For nineteen years, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has hosted a State Fiscal Policy Conference. Unless you are a policy wonk, you may not have heard of the Center. A quote from their website is a quite accurate description: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
I just recently returned from this year's conference and want to share a few highlights with readers. In the first place, we started the conference in a very different place. Last year, Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody's Analytics, gave an establishment type of presentation. Essentially, saying that the current economic system needs some tweaks and things will be back in decent shape in five years. This year we opened with a panel talking about very practical state policy reforms. No one, no one was predicting an end to this recession.
Indeed, without a drastic change in national economic policy, this recession will not end, at least for 99% of us. However, that's a subject for other posts.
Notable ideas and presentations included reform of corrections (prisons) ,sentencing, and parole laws. There are 2.3 million Americans behind bars now. This population is growing thirteen times faster than our population. We have 5% of the world's population, but 25% of world's prison population. Around 50% of this prison population is incarcerated for drug offenses. Because of ever more "get tough on crime" legislation, prison populations are not only growing rapidly, but also aging. The corrections industry now must also have facilities that look a lot like nursing homes with bars. Legislation based on principles like "three strikes you're out" and "no chance for parole" and "mandatory sentencing" have all contributed to the mess. States are spending on average $25,000 per individual each year for incarceration.
Another presentation urged states to be prudent about their economic development spending, especially regarding tax cuts. A general business tax cut is not cost effective. Much of the money from a cut in business tax goes to businesses whose hiring in tied to local demand, regardless of what the tax incentive will be. Also, businesses who are in no position to expand receive the same break. Economic development ideas that do work include customized job training and manufacturing extension services. However, these both pale when compared to investment in early childhood. A one dollar investment in early childhood returns three dollars. Both hard and soft education skills appreciate over time as opposed to other investments that depreciate over time.
Two "talking head" celebrities were at the conference, journalist E.J. Dionne, and Jared Bernstein, who is now working with the Center. Among the many wonderful insights in both of their presentations was an acknowledgment of the Occupy movement. Dionne and Bernstein each praised Occupy for bringing more public attention on income inequality in a matter of two months than other progressive efforts have managed in two decades.
Next year the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will celebrate the 20th annual State Fiscal Policy Conference. While we policy wonks enjoy catching up with one another each year, I'm not expecting a joyous reuniting around the work we do.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Educators and Public Employees Playing Hardball
“I think it’s important to be as involved in politics as the politicians have been involved in education.”
Cathy Monteiro - Classroom Teacher - Westerville, OH
The above quote is from an Ohio Education Association member in the context of the huge struggle the working people of that state have weathered. Of course, you've heard that the anti-union ballot question was crushed by a 22 % margin. This is the first mandate on the new anti-unionism in which an open vote was held.
(The Delaware State Education Association was able to share in some of Ohio's glory. We have the luxury of a Governor who respects union rights, and that allowed us to loan staff and governance people to the Ohio effort in the last few days before the election. President Frederika Jenner, Vice-President Mike Hoffman, UniServ Jocelynne Jones, Wendy Cannon, and Toby Paone all aided the OEA political activity.)
You don't need to be a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing. Educators and other public employees are fighting back against political demagoguery that blames them for everything from struggling schools to the struggling economy.
In Wisconsin, several Republican senators who supported the abrogation of union rights faced recall elections. There are now two less of those senators in the legislature. Governor Walker is facing the same scenario as the campaign for signatures to place his recall on the ballot is moving forward.
While unions across the country flex their political muscle, we should not forget the example of the Alabama Education Association which demonstrated union power in another way. The Alabama Education Association has been politically powerful for many years, always beating the odds in the conservative environment of the deep South. However, like most of the nation, this educators' organization lost their political grip in the 2010 election.
The enemies of AEA went after them hard by denying members the right of paycheck dues deduction. The response of the Alabama Education Association should be a lesson to us all. AEA recognized that governments give unions a framework in which to function, but they do not make unions, therefore they should not be able to break unions.
What makes unions is the desire of people to organize and collectively act in the welfare of the whole group. A government can make that inconvenient when they take away dues deduction, but that should not break a union. AEA went out and signed their members up for electronic fund transfers (automatic bank draws) to pay their union dues. Today, an overwhelming majority of educators continue to be in AEA as dues paying members despite the best efforts of the Alabama legislature to bust the union.
Cathy Monteiro - Classroom Teacher - Westerville, OH
The above quote is from an Ohio Education Association member in the context of the huge struggle the working people of that state have weathered. Of course, you've heard that the anti-union ballot question was crushed by a 22 % margin. This is the first mandate on the new anti-unionism in which an open vote was held.
(The Delaware State Education Association was able to share in some of Ohio's glory. We have the luxury of a Governor who respects union rights, and that allowed us to loan staff and governance people to the Ohio effort in the last few days before the election. President Frederika Jenner, Vice-President Mike Hoffman, UniServ Jocelynne Jones, Wendy Cannon, and Toby Paone all aided the OEA political activity.)
You don't need to be a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing. Educators and other public employees are fighting back against political demagoguery that blames them for everything from struggling schools to the struggling economy.
In Wisconsin, several Republican senators who supported the abrogation of union rights faced recall elections. There are now two less of those senators in the legislature. Governor Walker is facing the same scenario as the campaign for signatures to place his recall on the ballot is moving forward.
While unions across the country flex their political muscle, we should not forget the example of the Alabama Education Association which demonstrated union power in another way. The Alabama Education Association has been politically powerful for many years, always beating the odds in the conservative environment of the deep South. However, like most of the nation, this educators' organization lost their political grip in the 2010 election.
The enemies of AEA went after them hard by denying members the right of paycheck dues deduction. The response of the Alabama Education Association should be a lesson to us all. AEA recognized that governments give unions a framework in which to function, but they do not make unions, therefore they should not be able to break unions.
What makes unions is the desire of people to organize and collectively act in the welfare of the whole group. A government can make that inconvenient when they take away dues deduction, but that should not break a union. AEA went out and signed their members up for electronic fund transfers (automatic bank draws) to pay their union dues. Today, an overwhelming majority of educators continue to be in AEA as dues paying members despite the best efforts of the Alabama legislature to bust the union.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Troubles and Challenges
The national Occupy movement has me pondering a few points. First, it's not going away. Last night Occupy Oakland had 15,000 marchers who shut down both the Port of Oakland and the Bay Bridge. We have high unemployment and even higher under-employment (those who are part-time employed only because they cannot find full-time employment). We have young people who were told that if they played by the rules and got a good education then they would have a successful future. Those same young people are now carrying $25,000 or more student debt and have nothing on their horizon. Large groups of unemployed and youth are the right ingredients for any social movement. Yet, I tarry too long; let me get to the point of this post.
As the economic crisis settles into the "new normal", there will be an attempt to shift the blame down, way down to educators. Have we not already seen signs of this?
In the 1980s corporations began to pursue low wage manufacturing in developing countries. For the first time in history, any kind of effort to tariff to protect domestic industries was anathema. No politician Republican or Democrat wanted to be called, "protectionist". That's silly in light of the fact that trade has been regulated since the days of Ancient Rome. However, that's the story we bought; so, goods were manufactured with slave wages and brought back to be sold in the US with low or no tax penalties.
As manufacturing jobs left the US in droves, public policy makers said, "Don't worry, we can be a service and information based economy." For a while that looked viable as we rode the wave of Internet technology. However, the erosion of US jobs continued as we discovered that services such as telemarketing, data entry, and customer service could also be outsourced.
Decision makers stepped in again to reassure the public by saying, "Don't worry. It's true we will not manufacture or provide many services, but we will be the engineers, scientists, and designers."
Now, we are experiencing the dissolution of that dream as well. Guess what, just as there are nations where people are desperate to manufacture for slave wages, there are also nations with plenty of very smart people willing to engineer for grossly unfair wages.
This is the crucial point: Just as manufacturing left the US in pursuit of low wages, so has Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). US corporations did not leave the US in pursuit of smarter employees for those jobs. Corporations left to get people to do STEM for the same bargain basement wages that they can now get for manufacturing.
Some people are blaming educators for not giving the nation enough well educated STEM graduates to compete with other nations. But that was never the cause of job flight to begin with.
A combined effort of researchers Hal Salzman from Rutgers and Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown looked at the STEM issue in a study using thirty years of longitudinal data. The report titled, “Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline,” is a fascinating and comprehensive look at STEM. In short, we are graduating STEM students with as much quality and quantity as we were in the 1970s. The difference is that now, for every three STEM graduates we give the nation, there is one STEM job waiting for them.
Educators are not to blame for any of this economic mess. However, they may be able to help if given the resources and freedom to educate with a well-rounded curriculum that is not fixated on either test scores or STEM alone. Educators will accept the challenge to help move us into a new economy, but they should never accept the blame for the current economic situation.
As the economic crisis settles into the "new normal", there will be an attempt to shift the blame down, way down to educators. Have we not already seen signs of this?
In the 1980s corporations began to pursue low wage manufacturing in developing countries. For the first time in history, any kind of effort to tariff to protect domestic industries was anathema. No politician Republican or Democrat wanted to be called, "protectionist". That's silly in light of the fact that trade has been regulated since the days of Ancient Rome. However, that's the story we bought; so, goods were manufactured with slave wages and brought back to be sold in the US with low or no tax penalties.
As manufacturing jobs left the US in droves, public policy makers said, "Don't worry, we can be a service and information based economy." For a while that looked viable as we rode the wave of Internet technology. However, the erosion of US jobs continued as we discovered that services such as telemarketing, data entry, and customer service could also be outsourced.
Decision makers stepped in again to reassure the public by saying, "Don't worry. It's true we will not manufacture or provide many services, but we will be the engineers, scientists, and designers."
Now, we are experiencing the dissolution of that dream as well. Guess what, just as there are nations where people are desperate to manufacture for slave wages, there are also nations with plenty of very smart people willing to engineer for grossly unfair wages.
This is the crucial point: Just as manufacturing left the US in pursuit of low wages, so has Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). US corporations did not leave the US in pursuit of smarter employees for those jobs. Corporations left to get people to do STEM for the same bargain basement wages that they can now get for manufacturing.
Some people are blaming educators for not giving the nation enough well educated STEM graduates to compete with other nations. But that was never the cause of job flight to begin with.
A combined effort of researchers Hal Salzman from Rutgers and Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown looked at the STEM issue in a study using thirty years of longitudinal data. The report titled, “Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline,” is a fascinating and comprehensive look at STEM. In short, we are graduating STEM students with as much quality and quantity as we were in the 1970s. The difference is that now, for every three STEM graduates we give the nation, there is one STEM job waiting for them.
Educators are not to blame for any of this economic mess. However, they may be able to help if given the resources and freedom to educate with a well-rounded curriculum that is not fixated on either test scores or STEM alone. Educators will accept the challenge to help move us into a new economy, but they should never accept the blame for the current economic situation.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Stay Balanced
Last week the Delaware State Education Association was host to a briefing by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) on the national economic picture and the impact on state budgets. Jon Shure, the director of State Fiscal Strategies for CBPP, was the presenter.
Three immediate thoughts came to me during the presentation. First, things are bad out there, really bad. Second, as bad as they are here, they are worse in most other states. Third, in Delaware we used a balanced approach, a combination of revenue and budget cuts, to deal with the worst of the crisis. This is exactly the approach recommended by the nation's top policy wonks at CBPP.
One startling fact in the presentation dealt with the loss of public employee jobs nationwide:
In case the chart is a little difficult to read, that's 646,000 jobs since August of 2008. Those job losses represent a major stepping away from public services by many states. While the loss of 646,000 jobs alone means a mighty blow to the economy, consider that these are jobs that support the foundation of the greater economy: Education, public safety, transportation, and health care to name just a few.
The loss of public services ripples throughout the economy. Allow me a simple example. If I need to renew my license and I wait for 3 hours instead of the usual 30 minutes, that's a residual economic loss (my time) from the economy, in addition to the laid off DMV employees and their spending power.
We live in an increasingly complex society with a complex and interdependent economy. Correspondingly, it takes a complex and comprehensive network of public services to provide the foundation. States who go too far down this path of smaller government, fewer public employees, and less public investment are borrowing against their economic future.
As we enter our fourth consecutive tough economic year, we should maintain our balanced approach, and keep Delaware a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Three immediate thoughts came to me during the presentation. First, things are bad out there, really bad. Second, as bad as they are here, they are worse in most other states. Third, in Delaware we used a balanced approach, a combination of revenue and budget cuts, to deal with the worst of the crisis. This is exactly the approach recommended by the nation's top policy wonks at CBPP.
One startling fact in the presentation dealt with the loss of public employee jobs nationwide:
In case the chart is a little difficult to read, that's 646,000 jobs since August of 2008. Those job losses represent a major stepping away from public services by many states. While the loss of 646,000 jobs alone means a mighty blow to the economy, consider that these are jobs that support the foundation of the greater economy: Education, public safety, transportation, and health care to name just a few.
The loss of public services ripples throughout the economy. Allow me a simple example. If I need to renew my license and I wait for 3 hours instead of the usual 30 minutes, that's a residual economic loss (my time) from the economy, in addition to the laid off DMV employees and their spending power.
We live in an increasingly complex society with a complex and interdependent economy. Correspondingly, it takes a complex and comprehensive network of public services to provide the foundation. States who go too far down this path of smaller government, fewer public employees, and less public investment are borrowing against their economic future.
As we enter our fourth consecutive tough economic year, we should maintain our balanced approach, and keep Delaware a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Guilty Reappearance
It is with some guilt that I come back onto the blogsphere after a long absence. There's been so much happening and little time to write about it. So, in no order of date or importance, here are some of the issues and happenings that deserve comment.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been "marked up" (amended in committee to reflect spending needs) in the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee. The Senate version as it has been passed out of committee, has no teacher evaluation component. This has caused the United States Education Department to pull their support for the bill. The NEA continues to support Harkin's bill and is working to make it better. There is no word on when the bill will go to the floor of the Senate. We do know it will not happen before November 8th. Chairman Harkin agreed to another hearing on November 8th for the benefit of Senator Rand Paul who authored about half of the 150 amendments proposed for the bill.
Delaware is competing for another Race To The Top grant. This one is for early childhood education. The Delaware Department of Education solicited input from Kindergarten teachers before completing the grant application. Lt. Governor Matt Denn met with Kent and Sussex County Kindergarten teachers on October 3rd and with New Castle County K-teachers on October 6th. While the program is centered on pre-K education, the Kindergarten teachers would be tasked with assessing children to determine their preparedness for school.
DSEA has had two very successful trainings recently. October 14th -16th was Leaders' Weekend training. This training had an emphasis on the meaning of union and establishing a successful union culture in Locals. October 22nd was the Education Support Professionals conference. Feedback from both events has been positive.
November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be Political Action Leader (PAL) trainings. Any DSEA political activist is welcome to join us for one of the following: Nov. 1 at the DSEA building in Dover from 5:00PM to 7:00PM, Nov. 2 at Heritage Shores from 5:00PM to 7:00PM or Nov. 3 at DSEA Newark office from 5:00PM to 7:00PM.
Ok, I'm back...once again I'll try to keep up with postings.
Peace.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been "marked up" (amended in committee to reflect spending needs) in the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee. The Senate version as it has been passed out of committee, has no teacher evaluation component. This has caused the United States Education Department to pull their support for the bill. The NEA continues to support Harkin's bill and is working to make it better. There is no word on when the bill will go to the floor of the Senate. We do know it will not happen before November 8th. Chairman Harkin agreed to another hearing on November 8th for the benefit of Senator Rand Paul who authored about half of the 150 amendments proposed for the bill.
Delaware is competing for another Race To The Top grant. This one is for early childhood education. The Delaware Department of Education solicited input from Kindergarten teachers before completing the grant application. Lt. Governor Matt Denn met with Kent and Sussex County Kindergarten teachers on October 3rd and with New Castle County K-teachers on October 6th. While the program is centered on pre-K education, the Kindergarten teachers would be tasked with assessing children to determine their preparedness for school.
DSEA has had two very successful trainings recently. October 14th -16th was Leaders' Weekend training. This training had an emphasis on the meaning of union and establishing a successful union culture in Locals. October 22nd was the Education Support Professionals conference. Feedback from both events has been positive.
November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be Political Action Leader (PAL) trainings. Any DSEA political activist is welcome to join us for one of the following: Nov. 1 at the DSEA building in Dover from 5:00PM to 7:00PM, Nov. 2 at Heritage Shores from 5:00PM to 7:00PM or Nov. 3 at DSEA Newark office from 5:00PM to 7:00PM.
Ok, I'm back...once again I'll try to keep up with postings.
Peace.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Major NCLB Changes Ahead
President Obama announced this afternoon that states will be able to apply for waivers to No Child Left Behind. Educators and policy makers have complained for years about the unreasonableness of certain NCLB mandates such as the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Instead of the sanction orientated focus of the Bush years, the new emphasis will be recognizing and rewarding successful schools while providing struggling schools with targeted support and more flexibility.
One major change is the elimination of the 2014 drop dead date to have proficiency for 100% of students. Instead, states will be able to have realistic improvement goals for students in reading/language arts and mathematics.
States and school districts will have greater flexibility on the use of federal funds, while at the same time funds to meet the needs of particular populations of students will be protected.
Under the waiver, priority schools will no longer have to choose one of the four intervention models. They can design their own improvement plan based on turnaround principles.
Teacher evaluation systems will not have to be fully implemented until 2014-15 school year. This will allow states time to develop stronger and sensible evaluation systems.
In order to qualify for a waiver, states must develop a plan to address three areas of education reform: 1. Statewide college and career ready standards and assessments for students. Delaware is ahead of most states in this area 2. Systems for differentiated recognition, accountability and support. In other words, a way to identify and provide resources for the lowest performing schools. Again, Delaware has this system operating. 3. Evaluation and support for teacher and principal effectiveness. Delaware's DPAS II fits this model.
The hard work of Delaware educators in winning the Race To The Top grant may now pay off in another way. The requirements for NCLB waiver appear to be very similar to the requirements for RTTT.
Ok readers, I hope the above article makes sense. I had to write it in a hurry, but I wanted you to know the scoop before the weekend.
Instead of the sanction orientated focus of the Bush years, the new emphasis will be recognizing and rewarding successful schools while providing struggling schools with targeted support and more flexibility.
One major change is the elimination of the 2014 drop dead date to have proficiency for 100% of students. Instead, states will be able to have realistic improvement goals for students in reading/language arts and mathematics.
States and school districts will have greater flexibility on the use of federal funds, while at the same time funds to meet the needs of particular populations of students will be protected.
Under the waiver, priority schools will no longer have to choose one of the four intervention models. They can design their own improvement plan based on turnaround principles.
Teacher evaluation systems will not have to be fully implemented until 2014-15 school year. This will allow states time to develop stronger and sensible evaluation systems.
In order to qualify for a waiver, states must develop a plan to address three areas of education reform: 1. Statewide college and career ready standards and assessments for students. Delaware is ahead of most states in this area 2. Systems for differentiated recognition, accountability and support. In other words, a way to identify and provide resources for the lowest performing schools. Again, Delaware has this system operating. 3. Evaluation and support for teacher and principal effectiveness. Delaware's DPAS II fits this model.
The hard work of Delaware educators in winning the Race To The Top grant may now pay off in another way. The requirements for NCLB waiver appear to be very similar to the requirements for RTTT.
Ok readers, I hope the above article makes sense. I had to write it in a hurry, but I wanted you to know the scoop before the weekend.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Jobs Bill Offers New Hope
The Obama Administration sent the Jobs Bill to Congress today. Tonight, Vice-President Biden was on a national phone call with educators explaining aspects of the Jobs Bill. Education is a major part of the bill because the Administration continues to recognize education as key to our future, because we have lost 129,000 education jobs since January, and because educators are prime examples of middle class workers.
The bill has $30 billion to employee 280,000 educators for the school years 2011-2012, and 2012-2013. This type of stimulus is at work, right now in Delaware. Delaware is today utilizing money they saved from the 2010 Education Jobs Act to keep educators working this year.
$30 billion will be used to renovate our crumbling schools. $10 billion of this money will be distributed directly to school districts utilizing Title 1 funding formula. The other $15 billion will be sent to the states to allocate for school building and repairing. The average age of a US school is forty and the buildings are notoriously energy inefficient. It is estimated that we might save $2 to $4 billion on energy costs with new and renovated buildings.
$5 billion is in the legislation for community colleges although their need is much greater as demand for their services have increased with the bad economy.
Other middle class help in the bill includes deeper cuts to payroll tax and foreclosure relief.
Small business tax cuts are included as well as tax credits for those businesses hiring veterans and the long-term unemployed.
For those that have caught the fiscal conservative bug, this bill is paid for by closing tax loopholes. For example, in spite of year after year of grossly high profits, we continue to give oil companies tax breaks worth $37 billion. We also allow hedge fund managers (who actually detract, not add to the economy) to be taxed at 15% instead of the 28% rate that common folks pay on earnings. Both of these loopholes are closed by the law.
This stimulus package creates about 1.9 million jobs. The entire debt ceiling/ deficit reduction fiasco created zero jobs.
The bill has $30 billion to employee 280,000 educators for the school years 2011-2012, and 2012-2013. This type of stimulus is at work, right now in Delaware. Delaware is today utilizing money they saved from the 2010 Education Jobs Act to keep educators working this year.
$30 billion will be used to renovate our crumbling schools. $10 billion of this money will be distributed directly to school districts utilizing Title 1 funding formula. The other $15 billion will be sent to the states to allocate for school building and repairing. The average age of a US school is forty and the buildings are notoriously energy inefficient. It is estimated that we might save $2 to $4 billion on energy costs with new and renovated buildings.
$5 billion is in the legislation for community colleges although their need is much greater as demand for their services have increased with the bad economy.
Other middle class help in the bill includes deeper cuts to payroll tax and foreclosure relief.
Small business tax cuts are included as well as tax credits for those businesses hiring veterans and the long-term unemployed.
For those that have caught the fiscal conservative bug, this bill is paid for by closing tax loopholes. For example, in spite of year after year of grossly high profits, we continue to give oil companies tax breaks worth $37 billion. We also allow hedge fund managers (who actually detract, not add to the economy) to be taxed at 15% instead of the 28% rate that common folks pay on earnings. Both of these loopholes are closed by the law.
This stimulus package creates about 1.9 million jobs. The entire debt ceiling/ deficit reduction fiasco created zero jobs.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Jobs Bill is Coming
If you are reading this consider yourself invited to join the Delaware State Education Association at the annual Labor Day Parade in Wilmington, Delaware. We will line up at 9:30Am at 15th and King Streets. Give an hour to Labor since they gave you the whole weekend!
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President Obama will be unveiling a new jobs program in a few days. One interesting distraction has been the setting of the date to address Congress. The Republican House rejected the first offered date and suggested another...well you can hear about it in the news. The only reason I say "interesting" is that I have never seen such crude disrespect for the office of the Presidency than I have since Obama took office. Remember Congressman Joe Wilson's "You lie!" during the State of the State? Or John Boehner's not returning the President's phone calls? There have been other incidents as well. The point is civility appears to be gone. It's like the meaner cousins of the Beverly Hillbillies have come to Congress.
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Let us all hope that Obama's jobs plan will be worth the wait when the House does finally let him speak. Playing catch up is always difficult, but that's what he needs to do. When Obama's first stimulus, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, was before the people he should have stated something along these lines:
My predecessor attempted to help this economy with a massive initiative in trickle down economics when he bailed out the banks. This Administration is not going to do that. We are going to put money at the grassroots level to stimulate the economy and in the process of putting people back to work we will improve our education system, repair crumbling infrastructure, and move the nation forward in alternative energy and green economy. With all that said, I must warn you: This is a deep recession. Just like the Administration of FDR, we may have to come back again, and maybe again, with more stimulus until the citizens in this country are back on their economic feet. I will never apologize for investment that puts us back to work and strengthens us for the future.
Unfortunately nothing like the above was said during the first stimulus fight. So, instead of creating jobs with federal spending, we've been on a mission to cut federal spending. We didn't think of taking on this job when we gave $1 Trillion in tax cuts to the wealthy, when we took on two wars costing billions of dollars every month, or even when we gave billions to extremely profitable oil companies. No, we decided to cut spending in the middle of a deep recession. FDR must be rolling in his grave.
How the President now changes the debate from 'kill government and shrink its head', to 'government is the only entity that can get money moving again in the economy so lets rebuild and build anew', I don't know. However, he is a great communicator. Moreover he's going in the right direction and there is a power that comes from doing the right thing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Obama will be unveiling a new jobs program in a few days. One interesting distraction has been the setting of the date to address Congress. The Republican House rejected the first offered date and suggested another...well you can hear about it in the news. The only reason I say "interesting" is that I have never seen such crude disrespect for the office of the Presidency than I have since Obama took office. Remember Congressman Joe Wilson's "You lie!" during the State of the State? Or John Boehner's not returning the President's phone calls? There have been other incidents as well. The point is civility appears to be gone. It's like the meaner cousins of the Beverly Hillbillies have come to Congress.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us all hope that Obama's jobs plan will be worth the wait when the House does finally let him speak. Playing catch up is always difficult, but that's what he needs to do. When Obama's first stimulus, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, was before the people he should have stated something along these lines:
My predecessor attempted to help this economy with a massive initiative in trickle down economics when he bailed out the banks. This Administration is not going to do that. We are going to put money at the grassroots level to stimulate the economy and in the process of putting people back to work we will improve our education system, repair crumbling infrastructure, and move the nation forward in alternative energy and green economy. With all that said, I must warn you: This is a deep recession. Just like the Administration of FDR, we may have to come back again, and maybe again, with more stimulus until the citizens in this country are back on their economic feet. I will never apologize for investment that puts us back to work and strengthens us for the future.
Unfortunately nothing like the above was said during the first stimulus fight. So, instead of creating jobs with federal spending, we've been on a mission to cut federal spending. We didn't think of taking on this job when we gave $1 Trillion in tax cuts to the wealthy, when we took on two wars costing billions of dollars every month, or even when we gave billions to extremely profitable oil companies. No, we decided to cut spending in the middle of a deep recession. FDR must be rolling in his grave.
How the President now changes the debate from 'kill government and shrink its head', to 'government is the only entity that can get money moving again in the economy so lets rebuild and build anew', I don't know. However, he is a great communicator. Moreover he's going in the right direction and there is a power that comes from doing the right thing.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Irene's Out and School's In
School's in, and Irene's out! Most schools in Delaware started a day late as the maintenance crews in school districts made sure that water and debris were cleaned up before allowing the kids back.
Delaware acted responsibly in preparation for Irene and in response during and after Irene. That seems like a "no brainer", but it's not. Governors and media of the East Coast are actually receiving criticism from some pundits for being too cautious and "hyping Irene". This is absurd Monday Morning Quarterbacking, but it is out there in the public discourse now.
Delaware deaths due to Irene are now at two, and insurance claims at around $2 million. These are tragic but contained losses. Evacuations and a state of emergency declared by Governor Markell were a major factor in easing the impact of the hurricane. Additionally, public employees at every level of government really performed well.
Emergencies like Irene remind us of the importance of public infrastructure and public employees.
Delaware acted responsibly in preparation for Irene and in response during and after Irene. That seems like a "no brainer", but it's not. Governors and media of the East Coast are actually receiving criticism from some pundits for being too cautious and "hyping Irene". This is absurd Monday Morning Quarterbacking, but it is out there in the public discourse now.
Delaware deaths due to Irene are now at two, and insurance claims at around $2 million. These are tragic but contained losses. Evacuations and a state of emergency declared by Governor Markell were a major factor in easing the impact of the hurricane. Additionally, public employees at every level of government really performed well.
Emergencies like Irene remind us of the importance of public infrastructure and public employees.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Odds and Ends
Labor Day is coming! DSEA members are encouraged to participate in the annual Labor Day parade in downtown Wilmington. Labor Day is in honor of American Labor and like all your other weekends would not exist without the Labor Movement. So, if you are a DSEA member please join us at 15th and King Street (this is our starting position in the parade line up) at 9:30 AM on Labor Day. This is a fun activity, bring your spouses and children to walk with us and hundreds of other Labor families from the area.
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New Teacher Orientations have been taking place around the state. As teachers are welcomed into school districts to take on their new roles, they are also recruited by DSEA and welcomed into the union. The DSEA locals do a great job, often getting 100% of new hires signed into the union.
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The teachers in Capital School District will come under Fair Share rules this year. That means that teachers who choose not to be members will pay a fee for the services they receive under the contract. In Locals without Fair Share, the loyal dues paying members pay to sustain the organization that negotiates contracts for compensation and working conditions enjoyed by all, including the non-members. That will no longer be the case in Capital, congratulations to that Local.
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At the federal level the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is moving forward. US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, will announce a plan in September to allow flexibility around some of the NCLB requirements. However, this will be in exchange for undisclosed commitments to reform.
This action prompted National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel to comment:“What we need now is teacher-led and student-focused comprehensive reform instead of making states jump through more hoops. The Administration should be leading efforts that support all students and schools by providing real relief from parts of the law that everyone acknowledges simply don’t work.”
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New Teacher Orientations have been taking place around the state. As teachers are welcomed into school districts to take on their new roles, they are also recruited by DSEA and welcomed into the union. The DSEA locals do a great job, often getting 100% of new hires signed into the union.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The teachers in Capital School District will come under Fair Share rules this year. That means that teachers who choose not to be members will pay a fee for the services they receive under the contract. In Locals without Fair Share, the loyal dues paying members pay to sustain the organization that negotiates contracts for compensation and working conditions enjoyed by all, including the non-members. That will no longer be the case in Capital, congratulations to that Local.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the federal level the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is moving forward. US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, will announce a plan in September to allow flexibility around some of the NCLB requirements. However, this will be in exchange for undisclosed commitments to reform.
This action prompted National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel to comment:“What we need now is teacher-led and student-focused comprehensive reform instead of making states jump through more hoops. The Administration should be leading efforts that support all students and schools by providing real relief from parts of the law that everyone acknowledges simply don’t work.”
Friday, August 19, 2011
Charter School Law
Today, Governor Markell signed HB 205 into law. The bill increases the oversight and accountability of charter schools. This is the first change in Delaware charter school law in the 14 years since the schools were established in the state.
The Governor said, "Charter schools empower parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs. But the promise of charter schools is not just added flexibility - it is added flexibility coupled with heightened accountability."
Perhaps another way of phrasing this is the old saw: To whom much is given, much is expected.
Certainly we have given charter schools a lot. They have the exclusivity of private schools, but with all the public funding (except capital construction)of your local community public school. Additionally, charters have been given unmitigated praise by education reformers across the country. The lavish praise has been reinforced by an unquestioning media.
Intentionally deaf ears and blind eyes ignore research showing that when comparable populations are examined, charter schools do no better and even worse in some endeavours than traditional public schools.
The new Delaware law will require charters to disclose finances, to come under the governance of a state Financial Recovery Team if they are in fiscal trouble, have criminal background checks for operators, and evaluate the impact on community public schools before expanding or replicating.
The Governor worked closely with DSEA, legislators, and charter schools to make this legislation happen. Congratulations to the Markell Administration for the courage to do it, and the smarts to do it right.
The Governor said, "Charter schools empower parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs. But the promise of charter schools is not just added flexibility - it is added flexibility coupled with heightened accountability."
Perhaps another way of phrasing this is the old saw: To whom much is given, much is expected.
Certainly we have given charter schools a lot. They have the exclusivity of private schools, but with all the public funding (except capital construction)of your local community public school. Additionally, charters have been given unmitigated praise by education reformers across the country. The lavish praise has been reinforced by an unquestioning media.
Intentionally deaf ears and blind eyes ignore research showing that when comparable populations are examined, charter schools do no better and even worse in some endeavours than traditional public schools.
The new Delaware law will require charters to disclose finances, to come under the governance of a state Financial Recovery Team if they are in fiscal trouble, have criminal background checks for operators, and evaluate the impact on community public schools before expanding or replicating.
The Governor worked closely with DSEA, legislators, and charter schools to make this legislation happen. Congratulations to the Markell Administration for the courage to do it, and the smarts to do it right.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
NCSL Final Thoughts
Ok, this is the last blog post on my NCSL trip. I promise. This will be just a hodgepodge of thoughts about the trip.
First, the dire straights of a nation in economic peril made more perilous by bad government policy was evident in San Antonio. San Antonio is arguably the premier convention city for Texas, and landing NCSL was a premium opportunity. NCSL has state legislators, policy experts, lobbyists, corporate and union officials from all over the nation attend. Yet, even here where Texas and their presidential hopeful governor wanted to showcase the state, at the back of the convention center were three historic buildings (complete with brass plaques advertising their importance to Texas) boarded up. After all, in Rick Perry's world who needs history and culture unless it can pull its own weight with an admission fee?
Flying into and out of San Antonio I was shocked that the countryside looked more Las Cruces, New Mexico a desert city, than the lush river city I remembered from years ago. This is not just an anecdotal observation. All 254 counties of Texas have been declared drought disasters by the US Department of Agriculture; thus making them eligible for various types of federal relief. This topic was not mentioned when Rick Perry addressed the NCSL about government spending, entitlements, et al. Interesting to note that climate change did not come up either.
It was rather ironic that on the same day Rick Perry spoke to NCSL, the final space shuttle crew made an appearance and gave a presentation. For a decade US astronauts have been building and improving the space station. NASA will now no longer have a space station program with astronauts. However, privately funded missions are being developed for corporate interests who want to experiment in space. It took "big government" to develop a space program. Now, the private sector will profit from the foundation laid by the public sector and, yes, public employees.
Finally, what's with the Alamo? A favorite saying in Texas, to this day, is "Remember the Alamo!". Personally, I think they need closure and should move on. Forget the Alamo. By the way, if you want to see the captured flag of the Alamo, you will have to go to Mexico City for that is where it sits in a museum behind Chapultepec Park. The Mexicans have denied repeated requests from Texas for the flag. I can't blame them. After all we haven't given back Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Check into that little piece of history called the Mexican American War and take note the next time you hear folks from Texas or Arizona talking about Mexicans illegally crossing into "our country".
Please don't get the wrong idea. I was born in San Angelo, Texas. I still have family in Texas. I think Texans are naturally friendly, gregarious, and down to earth. I like Texans. I like them enough to believe they deserve a better government, and a more compassionate public policy that reflects their true nature.
First, the dire straights of a nation in economic peril made more perilous by bad government policy was evident in San Antonio. San Antonio is arguably the premier convention city for Texas, and landing NCSL was a premium opportunity. NCSL has state legislators, policy experts, lobbyists, corporate and union officials from all over the nation attend. Yet, even here where Texas and their presidential hopeful governor wanted to showcase the state, at the back of the convention center were three historic buildings (complete with brass plaques advertising their importance to Texas) boarded up. After all, in Rick Perry's world who needs history and culture unless it can pull its own weight with an admission fee?
Flying into and out of San Antonio I was shocked that the countryside looked more Las Cruces, New Mexico a desert city, than the lush river city I remembered from years ago. This is not just an anecdotal observation. All 254 counties of Texas have been declared drought disasters by the US Department of Agriculture; thus making them eligible for various types of federal relief. This topic was not mentioned when Rick Perry addressed the NCSL about government spending, entitlements, et al. Interesting to note that climate change did not come up either.
It was rather ironic that on the same day Rick Perry spoke to NCSL, the final space shuttle crew made an appearance and gave a presentation. For a decade US astronauts have been building and improving the space station. NASA will now no longer have a space station program with astronauts. However, privately funded missions are being developed for corporate interests who want to experiment in space. It took "big government" to develop a space program. Now, the private sector will profit from the foundation laid by the public sector and, yes, public employees.
Finally, what's with the Alamo? A favorite saying in Texas, to this day, is "Remember the Alamo!". Personally, I think they need closure and should move on. Forget the Alamo. By the way, if you want to see the captured flag of the Alamo, you will have to go to Mexico City for that is where it sits in a museum behind Chapultepec Park. The Mexicans have denied repeated requests from Texas for the flag. I can't blame them. After all we haven't given back Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Check into that little piece of history called the Mexican American War and take note the next time you hear folks from Texas or Arizona talking about Mexicans illegally crossing into "our country".
Please don't get the wrong idea. I was born in San Angelo, Texas. I still have family in Texas. I think Texans are naturally friendly, gregarious, and down to earth. I like Texans. I like them enough to believe they deserve a better government, and a more compassionate public policy that reflects their true nature.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Governor Rick Perry at NCSL
Rick Perry spoke to the National Council of State Legislatures this morning. His platform could be summarized as Bush Re-do: Cut taxes, cut social services spending, cut regulations on corporations. The nation wants to do this again, because it worked out so well the first time?
With the increase of Republican majorities in legislatures, including the influx of Tea Party Republicans, many of the presentations at NCSL have turned decidedly to the Right. For example, I attended a panel on health care this morning that was entirely about states opting out of the Affordable Care Act. There were ten panelists, and by my count only one was saying anything positive about ACA.
That's not to say that there are not problems with ACA. For example, the insurance industry made out like bandits and the pharmaceutical industry didn't go away paupers either. However, these folks were simply wanting to throw out ACA and return to "free market" health care. One panelist said, "People should have the freedom to buy health care with their own money". Yes, and the homeless should have the freedom to dine al fresco. Seriously, the free market has left about 50 million Americans without health care. If you work in one of the millions of low wage jobs that does not provide benefits, your freedom of choice amounts to food or health insurance.
This will be my last day reporting from the Lone Star State, it's back to the First State tomorrow.
With the increase of Republican majorities in legislatures, including the influx of Tea Party Republicans, many of the presentations at NCSL have turned decidedly to the Right. For example, I attended a panel on health care this morning that was entirely about states opting out of the Affordable Care Act. There were ten panelists, and by my count only one was saying anything positive about ACA.
That's not to say that there are not problems with ACA. For example, the insurance industry made out like bandits and the pharmaceutical industry didn't go away paupers either. However, these folks were simply wanting to throw out ACA and return to "free market" health care. One panelist said, "People should have the freedom to buy health care with their own money". Yes, and the homeless should have the freedom to dine al fresco. Seriously, the free market has left about 50 million Americans without health care. If you work in one of the millions of low wage jobs that does not provide benefits, your freedom of choice amounts to food or health insurance.
This will be my last day reporting from the Lone Star State, it's back to the First State tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
NCSL Day 2
Among many interesting things at the National Council of State Legislatures is the Exhibit Hall. Exhibitors from AAA to the Youth Support Concussion Coalition fill the giant hall touting organizations, causes, and products to state legislators.
Some exhibits cause a smile such as American Association for Nude Recreation. Some exhibits cause a frown such as the John Birch Society. Some have clever giveaways such as the all too real looking plastic cockroaches by Terminix. Taser International Inc. was in the hall as well, only they were not giving out samples, and neither was the National Rifle Association.
There are wonderful research resources offered by a few exhibitors. For example, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis was showing off their website which offers factual information about the American economy. The Bureau has resisted the winds of ideology in Washington by being staffed by merit employees untouchable by vindictive politicians.
The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy was present with a truthful and mature approach to taxation. On the other hand, there were probably 7 or 8 groups present who had an assortment of snake oil approaches in lieu of taxation.
Thank heavens for the National Education Association and their great booth, staffed with professionals. Their advocacy found companionship with exhibitors such as Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, and American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.
Tomorrow, NCSL delegates will hear from Texas governor, and presidential hopeful, Rick Perry. A legislator from Waco, Texas complete with white cowboy hat and bollo tie told me how pleased I was going to be when I heard a "good Christian man" like Rick Perry. Oh, the temptation to go into an old SNL skit and say, "Rick Perry is not good, Christian, or a man: Discuss among yourselves".
Some exhibits cause a smile such as American Association for Nude Recreation. Some exhibits cause a frown such as the John Birch Society. Some have clever giveaways such as the all too real looking plastic cockroaches by Terminix. Taser International Inc. was in the hall as well, only they were not giving out samples, and neither was the National Rifle Association.
There are wonderful research resources offered by a few exhibitors. For example, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis was showing off their website which offers factual information about the American economy. The Bureau has resisted the winds of ideology in Washington by being staffed by merit employees untouchable by vindictive politicians.
The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy was present with a truthful and mature approach to taxation. On the other hand, there were probably 7 or 8 groups present who had an assortment of snake oil approaches in lieu of taxation.
Thank heavens for the National Education Association and their great booth, staffed with professionals. Their advocacy found companionship with exhibitors such as Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, and American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.
Tomorrow, NCSL delegates will hear from Texas governor, and presidential hopeful, Rick Perry. A legislator from Waco, Texas complete with white cowboy hat and bollo tie told me how pleased I was going to be when I heard a "good Christian man" like Rick Perry. Oh, the temptation to go into an old SNL skit and say, "Rick Perry is not good, Christian, or a man: Discuss among yourselves".
Monday, August 8, 2011
NCSL in San Antonio
I am at the first day of the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) in San Antonio, Texas. It's over 100 degrees here and as tough as it is on the visitors, we should remember Texans are in their 39th day of tripple digits.
Regardless of heat, the National Education Association is at NCSL and doing their part to influence the public policy of states towards an education agenda that makes sense. Towards that end, the NEA sponsored a presentation by William Mathis of the National Education Policy Center. Mr Mathis and the NEPC spend a lot of time debunking the myths driving US education policy today. In this post I'll focus on just one part of his brilliant presentation, in which he identifies the "Market-Model Approach" under which we are living now, and answers with an alternative.
According to William Mathis the Market-Model Approach is as follows:
Regardless of heat, the National Education Association is at NCSL and doing their part to influence the public policy of states towards an education agenda that makes sense. Towards that end, the NEA sponsored a presentation by William Mathis of the National Education Policy Center. Mr Mathis and the NEPC spend a lot of time debunking the myths driving US education policy today. In this post I'll focus on just one part of his brilliant presentation, in which he identifies the "Market-Model Approach" under which we are living now, and answers with an alternative.
According to William Mathis the Market-Model Approach is as follows:
- The purpose of education is high test scores for international economic competitiveness.
- Properly run schools can overcome poverty and other disadvantages by dint of greater efficiency and effectiveness.
- A free-market, privatized system will, through competition, achieve the desirable outcomes.
- Advanced by wealthy patrons, business community, media and politicians based on research from vested interest think-tanks such as Heritage, Cato, Manhattan and Hoover.
Again, according to Mr. Mathis, the Anti-Market Model Narrative:
- Education is, among other things, a process
- of shaping the moral imagination, character, skills and intellect of our children,
- of inviting them into the great conversation of our moral, cultural and intellectual life, and
- of giving them the resources to prepare them to fully participate in the life of the nation and of the world.
The alternative provided by the National Education Policy Center sounds closer to the type of education that attracted most educators to the profession and it is certainly closer to mission of education when middle aged Americans were themselves students.
It occurs to me that the Market Model is based on two falsehoods:1. US corporations have outsourced millions of jobs because they cannot find enough "smart" Americans to take those jobs. 2. It is the job of the US education system to now make America economically competitive again.
In short order. US corporations did not outsource for smart labor. They outsourced for cheap labor, and for labor unimpeded by safety and environmental laws. 2. The job of education is about those immeasurable attributes listed by Mr. Mathis above...to instill a love of learning that is applicable in the intellectual, moral, and cultural life of an individual.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Looking at Doom Dreaming of Paradise
Sometimes you don't want to be right. I've been a huge pessimist about the economy on this blog since it started. Moreover, regarding the recent budget deal I had to agree with Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver from Kansas City, Missouri who called it, "a sugar coated Satan sandwich".
Now we've got big problems. Standard and Poors just downgraded our credit rating last night. The budget deal contained no revenue increases and the GOP promised to not allow revenue increases in the future when the so called Super Committee revisits the budget. More importantly, there is now established a precedent to continue huge battles about the debt ceiling in the future. So, if a nation will not raise any money and will periodically threaten not to repay creditors, what kind of an investment risk does that make us? Are we sure that we even warrant the AA+?
There is a good fix for this, and there is the fix we will probably adopt. Let's start with the bad and expected fix.
There is a good chance that ideologues in this country will use the economic scary times to completely dismantle the already patchy social service net. Although S&P mentions failure to raise taxes more than failure to cut spending in their reasoning, there is an element that will concentrate on cuts. Not just any cuts, but cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, Student Aid, ESEA funding, and of course regulatory agencies such as the EPA. We could actually be looking at an America that resembled Hoover's America of our parents' or grandparents' day. This is a bad fix.
Further cutting of domestic spending in the current economy will deepen the recession. Estimates of job loss for the cuts currently on the table stand at around 1.8 million. The US will have trouble surviving that loss, let alone going back for more.
The good fix in my mind is as follows. First, the President should declare that there will be no more debt ceiling fights in the future, because he will simply invoke the 14 Amendment and raise the ceiling unilaterally. Second, we should go after revenue from the two sources that still have money, the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans and corporations who are sitting on more than $2Trillion and not hiring US workers. Third, we should cut corporate subsidies such as the outlandish practice of giving oil companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Fourth, we should impose a rapid trades tax on Wall Street. Current trading has nothing to do with investment and everything to do with speculation. Shares may be held for weeks, days, hours, or even minutes by speculators using computer trading. On shares held for so short a time which are obviously not investments, there should be an escalating tax. Fifth, we should complete the exit of troops from Iraq including the many private soldiers hired there, and leave Afghanistan, and when troops are safely home, make the Pentagon live within a reasonable budget for the first time in 70 years.
Finally, we should actually spend money. Our transportation system is a joke. We should join the rest of the world and have this country crisscrossed with commuter trains; from cross country bullet trains to in- town trolleys. Our infra-structure is crumbling. Ironically, a lot of it was built in the last Depression to create jobs under the Work Project of America. And we are still hiding our head in the sand about climate change and the resulting extreme weather. We should be moving to green energy and we should be honest and figure out if we will need to change agriculture growing locations and even if we will need to move people from some areas that will not be inhabitable either because of flooding or drought and temperature.
Underlying it all will be the need for a good public education system that includes tuition free college (once again something the rest of the developed world has had since WWII).
All of these things are of such enormity that only the federal government can take them on. However, all of these things create jobs and grow the economy. They are big, pie in the sky dreams...like the ones that built this country to begin with.
Now we've got big problems. Standard and Poors just downgraded our credit rating last night. The budget deal contained no revenue increases and the GOP promised to not allow revenue increases in the future when the so called Super Committee revisits the budget. More importantly, there is now established a precedent to continue huge battles about the debt ceiling in the future. So, if a nation will not raise any money and will periodically threaten not to repay creditors, what kind of an investment risk does that make us? Are we sure that we even warrant the AA+?
There is a good fix for this, and there is the fix we will probably adopt. Let's start with the bad and expected fix.
There is a good chance that ideologues in this country will use the economic scary times to completely dismantle the already patchy social service net. Although S&P mentions failure to raise taxes more than failure to cut spending in their reasoning, there is an element that will concentrate on cuts. Not just any cuts, but cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, Student Aid, ESEA funding, and of course regulatory agencies such as the EPA. We could actually be looking at an America that resembled Hoover's America of our parents' or grandparents' day. This is a bad fix.
Further cutting of domestic spending in the current economy will deepen the recession. Estimates of job loss for the cuts currently on the table stand at around 1.8 million. The US will have trouble surviving that loss, let alone going back for more.
The good fix in my mind is as follows. First, the President should declare that there will be no more debt ceiling fights in the future, because he will simply invoke the 14 Amendment and raise the ceiling unilaterally. Second, we should go after revenue from the two sources that still have money, the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans and corporations who are sitting on more than $2Trillion and not hiring US workers. Third, we should cut corporate subsidies such as the outlandish practice of giving oil companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Fourth, we should impose a rapid trades tax on Wall Street. Current trading has nothing to do with investment and everything to do with speculation. Shares may be held for weeks, days, hours, or even minutes by speculators using computer trading. On shares held for so short a time which are obviously not investments, there should be an escalating tax. Fifth, we should complete the exit of troops from Iraq including the many private soldiers hired there, and leave Afghanistan, and when troops are safely home, make the Pentagon live within a reasonable budget for the first time in 70 years.
Finally, we should actually spend money. Our transportation system is a joke. We should join the rest of the world and have this country crisscrossed with commuter trains; from cross country bullet trains to in- town trolleys. Our infra-structure is crumbling. Ironically, a lot of it was built in the last Depression to create jobs under the Work Project of America. And we are still hiding our head in the sand about climate change and the resulting extreme weather. We should be moving to green energy and we should be honest and figure out if we will need to change agriculture growing locations and even if we will need to move people from some areas that will not be inhabitable either because of flooding or drought and temperature.
Underlying it all will be the need for a good public education system that includes tuition free college (once again something the rest of the developed world has had since WWII).
All of these things are of such enormity that only the federal government can take them on. However, all of these things create jobs and grow the economy. They are big, pie in the sky dreams...like the ones that built this country to begin with.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
That's One Smart Actor
Today's post is largely someone else's words, but what words! This last weekend at a rally for education in Washington DC, the actor Matt Damon gave the following speech:
I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome.
I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything.
I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.
And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested.
I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that’s true. But it’s more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn’t taken up with a bunch of test prep — this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.
Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.
I shudder to think that these tests are being used today to control where funding goes.
I don’t know where I would be today if my teachers’ job security was based on how I performed on some standardized test. If their very survival as teachers was based on whether I actually fell in love with the process of learning but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test. If they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas; less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realize our talents.
I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here. I do know that.
This has been a horrible decade for teachers. I can’t imagine how demoralized you must feel. But I came here today to deliver an important message to you: As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone. There are millions of people just like me.
So the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself called “overpaid;” the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything. ... Please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you, and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.
I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome.
I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything.
I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.
And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested.
I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that’s true. But it’s more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn’t taken up with a bunch of test prep — this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.
Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.
I shudder to think that these tests are being used today to control where funding goes.
I don’t know where I would be today if my teachers’ job security was based on how I performed on some standardized test. If their very survival as teachers was based on whether I actually fell in love with the process of learning but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test. If they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas; less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realize our talents.
I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here. I do know that.
This has been a horrible decade for teachers. I can’t imagine how demoralized you must feel. But I came here today to deliver an important message to you: As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone. There are millions of people just like me.
So the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself called “overpaid;” the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything. ... Please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you, and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Deal or No Deal
One way or another it looks like the debt ceiling/budget reduction drama is about to end. Like most large pieces of federal legislation, it will take a few days to sort out the details, and then analyze the impact. However, one thing remains true regardless of the fallout. This was a manufactured crisis to push an agenda, and it could not have come at a worse time for the country.
The debt ceiling of the US government has been raised hundreds of times by both parties. George Bush raised it 7 times and conservative icon Ronald Reagan raised it 18 times. Our debt sounds scary to Joe and Sally citizen when the talk of Trillions of dollars is in the air. However, a government budget does not function like a family budget. (Although even family budgets are scary when one considers long-term debt such as home and auto mortgages.)Governments are judged on their economic capacity and their ability to pay as they go. Our debt is approaching GDP (depending what calculation you want to use it ranges all the way from 59% of GDP to 96% of GDP), some reputable nations such as Japan have debt at twice that amount. No one doubts that the hard working and innovative Japanese are worth the investment and will continue to pay bonds. Can they say that about the US now thanks to this lunacy?
There is also a mythology about China buying the US debt and controlling us etc. While we should certainly be concerned about our trade deficit with China and the outsourcing of US jobs to China, the debt is of less concern. China owns about 7.5% of the debt. Japan is then next closest creditor nation holding 6.4% of US debt. United States individuals and institutions own 42.2% of the debt. It should also be noted that the US government owns some of their own debt: 17.9% Social Security Trust Fund and US Civil Service Retirement Fund 6% are examples of this.
As a nation we should control spending and eliminate a great deal of fraud from government contractors. We should realize that military adventurism is very expensive. We should realize that tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans do not "trickle down" and are extremely costly ($1 Trillion for the Bush tax cuts). Corporate welfare is costly. For example, why are oil companies receiving billions of dollars from taxpayers?
With all of the above acknowledged there was no crisis today that warranted the actions taken by Congress. The US economy is plugging along at a dismal pace (.4% first quarter and 1.3% second quarter). Unemployment is over 9%. Why is that relevant? Because slowing federal government spending is a sure way to cause more retraction and unemployment. The inexcusable thing is that economists know this, we have data on this, it's not just an ideological opinion.
If these cuts take effect in 2013, we will see another significant dip in the economy. Of particular concern is how much of this deal involves aid to states for such things as Medicaid and education? State budgets have not recovered from the original crash, and now they could take another hit. A part of our current slump comes from the fact that state and local governments shed another 250,000 jobs this year.
The recession is not due to government spending at either the federal or state level. The crash was caused by private sector greed and incompetence, compounded by historic levels of wealth disparity. The whole debt ceiling/budget reduction drama will not add a single job to the economy.
The debt ceiling of the US government has been raised hundreds of times by both parties. George Bush raised it 7 times and conservative icon Ronald Reagan raised it 18 times. Our debt sounds scary to Joe and Sally citizen when the talk of Trillions of dollars is in the air. However, a government budget does not function like a family budget. (Although even family budgets are scary when one considers long-term debt such as home and auto mortgages.)Governments are judged on their economic capacity and their ability to pay as they go. Our debt is approaching GDP (depending what calculation you want to use it ranges all the way from 59% of GDP to 96% of GDP), some reputable nations such as Japan have debt at twice that amount. No one doubts that the hard working and innovative Japanese are worth the investment and will continue to pay bonds. Can they say that about the US now thanks to this lunacy?
There is also a mythology about China buying the US debt and controlling us etc. While we should certainly be concerned about our trade deficit with China and the outsourcing of US jobs to China, the debt is of less concern. China owns about 7.5% of the debt. Japan is then next closest creditor nation holding 6.4% of US debt. United States individuals and institutions own 42.2% of the debt. It should also be noted that the US government owns some of their own debt: 17.9% Social Security Trust Fund and US Civil Service Retirement Fund 6% are examples of this.
As a nation we should control spending and eliminate a great deal of fraud from government contractors. We should realize that military adventurism is very expensive. We should realize that tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans do not "trickle down" and are extremely costly ($1 Trillion for the Bush tax cuts). Corporate welfare is costly. For example, why are oil companies receiving billions of dollars from taxpayers?
With all of the above acknowledged there was no crisis today that warranted the actions taken by Congress. The US economy is plugging along at a dismal pace (.4% first quarter and 1.3% second quarter). Unemployment is over 9%. Why is that relevant? Because slowing federal government spending is a sure way to cause more retraction and unemployment. The inexcusable thing is that economists know this, we have data on this, it's not just an ideological opinion.
If these cuts take effect in 2013, we will see another significant dip in the economy. Of particular concern is how much of this deal involves aid to states for such things as Medicaid and education? State budgets have not recovered from the original crash, and now they could take another hit. A part of our current slump comes from the fact that state and local governments shed another 250,000 jobs this year.
The recession is not due to government spending at either the federal or state level. The crash was caused by private sector greed and incompetence, compounded by historic levels of wealth disparity. The whole debt ceiling/budget reduction drama will not add a single job to the economy.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
NEA Asks Members to Weigh In
The National Education Association has asked members across the nation to weigh in on the fight over deficit reduction. The NEA is alarmed at the extremist positions coming from Tea Party members of Congress. Essentially, the Tea Party position is for no revenue increases at all, even from the super rich. Additionally, they are willing to cut key programs that are the underpinnings of our society such as education and health care.
The NEA has asked members to email Congress through the NEA Legislative Action Center at www.capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=51305571&TYPE=CO.
Congress should be told to support a balanced approach that protects the middle class and preserves the investments that make America strong. Congressmen should be told that any deal must include the wealthiest Americans paying their fair share. Finally, we expect a "no" vote on the Boehner plan which does none of those things.
The NEA has asked members to email Congress through the NEA Legislative Action Center at www.capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=51305571&TYPE=CO.
Congress should be told to support a balanced approach that protects the middle class and preserves the investments that make America strong. Congressmen should be told that any deal must include the wealthiest Americans paying their fair share. Finally, we expect a "no" vote on the Boehner plan which does none of those things.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Back With Current Events
I apologize for the long absence. I need some time to decompress after an exhausting legislative session. For DSEA members, our next issue of "Action" will give a summary of the legislative year. You should see this in your mailboxes in a few days.
For the rest of the summer I'll use the blog to comment on timely political and labor issues. Nothing could be more timely than the current battle in DC over the debt ceiling.
The debt ceiling should be a non-issue since it simply means that we will continue to pay our debts on already borrowed and spent money. Democratic and Republican presidents have favored the raising of our debt ceiling. President Bush raised the ceiling 7 times, and conservative icon President Reagan raised it 18 times in his two terms.
We live in strange times. Fiscal conservatives, primarily Republicans but with a few Democrats as well are using the debt ceiling as leverage to push a fiscal agenda. Their agenda is strange. In short they are fiscally conservative when it comes to social program spending such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. However, when it comes to tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, and military spending, they are like drunken libertines. There are legislators among this lot who are willing to risk throwing the nation into an economic depression to push their agenda. Defaulting on our debt would be injurious in good economic times, but will be a disaster in this recession.
You are being blasted with information about the debt ceiling debate in the mainstream media, so I will not belabor it. In conclusion, realize four very important things. First, in spite of the large numbers thrown at you, our debt is not critical because of the large economic capacity of the US. Our debt is just now approaching GDP. Some nations such as Japan carry debt twice their GDP. Second, the current recession has nothing to do with government over-spending and everything to do with greed and imprudence in the private sector. Third, significant debt reduction could be achieved by ending the Bush tax cuts ($1 trillion), ending corporate tax loopholes, and ending our three wars. Finally, the only experience we have with economic conditions as bad as they are today, is the Great Depression. In that circumstance, it was the direction of economist John Maynard Keynes that got the nation back on our feet. Keynesian economics basically believes in using government spending to stimulate a depressed or recessed economy.
For the rest of the summer I'll use the blog to comment on timely political and labor issues. Nothing could be more timely than the current battle in DC over the debt ceiling.
The debt ceiling should be a non-issue since it simply means that we will continue to pay our debts on already borrowed and spent money. Democratic and Republican presidents have favored the raising of our debt ceiling. President Bush raised the ceiling 7 times, and conservative icon President Reagan raised it 18 times in his two terms.
We live in strange times. Fiscal conservatives, primarily Republicans but with a few Democrats as well are using the debt ceiling as leverage to push a fiscal agenda. Their agenda is strange. In short they are fiscally conservative when it comes to social program spending such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. However, when it comes to tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, and military spending, they are like drunken libertines. There are legislators among this lot who are willing to risk throwing the nation into an economic depression to push their agenda. Defaulting on our debt would be injurious in good economic times, but will be a disaster in this recession.
You are being blasted with information about the debt ceiling debate in the mainstream media, so I will not belabor it. In conclusion, realize four very important things. First, in spite of the large numbers thrown at you, our debt is not critical because of the large economic capacity of the US. Our debt is just now approaching GDP. Some nations such as Japan carry debt twice their GDP. Second, the current recession has nothing to do with government over-spending and everything to do with greed and imprudence in the private sector. Third, significant debt reduction could be achieved by ending the Bush tax cuts ($1 trillion), ending corporate tax loopholes, and ending our three wars. Finally, the only experience we have with economic conditions as bad as they are today, is the Great Depression. In that circumstance, it was the direction of economist John Maynard Keynes that got the nation back on our feet. Keynesian economics basically believes in using government spending to stimulate a depressed or recessed economy.
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