Libraries? We don't need no stinkin' libraries! (home, school)
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"And we all knew this before the elction." That to me illustrates perfectly the pronouncement from the old Pogo comic strip: "We have met the enemy and he is us". This while Perry is off playing at becoming the Republican presidential candidate for 2012. What a world.
Were it not for the library I would probably have already gone truly insane. My perpetual, fruitless search for work and monotonous days are only alleviated by my trips to the library. Were it not for the books, CDs, DVDs, Interlibrary Loan materials, remote access to a wealth of databases, I would feel even more confined, more trapped. Even a person of no means seeks diversion. When our computer went kaput it was the library which permitted me to continue that aforementioned fruitless search for work. Now I'm using the library to aid in my researches as I make plans to leave Texas and the U.S. in the hopes of finding a job teaching in South Korea. I cannot stand the thought of another year here unemployed and with nothing to look forward to. The library has been my second home, my salvation, and appears that soon that will be a shadow of its former self. Schools, the Arts, historical preservation, and education, mean so little to Texas.
However, I recognize that most people don't care about libraries. Most people don't even know where their local library branch is located, much less own a library card. To them, that's what the internet is for. Call me old-fashioned.
This quote from Gloria Meraz, the Texas Library Association's communications director had me laughing out loud.
"We're trying so hard to be a forward-moving state and to improve our work force. When you don't have the infrastructure to support that, we're really pulling the rug out from under us."
Texas and "forward-moving state" have not, to my knowledge, ever been located in the same sentence with respect to education, culture, or intellectual growth. Now if you want to talk about football teams or a tax abatement for property owners (which is not appropriately paid for with franchise taxes), or tax sweeteners for employers to produce low-paying jobs, Texas will be your huckleberry. I'd like to see the Legislature take those shears to the Texas Enterprise Fund, seeing as how the Fund has only made negligible contributions to job creation in this state. Less than 1% according to Susan Combs. But as is par the course in Texas, commerce is king and the cultivation of an enlightened citizenry be d*mned.
I hope to be in South Korea no later than August. I will be following the fallout with interest, grateful to escape the damage.
this is just Republican mantra for --we want to keep people as stupid as possible--
Stupid people can't make an effective counterforce to systemic attempts to disenfranchise them...
that is why teaching slaves to read and write was a heinous crime in slave states
and also why Egypt tried to prevent internet and cell phone use--
true literacy is frown upon in totalitarian states--only use of media to manipulate and propogandize the party view is condoned
so it does not surprise me that on the state and national levels there is strong push by the Republicans to restrict any funding that would lead to education of the masses...
Total Bull****. Take your liberal mantra somewhere else.
this is just Republican mantra for --we want to keep people as stupid as possible--
Stupid people can't make an effective counterforce to systemic attempts to disenfranchise them...
that is why teaching slaves to read and write was a heinous crime in slave states
and also why Egypt tried to prevent internet and cell phone use--
true literacy is frown upon in totalitarian states--only use of media to manipulate and propogandize the party view is condoned
so it does not surprise me that on the state and national levels there is strong push by the Republicans to restrict any funding that would lead to education of the masses...
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Originally Posted by buzzpost
Total Bull****. Take your liberal mantra somewhere else.
Congratulations! Y'all have discovered what's called a difference of opinion!
On one hand, you have someone who presumably thinks nothing is wrong with the closing of libraries. However, another thinks this is part of a conspiracy by the Republican Party to turn the US into something resembling Fahrenheit 451. Gotta love teh Interwebz.
Congratulations! Y'all have discovered what's called a difference of opinion!
On one hand, you have someone who presumably thinks nothing is wrong with the closing of libraries. However, another thinks this is part of a conspiracy by the Republican Party to turn the US into something resembling Fahrenheit 451. Gotta love teh Interwebz.
Great post, Westerner. This is what I woud call one of the Moderate and "balanced" variety!
Anyway, what I am having a hard time understanding is why (seemingly) some do not grasp that all this budget cutting is not motivated by cold-heartedness or some such, but the simple fact that "we" have lived beyond our means and are now paying the price for it...literally. In a microcosmic arena, a divorce would be the "mild" result of such financial mis-management over the many years (and no, this is absolutely not a case for secession! LOL). Well, ok, to backtrack...government can always "print more money" and it be there, in a sense. But there is a difference in cost and price. They are not always synonymous. The cost can be artifically reduced by...yeah, more money. The price is still there to pay. Sure 'enough.
I am no econonmist (in fact, the subject is actually boring to me except how it relates to larger issues), but even I have enough sense to figure THAT out.
However, strangely, many do not see that the mess is the inevitable result of too much government spending. Did/Do they not think the bill was going to come due sooner or later? Unfortunately, it is coming due in our time. Not some vague future generation...as the free-spenders apparently thought would have to pay it. While they retired on their fat pensions and perks.
If I had a time-machine, the first thing I think I would do is go back with lots of ropes, to Washington D.C. (or Austin if applicable), in the days when this promise to build a "great society" by bankrupting the country was the snake oil of the day..and....*takes deep calm breath*...ok...scratch that and let your imagination finish the alternate universe scenario...
Back to the present, I am no super Perry fan (and certainly not one of Bush), but I will give him credit for the guts to face reality. And believe me, as a public school teacher, I am as worried as anyone over the future. There is no great big fortune lying around my house...
But hey, let's be real. The bare essense of the problem is not cuts that have to be made. But that "we" ever allowed overspending to get to the point that the birds coming home to roost are dropping it all over us.
If people stopped polarizing themselves (or allowing personal social issues to create total division) and everyone got together to work toward the goals that the majority of American people want to see happen, then the American people could improve their situation.
No matter what party you affiliate with, don't you all want a good education for everyone, publci services to support the people, use your money to promote growth in the US, have good jobs for everyone? A good economy?
The only people getting what they want are those making money off of the average American whle they squabble about "liberal" or "conservative"
Anyway, what I am having a hard time understanding is why (seemingly) some do not grasp that all this budget cutting is not motivated by cold-heartedness or some such, but the simple fact that "we" have lived beyond our means and are now paying the price for it...literally.
Maybe because that basic premise you are presenting may not be true?
Not saying you are trying to mis-represent anything. Just saying that might not be true.
Usually living beyond the means indicates that too much is being spent. I think if one digs a little deeper in this domain, one may find that the real underlying issue is what the money is being spent on?
What actually may be true is that there is still a fair amount of money involved -- there are just some very questionable priorities and paths where it is being spent.
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Back to the present, I am no super Perry fan (and certainly not one of Bush), but I will give him credit for the guts to face reality. And believe me, as a public school teacher, I am as worried as anyone over the future. There is no great big fortune lying around my house...
Excellent example to start. Have you ever done the money math of your classroom? (doing this with your class is even better -- admin threatened to fire me after I did that. ).
Just take the the gross dollars -- total budget -- that your district spends. Divide by the number of students in the district. Typically comes out a number somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000. Now take that "per student" number and multiply by the number of students in classroom. That is the Gross Dollars your class roughly represents.
That usually is a surprising large number for the teachers who have not done this before. Then figure out what is really being spent on your class. Usually a very big difference.
The problem gets much worse the larger the district. So where does all that money really go?
I think you may find that America in general, and Texas in particular does not have a Gross Spending or Living Beyond Our Means problem.
It has a "leakage" and "hidden money going out the side door" problem. This money is usually routed to what are charitably called special interests -- which are usually corporate operations that have targeted public funds.
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But hey, let's be real. The bare essense of the problem is not cuts that have to be made. But that "we" ever allowed overspending to get to the point that the birds coming home to roost are dropping it all over us.
Well, if you want to be real -- sorry, that is not it.
Real Deal -- America and Texas (and again, Texas in particular) has been so dumbed down, it cannot even comprehend it is being ripped off by the same folks it brainless admires and worships.
Maybe because that basic premise you are presenting may not be true?
Not saying you are trying to mis-represent anything. Just saying that might not be true.
Usually living beyond the means indicates that too much is being spent. I think if one digs a little deeper in this domain, one may find that the real underlying issue is what the money is being spent on?
What actually may be true is that there is still a fair amount of money involved -- there are just some very questionable priorities and paths where it is being spent.
You seem reasonable on this issue...so I expect you see the central point. Regardless of what are the priorities of spending, how much is spent? The point is -- in terms of true wealth -- the money is not there to cover it. At a certain point, the printed money, is backed up by nothing; literally nothing. It is a note, a piece of paper worth less than what it is printed on. *pulls pockets out*
True, we have not gotten to the point of the almighty dollar being the pre-Depression era German mark...when a trillion marks amounted to a quater in U.S. dollars. But do you not see the collision course?
You are very correct when you start to present the priorities of a budget as being a problem in fiscal mis-managment arena. But don't you see that the whole damn thing got started when Congress (at both federal and state level) started to loose sight of its own restraints in terms of authority to spend that money?
There is no reason at all why the Department of Education should exist. The HomeLand Security Department? My gawd...
And yep, I say would say eliminate corporate subsidies and almost all of those entitlement programs created during the New Deal considerations. And that is just a start...
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Excellent example to start. Have you ever done the money math of your classroom? (doing this with your class is even better -- admin threatened to fire me after I did that. ).
LOL I am SO GLAD you brought that up. I mean it. Yep, I did. In our district, because of the cuts, one of the things I thought about in terms of saving money was that (as I am the senior in my area), was to forget (at least for next year) using that money alloted to us each year. Instead? That it be sent back to the district. No telling how much could be saved on that.
So yes, I LITERALLY put my money where my mouth is..
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Just take the the gross dollars -- total budget -- that your district spends. Divide by the number of students in the district. Typically comes out a number somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000. Now take that "per student" number and multiply by the number of students in classroom. That is the Gross Dollars your class roughly represents.
See above. I also recommend salary freezes. I don't like it...but no way around it.
[QUOE] Well, if you want to be real -- sorry, that is not it. [/quote]
It isn't? Then what IS it? This is insanity. If one doesn't have the money, then it cant be spent. Gawdamighty
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Real Deal -- America and Texas (and again, Texas in particular) has been so dumbed down, it cannot even comprehend it is being ripped off by the same folks it brainless admires and worships.
No, actually, I think it is Texans (and those like us) who comprehend it better than anyone else does. That is to say? In Texas parlance? The birds are coming home to roost. And the foxes are still guarding the hen house. To correct it? Don't spend more than what we have to spend. And? Further? Tell the feds to shove it!
Last edited by TexasReb; 02-13-2011 at 02:18 PM..
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