Who will be the next US President?

I have been off the radar for awhile - frustrated with the blog thing I guess.
I have wanted over and over again to write something about the US election that is happening today, but every time I started something I ended up sounding like a ranting lunatic, which I'm not.
But I am frustrated.

• I am frustrated with the process. With politicians being able to stretch facts and outright lie to the people they work for. It just isn't right.
• I am frustrated with conservative politics - with words like "legitimate rape" and "binders full of women."
• I am frustrated with the American public - just watching the politics roll by - repeating sound bites without understanding the consequences.
• I am frustrated with politicians saying they are Constitutionalists - while they take away some one's right to marry who they love because it says so in the Bible (rightly so the Founding Fathers were pretty clear about that whole separation of Church and State thing).
• I am frustrated with liberal politics - for not being better at explaining that economics of the wealthy will not make our lives better.
• I am frustrated with the theory that privatization ... of medicare, of education, of FEMA, of social security, of prisons, of sewage and trash collection ... will solve all our problems.
• I am frustrated with people forgetting that we need the EPA because before regulation companies polluted our water and air and soil.
• I am frustrated because people so soon forgot that unregulated (unethical) business practices led to our financial collapse - the loss of our homes, the loss of our jobs, the loss of our hope.
• I am frustrated because people hate the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare) and they have never even read it.
• I am frustrated that we have allowed our government to define a corporation as a "person" and have in essence destroyed the democratic process.
• I am frustrated that people are using our one and only fundamental right - the right to vote - as a way to suppress one political party from being able to vote.
• I am frustrated that the color of ones skin is still an issue in this election (Colin Powell would NEVER support President Obama if they weren't both black).
• I am frustrated that while the American public is focused on this election, they will not even give the government a second thought until September 2016.
• I am frustrated that billions have been spent this election cycle and there are still children in the US who go to bed with no food.
• I am frustrated that CEOs of the very corporations that destroyed our American dream are getting bonuses worth millions - while the people they "laid off" have no homes.
• I am frustrated that oil companies are still getting millions in tax breaks - along with their millions in profit - while hard working families can't afford to drive to work or heat their home.
• I am frustrated by how many of my students have never read the Constitution.

Overall I guess you could say I am frustrated. Having said that I see patches of bright light and hope in my gray frustration. I am hopeful that President Obama will have 4 more years to undo all the damage that has been done to our country. He will be able to continue to rebuild our reputation abroad, rebuild education, rebuild the housing market, rebuild the middle class and the American dream. I am hopeful that women will not allow all that has been gained to be flushed down the drain. I am hopeful that my children will have access to a better education and a brighter future. I am hopeful.

As ugly as it gets - the negative ads, the name calling, the outright lies. This is what democracy looks like. I have to go now - it is time to get to the polls - I am hopeful that I will make a difference and help to build the world I want my children to grow up in.

Jobs Bill, Warren Buffet & Walmart.....Oh My!

I started writing this blog in the car on the way to work this morning, listening to my morning news (wish I had time to sit down the the paper and a coffee, but I generally pick another half hour of sleep over that). It was another interesting day of news. So, I picked three stories I would like to share.

The first is the American Jobs Act. I have not had a chance to read all the text yet and I admit I am getting most of my information at this point from President Obama's Speech and White House Fact Sheet and the news: Construction good for the economy & psyche, Boehner's Response to the Jobs Bill and so on.

So basically what I have gotten from all of this is that the President wants to pass another stimulus package (but we can't call it that anymore). But unlike the 2008 stimulus package that President Bush passed, this one actually seems well thought out and there are provisions in it that may actually stimulate the economy and start to rebuild America (I especially like section 4 of the Jobs Act which relates to states only being allowed to use American iron, steel and manufactured goods when doing public construction jobs), while investing not only in the infrastructure of the country but also the education of our children. Again, I have not read all the details, but what I have read I like. I am saddened by the fact that the Jobs bill will not pass (I know - so why am I reading it? Well, I am just a geek like that). The Republicans can't allow it to pass. If this bill passes and the economy rebounds, they have lost the White House in 2012. Starting in 2010 when Mitch McConnell stated that his top priority is to deny President Obama a second term, Washington has been at a stalemate and nothing has gotten done. But when even Republican Mayors are saying this bill may have some promise - being the party of no may just blow up in their faces.

Which leads me to my next fun fact/observation. In a news report I heard the other day it was stated that 1% of Americans make a million dollars and would fall under the proposed Buffett Rule based on the Op-ed piece that Warren Buffett sent to the New York Times. You will notice that the first link tries to explain why both Warren Buffett and President Obama are incorrect. I will admit I am not an expert on taxes and I really don't understand the difference between an effective rate, an average rate or a marginal rate; and I certainly can't understand why some people pay a 15% tax rate on some of their income and 31% on other parts of their income. But what I do find interesting is that while only 1% of the American public fall in the Buffett rule category, 46% of Congress (139 Republicans and 106 Democrats) fall into this category.

So, my question is: are the Republicans (and the Democrats who are not supporting the bill) digging in their heels because the Buffett Rule would hinder job growth (as John Boehner states) or is it because raising taxes on the wealthy hits too close to home? Is it because it is unfair to the majority of the American people, or is it unfair to the donors of their election campaigns?

So what does all this have to do with Walmart (believe it or not there is a connection). The report I heard today was about the reaction of Mayor Menino, local businesses and consumers to building a Walmart in Boston. Walmart gets a bad rap around America: Why Walmart Does Not Help the Economy, The Walmart Debate and my all time favorite the Lord Waldemart series produced by the Harry Potter Alliance. And while the lawsuits and empty main streets tell a bleak picture, I think people are missing the point. Much in the way that the American Jobs Act includes a component of "made in America," communities across the country need to invest in "made in my community." The WBUR story puts it well - why should we put money in the pockets of people who are not going to spend it in our community? Why should we "import" products from a company housed in another state when we can invest in distributors and such in our own community? And that is the basic problem with our current definition of capitalism today.

When capitalism was "invented" (for lack of a better word), businesses were owner run, which meant the owners lived in the community they served. Therefore they had a vested interest in contributing to the community - they spent their profits in the community, they invested in other businesses in the community, they created jobs in their community (if people work they spend money). The health of the community you did business in had a direct impact on your profits and so you cared. Managerial Capitalism and the resulting multinational corporations destroyed that role of business - they still seek the profit of capitalism but have lost the point that the profit is supposed to go back into the community.

Does this mean that Ford can't do business in China? No, but if a car company is going to do business in China - they should purchase parts for cars sold in China, in China and they should purchase parts for cars sold in America, in America. If Walmart is going to profit off the people of Boston, they should build up the economic stability of Boston. If we returned to the small town capitalism way of doing business we would not need the American Jobs Act. If we were the strong self-sufficient country we were prior the "greed is good" generation business would understand that they need the consumer to survive and consumers would understand that we need successful businesses to survive.

Those are my observations for today ..... until tomorrow: Good Night and Good Luck!

US Education ...... I fear for the future!

Before I get into my tirade about education policy in the US. I just wanted to give some helpful advice to moms of kids starting school for the new year. The best tip I can give you is to properly pack their lunch (and yours): Simple Things to Do to Lessen Back-to-School Stomach Bugs. I had not thought about this, especially with the invention of insulated lunch bags. After all, my mom would send me to school with an egg salad sandwich in a paper lunch bag in June, and I survived!

I would like to start my rant today with a summary of Ron Paul's stance on education (quoted from The Hechinger Report) as he runs for the Republican nomination for President.

Ron Paul: U.S. Representative Paul, of Texas, is a self-proclaimed “homeschooling champion,” even devoting a section of his website to his position on the subject. He supports tax credits for parents who home-school their children and, if elected, promises to “veto any legislation that encroaches on homeschooling parents’ rights.” Paul is for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education—he referred to it as a “propaganda machine” in March—and voted against NCLB in 2001. In a tax credit bill, he once proposed an annual $1,000 tax credit for teachers. Much like Gingrich, Paul is against the federal government giving out student loans for higher education, saying in an interview with MSNBC, “Nobody has a right to somebody else’s wealth. You have a right to your life, you have a right to your property, but you don’t have—education isn’t a right. Medical care isn’t a right. These are things you have to earn.” Paul did later clarify that he was fine with students receiving loans from other sources, such as the schools themselves.

I am amazed and horrified! While I appreciate parents who home-school their children and think they probably do deserve a tax credit for all that work, I also believe there should be standards in place so that we know these children are actually learning their ABCs and 123s. I also think there should probably be some sort of training program to make sure the parents home schooling their children actually are intelligent people who can pass knowledge on to their children.

As for higher education .... I wouldn't be where I am today had I not received my Pell Grant or my (what was called at the time) Educational Incentive Loan (if I graduated from college with a certain GPA it was a grant - if I did not complete college it became a loan ... but we will talk more about this later). And after looking at Ron Paul's biography I would be interested to know whether or not he too benefited from some federal grants and/or loans. While I have to admit that he is correct that education is not a right specified in the Constitution, it is a part of civil society that keeps us one step ahead of the competition. And this is a step we are losing quickly!

However, I recently listened to a report on NPR that the United States has gone from #1 in students who graduate from college to #10. While our high school dropout rates have been declining, our college drop-out rates have been increasing. "For every five students who start in community college, only one finishes within three years, even though community college programs are supposed to be two years or less. The numbers at four year colleges are not much better — only around half the students who enroll manage to get their Bachelors’ degrees in six years." The primary reason for this is money! While the federal government and state governments have been reducing the budgets for state-run institutions and they have been reducing the amount of money available for low-income students ..... tuition at all academic institutions has been increasing.

Since I work at a private university I get the question about tuition all the time: why is it so expensive? Part of the reason is the need for student services. While the report I read, which led me to this blog, says that American high school students are better prepared for college than generations before, I would argue that point. Every freshman class I teach seems to be a little bit more clueless than the class before .... primarily the problems revolve around the ability to write an academic paper and/or think critically. While the international students in my class always have language issues, they can think in a logical manner and make an argument based on facts (they do plagarize more than American students but I have been told that is usually cultural and they are not taught to cite sources). An awful lot of the tuition a student pays where I work goes to student resources like tutors, the learning center and counseling. The other point I always make is that students expect more cool stuff - the latest technology in the classroom, bigger & better dorms, etc. etc. All of those things costs money. But the primary reason for tuition increases at public institutions is lack of federal and state funding.

I DO NOT advocate just throwing more money at public institutions or increasing grants and loans. The system is broken. Colleges get funding based on the number of students they enroll - this translates to Freshmen. Once the students are in the institution, the services or even classes may not be there because there is no consequence to the institution if the student drops out. So, while I fundamentally disagree with everything Ron Paul stands for, I can understand his frustration with the cost of higher education for the government. It is attrocious and it is ridiculous!

We seem to be goverened these days by two political parties .... the party of the system is broken so lets just get rid of the whole thing (whether it is FEMA, EPA, DOE, Welfare, Healthcare) because the government should not be responsible for civil society - clean air, clean water, disaster relief, education, etc. And the party of nothing is wrong so lets just keep putting money into programs that have not necessarily shown positive impact. There has got to be a happy medium. Being able to admit a program doesn't work (such as education and welfare) while still being able to admit that the programs need to work in order for our society to continue. How much better off would our system if higher education be if schools got paid for the number of students it graduated, as opposed to the number of students it gets to walk through the door (if only for one year).

I am worn out from my ranting this evening - so I will save parent involvement in primary & secondary education for another day. I have to go write my syllabus!