News, In Maine, a laptop for every middle-schooler. (elementary schools, taxi)

[Labamba]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Considering it's been about the ONLY idea they have come up with in the last hundred years you have a point!

Maybe if the legislators had had laptops when they were in school...

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Labamba

Maybe if the legislators had had laptops when they were in school...

When they were in school computers were tape drives that took up a whole room!

[JViello]

Originally Posted by Labamba

This is just the kind of thing that irritates me about some of the small-town attitudes in Maine. Dumb.

If you think that is the source of a parent's refusal to deal with a child issue...you are very far off base.

Sexual immorality has been with us since the dawn of time...but far and away it's been a problem in the cities over rural areas. Now that the world has become much smaller, much much quicker - these "inner city" issues and influence are at the computer (and TV) screen of just about everyone from Miami to Northern Alaska.

I have news for you: The parents in most burbs are far far far far far more disconnected from their families and children than someon in rural Maine. If you don't think so, move to a place like Glastonbury CT and then look deep and see what really matters to parents vs their "talk".

Oh they'll say things like "My child is number one"...okay Miss - then why are complete strangers spending 9 hours a day with your child teaching them "life skills' while you and your husband climb the corporate ladder and barely can stand to be in the same room with each other? The solution to many of these people at it's root is to throw money at it. They hire people to mow their lawns, people to clean their home, people to look after their kids and when learning time comes...it's the schools responsibility to make their kids "smart". When the kids fail socially and acedemically they want more "spent" on schools to improve them which is why our property taxes are OUT OF CONTROL here...same crap different bag - throw money at it and divert the responsibility of parenting/life to others.

The grass may look greener from where you are sometimes but I can assure you there is a set of problems "out here" you have not encountered living in rural Maine. You can "hate" the locals, but they may have some wisdom in their "stubborness".

Besides, the indignant parents of the "tart" in question are probably transplants from Mass.

[Labamba]

Originally Posted by JViello

Besides, the indignant parents of the "tart" in question are probably transplants from Mass.

That's why I used the adjective "some". Most (I said most, not all) Mainers are pretty conservative in their attitudes towards knowingly allowing their kids to participate in this kind of foolishness - they may not always be aware that their kids are doing this stuff, but if they find out, they'll put a stop to it damn quick.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by JViello

Sexual immorality has been with us since the dawn of time...but far and away it's been a problem in the cities over rural areas. Now that the world has become much smaller, much much quicker - these "inner city" issues and influence are at the computer (and TV) screen of just about everyone from Miami to Northern Alaska

.

Cities...Cities...Cities. What are you looking at...what part of the city? In an effort to stay with in acceptable guidlines and political correctness...it is cirtain areas of the city that skew stats and make cities look like crime ridden trash holes. There are dozens of city zip codes that are in FACT...just as pleasant a place to live and even maybe safer...than some of Maines more rural zip codes.

Originally Posted by JViello

I have news for you: The parents in most burbs are far far far far far more disconnected from their families and children than someon in rural Maine. If you don't think so, move to a place like Glastonbury CT and then look deep and see what really matters to parents vs their "talk".

.

this I totally disagree with......People are People....My son goes to a rural sad here in Maine and ive seen more exposure to sex, pot, beer, and everything else then either of my siblings in Ma and Florida. Not to say Maine still isn't a better place to raise children....but his school didn't get this way because parents are MORE connected.

Originally Posted by JViello

Oh they'll say things like "My child is number one"...okay Miss - then why are complete strangers spending 9 hours a day with your child teaching them "life skills' while you and your husband climb the corporate ladder and barely can stand to be in the same room with each other? The solution to many of these people at it's root is to throw money at it. They hire people to mow their lawns, people to clean their home, people to look after their kids and when learning time comes...it's the schools responsibility to make their kids "smart". When the kids fail socially and acedemically they want more "spent" on schools to improve them which is why our property taxes are OUT OF CONTROL here...same crap different bag - throw money at it and divert the responsibility of parenting/life to others.

totaly agree.............and I think the trend is more associated with Burbs because of the money factor....many suburban areas in this country are so expensive....you have to have 2 parents working. But also there is a "let the government solve the problem" mind set that is sweeping the nation....again though....I see it here in maine too

Originally Posted by JViello

Besides, the indignant parents of the "tart" in question are probably transplants from Mass.

OUCH!

[Maine Writer]

Soooooooo..........how about those laptops?

[mollysmiles]

exactly what I was thinking MW.....

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

Lap tops for school children is the best idea Augusta has come up with in a hundred years.

With all due respect, 100 years ago today our society did not have public funded free elementary schools.

'We' began taxing individual incomes in 1940, and using that money to employ folks [building roads, teaching in schools, and making hydro-electric dams].

Our nation had no coast-to-coast system of roadways. Each local community was responsible for it's own roads, if they wished to have any. Etc.

Grammar schools [two of my grandparents taught in grammar schools] were 'funded' by the donation of local families.

Poor folk were helped by the churches.

[Labamba]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

With all due respect, 100 years ago today our society did not have public funded free elementary schools.

'We' began taxing individual incomes in 1940, and using that money to employ folks [building roads, teaching in schools, and making hydro-electric dams].

Our nation had no coast-to-coast system of roadways. Each local community was responsible for it's own roads, if they wished to have any. Etc.

Grammar schools [two of my grandparents taught in grammar schools] were 'funded' by the donation of local families.

Poor folk were helped by the churches.

Can you clarify why this is relevant to the issue of laptops?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Labamba

Can you clarify why this is relevant to the issue of laptops?

The state legislator was not debating how to spend tax money on public-funded schools 100 years ago.

100 years ago our nation was formed on the idea that a family was responsible for seeing that their children got a trade or education.

'laptops' might was well be a free college degree for 100% of the population, or a mandatory family income, or free medical, or a free home, or any socialist agenda freeby.

When discussing all of these 'free' things, we need to keep in mind that these were not always tax-funded.