For whom will you cast your vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election? (Waterville: employment, buy)

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I think he meant that when it comes to public-funded education it quickly becomes a money pit. A point is reached where more funding only hurts the final product.

Many regions of the nation have had to learn this.

There's that, and that it's just plain stupid to quit school.

[JC3]

I have yet had anyone fully explain why we need to keep sinking more and more money for education. Just how is more money going to educate kids? To me educating kids come down to 3 things. The teachers, the parents and the kids themselves. What's next? More money for teachers? Maybe that will make them better teachers? Pay the parents? Think that will get them inovlved and make their kids study better or even go to school? How about we just pay the kids to go to school. If a child wants to learn, they will, if they don't then it is up to the parents to take more interest.
It amazes me that many of us made it through school and have done okay for ourselves with the public school system. Maybe we had teachers who could back then put us in our places, maybe our parents made sure we did the right thing, maybe we actually wanted to learn something.
Enough with the spending. The kids who want to learn and make something of themselves will. If they don't, no amount of money is going to help that.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by JC3

I have yet had anyone fully explain why we need to keep sinking more and more money for education. Just how is more money going to educate kids? To me educating kids come down to 3 things. The teachers, the parents and the kids themselves. What's next? More money for teachers? Maybe that will make them better teachers? Pay the parents? Think that will get them inovlved and make their kids study better or even go to school? How about we just pay the kids to go to school. If a child wants to learn, they will, if they don't then it is up to the parents to take more interest.
It amazes me that many of us made it through school and have done okay for ourselves with the public school system. Maybe we had teachers who could back then put us in our places, maybe our parents made sure we did the right thing, maybe we actually wanted to learn something.
Enough with the spending. The kids who want to learn and make something of themselves will. If they don't, no amount of money is going to help that.

Thank you for saying that - my thoughts exactly. I can accept spending more for some things because things are expensive, but I truly believe that there's a whole lot of waste purchasing expensive programs that don't teach much.

I don't think (and haven't thought for quite some time now) that we are getting the most bang for our buck.

[Zymer]

And the point was not the comparison of Mitchell vs. LePage on education, but the comparison of Mitchell's claims vs. the reality of the numbers.

[Evan_Lanctot]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

I don't blame her personally, either. However, she is the poster child for "status quo" (roamed the halls of power for the last THIRTY SIX years). And so much of our state is broken (incuding education). I would never DREAM of voting for a careerist like her. (Ex-teacher here).
Plus she's very rude in person, as I can attest. Nice in public, VERY rude in person.

The opposite of LePage, eh?

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by Recovering Democrat

According to the Maine Department of Education (Maine Department of Education - Data Center--Student Data--High School Completion Rates) the statewide high school graduation rate has fallen from 85% to 80% on Libby Mitchell's watch.

In her home district of Kennebec County the graduation rate has fallen more severely; from 86% to 79%. The graduation rate in her home district has now fallen below the state average.

Mitchell's political website (www.libbymitchellforgovernor.com) claims, "During her time in the legislature she has been a tireless advocate for education; successfully championing legislation to improve Maine’s K-12 and higher education systems…."

If this is her idea of success, what does failure look like?

I'll REP you, just for the call name, dude! The party will only be over when we replace the children running Disgusta for the last 30 years with responsible adults.

[mensaguy]

Originally Posted by broadbill

Since we are talking about failures of the educational system, care to comment on Waterville's drop-out rate that is DOUBLE the state average?

Eggs, issues & politics: Businesses take stock | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Originally Posted by AustinB

You can't cure stupid, no matter how much money you throw at it.

Are you saying Waterville = stupid? I wonder what the folks who live there thing.

[Mark S.]

If you want to know where the candidates stand on the issues, check 'em out:

Your Vote 2010 - The Race for Governor

After reading through them, I have to revise my opinion. I'll definitely be writing-in Mr. T. What a sad crop of yahoos.

[tarragon]

Originally Posted by mensaguy

Has anybody found any cold hard facts to support LePage's claim that he reduced taxes without reducing services when he was mayor of Waterville?

I work for a business in Waterville and I can tell you that I haven't seen the taxes on the business go down, only up! And when we were looking to buy a house in the area, we couldn't find anything in Waterville that was even sensible in their taxes. We were told by some folks that people were actually moving out of Waterville because of such high taxes.

[tarragon]

Has anyone heard the rumor of Mr. Lepage being married previously while he was living in Canada? I read that in the newspaper and was wondering if there was any merit to this mentioning?