Like so many others, I was really peeved at Suzan Hebson and the Township High School District 113 Board of Education for denying the Highland Park High School girls basketball team a chance to compete in tournament held in Arizona. What petty posturing I thought. Until I read this article in the Chicago Tribune which includes the following quote from assistant superintendant Suzan Hebson:
"Since undocumented students may be participating on any of our extracurricular teams, we need to ensure that all of our students can travel safely, especially in the United States."
I am perplexed and my anger is growing. Ms. Hebson's concern evinces her clear understanding that undocumented students is a euphemism for illegal alien!
Why does that understanding not extend to the notion that illegal aliens are at risk no matter where they go in the US precisely because they are, well, ... you know it's coming ... ILLEGAL!
Illinois Township High School District 113 is embracing the notion of and providing sanctuary to illegal aliens and they apparently they don't care who knows.
There are an estimated 20 million illegal aliens in the US which means our politicians have been ignoring this problem for way too long. We need to address the issue now.
In the meantime, if you are like me and inclined to let the Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Ms. Hebson know how you feel, send them an email. Please be polite, but let them know that their decisions have consequences.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Arizona Immigration Law Reasonable - NY Times
OK, so I am a bit concerned that I agree with the New York Times when they declared the recent Arizona immigration law reasonable in their article entitled Why Arizona Drew a Line.
If everyone would simply Read the BILL, I think there would be considerably less confusion and considerably more support.
Perhaps President Obama might support the law, although based upon his appearance at the Correspondence Dinner I seriously doubt it. How can you poke fun at something that has caused such controversy, especially when you are the one that has failed and failed miserably to take action???
Here's Governor Brewer's recent ad telling President Obama that no one's laughing now.
I know, several other presidents have failed to close the borders as well. I am ticked at them too! But Obama is in office and clearly he doesn't think this is such an important issue.
I am not yet of the opinion that we should consider something like Operation Wetback, which was one of the three times in the history of the US that the federal government actually decided that there were too many illegal aliens in the country and went about deporting them! Although, if circumstances continue to deteriorate, if jobs become so scarce, then we may have to consider doing something!!
If everyone would simply Read the BILL, I think there would be considerably less confusion and considerably more support.
Perhaps President Obama might support the law, although based upon his appearance at the Correspondence Dinner I seriously doubt it. How can you poke fun at something that has caused such controversy, especially when you are the one that has failed and failed miserably to take action???
Here's Governor Brewer's recent ad telling President Obama that no one's laughing now.
I know, several other presidents have failed to close the borders as well. I am ticked at them too! But Obama is in office and clearly he doesn't think this is such an important issue.
I am not yet of the opinion that we should consider something like Operation Wetback, which was one of the three times in the history of the US that the federal government actually decided that there were too many illegal aliens in the country and went about deporting them! Although, if circumstances continue to deteriorate, if jobs become so scarce, then we may have to consider doing something!!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Seniority Trumps Competence
New York city schools like many others across our country are bracing for spending cuts. Given their current economic situation, they need to do this to keep from sliding into an economic abyss. But necessity and union rules should not abrogate reason. Cuts should be made with an eye towards the consequences.
Sadly, such is not the case in New York city where layoffs are going to cause the loss of some talented, caring, competent teachers. They will be laid-off because some other teachers who are less competent, less caring and less capable will stay simply because they have more seniority. This is so because the teacher's union who thinks that the most important consideration when deciding who should stay and who should go is who has the most seniority. Competence does not enter into the equation at all!!
Parents should not let this happen!
Sadly, such is not the case in New York city where layoffs are going to cause the loss of some talented, caring, competent teachers. They will be laid-off because some other teachers who are less competent, less caring and less capable will stay simply because they have more seniority. This is so because the teacher's union who thinks that the most important consideration when deciding who should stay and who should go is who has the most seniority. Competence does not enter into the equation at all!!
Parents should not let this happen!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Shared Responsibility
Congress has lied and obscured the facts of their depravity so completely, that I don not think anyone really understands how bleak the the situation really is.
But never fear, Steny Hoyer, the proud Tax and Spend Democratic House Majority Leader wrote today in the WSJ that shared sacrifices are necessary to solve the debt crisis.
Yes we have a debt crisis, but the bigger issue, the one that he and the other progressive nitwits in Congress need to take full responsibility for is their unprincipled, pork laden, unbridled, socialistic SPENDING!
For instance, did you know the following:
$12.9 Trillion in debt – US National Debt Clock
40% of all 2009 income taxes will be applied to pay the interest on our national debt – US National Debt Clock
$700 Billion is the estimated interest payment in 2019 - The Washington Examiner
$108.4 Trillion in unfunded liabilities - US National Debt Clock
$2.7 Trillion state pension liability - The Pew Charitable Trusts
$400 Billion blank check to Fannie and Freddie - Wall Street Journal
300% the increase in the number of dollars in circulation since July 2008, from $800 Billion to $2.4 Trillion - Federal Reserve
17% to 22% true unemployment rate - NY Post
In order to survive, we need across the board cuts of at least 20%, including the total disembowelment of some programs (I would recommend Obama Care and Farm subsidies right off the bat) and we need to do it now!
But never fear, Steny Hoyer, the proud Tax and Spend Democratic House Majority Leader wrote today in the WSJ that shared sacrifices are necessary to solve the debt crisis.
Yes we have a debt crisis, but the bigger issue, the one that he and the other progressive nitwits in Congress need to take full responsibility for is their unprincipled, pork laden, unbridled, socialistic SPENDING!
For instance, did you know the following:
$12.9 Trillion in debt – US National Debt Clock
40% of all 2009 income taxes will be applied to pay the interest on our national debt – US National Debt Clock
$700 Billion is the estimated interest payment in 2019 - The Washington Examiner
$108.4 Trillion in unfunded liabilities - US National Debt Clock
$2.7 Trillion state pension liability - The Pew Charitable Trusts
$400 Billion blank check to Fannie and Freddie - Wall Street Journal
300% the increase in the number of dollars in circulation since July 2008, from $800 Billion to $2.4 Trillion - Federal Reserve
17% to 22% true unemployment rate - NY Post
In order to survive, we need across the board cuts of at least 20%, including the total disembowelment of some programs (I would recommend Obama Care and Farm subsidies right off the bat) and we need to do it now!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The 12 Percent Problem
We are a nation of consumers. Almost 70 percent of our economy is based upon consumerism. From coupon shoppers, to Internet searchers, to barterers, to newspaper sales ad readers, to hagglers, we are a nation of consumers who almost daily exercise our right to find the best deal for our money. So why do we ignore our consumer roots when it comes to purchasing healthcare? According to Real Clear Markets Americans only control 12 percent of their healthcare dollar. The other 88 percent is spent on our behalf.
The current healthcare model is driven by the fact that most of us are only responsible for a relatively small co-pay of twenty or twenty-five dollars. Most of us are so pampered that the doctor's staff is responsible for sending in the paperwork to claim the remainder of their fee for services rendered. Most if not all of us rarely ever notice or care about what the doctor actually charges. We do notice and review our healthcare plan whenever it comes up for renewal. We may even opt to increase or decrease our co-pays or change providers so that we are not even responsible for making co-pay charges. So for most, as long as our co-pays remain manageable, we really don't care about what the doctor actually charges! And therein lies the problem. We act like responsible consumers for our co-pays and basically ignore the larger 88 percent of actual costs, which is the real cost driver. No wonder that healthcare costs are rising!
If we are to control healthcare spending, then we need to become consumers for the entire about we spend and not just 12 percent.
The current healthcare model is driven by the fact that most of us are only responsible for a relatively small co-pay of twenty or twenty-five dollars. Most of us are so pampered that the doctor's staff is responsible for sending in the paperwork to claim the remainder of their fee for services rendered. Most if not all of us rarely ever notice or care about what the doctor actually charges. We do notice and review our healthcare plan whenever it comes up for renewal. We may even opt to increase or decrease our co-pays or change providers so that we are not even responsible for making co-pay charges. So for most, as long as our co-pays remain manageable, we really don't care about what the doctor actually charges! And therein lies the problem. We act like responsible consumers for our co-pays and basically ignore the larger 88 percent of actual costs, which is the real cost driver. No wonder that healthcare costs are rising!
If we are to control healthcare spending, then we need to become consumers for the entire about we spend and not just 12 percent.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Road to Perdition is Paved with Compassion
Obama Care is a mistake. Look at the test systems in Massachusetts and Maine. Both are costing much more than predicted, have increased healthcare fees and are bankrupting their respective states. I do not think anyone can point to one example of a program that cost less than the amount government said. Big government is expensive in terms of the money it sucks from our pockets and maniacal abuses it foments from power hungry progressives. Our founding fathers understood the problems with big government and emphasized small government and self reliance instead.
Progressives say healthcare is the compassionate thing to do. They laugh and ridicule anyone who suggests otherwise. But is it? Obama Care basically takes from the rich and gives to the poor. In reality isn't that the same as giving a man a fish as in the old saying: "Give a man to fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." The better and more lasting solution is to teach everyone how to fish, so they can become self reliant and pursue their own course to happiness.
Progressives use compassion as a fashionable, powerful, motivating and pretentious aphrodisiac to ruin this country. The party of NO should take pride in standing up for individual freedoms and fiscal probity.
Progressives say healthcare is the compassionate thing to do. They laugh and ridicule anyone who suggests otherwise. But is it? Obama Care basically takes from the rich and gives to the poor. In reality isn't that the same as giving a man a fish as in the old saying: "Give a man to fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." The better and more lasting solution is to teach everyone how to fish, so they can become self reliant and pursue their own course to happiness.
Progressives use compassion as a fashionable, powerful, motivating and pretentious aphrodisiac to ruin this country. The party of NO should take pride in standing up for individual freedoms and fiscal probity.
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