WE NEED PUBLIC EDUCATION REFORM

Today's public education system is a failed, bureaucratic mess controlled by powerful teachers’ unions. The mission of the M.E.A. and the N.E.A. is to protect the liberal benefits and jobs of the teachers regardless of their effectiveness. They give lip service to improving education but that is way down the list of importance. Tenure has proved to be a barrier to getting rid of ineffective teachers. The cost of eliminating a tenured teacher with a poor performance record is more than $100,000.  And there is no incentive to expedite the process which is drawn out to the point that few schools ever try to implement it. We need education reform to change the ways we evaluate and reward teachers. Rich benefits, June, July, August, and tenure without effectiveness should not be the only incentives to take up the job of teaching.

The unions have done a great job for their members (but not for the public education system). They would have you believe that teaching is the most important profession and a difficult one that deserves special compensation. In reality, no profession is more important than all others. Society needs a variety of “important” professions to run smoothly. And many of them are just as demanding, or more so, than teaching. Public education is only one of the things that have made us a great nation. Yes, teachers who are capable of competence and performance are extremely valuable for our future development. Let’s do more to attract and keep them in the profession. Also, let’s do a better job of urging the ineffective teachers to try another occupation. Here is a final thought to be considered: If you reflect on many professions, the best and the more qualified individuals are the ones who can teach and practice in their field. Maybe we need more educators like that!

SOMETIMES I AM HAPPY__ SOMETIMES I’M NOT.

I am very happy with our new Michigan Governor. He is making all the right moves to balance our budget and attract business to Michigan which will create jobs. He is implementing a simpler and fairer system of taxation which attempts to have everyone share the pain. Of course the unions, the public employees, and the school teachers don’t think that they should share the pain. The private sector employees (who still have jobs) have already suffered benefit reductions. Why shouldn’t the teachers and public employees do the same? Governor Rick Snyder is exactly what Michigan needed. He is a financial genius with the experience and education needed to get us back on track.

Now, let me tell you what I am not happy about. The Obama administration is seeking to give $3 billion in aid to Pakistan for 2012. $20 billion in aid was given to Pakistan in the last 1o years while our national debt has increased to $12 trillion!! Has this magnanimous (and ill conceived) gift helped our American security interests? HELL NO! They were hiding Osama 35 miles from their capital. They consider us enemies and hate our guts. If the current administration gives them more money, I think it is time for impeachment proceedings. Please_no more aid for Pakistan!

GET FREE FOOD STAMPS!

It is easy to apply (you can do it on line) and it is easy to meet the eligibility requirements. Half of the city of Detroit is using food stamps. 45 million Americans are receiving benefits, according to a report from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This federal-assistance program is costing the tax payers $60 billion and is increasing at the rate of 14% per year! After you qualify, you can sell your food stamps and use the money to buy booze and cigarettes. What a country! You can eat well without working. It is such a great program that generations are using it. It has created an entitlement mentality for millions of people. Once people get on food stamps they tend to stay on them for the rest of their life.

The program has gone way beyond its original intent and become a general welfare program with significant abuse and fraud. The government has become too involved in helping those who do not really need help. Adversity is a good thing that helps people to learn how to take care of themselves. Yes, there are people who genuinely need temporary help. These people can be helped by private charities and churches. The federal food stamp program should be abolished. We should constructively think about designing a program that eliminates/minimizes fraud and abuse. Does this country really have 45 million people who need help buying food? I don’t think so!!

TOO MUCH MEMORY IS NOT A GOOD THING.

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory. I am a very happy person. I’m perfectly happy to have a memory like a sieve. It lets the waste drain away and leaves the valuable stuff behind. I can forget the unpleasant and painful memories. Friedrich Nietzsche said, “The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.”  Another advantage is that I forget my stupid mistakes and bad experiences. I can’t remember who I wanted revenge against for mistreating me.

Some memories can damage your ability to concentrate on important stuff. They can also build up personality problems like insecurities, inferiority complex, and low self esteem. These memories can slowly destroy you! In order to survive, baseball relief pitchers are advised to develop a bad memory when it comes to blown saves. Whatever happened last night, happened last night. Today’s another day; tonight’s another game…and all that. The Buddha said, The secret of health for mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”  The mafia says, “forget about it!