Jan
29
Open thread
Earlier this week the subject of educational reform came up on theKingsley thread and I promised to open a new thread to accommodate the discussion.
This is it. You may also feel free to post other issues of concern or interest. I’ll be back next week with a couple of big stories I’ve been working on.
I found this IL education system assesment and reform plan on Gubinatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski’s website. I have permission to post it! Enjoy.
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The Problem
1. More spending does NOT equal better results.
In 2008, the State Journal-Register ran an article on Springfield’s school district. Apparently, “Anywhere from one-half to two-thirds of city public high school graduates who went on to Lincoln Land Community College between 2002 and 2006 have had to take remedial courses such as pre-algebra and ‘Basic English.’” (State Journal Register, April 14th, 2008)
In 2007, the Chicago Tribune found that the ISAT, the test we use to measure our kids’ progress, has been ‘dumbed-down.’ While our elementary schools have seen slight improvement (in the face of huge spending increases), our high schools are failing. Illinois citizens, who are paying for an “educated populace,” aren’t getting what they are paying for. (Chicago Tribune, Oct 4, 2007).
In September of 2004, the Heartland Institute (a free-market think tank) measured education industry productivity against the productivity of the rest of American industry (see Heartland graph). According to the report, “If today’s public schools produced the same reading scores as the early 1970s at the productivity level of the early 1970s, then today’s education spending would be 42 percent lower …”
2. Removal of measuring tools.
In 1999, Illinois “revamped” it’s testing regime, moving from the IGAP test, to the current ISAT.
ISAT was supposed to “align the test with Illinois “learning standards.” Instead, then State Superintendent Max McGee, took away one of the few accurate measuring tools (IGAP posted scores that allowed people to compare results across districts). This was another example of “reform” that actually made things worse. (Heartland Institute, April 2002)
3. Chicago Public Schools. (CPS)
Chicago Public Schools are spearhead of all that ails Illinois in Education. Chicago graduates at 51% rate where as the rest of the state graduates’ students at an 84% rate. [Click here for the Illinois Policy Institute] If not for Chicago, “Illinois would lead the country in high school graduation rates.” [Key Facts about Charter Schools in Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute.]
CPS spends over $11,000 per student and claims it needs more. Nearly 35% of CPS funding comes directly from the state. These funds are used directly as a tool by Bureaucrats. A former CPS principal reported that over their tenure they checked fund balances every day. This was due to CPS management moving funds over night from one school to another. If the principal noticed the funds had been moved from the previous day, they could protest such action and may get the funds reinstated.
Fixing Education in Illinois
Education in Illinois is very expensive, and in many cases, ineffective. Where our children are getting a good education, it is expensive, and where our children are not getting a good education, we suffer a double loss. The cost of their schooling is too expensive, and the cost, in terms of human potential is even greater.
With that in mind, we have to apply the same “good government” principles to education policy so that more citizens can become involved in one of the most important aspects of our society. In the short term, we are going to focus on three areas to improve outcomes for Illinois children.
1. Dramatic improvement in Illinois education system’s financial transparency.
While working with two different transparency sites, we found that while one site was reporting that spending on “Administration” was only 2.7% of the district budget, another site showed (by adding up all Administrative compensation) that it was actually 8.7%. The State Board of Education’s site has that figure at .007%. This gives us 3 different numbers for “Administration” for one school district. This level of confusion is the very definition of “bad government.”
The last few years have seen some positive steps in the direction of improved school district financial reporting, but the example above illustrates the problem. The Andrzejewski Administration will build on that progress by integrating and consolidating financial information that is now found in different locations. He will also make the data uniform, so that different sources do not report different data. All the transparency in the world won’t be helpful if a citizen cannot understand what the data means or if the data is wrong. Adam will take the following steps to create greater transparency:
• Simplify the school district budget (AFR). If you want to see just how difficult it is to understand school district finance, simply read this document at the Illinois State Board of Education website. No taxpayer should have to work this hard to determine how their tax dollars are being spent or suffer being told that important accounting issues should be “left to the experts.” School district accounting must be clarified to the extent that every high school graduate can understand not only what checks have been written, but also the existence of each public account, and the balance in those accounts. The mandatory budget posting, while helpful to experts, does not begin to inform the citizens of the budget intricacies. Adam invites every citizen to download the Excel spreadsheet for an entire school district budget. As you click from sheet to sheet, you will begin to get the sense of just how overly (and unnecessarily) complex the education of our children has become. Adam will propose legislation that reduces the number of funds necessary for a school district, as well as proposals to dramatically simplify school district finance.
• Make the School District Budget “dynamic.” Along with the simplification mentioned directly above, Adam will propose legislation that makes on-line budget transparency dynamic (in real-time). No citizen should have to file a “Free of Information Act request” to see the balance, inter-fund transactions, or the check register for every fund of a school district. These items need to show “every dime, on-line, in real time.”
• Link every school district’s budget to ISBE site. The Illinois State Board of Education website currently has reports on the financial condition of each school district. These reports show a series of criteria as to the district’s financial condition, including graphs of the condition of the information over time. While somewhat useful, these reports yield very little in the way of useful information for the average taxpayer.
Adam will supplement the existing reports with links back to each district’s newly “dynamic” AFR (see above).
• Aggregate data from all School Districts
The current reporting system provides the appearance of “transparency” in the form of a requirement that each school district produce a detailed budget. This budget report provides details in a manner that make it difficult for the average person to navigate. (example of a single district here) If the citizenry can’t understand, they will not be able to make informed decisions on their school district’s financial condition.
Our goal in reforming the budget reporting for education is twofold. As Governor, Adam would simultaneously simplify school district budgeting while dramatically improving the ability of average taxpayer to seek out and find the newly simplified information.
• Citizens need to be able to find every dollar of district money with ease.
While certain strides have been made in getting more transparency, government must go farther, and to do it quickly. Adam will take the existing infrastructure of school district transparency, which has some positive elements to build off of, and create a seamless thread of information that any citizen can follow. As Governor, Adam Andrzejewski will develop a simplified budget that reduces the number of separate funds so that taxpayers can see the information faster. Adam will also expand the level of detail shown in the budget so that a taxpayer can click on any account and immediately see every detail, including the check register, and salaries of each position.
Adam will also mandate that each district produce data on the bidding process for every contract equal to or over $5000. This will include the text of the contract itself. Every district will have to produce this data in a clear, concise, searchable, and uniform fashion.
Adam envisions a day when any taxpayer can go to both the State Board of Education website or the site of any school district and drill down to the spending of every penny, the “real time” balance in every account, and background on every contract. All of that transparency should occur without the totally unnecessary step of having to request information that is already rightfully theirs. It is time for Illinois citizens to experience the power of transparency.
2. Aggressive expansion of Charter schools across Illinois
Education is a ‘hot button’ issue that triggers heated arguments. Adam believes that these arguments (which often focus on dollars spent instead the quality of education) distract from the real issue at hand, which is providing the best education for our children.
Charter schools are a proven-effective public school system that functions under less bureaucracy. The nonprofit boards that operate a school, sign five-year agreements, “charters,” that spell out precise goals for test scores, attendance rates and safety. If a school meets its targets, it typically gets another five-year pact. If it doesn’t, the school’s charter is revoked.
Take a look at the stunning test results of charter schools in New York and you’ll see a small miracle in the making. The fourth-graders reading at or above the state standard jumped 9.9 percentage points, but charters did a third better, with their pass rate soaring 13.2 points. Those numbers make a hugely compelling case for more charters. However, New York allows only 100 charters for the entire state. By fall, New York City will just about max out with 47 of those charters, representing a puny 3% of all city schools. That’s not nearly enough for Chancellor Joel Klein, who later went to the state capitol demanding that legislators obliterate the 100-school state cap.
Here in Illinois, we suffer from a similar situation where the creation of charters has become a political decision placed in that hands of powerful interest groups that have a clear conflict of interest in making that decision.
Adam Andrzejewski will not just raise, but remove the current cap, on charter schools in Illinois. Additionally, he will provide more information and improved processes for Illinois citizens interested in the formation of more charter schools.
3. Divert State to CPS funds directly to Chicago Schools
Chicago Public Schools is the largest “school district” in the state. However, parents of children attending a CPS school do not get the same level of participation as they would in a normal school district. For instance a parent at a CPS school cannot go to the weekly board meeting in the evening to make public comment. Instead it takes an entire day. The individual must sign in prior to 9:30 and public comment does not begin until 11 am.
The CPS education bureaucracy that bars parents from participating has a laundry list of problems ranging from low test scores to high dropout rates. The bureaucracy has countless instances of mismanagement of funds. (Click here to read the CPS Auditor Report.) Our goal is to make one minor change that will have an exponentially positive impact on the education of the children.
Adam will send all state funds directly to CPS school principals on a per student basis to cut out the bureaucratic middle man. This will empower the people closest to the problems to have the funds necessary to do something about it. These funds will not be without oversight.
Rather than create a new state level bureaucracy to oversee the use of these funds, Adam will use existing bodies to supervise the expense of these Funds. Within CPS, Local School Councils already exist. These will function like a regular school board in relations to the spending of state finds. Money follows the school.
4. Triple the Private School Tax Credit
Private schools are the unknown factor in the Illinois education system. What we do know is that on average a private schools charge roughly $6,000 per student. Public education in Illinois spends over 11,000 per student to educate. Parents who send their children to private school actually save taxpayers 11,000 per year. However, those same individuals still pay all property taxes and receive a minimal (25%) refund for costs associated with privately educating their children.
Adam will create incentives for more parents to use private schools and ease the tax burden for those who already do by tripling the private school tax credit from $500 to $1500.
I know that post was long but its very important and has many good reform ideas in it. I hope people will take a level headed look at it.
Are you familiar with Chancellor Michelle Rhee Washington DC Public Schools? If so, do you like her ideas and plans? I understand Downers is a different climate but could her style work in Illinois?
One thing I would like to see high schools do more of is providing more vocational training to students who may not feel college is for them. What good is a college prep course load if you are not college bound? That is a waste of tax payer dollars. I would like to see the district partner up with trades to provide apprenticeships and opportunities to learn real job skills. We could have students train with carpenters, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, truck drivers or what ever opportunity may arise. Its not the education we provide our children that is failing it’s the lack of options for students. If we really want to educate and prepare our students for the real world then we should provide them with all of their options.
Chad, from my experience with the AFR, your candidate’s suggestions for increased transparency are spot on. However, Cronin and Dillard are one step ahead of him regarding the call for transparency on salaries – Public Act 096-0434, sponsored by Cronin, Dillard, Pihos and Bellock and signed by Quinn on August 13, 2009, required the posting of salaries and benefits of all teachers and administrators online. In fact, this compensation report should have been made available to the Board in October 2009. That aside, I’d like him to add to his request list a few more –
Plain English explanations of:
1) the tax levy process
2) fund accounting, and how it is tied to the tax levy
3) retirement funding
Unfortunately, like most tax-reduction focused politicians, his positions mostly deal with taxes, rather than any substantive education reform issues (other than saying he will raise the cap on charter schools, abolish the ISAT and triple the tax credit for private school tuition). Here are a few for him to consider:
1) Reduce the right of teachers to strike. Illinois is one of the few states in the country to allow teachers to strike. With most families having no stay-at-home parent, a strike is so disruptive to child-care arrangements that it has become a virtual nuclear bomb. What about binding arbitration in the case of contract negotiation deadlock? I haven’t researched all of the alternatives, but there has to be a better solution than to allow teachers to strike.
2) What about reform of the pension entitlements to bring them closer in line with the public sector? He addresses the post-retirement medical benefits, but not the pensions.
3) He mentions poorer performance by school children, but only in the context of how much money we spend on education. (to paraphrase, we’re spending more but our kids aren’t learning more). For the sake of transparency, why not carve out special ed spending from school budgets before making this complaint? Inflation-adjusted dollars spent on non-special ed teaching should be examined over time before coming to that conclusion. Once those numbers are in plain sight, I don’t think it will be so easy to make that claim.
4) Increase the number of days and hours our students spend in school. (the following statistics are from The Economist, 6/13/09) On the average, US kids spend 32 hours per week, 180 days per year in school. OECD countries (economically advanced countries) have longer school days – up to 60 hours/week in Sweden. OECD countries keep their kids in school for an average of 195 days, east Asian countries for 200 or more. Over 12 years, a 15 day deficit is an entire school year. A longer summer vacation contributes to ‘summer learning loss’, putting our kids further behind.
5) Adopt a standardized test which will allow comparison of our schools with school performance in other countries. This will point out why average students in other, poorer countries, manage to kick our butts in math and science, and might spur us to think of ways we can become more competitive. Why do we continue to delude ourselves with the unspoken qualifier, that ‘if it weren’t for the poor test scores in those lousy inner city schools, our average scores would be better than theirs’. That’s just not true – matching for demographics, i.e., rich US suburb vs. rich Canadian/Japanese/Belgian/Swedish suburb, our kids under-perform. It’s not the fault of our kids, we are the ones who are failing them.
6) I’m getting tired with the lack of progress on Charter schools. Cronin wrote SB0182, to lift the cap on Charter schools, and Dillard, Pihos and Bellock got behind it. However, it looks like it died going into the Democratic controlled Assignments committee. Lifting the cap on Charter schools is a first step, and Andrzejewski’s proposal to assist parent groups with information is necessary. But, so is allocating some seed funding. Lifting the cap is just lip service, it doesn’t get the ball rolling on introducing a public competitive alternative. Andrzejewski’s tuition proposal is tax regressive, promoting private schooling at the expense of improving the competition in the public education arena. Reducing his proposed private school tuition tax credit to 2x tuition would be enough to pay for seed funding and advisory services. Although a cap removal bill is a good first step, IMHO, it isn’t enough without advisory support for parent groups to help them through the Chartering process. Lack of support for parent groups is so profound, nationally, that the Bil & Melinda Gates Foundation have helped fund the Newark (NJ) Charter School Fund, established to help new schools navigate the bureaucracy, find buildings & recruit teachers.
7) Address how we recruit and teach teachers to teach. Something just isn’t working as well as it should. In this economic down-turn, it should be easier to find second-career recruits with better qualifications in their fields than a kid just out of college.
8 ) Address the sclerotic State education bureaucracy. Sweep out anyone who doesn’t want to re-think what we’re doing; start with a clean sheet of paper, and design something completely different.
Craig,
Love your ideas. From talking to Adam he wanted to lay out his basic principals for education reform. He told me that he has big plans and his website only scratches the surface. I don’t want Dillard running my education reform plan. Dillard is supported by the teachers union. He is no pension reformer. When teachers go on stike it is an insult to the tax payers and they do a disservice to the children on family’s they represent. I would love to talk to you further about this subject. EJ has my phone number if you ever feel like discussing it!
Unrelated to the education topic, and I apologize if this was covered elsewhere on this site and I missed it – but was there any discussion here regarding the settlement of the lawsuit filed by the former Village Manager? I believe it was $73,000, which is by no means earth shattering, but at the time she was dismissed I thought there was much posturing that a settlement was unlikely. And how much legal expense did the village incur while defending this lawsuit? Guess this is a non issue.
I have a post in the works concerning the Pavlicek settlement, Ben. Hope to serve it up in the next few days.
Totally unrelated to any of the topics, but when is Michael’s Fresh Market going to open? The shelves are stocked. The cash registers have been installed. Yet, the sign saying “Opening Soon” has been there for several weeks, and the website offers no specific date.
I spoke with someone last week about Michaels’s and he thought they would be open by now. They released coupons 2 weeks ago. If you notice they do not have any fresh produce so it may be a supplier issue right now.
Feb 3rd is the set open date on the new store on Lemont rd. Got that from an employee.
I second that. Wednesday it is.
Here is a copy of some ideas that President Obama wants to pass into law amending the current NCLB act or 2002.
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Obamaâ??s new NCLB act.
The new budget blueprint, and the recent meetings with education groups, give a look at Obama’s thinking on other aspects of the law:
_Teachers. The 2002 law said all teachers in core academic subjects must be “highly qualified” but let states define what that meant; as a result, most teachers in the U.S. are now deemed highly qualified. Instead, Obama wants to measure teachers by how much their students improve, and he wants to do a better job of making sure disadvantaged kids, who are more likely to get inexperienced teachers, get experienced ones. The budget would create a $950 million competitive grant program for teacher recruitment and retention.
_Spending. Obama wants to make federal education spending more competitive to drive states and schools to do better, rather than relying on formulas that give states and districts a certain amount of money regardless of how well they educate kids. The president began with the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” competitive grant program created by the economic stimulus. His budget would make more K-12 spending competitive â?? but money from the larger programs, those for poor children and children with disabilities, still would be distributed through traditional formulas. And his budget would add another $1.35 billion to the Race to the Top program.
_Standards. The president is pushing states to adopt tougher academic standards; his budget would give states money to align math and science teaching with higher standards. Nearly all the states have signed onto an effort by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers to develop a set of high-quality standards. The Race to the Top program also will reward states for working toward those standards.
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You all can draw what ever conclusions you want about it but it sounds like more work for admins and teachers and still doesnt help the kids who need the most help. Increases spending and raises the deficit. Just my take on it. I am sure someone else will have another take on it.
Full story below:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_education
It would be nice to see the community jump in and support the DuPage Senior Citizens Council’s Meals on Wheels program with the same passion it put into saving Heritage Festival. This is a community that cares. Take a look at the editorial page on this blog and see the comments from the family that had the fire that destroyed their house. Open up your hearts and wallets to the Senior Citizens in this community and donate to Meals on Wheels. They can’t use Facebook to communicate their cause. But the readers of this blog can.
concerned,
I agree. I think local church’s and organizations should do some fundraising to help out. It’s painfully obvious that the Obama administration and the state of IL are not concerned with helping our seniors.
Regarding Meals on Wheels, the DuPage Senior Citizens
Council 2008 annual report (the most recent on their web site) shows 48% of their income from federal and state grants.
Exactly John, you just helped make my point. Where is the rest of the funding??? Government promises and promises while on the campaign trail. Then they leave the seniors out in the cold. Meals on wheels didn’t have a hard time getting funding until this last budget. You do the math on why it happened? This administration don’t value you American’s, it values union members and government workers. When will people wake up.
Democratic IL state senator and Rev. James Meeks is calling for IL to use the school voucher program. Rev. Meeks notes that his view is not popular with in the black, Democrat or union community because the school voucher program is seen as a “Republican“ idea. Well golly…us Republicans may have some good ideas! Rev. Meeks states that the unions who own the majority of the legislators in the state of IL do not want to give up control of our education system. Yet Rev. Meeks states the empirical date is sound to suggest that school vouchers help to educate students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and help to improve school systems that compete with school voucher programs. Competition is good Rev. Meeks states. The only reason that the school voucher program is taking this long to catch on is because the Democrats own the school system in the country. This is the proof. So next time you ask yourself how can we improve on our schools, go ask the Democrats why they are not in favor of giving children the choice of going to successful schools instead of the failing schools they attend. Rev. Meeks states that he would like to see the bottom 50 schools offer vouchers to their students and if the program works then we should offer it to the next 50 schools who are failing and so on. Seems sound to me. I am all for children getting the best possible education. Maybe a change of scenery will do many of these children some good. And for you who say this will take funding away from the public system that is false also. The vouchers only take a portion of the federal and state funding per student away from the school system or to put it simpler the reimbursement money from the state follows the student. The tax base stays the same and the public education system gets the exact same amount of property tax dollars from that student who left as they did when the student attended that school. it’s a win…win situation. I challenge anyone to find a better and more cost effective way of improving our education system.
Mr. Walz you really don’t like Unions.
Chad, I took a look at the DuPage Senior Citizens Council 2008 annual report to which John refers. To your point, the ’08 report – which covers the fiscal year (probably ending in June or September of 2008) reflects Federal funding from the ‘last’ administration, not ‘this’ administration. We probably won’t see the results of any Federal program cuts until their 2010 fiscal year. So, although we may disagree on the role of Government in funding these programs
(I thought you supported lower taxes & less services?), let’s agree that politicians will promise a lot to senior citizens to get their vote – and will even charter buses to get them to the polls, bless their hearts.
Anyway, I took a look at the annual report – it is truly thin gruel, all of three pages long. They show $2.4 million of funding, of which $1.2 million is from Federal and State grants, $300 thousand from townships and municipalities, and $150 thousand from the United Way. There is also $610 thousand of revenue from ‘Project Income’, but no explanation – it may represent donations from meal recipients to defray costs. On the expense side, $2.1 million is spent on the Nutrition program, another $108 thousand on the Home Maintenance and Chore program, and $408 thousand for Management – or 16.7% of their funding. I don’t know much about what it would take to manage a non-profit which relies on significant volunteer hours, so I’m in no position to comment on the management expenses.
On the operational side, they report providing 330,000 meals through Meals on Wheels and through community dining programs. That’s about $7.22 per meal, including overhead. There’s no break-out of the number of meals provided through the individual programs – I suspect that the cost per community meal is less than the cost associated with packaging meals for delivery.
What does all of this mean? Perhaps that this program takes more funding in Federal, State and local tax dollars (61%) than I would have suspected, and that only about 14% of their funding comes from individual or corporate philanthropy, either through United Way or their own fund-raising (with the balance from ‘program fees’). So, is this really just a form of ‘outsourced government’? Is this a ‘core’ outsourced service’?
“O when the Saints go marching in,” now if we can only see the Lions win one and then of course the da Bears again that would be most sweet.
Craig,
I am not for less services. I am all for core services as you state. I am all for services that truely help people. My point is that relying on government to come through with funding is not going to fix the problem. Maybe meals and wheels needs to market itself better and ask for donations more. If we gave people larger charitable donation tax credits instead of taking away charitable donation tax credits, maybe these worthy programs could be helped.
Earl,
Organized labor is a major factor contributing to the huge debt in pension obligations that our country can’t fund. President Obama wants to cut sweet deals for organized labor with his health care bill and then let the rest of us pay for it. If you are that good at what you do you shouldn’t need a union to represent you. Your work would speak for itself and the market would control your pay. The better you are the more you get paid. Its call capitalism.
I find an article in the National Review on this subject matter entitled “Obama and ‘Redistributive Change’” 8-26-09, I will show you this fragment from this article “… the use of state employees as defenders of the egalitarian faith.” There goes my Union career giving ammunition to the enemy, honestly to understand both sides of a debate. One should research both sides of an argument.
Earl,
Please link me man! I would love to read it! Thanks.
Breaking the Comment Policy Rule: if possible? http://article.nationalreview.com/404120/obama-and-redistributive-change/victor-davis-hanson
info pertaining to the above article I mention, took me a while to find, I am not that good with this internet thing all though I am thankful to live in the information age. Your candidate Mr. Walz didn’t do too bad for a no-name. I cannot believe Bill Brady won. Basically Andrew Mckenna, Jim Ryan and Kirk Dillard divided up the vote to give the underdog a shot in this primary, grass roots prevailed in this primary.
Anyone else hear about Portillios wanting to open up a breakfast/lunch place in the former Bakers Square on Butterfield? My sister asked me today, but I have no idea….
Didn’t the Tivoli used to show movies that had finished playing at the first-run theaters? “Avatar” has been playing for several weeks now, even though it’s still playing at the multiplexes. There are several movies on my “must see” list that are migrating to the second-run theaters, but “Avatar” is getting another week. By the time “Avatar” finally winds down, most of the movies on my list will be out on DVD.
I think we just had an earthquake. Just checked earthquake.usgs.gov and the report is a 4.3 near DeKalb
1909 Cherry Mine Disaster led to the Illinois Workmen’s Compensation Act and tougher laws for child labor.
I may never type well, or listen well but I will always be for organized Labor.
When I worked around a pool and didn’t see management paying the proper overtime rate of pay worked, I heard about what a mom calling the Illinois Division of Labor. Which resulted in the proper compensation to be paid; that took place in Downers Grove. The labor laws what they are because of organize labor. Thanks for having Labor codes on Illinois work sites. Thank you Illinois Unions for being the advocate/voice of the regular Joe or Jill. I know for a fact the labor movement is spreading, coming to Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam, India and anywhere else where workers want a fair day’s wages and safe work sites.
The Illinois Labor History Society 28 E. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60604Phone: (312) 663-4107
I, Earl, will always be a “hard carrying member of AFSCME MVP program, until they tried to take my card from my very hand.” There was a time in our Illinois history when someone would go to jail for typing this. For those of us who cannot afford to be a share holder of a major company and sit on the board of a major company there is organize labor which represents the voice of the everyday, average working guy and girl. When a group of regular working people can get there signs past a high level of security detail trying to stop us from exercising our freedom of speech and stand up on tops of chairs and face the head of government to voice the rights of the Illinois worker.
A moment of silence for Captain Phil Harris.
Gilberts, IL. just west of Elgin, was the epicenter of the 3.8 according to the USGS.
Don’t worry Earl I am not letting you off the hook on your union propaganda…more later.
The “Employee Free Choice Act”–better known as the Card Check bill–is a proposed law that would change how unions are allowed to organize workers in the United States. Big labor unions like the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and the Change to Win Coalition spent heavily during the 2009 election, and are pushing Congress to approve this law. Union membership has been declining–currently about 7.5 percent in the private sector–and they hope this law will change the rules and reverse that trend.
The U.S. Chamber strongly opposes this legislation.
There are three problems with Card Check:
1. Eliminating the Private Ballot
Card Check would effectively eliminate private voting.
Under the existing law today, workers have a chance to vote for or against unionization in a private-ballot election that is federally supervised. Under Card Check, if more than 50% of workers at a facility sign a card, the government would have to certify the union, and a private ballot election would be prohibited–even if workers want one.
By forcing workers to sign a card in public–instead of vote in private–Card Check opens the door to intimidation and coercion. Over 70% of voters agree that a private election is better than card check.
2. Government Arbitration and Control
Card Check could put government regulators in charge of private business decisions.
Once a union is certified, the business and union would only have 120 days to reach agreement, before facing the prospect of being forced into binding arbitration. This means a panel of government arbitrators who may have no understanding of the business could impose a two year contract deciding all workplace terms–without any vote by the company or its employees.
By placing government regulators in charge of a two-year decision, business flexibility is limited–at a time in our history when it is needed most. A recent poll found that 75% of voters believe government arbitrators should not decide the conditions of a union contract.
3. Harsh New Penalties for Businesses
Card Check would unfairly punish businesses.
Card Check would impose harsh new penalties on businesses–but not on unions–for violations during the union recognition process. This is unfair, and potentially disastrous for small or medium businesses, who are not familiar with unionizing campaigns or the National Labor Relations Act. If Card Check passes, many of these businesses would be facing unionization for the first time.
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The time for wide spread need for unions is over. The NLRB is so liberal that if your boss at work sneezes wrong you have a case. You don’t need unions. Unions were created to provide better working conditions, better pay and job security. The best Earl can come up with is a 1909 case? Come on Earl, lets come into this century. There are no more sweat shops. I ask you union members today what does your union do for you? All unions are arms of the Democrat party. That is not what they were supposed to be. A % of your paycheck goes into the political action committee to elect Democrats to office. (SEIU) spent some $150 million to support President Obama’s election. I wonder how much that comes out to per member? Check your paycheck union members…its on there. When I say union members please remember I am speaking of the real unions like the SEIU, AFL-CIO type, not the local police, fire fighter or NFL/NHL players union. Those little unions do not have the pull that the large unions have to shape policy and get Democrats elected.
People who do a good job, show up to work on time and generally work hard don’t need unions. I actually think unions are holding back progress in some areas. Look at electricians, plumbers or roofers. I bet you the FREE MARKET would pay these people based on quality of work and not just a standard fee per hour or job. The better you are the more you can charge, that is how capitalism works. So if you suck, you most likely love unions because you just wait in line until your number is called. I would rather just get out there and find work. I’m not waiting in some soup line to get a job. Think about it.
Unions had their place in the early 1900’s, but today they are just counterproductive to the workplace. Think about this…what if you are a large retail store, like say Walmart…do you really think they will still have low prices if unions get in? NOPE, they will pass on that cost to the consumer.
Think about teachers unions…what do they do? They sure disrupt the school year when they cause a strike. Other than that?? A good teacher is worth much more in a capitalistic market place than in a system where you get paid by a pay scale. Think about it. Where is the motivation to be the best you can be? I hear all the time in this village that we are only as good as our schools. Well, based on that logic, if we paid teachers based on skill and not pay scale, in theory we would have the best teachers in the state applying to work for our districts…right? Not saying our teachers aren’t great, but hey…a little competition never hurt anyone. Keep people hungry to do a top notch job. That is how it is in the business world. You need to keep your edge. Just some food for thought for our diehard union people out there.
It doesn’t sound like you discount the theory of unions, Chad, but instead you don’t like some of the consequences.
I’m just wondering how you would propose curbing the power of those who mistreat employees?
Adam Smith believed employers would have incentive to treat employees well in order to attract the BEST employees. However, large corporations have been swallowing up the smaller ones. This affects competition, leaving not only consumers with fewer choices and less power, but employees as well. Would you propose a more strenuous application of anti-trust laws? What would you do to prevent a concentration of power?
?…there are no more sweatshops…? Please check out this new article from AP about sweatshops and human trafficking right here in the good old USA.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/02/11/ohio_report_cites_human_trafficking/
Are our current unions too busy with politics and status quo to actually be effective in this ever changing world? Possibly, so time for reinvention not elimination because the need is still there.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of teachers through out the state who do not have tenure are going to lose their jobs this summer due to the states inability to run the education system. How does the union save a job when there is no money for that job? The rest of the teachers are not going to renegotiate their contracts to save a few new teachers. The issue is funding. The only way to guarantee teachers get paid and we don’t lose teachers is to OPT OUT of the Federal and state education systems. That way the districts get funded 100% out of property taxes. Then maybe we could keep money aside for roof repairs without having to answer to the state.
Another example of how unions didn’t work is the village budget this summer. The DGPD could have saved (2) police officer positions by taking a voluntary pay freeze. That didn’t happen. So where was the union there? Just wondering…
When it comes down to it we all are greedy. We all look out for ourselves and our families best interests.
Sue,
I think in this day and age unions are outdated. They did have their day, prior to the creation of the NLRB. I don’t think they have any real value these days. I have a good analogy about unions. Its like taking that sugar pill in that diet pill study! Most people on sugar pills lost some weight…but really it was all in their heads, they just needed something to motivate them. Same thing with union members, they have been told for years the safest way to stay employed is to pay a union to keep your job for you.
I am a free market proponent. I think we need to let capitalism work. Maybe the small companies need to go. If they are a value then they will stay in business. I know that is harsh but I am a realist.
Maureen,
That example is of an Illegal sex trade, not a sweatshop. How is a union going to help an ILLEGAL sex trade? Come on…I do agree with you that modern day unions are just political action committee’s. I don’t feel they really have the best interests of their members in mind. They are an arm of the Democrat party.
I don’t agree with Chad about unions, but he brings up a great point on school funding.
Also, ask a teacher. We HATE tenure. (Good ones anyways) It only rewards longevity and not competence. Teachers should be signed to multi-year contracts if they are good teachers.
If I hire a plummer how do I know they did quality work if I am not a plummer? Do I need to hire two plummers? Is “code” quality work?
That big box monster is actually a great example of why we need unions in the US and the proven exsistence of sweatshops in every major city in the US and other sub-standard working conditions in the US and the world. W the big box monster IMHO has done more to cripple the US economy than the Unions have. We are consumers of crap and we love it – until we stop loving it nothing will change.
I have hired union and non union workers. I can’t tell the difference in quality. If you are good, your good, Period!! That Larsen Eye Clinic building looks really nice…I wonder who built that?
Not sure,
Obviously, I am not looking for agreement. I know I wont get everyone to agree with me. And that’s ok, that is what makes our country great. We don’t all have to agree, but we do need to get along.
Chad read the entire article. Sweatshops, construction, and restaurant work are all mentioned.
Maureen,
I read the whole thing. The article is about human trafficing, not the advantages of joining a union. This is a criminal justice system matter not a union matter.
Here is more:
In the past decade, as the auto industry has grown smaller, Michigan has lost 870,000 jobs. These were all union jobs. Where was the union in these 870k cases?? That is what I thought…
It is moving to countries where major companies don’t have to pay health, dental, vision insurance, work mens comp and retirement. In time these nations will want the same benefits.
Earl,
That is fine, tell the SEIU and AFL/CIO to go over there. These days at any company you have to pay well and have competitive benefits just to attract good employees. That is my point.
Oh Yea?
Chad, you really didn’t answer how you would replace unions/collective bargaining (the NLRB governs relations between unions and private sector employers), but that’s okay — I don’t know anyone who has a solution.
When there are options for which product to buy or which employer for whom to work, market forces have an effect on quality of products/services or how employees are treated. When power is concentrated into a few hands and the only choice for employees and consumers is “take it or leave it,” those market forces don’t work.
It would be easy if there was one “bad guy” out there we could eliminate and have the perfect solution. That’s not how it is, however. This is why our founding fathers instituted a mechanism for the balance of power, not a declaration that “this power is the only way to go.” It’s a balance.
So, how would you balance the power in this situation? Again, this is not a simple question and I don’t expect an answer. It’s just something to think about.
Sue,
First off, we disagree philosophically about the need for unions.
My goal is not to replace unions. I don’t see the modern day need for them. So far every place a union exists in the cost of that product sores, labor costs sore and the quality of the product is not any better than a non-union company. Look at how expensive these items are. Cars, homes, air travel, groceries, hotel stays, public education, trade service‘s…the list goes on.
As far as power in the hands of few, that is why we have anti trust laws and monopoly laws in this country. I have faith in the capitalistic model and always will. Our Democracy was formed upon the capitalistic principal of free market enterprise. I want American workers to stand on their own two feet and give me the best possible product with out factoring in union dues in my costs. I am willing to pay what ever price the free market requires for those services. So that is my solution. Let the free market reign.
I know we are not going to agree, but that is ok. I just ask union members to sit down and really figure out what the union is doing for them. Really…Not what the union tells you they are doing for you. What do they provide that a small business owner or company could not already provide.
Here is a very well thought out comment that a friend of mine sent me after I told this person to read the blog comments about unions. He lives in Minnesota, holds an MBA and is director of wealth management at a major corporation.
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The first problem here is the argument presupposes unions are prominent in private industry – they are not.
Today, unions represent a little under 10% (according to your Illinois Manufacturers Association) of the total private work force. Unfortunately, they represent about 80% of the total public (government paid) employees. So here’s a fair question; how well has this worked out? The government, at almost any level, hemorrhage’s cash … it cannot pay its bills, yet folks in all tax brackets bemoan the level of taxes they pay …
Or, more to the point of the current issue “Card Check/EFCA”, is this necessary in some way or, does it have a high likelihood of hurting private industry? Sue’s comment about the NLRB is not totally wrong – but that exists today, without EFCA. The argument is not about replacing Unions, rather, it’s about implementing EFCA – or not.
For what it’s worth, I think the issue for the moment, is on the value of EFCA – you’re gonna tilt windmills if you focus on Unions as a whole and folks will let the EFCA issue slide right in while they fight with you about 1909. Can someone, anyone, put forth an argument which proves the necessity of EFCA given the current status of government oversight and regulation in the United States?
Ask anyone out there if they know the process for organizing as it stands today – I’d bet the don’t, but if they do, ask them what part of that process then, is insufficient for employees.
EFCA is an attempt at further socialization of our economic system – period. There is nothing that prevents a group of employees from organizing at any workplace – today. Nothing. In fact, there are many resources available to them should the big bad employer try and prevent such organization efforts.
I’ll be you can’t get 10 people from this blog who even know the current process for organization, can cite the differences proposed by EFCA, yet you’ll find 100 that think the bill should move forward … it’s class warfare – that’s all.
“EFCA proponents state that under current law the union ballots are “secret in name only” by citing experts such as University of Oregon professor Gordon Lafer, who in testimony before the U.S. Congress stated:
‘In the American democratic tradition the principle of the secret ballot is not simply the fact that you go into a voting booth and pull a curtain and nobody sees what you do. It is your right to keep your political opinion private to yourself before, during and after the act of voting; that you can’t be lured or coerced into a conversation that is designed to make you reveal your political preferences. In the NLRB, while the vote does take place in a booth where nobody sees what you’re doing, management is allowed to engage in a series of behaviors in the lead up to the vote that force the vast majority of workers to reveal how they’re going to vote long before they ever step into the booth (In the American democratic tradition the principle of the secret ballot is not simply the fact that you go into a voting booth and pull a curtain and nobody sees what you do. It is your right to keep your political opinion private to yourself before, during and after the act of voting; that you can’t be lured or coerced into a conversation that is designed to make you reveal your political preferences. In the NLRB, while the vote does take place in a booth where nobody sees what you’re doing, management is allowed to engage in a series of behaviors in the lead up to the vote that force the vast majority of workers to reveal how they’re going to vote long before they ever step into the booth.[In the American democratic tradition the principle of the secret ballot is not simply the fact that you go into a voting booth and pull a curtain and nobody sees what you do. It is your right to keep your political opinion private to yourself before, during and after the act of voting; that you can’t be lured or coerced into a conversation that is designed to make you reveal your political preferences. In the NLRB, while the vote does take place in a booth where nobody sees what you’re doing, management is allowed to engage in a series of behaviors in the lead up to the vote that force the vast majority of workers to reveal how they’re going to vote long before they ever step into the booth.[In the American democratic tradition the principle of the secret ballot is not simply the fact that you go into a voting booth and pull a curtain and nobody sees what you do. It is your right to keep your political opinion private to yourself before, during and after the act of voting; that you can’t be lured or coerced into a conversation that is designed to make you reveal your political preferences. In the NLRB, while the vote does take place in a booth where nobody sees what you’re doing, management is allowed to engage in a series of behaviors in the lead up to the vote that force the vast majority of workers to reveal how they’re going to vote long before they ever step into the booth (Wikipedia).’”
Chad, you answered my first question. You support the vigorous application of anti-trust laws to prevent any one entity from becoming so powerful that it can treat employees any way it chooses.
I thought you DIDN’T, when you said “maybe the small companies have to go.”
Anyways, I don’t feel like talking about this anymore. I instead would like to go on record as saying homemade buttercream frosting is vastly superior to the stuff in cans. I am willing to back this argument up with violence if necessary.
Sue,
You can back that up by dropping some proof off at my house!! LOL
Love buttercream! LOL 
Buttercream…yum.
It is interesting to read what Chad stated about the Union. As he stated â??â?¦member is only 7.5%…â?? If people believe that 7.5% of the Union labor in this country is one of the problems in this economic condition such as high labor cost and higher product price, you are giving the Union too much credit. The Union wages are not high enough. It is not even keeping up with the inflation. I believe that such idea that the Union is the problem is irresponsible. It may be hard for someone who has never worked in the real working environment long enough to understand the dynamics of how the relationship between management and workers really works. I always wanted to say this when I was young once.
It is my understanding that union was really needed when it started to protect the human and the workerâ??s rights. So why do we still need the Union protections in 21st Century? The reason is there is much different kind of problems that did not exist 100 years ago. I agree that the Union became a huge corporation itself instead of looking after membershipâ??s interest somewhat. However that does not mean they totally abandoned the memberships. I wish they focus on the root cause of the Union, but then again as corporations and the federal government have changed their ways of dealing with labor unions, thus unions must evolve with the change also.
In my opinion, it is ignorant to think and believe that there is no more sweatshops in this country. They exist today and they will exist tomorrow because of that capitalism. Let me ask you a question, Chad; which one would you rather to happen when you are the CEO of a company, collapse of the company building or all employees walk out?
Why are corporations farming out the jobs outside of the company or country? It is because they can get more profit using cheap labor available domestically and globally, and the Federal government dose not have jurisdictions on what happens in someone elseâ??s backyard. Soon enough, there will be no factories to produce any products in the United States as the author, â??Japan that can say NOâ??, predicted almost 20 years ago. You can find the copy here; Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:E14NO9-1: This is where I get confused that how corporations can make profits when people do not have any income, due to being laid off or the company worked for was bought by a bigger company and let go by the new company even if you were an excellent employee, to purchase those products. How does the capitalism work in the situation like this?
The corporations will never admit that they left the United States because the environmental regulations are too stricter in the United States or labor cost is too high. However they will say they are helping the underdeveloped country and are improving their quality of life. At the same time, they are polluting as much as they can over there. It is still fresh in my memory that lead paint was used on childrenâ??s toys. Sadly as long as those things happen in someone elseâ??s backyard, no one will complain.
Is it unionâ??s fault that the airline tickets are high, cars are expensive, movies are expensive, kidâ??s education level is not comparable with the rest of the world, cost of repairing the roof is high, or a bottle of wine is expensive? Is it unionâ??s fault that the Federal government is having a deficit or the government system is not working? Is it unionâ??s fault that DG village had to let go two police officers? Is it unionâ??s fault that the gap between haves and not-haves are widening in this country? Or is it the people who do not understand the system how they were brought here? Do the Corporate executives take a benefit reduction when union members take a benefit reduction due to the loss in the business?
Hi Sue, Can I have a piece of that? Then we can have a food fight!!
Employee Free Choice Act (known as the “card check” ) allows a union to form without a secret ballot election here is why it is bad for employees.
Jessi Parman, a second-grade teacher at Oakleaf Village Elementary, a new school in Clay County, Florida, is “Teacher of the Year” at her school this year. She’s also one of five finalists for Clay County’s overall “Teacher of the Year.” Pretty good, by anyone’s standards, but not good enough for the local teachers’ union. District-wide teacher cuts, required by a shrinking education budget, must be made according to strict seniority rules under an agreement with the union. This means that Parman, honored as one of the best in her field, will lose her job simply because she hasn’t been on the job as long as some other teachers in her district.
Union organizers and their supporters in Congress want to use the power of federal law to help unions swell their rolls by passing the EFCA. But when excellence like that of Parman’s is sacrificed in the name of mere longevity, many employees must surely wonder if they can bear the cost of the “benefits” of union membership.
Minority business leaders recognize the threat to employees posed by the Act. In fact, many were in Washington this week to meet with lawmakers and voice their concern that the EFCA hurts workers by allowing union recognition based on authorization cards signed under pressure (i.e., without secret ballot elections) and by binding employers to contracts that inhibit their ability to create much-needed new jobs. Among the coalition that has formed to defeat the card check bill are the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD), the National Black Chamber of Commerce, The Latino Coalition (TLC), and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). The Chairman of the AAHOA had this to say about the Act: “Our members create and support more than 800,000 jobs in the United States. This bill would not only harm hotel owners, but also our hard-working employees whose privacy and secret ballot rights would be violated.”
Congress may be getting the message. One of the EFCA’s original sponsors, South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, appears to be wavering in his support of the Act. Asked recently about the current version of the bill, Johnson said, “I’m undecided about that.”
Johnson is not alone in his uncertainty. On April 20, 2009, Andy Stern, head of the powerful Service Employees International Union, suggested that it might be time to consider an alternative to the card check bill that would preserve secret ballot elections. And on April 22, 2009, a pro-labor Wall Street Journal editorial writer reluctantly acknowledged the likely demise of the Act as it now exists, in a piece titled, “Card Check is Dead.”
Businesses know why the EFCA is bad for them. Under the Act, labor organizers could pressure enough workers into signing union cards that the workforce would be effectively unionized before employers had a chance to react. With coalitions like the minority-owned business group getting the word out about the Act’s danger to workers, and stories like those of Jessi Parman hitting the news, employees may finally be seeing red flags as well.
‘Conservative columnist George F. Will never misses an opportunity to distort the facts in an effort to spread untruths about issues of importance to working Americans.
In a January 29, 2010 Washington Post column, Will takes President Obama to task for not mentioning the Employee Free Choice Act in his State of the Union Address. “Unmentioned was organized labor’s “card check” legislation to abolish workers’ rights to secret ballots in unionization elections,” Will wrote. This is a calculated effort to mislead readers about the legislation.
The Employee Free Choice act would not “abolish workers’ rights to secret ballots.” What it would do is eliminate the ability of employers – not employees – to demand a National Labor Relations Board election. Workers would have a choice of “majority sign-up” or an election (January 29, 2001 the Green Line the AFSCME blog).’
After my few cut and paste jobs today with EJ allowing me to bend some COMMENT rules; I found this quote out of the The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr that I believe that might apply to my history of posts on DGREPORT.Com, “It is an old observation that the best writers (will never be Earl) sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, howwever, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violatoin (6).”
Transplant,
The real reason there is a gap between the haves and have not’s has nothing to do with unions or corporations. The Democrat party and the RINO’s are the culprit‘s. Centrist Republican’s and liberal Democrats want socialism. The very heart of socialism is the destruction of the middle class. Taking from the rich to make the poor a little better off. You will have two classes…rich and poor, just like the King of England once wanted it. If I recall correctly we left England for this same reason! Now we have it all over again and if you people keep electing socialists like Obama you can kiss your lives as you know them goodbye. It wont matter how well your educated or what job you do. You will make the same to be a Doctor as you do to be a truck driver. Trust me, that is how Russia was…Last time I checked that experiment failed. Call me what ever you wish and disagree with me as much as you want. I have history on my side, what do you have? The anointed one’s rhetoric and bull shit!
Editor’s note: This comment has been edited.
Did Sherlock Holmes the new movie play at the Downtown Tivoli yet? I know I can call them or look them up at their web site but DGREPORT.COM is what keeps this web reader in tune with Downers (There’s no place like it). I think I would enjoy watching it on its movie screen; I don’t care what technology brings us there is no place like the Tivoli to enjoy a good show. I will never forget someone telling me who attended Downers High School, many years ago about how students where release half-day from school to watch Gone With the Wind because of the movie’s historical value. I think anyone who has ever truly lived in Downers has some history at the Tivoli; it’s a landmark of Downers and will always be to me.
Oh you mean the same way Obama distorts the truth about many issues of the day. First he trashes Bush about the surge now he is taking credit for it. Come off it Earl. Their job to sway public opinion.
It is not about right side or left side, it is about the direction our great nation is heading in, not the current media topics or opinion polls of the day. The USA is still the great beacon of dreams becoming reality and high justice prevailing; the rest of the world looks up to our high standards. I am currently reading Richard B. Reich’s book The Next American Frontier (1984), I believe this book has a lot to do with conversation topic taken place on this open thread. America will never be one sided as the elections of the past four years have illustrated. The labor movement will always be strong in the USA as our past history and current history unfolds.
I don’t think our country is great anymore. Our government has failed us. We used to be the land of opportunity. Now people come here to take advantage of our hand outs. If we continue down this path of selling all our debt to China you may as well call us Chimerica. China owns 85% of our outstanding debt. World banks are already warning us that our dollar is going to be replaced as the world currency standard. If our dollar is no longer the world standard you think your 401k’s are in the tank now! Wow!! Overnight our country’s currency would not be worth the paper its printed on. Your 401k and pension would be worth pennies on the dollar. I don’t like the liberal agenda of our President. Bush did nothing to advance conservative principals, make no mistake about that. I fault President Bush for a good portion of the debt we owe China.
Bottom line is, people need to step outside of their own little world and think about what is good for the country as a whole. This is a very serious time in our nation, more serious than anytime in our history. We are at a cross roads. We either continue down this road to mediocrity or we change course and embrace true conservative principals and clean up this mess. Socialism and communism have NEVER worked anywhere EVER, if anyone think’s they have worked then you are not a true American. Period. We were founded on conservative principals not socialism.
Great capitalism you love, isn’t it, Chad!
I would be great if the government would stay the heck out of it!
“Someone finally had the courage to lay the blame for state fiscal crises smack where blames belongs, on public unions and political hacks willing to buy union votes.”
…in New Jersey.
Amen MT. I hope that comes to our state soon! Maybe if we take their precious retirements they will understand. Then they will be on a level playing field with the rest of the working world.
I don’t normally do this and I had not stood up in church yet, but I ask for your prays for U.S. Army Infantry Unit the Rakkasans as they take on their new mission and deployment. I know for fact that they are the best. As soon as I am able to, I will post their address for care packages. God bless the Rakkasans! for giving us the freedom to post here, our own opinions. Come home safe and our thoughts with you. Rakkasan!!!!!!
Dear Chad:
The idea of School Vouchers is not a new one, but there is a current piece of legislation, Senate Bill 2494, that is topical and making it’s way through the Illinois Senate. In fact, the bill will go to an Executive Committee Hearing this Thursday, February 17, 2010…according to one of it’s co-sponsors, Senator Chris Lauzen.
Initiated by Senator James Meeks, an Independent/Democrat out of Chicago, and co-sponsored by Sen. Dan Cronin (R-21), along with Sen. Lauzen (R-25), this bi-partisan effort of its kind, has moved as far through the Senate as any in recent memory.
“We aught to be able to unite together and work for improved education”, say Senator Lauzen. He goes on to say, “We need to give the authority to those who love the children the most, their parents. All parents should have the same choices available to them as does The President.”
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Just an FYI about the progress of our educational system in IL.
Meanwhile the state is not paying the school districts the money needed to pay teachers and keep the lights on…
What to do now?
Not that my opinion matters, I am for Illinois HB 174 and we are going to let Illinois State law makers know tomorrow that is willing to listen. “We cannot have any more taxes raises or changes in our current tax system” than let’s look at JAPAN’S CONSUMPTION TAX. It just might work here in America, “We cannot have change in the America, We are Tea baggers” (Earl don’t you know no thinking out of the box).
Daily Herald Prep Basketball TOP 20
#9 Downers Grove South (14 – 7 )
http://www.fairtax.com
Its already there and in the house and senate Earl. Check it out!!
I may never totally agree on your opinion of tax policy in Illinois and the USA, but one thing is for sure Mr. Walz knows taxes. Our group meet with our house rep and he informed us 57% Illinois are against HB 174 and that this complex tax hike would “hurt and kill” small business owners. On another note, what I witness at the top of Illinois state office holders, today restored my faith that top Illinois holders can lead and be ethical. Makes me want to not cuss, not speed and do my best, even if it is only being a blue collar worker/tax payer and voter. Downers Grove “loyalty goes a long way.” Thank you, Downers Grove for being a positive safe place to grow up. Thank you EJ for allowing to post here, I probably make one last post. I know there are billions of web sites but I enjoy this one the most. I (I am sure others feel the same way) never left Downers Grove because Downers Grove is always a part of me (and others feel the same). Illinois has a bright future, and no I am not currently smoking anything funny.
If you want solutions today and quit passing the buck for tomorrow, regardless of Illinois Republican or Illinois Democrat taking credit for our solutions needed now. We Illinoisans need to quit passing the buck on to future Illinoisans and take a stand now! If you want HB 174 put to a vote call, visits or emails Illinois Speaker of the House Representative Michael J. Madigan 22nd District
Speaker of the House Springfield Office:
300 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-5350
(217) 524-1794 FAX
District Office:
6500 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629
(773) 581-8000
(773) 581-9414 FAX
We need to quit passing the buck off for another day.
Ya, Madigan will listen. LOL
“That Restores Democracy to Illinois”
To the professionals unlike me, to those of importance unlike me, in your sphere of influences maybe you can pass this information on.
“For the last three decades, legislators have created their own districts after drawing a name out of a hat!
Illinois is the ONLY state in the nation that allows this magic trick to determine such an important issue.
We need your help to change this process and take it from the legislators and put it in the hands of an independent commission in order to make redistricting more transparent, fair, and accessible to the public.
In order to do this, we need to collect 500,000 signatures in Illinois by April 1, 2010!
Why Sign the Petition?
If you could do just ONE thing to help end corruption in Illinois, this is it!
For the last three decades, Illinois legislators have created districts that ensure their re-election by drawing their own maps behind closed doors.
The result is that 98% of elections for the Illinois legislature are won by the incumbent.
The legislature could change this process – but they haven’t – and they won’t.
It’s up to us, the people.
A fair map is the first step in taking Illinois back from the politicians.
If you’re not happy with Illinois government, sign the petition (ilfairmap).”
I understand DGREPORT.COM has already mentioned this story, just a friendly reminder to keep it alive.
Thanks for reading; this will only take a moment of your valuable time. Have a Nice Day!
Catch any of the CPAC last night? George Will gave a good speech. I love politics; I don’t know why everybody else doesn’t?
Hey Earl “fan of politics”…
Heard on Beck today that the average government union worker pays $124,000 into their pension plans, but collect on average $3.8 million. Food for thought. Also, there are only 4 states who currently fund their government pensions. I wonder what that means? Either more taxes to pay for it or the people who think they are going to retire won’t retire.
The
superintendent asked teachers (who are making between $70,000 and
$78,000 vs. the townâ??s median income of $22,000) to work an extra 25
minutes a day, provide tutoring on a rotating schedule, and have lunch
with the kids once a week. The union said no. So superintendent Frances
Gallo went reluctantly to plan B: she fire…d the schoolâ??s entire staff.”
Good for her! Greedy people.
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2010/02/16/rhode-island-district-fires-all-its-hs-teachers/
I don’t disagree something has to be done to fix the problem, but passing the buck or doing nothing is not the answer. Somebody needs to take a stand and act on it. What has been going on the last twenty years will not work for the next twenty years. Mr. Walz, I would like to point out there was an article in the Chicago Sun Times Monday; February 15, 2010 by writer Terry Savage entitled “The Emperor Has No Clothes” regarding Illinois state pension systems. Your point is well taken, raising taxes to pay for somebody else’s retirement check (about 19% Americans have a pension and about 81% don’t) is well taken. As you already know Mr. Glen Beck will be speaking tomorrow at the CPAC in Washington, D.C., I wonder if he’ll cry for the cameras.
On another note, with that spirit of Downers Grove in mind; the novel with the tiled Downers Grove by Michael Hornburg, I learned about writer who uses Dixon, Il as her place in writing her story. The Haunted Hillerman House By Shannon Bailey, I think that is neat. This off topic information might be interest to any reader who comes from or knows the Dixon, Illinois area. I will always love Downers Grove but I am thankful for moving west. Have a nice day.
Knocking Teddy Roosevelt, come on GB. Speak up, you cult followers of GB. Defend the mouth piece with all the right answers (but are they the correct answers?). One thing is for sure is that GB should get Monday Morning Quarterback of the Year award (Mr. Perfect, not!). The topical American idea making money off selling pro small business ideas and concepts to those with money; GB rerun.
Thank God for our government of “checks and balances,” GB will never be the only holder of ideas for the Untied States of America. Prediction: GB will just be a trend like twitter, GB just a small “ripple in our history” of media mouth pieces.
Earl,
I think Glenn Beck was spot on! All the true Americans are coming out during these tea party deals and are going to fight the libs to the end!! I think “liberals” or “progressives” are anti-American. If you don’t like it, I don’t care. I follow the teachings of our founding fathers not Karl Marx. You can’t save everyone and everyone doesn’t deserve to be saved. You have to go after what you want in this life, it wont be handed to you. Life, Liberty and the pursuit…PERIOD! If you don’t like it there is a lib country just to the North of us more than willing to cater to your every need. Don’t worry the USA will protect you anyway since Canada has no real military. Hahaha…
Mr. Walz, I saw a book right up your alley today (no pun intended) The Education Of Ronald Reagan by ThomasW. Evans. I will stick to reading a book about President Wilson that earned a Ph. D and who was not an “entertainer.” Not that my opinion matter, the GB talk last night did not come close to Reagan’s “The Speech (1964).”
I am soo sick and tired of people thinking that a PhD means anything. It means you studied a lot! I want leaders not PhD’ers. Academia is the problem. Solutions are in our history we don’t need to reinvent the frickin wheel here.
U.S. 5 – Canada 3, men’s hockey ownage. Go team USA!
…and no Blackhawks were hurt.
What a PhD means is that you are an expert in a particular field of study; i.e economics, science or engineering. It means you’ve devoted an extraordinary amount of your life to answering a very specific, very detailed question. It also means you wish to teach someday, likely at the college level.
What does ‘academia is the problem’ mean? Having a higher education is a bad thing? All that hard work automatically means your ‘book smart’ but have no common sense? Having a higher education does NOT entitle you to be a leader, that I can agree with, but it doesn’t mean you’re a jackass either.
Right now, as we write, there is a call center somewhere in downtown Delhi staffed with young Indian college grads. There is a sign posted on the wall, it says ’40 = 12′. It’s there to remind the employees that, when speaking to an American on a customer support call, a 40 year old American is equivalant intellitectually to a 12 year old. I wonder why?
As a moderate Republican I am absolutely disheartened at the state of political discourse in this country, and how the party of Reagan has been hijacked by alarmists, angry white people and failed radio disk jockeys whose sole purpose is ratings.
Its exactly this thinking that allows the creationist museum to exist as a major tourist draw, that allows otherwise intelligent people to believe Sarah Palin is a viable or credible leader, and that dressing up in period costumes and LARPing at political rallys constitutes a movement worth following.
Is it any wonder that brilliant men like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates would never consider politics? I guess they’re just to darn smart to lead.
Meat,
What was Reagan? PhD? NOT. nuff said. I don’t care how smart those Indian people are I can’t understand a word they say. I hang up on them or tell them to learn english better.
American companies prefer Master’s Level educated people in India to most American workers. Educated societies are more succesful socities – higher education is the key to freedom in any country. Education changes the world. More Americans need to embrace education and instill it’s worth in thier children. Not all politicians are educated – just look at the Chicago City Council.
Hey Chad–
“English” is capitalized; you should have learned that even before your PHD work.
Being educated is not a bad thing. It’s means you did study a lot. had the intestinal fortitude to accomplish something you set out to do and you are relatively more versed than others in your field. There is no guarantee that you will make good use of what you’ve learned (we certainly see enough of that). There is also no correlation that shows educated people are terrible. What you do see is that most people in relative positions of power have a great education and it is more probable to have a bad leader that is educated since most leaders are educated. I’ll guarantee Reagan had educated people around him and the last time I looked at the bios at the Heritage Foundation they all look fairly educated.
KellyDGM,
Proof please? That’s right they are so superior to us. Come on. they have a 9.5 % unemployment rate and it stays that way…
YoYoMa,
Got anything to add? Didn’t think so. Baaabye!
I support education and don’t think being willfully ignorant is a wonderful thing, BUT…
if you know someone who works in IT, they will tell you that Asian workers, despite their education, are no match for American ones when it comes to ingenuity and self-reliance.
As we already know Reagan earned his college degree from Eureka College, which is a very good college. Reagan performed in about 54 big picture movies, where he had to memorize whole scripts at a time. He was also President of a Union, which is not an easy job. Please read the Reagan Diaries. I may not agree with the air controllers strike decision he made, but regardless he made a Presidential leadership style decision that affected the whole nation; he was not indecisive. Example President Clinton’s opinion on the first gulf war, we maybe never get a straight answer out of that guy; except when it comes to his lady friends. I think President Reagan was smart enough to play dumb “I don’t remember,” my personal favorite SNL skit is Reagan with the Girl Scouts (playing dumb smiling grandpa type) and then with his advisors plotting schemes against the terrorist and the communes(Machiavelli type). And why do following Presidents study his speeches to this day, because he was a very intelligent leader who knew how to get his message across to the whole nation and world.
Who are ‘they’?? And why are ‘they’ ‘superior’? To whom?
Are you suggesting that Liberals are educated and thus have no common sense and the true conservative forgoes higher education as a wasteful endeavor of the elite? Huh?
I wonder how Charles Krauthammer would feel about that. Or Hugh Hewitt, or James Lileks, or any of the other true conservative voices in the media who are actually worth listening too (read ‘not Beck or Palin’). I may not always agree ideologically with what they write (Hewitt’s social commentary in particular) but I’m almost always challenged by an alternate point of view.
..and I’ve never seen any of them break down and cry for effect.
KelleyDGM,
American companies prefer outsourced Indian labor because it is cheaper. That on a macro scale is the greatest challenge to our standard of living. Work is proving to be fungible across borders where international labor is willing to work for much less than the American worker. The big question is, what can we make or provide to the rest of the world to preserve our standard of living? Borrowing to achieve that is no longer an option.
Proof? They? Do you mean people from India? I am confused as to what proof you are asking for? Maybe you should start asking all of those educated people who run the major corporations that are using India call centers for proof? Then perhaps visit the county jail where on average more than 89% of offenders never finished high school.
I am pro-education. Education overall is a good thing. I don’t like educated people who are arrogant and there seems to be a lot of those types in government already. That market for smarty pants politicians is saturated.
The ONLY reason they use foreign labor is because the are cheap. Period. I would rather pay an American worker who actually speaks ENGLISH!!
I have been back to school for last two years. I learned a lot about American society, culture, history, politics, and others. I do agree getting a higher education is very important regardless of the individual’s age. Additionally, it seems more fun and easier to comprehend the subject in the class when attending the classes later in life than being young age and concerned about the opposite sex or whatever turned young students on.
I had an opportunity to peer tutor Math last semester, and I found something very disturbing fact; some college students could not convert a percentile to a decimal number. For instance, 2.5% is what in a decimal number? Or some students could not calculate numbers in their head. For instance, 32 X 10 or 81/9. They had to use the calculator. It appears that students learn how to operate the calculator better than how to do very simple math. It makes me wonder how Americans compete in this global market.
As to education, it is very different in America compared to the country where I grew up. In general speaking, there is no high school or college admission test in America. However, I had to pass the high school admission test to get into the school which was a public school in the state. All public schools had many job categories to choose from, for instance, architecture, or engineering. And they only accepted 30 to 40 students per year.
There are many reasons why education is failing in America. One of the reasons, in my opinion, is parents. It used to be the father’s responsibility to earn enough to feed the entire family. Then the desire to have more out weighted the importance of children’s education. This trend is reversing lately, however majority of the families still believe that they must give their children more than what they had when they were growing up.
Additionally, there are many parents so called “Helicopter parents.” They hover over their children and make sure they get what the parents believe they should have in school. For instance, a good friend of mine who is a high school teacher told me that parents argue with him what grade their children should have even though the children are not performing or not submitting the home work or assignments. They will not accept less than “C”. On top of that he was counseled by the principle to change the grade.
So I think it is up to parents to decide whether they want to hear a hollow sound when they tap on their children’s head or something different. Good Luck!
They call that “over-parenting” and “under-parenting” transplant.
Chad – Are you suggesting that intelligent people only speak English?
I get frustrated by them as well on the phone, but I realize their value. Also, if you ask nicely some companies have US call centers, and you can be transferred to them. It’s a longer wait time, but I have heard of this happening.
Thomas Sowell Chiago’s very own Ph. D. Current address the Hoover Institution
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305
(650) 723-3303
Sometimes I get annoyed too with outsourced call center personnel whose English is accented.
But I then I think of my Asia friends who speak Chinese and English, or Vietnamese and English, while I can barely say xièxie.
We aren’t talking about intelligence. We are talking about being educated. So YES, educated people speak ENGLISH!! They may not speak it so well, but they do speak!
Yes the India call center people work cheap and most are quite often are highly educated. Quite the opposite of an American call center, where the undereducated tend to hold lower wage jobs. Some Indian call center people have very heavy accents and are difficult to understand when speaking the “Kings English”, but then again some of the Americans in call centers who are speaking English (thier native language) can be difficult to understand as well.
Think about it, could any of us learn a second language well enough to take customer support calls in the technology sector? Impressive if you ask me.
Fair enough Kelly.
Thought provoking statement Meat, and yet not that my opinion matters, but I agree with you.
I recall a great comment by Bill Cosby; If you can understand what people in Boston and in Mississippi speak, you are trilingual.
Coming from not English speaking country, I experienced a great trouble understanding people, culture, and society. For instance, I visited a friend of mine a long time ago, and he had a five years old son. This boy was running around the house and one point he stopped and said,”Give me Five!” So not knowing what that meant, I was thinking he wanted a five dollars, and I was ready to give it to him. Or how come Johnny Carson was so funny?
However I understand a lot better now than when I did not know much English more than three decades ago. It opened up a greater understanding of people, culture, history and society, and it is a wonderful thing to be able to converse with people using their language. I would love to learn another language instead of sitting in the house pouting about others who study and learn other language.
My niece had been visiting my family for last eight years. Tow years ago she quite her job that she had for eight years, and came here to study English. Three months prior to her going back, her old college from England sent her an email offering her a job in England. So last September she went to England, and recently, even though her contract won’t end till coming September, a company in Maryland offered her a job in the States.
What I am going to say is that if there is a desire to learn a foreign language, the best way to learn it is to live in that country. Once you learned the language, it opens up a whole different world. It is worth while to go through a difficult time.