"An off topic link... Although a tiny bit related as John so loves to put down people he judges as irresponsible. So who are a large group of the so called takers?" WP Rural Americans: Disabled or Just Desperate?Well I am happy to not let you down. It is sad that so many people somehow qualify for SS Disability, but maybe Bureaucrats running the system feel they need more mouths to justify their jobs...
"There are 13 million working-age Americans — ages 18 to 64 — receiving disability payments. This number includes every working-age person who receives benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program or both."And look... These folks are happy to help find your ailment for you... How did our country and it's citizens get here?
"Parents should be held accountable for ensuring their kids are fed, have good hygiene, they are prepared for Kindergarten, get to school, do their homework, etc. Seems pretty basic." G2A
"Parents should be held accountable for ensuring their kids are fed, have good hygiene, they are prepared for Kindergarten, get to school, do their homework, etc. Seems pretty basic. Sure, let's send them a statement at the end of every year.
We really need to get away from the idea that sniffing with disapproval at stuff is some sort of policy. I would love it if all parents prepared their kids for Kindergarten, made them do their homework, and if moms had milk and cookies waiting for the kids when they come home from school while wearing pearls. Some kids do have that environment but others don't and while I can't prove a causation between those factors and doing well in school, researchers just might find a correlation for that very thing." --Hiram
"I am not "sniffing with disapproval" I am proposing our society should do something to hold these unqualified and/or irresponsible adults accountable. Please note... No cookies, pearls, etc required...
"Parents should be held accountable for ensuring their kids are fed, have good hygiene, they are prepared for Kindergarten, get to school, do their homework, etc. Seems pretty basic." G2A
"I am not "sniffing with disapproval" I am proposing our society should do something to hold these unqualified and/or irresponsible adults accountable
I do tend to equate accounting with sniffing with disapproval. Well, I suppose we could spend millions in running people's families for them, but I just don't see much of a will to do that. Whining is much cheaper and much less intrusive. These days it's just so easy to hold parent's accountable for sending their kids to kindergarten, we can just send them a text, and all will better.
Why didn't anyone think of that before?" --Hiram
"our society should do something"
That language is almost ready for the legislature. Keep it up!" Sean
"Hi Guys,Now I have a lot of policy ideas for putting unlucky kids first. Unfortunately as noted many times, liberals are more concerned about the adults. (Public employees and Baby Makers) Oh well..." G2A
"Please demonstrate the causation between whacking teachers unions and student performance." Sean
"Unfortunately there is nothing I can write that would convince you.
However any employee group that fights performance measures is definitely not dedicated to the well being and success of their students.
But please feel free to keep defending these adults and denying the unlucky kids the best performing system." G2A
"Unfortunately there nothing I can write that would convince you."
I'm going to grade you down for effort, then.
"But please feel free to keep defending these adults and denying the unlucky kids the best performing system."
I'm not opposed to reform. I just don't think that the evidence shows that whacking teachers unions is the key to unlocking it."Sean
"Public schools are under attack because they are successful. For members of an anti-government party committed to the idea that government can never work, that is intolerable." --Hiram
Sean, I am okay with being graded... It is the Teachers and their Union that fight tooth and nail to not be graded or held accountable. This reminds me of an oldie but a goodie. G2A Test is Too Hard
"Hiram, If you consider these examples of success, please remind me not to ask you for your criteria again. Based on the MDE numbers, it looks like the Mpls and St Paul districts have a total of ~72,000 students... And proficiency scores of ~38%...
Here is a link to Wayzata and Minnetonka school district result for comparison.
Sean, Unfortunately the necessary reforms can not happen with the Union as it currently is.
Their focus is too maximize employee compensation, safety, control and job security. Please remember that is why they exist... They are an employee union, they exist to benefit employees.
They do not exist to help the unlucky kids, the country or the tax payers. If you disagree, please explain your rationale.
I keep hoping that someday the Union and Teachers will change their focus away from tenure, steps and lanes to performance and excellence, but I see no sign of this so far." G2A
"You're seriously comparing Minneapolis and St. Paul schools to Wayzata and Minnetonka? Without looking at the vast discrepancies in student population demographics?
"Unfortunately the necessary reforms can not happen with the Union as it currently is."
Your "reform" solely consists of whacking the union." Sean
Sean, Actually no I am not comparing Mpls/St Paul results to Wayzata/Mtka. Hiram wrote following and I am providing evidence of how incorrect he is.
"Public schools are under attack because they are successful. For members of an anti government party committed to the idea that government can never work, that is intolerable."
The unfortunate reality is that the public social services and education systems are failing millions of kids each year. Do you disagree?" G2A
Here is a link / topic very fitting for your blog as it comes up fairly frequently in comments and is likely to be very timely with the GOP in charge of the budget and budget slashing.My answer is no way, as you know. Thoughts?
Can Religious Charities Take the Place of the Welfare State?
"I'm not interested in going round after round where you repeat the same nonsense that you believe is so brilliant but is really only a way for you to explain how much better you think you are than 'those' people who've not lived up to your standards.
You are bad at this in that you always come back to the same talking points. Instead of these conversations and arguments leading you to a new thought, you somehow lead yourself right back around to where you've always been.
And you ask other people to change and grow so they can be 'deserving' of living in the greatest country on the planet, all while not changing a single thing about your own ideas.
So instead of those other people changing in order to please your sense of fairness, perhaps it's time to reevaluate your own personal sense of what's fair. In other words: start with yourself.
Anonymoose"
"Actually I started with myself long ago when I figured out that I should help others by increasing my charitable giving greatly. Then I took action and kept doing it, I even made make up payments after my laid off period. I do not say this to brag, I say this to try to help people understand that generosity and giving starts at home, not at the State and Federal capitols. Giving away someone else's money is not sacrificing for others.
As for... "Instead of these conversations and arguments leading you to a new thought, you somehow lead yourself right back around to where you've always been."
That does seem to be the norm of human nature. I have been discussing topics with this group of people for ~8 years and I am pretty sure that no one has greatly changed their minds in any substantial way. Though I think they all appreciate a chance to state their views and learn how the other side thinks.
Please remember that G2A is not about convincing anyone of anything, it is just a safe place the discuss very thorny issues. (see blog statement below)
"Raising social involvement, self awareness and self improvement topics, because our communities are the sum of our personal beliefs, behaviors, action or inaction. Only "we" can improve our family, work place, school, city, country, etc."
So what would being good at this look like?
Whose views should I adopt and support? (ie Hiram's, Laurie's, Sean's, Jerry's, yours, Dems, GOP, Progressives, Tea Party, other)
Which of you are correct and which of who are idiots?
How would one know?
So if you dislike listening to and disagreeing with opposing views, then maybe retreating into a Liberal bubble is safer and more enjoyable for you. I however think that this is the problem with our country, people keep listening to people who reinforce their version of reality and avoiding people with a different version that those people support equally strongly. No wonder we are split.
The "tastes great" and "less filling" people just keep yelling at each other. Certain that they are correct and everyone else is an idiot. Or worse yet insisting that those other guys are out to hurt people and/or America." G2AThoughts?
"...and the bill goes down in flames.At G2A Healthcare Bill Fate Uncertain, I proposed that the GOP has a much bigger challenge since they don't believe in robbing Peter to pay Paul... Where as the Dems have no moral concern with mauling Paul and taking his money...
It's amusing to watch people who hate government fail at governing."
Anonymoose
"They're obsessed with their finances. Chances are, if you ask someone with a top tier credit score about their finances, they can easily rattle off their account balances, credit score and savings rate. "There is some good advice in CNN Money Credit Scores
"Please explain the difference between "forcing them to be responsible" and "holding them accountable." I'm failing to see the distinction. Maybe what we should consider are the "incentives" in every government poverty or education program? What is the incentive in the current welfare system? To have more children to get more money, to NOT work to avoid cuts in benefits, to not care about getting your kids to school because they don't learn anything anyway, or because it isn't even safe, etc. Compare that with an incentive that says, you can have a job and make MORE money because you can keep receiving benefits, we'll arrange child care, your kids can go to school someplace where the ARE safe and getting an education with extra help if needed, etc. People will react to the incentives (and disincentives) presented to them. They make those decisions intelligently. All government (acting for "society") needs to do is to make sure those choices are PRESENTED intelligently.
One rule I have used throughout my work is that we make it easier for people to follow the correct procedure/process than to work around it. And that getting them to success at greater rates, because of it, is its own reward, driving out the old bad practice." G2A
"It seems that people on the Left like to make that leap...G2A Job Creation Idea
I do not deem to judge people "unworthy of life", I am asking at what point are free adults in our society responsible for the choices they make in life and the consequences that follow?
Or is it the expectation that the hard working successful people have responsibilities in our society, including that they must keep paying extra to continually clean up after the other citizens?
Do Liberals expect anything from the unsuccessful people in our society in exchange for all the gifts?" G2A
"Seems you make the false assumption that all folks have the capacity to be reasonable rational responsible thinkers, and act on that thought. Our success or failure is not a perfect platform to compare to another, What is that saying "Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins."
Actually I think liberals expect more out of society (successful and unsuccessful people) than conservatives. Gifts?" Dennis
"Please elaborate. What do you expect from the unsuccessful folks who receive a large investment from the tax payers?" G2A
"From Wikipedia "Freedom from Want: The right to an adequate standard of living is recognized as a human right in international human rights instruments and is understood to establish a minimum entitlement to food, clothing and housing at an adequate level. The right to food and the right to housing have been further defined in human rights instruments."Ironically this piece MP Chronic Absenteeism posted today also and I am sure I will be adding comments. My points will be the usual...
Usually a set of societal behavioral expectations come with rights. Especially if society is going to tax some citizens at much higher amounts in order to provide others with that food, clothing, housing and now healthcare.
I mean we require that citizens pay those higher taxes, it is their responsibility as part of our society... With this in mind, what is the responsibility of those who receive the gifts from society? I mean they are not earning these items... They are purely gifts from the generosity of their fellow citizens.
Our society spend trillions of dollars per year on these gifts and on our public education system. What should we expect in return from the recipients?
I ask because ACA was a very large tax / cost increase that funded in essence a "health insurance welfare" system that has no work requirements. Now that certainly did provide many citizens with the freedom to have health insurance while other citizens were forced to pay a large portion of their bills. In essence one group of citizens were freed from a burden and it was placed on the shoulders of another for better or worse.
"Well I think this is correct... " Americans have been shopping ... anti-union " Now why is this from your perspective?
My 2002 Suburban came from the Janesville WI plant. My 2010 Mustang was built in Flat Rock Michigan. And both were designed and marketed in the USA.
Now I could have bought "more reliable", more fashionable, better performing, etc product, but I thought it was important to pay a little more and support American workers. I seem to be in the minority of American consumers... Why is that?
In full disclosure: my FJR 1300 is a Yamaha... Harley does not make a sport touring bike. :-)" G2A
"Why do you want to blame the companies and give us American consumers a free pass?
The same person who complains about Walmart or the company that off shores jobs is often driving a vehicle made over seas or made in a right to work state. (ie weaker union shop) And almost all products have a "Made in ???" sticker, yet we keep buying foreign product.
And as for vehicles, we have this excellent resource... " G2A
http://kogodbusiness.com/reports/auto-index/
"Personally I think the growth of popularity in third party candidates is because both the GOP and Dems are becoming too extreme. I sure wish Kasich would have run as an independent, I would definitely have voted for him over Trump." G2A
I don't think the majority parties are becoming extreme, but they are painting their opposition in those terms at every opportunity, and the general population believes that rather than examining the issues involved. The extremists in both parties DO tend to control the base of the party and are the most active and vocal, reinforcing the perception.
For example, I think Democrats are more extreme than ever after seeing a few too many marching vaginas and black-clad rioters. I'm convinced third parties will be merely disruptive until a major issue comes along not addressed by ONE of the majors.
Not sure if, in the modern era, such a transition can even take place, or if it would be of any value. It is more likely that one of the major parties will be "taken over" by one wing or another, such as the Bernie Sanders Democrats or the Ron Paul Republicans.
There is one other solution-- "holding their feet to the fire." Someplace along the line, somebody decided that "rioting in the streets" was better than "write your Congressman," but that gets us more of what we have, and good solutions it is not." Jerry
"Unfortunately given the number of votes that occur along party lines, it seems that the number of good politicians who will think for themselves and listen to their constituents seems to be decreasing.
I mean look at the grouping of the red and blue dots in this graph... There are few who are near the middle... (ie like my example candidate: Peterson)
In summary, writing to your rep seems to make no difference... It seems our gov't has become winner takes all. Which probably explains the violent left right swings in our healthcare and tax systems, and likely the protests. (ie Tea Party and Progressives)" G2AAnd since Jerry neglected to provide an example, the Conservative extremists may be the folks who are fighting the Ryan Health Bill compromise because they want ACA totally gone, no matter how many people lose their health coverage...
"Several Los Angeles leaders are asking immigration officials to put a stop to the practice, calling it "corrosive." They argue it undercuts years of police efforts to build trust in immigrant communities and will make witnesses and victims less likely to come forward when crimes are committed.Now I can think of many terms to describe ILLEGAL residents who are squatting in the USA, but this obsession by liberals to call them immigrants frustrates me greatly. To me immigrants are people who follow the legal processes of the USA, wait in line with other prospective immigrants and then in time are allowed to enter the USA.
"Especially in these turbulent and uncertain times, we urge that ICE agents operating in Los Angeles immediately stop representing that they are 'police' officers," the city's mayor, attorney and City Council president wrote in a letter last month."
" But the facts remain that unions’ membership decline in Minnesota has been largely at the hands of automation, globalization, and a business climate that seeks to prevent workers from organizing more than in the past — things that don’t appear to be going away anytime soon."Of course, that riled me...
"automation, globalization, and a business climate "I think Unions could be useful if they partnered with the employers to ensure only the best employees were in the union ranks, that their education / performance was maintained, etc. But this demanding more pay, more protections, more etc without adding any measurable value is something that consumers simply will not voluntarily pay for. Therefore if the job can be moved, the consumers will demand that it is.
Why do folks work so hard to avoid saying the obvious?
Unions declined in the Private economy because they increase the cost of products / services and most American Consumers do not want to pay more to support the higher wages, better benefits, etc of those employees?
And the only reason the Public employee unions have grown is because there is pretty much no competition allowed in that sector and the tax payers don't get to choose their service provider.
I wonder what would happen if we told citizens that their tax bill would be reduced by 1% by making public employee unions illegal again. Would they vote for the tax reduction or not?" G2A
"You do not need to trust Beth to understand the data. It is pretty straight forward.
- the system rewards tenure, degrees and seniority
- the system does not reward taking challenging positions, performance or results
- the system gives higher job security and choice of position / school based on seniority
- therefore the expensive more senior Teachers often choose the easier students / schools. I mean why not, they get paid the same either way.
- this leaves the most challenged students / schools who need the best highest compensated Teachers with the lowest paid least experienced Teachers.
- and it places the highest paid most experienced Teachers with the kids who will do fine with any Teacher. (ie strong family and peer support)
So how do Liberals want to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in this case?" G2A"How about asking teachers? Are you convinced that their tribal loyalties run so deep that they would not support making it easier to get rid of poor teachers?Or perhaps you have no confidence in the abilities of teachers to identify productive solutions? That they are motivated entirely by economic self-interest (a trait that seems to be bad only in teachers)?Should we turn education over to management consultants who have no experience in education, but who have an economic interest in selling something--anything--to a willing buyer?" RB"Well it seems to me that the Public Education system had decades to improve itself. Then a concerned Democrat and Republican decided that it was not, so they agreed to pass a law called NCLB.I hoped that if the Public Education system and Union members saw the millions of children they were leaving behind every year... That would be enough to motivate them to seriously change... But it wasn't, they chose instead to complain about the goals, tests, intent, funding, etc, etc, etc.They reminded me of a student who had received a poor grade and blamed it on the test, teacher, weather, etc... Anything but themselves.So those millions of kids are still being left behind each year, little has changed in the "near monopolistic system" and a new group of concerned citizens are more serious about encouraging competition and improvement. For the sake of the unlucky kids. I hope something breaks loose soon.Just curious, do you think anything changed after Beth made MPS aware of how poorly the resources were being used? I do not know... But I think not." G2A
