Government Schools

I have finally gotten around to reading John Stossel's book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity." The book can be found on amazon.com here.

First off, it is a terrific book and I highly recommend it. He addresses a number of issues which are near and dear to me. For instance, he has a chapter about the US government school system entitled, "Stupid Schools" (Chapter 5, pages 106 to 140). I have 2 young children and my kid's educations are a big concern. In his book, John Stossel skewers the government school system noting that the US is very close to the top in the world in money spent per pupil. If we spend near the top in the world per student, then why do we not have one of the highest ranked education systems in the world? And why do politicians want to throw more money at education?? Schools already have plenty of money, how about trying to SPEND MY HARD EARNED TAX MONEY MORE EFFICIENTLY!? Why don't our government and the government school system exercise some fiscal discipline? What would happen to you, the average American, if you handled money so poorly?

Stossel is in favor of school vouchers and in "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity" he details a number of instances where kids did much better when their parents received vouchers and exercised the choice to send their kids to a better school. He emphasizes, and rightly so, that vouchers would allow poor parents to send their kids to better schools instead of keeping the kids in a bad school.

One of the most amazing things in Stossel's book was the fact that many European countries have more school choice than we have here in America! One particular story stood out; he talks of a Belgian mother living in America who was astonished that in the US her son was assigned to a specific school. Wow, I always thought that America was about choice and opportunity. In America you can choose to have an abortion but you can't choose where your kids go to school?!?! Talk about lack of choice, in some places law abiding citizens can't choose to own guns (sorry, that's for another blog entry)!!??

Anyway, yes, we do have the choice to spend extra money, in addition to paying our property taxes, to send our kids to private schools. But what about parents who can't afford their ridiculously high taxes AND additional private school costs? Isn't Europe the "gold standard" for American liberals? Don't most liberals want the US to be more like socialist-leaning Europe? Then why are liberals and liberal teacher's unions not advocating for us to be more like Europe with respect to school choice?

Neal Boortz once said that teacher's unions were a worse threat to American than terrorists: "Those of you who are constant listeners know my feelings about government schools and teachers unions. I firmly believe that in the long-term this country has more to fear from teacher's unions than we do from Islamic terrorists. I fully believe that Islamic terrorists will once again strike this country, and they may well manage to kill ten thousand or more, but at this point I don't think they can kill the dream of our forefathers. We recognize (I hope) the terrorists for the enemies that they are. We don't recognize government education and teacher's unions for the enemies that they are. Because we are so unaware and asleep at the switch, the education establishment can bring us down, where the terrorists probably cannot."

I can't say that I disagree.

Now just wait until I finish reading the chapter in John Stossel's book entitled, "Monster Government." I'm sure that chapter will inspire a few angry blog entries.

DC vs. Heller update

There has been little activity since the oral arguments were presented to the SCOTUS in the DC vs. Heller 2nd amendment case.

Right now it looks as if a ruling will be made sometime in late June.

NRA: DC vs. Heller, The Supreme Decision

Three-hundred and five members of Congress signed on in favor of Heller and gun rights. I applaud all of them.

Here are the commies in our Congress who are supporting D.C. and its gun ban:
Representative Robert A. Brady (PA-01)
Representative John Conyers, Jr. (MI-14)
Representative Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Representative Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Representative Sam Farr (CA-17)
Representative Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Representative Al Green (TX-09)
Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)
Representative Michael Honda (CA-15)
Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Representative James P. Moran (VA-08)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)
Representative Bobby L. Rush (IL-01)
Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35)
Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-06)
Representative Albert R. Wynn (MD-04)

I'm not surprised that the socialists Maxine Waters and Carolyn McCarthy have signed on against gun rights. However, I am surprised at the absence of the Congressional drunkard, Ted Kennedy. Maybe he hasn't yet found time to put down his Chivas Royal.

Father imprisons and rapes daughter and may only get 15 years in prison

I'm sure that by now, most people know about Josef Fritzl. He imprisoned his daughter, had sex with her repeatedly and fathered 7 of his own daughter's children over the course of 24 years.

DNA Confirms Austrian Fathered Children With His Daughter; No Other Secret Dungeons Found

"Officials had said Fritzl faces up to 15 years in prison if charged, tried and convicted on rape charges, the most grave of his alleged offenses under Austrian law. But prosecutors in Lower Austria said Tuesday they were looking into the possibility of charging Fritzl with "murder through failure to act" in connection with the infant's death. Murder in Austria is punishable by up to 20 years in prison."

So Josef imprisons and holds his daughter captive for 24 years, repeatedly has sex with her and he may only get a maximum of 20 years in prison?!? And a 20 year jail term is only possible if the authorities find a way to charge him with murder AND a judge or jury give him the maximum prison term. Unbelievable. Who came up with such lenient sentences for rape, imprisonment and murder? I bet it was a bunch of bleeding heart European liberals. If he is implicated in the murder of the child that he fathered with his own daughter...he deserves "the chair!"

The IRS

I'm not sure where this picture originated but it was sent to me by a friend. It sums up my feelings about tax season and the IRS.

Jimmy Carter, again

Jimmy Carter didn't meet with Hamas only once, but twice. Apparently, he couldn't get enough of them.

Former President Carter Holds Second Round of Talks With Hamas

I wonder if Carter has a bumper sticker on his car that says, "Honk if you love terrorists" next to the one that says, "I love dictators."

Jimmy Carter

Foxnews: Carter Shrugs Off Calls From U.S. Officials, Lawmakers to Drop Meeting With Hamas: "Former President Jimmy Carter said he feels 'quite at ease' about meeting Hamas militants over the objections of Washington because the Palestinian group is essential to a future peace with Israel."

Hamas is essential for the future peace process??!! That is complete BS, Hamas is committed to the destruction of the state of Israel. The only way the peace process can proceed is for the elimination of the military wing of Hamas. I will admit that Hamas does have a political wing which does a lot of good especially in the form of social programs, however, this political wing still spends large amounts of money and time indoctrinating future homicide bombers. Hamas is also well known for summary executions and let's not forget the constant barrage of Quassam rockets aimed at Israeli civilians. The Israelis do respond to the attacks but remember, if Hamas didn't start it, Israel wouldn't have to finish it. Uh-oh, I think that I have just admitted to being part of the Zionist conspiracy to rule the world.

Anyway......Carter isn't only in love with Hamas members who sacrifice their children for Allah or PURPOSELY target innocent civilians but he also has a soft spot for the murderous Chinese government.

"Carter, interviewed Saturday for ABC News' "This Week," airing Sunday, also said he would OPPOSE a U.S. Olympic boycott and HOPES ALL COUNTRIES WILL JOIN (both emphases mine) in the Beijing games."

I do agree with the many that claim that a boycott of the the opening ceremonies will be nothing more that symbolism. The world should not attend at all. How the IOC decided to "reward" China with the Olympics is still as perplexing to me as quantum physics. However, the world is allowing the Chinese government to commit murder, allowing genocide in Darfur, and stood by during the genocide in Rwanda. Why start doing anything now?

At least Carter admits there are crimes against humanity occurring in the Sudan. Of course, he refuses to use the word "genocide" to describe the killings in Darfur. Maybe we'll need 1 million to be slaughter before we can use the word genocide. Apparently 200,000 killed is not enough for Carter.

Al Sadr calls for calm

Foxnews: Fighting Resumes Despite Muqtada al-Sadr's Calls for Calm

Al-Sadr calls for calm. Why is he still able to call for anything? He is an enemy of the United States. I want to see the military video of the building he occupied exploding with the audio, "target engaged and eliminated."

The wasting of OUR tax money

Citizens Against Government Waste releases a yearly report called the Congressional Pig Book. This report details how the people which we elect (and often reelect) waste OUR tax money on pet projects and earmarks. You can buy the complete report on their website here. I am going to purchase a copy. They do have a summary file, the 2008 Congressional Pig Book Summary, which is in .pdf form and can be downloaded for free. It is OUR money, its taken from us at the point of a gun and we have very little say as to where or how OUR money is spent.

From the free version:
"The 1,188 projects, totaling $2.8 billion, in this year’s Congressional Pig Book Summary symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples of pork. As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW’s seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:
• Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
• Not specifically authorized;
• Not competitively awarded;
• Not requested by the President;
• Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
• Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
• Serves only a local or special interest."

I will concur that a select few of the projects listed may be worthwhile and I may not have included them in my list of pork. However, there are some real "doozies" in there and I think taxpayers should know where THEIR money is going.

Interestingly it appears that the presumptive republican nominee, John McCain, requested ZERO earmarks. Hmmmm.....I am beginning to like him more and more each day.

However, 2 of the biggest porkers aren't pleased with the public knowing where OUR money is being spent. From the free summary version:
'"Those peckerwoods don't know what they're doing. They don't. They're not being realistic.' The King of Pork, Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) on National Public Radio, July 19, 2001......'All they are is a bunch of psychopaths.' CAGW 'Oinker' Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) Associated Press, December 26, 1999."

I guess wanting to know where MY tax money is being spent makes me a "peckerwood" and a "psychopath." Fine, I can live with that. I've been called worse things by better people than Robert K.K.K. Byrd and Ted Stevens. I was surprised to see that Robert KKK Byrd didn't have an earmark for "sheet" cleaning.