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i agree , those are the facts. i just question the need for the whole "primary dealer" system, where private banks get a cut of muni bonds for underwriting them. I think that they keep muni rates low by muni tax breaks, which seems like a roundabout giveaway to the banking system.
and why all this matters -- the question was, who should fund infrastructure, fed or state/muni ? And I'm pointing out that this is not a minor choice; while I've always been a strong federalist, I'm rethinking that position as I re-evaluate the importance of funding infrastructure through the cheapest possible debt (which is federal debt, not state debt or muni debt). Since the Federal Government can fund its spending so much easier than the states/munis (as well as corporations) it would make sense on some level to maximize the use of federal funding for infrastructure.
that is, if you value your infrastructure. as a society we seem to value cheap mortgage debt for some weird reason.
Lets first define federal infrastructure. Interstates seem like a federal matter to me. The FAA and the air traffic system. The national power grid. We're probably on the same page.
Most of the rest is graft. The Feds have zero business paying for a bridge in Alaska or a small airport in PA used by a few dozen people a day.
You seem pretty smart - why do they want them designated as federal projects? So they can impose SCA, Davis-Bacon, or some other wage or union requirement on the taxpayer.
As federal dollars funded the actual construction costs, the local tax dollars have been used to fund a different infrastructure - people and pension benefits. As the fed dollars have contracted, states are scrambling to fund it themselves. Worse, they have committed the taxpayers to trillions in unfunded pensions and benefits.
If I live in Wyoming, a bridge in New York has zero value to me, and yet my federal tax dollars would fund it. Likewise, a family in New York gets zero benefit from a project in Wyoming that benefits a small few.
I do not believe you provided anything that shows that we do not fund education.
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
We spend more money BY FAR than any other nation on education but we're seeing lowered rankings than ever when compared with those other countries.
Spending more money, and more money, and more money isn't improving the quality of our schools and students.
This goes way beyond funding. All you have to do is take a look at how the nation ranks in science, math, in every subject that counts, on a global scale. We like to pretend we are number one. Until we can rank in at the top, we're merely blowing hot air. You can throw money at a problem all you want. We seem to be very good at that. Unless the money is hitting the right target, it's money down the drain.
Like I said, PARENTS must play a role in making sure their children are getting the most out of their education. A teacher's words can fall on deaf ears if the student cannot comprehend what is being said. They have 30+ students to teach in many classrooms. The lesson doesn't stop because JR can't comprehend fractional to decimal equivalents. That's where the parents come in. If their child is not understanding the material, yes, they must get their hands dirty and take part in assisting with the teaching.
Like I said, this problem can not be solved with funding alone. We have to actually WANT to solve this problem. You can't expect a 1st world standard of living if your kids are not smart enough to live up to the demands of a 1st world job market. It's time Americans role up their sleeves and start bring out that "can do" attitude that made this country great in the first place. With the current defeatist attitude that the American people harbor today, we are just that... Defeated. Instead of thinking of solutions to our problems, all we can do is whine about how great the challenges are in front of us. I don't want to see how that ends. Someone better start giving a crap though unless you all wanna see America turn into some sort of a phony banana republic...
This goes way beyond funding. All you have to do is take a look at how the nation ranks in science, math, in every subject that counts, on a global scale. We like to pretend we are number one. Until we can rank in at the top, we're merely blowing hot air. You can throw money at a problem all you want. We seem to be very good at that. Unless the money is hitting the right target, it's money down the drain.
Like I said, PARENTS must play a role in making sure their children are getting the most out of their education. A teacher's words can fall on deaf ears if the student cannot comprehend what is being said. They have 30+ students to teach in many classrooms. The lesson doesn't stop because JR can't comprehend fractional to decimal equivalents. That's where the parents come in. If their child is not understanding the material, yes, they must get their hands dirty and take part in assisting with the teaching.
Like I said, this problem can not be solved with funding alone. We have to actually WANT to solve this problem. You can't expect a 1st world standard of living if your kids are not smart enough to live up to the demands of a 1st world job market.
We don't want to really solve it because the solution is contrary to the liberal agenda and mantra that everyone is equal.
This goes way beyond funding. All you have to do is take a look at how the nation ranks in science, math, in every subject that counts, on a global scale. We like to pretend we are number one. Until we can rank in at the top, we're merely blowing hot air. You can throw money at a problem all you want. We seem to be very good at that. Unless the money is hitting the right target, it's money down the drain.
Like I said, PARENTS must play a role in making sure their children are getting the most out of their education. A teacher's words can fall on deaf ears if the student cannot comprehend what is being said. They have 30+ students to teach in many classrooms. The lesson doesn't stop because JR can't comprehend fractional to decimal equivalents. That's where the parents come in. If their child is not understanding the material, yes, they must get their hands dirty and take part in assisting with the teaching.
Like I said, this problem can not be solved with funding alone. We have to actually WANT to solve this problem. You can't expect a 1st world standard of living if your kids are not smart enough to live up to the demands of a 1st world job market. It's time Americans role up their sleeves and start bring out that "can do" attitude that made this country great in the first place. With the current defeatist attitude that the American people harbor today, we are just that... Defeated. Instead of thinking of solutions to our problems, all we can do is whine about how great the challenges are in front of us. I don't want to see how that ends. Someone better start giving a crap though unless you all wanna see America turn into some sort of a phony banana republic...
Many families do that but what does your argument have to do with infrastructure?
What everyone is missing is the most important form of infrastructure of all... The next generation. Our schools, teachers and parents are charged with the responsibility of preparing students for a productive life. That requires adequate and properly funded K-12 to begin with. How's that been working out??? Since we continue to place low among 1st world nations, continue to expect a reduced standard of living as time moves forward. And 4 years of college doesn't make up for 12 poor quality years (13 if you count the K).
And parents need to start taking responsibility for their brats as well. When the kid can't do basic math, blaming the teacher is stupid. They have 29 other kids to teach, and the show must go on if JR can't seem to grasp long division. The lesson progression will simply go on (and JR will get an F) if the parent is not willing to invest the time at home to help.
When my son was little I saw this in action as a parent volunteer. There were several students two grade levels behind in reading. The parents had gotten special invites to open hourse and parents night and didn't show. Finally the one set did for another event.
The teacher talked to them. The girl was in 4th grade, but barely could read a first grade book. The father had the gall to ask why they couldn't have her do her homework at school, since it was 'in the way' at home. They put her in a special tutoring program, having given up on the parents. At the end of the semester she was reading at her grade level, and truning in all her homework and excited about learning ... despite the parents. And one student who started out not speaking a word of English by mid semester was one of the best readers in the class in English. But it was a priority for the parents and they wanted their kid to be doing well in all the subjects as well.
Yes, parents are the cornerstone. In Jr. High and High school, kids are expected to go and do their homework alone, but in primary education nobody expects a second grader to do that. The parents guide and reinforce the school. If its important at home then it will be important to the child. Language and math and reading are the things all else is built upon and you can keep learning even on your own if you succeed in that. If not the rest is a long slide down. Parents are *never* 'too busy' to not be a part of that.
Many families do that but what does your argument have to do with infrastructure?
As I mentioned earlier... This is you GREATEST form of infrastructure. These are the ones who will be carrying the nation forward on their backs. All is for not if they are allowed to go to waste. When nations collapse, it is often do to social problems just as much as physical infrastructure or financial reasons. I believe that our nation is in the position we are in today because politicians and Americans themselves were to focused on the "here and now". That was 20 years ago. Can't wait to see what the next 20 years will bring.
If only there was a way to make politicians acknowledge issues that will face our country a decade or two down the road, instead of those that will impact us before the next election...
This goes way beyond funding. All you have to do is take a look at how the nation ranks in science, math, in every subject that counts, on a global scale. We like to pretend we are number one. Until we can rank in at the top, we're merely blowing hot air. You can throw money at a problem all you want. We seem to be very good at that. Unless the money is hitting the right target, it's money down the drain.
Like I said, PARENTS must play a role in making sure their children are getting the most out of their education. A teacher's words can fall on deaf ears if the student cannot comprehend what is being said. They have 30+ students to teach in many classrooms. The lesson doesn't stop because JR can't comprehend fractional to decimal equivalents. That's where the parents come in. If their child is not understanding the material, yes, they must get their hands dirty and take part in assisting with the teaching.
Like I said, this problem can not be solved with funding alone. We have to actually WANT to solve this problem. You can't expect a 1st world standard of living if your kids are not smart enough to live up to the demands of a 1st world job market. It's time Americans role up their sleeves and start bring out that "can do" attitude that made this country great in the first place. With the current defeatist attitude that the American people harbor today, we are just that... Defeated. Instead of thinking of solutions to our problems, all we can do is whine about how great the challenges are in front of us. I don't want to see how that ends. Someone better start giving a crap though unless you all wanna see America turn into some sort of a phony banana republic...
This is all too true. If Jonny is really good at math but terrible at other things, he may get in the honors math. But honors tends to get you in all of them. So he's flying high in math, and flunking everything else. So when its noticed at grade time, he gets dumped out of all. So now he's behind in the other subjects, bored in math and not doing his homework since its too easy, and already has checked out.
You have to be able to notice students and what's going on with them. At my son's school, grades went up for all the students when they reduced class size. Each teacher also had a volunteer aid to do the stuff like organize papers and the like. We have this falicy that a kid is smart they are smart at everything, but not so. Or not so good at anything.
If I had kids today in school, I'd either homeschool or go the montessary route, where each child progresses based on their own ability. They don't have 'grades', so you don't ever sacrifice a subject just because its not the best by moving a student past their understanding. To me, if I was to reorganize schools, I would do it this way. Do bring in computers and work stations as well. These are kids who learn well this way, and use it. When my son was about eight he had a game. In order to advance three questions had to be answered correctly. They were either math, grammer, spellling or other basic subjects. He loved the game. He didn't even see that it was drastically improving his learning on the rote sort of learning which generally bored him. Use these methods and save the classroom for the things which need social interaction. Use the time you have *wisely*.
I wouldn't suggest we go with the Japanese model of super high pressure resulting in sucides of young teens. But we don't have to. We just have to give education the *respect* it deserves and stop making teachers the enemy. We should be paying them more, not less, and keeping the best that way.
I blame parents too, especialy those who are so busy keeping the kiddies active and never have time themselves to just sit down and talk it out, get the answers about what's going on in their kids heads. It's been shown that kids from homes where the parents read do much better in school. If there are books in the home the kid is more likely to be a good reader. Instead of sports time, maybe the kids and parents take some quiet time to read. If you read well enough you can enjoy it, then the comprehension and learning and memory all grows better because we put so much more attention in doing those things we like. But how can you tell kids that reading is an important skill to be developed if mom and dad barely ever read anything, and there's nothing to read anyway?
Thus we still keep going back to the parents...
Ironically, the computer is helping kids today develope written language skills because its all you have, not your clothes or hair or funky shirt. All you have is the words and how you use them.
As I mentioned earlier... This is you GREATEST form of infrastructure. These are the ones who will be carrying the nation forward on their backs. All is for not if they are allowed to go to waste. When nations collapse, it is often do to social problems just as much as physical infrastructure or financial reasons. I believe that our nation is in the position we are in today because politicians and Americans themselves were to focused on the "here and now". That was 20 years ago. Can't wait to see what the next 20 years will bring.
If only there was a way to make politicians acknowledge issues that will face our country a decade or two down the road, instead of those that will impact us before the next election...
Exactly. We're all about the moment. But its just as important that in ten years the bridge will collapse, but fixing it now is simpler and cheaper. But it likely won't *now* so out of sight, out of mind.
You can rebuild a bridge even if your doing it over the watery grave of the ones who paid for your short sightedness. But what if we just keep ignoreing that our overall basic systems have an expiration date and the clock is ticking? What happens when some part of the grid has a catastrophic failure and we realize its just not so simple anymore? Its that level of a game we're playing and we ARE going to lose if we don't start looking ahead. And lose very big.
Instead of cutting spending and firing people, the government should be investing into America and putting people to work to rebuild our infrastructure to meet 21st century demands.
It is really a tragedy that we are not properly seizing on this opportunity to rebuild America and put people back to work.
If we closed half of the foreign military bases we have, then put all the soldiers to work on fixing the infrastructure. Even if they are mostly unskilled labor, things would get done pretty quickly. Plus it'd teach them another set of useful skills to have when they get out of the Military.
I could have sworn the purpose of the military was to defend the country against all enemies, foreign or domestic. I find it offensive to be using the military to build bridges and pave roads.
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