Government Can't Legislate Common Sense

Of course not, elected officials are too busy posturing for their next election and catering to the special interests who donate the big bucks for their next campaign, helping them build up large "war chests" to discourage challengers from even running for office. Using money, winning over quality, money overwhelming common people with common sense who CAN compete and but can seldom WIN. Common sense qualified people find it too difficult to win elections against stacked decks and a herd mentality dominating this nation.

This email forwarded to me by a friend has been around a long while but it appropriate that I print it now as Monday night; be there before 6 PM to get a seat, the #D150 School Board will decide whether to fund the major portion, with more taxpayer dollars, of a charter school using an existing D150 school building.

Nothing has appeared in media print clearly defining a mission statement of this charter school, a financial and an operating plan. An increasing amount of money will be needed for each year the charter school is in existence. Also, what stipulations can the charter school board put in a charter school teachers contract to prevent forming of a disastrous union that have ravaged public school systems nationwide? D150 teachers are already the highest paid with the best benefits of any school in the region.

And the community gets a sub-par performance from some teacher, administrators and boards. Thus the need for more expenses for a charter school. (I have been a long time proponent of charter schools but not ones tax-payer funded. This charter school will be partially tax-payer funded in year one and in future years may be totally supported by increased property taxes,) Where are the big INDIVIDUAL philanthropists rather than a few companies and foundations? SAME PLACE THEY'VE DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR Museum FUNDING PROMISES??

Also how many QUALIFIED math teachers are there in 5th-7th grade class level in the community? How will hiring these teachers at a guaranteed wage of $45,000 a year plus benefits affect the students who still need math teachers in the public school classroom?

What kind of common sense is being instilled in the kid who says, "He was working a summer job at a farmer's market when he noticed that people 'seemed to be looking right through him'. All they saw was another manual laborer, he thought. No one could see his aspirations or his intellect." (JS, 1/4/10)

What the heck is wrong with the use of his "intellect" doing manual labor? What are some of these incompetents teaching these kids? That they can't lead a successful enjoyable life without a college education?

Common sense. It is dead in too much of this country. One of the deader parts is in the bankrupt State of Illinois, D150 and the City of Peoria. We should be combining the efforts of our "best and brightest" but the best with common sense are not recently or presently, in a position of power.

Read on.

Merle


Subject: An Obituary You Really Must Read - Somebody we all know

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather
true please read and take a minute of silence.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who
has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children,
are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended
from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children. It declined even further when schools were required to get
parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student;
but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted
to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses;
and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common
Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar
in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in
her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was
preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife,
Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now,
Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.


If you still remember him, pass this on.