tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post113838979690768722..comments2023-11-02T07:44:14.413-05:00Comments on Progressive Advocacy: Rich are getting richer; the rest are getting byDan Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07467295534995212259noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1140986266381761162006-02-26T14:37:00.000-06:002006-02-26T14:37:00.000-06:00Hello,I am writing to tell you that your site is m...Hello,<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>I am writing to tell you that your site is most impressive! I would like to become a member. Maybe you add some mailing list later on:)<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><A HREF="http://www.dealking.com" REL="nofollow">cash back</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1138927371497276002006-02-02T18:42:00.000-06:002006-02-02T18:42:00.000-06:00Higher education isnt the problem. It is early chi...Higher education isnt the problem. It is early childhood eduaction through highschool that matters the most in reproducing poverty.<BR/><BR/>Higher education is great, but right now too many people go to college who shouldnt or who should at least be learning practical skills. In our society, college is used both as a resevoir for surplus labor, and a means of almost arbitrary class differentiation (Just because you graduate from western Mich U doesnt mean you work any harder or are any smarter than someone who doesnt go to college - but you probably make more - sorry for my snobbery).<BR/><BR/>CF, even you should understand that college isnt overpriced based on easily available gov loans. It is just the right price, as it would be if it were cheaper because there was less money to borrow to go. That is price theory in action. Nor Dan, does the high price really preclude people form going if the want to, as it is one of the few thing easy to borrow money for, becasue it does get you 20K more a year once you get out for doing teh same bullshit. By age 18, peoples' fates have been sealed, so the price of University is kind of a non-issue in my book.<BR/><BR/>Now getting decent teachers and textbooks for 4th graders, that is the issue. And the #1 concern of anybody who isnt a bigot should be equalizing spending between districts and doing away w/ property tax based funding. It is racist, and it proves the myth of equal opprtunity and even playing fields in our country. It is one of our greatest shames.lazerlouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11764179345327895438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1138741168294563612006-01-31T14:59:00.000-06:002006-01-31T14:59:00.000-06:00I would raise the exemption amount from $25,000 to...I would raise the exemption amount from $25,000 to more like $60,000 which was actually Wesely Clark's number for exempting people for Federal Tax - a level I like better. It does require the tax rate to be progressively tiered, especially for the top 1% and .5% in order to afford those measures that give relief to the poor and low-to-mid middle class.dorianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08284768741610154852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1138644747786887762006-01-30T12:12:00.000-06:002006-01-30T12:12:00.000-06:00Bill, I'm all for abolition of property tax based ...Bill, <BR/>I'm all for abolition of property tax based school funding (although I imagine you are for abolition of property taxes, period), but what will converting each school into an independent charter do for anyone, other than continue to punish the poorest communities?<BR/><BR/>The real answer is to not just abolish property tax based school funding, but to radically increase school funding and equalize it. All schools not just in Illionis, but around the country should be like New Trier, with PhDs making over $100,000 per year.<BR/><BR/>How to do this? How about an constitutional amendment to gurantee a right to a education? The the 14th amendment would apply across the country, not just within a certain city (if you didn't know, segregated unequal schools only run afoul of the 14th amendment insofar as they exist within the same city/school district - it ends at the suburban border)<BR/><BR/>What we need is for our federal governemnt to stop enriching evil defense interests and waging bogus wars and taking that money and investing it in education our youth. Hell a 25% cut in defesne spending could easily fund all schools to the level that New Trier enjoys (this is speculation, but I'll be its not far off)<BR/><BR/>Public schools need more money for better facilities and more importantly better teachers. I went to new trier, and even it could use better teachers. But until some elite scholar can justify going to work as a teacher instead of a anker, we are doomed.<BR/><BR/>The real point is Dan, thatdepite your almost naive call for justice, the powers that be keep the poor poor for a reason. Our labor and consumption patterns are predicated on fairly severe class differentiation. Bottom line, the republicans have a vested nterest in keeping the poor uneducation and downtrodden - it is more profitable for the ruling class.lazerlouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11764179345327895438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1138566464524915372006-01-29T14:27:00.000-06:002006-01-29T14:27:00.000-06:00We need radicals when you talk schools and educati...We need radicals when you talk schools and education. From Extreme Wisdom's suggestions for a <A HTTP://CAPITALFAX.BLOGSPOT.COM/2005/12/CONTRACTS-WITH-ILLINOIS.HTML HREF="http=" REL="nofollow">Contract with Illinoios:</A><BR/><BR/><EM>A Bold Education/Tax Reform Plan<BR/><BR/>1. Abolition of Local Property tax for schools and education being funded 100% from the State, with an inflation indexed scholarship for each child - chosen by the family<BR/><BR/>2. Abolition of the School District and conversion of every school to an Independent Charter.</EM>Bill Baarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07095486926836836714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836245.post-1138397940382423202006-01-27T15:39:00.000-06:002006-01-27T15:39:00.000-06:00But Dan, the teachers unions are corrupt and bloat...But Dan, the teachers unions are corrupt and bloated, the whole public school bureaucracy is a wasteful joke. Kids are promoted who don't deserve to be, resources wated on those nt fit to take advantage of them. In this ownership society we need more choice! The clear answer is to privatize schooling in its entirety and give public money to private schools, espcially ones run by churches and temples (not mosques though). Vocuchers Dan, vocuhers. If we must give money to the uneducatable, lets make sure it is in the form of a voucher they can use to spend on private school tuition.lazerlouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11764179345327895438noreply@blogger.com