The New Hampshire Challenge
I took a look at my property tax bill today and was surprised but not shocked to see that this half of the tax bill had risen by $600. I also noted that the school portion was 60% of the total bill or over $3000. Before anyone thinks that I support a sales or income tax, let me say that I don’t. After all, a family with even an income of $60,000 if subjected to a 5% income tax would pay $3000 anyway and that would be watered down to around $2000 due to administrative costs. Common sense dictates that adding a 'middle man' would just requie a higher tax rate and people would quite obviously pay more. People wonder how we have arrived at this point in New Hampshire, the answer is slowly, methodically and the cause in large part is simple...
The “Best Places to Retire" issue of US News and World Report listed Concord, NH as one of the best places in the country for seniors to retire. The analysis was statistically right on the money and their list of local amenities, activities, etc. was accurate as well. It is alarming that this article might draw still more residents to our state and still more change to our uniqueness.
New Hampshire, up until 30 years ago had been genuinely bucolic and remained the last bastion of rugged individualism, self reliance and self determination. Residents of Massachusetts, fleeing from the big government that they had created in their own state, flocked here by the thousands; looking for tax relief and a better way of life. They found it and reveled in this tax free paradise with most of them settling in the Southern part of the state. In their celebration of this new found freedom from corrupt government and out of control spending and taxes, they lost sight of lessons that should have been burned into their memories.
Their understanding of what it would be like to move to a ‘rural’ area was given little thought and consideration. Few could fathom what it would be like to live on a dirt road or be unable to enjoy cable television because it had not arrived. Many had no idea that most high schools would not have a football team, offer five languages, have a kiln and offer a multitude of amenities and expanded programs. Few realized that in order to buy the week’s groceries you would have to drive half an hour. The life they had fled; the social problems, over taxation and over crowding, all of which were their reasons for moving here, soon became the society they started to once again create.
After a while, they began to ask: "where are the sidewalks, street lights, civic centers, expanded school curriculum and the all of the extras that we had in Massachusetts (and elsewhere)." Transplants started to run for public office and as their numbers grew they were easily elected as ‘locals’ were outnumbered. As they create the same bureaucratic mess that they left behind, New Hampshire is starting to lose its uniqueness and innocence.
New residents complain about the property taxes and are supporting a sales and/or income tax in hopes of a reduction of property taxes; a scam by politicians that they fell prey to in Massachusetts and in other states, a FACT and LIE that most now conveniently forget. The lessons of failure, corruption and big government in their home states has become a distant memory. History repeats itself and although they may be well intentioned, their efforts clearly illustrate and highlight that principle in all of its pomp and glory, perpetuating a repeat of past naivete.
As a lifelong resident whose heritage goes back almost 300 years, it is saddening that this state, its beauty and open spaces are being impacted and decaying under the weight of unprecedented growth and the importation of social and economic failed policies from other states. The vicious circle of growth that transplants fled from has been a Trojan horse for New Hampshire; its way of life, beauty, freedom and independent spirit.
I have always hoped that my children would experience the same quality of life that I had growing up. I can only hope now, that they are able to experience a small piece of that.
Free will and the freedom an individual has to move around and relocate in a free society is something to be celebrated and not the point of my writing here. People have the right to move and relocate anywhere in this country but before they come to New Hampshire, I hope that they will research and learn a little about our state, its people and its role in history.
I hope that when they consider a move here that they view that as an opportunity to embrace our independent spirit and simpler way of life. I hope that they will consider the quality of life that they enjoy in their home states and understand that a move to New Hampshire will improve that for themselves and their families; if they leave the baggage of government created problems and social decay back where they are relocating from.
Please leave the failed social and economic policies of your home states behind! Original residents still live by our state motto: "Live Free or Die" and I hope those lucky enough to find their way here will do the same and appreciate the fact that New Hampshire is one of the last bastions of the original 'American Dream' and the rugged individualism that made this country great!
Once Again You Missed The Point
Michael,
I am not 'whining' about property taxes and the point of this particular blog was to simply explain why we are in the mess that we are today.
The fact that a parent wants more for their child or services in their neighborhood, etc. is not the point. The creation of what transplants were trying to escape and the perpetuation of the same was the point of my blog. But, I will entertain your response and I would appreciate some honest answers (from you I would hope for them; from politicians I don't expect them).
To lessen your angst about a lack of facts. I will not address the influx of population of which 74% was from Massachusetts during the 1990's as it is well documented all over the web and in my town it is a fact of life that I have lived with as a taxpayer.
From 2000-2003, 74,000 people relocated here from Massachusetts (to take one state as an example). 34,000 moved to Massachusetts of which most were recent college graduates and younger people looking for employment. I won't address the lack of our ability to keep the young in this state...that if for another blog. So there is a statistic and I have more but I will not use this space to show charts and give lists; do some research on line as it is very prevalent. In this time period though, a 40,000 person net influx came into the state.
Let me address the rest of your response.
Education
I am very 'pro' education and as a parent want the best for my children. I have some fundamental issues with accountability in that industry.
Let me say here that I am very happy with my school system and believe that my children are getting what they need.
Overall, there is no oversight and accountability in education and the industry (just like a corporation, it is an organized industry) does not want to do anything but business as usual. In Massachusetts, the teachers and unions are up in arms that they have to "teach to the test" in the case of the MCAS. If the knowledge on the 'test' represents the basics and an adequate knowledge base then what are they upset about? Well, they want to go off on a tangent and teach social agenda...that is an issue and people don't like it. By the way, statistics show that scores are up and in most communities students are learning the basics.
It is my business as a parent to teach about SEX, ethics, morals, belief in God or non belief, social views and other personal beliefs. It is not the place of the schools to indoctrinate. Is not the teaching of "Heather Has Two Mommies" as much a statement of morality and personal belief as reciting the "Lords Prayer". Is not teaching one side of global warming and claiming that it is a settled science not as precarious as reciting the "Pledge Of Allegiance" or teaching Christianity? Grade shcool and high school are not places to socially engineer young minds; it is a place to ready children for college and success in employment in life to become self sufficient and self determined and provide for themselves.
An adequate education should yield: reading comprehension, outstanding writing skills, a complete mastery of mathematics, a complete understanding of science (god knows we need that and it should be 50% of the focus), a non-biased facilitation of history (with debate and discussion but stick to the facts not agendas) and a great physical education program that teaches nutrition, eating clean and a full understanding of how behaviors relate to health.
When you go to college; then you should be exposed to all viewpoints and agendas on an EQUAL basis. Of course that does not happen because, like in primary and secondary education; educators fail to remain non-biased.
In high school I had a teacher that later on in life I found out was a liberal. In his history and social studies class, I would argue a very different view. Those were my highest grades and he never let on his political beliefs or tainted the free speech of students. I know first hand that is not the case in schools today. Maybe it is a product of society or maybe it is the world we live in today, it should not be that way.
I would be willing to pay a teacher $70,000 or more but unfortunately, unions protect them and give them tenure based on time served. Why can't we evaluate and reward teachers on their results? There are many ways to do this but no one in education wants to be held responsible. That is a primary reason why our education system is failing us.
Public officials are notorious for their failure in being able to administrate. So many public administrators have never been responsible for profit and loss and managing something that is not a 'money pit'. This is prevalent in education, our towns, our state and Washington D.C. If you give them $1,000 or $1,000,000, they will spend it all or find a way to do so.
Those are just a few things that makes people question money going to education.
Taxes
Now, I would agree that the property tax is disproportionate. Once again though, the promise that they will drop if a broad based tax is instituted has been proven false in every single state where it has been used to increase taxes.
I was in Indiana and on PUBLIC RADIO they were discussing a poll of 1200 likely voters and found that the number one issue (87% of the poll) centered on property tax relief. Caller after caller pointed out that the promise was that broad based taxes if instituted would reduce the property taxes. For four years they did but creeped higher and are now beyond 2003 levels. By the way, last year the same poll rated health care #2, this year it slipped to #6 in importance after property taxes that by the way needed to be raised for guess what..."to provide money for an adequate education". Where does it all stop???????
In Massachusetts communities voted in Proposition 2 1/2 and every year, Democrats try to over ride. Why? To raise property taxes and get more money. Why do you think it would be different here in NH?
Can you admit what progressive politicians won't, that you think taxes should be whatever your side decides because you know best what is good for the residents of this state? Of course you won't, because if the real agenda was revealed, it would show no allowance for a dissenting viewpoint. That is the real problem with this debate.
I have several questions for you:
Would you agree that if we instituted an income tax that it would be managed with the addition of only .5% administrative costs and be run efficiently by the Department of Revenue maximizing productivity? In other words expect more from public employees.
Would you agree that increases in the income tax annually, would take effect only after public vote on such increases?
Would you agree on a NH constitutional ammendment that moving forward, if an income tax was introduced that property taxes could no longer be used to fund education?
Would you agree that a simple report (one that is readable by all citizens) would outline where the income taxes are spent on education?
Would you earmark income taxes ONLY for education?
I think that your answer to all of the above will be a resounding NO! Progressive legislators want MONEY and they want it because if you control peoples MONEY, you control their activities and how they live their lives. That is what this debate is really about. No Compromise...No Middle Ground...No Retreat from hard held opinions, on the left. And yes, it maddens me that it exists on the right as well.
Compare this debate between parties to abortion. One side wants abortion, funding, birth control for minors without parents consent etc. The other side wants to bring religion into the debate and allow no abortions under any circumstances. My view is a compromise...I support a woman's right to choose but I do not want the government involved in that issue, I don't want to pay for an abortion and I don't want to hear or know about your choice to have one. Is that not middle ground? Why can't we find that on taxes....because politicians are self serving and worried about remaining in power and they place too much of their narrow minded (on both sides left and right) personal held beliefs into everything that they do.
Mike, you are a bright guy. Can you say that any of the above questions are unreasonable to ask if the real reason to institute an income tax is fairness and to reduce property taxes. We can not trust politicians on the left or right and as citizens, we need to find compormise and be truthful about what politicians really want.
A property tax versus an income tax would be a wash for me as an even trade. My fear is that I will wind up paying both....if that is the agenda of those who favor it, they are lying to us and should be replaced.
Let's fund education but not lie to the voters.
Let the parents decide what they want for education for their children, if anything beyond the basics.
PHD's, administrators and book trained educators, without practical internships and experience do not know what is best as they work on theory and often tainted theory. Most are tainted with social agendas in mind. Personal belief and teaching viewpoints and political beliefs has no place being taught and instilled in young minds in primary and secondary schools. It wastes time and takes focus off of the important basics that compomise an "ADEQUATE EDUCATION"!
Do the basics well and give every child those to build upon. Liken this to building a house; if you build it with fixtures in mind versus structure and a sound foundation, it will crumble and fail.
Not so different...surprise.
Once Again You Missed The Point
Submitted by Bill Bunker on October 21, 2007 - 12:16. *new
Michael,
I am not 'whining' about property taxes and the point of this particular blog was to simply explain why we are in the mess that we are today.
The fact that a parent wants more for their child or services in their neighborhood, etc. is not the point. The creation of what transplants were trying to escape and the perpetuation of the same was the point of my blog. But, I will entertain your response and I would appreciate some honest answers (from you I would hope for them; from politicians I don't expect them).
Well, Bill, I repeat. The influx comes from the desire for cheaper real estate, our quality of life, and our low tax burden. It is only human nature, I think, to want what “we” had in our last location.
To lessen your angst about a lack of facts. I will not address the influx of population of which 74% was from Massachusetts during the 1990's as it is well documented all over the web and in my town it is a fact of life that I have lived with as a taxpayer.
According to this NH State Website the population grew by 52, 000 in the first three years of this decade. 15,000 were new births; 37,000 from migration. Of those 30,000 came from the neighboring states of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.
http://www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/pdfzip/econanalys/articles/pop2000.pdf
From 2000-2003, 74,000 people relocated here from Massachusetts (to take one state as an example). 34,000 moved to Massachusetts of which most were recent college graduates and younger people looking for employment. I won't address the lack of our ability to keep the young in this state...that if for another blog. So there is a statistic and I have more but I will not use this space to show charts and give lists; do some research on line as it is very prevalent. In this time period though, a 40,000 person net influx came into the state.
Let me address the rest of your response.
Education
I am very 'pro' education and as a parent want the best for my children. I have some fundamental issues with accountability in that industry.
Let me say here that I am very happy with my school system and believe that my children are getting what they need.
I’m glad to hear you are supportive of education and your local school. Accountability in education is a difficult thing to measure, in my humble opinion. There is oversight…that’s what you pay your administrators to do. If they aren’t doing the job, then you need to find administrators who will. You can teach young people to pass a test. That’s not very hard to do, but that certainly isn’t a measure of a child’s ability to understand the world he lives in. I was fortunate to have had teachers who taught me the HOW TO of learning. When I went to college I was way ahead of my fellow students because of that experience.
Overall, there is no oversight and accountability in education and the industry (just like a corporation, it is an organized industry) does not want to do anything but business as usual. In Massachusetts, the teachers and unions are up in arms that they have to "teach to the test" in the case of the MCAS. If the knowledge on the 'test' represents the basics and an adequate knowledge base then what are they upset about? Well, they want to go off on a tangent and teach social agenda...that is an issue and people don't like it. By the way, statistics show that scores are up and in most communities students are learning the basics.
That test scores are up does not mean that children are learning HOW TO.
It is my business as a parent to teach about SEX, ethics, morals, belief in God or non belief, social views and other personal beliefs. It is not the place of the schools to indoctrinate. Is not the teaching of "Heather Has Two Mommies" as much a statement of morality and personal belief as reciting the "Lords Prayer". Is not teaching one side of global warming and claiming that it is a settled science not as precarious as reciting the "Pledge Of Allegiance" or teaching Christianity? Grade shcool and high school are not places to socially engineer young minds; it is a place to ready children for college and success in employment in life to become self sufficient and self determined and provide for themselves.
If all parents felt that way or performed that way, perhaps the need wouldn’t be there, but that is not the case in today’s world. Even thirty years ago, I had children in my classes here in New Hampshire who were pretty much neglected by their parents. That hasn’t changed.
An adequate education should yield: reading comprehension, outstanding writing skills, a complete mastery of mathematics, a complete understanding of science (god knows we need that and it should be 50% of the focus), a non-biased facilitation of history (with debate and discussion but stick to the facts not agendas) and a great physical education program that teaches nutrition, eating clean and a full understanding of how behaviors relate to health.
I agree wholeheartedly and would add the need to give children access and experience in the arts as well.
When you go to college; then you should be exposed to all viewpoints and agendas on an EQUAL basis. Of course that does not happen because, like in primary and secondary education; educators fail to remain non-biased.
That was my experience. Much of what I had accepted on faith was pretty much laid bare when I entered college, and I had to develop my own core beliefs from there. I believe we all have to grow this way.
In high school I had a teacher that later on in life I found out was a liberal. In his history and social studies class, I would argue a very different view. Those were my highest grades and he never let on his political beliefs or tainted the free speech of students. I know first hand that is not the case in schools today. Maybe it is a product of society or maybe it is the world we live in today, it should not be that way.
I would be willing to pay a teacher $70,000 or more but unfortunately, unions protect them and give them tenure based on time served. Why can't we evaluate and reward teachers on their results? There are many ways to do this but no one in education wants to be held responsible. That is a primary reason why our education system is failing us.
I agree that the seniority system has failed not only the teachers but the communities as well.
Public officials are notorious for their failure in being able to administrate. So many public administrators have never been responsible for profit and loss and managing something that is not a 'money pit'. This is prevalent in education, our towns, our state and Washington D.C. If you give them $1,000 or $1,000,000, they will spend it all or find a way to do so.
Those are just a few things that make people question money going to education.
Taxes
Now, I would agree that the property tax is disproportionate. Once again though, the promise that they will drop if a broad based tax is instituted has been proven false in every single state where it has been used to increase taxes.
Please cite sources to support this statement if you can. AND not Grover Norquist, please.
I was in Indiana and on PUBLIC RADIO they were discussing a poll of 1200 likely voters and found that the number one issue (87% of the poll) centered on property tax relief. Caller after caller pointed out that the promise was that broad based taxes if instituted would reduce the property taxes. For four years they did but creeped higher and are now beyond 2003 levels. By the way, last year the same poll rated health care #2, this year it slipped to #6 in importance after property taxes that by the way needed to be raised for guess what..."to provide money for an adequate education". Where does it all stop???????
This was a poll in Indiana? When real estate taxes increase 10-20 percent a year, I too want to know when it will stop.
In Massachusetts communities voted in Proposition 2 1/2 and every year, Democrats try to over ride. Why? To raise property taxes and get more money. Why do you think it would be different here in NH?
Because in NH we have people like you.
Can you admit what progressive politicians won't, that you think taxes should be whatever your side decides because you know best what is good for the residents of this state? Of course you won't, because if the real agenda was revealed, it would show no allowance for a dissenting viewpoint. That is the real problem with this debate.
What is good for residents? Good schools, good fire and police protection, good roads and bridges, good maintenance of those assets.
I have several questions for you:
Would you agree that if we instituted an income tax that it would be managed with the addition of only .5% administrative costs and be run efficiently by the Department of Revenue maximizing productivity? In other words expect more from public employees.
I’m not a administrative expert, so I don’t know what this cost would be, but I would expect public employees to as concerned as anyone else since they too would be paying the tax.
Would you agree that increases in the income tax annually, would take effect only after public vote on such increases?
I would agree to that. Like republicans like to say, we should work to grow our tax receipts.
Would you agree on a NH constitutional amendment that moving forward, if an income tax was introduced that property taxes could no longer be used to fund education?
Absolutely. I was would support an amendment that would state that an income tax would only be used to support education.
Would you agree that a simple report (one that is readable by all citizens) would outline where the income taxes are spent on education?
Again, I certainly would.
Would you earmark income taxes ONLY for education?
I’d support an amendment to that effect.
I think that your answer to all of the above will be a resounding NO!
I proved you WRONG.
Progressive legislators want MONEY and they want it because if you control peoples MONEY, you control their activities and how they live their lives.
That’s absolutely ridiculous. It is the theocratic rightwingers who want to control people’s lives.
That is what this debate is really about. No Compromise...No Middle Ground...No Retreat from hard held opinions, on the left. And yes, it maddens me that it exists on the right as well.
Your paranoia is showing.
Compare this debate between parties to abortion. One side wants abortion, funding, birth control for minors without parents consent etc. The other side wants to bring religion into the debate and allow no abortions under any circumstances. My view is a compromise...I support a woman's right to choose but I do not want the government involved in that issue, I don't want to pay for an abortion and I don't want to hear or know about your choice to have one. Is that not middle ground? My thoughts exactly. It is a decision a woman and her doctor make, not some theocratic dictator.
Why can't we find that on taxes....because politicians are self serving and worried about remaining in power and they place too much of their narrow minded (on both sides left and right) personal held beliefs into everything that they do.
Oh man, I can’t believe I’m going to agree with you once more.
Mike, you are a bright guy. Can you say that any of the above questions are unreasonable to ask if the real reason to institute an income tax is fairness and to reduce property taxes. We can not trust politicians on the left or right and as citizens, we need to find compromise and be truthful about what politicians really want.
I believe it needs to be done by constitutional amendment.
A property tax versus an income tax would be a wash for me as an even trade. My fear is that I will wind up paying both....if that is the agenda of those who favor it, they are lying to us and should be replaced.
Being now on a fixed income, I’m not sure how I would be affected.
Let's fund education but not lie to the voters. I’ve thought that if the state were to start growing, packing and distributing marijuana at our state liquor stores, and of course tax it, we’d have to pay no taxes. We’d get all the tourists, and our tourist industry would grow and grow.
Let the parents decide what they want for education for their children, if anything beyond the basics.
I’m with you there too, assuming that the parents are doing their job.
PHD's, administrators and book trained educators, without practical internships and experience do not know what is best as they work on theory and often tainted theory. Most are tainted with social agendas in mind. Personal belief and teaching viewpoints and political beliefs has no place being taught and instilled in young minds in primary and secondary schools. It wastes time and takes focus off of the important basics that compomise an "ADEQUATE EDUCATION"!
I remember as a teacher that my students would often like to talk about current events and I think that is an appropriate subject for a public school classroom. When I was in high school, we subscribed to the New York Times. Again, it was the process teaching..the HOW TO.
Do the basics well and give every child those to build upon. Liken this to building a house; if you build it with fixtures in mind versus structure and a sound foundation, it will crumble and fail.
Foundations are the most important part of the house.
Same Ideas / Different Approach
Michael,
I am not 'whining' about property taxes and the point of this particular blog was to simply explain why we are in the mess that we are today.
The fact that a parent wants more for their child or services in their neighborhood, etc. is not the point. The creation of what transplants were trying to escape and the perpetuation of the same was the point of my blog. But, I will entertain your response and I would appreciate some honest answers (from you I would hope for them; from politicians I don't expect them).
Well, Bill, I repeat. The influx comes from the desire for cheaper real estate, our quality of life, and our low tax burden. It is only human nature, I think, to want what “we” had in our last location.
Well Mike, In that case it is self perpetuating and they have brought along the same political, social and cultural traits that made housing and taxes go up and the same desires that ruined their quality of life!
To lessen your angst about a lack of facts. I will not address the influx of population of which 74% was from Massachusetts during the 1990's as it is well documented all over the web and in my town it is a fact of life that I have lived with as a taxpayer.
According to this NH State Website the population grew by 52, 000 in the first three years of this decade. 15,000 were new births; 37,000 from migration. Of those 30,000 came from the neighboring states of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.
http://www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/pdfzip/econanalys/articles/pop2000.pdf
Well Mike...interesting statistics but look anywhere on the web and you will find stories that state that between 2004-2006 that over 50,000 new residents entered New Hampshire from just Massachusetts. I will find the link but it is on the Beacon Hill website.
From 2000-2003, 74,000 people relocated here from Massachusetts (to take one state as an example). 34,000 moved to Massachusetts of which most were recent college graduates and younger people looking for employment. I won't address the lack of our ability to keep the young in this state...that if for another blog. So there is a statistic and I have more but I will not use this space to show charts and give lists; do some research on line as it is very prevalent. In this time period though, a 40,000 person net influx came into the state.
Let me address the rest of your response.
Education
I am very 'pro' education and as a parent want the best for my children. I have some fundamental issues with accountability in that industry.
Let me say here that I am very happy with my school system and believe that my children are getting what they need.
I’m glad to hear you are supportive of education and your local school. Accountability in education is a difficult thing to measure, in my humble opinion. There is oversight…that’s what you pay your administrators to do. If they aren’t doing the job, then you need to find administrators who will. You can teach young people to pass a test. That’s not very hard to do, but that certainly isn’t a measure of a child’s ability to understand the world he lives in. I was fortunate to have had teachers who taught me the HOW TO of learning. When I went to college I was way ahead of my fellow students because of that experience.
In primary and secondary schools, teachers are not there to measure a child's ability to understand the world in which he lives, that is doublespeak for social engineering and agenda driven. The HOW TO is important but as you are well aware; some kids have it and some kids don't. All people are created equal (with equal rights) but not all are born of equal ability.
Overall, there is no oversight and accountability in education and the industry (just like a corporation, it is an organized industry) does not want to do anything but business as usual. In Massachusetts, the teachers and unions are up in arms that they have to "teach to the test" in the case of the MCAS. If the knowledge on the 'test' represents the basics and an adequate knowledge base then what are they upset about? Well, they want to go off on a tangent and teach social agenda...that is an issue and people don't like it. By the way, statistics show that scores are up and in most communities students are learning the basics.
That test scores are up does not mean that children are learning HOW TO.
If a college student does not know when we landed on the moon, who the 31st president was, the battles of the Revolutionary War, astronomy, algebra, chemistry, at least one language besides English.....all of the HOW TO or "awareness" or political activism is worthless. Kids today don't know the basic facts about anything.
It is my business as a parent to teach about SEX, ethics, morals, belief in God or non belief, social views and other personal beliefs. It is not the place of the schools to indoctrinate. Is not the teaching of "Heather Has Two Mommies" as much a statement of morality and personal belief as reciting the "Lords Prayer". Is not teaching one side of global warming and claiming that it is a settled science not as precarious as reciting the "Pledge Of Allegiance" or teaching Christianity? Grade shcool and high school are not places to socially engineer young minds; it is a place to ready children for college and success in employment in life to become self sufficient and self determined and provide for themselves.
If all parents felt that way or performed that way, perhaps the need wouldn’t be there, but that is not the case in today’s world. Even thirty years ago, I had children in my classes here in New Hampshire who were pretty much neglected by their parents. That hasn’t changed.
Although I empathize, I do not see why schools took that upon themselves to teach such subjects. I know you would'nt be happy if churches stepped in and said: "parents are failing their children, we'll take over", nor do I. But schools and some of the opinionated true believers twist things to their beliefs.
A couple of examples: no parental notification, birth control distributed by the schools, embracing and teaching the positive aspects of the Koran and Islam while trashing Western religions, teaching alternative lifestyles and it goes on and on.
I watch left leaning broadcasts on cable because I want to know what is going on. There was a documentary of an American Indian (I won't say Native American, because it is a misnomer) and all of these bleeding heart liberals were mesmerized at his description of the sun God and wolf God, etc. They had only admiration for him and his belief. In the very next frame, they are trashing Christianity. Turns out that they were educators.
Then you wonder. The schools are not the parents or moral authority or authority of all that is correct. Unfortunately, that is the role that they have stolen in society. Schools are for one thing...teach the basics and inspire children to learn.
An adequate education should yield: reading comprehension, outstanding writing skills, a complete mastery of mathematics, a complete understanding of science (god knows we need that and it should be 50% of the focus), a non-biased facilitation of history (with debate and discussion but stick to the facts not agendas) and a great physical education program that teaches nutrition, eating clean and a full understanding of how behaviors relate to health.
I agree wholeheartedly and would add the need to give children access and experience in the arts as well.
Arts are important...basic music and art and art history. A Robert Mapplethrope exhibit or anything of the like does'nt deserve a visit by a grade school or high school class.
Beyond that, music and art in their basic form are healthy and really necessary.
When you go to college; then you should be exposed to all viewpoints and agendas on an EQUAL basis. Of course that does not happen because, like in primary and secondary education; educators fail to remain non-biased.
That was my experience. Much of what I had accepted on faith was pretty much laid bare when I entered college, and I had to develop my own core beliefs from there. I believe we all have to grow this way.
Great, but some high schools and grade schools have teachers who insert their own opinion and beliefs. It is not necessary at those ages nor is it a part of a free society. Young minds are MUSH and they can be easily molded.
In high school I had a teacher that later on in life I found out was a liberal. In his history and social studies class, I would argue a very different view. Those were my highest grades and he never let on his political beliefs or tainted the free speech of students. I know first hand that is not the case in schools today. Maybe it is a product of society or maybe it is the world we live in today, it should not be that way.
I would be willing to pay a teacher $70,000 or more but unfortunately, unions protect them and give them tenure based on time served. Why can't we evaluate and reward teachers on their results? There are many ways to do this but no one in education wants to be held responsible. That is a primary reason why our education system is failing us.
I agree that the seniority system has failed not only the teachers but the communities as well.
Then destroy the unions and put a system in place that works.
It is easy to determine results and it would take about 5 years to fix the system. Her is a simple plan. All students take a test at the level of the grade that they are entering on the first day of class. Then they take the same test on the last day of the class. The curve determines a teacher's success and worth on a performance basis.
It would take 5 years to set the curve but that would be telling. If you can facilitate but no one gets anything out of it then what is your worth as a teacher.
Just an FYI, in my career I am a facilitator of training. I am measured by the understanding that the group I am training has at the end of the process. That is determined by a test.
Public officials are notorious for their failure in being able to administrate. So many public administrators have never been responsible for profit and loss and managing something that is not a 'money pit'. This is prevalent in education, our towns, our state and Washington D.C. If you give them $1,000 or $1,000,000, they will spend it all or find a way to do so.
Those are just a few things that make people question money going to education.
Taxes
Now, I would agree that the property tax is disproportionate. Once again though, the promise that they will drop if a broad based tax is instituted has been proven false in every single state where it has been used to increase taxes.
Please cite sources to support this statement if you can. AND not Grover Norquist, please.
I do not need to, I have experienced this in NJ, MA and have heard this everywhere I travel from numerous sources. I travel to 18 states and hear it every week. Where does it stop, when is 'adequate' enough?
I was in Indiana and on PUBLIC RADIO they were discussing a poll of 1200 likely voters and found that the number one issue (87% of the poll) centered on property tax relief. Caller after caller pointed out that the promise was that broad based taxes if instituted would reduce the property taxes. For four years they did but creeped higher and are now beyond 2003 levels. By the way, last year the same poll rated health care #2, this year it slipped to #6 in importance after property taxes that by the way needed to be raised for guess what..."to provide money for an adequate education". Where does it all stop???????
This was a poll in Indiana? When real estate taxes increase 10-20 percent a year, I too want to know when it will stop.
Well, if income tax replaced property tax with an ammendment that stopped that tax from ever again being used for schools it would drop by 60-70%. There would be no increases of 10-20%
In Massachusetts communities voted in Proposition 2 1/2 and every year, Democrats try to over ride. Why? To raise property taxes and get more money. Why do you think it would be different here in NH?
Because in NH we have people like you.
Can you admit what progressive politicians won't, that you think taxes should be whatever your side decides because you know best what is good for the residents of this state? Of course you won't, because if the real agenda was revealed, it would show no allowance for a dissenting viewpoint. That is the real problem with this debate.
What is good for residents? Good schools, good fire and police protection, good roads and bridges, good maintenance of those assets.
That is correct but the police are always looking to build their little kingdom and the fire department wants new equipment all of the time. Ours wanted a ladder truck...and got it...for what? Egos? You don't need a ladder truck with a town where the highest floor is the second one.
I have several questions for you:
Would you agree that if we instituted an income tax that it would be managed with the addition of only .5% administrative costs and be run efficiently by the Department of Revenue maximizing productivity? In other words expect more from public employees.
I’m not a administrative expert, so I don’t know what this cost would be, but I would expect public employees to as concerned as anyone else since they too would be paying the tax.
Most public employees go through the motions and few work as feverishly or as hard as private companies. Take a look at any on the front lines, taking their time, no sense of urgency, worried when their next break is going to be.
Would you agree that increases in the income tax annually, would take effect only after public vote on such increases?
I would agree to that. Like republicans like to say, we should work to grow our tax receipts.
By cutting taxes and letting growth and more people being in the workforce pay taxes...you left that out.
Would you agree on a NH constitutional amendment that moving forward, if an income tax was introduced that property taxes could no longer be used to fund education?
Absolutely. I was would support an amendment that would state that an income tax would only be used to support education.
Will the leftist legislators though? I think not!
Would you agree that a simple report (one that is readable by all citizens) would outline where the income taxes are spent on education?
Again, I certainly would.
This would have to account for every penny with names of towns and what was spent and a list of 'administrators' and state employees and their productivity.
Would you earmark income taxes ONLY for education?
I’d support an amendment to that effect.
Would the Democratic legislators? I think not.
I think that your answer to all of the above will be a resounding NO!
I proved you WRONG.
In deed you did...but the party you support would not be so generous as to agree to the above.
Progressive legislators want MONEY and they want it because if you control peoples MONEY, you control their activities and how they live their lives.
That’s absolutely ridiculous. It is the theocratic rightwingers who want to control people’s lives.
"Some people are going to have to give some things up for the common good"...Hillary Clinton
That is what this debate is really about. No Compromise...No Middle Ground...No Retreat from hard held opinions, on the left. And yes, it maddens me that it exists on the right as well.
Your paranoia is showing.
Just look at Pelosi et al, no middle ground, no retreat, zealots. The SCHIP would pass but they will not compromise...they want what they want and that is it!
Compare this debate between parties to abortion. One side wants abortion, funding, birth control for minors without parents consent etc. The other side wants to bring religion into the debate and allow no abortions under any circumstances. My view is a compromise...I support a woman's right to choose but I do not want the government involved in that issue, I don't want to pay for an abortion and I don't want to hear or know about your choice to have one. Is that not middle ground?
My thoughts exactly. It is a decision a woman and her doctor make, not some theocratic dictator.
So we should not give birth control to minors dispensed at school or federally fund anyone...right?
Why can't we find that on taxes....because politicians are self serving and worried about remaining in power and they place too much of their narrow minded (on both sides left and right) personal held beliefs into everything that they do.
Oh man, I can’t believe I’m going to agree with you once more.
If you think this way...work on your representative and people to change their narrow thinking...I already to the same.
Mike, you are a bright guy. Can you say that any of the above questions are unreasonable to ask if the real reason to institute an income tax is fairness and to reduce property taxes. We can not trust politicians on the left or right and as citizens, we need to find compromise and be truthful about what politicians really want.
I believe it needs to be done by constitutional amendment.
Let's install term limits at the same time and give them no reason to play politics.
A property tax versus an income tax would be a wash for me as an even trade. My fear is that I will wind up paying both....if that is the agenda of those who favor it, they are lying to us and should be replaced.
Being now on a fixed income, I’m not sure how I would be affected.
It would go down for you
Let's fund education but not lie to the voters. I’ve thought that if the state were to start growing, packing and distributing marijuana at our state liquor stores, and of course tax it, we’d have to pay no taxes. We’d get all the tourists, and our tourist industry would grow and grow.
Patronizing.....
Let the parents decide what they want for education for their children, if anything beyond the basics.
I’m with you there too, assuming that the parents are doing their job.
Convince the zealots and true believers on the Left
PHD's, administrators and book trained educators, without practical internships and experience do not know what is best as they work on theory and often tainted theory. Most are tainted with social agendas in mind. Personal belief and teaching viewpoints and political beliefs has no place being taught and instilled in young minds in primary and secondary schools. It wastes time and takes focus off of the important basics that compomise an "ADEQUATE EDUCATION"!
I remember as a teacher that my students would often like to talk about current events and I think that is an appropriate subject for a public school classroom. When I was in high school, we subscribed to the New York Times. Again, it was the process teaching..the HOW TO.
That is fine but my 16 year ole tells me that they openly support candidates...that is a reason to terminate them.
Do the basics well and give every child those to build upon. Liken this to building a house; if you build it with fixtures in mind versus structure and a sound foundation, it will crumble and fail.
Foundations are the most important part of the house.
The question begs, how do we do that with so many true believers and inflexible zealots on both sides.
People have to understand that there is give and take and if everyone wins a point, consensus is natural.
Some more thoughts........
Well Mike, In that case it is self perpetuating and they have brought along the same political, social and cultural traits that made housing and taxes go up and the same desires that ruined their quality of life!
What do you suggest? Build a fence along the border? That’s the right-winger answer to most everything today.
Well Mike...interesting statistics but look anywhere on the web and you will find stories that state that between 2004-2006 that over 50,000 new residents entered New Hampshire from just Massachusetts. I will find the link but it is on the Beacon Hill website.
It would be nice if you would provide your sources. Otherwise the post is meaningless. Anyone can make up numbers.
In primary and secondary schools, teachers are not there to measure a child's ability to understand the world in which he lives, that is doublespeak for social engineering and agenda driven. The HOW TO is important but as you are well aware; some kids have it and some kids don't. All people are created equal (with equal rights) but not all are born of equal ability.
Again, your paranoia is showing. What’s wrong with you people? To learn how to use resources, to learn how to read, to make math meaningful, to understand the physical world…how is this not part of “understanding the world in which we live.” Doublespeak…bullcrap.
If a college student does not know when we landed on the moon, who the 31st president was, the battles of the Revolutionary War, astronomy, algebra, chemistry, at least one language besides English.....all of the HOW TO or "awareness" or political activism is worthless. Kids today don't know the basic facts about anything.
What the high school graduate going on to college needs to know is how to find the answers to your questions. The guy who isn’t going to college needs to know how to fill out forms, write a check, balance a checkbook, etc. etc. Neither one needs to know two languages, nor who the 31st President was. That’s nonsense.
It is my business as a parent to teach about SEX, ethics, morals, belief in God or non belief, social views and other personal beliefs.
Great, I’m glad you’ve accepted your responsibility. But what about the thousands of parents who haven’t? Where are their children supposed to learn these things? On the school playground, or the streets? Will you teach them as well as your own? I doubt it. You right-wingers just don’t care about these kids, and these kids are the majority of the young people in our world.
I watch left leaning broadcasts on cable because I want to know what is going on. There was a documentary of an American Indian (I won't say Native American, because it is a misnomer) and all of these bleeding heart liberals were mesmerized at his description of the sun God and wolf God, etc. They had only admiration for him and his belief. In the very next frame, they are trashing Christianity. Turns out that they were educators.
I assume from this that you accept the genocide that our ancestors perpetrated on Native American Indians. Great. Says more about YOU than about the documentary. Shame.
Arts are important...basic music and art and art history. A Robert Mapplethrope exhibit or anything of the like doesn’t deserve a visit by a grade school or high school class.
How many such exhibits have your children been to like this? NONE. You are being ridiculous.
Great, but some high schools and grade schools have teachers who insert their own opinion and beliefs. It is not necessary at those ages nor is it a part of a free society. Young minds are MUSH and they can be easily molded.
I thought you were happy with your children’s school system. Why are you so paranoid?
Just an FYI, in my career I am a facilitator of training. I am measured by the understanding that the group I am training has at the end of the process. That is determined by a test.
I’ve attended such workshops. The tests are so easy that your dog could pass them, and then the evaluation form is handed out. Everyone says nice things so they can get out and go home. Big deal.
Please cite sources to support this statement if you can. AND not Grover Norquist, please.
I do not need to, I have experienced this in NJ, MA and have heard this everywhere I travel from numerous sources. I travel to 18 states and hear it every week. Where does it stop, when is 'adequate' enough?
Hearsay does not stand up in court. Unless you can provide documentation, all this is is hearsay. Nothing more and it is meaningless.
In Massachusetts communities voted in Proposition 2 1/2 and every year, Democrats try to over ride. Why? To raise property taxes and get more money. Why do you think it would be different here in NH?
Every year the taxes go up in NH. Where have you been? Historically, NH has been run by right-wingers.
Can you admit what progressive politicians won't, that you think taxes should be whatever your side decides because you know best what is good for the residents of this state? Of course you won't, because if the real agenda was revealed, it would show no allowance for a dissenting viewpoint. That is the real problem with this debate.
I’ll admit that right after you admit that republican right-wingers have an agenda as well. Again, your paranoia is overwhelming. Who told you to shut your mouth?
That is correct but the police are always looking to build their little kingdom and the fire department wants new equipment all of the time. Ours wanted a ladder truck...and got it...for what? Egos? You don't need a ladder truck with a town where the highest floor is the second one.
You could always move to another town.
Most public employees go through the motions and few work as feverishly or as hard as private companies. Take a look at any on the front lines, taking their time, no sense of urgency, worried when their next break is going to be.
Have you been in a Home Depot lately?
Will the leftist legislators though? I think not!
We’ll never know if you had your way.
"Some people are going to have to give some things up for the common good"...Hillary Clinton
Just look at Pelosi et al, no middle ground, no retreat, zealots. The SCHIP would pass but they will not compromise...they want what they want and that is it!
And have you listened to Bush? He and his republican thugs aren’t interested in compromise. They are allowing young Americans die in vain for their egos and politics. Talk about evil. These are evil, evil people. And you are responsible for their being in power. Don’t talk to me about compromise.
Let's install term limits at the same time and give them no reason to play politics.
And let’s pay for elections out of the general fund, rather than by special interests and corporations who then own the elected officials.
Let's fund education but not lie to the voters. I’ve thought that if the state were to start growing, packing and distributing marijuana at our state liquor stores, and of course tax it, we’d have to pay no taxes. We’d get all the tourists, and our tourist industry would grow and grow.
Patronizing.....
Why patronizing? It would solve the tax issue for you, and would be easier to administer than casino gambling, I would think. We already have the distribution centers right on I93.
PHD's, administrators and book trained educators, without practical internships and experience do not know what is best as they work on theory and often tainted theory. Most are tainted with social agendas in mind. Personal belief and teaching viewpoints and political beliefs has no place being taught and instilled in young minds in primary and secondary schools. It wastes time and takes focus off of the important basics that compromise an "ADEQUATE EDUCATION"!
Then stay home and school your children with your agenda. You’ll still have to pay school taxes though. Hey…run for school board; quit your present job and become a school administrator? There are lots of things you can do.
Have a great day. 
Mike Evans
I Can't Let You Off That Easy, Mike!
Well Mike, In that case it is self perpetuating and they have brought along the same political, social and cultural traits that made housing and taxes go up and the same desires that ruined their quality of life! What do you suggest? Build a fence along the border? That’s the right-winger answer to most everything today. No Mike, not at all. Once again you miss the point. I was explaining in the original blog why we are in this mess. Once again...I am not a 'right winger' but if you insist on name calling. We do need to build a fence on the Southern border of the U.S. Well Mike...interesting statistics but look anywhere on the web and you will find stories that state that between 2004-2006 that over 50,000 new residents entered New Hampshire from just Massachusetts. I will find the link but it is on the Beacon Hill website. It would be nice if you would provide your sources. Otherwise the post is meaningless. Anyone can make up numbers. Look for yourself it is everywhere. The NH stats are correct for the numbers that you stated. I will get more stories but as I change back and forth to paste links I have had an issue losing what I was writing. In primary and secondary schools, teachers are not there to measure a child's ability to understand the world in which he lives, that is doublespeak for social engineering and agenda driven. The HOW TO is important but as you are well aware; some kids have it and some kids don't. All people are created equal (with equal rights) but not all are born of equal ability. Again, your paranoia is showing. What’s wrong with you people? To learn how to use resources, to learn how to read, to make math meaningful, to understand the physical world…how is this not part of “understanding the world in which we live.” Doublespeak…bullcrap. You People? That is the real issue at hand....you don't believe like we do so you must be wrong..."you people?' If a college student does not know when we landed on the moon, who the 31st president was, the battles of the Revolutionary War, astronomy, algebra, chemistry, at least one language besides English.....all of the HOW TO or "awareness" or political activism is worthless. Kids today don't know the basic facts about anything. What the high school graduate going on to college needs to know is how to find the answers to your questions. The guy who isn’t going to college needs to know how to fill out forms, write a check, balance a checkbook, etc. etc. Neither one needs to know two languages, nor who the 31st President was. That’s nonsense. You must know your history to avoid repeating it. If the so called PHD's and professors are teaching our kids in college found their answers, they found them in the wrong places. It is my business as a parent to teach about SEX, ethics, morals, belief in God or non belief, social views and other personal beliefs. Great, I’m glad you’ve accepted your responsibility. But what about the thousands of parents who haven’t? Where are their children supposed to learn these things? On the school playground, or the streets? Will you teach them as well as your own? I doubt it. You right-wingers just don’t care about these kids, and these kids are the majority of the young people in our world. Okay, then let's have the church do it...as a matter of fact the Catholic Church or perhaps the Salvation Army...why the schools? I watch left leaning broadcasts on cable because I want to know what is going on. There was a documentary of an American Indian (I won't say Native American, because it is a misnomer) and all of these bleeding heart liberals were mesmerized at his description of the sun God and wolf God, etc. They had only admiration for him and his belief. In the very next frame, they are trashing Christianity. Turns out that they were educators. I assume from this that you accept the genocide that our ancestors perpetrated on Native American Indians. Great. Says more about YOU than about the documentary. Shame. Read the Politcally Incorrect Guide to American History for the true story on Native Americans. Genocide was perpetuated on both sides. Unfortunately history has become 'relative' and rewritten by historians who have an agenda. Take Howard Zinn and others of his ilk. Now with that response, I would say that you probably feel as if we invaded their lands and stole them, right? Hmmm...seems like the point of this blog....Massachusetts migration has invaded our state as well...that statement makes about as much sense. Once again, why do the liberals celebrate other religions, etc and trash Christianity? Arts are important...basic music and art and art history. A Robert Mapplethrope exhibit or anything of the like doesn’t deserve a visit by a grade school or high school class. How many such exhibits have your children been to like this? NONE. You are being ridiculous. If educators had their way, they would see this opportunity as enlightening. Great, but some high schools and grade schools have teachers who insert their own opinion and beliefs. It is not necessary at those ages nor is it a part of a free society. Young minds are MUSH and they can be easily molded. I thought you were happy with your children’s school system. Why are you so paranoid? Once again, I am happy with my school system, read about others all over the country that abuse the system. One in California planned a field trip to a mosque and parents were not informed until it was too late to object. Birth control being handed out in schools, etc. My 16 year old being told that if certain people aren't elected that we are in trouble. Just an FYI, in my career I am a facilitator of training. I am measured by the understanding that the group I am training has at the end of the process. That is determined by a test. I’ve attended such workshops. The tests are so easy that your dog could pass them, and then the evaluation form is handed out. Everyone says nice things so they can get out and go home. Big deal. Because you are not inmy shoes, that can not be said. I design the tests and I facilitate the training. By the way, adult learning is much different than teaching in a school. It is quite challenging to teach adults who struggled in school as children. These are not workshops...workshop is a feel good event. This is actual operational training. Workshops..."BIG DEAL". Please cite sources to support this statement if you can. AND not Grover Norquist, please. I do not need to, I have experienced this in NJ, MA and have heard this everywhere I travel from numerous sources. I travel to 18 states and hear it every week. Where does it stop, when is 'adequate' enough? Hearsay does not stand up in court. Unless you can provide documentation, all this is is hearsay. Nothing more and it is meaningless. It is not hearsay when I have experienced it first hand and I want you to know that all you need to do is talk to any resident of any state where this promise is made. By the way, I have no idea who Grover Norquist is nor do I care. In Massachusetts communities voted in Proposition 2 1/2 and every year, Democrats try to over ride. Why? To raise property taxes and get more money. Why do you think it would be different here in NH? Every year the taxes go up in NH. Where have you been? Historically, NH has been run by right-wingers. But can you guarantee that taxes will not go up being spent on education once an income tax is instituted. Bottom line is that the other portion of the tax bill is only 30%-40% so a small increase every year would not hurt at all. Can you admit what progressive politicians won't, that you think taxes should be whatever your side decides because you know best what is good for the residents of this state? Of course you won't, because if the real agenda was revealed, it would show no allowance for a dissenting viewpoint. That is the real problem with this debate. I’ll admit that right after you admit that republican right-wingers have an agenda as well. Again, your paranoia is overwhelming. Who told you to shut your mouth? No paranoia Mike, your side wants every social program and play to every special interest group that will vote for you. Once again, Republican right winger...name calling and stereotyping...the other party does the same but not to the same extent. That is correct but the police are always looking to build their little kingdom and the fire department wants new equipment all of the time. Ours wanted a ladder truck...and got it...for what? Egos? You don't need a ladder truck with a town where the highest floor is the second one. You could always move to another town. Oh, that is the answer. What a foolish answer. Why should anyone fund idiocy and EGO is beyond me. The answer is to manage these things. Most public employees go through the motions and few work as feverishly or as hard as private companies. Take a look at any on the front lines, taking their time, no sense of urgency, worried when their next break is going to be. Have you been in a Home Depot lately? Home Depot employees make an hourly wage, are not unionized and considered not professional. Will the leftist legislators though? I think not! We’ll never know if you had your way. And if you get your way, how will we stop them if they are saddled with a tax and they say "too bad". "Some people are going to have to give some things up for the common good"...Hillary Clinton Just look at Pelosi et al, no middle ground, no retreat, zealots. The SCHIP would pass but they will not compromise...they want what they want and that is it! And have you listened to Bush? He and his republican thugs aren’t interested in compromise. They are allowing young Americans die in vain for their egos and politics. Talk about evil. These are evil, evil people. And you are responsible for their being in power. Don’t talk to me about compromise. I an not enamored with Bush and he has screwed some things up. Pelosi, Clinton and others are not the answer. Listen to what they ar saying...governement is the answer, end all and be all. Social Democrats...Just like Germany was before WWII and some of the ideas sound the same. We need TERM LIMITS !!! Do you support that Mike? Let's install term limits at the same time and give them no reason to play politics. And let’s pay for elections out of the general fund, rather than by special interests and corporations who then own the elected officials. Excellent, then you or I could be elected President with matching funds. Tell you what, you can take the first two years and be President and I will be VP and then we can switch. Let's fund education but not lie to the voters. I’ve thought that if the state were to start growing, packing and distributing marijuana at our state liquor stores, and of course tax it, we’d have to pay no taxes. We’d get all the tourists, and our tourist industry would grow and grow. Patronizing..... Why patronizing? It would solve the tax issue for you, and would be easier to administer than casino gambling, I would think. We already have the distribution centers right on I93. And the state employees could add the efficiency to the sale of pot that they do to everything else. That would be a liberals idea and theory of 'creating jobs' PHD's, administrators and book trained educators, without practical internships and experience do not know what is best as they work on theory and often tainted theory. Most are tainted with social agendas in mind. Personal belief and teaching viewpoints and political beliefs has no place being taught and instilled in young minds in primary and secondary schools. It wastes time and takes focus off of the important basics that compromise an "ADEQUATE EDUCATION"! Then stay home and school your children with your agenda. You’ll still have to pay school taxes though. Hey…run for school board; quit your present job and become a school administrator? There are lots of things you can do. The problem is that I should not have to. The point of the above is that ther should be ABSOLUTELY NO SOCIAL ENGINEERING---that includes political, gender related, or RELIGIOUS influences in the public schools.....NONE!!!! And one more thing that we should stop doing...mainsteaming. Everyone loses in that kind of educational scenario. The gifted get less attention; the challenged get the lions share of attention and everyone loses. Education is big business, Mike and it is a large portion of the economy....the answer to education is not to home school it is to allow parents to have a say and decide what is taught, not partisans and eggheads with theories. You taught... you should know this. You make some good points Mike but you ar far too trusing of the Left. They may say what you want to hear but they are just as wontrolling as the Bushies that you hate. We need a change in this country...it starts with term limits that will stop the corruption as well as give the average guy a chance to serve. Same goes for election reform...the real reform. Real solutions is what we need, not dreamscapes or knee jerk rhetoric. It is on both sides with no relief in sight. Have a nice day of retirement. I hope there is a country left when I am ready!
Just a few more thoughts
Look for yourself it is everywhere. The NH stats are correct for the numbers that you stated. I will get more stories but as I change back and forth to paste links I have had an issue losing what I was writing.
I shouldn’t have to. I’m not the one making the point. It is your responsibility to back up your statements, not mine.
You People? That is the real issue at hand....you don't believe like we do so you must be wrong..."you people?'
If we all believed the same way, what a boring world this would be.. But it is YOU PEOPLE who are wrong, not my people.
Okay, then let's have the church do it...as a matter of fact the Catholic Church or perhaps the Salvation Army...why the schools?
What don’t you understand about AGENDAs. The Catholic Church, the most repressive and evil institution ever created by man, would not be MY idea of a good teacher about sex and responsibility. Eghads. The Salvation Army is a pseudo-militaristic organization that has very little to do with real people.
Read the Politcally Incorrect Guide to American History for the true story on Native Americans. Genocide was perpetuated on both sides. Unfortunately history has become 'relative' and rewritten by historians who have an agenda. Take Howard Zinn and others of his ilk.
What is Howard Zinn’s agenda? In YOUR world, everyone who thinks differently from you had an agenda. That’s called paranoia. What is wrong with you people? The Europeans who came to this country and stole it from the native peoples committed genocide. It was government policy. They also supported slavery, which from your writing I would assume you’d have supported as well had you been living 160 years ago.
Once again, why do the liberals celebrate other religions, etc and trash Christianity?
Christianity has a horrid record and has been the destruction of millions of people through its history. The church continues to destroy lives, or perhaps you accept the priest abuse as normal behavior.
If educators had their way, they would see this opportunity as enlightening.
Prove it. That’s again your paranoia. You have a problem.
Once again, I am happy with my school system, read about others all over the country that abuse the system. One in California planned a field trip to a mosque and parents were not informed until it was too late to object. Birth control being handed out in schools, etc. My 16 year old being told that if certain people aren't elected that we are in trouble.
And your documentation is where? Was the teacher asked who she might be supporting in the primary? I would agree that if certain of the candidates were elected that we’d be in great trouble….for example, Romney, Guilani, McCain, Thompson, and all the rest of the rightwing fascist candidates you support.
It is not hearsay when I have experienced it first hand and I want you to know that all you need to do is talk to any resident of any state where this promise is made. By the way, I have no idea who Grover Norquist is nor do I care.
That surprises me. You can learn about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist
But can you guarantee that taxes will not go up being spent on education once an income tax is instituted. Bottom line is that the other portion of the tax bill is only 30%-40% so a small increase every year would not hurt at all.
That’s a ridiculous request. Taxes will increase as inflation and added costs increase the budgets, often initiated by the federal government.
No paranoia Mike, your side wants every social program and play to every special interest group that will vote for you. Once again, Republican right winger...name calling and stereotyping...the other party does the same but not to the same extent
And your side is owned by corporations and the military-industrial complex who wants perpetual war. Your side is the side that smears anyone who doesn’t agree with them, even young children, and former distinguished members of the military. They believe in wars of aggression against sovereign nations for nothing less than OIL. BTW, where did the phrase…leftist socialist come from, eh?
Oh, that is the answer. What a foolish answer. Why should anyone fund idiocy and EGO is beyond me. The answer is to manage these things.
I suppose the first person who’s life is saved because of the ladder truck will think otherwise.
And the state employees could add the efficiency to the sale of pot that they do to everything else. That would be a liberals idea and theory of 'creating jobs'
I don’t drink so I don’t frequent the liquor stores, so I have no idea how efficient those folks are. Just think of how successful those Barnstead farmers would be if it was legal. Of course, I suppose a lot of people would just grow their own as they do now.
And one more thing that we should stop doing...mainsteaming. Everyone loses in that kind of educational scenario. The gifted get less attention; the challenged get the lions share of attention and everyone loses. Education is big business, Mike and it is a large portion of the economy....the answer to education is not to home school it is to allow parents to have a say and decide what is taught, not partisans and eggheads with theories. You taught... you should know this.
I’d agree with this. I was still teaching when the concept of heterogeneous grouping became the norm. It was very difficult to teach in a class room of mixed abilities, and I think that is one of the reasons that education has failed many. It has been some time since my children attended schools, but if a parent wanted to be part of his child’s education, he certainly was encouraged to do so then.
We need a change in this country...it starts with term limits that will stop the corruption as well as give the average guy a chance to serve. Same goes for election reform...the real reform.
I agreed with you on this earlier and still do. Add the public financing and I believe our experiment in self-government would be greatly improved. Also, remove the need for all the secrecy. Keep it open government.
I hope there is a country left when I am ready!
I hope so too. Hopefully global warming won’t have destroyed it all.
My Final Response To Michael
Mike,
I will send along some links this week for you to read about migration. A couple I have show that due to the influx, the new residents outnumber the original residents and the state has turned BLUE.
I'm not suggesting that the church take responsibility but what makes an educator qualified either. Schools are not the end all and be all.
Open your mind, read the Politically Incorrect Guide to American History and the Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming. After all, I have read Howard Zinn (a professed progressive historian) and Al Gore. It did not change my mind but I was open minded enough to look at the other side as well.
Property taxes should not pay any part of education if an income tax is installed.
The documentation on agenda in education is well reported and is everywhere on the internet and in the press. If you say that it is incumbent on me to prove this then you are uninformed.
There is smearing on both sides...Murtha, Kerry, Pelosi, Kennedy, Clinton, Bozxer, Feingold, Feinstein and on and on...it cuts both ways.
Never said who I support for president and once again you use the "Facist" word, not very inclusive of diversity of opinoin.
The other fire trucks have ladders that will go high enough. I guess you just support public officials because they must know best for us...after all, they are 'public' officials.
I do not go to liquor stores either but public service employees generally lack the 'service' ethic and sense of urgency. Just cogs in a machine.
Global warming...were you concerned about Global Cooling fifteen years ago, what about Nuclear Winter...were you worried about that too. If you lived in the 14th century you would have experienced an ice age first hand and you probably would have believed that the world is flat as well.
I sent you material and leads to read on the Native Americans, but, I would never have supported slavery. My question still goes unanswered: "Why do liberals celebrate and ooh and aah and have an orgasmic reacation over every religion, culture, etc. and then criticize our way of life and Christianity? Is that not the same kind of hate that they accuse others of?
That point cuts to the real issue...liberals are elitists who think their vision is the correct one...conservatives want to see things just stop so that peoples lives can go on undisturbed...neither side is willing to compromise.
Speaking of native Americans, some of these casino owners in other states are like, 1/16 Indian blood. I am 1/32, maybe I could get a license to run one in NH and you could manage it and I promise that we will spend the proceeds on any pet cause that you choose....what a partnership that would be!
As always, it is a pleasure and mentally stimulating to go one on one with you Mike. But, you should open your mind and stop the name calling, stereotyping and use of buzzwords. You are far too intelligent to use those as a crutch....take it easy.
Guilty
As always, it is a pleasure and mentally stimulating to go one on one with you Mike. But, you should open your mind and stop the name calling, stereotyping and use of buzzwords.
Ah, we are both guilty of this. Just re-read your blog with an open mind and you'll see what I mean. BTW, I generally copy and paste your post into Word, then write my interesting and revealing replies, and copy it all back onto the blog. I do not understand the need for the validation, though, and I find it quite annoying. Probably there is some reason for it, but since I don't understand the conservative mind very well, I don't know what it could be. Probably something to do with paranoia. If conservatives have had their way over these last two hundred plus years, we'd all be wearing powdered wigs!!
As We Age
As we age...and lose more hair...we can all probably use a 'powered wig".
We should do lunch some day...I'll pay just so that we can psychoanalyze each other and maybe come up with an understanding of what makes conservatives and liberals tick!
If liberals had their way we would live in communes.
I was thinking the same thing...
We can go dutch. And what's wrong with communes? I have a bumper-sticker that reads: Liberals see the glass half full; conservatives think they own the glass. Is that true?
BTW, what do you think of Blackwater?
Comunes and Blackwater
Get out of the sixties...MAAAANNNN!
If I wanted my neighbor in my home I would invite him. What is mine is mine and what is his is his. I share what I choose and with whom. I am charitable but common ownership discourages innovation, motivation to excel and if we lived in a commune we'd be overweight hippies between getting high and laying around or would be enslaved and dirt poor with the rulers (like in the old Soviet Block nations living high off of the hog). I have friends from Russia and I hear the horror stories about lack of any health care for anyone and no meats available and living on grains...you want to go back to that, here?
Blackwater...I don't like mercenary armies and do not think it is a good idea to use services like this. With that said, the argument has been made that 'innocent' civiilans are being slaughtered. How do we know this? In a war you can't delineate between the population and their leaders. It is a shame if innocents die but you can't fight wars without collateral damage. Wars are not between leaders, they are between nations.
Blackwater.....Whitewater......Sandy Berger.......Iran Contra.....Oil For Food.......Aggravating the Turks with resolitions for political gain......ABSCAM...that is why we need term limits (and w need to get out of the impotent United Nations).
I view my glass as half full but it IS my glass!
I hate the validation annoyance.
Get out of the sixties...MAAAANNNN!
If I wanted my neighbor in my home I would invite him. What is mine is mine and what is his is his. I share what I choose and with whom.
An elitist point of view. I’ve got mine, screw you.
I am charitable but common ownership discourages innovation, motivation to excel and if we lived in a commune we'd be overweight hippies between getting high and laying around or would be enslaved and dirt poor with the rulers (like in the old Soviet Block nations living high off of the hog). I have friends from Russia and I hear the horror stories about lack of any health care for anyone and no meats available and living on grains...you want to go back to that, here?
Blackwater...I don't like mercenary armies and do not think it is a good idea to use services like this.
Where is the draft? Where is the sacrifice of the righwing fascists? Not one of the neocons in charge ever experienced war. Bush was AWOL, and Cheney “had more important things to do,” like impregnating his girlfriend.
With that said, the argument has been made that 'innocent' civilians are being slaughtered. How do we know this? In a war you can't delineate between the population and their leaders. It is a shame if innocents die but you can't fight wars without collateral damage. Wars are not between leaders, they are between nations.
I’m glad you can be so cavalier about the deaths of thousands. Says a lot about the elitist view again.
Blackwater.....Whitewater......Sandy Berger.......Iran Contra.....Oil For Food.......Aggravating the Turks with resolutions for political gain......ABSCAM...that is why we need term limits (and we need to get out of the impotent United Nations).
Another rightwinger talking point. If it is impotent, then do something about it.
I view my glass as half full but it IS my glass!
Did you earn it? Or was it given to you?
The Lesser of Evils
The online survey of 9,718 likely voters nationwide showed that 50% said Clinton would never get their presidential vote. This is up from 46% who said they could never vote for Clinton in a Zogby International telephone survey conducted in early March. Older voters are most resistant to Clinton -- 59% of those age 65 and older said they would never vote for the New York senator, but she is much more acceptable to younger voters: 42% of those age 18-29 said they would never vote for Clinton for President.
| Whom would you NEVER vote for for President of the U.S.? | % |
| Clinton (D) | 50% |
| Kucinich (D) | 49% |
| Gravel (D) | 47% |
| Paul (D) | 47% |
| Brownback (R) | 47% |
| Tancredo (R) | 46% |
| McCain (R) | 45% |
| Hunter (R) | 44% |
| Giuliani (R) | 43% |
| Romney (R) | 42% |
| Edwards (D) | 42% |
| Thompson (R) | 41% |
| Dodd (D) | 41% |
| Biden (D) | 40% |
| Obama (D) | 37% |
| Huckabee (R) | 35% |
| Richardson (D) | 34% |
| Not sure | 4% |
I may have been wrong about Clinton!!!!!!
There You Go Again!
Well Michael, I share what I have but I worked hard and sacrificed many things to be able to afford a house and the few conveniences of life that I have. There is no replacement for self reliance and self determination. I have empathy for those who are upset because they made different choices and now find themselves with less than others and I feel sympathy for those who have not had breaks in life. I do not however feel in any way that I need to give up what I have worked hard to build and give it to someone who perhaps was not trying to better themselves. Life isn't fair...your economic model would take those who have worked hard and make them equal economically to everyone. That is not I've go mine. NO, I have inherited nothing.
There you go again name calling...I thought that we already agreed that your emotion should stop getting in the way of your intelligence.
War is messy, people die...it is a fact of war. How would you suggest that we stop despots from torturing and killing their citizens and wreaking havoc over the rest of the world. I know...let's give them a HUG...you go first! I earned my glass.
I did like your Hillary stats though> So what is your conclusion?
Go Hillary.
War is messy, people die...it is a fact of war. How would you suggest that we stop despots from torturing and killing their citizens and wreaking havoc over the rest of the world. I know...let's give them a HUG...you go first! I earned my glass.
This war was unnecessary, it was evil and immoral. War for OIL. So many have given their lives in vain. Why should the US be the world’s policemen? We need to take care of our country first…you know America First? Our foreign policy has over the last 50 years supported many depots and dictators. In fact, I do well remember the friendly visits by Reagan appointees to Baghdad and shaking hands with Saddam, while we provided him with WMD which he in turned used on the Iranians, and then his own people. Who was president at the time? Oh yeah, Reagan.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the repukes would start impeachment proceedings immediately against any democratic president. They are the party of mean-spirited, authoritarian-minded fascists (this is not name calling).
If you are one of those making over 200k a year, I don’t feel sorry for you. If you are not one of those people, then no one is going to try and take what you’ve earned. BTW, how many SUVs do you have sitting in your driveway?
Be grateful we don’t live in SOCA.
Mike
ONE
Let's just say that we will never agree.
OWN SUV, a Honda Pilot (5 years old with 50,000 miles)..so what?
and no...not even close to $200,000 but who are Democrats to decide how much is enough for one person to make? Who is anyone to do so? You want to stifle incentive to better ones self or produce jobs or stimulate the economy. Class envy..that is all Hillary and the Dems have.
Cirque du soleil
ONE
Submitted by Bill Bunker on October 26, 2007 - 17:06. *new
Let's just say that we will never agree.
That’s because your head is in the sand.
OWN SUV, a Honda Pilot (5 years old with 50,000 miles)..so what?
So you own one o
Again, I see no documentation for any of your opinions, Bill. For the last 200+ years, Americans have pulled up stakes and relocated for one primary reason….CHEAPER real estate. New Hampshire has grown for the same reason. That the new comers wish better for their children is something I’d think you, of all people, would support. The only fair way to pay for our children’s future is through a state income tax, and it’s time New Hampshire bit the bullet and took responsibility that is so lacking when it comes to supporting the future of our children. I was living and teaching in New Hampshire 40 years ago when the state initiated the lottery to pay for education. It was going to be the answer. Well, as you know, it didn’t quite do it. Taxes should be assessed upon one’s ability to pay. That’s why an income tax is the fairest tax. I’ve heard all the anti-taxer’s reasons for not supporting an income tax at the same time I listen to them whine, as you just did, about the property tax. It’s time to take the bull by the horns.