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I want the two or three remaining Bloomberg supporters on this site to try to defend this:
"“Unfortunately there are some parents who just come from — they never had a formal education, and they don’t understand the value of education,” Mr. Bloomberg said on the program, which is broadcast on WOR-AM (710).
He went on to observe: “The old Norman Rockwell family is gone.”
Let's hear it sobroguy... read the full article and then put your best case forward as to how this guy actually gives a crap about the poor...
As much as I think that he was "illegally" elected to a 3rd term and the other host of gestapo like mandates that he has created over the past few years, and the silence that he demonstrates on issues relating to the average new yorker....I actually give him credit for this...he is 110% on the mark. I'm suprised that a "liberal" elected official would even have the marbles to say it.
Anon we know you are anti-Bloomberg....but I am not pro-Bloomberg..I just agree with many of his policies and they have in fact, in general, have had a positive impact on the poor. The specific article states nothing we don't know or agree with...there are SOME parents who don't have an education, and don't see the value in it. Is this an untrue statement? NO. Does it sound nice? That's debateable...but I want the truth, not watered down politics to appease me.
Bloomberg has made it his mission to improve the schools...something all other politicians choose not to do...b/c of rhetoric and negativity to change the status quo. But instead of rewarding him for AT LEAST trying and putting his neck on the line...what is the result from people like you? HATE...which is why most people don't even bother!
He wants to try something new, and has, and some things work and some things don't. Is is better to just keep doing the same thing and expect different results? He is closing down schools which are failing our kids miserably, and have been for decades, and reopening TO TRY A DIFFERENT WAY. How you could fault him for this, is shocking and really really sad. Parents of course don't understand and only see a school closing and are scared and worried...I understand that. But the goal is to make it better, opening smaller schools, increase charters, and provide parents options.
So again, you can fault Bloomberg for trying, and there are always people who HATE on people who try, but I applaud him, even if the results are less than perfect because at least he is doing SOMETHING. I want to see other elected officials TRY, and not simply spin the same old rhetoric and do nothing.
A Mayor that hates poor people would not create the largest affordable housing initiative in history, 80% of which is targeted for low-income. He would not increase parks in communities in need, he would not TRY to improve schools for the poor, he would NOT create a brand new homeless intake center because the prior one was abysmal, he would not promote eating healthier/smoking less (as poor people eat the worst and smoke the most)....he wouldn't do alot of things...yet he does.
So you can HATE him for all the things he is trying to do, but I applaud him for TRYING, even if his results are not perfect. And that's the difference between us. But don't worry, you will have the know nothing/do nothing/no plan typical Democratic Politician Thompson for Mayor in 2013, and you will see what it means to have a Mayor who tells people what they want to hear, panders for votes and does the Union's bidding, but does absolutely nothing.
I think you misunderstand me and what I'm saying sometimes. I don't disagree with him and his view of some parents. It is true that some of them don't know any better and are ignorant to the reality of the situation. That being said, it is not his place to tell these people to their face that because they are poor and haven't had formal education they have no idea what the hell they're talking about... Not only is that a bad PR move, it makes him look exactly how I described...
And everything you mentioned that he's done to help the poor, I can use to say how that is how he is trying to drive out the poor from this city... Again, not saying it's the truth but it can go both ways. He is eliminating all these public schools by making it so difficult on teachers to actually teach and be successful in order to create these charter schools which (let's be honest), don't take all the students from previous schools. So, what it does is leave about 500 students without a school to go to when who knows how many of them could have had a chance had the city not micromanaged the schools so badly to the point where teachers become nothing more than a test preparer. 40% of a teacher's salary is going to depend on how these students do on their exams???
You might as well spoonfeed the child the answers to the exams because you know that probably 70% of these teachers are gonna do nothing more now than show them every year's regents from 2003 and ask them to memorize the answers... This system will not help the children at all pass... How people don't realize that, is just beyond me. And how people can defend that notion, and then see the results of public schools dip further and further and still claim that charter schools is a positive will always be above my comprehension...
Anon..he is not saying that people are poor and don't have an education and have no idea what they are talking about. What he is saying, and has said, is that there are SOME parents who don't have an education and don't see the value of it. We all agree with this....he has also said shame on us and those people who want to keep going status quo and maintain failing schools open to fail yet another generation of kids. WE NEED TO CHANGE....so again...I think we all agree here with him on this too. Is he getting the stellar results he/we wanted? NO...but he is TRYING..he is doing SOMETHING.
So what's the problem here? Oh right..people with an agenda who want to blow this all out of proportion. As for affordable housing nightcrawler, do your homework and open your eyes...they are everywhere.
No agenda just a statistic because of his efforts... When standards were lowered to 2+2 levels everyone passed and the mayor was the prime benefactor of those results... What happens, people realized the exams were ridiculously easy to pass and once they raised the standards back we had one of the lowest passing rates in years...
That is not success... and should we really be pleased because he is trying and failing at fixing the public schools... really?
I would rather he try and fail than not try at all..which is what everyone else did before him..NADA. You can't win'em all...but at least he is trying...and you fault him for that.
Anon..he is not saying that people are poor and don't have an education and have no idea what they are talking about. What he is saying, and has said, is that there are SOME parents who don't have an education and don't see the value of it. We all agree with this....he has also said shame on us and those people who want to keep going status quo and maintain failing schools open to fail yet another generation of kids. WE NEED TO CHANGE....so again...I think we all agree here with him on this too. Is he getting the stellar results he/we wanted? NO...but he is TRYING..he is doing SOMETHING.
So what's the problem here? Oh right..people with an agenda who want to blow this all out of proportion. As for affordable housing nightcrawler, do your homework and open your eyes...they are everywhere.
SINCE you know so much about Bloomie, I figured you could sum it up really fast, guess not.
BTW, my eyes are open, but I just wish you could read my mind right about now.......
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