Online story: "Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released the following statement late Saturday night: I am disappointed that Republicans are unable to work with us to take a historic step forward that would have dramatically reduced our long-term deficit. We asked Republicans to consider a balanced approach that would have required shared sacrifice, but they would not." -- "disappointed that Republicans are unable to work with us"? Huh? After ignoring Republican input for the previous two years, and having chaos to show for it, Reid is 'disappointed' at Republicans?
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David Plouffe, Emperor O'Bozo's "chief advisor", must have changed his original name from David Phluff.
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Seriously, how can a college graduate equate piling on more debt on top of excessive debt, on top of out-of-control debt, as a means for jumpstarting the economy? On the other hand, maybe Emperor O'Bozo's lack of ability to grasp basic financial tenets is why neither he nor his colleges will discuss his grades. Can we say, "Social promotion"?
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Online story: "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the country is gaining new insights & may soon be safe from (al Qaida) threats." -- The illness is rubbing off on all Emperor O'Bozo's appointees..now Panetta is blowing smoke up our rears!
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Comment on the economy from a fellow BCer: "If it's true that George Bush drove the economy into a ditch then I think it is fair to say that Barrack Obama stripped it and left is sitting on cinder blocks."
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From L-E story: "U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the Atlanta situation (CRCT cheating) was “deeply disturbing,” but he disagrees with people who say a greater emphasis on testing will cause more cheating. " -- Of course, like so many of Emperor O'Bozo's friends, appointees, and advisors, Arne Duncan is from Chicago, and cheating on everything is just a way of life there.
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How can a prosecutor seriously bring Roger Clemens to trial for lying about growth hormone usage? No one died, and no one cares about whether someone lied to a politician.
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It's puzzling that Al Sharpton can come to Atlanta in support of illegal immigrants, but didn't have time (or maybe the inclination) to show up in protest of the Atlanta area CRCT cheating and its effect on children. Could it be as simple as the teachers sre union members?
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I'm still amazed at the findings of the Anthony jury....how could a group of people acquit her on the death of her child because the group didn't feel the prosecutor defined the 'cause of death' (wasn't the death enough), yet convict her of lying when she never took the stand and all statements they convicted her of could be classified as "hearsay" because the jury didn't hear her lie to it?
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From L-E editorial: "Just a couple of days after standardized test scores for the Muscogee County School District showed a gaping achievement chasm between north side and south side schools in Columbus, a meeting at the MCSD Public Education Center focused on family input in children’s education." -- Maybe it's time for the MCSD to toughen up on parents. How about a policy enforcing parent-teacher interaction? Suspend students whose parents do not go to PTA meetings, who do not go to school and meet with their children's teacher in a conference when requested (and require teachers to call for such conferences). This could help eliminate parent apathy, and parent concept that school is 'free' daycare. Oh, one other thing would be for textbooks, particularly math ones, put the whole problem solving process in the text books so parents could actually help their children when the children are struggling.
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From L-E editorial page: "Commentary: Yes, people do want higher taxes * Froma Harrop " -- It's been a while since I've read, much less commented on the camel harrummphh rantings of Froma Harrop, but this was such a red flag, that I couldn't ignore it. "Yes, people do want higher taxes"... she's got to be kidding! Unfortunatly, she has no knowledge of the real world, nor of what people outside her circle actually think/want. I challenge Ms Harrop to produce her last tax forms to show she either overpaid her taxes voluntarily or she didn't take tax deductions that are available for all citizens. Then, I will still challenge her 'poll results'.
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The SPLOST requests for 2009 were for a staggering $223+ million to be collected in 5 years. That amount would have to average nearly $45 million per year, and no SPLOST or LOST has ever exceeded $36 million in any given year since the 1970s. Even generating the maximum of $36 million per year for the 5 year period would have generated only $180 million, nearly $45 million short of the MCSD program list. This was calculated before the actual recession and shortfalls of revenue generated by the SPLOSTs and LOSTs has been addressed. Realistically, the MCSD SPLOST could fall $75 million short of desired revenues. The MCSD should publicly acknowledge this reality, and publish a course of action to make sure all its projects are not started with borrowed or bond moneys with the expectaton that voters will forgive them by voting for another SPLOST to pay off the debt.