't it? I mean if they are on break in your hometown then that must apply across the whole country, right?) then I guess I am wrong because the administrators surely wouldn't have anything to do in their school district if the students are on break. Right?

After working most of the month of January I can understand why they'd need a break, they only get a few hours off for the holidays right?

 

[Priceless]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

 

[pirate]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

No backpeddling here. You intentionally mixed the two posts and parsed them back together implying I said the NEA was in Arizona, when it is explicit that I never said that.

Why don't you try to confuse the point further by rehashing your feeble analogy to defense contractors?

You misquoted me, inserted your opinion and tried to shovel it out...nice try.

Get back to the point...you apparently were defending the performance of our public schools and the money spent on same...have at it.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

Yes, 28 years of neglect and greed destroyed the country's economy. Good to see conservatives have finally realized the true legacy of their supply-side policies and the rigging of governance to solely benefit a plutocracy.

Apart from the split infinitive, your post is 5X5, Mr.Marx. Ron Paul on line 1.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

Why choose 2007? That was a year when Bush was in office...why not 2009?


In 2000 Clinton was president and the US had just experienced the largest peacetime economic expansion in history.


And?


The price of oil has gone up. Subsequently, the price of other heating materials has also gone up. A good question might be why has the Republican Congress slashed HEAP and other programs to help pay for this increase? Another question would be why the Republicans have been opposing attempts at renewable energy at every step?


If people are out of work, they might use Food Stamps, don't you suppose? Which reminds me, exactly how many jobs bills were proposed by this Republican Congress that was elected to boost jobs?


Yes, a lot of home owners were financially neutered by the crash of the housing market. If these males were banks and investment firms, they would have been bailed out, but they're just people so they were left on their own.


Yes, we've been trying to raise revenue in this country, but every time that word comes up the Republicans want to talk about something else. Anyway, Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, so talk to them.


How much of that comes as a result of TARP and huge giveaways to the banks and the wealthy?


No, the United States is on pace to borrow $6.2 trillion in one 4-year period. Again, talk to Congress.


See above.

Mmmmmm, Kool Aid

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...23/bloomberg_articlesLY20WE6K50Z001-LY9YF.DTL

Ruh roh...

 

[Hopkinja]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...23/bloomberg_articlesLY20WE6K50Z001-LY9YF.DTL

Ruh roh...

Red Herring. The White House stated that the pipeline needed more study, not that they would veto it under any circumstance.

Therefore, saying Buffet stands to make more money, is piggybacking a scandal off a specious crisis.

 

[Rimbaud]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

Red Herring. The White House stated that the pipeline needed more study, not that they would veto it under any circumstance.

Therefore, saying Buffet stands to make more money, is piggybacking a scandal off a specious crisis.

You're a conservative, aren't you? How dare you!

 

[Priceless]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

No backpeddling here. You intentionally mixed the two posts and parsed them back together implying I said the NEA was in Arizona, when it is explicit that I never said that.

Why don't you try to confuse the point further by rehashing your feeble analogy to defense contractors?

You misquoted me, inserted your opinion and tried to shovel it out...nice try.

Get back to the point...you apparently were defending the performance of our public schools and the money spent on same...have at it.

I misquoted you?

In one post you complained that teachers were going to Arizona in February (ignoring the fact that there's a holiday and a week off for public schools). Then you posted an agenda in another post, without mentioning that it wasn't in Arizona, and complained about the lack of meetings to do with education. The reason for that is it isn't intended for teachers (a fact you missed or deliberately didn't mention). You also (wrongly) speculated that this was paid for by the taxpayers. Another poster tried to get your back by saying it was paid for with dues (whatever that means) and was an attempt to sway Congress but I've shown that they have to pay their own way and Congress will be out of session at that time. And, by the way, what's wrong with a group of school teachers meeting with Congress?

As for our public schools, the vast majority of them turn out perfectly good young adults. Of course, many of those schools need a lot of structural maintenance but that would require money, and Tebow knows we can't raise revenues.

Thousands of Lower Hudson Valley children attend aging public schools with poor air quality, leaking roofs, crumbling walls, ancient boilers or insufficient fire safeguards. The revelations of these hazards come in school inspection reports obtained by The Journal News that show one in three buildings in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam's 54 school districts received unsatisfactory ratings this year. According to a Journal News analysis, the cost of repairs to all 456 buildings could exceed $1 billion over the next five years.

Building lapses run the gamut from evidence of vermin to exposed electrical wires, and are prevalent in rich and poor districts alike.

"No one wants to spend money, understandably, but many schools are in tough shape and the public needs to know," said Russell Davidson, president and managing partner of KG&D Architects in Mount Kisco, a firm that inspected more than a dozen local districts.

Nationwide, the problem of aging public schools has worsened, with $270 billion now needed to catch up on deferred maintenance and make necessary repairs.

 

[joecct]

Re: Obama XXII: Occupy the White House

I misquoted you?

In one post you complained that teachers were going to Arizona in February (ignoring the fact that there's a holiday and a week off for public schools). Then you posted an agenda in another post, without mentioning that it wasn't in Arizona, and complained about the lack of meetings to do with education. The reason for that is it isn't intended for teachers (a fact you missed or deliberately didn't mention). You also (wrongly) speculated that this was paid for by the taxpayers. Another poster tried to get your back by saying it was paid for with dues (whatever that means) and was an attempt to sway Congress but I've shown that they have to pay their own way and Congress will be out of session at that time. And, by the way, what's wrong with a group of school teachers meeting with Congress?

As for our public schools, the vast majority of them turn out perfectly good young adults. Of course, many of those schools need a lot of structural maintenance but that would require money, and Tebow knows we can't raise revenues.

Another case of kicking the infrastructure can down the road.

It's nobody's fault and everyone's. To solve it will take a massive $$ outlay and this, like crumbling water and sewer lines, roads and bridges, and other public buildings can't be ignored for much longer.