Monday, April 16, 2018

"Everybody Lies" by Seth-Stephens-Davidowitz - Everybody Knows ALL People Lie and Lie Again

Kids learn it early. Adults help them learn to lie. If you are not afraid of confronting the truth and like statistics, this book is a true winner. The readeer can do some skimming of words and even paragrahs but the 'truth will out'.

"The Billion Dollar Spy" by David L. Hoffman - A True Story of Cold War Espionage andd Betrayal

In our country, disgruntled top security officials are discharged and forgotten. Some turn to betrayal of our country. In Russia, they poison defectors with highly classified information. They use firing squad to kill those caught in Russia afteer they have torttured them to get all the illegally released information they can. Out way is moral and stupid (FBI and CIA). Russia's way is immoral but effective.

I hope our Security has much improved but with people like Comey, Mueller and other Trump haters, I suggest hundreds of spies from all different countries are being 'handled' to gather as much top secret info from the U.S.A. and send it one way or another, to their respective homelands.

Those countries we spy on and they spy oon us include Russia, of course, Israel, England, France, China, Germany and all major countries in the world. As stated before, we have spies and they have spies. They lead a dangerous life and betrayal is nothing new.

This book, IF you read it, was even an eye opener to me.

SCOTUS Denies Bllog's Appeal

Maybe President Trump will grant his appeal on his way out of office in 2020 as a 'goodwill' gesture to the Democrats.

Woman Trump Supporter Attacked

I"m a Trump supporter. Try to attack me physically. Don't be a coward. I'm just a hamless old man. Attack me physically and see how harmless I am.

Trump Towers Had No Sprinkler System - Read On


NEITHER DID PEORIA COUNTY NURSING HOME BELWOOD, a workplace for 178 Union Employees and 250 or so residents. Democrats on the County Board and Administrator Patrick Urich had plenty of opportunity to install sprinklers and even received $178,000 from Obama which they, INSTEAD,  used for CONSULTANTS AND ENGINEERS for the FAILED  Heddington Oaks, while OBAMA  was in the State of Illinois Senate.

Trump Towers was NEVER by law required to have Sprinkler Systems. Neither was Belwood. I suggest whoever had too many OVERLOADED electrical outlets in their room, was possibly STONED.

Check it out. See what the JS Democrat has to say about REQUIREMENTS of both tomorrow.

Hannity? I'll Take His Word Over Almost Any Democrat in Congress

One might be surprised how many Democrat Congresspeople Use Or Have Used the Same Attorney as Convicted Criminals. Will any of the few Conservative new medias make the effort to look them up??

Probably not. Go Hannity and the MAJORITY of Fox TV Reporters and Contributors.

Militant Balcks Set Up StarBuck Employees - Starbuck Stock Price Go Up

Militant blacks set up this scenario. The black men were loitering and after loitering time was up, they were asked to leave. When they refused, the cops were called.

Had these been 2 whites loitering and were asked to leave and didn't, Starbucks would have taken the same actions. Nothing would have happened if the blacks would have left when the police arrived.

When the police arrived, they still wouldn't leave so the police had no choice but to handcuff them and haul them to where they belonged. JAIL.Sensible people without an agenda would have also left the premises when they heard the police were on their way.

All of this was staged, Bullhorns, printed signs, and plenty of militant blacks on hand to "create a scene".

If StarBucks opens lower tomorrow AM, I will be a buyer. I, like many of my friends and acquaintances are getting weary of these militants making it harder for the sensible blacks, a majority by far, to rise up in status in this country.

I personally, would like to see these militants of which I have met VERY few, to return to their ancestors roots and take their ilk with them.

ASAP

Friday, April 13, 2018

Senior Innovators - Yes, I Was One - My Innovation Started in 1964 is the Largest of It's Kind In Downstate Illinois

  Subject: Fwd:
> Stunning Senior Moment Love this one.....yea
> Srs.!A very self-important
> college freshman attending a recent football game took it
> upon himselfto explain to a senior
> citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the
> older generationto understand his
> generation. 'You grew up
> in a different world, actually an almost primitive one,
> ' the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby
> to hear. 'The young people of today are much more
> advanced than people your age. We grew up with television,
> jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon and the
> internet. We have cell phones, nuclear energy, electric and
> hydrogen cars, computers, automated manufacturing, amazing.
> technologies, ...and, 'pausing to take another drink of
> beer. The senior took
> advantage of the break in the student's litany and said,
> ‘You're right, son. We didn't have those things
> when we were young...so we invented them. Now, you arrogant
> little twit, what are YOU doing for the next
> generation?’ The applause was
> resounding… I love senior citizens --

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Associated Press; Definetly Socialist and Rabble Rouser, Attacks Our President's Every Move

It's the AP that is in chaos, not the Trump supporters in the White House or elsewhere. By November, many readers and listeners to these horribly biased propagandists' will surely see how these medias are trying to destroy this country.

Trump Tumult the Anti-Trump Medias Say??

Not hardly, Trump is slowly ousting the Republican Establishment and the Democrat bureaucracy he inherited. Getting his own team by ousting, one way or another, has been a struggle.people tend to forget he is a businessman turned political as anger in the sane populace turned against politicians. He is not a politician the same way I was in my 10 years on the Peoria County Board.

He is getting there, folks, and it is still a long way till November.

Chicago Bulls To Hold Press Conference at 11:00 AM Tomorrow

I'm hoping it is to announce the firing of Fred and John. Hoiberg should be able to find a head coaching job at a small college and Paxton should be able to hook on to another professional basketball team.

The Bulls are no fun to watch; even when they win because they do not play as a team and do not have a good big man under either basket.

Should have made the change last year when on this blog site, I recommended these changes be made.

Diamond and Silk Prove and A Republican prove Zuckerberg the Liar He Is

Zuckerberg lied before Congress today when he stated banned Diamond Diamond and Silk: black Trump supporters, had been put back on Facebook. At 10 PM Central time tonight in a interview with Laura Ingraham, my type of factual news reporter, both denied that this has happened.

Zuckerberg, a smooth, arrogant left-wing liberal, multi-multi billionaire and his minions are so anti-Trump, their pedicured toe nails turn red with anger each time they hear he has done something for the overall benefit of this nation.

Sorry, friends, I must on principle, pull my Facebook account as soon as possible. More prejudice by the Zuckerberg will be exposed on Fox TV. I very much doubt you will read about this lie in the Washington Post-Journal Star Democrat combine but I''ll look for it tomorrow at Peoria Heights fine library.

Facebook Multi-Billionaire Chief Is a Smooth Very Intelligent Fabricator

After watching two days of mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress members, I conclude these things: he is far more intelligent than the two committee chairpeople, one who asked how Facebook made it's money. Zuckerberg had to explain to this 30 year Congressman that it was by selling ads. What Zuckerberg didn't mention that they make their money in many other ways that those of you who have had your privacy violated, are aware.

Will you ever get your private writing and pictures back? Not hardly. Downloaded your private information you never suspected anyone would see?  Zuckerberg says, you should have been aware of that possibility. That when you signed up, you should have read the small print. The company claims to have over 2 billion viewers worldwide.

Zuckerberg said that his company never tries to influence politics, yet it is proven that he, as a liberal Democrat, made every effort to get Hillary elected and to demean Trump.

He also said that users did NOT have to pay to remove unwanted ads. Well, I tried and it does cost me, at least, to stop unwanted ads on my site. But then maybe it is Google. Zuckerberg said he believed there had to some regulation of the Internet.

No kidding.

I hate to do it because I have so many friends using Facebook, but I believe it's time for me to stick to my blogging and cancel my Facebook account.

Michael Savage 2016 Book Titled, "Scorched Earth" Didn't All happen Because Hillary Lost

If you haven't read this confronting, intelligent, politically incorrect author before, this is a must read book for all who are tired of all the romance and sex laden crap being published for those who lack both in their lives.

In this book you will read inside what is written on the book's back cover. "Can the nation recover from Obama's scorched earth policies? Progressive policies and open borders have poisoned America, Our Constitution has been trampled by a divisive president and America is a third world nation (he must have visited Peoria, Il. and driven our crumbling infrastructure) of terror, riots, murder, mobs and chaos".

Fortunately Trump won over Hillary and some of the 'scorched earth' policies are slowly being repaired. Yet, I believe that the mainstream media, the Establishment and Old Guard Republicans and the ass-like Democrat leaders will prevent Trump from accomplishing his "Make America Great Again" mission.

John Bolton and Larry Kudlow - If They Can't Help 'Make America Great Again' Nobody Can

I recommended both on previous blogs. Bolton is a a tough guy and Kudlow is an economic intellect. I and the best Republicans in Congress wish them both well.

Trump Knows It Would Be Wrong To Try To 'Take Out' Syria's Criminal Leader and Involve Russian Conflict

We took out the Libyan cruel dictator, we took out the Iraq cruel dictator, we tried to stop the taking out of Iran's cruel leader but he was overthrown and we supported Batista in Cuba and he got taken out. Look what happened in all these 'takeouts'. A vacuum was created and someone worse stepped into this vacuum.

At this moment, we do not know who was responsible for the criminal gassing of Syrians. It now appears that opponents of Assad MAY have 'staged' the gassing and filming to cause the U.S. to act on their behalf.

As Sarah said in the WH Press Conference today about the Syrian situation, "all options" are on the table. Nothing major is going to happen unlawfully and without the support of all those who advise presidents.

A couple of missiles may be fired but I do not expect a conflict with Russia even though they have a strong, cruel dictator. President Trump wants to keep open relations with Russia which is by far the best interests of this country.


Laura Ingraham Of Fox TV Was Correct

David Hogg is a dangerous demagogue taking advantage to rant over a horrible tragedy. Avoid buying any product from those companies that withdrew their adverting on Ms Ingraham's intelligent and factual reporting.

Laura Ingraham is a rarity these days of political correctness.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

PBS - A Left-Wing Democrat Propaganda Media Hates Trump and Most Trump Republicans

The Documentary run on PBS tonight was tailored to make Trump look and act like an idiot. Similair to most 'intellectual' PBS commentators.The key points in the Documentary was to try to convince the viewer that Trump didn't know what was in the bill to replace ObamaCare.

One of the most infamous comments made by Democrat leadership when ObamaCare was passed, was "let's pass the bill. We can find out what all is in it later".

No President would ever know all the details of a massive bill. That's why this President depended on Ryan; who worked on the bill for years, and McConnell who had spent 30 years in D.C. politics plus the President's battery of advisers, to compose a bill that would have the KEY points that Trump believed would make health coverage better and less costly. That it failed to pass the Senate because of the rancor of hate that McCain has for Trump; the hate justified but McCain's revenge was not.

That at least one major change; no penalty for young people who don't have health insurance, was downplayed in the documentary.

Since January 1, 2017 rhe theme of  dissident politicians and the left-wing major medias has been "let's stop Donald Trump from bettering this country".

So sad.

Paul Theroux, Author of "Deep South"

Paul Theroux - "Deep South" A Book For All Who Only 'Travel' Through But Never 'Visit'

All of author and humanist Paul Theroux books are informative reads. In this book, he details the 'real' South, the extreme poverty in small towns, how they cope, why the U.S.A. government and Foundations like the Clinton Foundation send billions of dollars to Africa and little to or no help to the small towns in the US.A.that were devastated by the cheaper imports from Mexico,China, India, etc. (Trump is so right)

His 18 months visits with what he calls the 'real' people of Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas has opened my eyes and helped me change some of my views on poverty, it's causes and how really poor people try to lead a meaningful life. If I were younger and had read books like 'Deep South' earlier, I would travel the areas he traveled instead of heading to Florida and it's weather and beaches.

I would also suggest that some of the so called 'leaders' of poverty and discrimination groups spend more time in helping these often helpless people with their hands anbd money instead of their mouths and writings.

Too late for me and reading books too late that are non-fiction describing deep poverty far worse than the poverty of the city in which I live. I am very much aware of poverty in Peoria.; it's causes, solutions and attempts at solutions. Read my blogs on "Poverty" and "Poverty Revisited".

MONDAY, APRIL 09, 201

Poverty in Peoria Re-Visted

I refer you to my blogs, "Poverty in Peoria", "Growing Class Divide", 12/10/06, "Boot Straps", 7/1/05, and "Poverty Re-Visited", 7/20/05 for some background on this blog.

In July of 2005, I wrote a somewhat critical review of a popular book titled "Nickle and Dimed". On April 11, 2007, I received and email from Jenna Siok, a Bradley student who was writing an article on poverty in Peoria. She said "I read your 7/05 blog on poverty. For a reporting class, we just read "Nickle and Dimed". I agreed with many of your comments about the book.. it was difficult for me to get past the slant the author put on poverty. I felt that she wrote it in such a way that readers should think every low-wage earning person is a victim. Some information I found is that from 1976-2004, the percentage of whites below poverty level has increased by 15.7%. Blacks below poverty level have decreased by 20.6%, and Hispanics below poverty level have decreased by 11.3%."

Ms. Soik then asked me these questions:

Why do you think the percentage of blacks below poverty level have increased? What correlation does this have to stereotypes, if any?
Does it surprise you that whites below poverty level have increased?
What about Hispanics below poverty level?What implications does this have for Peoria specifically?
Any additional comments about poverty?

I answered on April 16 as follows:

"People do less stereotyping since 1976; less on a national basis. More opportunities have opened for all people of any race, gender or color. Are you including Hispanics who entered this country illegally?

An article written in the WSJ dated 6/025/02 titled "Lies, Damned Lies and the Census", says that in the 1990's a record 11 million foreigners immigrated to the U.S. and millions of poor immigrants moved into that bottom (poverty level) category but many more moved out of it, some because of welfare reform. But most of these immigrants moved out of poverty because they were determined not to stay poor forever". (As some moved out of poverty, they were replaced by others moving into poverty, warping some of the poverty levels quoted by some ultra liberals)

Most Hispanics are hard working and tend to pool and save their resources. Savings and good investments tend to elevate people out of poverty. Most Hispanics know that it is imperative that they learn the English language and get some type of job training. Many illegal (and legal) are hired for jobs poorer whites and blacks do not wish to do.

Whether white, black or Hispanic, if uneducated, it is very difficult to rise above what is called the poverty level. In Peoria, all of our public schools are directed to get kids to pass tests to qualify for college. (Since I wrote this, some changes have been made offering a wider selection of curriculum). This belief that everybody is "college material" was and is a large mistake of our local elite and intellectuals. I suggest you read excerpts from two books: William A. Henry - "In Defense of Elitism" and Myron Magnet - "The Dream and the Nightmare - The Legacy of the Sixties".

The implication of past and present mistakes in Peoria are widespread. When Peoria Public Schools dropped Vocational Training (1994) AND COUNSELING EVERYONE TO GO TO COLLEGE; this act helped doom a generation (now two generations) into dropping out of school for lack of interest, helped push them into gangs, into drug dealing and eventually into prison. (On release, 70% eventually are re-incarcerated, because of our terribly wrong warehousing system)

I have written many blogs about the success and failures of our public school systems. Usually, lack of involvement of the student in the school system leads to lack of involvement in society. In Peoria, we appear to have failed generations producing more failed of failing generations. There is, in many cases, a total disconnect of blacks from the white community, especially the upper class white community. And many poorer whites disconnect from higher earning whites also.

If generations of black, white Hispanic, etc., continue to feel that they are being victimized, future generations will continue to use this excuse for their failings.

Bashir Ali, Director of Central Illinois Workforce wrote in the June 2005 issue of IB, "In 1992, 54.3% of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college. 10 years later the rate was 56.7%. However, according to the Manhattan Institute, only 71% of high school students graduated on time. The figures for disadvantaged minority students ranged from 52% to 56%. The study also warns that only 54% of our students graduate from high school with sufficient skills for college work. For blacks, the figure is 23% and for Hispanics, it's 20%.

Hope I was of some help and ask again."

Ms. Siok emailed me back, " Wow! Thank you so much for taking time to answer all my questions. You offered tons of insight, which will help a lot! I will be in touch with you if I have any other questions."

Some of my Democrat friends should forward this blog to Senator's Obama and Clinton. Too many people leading us or trying to lead us continue to live in "ivory towers"

So sad.

Poverty - March 19, 2009

Also "Obama Buys Into  Half Truths" - 3.20/2008


Poverty in Peoria Re-Visted

I refer you to my blogs, "Poverty in Peoria", late 04 or early 05, (lost in my computer files), "Growing Class Divide", 12/10/06, "Boot Straps", 7/1/05, and "Poverty Re-Visited", 7/20/05 for some background on this blog.

In July of 2005, I wrote a somewhat critical review of a popular book titled "Nickle and Dimed". On April 11, 2007, I received and email from Jenna Siok, a Bradley student who was writing an article on poverty in Peoria. She said "I read your 7/05 blog on poverty. For a reporting class, we just read "Nickle and Dimed". I agreed with many of your comments about the book.. it was difficult for me to get past the slant the author put on poverty. I felt that she wrote it in such a way that readers should think every low-wage earning person is a victim. Some information I found is that from 1976-2004, the percentage of whites below poverty level has increased by 15.7%. Blacks below poverty level have decreased by 20.6%, and Hispanics below poverty level have decreased by 11.3%."

Ms. Soik then asked me these questions:

Why do you think the percentage of blacks below poverty level have increased? What correlation does this have to stereotypes, if any?
Does it surprise you that whites below poverty level have increased?
What about Hispanics below poverty level?What implications does this have for Peoria specifically?
Any additional comments about poverty?

I answered on April 16 as follows:

"People do less stereotyping since 1976; less on a national basis. More opportunities have opened for all people of any race, gender or color. Are you including Hispanics who entered this country illegally?

An article written in the WSJ dated 6/025/02 titled "Lies, Damned Lies and the Census", says that in the 1990's a record 11 million foreigners immigrated to the U.S. and millions of poor immigrants moved into that bottom (poverty level) category but many more moved out of it, some because of welfare reform. But most of these immigrants moved out of poverty because they were determined not to stay poor forever". (As some moved out of poverty, they were replaced by others moving into poverty, warping some of the poverty levels quoted by some ultra liberals)

Most Hispanics are hard working and tend to pool and save their resources. Savings and good investments tend to elevate people out of poverty. Most Hispanics know that it is imperative that they learn the English language and get some type of job training. Many illegal (and legal) are hired for jobs poorer whites and blacks do not wish to do.

Whether white, black or Hispanic, if uneducated, it is very difficult to rise above what is called the poverty level. In Peoria, all of our public schools are directed to get kids to pass tests to qualify for college. (Since I wrote this, some changes have been made offering a wider selection of curriculum). This belief that everybody is "college material" was and is a large mistake of our local elite and intellectuals. I suggest you read excerpts from two books: William A. Henry - "In Defense of Elitism" and Myron Magnet - "The Dream and the Nightmare - The Legacy of the Sixties".

The implication of past and present mistakes in Peoria are widespread. When Peoria Public Schools dropped Vocational Training (1994) AND COUNSELING EVERYONE TO GO TO COLLEGE; this act helped doom a generation (now two generations) into dropping out of school for lack of interest, helped push them into gangs, into drug dealing and eventually into prison. (On release, 70% eventually are re-incarcerated, because of our terribly wrong warehousing system)

I have written many blogs about the success and failures of our public school systems. Usually, lack of involvement of the student in the school system leads to lack of involvement in society. In Peoria, we appear to have failed generations producing more failed of failing generations. There is, in many cases, a total disconnect of blacks from the white community, especially the upper class white community. And many poorer whites disconnect from higher earning whites also.

If generations of black, white Hispanic, etc., continue to feel that they are being victimized, future generations will continue to use this excuse for their failings.

Bashir Ali, Director of Central Illinois Workforce wrote in the June 2005 issue of IB, "In 1992, 54.3% of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college. 10 years later the rate was 56.7%. However, according to the Manhattan Institute, only 71% of high school students graduated on time. The figures for disadvantaged minority students ranged from 52% to 56%. The study also warns that only 54% of our students graduate from high school with sufficient skills for college work. For blacks, the figure is 23% and for Hispanics, it's 20%.

Hope I was of some help and ask again."

Ms. Siok emailed me back, " Wow! Thank you so much for taking time to answer all my questions. You offered tons of insight, which will help a lot! I will be in touch with you if I have any other questions."

Some of my Democrat friends should forward this blog to Senator's Obama and Clinton. Too many people leading us or trying to lead us continue to live in "ivory towers"

So sad.

Monday, April 09, 2018

Water Company City Buyout Opportunity Facts Per Attorney Don Jackson. True? Probably Not,

First, Attorney Jackson, you say "the cost of a due diligence study has "ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR BY THE CEO COUNCIL".I suggest. Mr. Jackson, that you get your facts right. The last I heard was that the CEO Council had raised $400,000 towards a due diligence study would most likely cost over $1,000,000. So where is the additional $600,000+ to come from?

The taxpayers of course. Why are the wealthy, farmland owners who want cheaper access to water so they can add to our sprawl with more subdivisions, bond selling company represenatives', etc. so adamant that a City who is broke and knows they are; a City that can't handle their infrastructure and safety of it's residents, buy something they know little about how to run.

How many on the City Council have personally met a private payroll of over 5? Two out of eleven?

The infrastructure of the water facilities is old and many of the underground mains and piping will need to replaced now and far off into the future.

Back on 3/8/05, a JS headline read, "Buyout (By the City) May Require Rate Hike". Refer to my blog titled." Water Logged #4",dated 3/29/05.

Even a 'due diligence' study will not give dependable costs on future water line replacements.

I remind my readers again that the '85% of all cites own their water distribution' includes Congerville, Carlock, etc., and all small commuitites that no private investor would want to own.

Emerging From My 'Black Hole' - I Posted This Blog On 8/2/06

Big Bad Decisions Have Created Big Bad Schools

“Whether you think public schools are mortally wounded (as I do of inner-city schools) or merely history’s largest reclamation project, these temples of gross under learning sit among us as an important cautionary tale: Don’t make the wrong decisions about the national’s most valuable institutions. Building them up is long hard work; tearing them down, is easy.

Most every horror in public schools can be traced to a legally or contractual binding decision made by some other institutional authority. These were the crucial mistakes:

In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution forbids local schools from suspending students who bring political protest within the schools. In his dissent, Justice Black wrote: “This case wholly without constitutional reasons in my judgment, subjects all the public schools in the country to the whims and caprices of their loudest mouths, but maybe not their brightest students.” Now we know he was right.

Two years later, the court established and enumerated the due-process procedures to which a student suspended for less than 10 days is entitled. In dissent, Justice Powell wrote: One who does not comprehend the meaning and necessity for discipline is handicapped not merely in his education but throughout his subsequent life.”

Justice Black and Powell prophesied the conditions and disrespect now decried in the Public Agenda polls. They were in the minority.

You can argue back on the majority’s behalf, but a lot of principals quickly posited their own dictum. Why bother. In the years since, courts and legislatures gave the neighborhood school yet another big legal obligation. : Mainstream and educate severely disabled students. There is a right based argument for doing this, but with many effective principals came up with a counter claim. I quit.

Another bad decision: In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 10988. That famous order led to state laws permitting the unionization of public employees, including teachers, who’d previously been protected by civil service law. We know the theoretical arguments here too, but the daily reality is that teacher’s unions in the big cities have become about as subtle as the UMW in the 1960’s. Merit raises for top teachers? Curriculum changes? Don’t even think about it. So no one does.”

I recently wrote a blog “Merit Pay for Performance”, dated 12/13/05, merit pay for teachers is being practiced with success and cooperation of the union in a few school districts. I also blogged on teachers tenure dated 12/112/05. Both are worth reading again.

Curriculum, what students actually learn, is another chipped brick in the institutional edifice of our schools. We now have the “Language Police,” education Historian Diane Ravitch’s meticulous but horrifying narrative of how the major textbook publishers, the testing companies and the state education departments have reduced what public shool kids learn to politically correct, politically laughable pabulum and swill. Mrs. Ravitch’s new book is must reading for anyone who wants to learn why (my conclusion, not hers) so many kids would rather listen to hip-ho songs in their headphones than read what is now in their textbooks. Answer: The rappers use bigger words.

In another of my blogs picked up by DeWayne Bartels of the Observer questioned Dr. Fischer of #150 asking why the books that teachers use are not kept at the administration office of #150 so the public could review. No answer came back from Dr. Fischer or Art Ellis, Curriculum Director, who didn’t return my personal phone call

What all this means among other things, is that politics matter, however aimless it may seem. Wrong political designs can be viral, weakling and killing healthy institutions for years. So let’s end cheerfully on a note of political rancor. For the Democrat Party there is good news and bad news on education. The good news is that the Democrat Party owns the public schools. The bad news is that the Democrats own the public schools-their unions, their curriculum-cleansing, court cases they brought and won. Their solution: Spend more money on what now exists.

President Bush is the latest president to tilt at the broken schools, with a program called NCLB. He wants to hold public money from failure. Some say it’s working but have a hard time proving it does. Bonnie Hughes of Rome, Georgia sent in the following to this column: I keep a tattered copy of “What Works—Research About Teaching and Learning,’cira 1986 from the U.S, Department of Education, William J. Bennett, Secretary. “ We already know what works. I mean how is it that after 12 long years in a seat, children are not physically strong (many obese) nutritionally sound, financially literate, historical literate, mathematically literate and they have no clue how to excel.”

Margaret Spellings doesn’t give me a lot of hope and her letter to the editors in the WSJ today disturbed me more. She basically claims that students, like athletes become better by rote training comparing it to “teaching to pass the test”. That might work in playing a musical instrument, or learning the alphabet or the words to a poem but not in defending our country against terrorists who do not fight conventional wars or as may someday happen, a nuclear or terrorist attack. They do not know how to adjust from the permissive shelter of the education system into the real world. As an ex coach and (teacher) I somewhat disagree with wining by extensive drilling. True, we practiced certain moves but situations changed during the game and the players had to learn how to adjust to the situation. I taught kids the basics of the game and to play to win and learn to accept personally losing but only if they performed well. I taught the kids on individual play and teamwork. And especially how to adjust their game and their attitude to the competition ahead or the competition they were involved in. Not much rote. If we drilled all week on a zone defense and then found out our opponents were playing man to man or kept switching defenses during they game, we all needed to know how to adjust to the situation. I taught our kids how to adapt to the real world where we never know exactly how, when and where we were going to be tested. Each kid was a separate individual and adjustments to fit the kid into a winning team were a major challenge. Those who understood discipline and respect were the ones who could quickly make adjustments, from say a starting role or sitting on the bench being ready to play when called upon.

I do not feel many kids leave their formal training without knowing what it takes to be hired into a position that they can hold and can give them financial security. Let alone learn to budget and care for a family that often comes earlier than they expect and before they are ready to properly care for kids and raise them in a proper manner breaking the mold of failed generations now clogging up our court systems.

I have some hopes for #150 this year but I also had high hopes for the system under the departed Dr Royster. Optimism and well-meaning efforts do not guarantee success.

I see in today’s Observer that all the schools listed have orientation. Noticeably absent was orientation for Peoria Public School System #150. Someone board member reading this blog please tell me when and where these orientation sessions are being held because as a taxpaying citizen of the district, I would like to attend and listen.

Credit for most of this blog goes to Dan Henninger, respected regular commentator for the Wall Street Journal and from and article he wrote on 5/09/06

Strictness Isn't the Same as Being Mean

That was the title of an article by Dr. John Rosemond, a man whose philosophy is totally different from Dr. Spock and his ilk who sent the wrong message to so many mothers in past years.