My Beauty Best Teacher

Some days, I am just stunned by what is occurring in America, and that is why sometimes you see some delays in my posts. Today though I am once again spurred into action, no longer stunned by the audacity of the Democrats but rather fighting mad. Earlier this month I wrote in a post:

The Democrat’s healthcare plan does not adequately address concerns for life either. The plan is going to create panels who will evaluate whether or not someone or something should be covered, and this may indeed put pressure on a government that wants to contain costs to not do everything in its power to protect the life of seniors in our society.

Many of Obama's supporters yelled "you lie" at this comment- they were right in a way- the new healthcare plan does not 'adequately address concerns for life', it totally disregards any concerns for life. The new Obamacare plan (or Pelosiplan, or Reidcare, or whatever you want to call all of the Democrat's tyrannical proposals) does indeed have Death Panels in it.

Section 1233 of HR 3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation", authorizes advanced care planning consultations for senior citizens on Medicare every five years, and more often “if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual ... or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility... or a hospice program." During these consultations, practitioners must explain “the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice,” and the government benefits available to pay for such services.

In other words, if you are on Medicare, every 5 years you will sit down with a government bureaucrat who will tell you how much you are costing the healthcare system and tell you about all of the benefits of you just killing yourself and stop being a burden on society. And if you get sick, or ill, or injured, the state will immediately set up a bureaucratic panel to decide whether you are worth keeping alive. Oh, you won't be forced to sit in front of this unelected death panel, who will decide whether you are to live or die, but you will be encouraged to do so by every doctor that you see, and bribed to do so with financial incentives. This will sway many.

It is in the bill. The Democrats are proposing Death Panels! Read the stinking bill yourself- it is there. This isn't propaganda. This isn't "Fox". This is the actual language of the bill. Death panels for old people. How in the world could any person on Medicare even slightly support this bill? How in the world could any person on Medicare support the AARP, which supports this bill? How in the world could anyone on Medicare vote Democrat, who support this bill?

They are going to put in place bureaucrats who may decide you are not worth keeping alive. And I am sure that if you have gotten a lot of medical attention lately you'll be deemed too expensive. And I am sure that if you have voted Republican in your life, you will be deemed too expensive. And I am sure that if you are a 'bad guy'- ie, anyone the Democrats don't like, you will be too expensive to keep alive, and will die, crying out for the medical care that you deserve and can pay for, but denied it by a tyrannical state that is bent on blocking your god-given right to life.

UPDATE: No matter how much you liberals clap your hands over your ears and yell "nananananana", reality does exist. Over at Daily Kos, they write "death panels still don't exist- they're still the idiotic creation of whack-a-doodle Republicans and Fox News". Read the stinking bill. I cited the section above. You can argue about the exact interpretation of that provision, but there is no way to say that talk about death panels is unfair or idiotic.

The truth of the matter is that the main reason why the government is taking over the healthcare industry is to keep down costs. People at the end of their lives cost a lot of money to keep going. Ergo, there is pressure on the government to not do all they can do to keep expensive old people alive.

There is a provision in the bill about end of life counseling. It is not unfair, unreasonable, or idiotic to suggest that that consoling may be a way for doctors to counsel patients to die, saving the system the cost of keeping them alive. In other words, death panels.

You can argue about the meaning of the provision, you can argue about the logic, but to reject engage in liberal behavior and clap your hands over your ears and say it is made-up or idiotic or unfair is simply to be a fool pawn leading our nation to tyranny.

"...NGO's mean well, but are they really welcome by the recipients of their charity?..."-Current TV

In Africa Council:

Libyan Leader Ghadaffi's "king of kings" title is an insult to our African traditions. Before shouting about African unity let Gaddaffi first address the perpetual Arab discrimination of blacks in Libya and other member states of the Arab League...Until then, he remains "king of clowns."...It is time to address the Arab crimes against blacks starting with the story of the biblical Hagar, the trans-Saharan slave trade, the Egyptian exploitation of Nubia, the rape of black women and the imposition of their light-skinned bastard children as religious and community leaders of black Africans, the conflict in Darfur and South Sudan, the maltreatment of the so-called illegal immigrants in Arab states, the marginalized black populace of Arabia, to all the injustices you can think of.

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In the October 29 council hearing, Chancellor Michelle Rhee demonstrated that she violated the law when she laid off hundreds of teachers and school staff. Rhee by her own admission acknowledged that she decided not to adhere to cuts previously approved by the legislative branch of government. Noah Wepman, CFO for DCPS certified the school budget and at no time did Rhee  submit a reprogramming  request to  the DC City Council as required by law when shifting funds. Not unlike Mayor Fenty her boss, Rhee also failed to communicate what she was doing with Chairman Gray or council members. Instead of reducing summer school programs in order to reduce costs- Rhee decided unilaterally to lay off teachers and school staff after hiring 934 new teachers this school year. Many believe that Rhee intentionally over-hired in order to worsen the already growing budget deficit which has now reached a whopping 20 million dollars under her helm. 

Detroit is no longer one of the most dangerous cities in the nation, so it is time to retire jokes like these...

The Detroit Red Wings hear about a young hockey player in Russia who is supposed to be outstanding, so they send one of their scouts to check him out. They end up drafting him and paying a big bonus.

He is suited-up in his first game of the season but the coach has not played him yet, but with 10 minutes left in the game the Wings are down 4 to 0 so the coach says,"what can I lose" and sends him in. He scores 5 goals and the Wings win 5 to 4.

After the game he gets on the phone to his Mother and says, " Mom I just want to share my game with you. I scored 5 goals and we won and the coach loves me, the fans love me and Detroit loves me!"

His Mom says, " Nice for you that you are having such fun playing your games, but let me tell you about my day. Your father was shot out in the street; your sister and me were ambushed and robbed, and your young brother has joined a gang of looters!"

Her son says, "Mom, I'm really sorry!" and his Mother says, "You should be sorry, it's all your fault! You are the one who moved us to Detroit in the first place!"

In Bizcommunity

The African Film Library, launched on Wednesday, 23 September 2009, consists of award-winning works from more than 80 filmmakers including Senegalese Ousmane Sembene and Djibril Mambety, Yousef Chahine from Egypt, Kwaw Ansah from Ghana and Haile Gerima from Ethiopia...The online library aims to create a new audience for existing and emerging African filmmakers through the digital archive of the continent's cultural cinematic heritage, and making African artists' works easily accessible via the internet to a wide viewership around the worldwide.

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No TRO For WTU, Yet

"The Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) failed today in its bid to secure a court order barring the District from formally discharging the 266 public school instructors and staff it laid off Oct. 2. But a D.C. Superior Court judge left the door open to taking action next week.

The educators have been on administrative leave, collecting salary and benefits for the last month, but are scheduled to be dropped from the city payroll this coming Monday.

WTU has sued, arguing that the action was an illegal mass firing and not, as the District contends, a budget-driven reduction in force. The union wants a permanent injunction that reinstates the teachers and returns them to the classroom while the matter goes before an arbitrator.

But an initial hearing on the suit is scheduled for Nov. 5, three days after the final ax drops on the teachers. Union attorney Lee Jackson asked D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff for a temporary restraining order (TRO) compelling the District to keep the teachers on the payroll, arguing that once the teachers are off the books, it would be far more difficult to force the District to return them to their jobs.

Bartnoff wasn't buying, however, telling Jackson that keeping the teachers on leave status would not make any material difference to District schoolchildren, who have been without their services since Oct. 2.

"If you were a student at Spingarn High School when teachers were let go on Oct. 2, the reality [now] is no different than it will be next Monday," she said during the 90-minute mid-morning hearing.

Bartnoff was also more than a bit annoyed with Jackson for the union's decision to wait until this week to file for the TRO, when it had known for a month that the teachers would receive their final discharge on Monday, and the Nov. 5 hearing date had been set without objection.

"You could have asked the court to have a hearing...prior to Nov. 5. You never did," she told told Jackson.

The District's attorney, Robert Utiger, said that the machinery of discharging the teachers from the payroll was complicated and time consuming. At this point, he said, the process was far enough along that a restraining order would make little difference. In other words, restoring the teachers to the rolls would be no more difficult after Nov. 2 than it is now.

After hearing that, Bartnoff said she would consider the TRO and the permanent injunction together at next week's hearing. But she extracted a commitment from Utiger that the District would not use the passage of the Nov. 2 deadline as an argument against restoring the teachers to the payroll if that's what she ordered.

And she added: "The District should be prepared for the possibility that the teachers be put back on the rolls." Bill Turque

Posted by The Washington Teacher, featuring Candi Peterson - blogger in residence, story courtesy of DC Wire.

This just in- the Washington Teachers Teachers Union Temporary Restraining Order was denied in court on October 28 by Judge Judith Barnoff of DC Superior Court.

Two years ago I exchanged emails with the managing editor of the Detroit Free Press. The topic of our discussion was the Free Press coverage of the Middle East conflict, specifically the situation where Hezbollah shot rockets into Israel and Israel responded, but as our email exchange went on, the topic widened to a larger discussion about the Detroit Free Press' bias with its reporting.

My overall point was that the Free Press was promoting only a liberal agenda in its pages, and was slanted heavily to the left, and that that would hurt the Free Press and it would have to cut service and lower its quality, and I didn't want that. Several times in our email exchange I expressed support for the Free Press and dismay that its current policies were going to lead it in the wrong direction. And I was right.

According to editorandpublisher via drudge comes this article (Top 25 Daily Newspapers in New FAS-FA) that points out over the past year that the Detroit Free Press has lost 10% of its customers. It has cut its daily delivery service, cut its comic section, cuts its sports section, and has dropped in paper and color quality. This is in no small part because of its liberal bias, and I predicted it 2 years ago.

When I confronted the editor of the Detroit Free Press with allegations of bias, he responded by rejecting my concerns and dismissing them, claiming that circulation was going up and his paper was becoming more successful. Liberal views do not usually match reality though, and the reality was that his liberal bias was in fact hurting his paper, as I alleged.

Our email exchange was telling. After I alleged bias in the Free Press news coverage, his first reply to me was to shift the blame on to the 'wire services.' He claimed that all his paper was doing was reporting the news, as it was told to them by the AP, and thus his paper had no bias. I told him that it was still his paper, and that if the AP was biased and all he did was repeat their bias, his paper would indeed be biased. I understood he was shifting blame and dodging the issue, and when I confronted him again, his reply was interesting.

He told me:

Neither side likes some of what it hears. We like what the wire services provide to us. Unlike the Internet sites, when our wire services do not make mistakes. There is no more reliable sources for information than the major wire services. You surely are free to believe anything you want to- from some kooky web site if you want- but here at the Free Press, we will stick with the wire services, regardless if you think they are biased.

He went on to justify his decision:

Circulation, by the way, is soaring, and so I don't think we need to change anything about how we run our newspaper.

I guess in retrospect I was right and he was wrong. By running his newspaper the same way, with a firm liberal bias and a reliance on liberal wire services like the AP and Reuters, the Editor of the Detroit Free Press choose to take his newspaper in the wrong direction and drive away customers. I guess I'm just confused why.

Salisu Suleiman writes:

The crux of this piece is this: though the military claim to have relinquished power to democratically elected leaders in Nigeria, the fact is that they have remained firmly in control. They may not hold the horns of the political cow any longer, but they sure are milking it. In every key office in Nigeria today, you are likely to find a serving or ex military person. On the chairs and boards of major companies are former soldiers. On the thrones of powerful institutions are retired military officers.
It was said that the world domination that Japan failed to achieve militarily, it achieved by economic means. In the same way, the continued domination of Nigeria that the military could not sustain with their guns, they have succeeded in executing, sublimely, through the subtle pseudo-democracy they have installed in Nigeria. This has given them control of the key indices of political and economic power in the country.

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Rhee's IMPACT = (Equals)

Over and over when debating Obamacare supporters I hear the claim that the number one reason why government needs to take on a massive new expensive role in healthcare is because it has become too expensive. These Obamacare supporters think adding more government to the equation will make healthcare less expensive. They are so wrong.

The reason why healthcare is expensive is because of government. Adding government to healthcare in the past has resulted time and time again with a higher cost for healthcare. Government is the problem, not the solution. And this is not just rhetoric- the evidence and data supports the conclusion that adding more government involvement and interference in the private industry of our nation's healthcare has made it much much more expensive.

Presidential-candidate Harry Browne wrote about this back in 2002. He wrote:

It may be hard to believe, but back in the 1950s health insurance cost just a few dollars a month for most people -- and it was available to virtually everyone, including people with pre-existing conditions. The percentage of people covered grew steadily from the 1940s. And by the early 1970s, almost all Americans were covered by some form of insurance. Then the politicians went to work to load up policies with mandatory coverage of all sorts of conditions that may be of no use to you. More and more people decided that insurance had become too expensive and decided to risk being uninsured. By the 1990s coverage had dropped to under 70% of Americans.

In addition, many employers decided health coverage was too expensive. In 1980 fully 97% of the companies with 100 or more employees provided medical coverage. By 1995, only 77% were doing so. The growing number of uninsured people gives politicians more ammunition for more programs to force more costs onto insurance companies, and to push the price of insurance still higher.

Once again, the politicians are seizing the opportunity to save us from their own handiwork.

Over and over it is demonstrated that when government becomes more involved in an industry, that industry becomes less efficient, less responsive to market forces, and services suffer while prices go up. That is why our founding fathers designed a system where government would not have the authority to even think about doing what it does today- they knew that having government run health insurance companies, auto companies, banks, home loan companies, alternative energy companies, and all the other companies that the government now runs would only result in a poorer society.

Government is the reason why healthcare is expensive- the solution is in every way possible less government. Not a lot more government, not a little big more government, not even the same amount of government- the solution to healthcare costs is less government. LESS GOVERNMENT.

KenyanPundit dissects the Mo Ibrahim Prize covered earlier and offers alternative methodologies:

...any organization that is trying to do any serious work around leadership in Africa has make young people the core of any programming. Otherwise you haven’t looked the demographics of Africa yet and seriously thought about the implications. Convincing the Mugabe’s of the world to step down, is only part of the problem – you have to ask who is replacing the old guard? Is there a pipeline? Are the replacements different? Or are they just a younger, hungrier, more cynical version of the same (see Kenya’s parliament today).
I see that your foundation does offer scholarships to rising leaders, that’s a good start. But if the intention is to grow leaders at home, I would offer scholarships to enable students to attend local institutions as well.

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As the Detroit News states, the fight over Michigan's school funding escalated Friday as Gov. Jennifer Granholm ordered educators to help persuade state lawmakers to raise taxes to avoid the surprising and drastic cuts to education that she recently made.

Within hours teachers and school employees around the state began to receive demands from MEA union bosses and school district superintendents calling for taxes to be raised. The line was parroted rapidly around the state- very soon after Granholm issued this order to educators, the Democrat's talking points were churning out over the email systems around this state.

One email sent to every employee in the district said this "the Governor had no choice but to reduce funding to schools"- which is a debatable point and one that both sides could argue, but school districts parrot out to their employees as a fact beyond repute.

Another email sent to every employee in another district said this "All of the insiders know that the Michigan law forces the Governor to make cuts to education"- always a good liberal talking point, the fact that 'everyone knows' especially those with 'insider knowledge' that we need to raise taxes, while all of the rest of us in the real world without hidden revealed knowledge about the secrets to the world go about working and paying taxes. As if poor Granholm had no other options- she couldn't cut her pet projects like lattes for movies stars or windfarms for connected friends or even the extensive staff for her husband.

From a district out of Wayne County comes this email from a superintendent "We must unite and demand more revenue sources for the state- contact your lawmakers and demand that they fulfill their obligations to Michigan's schools and raise taxes." Yup, that's right boys and girls, your taxpayer money is going to public employees who use that money to contact other public employees who then will demand more taxpayer money to provide more funds for more public employees to demand more of your money.

Granholm gives talking points out and the army of public employees move. The fight indeed escalates. Which side are you on?

UPDATE: In reply to all the nasty emails asking me which side I am on, I again quote Reagan- a rising tide floats all boats. Cutting taxes encourages prosperity, which leads to higher revenues to government, which leads to more funds for teachers, which leads to higher pay and better job security. So I ask you teachers out there- which side are you on?

Republican Engler cut taxes and put in place conservative policies- your pay went up and jobs were secure. Democrat Granholm raised taxes and put in place liberal policies- your pay went down and jobs became less secure. Results matter more than ideologies- teachers need to reject these marching orders and start looking out for themselves and vote Republican.

Fela the musical arrives on broadway:

On October 16, 2009 there were parents, teachers and school staff who testified about the recent DC Public Schools layoff fiasco. What topped the list was the testimony by McKinley students, staff and parents about the infamous Principal David Pinder , new leader from Baltimore, Maryland. The October 16 council hearing was shown as recently as yesterday evening on DC television and also is available on the DC city council website. The council hearing set a record and lasted from 10:00 am on Friday and went until 4:00 am on Saturday. 

From their Site

The Achebe Center will build a world class institution that serves a new generation of African writers; encourages literary/cultural entrepreneurship; positions our literature in its appropriate place in world literature; and always serves the highest of ideals and ideas. Our current projects include facilitating events featuring visiting writers, artists and scholars; publishing books and chapbook; facilitating writer/artist residencies, projects and collaborations; the creation of a new low-residency creative writing program; and more.

The sense of desperation and frustration and impending doom is hanging in the air. The election of Obama did indeed bring radical change to our nation, a change that it may never recover from. It isn't just the crushing and mind-numbing debt load, the nationalization of key industries like the auto industry and the banking industry, the attempt to implement drastic energy control and tax laws, the utter and total disregard for the Constitution, and the daily drama and crisis. It is the attempt to do more and more, including taking over the healthcare industry.

At each step, freedom loving patriots attended tea parties, rallies, marches and town hall meetings in order to peacefully express our unwillingness to be exploited by the power-grabbers in the federal government. Letter-writing and phone calls were made. On radio and television, the case is made to combat each enlargement of the state in our lives.

And at every step, we were derided and ignored. Our thoughts and beliefs were not listened to and plans were not adjusted accordingly- instead, under the most divisive and partisan President in our history, leading the most divisive and partisan and bitter party in the history of party politics, our country has sprinted to tyranny and change.

And many out there are getting close to the breaking point. The 2010 elections can't come fast enough, even though we all know that when the time comes, election fraud will be rampant and the reality that we are living in a nation of men who rule based on corruption and vote-buying will be sadly revealed to us. We hope beyond hope, and all the while grow more and more scared and depressed.

I was reading an interesting blog today called Thought You'd Never Ask, and the author wrote:

Now perhaps it is time for dissenters to move into the second phase of the tea parties--where the tea actually gets dumped into the drink. Perhaps it is time to make ourselves not be so easily dismissed. Perhaps it is time to become more of a force to be dealt with.

Some are saying they will end withholding on their federal income taxes--creating an immediate drop in tax revenues that, if enough citizens participate in, cannot be ignored. Some are saying it is time to emulate the left's street-theater tactics: becoming a law enforcement (and hence a time- and money-consuming) problem by obstructing roads, being chained to railings, clogging the jails and the courts in Washington D.C., and what not. I am certainly not expert on such things, having never cared to study the methods of civil disruption as Bill Ayers and his ilk have. I have always considered such things to be beneath my notice as a good citizen. But perhaps the time has come to study the principles and tactics of civil disobedience and even adopt them as the last resort of self defense and achieving true justice.

Perhaps some people should break into Acorn buildings. Or spray-paint "Government Theft" on anything the federal government pays for that is clearly an unConstitutional or boondoggling use of taxpayer funds. I know there are a lot of people out there more clever than I am who can do something productive.

After all, it seems that most dissent against the government is about to be outlawed anyway. That is the leftist plan: make so many laws and vague, obscure, poorly-written regulations against regular citizens that they cannot live as law-abiding citizens anymore, even if they wanted to. And so it becomes a civil war to preserve our rights and our country that even little old suburban "soccer moms" like me have to eventually enlist in.

I keep hoping to wake up from this appalling nightmare, but it seems the ghouls in Washington are real. Our fellow Americans, sent to Washington to represent and protect our best interests, really do want to rob, impoverish, and enslave us and bankrupt our country.

The revolution is brewing, ladies and gentlemen.

So what happens when you mix a little government in with our healthcare system? Maybe a little bit of sparks? But when you mix a lot of government in, watch out! (the analogy sucks, but the video is short and funny- holy smokes!)

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu writes in African Arguments:

There are two ways to kill in human community: you can kill a human being or you can kill the citizen. The first is biological; the second is sociological but no less real. The former is called homicide; the latter is civicide. Both are wrong, unlawful, and criminal. In addition, civicide is an egregious act of abuse of power.
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Photo courtesy of AllAfrica

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Updated Message! 

 

 

Affected teachers and other DCPS employees can retain the law firm of

Joseph, Greenwald and Laake, P.A.

to file for a temporary retraining order against their pending termination

from DCPS due to an alleged RIF

 

Three hundred eighty-eight (388) affected DCPS teachers and other employees will no longer be employees of DCPS as of November 2, 2009. Unbeknownst to teachers, the legal filings of their representative, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), did not request a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). WTU President, George Parker reported that a preliminary injunction has been scheduled for November 5, 2009 at our most recent Thursday, WTU executive board meeting on October 22. Also see DC Wire link on the WTU amended lawsuit:  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2009/10/wtu_amends_suit_district_holds.html

The purpose of seeking legal representation is to attempt to obtain a TRO.  The WTU’s court case filed promises a hearing after the affected teachers’ date of termination in 2010.  This strategy ensures one fact: teachers and other DCPS employees will be fired effective November 2, 2009 and will be fighting to get their jobs back.  Some legal experts consider “fighting from the bottom” a disadvantage in this type of case as courts often are more reluctant to reinstate individuals than to provide them legal relief if they are still in their positions. 

 

Nathan Saunders, WTU General Vice President, Candi Peterson, Blogger in residence at The Washington Teacher and rank and file union members make no statements concerning the WTU’s actions other than the facts herein.  Approximately sixty affected teachers and other affected employees had an exhaustive meeting with Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. to discuss legal options this past week. It is paramount that affected employees assist in the success of this endeavor by ensuring maximum participation of affected employees. Time is of essence, as failure to participate and not enough preparation time ensures that nothing will happen.

Interested parties are encouraged to visit the website of the law firm to explore its history, experience and activities particularly in employment law at jgllaw.com.   Should you need to discuss this matter further, please contact Nathan Saunders on 202-213-7081 or Candi Peterson at 301-613-6092.  You may also email me c/o saveourcounselors@gmail.com  with your name and telephone contact information if you are desirous of getting additional information. This TRO is available to other RIF'd employees. Feel free to spread the word.

Posted by the Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence 

Via The World According to Me I stumbled across this video called Make Mine Freedom. "Make Mine Freedom" is the name of a 1948 cartoon produced by Harding College to illustrate some of the good aspects of our American way of life and the perils it faces. It features one "Doctor Utopia" and his miraculous formula "Ism", which promises all things to all people, but ends up bringing nothing but slavery. There are some really good lines in there once it gets going, and the surprising thing is that a 1948 cartoon actually starred our very own President as Doctor Utopia!

Douglas Southgate and Caroline Boin write

When food does not cross borders, hunger does. Politicians and experts meet in Rome this week at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to address “How to Feed the World in 2050,” building up to World Food Day on Friday. But famine looms right now in Kenya, Ethiopia and their neighbours, as many governments continue to reject the UNFAO's recipe for success: free trade in food.

More here

Absolute madness. According to the Detroit News, Democrats in the United States House of Representatives are close to passing a health care package. At the cost of $871 billion dollars, it would create a government-run insurance company that would provide taxpayer-subsidized health insurance to millions of Americans (not those already on Medicaid), raise taxes on those families at the top income bracket, impose an array of new regulations on private insurers, and strip the industry of its long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws.

No, no, no, no, no, no!

First no- the cost. The federal government is broke and does not have the money for this plan. That means they will borrow money from China, pay China interest on that money every day, never pay off the principle balance, and mortgage more of our children's future.

Second no- government-run companies? Seriously? I thought we learned over and over again that creating government run companies does not work- they are inefficient, corrupt, and provide poor services.

Third no- providing more health insurance coverage for those too rich for Medicaid? Really? Why didn't they just expand Medicaid, or some other government program, to cover more people? Then at least we could have had a sensible debate about the merits of the proposal. Instead we have to now create more new bureaucracies.

Fourth no- raising taxes? Raising taxes on the top income bracket is usually a very politically controversial issue- how are the Democrats hiding this in a healthcare proposal? What isn't in this bill? Raising taxes on those who are successful and prosperous is not going to make our nation a better place. Taking their wealth just because they make more wealth is not moral. There is no justification for it in this proposal, other than 'because we can take it and they have it'- and that line of logic is tyranny.

Fifth no- impose new regulations on companies? That is not going to make health insurance cheaper. I don't understand this at all- health insurance companies are struggling to keep costs down and the federal government is going to come along and kick them in the shins and impose new costly regulations on them? That is going to drive up the costs of health care coverage for you. You personally are now going to have to pay more money for the current service that you are receiving. That is not a way to help out.

Last no- strip the industry of its long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws? So the thinking of Democrats in Congress, including my Congressman, is that by having people sue insurance companies more often for alleged lack of coverage or service will drive costs of healthcare down? Bizzaro world strikes again! Up is down, right is left, good is bad! Instead of putting in place tort reform and limiting trivial lawsuits, the Democrats doubled-down and said 'more lawsuits'! Wow.

This is pure and utter madness. Oppose with money, votes, phone calls, and visits. Start prepping for the revolution. Madness and tyranny are on the march.

In the Fenty/Rhee graveyard lies the bones of many terminated employees including competent DC teachers. Will you be next ?

James Hudnall , in a recent article over at Big Hollywood, wrote that in the 1960s a generation of young people dissatisfied with the status quo decided they wanted to change society for that they felt was the better. They resented the culture of the time and began a movement that they referred to as “counter-culture.”

But today, the 'establishment' is not the restrictive, conservative white-picket fence war hero's of the '50's- rather, today the 'establishment' are the hippies- those war-dodging self-righteous selfish types who spend their days lecturing others about being more friendly to the environment or to make peace not war or other meaningless garbage. Look around, the entertainers on TV, the comics in the clubs- the culture of the day is left, even though the nation is right. Heck, even “The Man” is a lefty tyrant!

So what then is the new counter culture? It is those people who love liberty and freedom- the new counter-culture are those people who have been raised on the soaring rhetoric of the Bible and the Declaration of Independence- the new rebels are the old rebels once again, those who fight against tyranny and oppression again.

The real change in our society, the real difference makers, are the youths who are out there at Tea Party's across the nation. Those who are going to shake the world and make a difference are not Harvard-educated community organizers committed to spending money they don't have on social re-engineering schemes, but those entrepreneurs who are standing up at town halls and yelling 'freedom'.

The new counter culture, ladies and gentlemen, is liberty.

Rohini Nilekani of the Argyam foundation writes(PDF):

When citizens who are economically and politically weak are not fluent in reading math,they are open to terrible exploitation from those who benefir from the asymmetry of information. Yet,it is easier now than ever before to help remedy this,even where education systems appear broken. We are witnessing the rapid expansion of communication networks that flatten hierarchies and allow disruptive change. We can now imagine that the unexpressed wisdom resident in so many disconnected people will find voice through new media,provided citizens can participate meaningfully.

via Partnership for Higher Education in Africa

The Michigan Education Association endorsed Jennifer Granholm, and backed her campaigns with energy, money, and support. And in return? Falling salaries, threatened healthcare, and a pension that is under attack. And even though teachers are vocally against Republicans, they are forced to watch their endorsed politician cut funds for education that Republicans worked hard to solve.

This is why every teacher should vote Republican in 2010 and 2012- a rising tide floats all boats and the only thing that truly matters in life is results. Granholm may talk a good game, and may honestly want to help out teachers with her policies, but the reality is that by voting for Granholm and supporting Democrats like her in Michigan's government, teachers have hurt themselves in every way possible.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, whom teachers all across the state passionately support, slashed funding from education today. Teachers need to wake up and vote the right way next election- vote Republican.

In my lecture on the pros and cons of federalism, I talk about how one of the greatest benefits of having a federal system is that states can experiment with policies and if they are bad policies only that particular state will suffer and not the whole nation. If states raise speed limits to 70, is there an increase in traffic deaths (no). If states legalize gambling, will it raise crime rates (no). Etc. Because of federalism, states can try out different ideas and policies on major issues facing our nation today- gay marriage, legalized pot, assisted suicide, etc- and if those policies work, other states can copy them, and if they don't, other states will not have suffered by our whole nation trying those policies. This is one of the major benefits of federalism. And we are ignoring it in the healthcare debate.

Peter Suderman, writing for the Wall Street Journal, points this out in his very good article "The Lesson of State Health-Care Reforms" where he argues that all of the major provisions of ObamaCare already have been tried in the states, and in each case, they've led to increased costs and reduced access to care.

Like participants in a national science fair, state governments have tested variants on most of the major components of the health-care reform plans currently being considered in Congress. The results have been dramatically increased premiums in the individual market, spiraling public health-care costs, and reduced access to care. In other words: The reforms have failed.

In his article, he talks about New York's guaranteed coverage regardless of prior condition policy and community ratings that don't take into account health policy, and judges them as an absolute failure. He looks at Massachusetts and find that states plan a failure. Maine offered a plan similar to the one that the Democrats are proposing the US do- it was a total failure. As was Tennessee's TennCare plan, which worked so poorly that it soon faced bankruptcy.

The point is that Obama and the Democrats are going to do things to our nation that have failed, failed badly, and failed consistently in every state where they were attempted. And they will fail again when the whole nation implements them. And then the Democrats will run around blaming everyone else for their failed policies and put in place more failed policies that will only hurt the nation more. That's Michigan's experience, and I suggest that you look to states like ours to see what happens when you put an inexperienced leader in charge who talks about change and hope but in reality only taxes and regulates until there are no more jobs left.

In Africa Works:

City scenes are a minor note in Tingatinga style, but the current I am most drawn to since I think the energy and improvisational flair of African urban life is often neglected in the obsessive concern among do-gooders for the social and physical shortcomings of these crowded, disorderly places.

Watch related video here

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If you talk to Americans, most of them loved the Cash for Clunkers program, and support similar programs. But a further evaluation of this program proves that in the end, it achieved little good at great cost. John Stossel evaluated the program in a recent column on Real Clear Politics:

"The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups."

If you only look at the immediate effects, Cash for Clunkers appears pretty good. People traded in gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient new cars. The program cut carbon emissions slightly and gave the auto industry a boost.

"Manufacturing plants have added shifts and recalled workers. Moribund showrooms were brought back to life, and consumers bought fuel-efficient cars that will save them money and improve the environment," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood bragged. American consumers and workers were the clear winners thanks to the Cash for Clunkers program."

But wait. Shouldn't that be some consumers and some workers? And only in the short run?

Let's start at the beginning. The government paid car owners to trade in their old cars, which will be destroyed. But the government is running a deficit. So it doesn't have $3 billion to hand out. It must borrow the money, which reduces the amount of money for other investments. Moreover, the government must raise taxes in the future to pay back the principal and interest -- or the Federal Reserve will monetize the debt through inflation. Either way, we pay.

That isn't all. Those car buyers were either going to trade in their used cars soon or they weren't. If they were, Cash for Clunkers simply moved up the schedule. The stimulation of the auto industry occurred earlier. Big deal. But if buyers planned to keep their cars longer, the program imposed costs that are less visible. Without the government incentive to buy cars, consumers would have bought other things -- computers, washing machines, televisions. The manufacturers and sellers of those products didn't get to make those sales. Why should the auto industry get privileges at the expense of others?

Then there are the mechanics who would have serviced those used cars. They've lost business. Some will be laid off. Nor should we forget low-income people who depend on the used-car market for their transportation. The cheap cars they would have bought were destroyed.

What about the alleged environmental benefits? Assuming that cutting carbon emissions is worthwhile, was Cash for Clunkers helpful? It's hard to see why. People who traded in inefficient cars for efficient ones will likely drive more and therefore use more gasoline. Even if carbon emissions are cut by a lot, economist Christopher Knittel says the program will cost more than $365 per ton of carbon saved.

Finally, there is something revolting about the government subsidizing the destruction of useful things. It reminds me of the New Deal policy of killing piglets and pouring milk down sewers to keep food prices from falling.

Leave it to politicians to think we can prosper by obliterating wealth.

Hat tip to Toxic Taxation for pointing out this article.

You are invited to a special meeting with the law firm of

Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.

A free, two hour consultation has been arranged for DCPS Reduction In Force (RIF) teachers, school counselors and service providers who will be terminated effective November 2, 2009 only. This closed session is for informational purposes only and is being held to ensure that you have an opportunity to discuss your legal rights. Your participation in this legal consultation does not impede representation elsewhere.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 4:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Where: 6404 Ivy Lane
Suite 400
Greenbelt, MD 20770-1417

This is a closed meeting organized by the rank and file union members. An RSVP is required. You may also visit the firms website at http://www.jgllaw.com/

Many teachers/school counselors have wisely sought outside legal counsel to protect their valuable employment rights in addition to their union. You might want to also. Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA has an excellent reputation for handling similar matters.

Feel free to contact Nathan Saunders, WTU General Vice President @ 202-213-7081 or email The Washington Teacher c/o thewashingtonteacher@gmail.com Contact us if we can further assist in this matter.

Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence

In Time Magazine:

Facing power with truth, demanding justice and making change possible are things that are easier said than done. It takes courage, resilience and a belief in one's own voice and truth — qualities that Hadizatou Mani, a woman who was sold as a slave at the age of 12, possesses, not out of her wealth or education but out of her simple and most essential belief in human dignity and women's rights to equality and justice.

More here
Photo courtesy:Win McNamee / Getty

Yesterday Michigan lawmakers passed a school aid budget that slashes per pupil spending by $165, or about 2.3% from last year. That amounts to $2.6 million dollars for a school district like Warren Consolidated Schools. It is going to be devastating- that is a lot of money that school districts are going to be losing.

And yet, have school districts really been good stewards of the money they have already received from the state to teach students? Warren Consolidated Schools last year spent thousands of dollars that they are now desperate to have building a wind turbine for their magnet school in order to better indoctrinate students about green energy.

That's right ladies and gentlemen- even as a teacher it is hard to have sympathy for school districts that are facing horrible cuts to staff and programs when school districts around the state are blowing their money on projects like the Warren Consolidated Schools wind turbine.

And this turbine is not being built to provide cheaper cleaner power to the schools- at the cost of millions it will not even be able to power one single school in the district. Nope, this wasted spending is supposed to help the district with its plans to develop a curriculum on renewable energy for all grade levels starting next school year- and to make room for this curriculum, they have to cut from something- perhaps less science and math.

That's the full picture of what is going on in this nation now- the government kills all other industry in Michigan with high taxes, sends that money to school districts to build wind turbines, shoves environmental mythology down students minds, cuts teachers and programs, cries about having no money, and then tries to raise taxes even more.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Mr. David Walsh, Administrative Consultant of Special Programs for Warren Consolidated Schools, at 586-698-4124.