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Baltimore: The Next Ferguson? (1 Viewer)

Rich Lowry. Interesting op-ed. Blames Baltimore's governance, corruption, and policies for Baltimore's problems.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/baltimore-a-great-society-failure-117493.html#.VUVzxkL7VT4
It really is the perfect case study for the disastrous effects that exclusive Liberal policies can have on a city. At some point a community and it's people have to look in the mirror.
I think someone in the past few days commented about being lazy and not wanting the truth.
It's true; if you subtract federal aid and programs, state aid and programs, representative government, the policies enacted under that representative government, social and intellectual leanings, and everything else relevant out of the equation, you too can come to the conclusion that somehow the right's policies have hurt Baltimore.

 
A man gets his neck broken by the police and nobody can leave the house after 10 pm...yeah, that makes sense.
The curfew wasn't put into place because of Freddie Gray. There were peaceful protests going on for 4 or 5 days and all was fine. It wasn't until last weekend when the protests turned to riots that the curfew was put into effect.
So go arrest the criminals, not force innocent people to stay in their homes.

 
A man gets his neck broken by the police and nobody can leave the house after 10 pm...yeah, that makes sense.
The curfew wasn't put into place because of Freddie Gray. There were peaceful protests going on for 4 or 5 days and all was fine. It wasn't until last weekend when the protests turned to riots that the curfew was put into effect.
So go arrest the criminals, not force innocent people to stay in their homes.
That might incite more violence. Best to make everyone stay in their homes. That's the fair thing to do.

Equality and all

 
Rich Lowry. Interesting op-ed. Blames Baltimore's governance, corruption, and policies for Baltimore's problems.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/baltimore-a-great-society-failure-117493.html#.VUVzxkL7VT4
It really is the perfect case study for the disastrous effects that exclusive Liberal policies can have on a city. At some point a community and it's people have to look in the mirror.
I think someone in the past few days commented about being lazy and not wanting the truth.
It's true; if you subtract federal aid and programs, state aid and programs, representative government, the policies enacted under that representative government, social and intellectual leanings, and everything else relevant out of the equation, you too can come to the conclusion that somehow the right's policies have hurt Baltimore.
Only if we have to be lazy and not wanting the truth by taking policies and forcing them in to exclusively right and left,buckets. I realize for many the world is only in black and white so grays let alone colors are too much to handle.

 
Rich Lowry. Interesting op-ed. Blames Baltimore's governance, corruption, and policies for Baltimore's problems.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/baltimore-a-great-society-failure-117493.html#.VUVzxkL7VT4
It really is the perfect case study for the disastrous effects that exclusive Liberal policies can have on a city. At some point a community and it's people have to look in the mirror.
I think someone in the past few days commented about being lazy and not wanting the truth.
It's true; if you subtract federal aid and programs, state aid and programs, representative government, the policies enacted under that representative government, social and intellectual leanings, and everything else relevant out of the equation, you too can come to the conclusion that somehow the right's policies have hurt Baltimore.
Only if we have to be lazy and not wanting the truth by taking policies and forcing them in to exclusively right and left,buckets. I realize for many the world is only in black and white so grays let alone colors are too much to handle.
I understand your point, but I don't think it's at all lazy to take a policy and generalize whether that policy comes from the left or right of the spectrum. How else would we hold certain ideas and policies accountable for the destruction or success that we've wrought? We do that all the time. Especially with Baltimore, a city that receives massive federal aid, has implemented one of the largest welfare states in the country, has had corrupt one-party rule for fifty years, has one of the highest tax rates in the country, has had some of the highest spending rates on education without results, etc...

The list goes on. I'm not going to mention it or waste any more time on it because it would seem the burden of proof for a failed city rests with the people that advocated and implemented policies that most observers would easily identify as coming from the left.

 
I've lived in and around Baltimore since 97. There has never been a reason for me to go to that part of town. Not even through it.

I did hear someone on the local news this morning talking about the financial impact on the city. They've been trying to build up the convention center to attract events. This has made a lot of organizations cancel and people who are booking future events (up to 5 years out) would have a hard time justifying why they chose Baltimore. So, in a time when the city desperately needs revenue, they'll actually be losing a lot. They also discussed the impact of proms, graduation events, dinners and everything else that has been cancelled and the impact on the city.

 
Guess I will cross baltimore off of our favorite places to visit list. Too bad, we have really enjoyed our recent trips there. When I asked my son last year where he wanted to go for his birthday, he picked Baltimore.

After reading all of these stories I can't get the image out of my head of what I remember seeing from the train ride from the airport to just near the ballpark. Some of those neighborhoods just didn't look like they were in the US.

 
I know how a city can unfairly get a bad rap. I still hope to catch an O's game one day and get around the DelMarVa area. Good luck, Baltimore, from disaster can come reform and improvement.

 
Dayvon Love just "dropped the mic" on MSNBC talking about the systemic racism in Baltimore. I wouldn't have believed it unless I heard it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2P4va1GiIU&feature=youtu.be

Our Mayor is someone who has capitulated to the corporate structure of the Democratic Party, the corporate interests of this city. I think, as we see, what happens in society at large, is that often times individual black people are put in positions of power, leadership, and white controlled dominating institutions, which brings more black people into those institutional arrangements, which undermines our ability to develop a kind of communal independent black institutional building as the basis of our work.
Baltimore shows the sophistication of white supremacy and how it operates, how it takes black figures, puts them in institutional positions to give the veneer of justice when really the same institutional arrangement exists
This was actually said on MSNBC's morning show today, in front of Melissa Harris-Perry and a panel of black talking heads, and the only word I can think of to describe how it was received was giddiness.

It takes a unique brand of metal illness to blame Baltimore's problems on white supremacy or institutional racism. Once again:

  • Baltimore has had ONE Republican Mayor since 1947, and that was in 1963.
  • The current Mayor is black. 4 of the last 5 Mayors have been black.
  • 7 out of the last 10 Police Chiefs have been black. Approximately 50% of the police force is black.
  • Their City Council consists of 15 members. All fifteen are Democrats. The Council President is black. Democrats have had control of legislation in Baltimore for the last 50 years. Every program, policy, initiative, or school curriculum that exists in Baltimore was enacted by liberal Democrats.
  • The School Superintendent is black, along with the School Board. The district has an annual budget of $1.32 billion to teach 84,000 kids. The Baltimore school system ranks second among the nations 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil at $15,700 per student. Only NYC spends more. Only two thirds of students graduate high school, despite this high level of spending.
  • On top of all this the State of Maryland is known as one of the most Liberal states in the country, with only two Republican Governors in the last 46 years.
I think this one single video clip, and the response it elicited from the Liberal media, summarizes perfectly everything I have been trying to say about what is so wrong with race relations today. I actually think the response from Melissa Harris-Perry is what was most disturbing. Black culture right now, from top to bottom, is replete with racism, denial, finger-pointing and an overall lack of accountability. Legacies of the welfare state.

 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.

 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
For the sake of argument, let's say that one wanted to convince you "that racism doesn't exist". What proof would you deem acceptable?

 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
OK Tim, you tell us, how on earth do you combat anti-black bias by black people?

 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
Perhaps, but if they were white, it would be used as proof that it does exist. It's hard to maneuver between those goalposts.
 
So if blacks are out of power, it's because of racism.

If blacks are running things, it doesn't matter because a secret cabal of whites is still really running things.

Makes perfect sense.

 
Dayvon Love just "dropped the mic" on MSNBC talking about the systemic racism in Baltimore. I wouldn't have believed it unless I heard it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2P4va1GiIU&feature=youtu.be

Our Mayor is someone who has capitulated to the corporate structure of the Democratic Party, the corporate interests of this city. I think, as we see, what happens in society at large, is that often times individual black people are put in positions of power, leadership, and white controlled dominating institutions, which brings more black people into those institutional arrangements, which undermines our ability to develop a kind of communal independent black institutional building as the basis of our work.
Baltimore shows the sophistication of white supremacy and how it operates, how it takes black figures, puts them in institutional positions to give the veneer of justice when really the same institutional arrangement exists
This was actually said on MSNBC's morning show today, in front of Melissa Harris-Perry and a panel of black talking heads, and the only word I can think of to describe how it was received was giddiness.

It takes a unique brand of metal illness to blame Baltimore's problems on white supremacy or institutional racism. Once again:

  • Baltimore has had ONE Republican Mayor since 1947, and that was in 1963.
  • The current Mayor is black. 4 of the last 5 Mayors have been black.
  • 7 out of the last 10 Police Chiefs have been black. Approximately 50% of the police force is black.
  • Their City Council consists of 15 members. All fifteen are Democrats. The Council President is black. Democrats have had control of legislation in Baltimore for the last 50 years. Every program, policy, initiative, or school curriculum that exists in Baltimore was enacted by liberal Democrats.
  • The School Superintendent is black, along with the School Board. The district has an annual budget of $1.32 billion to teach 84,000 kids. The Baltimore school system ranks second among the nations 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil at $15,700 per student. Only NYC spends more. Only two thirds of students graduate high school, despite this high level of spending.
  • On top of all this the State of Maryland is known as one of the most Liberal states in the country, with only two Republican Governors in the last 46 years.
I think this one single video clip, and the response it elicited from the Liberal media, summarizes perfectly everything I have been trying to say about what is so wrong with race relations today. I actually think the response from Melissa Harris-Perry is what was most disturbing. Black culture right now, from top to bottom, is replete with racism, denial, finger-pointing and an overall lack of accountability. Legacies of the welfare state.
Wow. But I can't say I am surprised.

These kids have zero personal accountability. And its because all they hear is black leaders (and maybe their parents), blaming everything on racism. In their minds, the system is against them and they are better off selling drugs and getting into trouble, then actually going to school, getting a diploma and a job.

 
I don't get it either. One of the biggest complaints about Fergusson was the racial makeup of the elected officials and how black people did not have a voice. Baltimore is the exact opposite, almost everyone in an elected position is black. The police force is 60% black. Yet somehow that's not good enough??

 
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General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
For the sake of argument, let's say that one wanted to convince you "that racism doesn't exist". What proof would you deem acceptable?
Honestly in today's society you could not convince me. We would have to be living in a completely different place or time.
 
I don't get it either. One of the biggest complaints about Fergusson was the racial makeup of the elected officials and how black people did not have a voice. Baltimore is the exact opposite, almost everyone in an elected position is black. The police force is 60% black. Yet somehow that's not good enough??
Its not good enough to erase decades or systemic racism. Its a start though. But look at Baltimore. That alone wont help. Fixing the violent practices in the PD alone aren't enough. But it would also be a start. If you ask me, i dont think it can be fixed short term. It will come when we do a better job at desegregating these cities and people get to interact more from different races, socio econimic status, religions, etc. But this will take decades to occur.

Between 1980 and 2010, the population of Ferguson flipped from eighty-five per cent white to sixty-nine per cent black. At some point soon, Ferguson, like Baltimore, may have more proportional black representation, but the socioeconomic trends in that city won’t automatically change. Gray died twenty-eight years after Baltimore’s first black mayor took office, yet the statistical realities at the time of his death—a twenty-four-per-cent poverty rate, thirty-seven-per-cent unemployment among young black men—show how complicated and durable the dynamics of race and racism can be.
 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
OK Tim, you tell us, how on earth do you combat anti-black bias by black people?
By not choosing to emphasize it; by treating it as the irrelevant issue that it is, and by trying to stay focused on the real issues at hand, which remain the economic and social plight of inner city black youths.
 
I don't get it either. One of the biggest complaints about Fergusson was the racial makeup of the elected officials and how black people did not have a voice. Baltimore is the exact opposite, almost everyone in an elected position is black. The police force is 60% black. Yet somehow that's not good enough??
Of course it isn't good enough.
 
General Tso, you and others keep harping about representation as if that proves that racism doesn't exist. The main complaint among African-Americans is that the police treat them worse because they're black. The color of the mayor and the police chief have nothing to do with this claim.
Perhaps, but if they were white, it would be used as proof that it does exist. It's hard to maneuver between those goalposts.
Thos is a good point. It doesn't negate the argument, but it does suggest some inconsistencies and perhaps outright hypocrisy among those who make it.
 
The best argument made against liberalism in this thread was Grove Diesel's point about education. He posted that the amount of money spent on each student in Baltimore is 2nd highest in the country. That's problematic. That's real. It wasn't, look how many blacks are on the school board, because that would be irrelevant. How many liberals are on the school board is irrelevant. But the amount spent per student IS very relevant, because it goes to the heart of a liberal argument, which is that these schools need more spending. They're getting the spending and it's not working.

Now there are some caveats to Grove's argument. First off we don't know why it's not working. A lot of the money might be going to the wrong places, like bloated administrators. There might be corruption. We don't know how much is getting to the actual classroom. Second, whenever a conservative politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply cut the spending. And that would probably make things worse. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and spending cuts, when it comes to education I'll opt for the former.

 
The best argument made against liberalism in this thread was Grove Diesel's point about education. He posted that the amount of money spent on each student in Baltimore is 2nd highest in the country. That's problematic. That's real. It wasn't, look how many blacks are on the school board, because that would be irrelevant. How many liberals are on the school board is irrelevant. But the amount spent per student IS very relevant, because it goes to the heart of a liberal argument, which is that these schools need more spending. They're getting the spending and it's not working.

Now there are some caveats to Grove's argument. First off we don't know why it's not working. A lot of the money might be going to the wrong places, like bloated administrators. There might be corruption. We don't know how much is getting to the actual classroom. Second, whenever a conservative politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply cut the spending. And that would probably make things worse. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and spending cuts, when it comes to education I'll opt for the former.
Doesn't this argument work in reverse too? Whenever a liberal politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply increase spending. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and additional highly inefficient spending, I'll opt for the former.

 
The best argument made against liberalism in this thread was Grove Diesel's point about education. He posted that the amount of money spent on each student in Baltimore is 2nd highest in the country. That's problematic. That's real. It wasn't, look how many blacks are on the school board, because that would be irrelevant. How many liberals are on the school board is irrelevant. But the amount spent per student IS very relevant, because it goes to the heart of a liberal argument, which is that these schools need more spending. They're getting the spending and it's not working.

Now there are some caveats to Grove's argument. First off we don't know why it's not working. A lot of the money might be going to the wrong places, like bloated administrators. There might be corruption. We don't know how much is getting to the actual classroom. Second, whenever a conservative politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply cut the spending. And that would probably make things worse. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and spending cuts, when it comes to education I'll opt for the former.
State says city schools misused federal funds

 
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rockaction said:
Bottomfeeder Sports said:
rockaction said:
Bottomfeeder Sports said:
General Tso said:
rockaction said:
Rich Lowry. Interesting op-ed. Blames Baltimore's governance, corruption, and policies for Baltimore's problems.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/baltimore-a-great-society-failure-117493.html#.VUVzxkL7VT4
It really is the perfect case study for the disastrous effects that exclusive Liberal policies can have on a city. At some point a community and it's people have to look in the mirror.
I think someone in the past few days commented about being lazy and not wanting the truth.
It's true; if you subtract federal aid and programs, state aid and programs, representative government, the policies enacted under that representative government, social and intellectual leanings, and everything else relevant out of the equation, you too can come to the conclusion that somehow the right's policies have hurt Baltimore.
Only if we have to be lazy and not wanting the truth by taking policies and forcing them in to exclusively right and left,buckets. I realize for many the world is only in black and white so grays let alone colors are too much to handle.
I understand your point, but I don't think it's at all lazy to take a policy and generalize whether that policy comes from the left or right of the spectrum. How else would we hold certain ideas and policies accountable for the destruction or success that we've wrought? We do that all the time. Especially with Baltimore, a city that receives massive federal aid, has implemented one of the largest welfare states in the country, has had corrupt one-party rule for fifty years, has one of the highest tax rates in the country, has had some of the highest spending rates on education without results, etc...

The list goes on. I'm not going to mention it or waste any more time on it because it would seem the burden of proof for a failed city rests with the people that advocated and implemented policies that most observers would easily identify as coming from the left.
Ok,

  • War on Drugs - Right
  • Zero Tolerance policing - Right
  • Mandatory sentencing - Right
  • Accountability in Education - Right
  • Failure of the promise of Privatized schools - Right
  • Contract with America (and the redone Welfare reform among other bills that actually passed)- Right
  • upward redistribution of wealth - Right
  • NIMBY for section 8 voucher - Right
  • Tax breaks and other corporate welfare to lure business - Right
  • Globalization - Right
  • White Flight - Right
  • Surplus military equipment militarizing police departments - Right
  • [Elimination of usury laws - Right
I think Baltimore largely escaped these

  • Property "guilty until proven innocent" seizures
  • Privatized prisons
  • Anti imigration
That is of course after we subtract issues caused by the "Left"

  • Means and qualification based Social Welfare
  • OSHA and EPA requirements making reconstruction of properties contaminated with lead and asbestos among others too costly to address
  • Top heavy administration of schools and just about everything else
  • Unintended consequences of urban renewal projects
  • Among other things
Of course I don't think these groupings are particularly fair as many things are more universal than just "left" vs "right", but hey you said it was necessary. And more importantly how they interplay with each other to create the conditions is more complicated than simple list to hold ideas accountable. But go ahead and believe that you need not care about the fate of others because someone else, certainly not you is to blame. Go ahead and convince yourself that those that "care too much" are winning policy debates.

 
Why do people think that, because Maryland votes Democrat, that it's a "Liberal" state? I'd argue that it's been just the opposite, outside of some window dressing designed to roll with the times. It certainly hasn't been progressive by any definition.

 
The best argument made against liberalism in this thread was Grove Diesel's point about education. He posted that the amount of money spent on each student in Baltimore is 2nd highest in the country. That's problematic. That's real. It wasn't, look how many blacks are on the school board, because that would be irrelevant. How many liberals are on the school board is irrelevant. But the amount spent per student IS very relevant, because it goes to the heart of a liberal argument, which is that these schools need more spending. They're getting the spending and it's not working.

Now there are some caveats to Grove's argument. First off we don't know why it's not working. A lot of the money might be going to the wrong places, like bloated administrators. There might be corruption. We don't know how much is getting to the actual classroom. Second, whenever a conservative politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply cut the spending. And that would probably make things worse. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and spending cuts, when it comes to education I'll opt for the former.
Doesn't this argument work in reverse too? Whenever a liberal politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply increase spending. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and additional highly inefficient spending, I'll opt for the former.
The best argument made against liberalism in this thread was Grove Diesel's point about education. He posted that the amount of money spent on each student in Baltimore is 2nd highest in the country. That's problematic. That's real. It wasn't, look how many blacks are on the school board, because that would be irrelevant. How many liberals are on the school board is irrelevant. But the amount spent per student IS very relevant, because it goes to the heart of a liberal argument, which is that these schools need more spending. They're getting the spending and it's not working.

Now there are some caveats to Grove's argument. First off we don't know why it's not working. A lot of the money might be going to the wrong places, like bloated administrators. There might be corruption. We don't know how much is getting to the actual classroom. Second, whenever a conservative politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply cut the spending. And that would probably make things worse. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and spending cuts, when it comes to education I'll opt for the former.
Doesn't this argument work in reverse too? Whenever a liberal politician gets into office, the proposed solution is not to spend the money more efficiently, but to simply increase spending. If my choices are between highly inefficient spending and additional highly inefficient spending, I'll opt for the former.
You are absolutely correct. But note that your preference is for status quo, not for reduced spending either.

So where do we go from here? We both seem to want thoughtful politicians who are going to spend money more wisely, rather than simply increase or decrease the amount spent. How do we find those politicians and get them into office?

 
Why do people think that, because Maryland votes Democrat, that it's a "Liberal" state? I'd argue that it's been just the opposite, outside of some window dressing designed to roll with the times. It certainly hasn't been progressive by any definition.
I just don't know whether this is true or false. If you live there, then you would have a better sense of it.

But as I wrote yesterday, I think one would have to conduct a fairly detailed study of Baltimore and Maryland politics and decision-making over the last 10-20 years to truly determine whether or not liberal policies have actually been attempted and failed, or whether they have not really been attempted. All I know is that the political and racial makeup of the leaders of the city and state don't really tell us that, despite arguments here to the contrary.

 
The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.

 
  • NIMBY for section 8 voucher - Right
This would be solved with a BIG.

A problem I have with other liberals is the need to micromanage people's lives. If you're going to spend the money then give it directly to them and let them manage their own money.

Not only would BIG be more efficient (less government overhead and waste) it would empower people instead of making them jump through hoops to get money.

 
Courtjester said:
So bad guys arrested and charges filed?

Why are we still protesting, maybe I missed it?
Apple Jack said:
I dunno, because it happened? And there is a pattern of brutality? Just a shot in the dark.
This might be the second time I have seen this response at least.

I don't agree with protesting over outrage and anger alone. Yes, at one point, ok, but at some point you must want some change. The change is "stop police abuse"? How? Think of something that will make a difference, some kind of institutional reform and call for that, come up with a plan.

 
The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.
In the early 1970s, liberals sought to correct that problem by busing. The idea was that if you took black kids from poor and inner city neighborhoods, and then spread them around to white suburb schools, the better education combined with being around kids and parents who valued education would "rub off" on them. We don't know what the ultimate results of that experiment would have been, because, frankly, certain whites fought it so much that it was basically dropped by the time Reagan got into office.

Should we pick up the idea again?

 
Why do people think that, because Maryland votes Democrat, that it's a "Liberal" state? I'd argue that it's been just the opposite, outside of some window dressing designed to roll with the times. It certainly hasn't been progressive by any definition.
I just don't know whether this is true or false. If you live there, then you would have a better sense of it.

But as I wrote yesterday, I think one would have to conduct a fairly detailed study of Baltimore and Maryland politics and decision-making over the last 10-20 years to truly determine whether or not liberal policies have actually been attempted and failed, or whether they have not really been attempted. All I know is that the political and racial makeup of the leaders of the city and state don't really tell us that, despite arguments here to the contrary.
I do. I'm 53 and have spent the majority of my life there.

These supposed "Liberal" leaders Maryland has had for 12 billion years.....most weren't liberal at all, nor were they "progressive". There are still people entrenched in the State House with a "D" next to their names who are some of the most reactionary politicians I've ever come across. George Wallace was a Democrat; many MD Ds ran the same.

 
Courtjester said:
So bad guys arrested and charges filed?

Why are we still protesting, maybe I missed it?
Apple Jack said:
I dunno, because it happened? And there is a pattern of brutality? Just a shot in the dark.
This might be the second time I have seen this response at least.

I don't agree with protesting over outrage and anger alone. Yes, at one point, ok, but at some point you must want some change. The change is "stop police abuse"? How? Think of something that will make a difference, some kind of institutional reform and call for that, come up with a plan.
There are two types of protests: the ones planned and set into motion by community organizers, and the ones that just appear out of nowhere, with the community organizers as surprised as anyone else, and they rush off to take advantage of it. The latter are far more common than the former, and this has been one of those.

You ever hear the story of the French politician who said, "There goes my people! I need to find out where they're headed!"?

 
The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.
In the early 1970s, liberals sought to correct that problem by busing. The idea was that if you took black kids from poor and inner city neighborhoods, and then spread them around to white suburb schools, the better education combined with being around kids and parents who valued education would "rub off" on them. We don't know what the ultimate results of that experiment would have been, because, frankly, certain whites fought it so much that it was basically dropped by the time Reagan got into office.

Should we pick up the idea again?
I don't have any data, but my gut feeling is that it doesn't have a huge effect.

The problem is that the bused in students likely feel like outsiders and mostly keep to themselves, defeating the purpose of busing. Great schools work because of parental involvement - that's not going to happen when parents have to travel far. The kids may get a positive influence at school but then spend the rest of their time around negaive influences.

I have three solutions:

1. More charter schools to compete with poorly run public schools. IMO a lot of public schools aren't even trying because they feel overwhelmed at the challenge and give up. If people think they can design better schools then let them and have parents decide where to send their kids.

2. Put Section 8 money into the hands of the people directly so they aren't tied to the availability of properties that accept Section 8 (mostly in areas with bad schools).

3. This one is controversial - there should be a lower bar for expelling kids who are detrimental to learning in the school. One reason I like charter schools is that it's easier for them to do this. Public schools should be able to do the same.

 
Courtjester said:
So bad guys arrested and charges filed?

Why are we still protesting, maybe I missed it?
Apple Jack said:
I dunno, because it happened? And there is a pattern of brutality? Just a shot in the dark.
This might be the second time I have seen this response at least.

I don't agree with protesting over outrage and anger alone. Yes, at one point, ok, but at some point you must want some change. The change is "stop police abuse"? How? Think of something that will make a difference, some kind of institutional reform and call for that, come up with a plan.
There are two types of protests: the ones planned and set into motion by community organizers, and the ones that just appear out of nowhere, with the community organizers as surprised as anyone else, and they rush off to take advantage of it. The latter are far more common than the former, and this has been one of those.

You ever hear the story of the French politician who said, "There goes my people! I need to find out where they're headed!"?
No, I haven't heard that expression.

But I do know that it's historical fact that when told his people were revolting, Louis XVI replied, "You said it! They stink on ice!"

 
The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.
In the early 1970s, liberals sought to correct that problem by busing. The idea was that if you took black kids from poor and inner city neighborhoods, and then spread them around to white suburb schools, the better education combined with being around kids and parents who valued education would "rub off" on them. We don't know what the ultimate results of that experiment would have been, because, frankly, certain whites fought it so much that it was basically dropped by the time Reagan got into office.Should we pick up the idea again?
It's going on where I live. See Sheff v. O'Neill.
 
The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.
In the early 1970s, liberals sought to correct that problem by busing. The idea was that if you took black kids from poor and inner city neighborhoods, and then spread them around to white suburb schools, the better education combined with being around kids and parents who valued education would "rub off" on them. We don't know what the ultimate results of that experiment would have been, because, frankly, certain whites fought it so much that it was basically dropped by the time Reagan got into office.

Should we pick up the idea again?
Honestly, my city has been through the hoops on this, and no we haven't had protests like were seen in Boston. It just failed.

Try something new: try drawing the better educated, wealthier, working class into poor neighborhoods, crank up the charter school system, and yes if some child is smart and wants to good private school let's just devote some percentage of public money to him just like we do with state college scholarships. It's partly serendipitous, but it's working here, scores are going up.

 
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The problem isn't lack of money for education, it's that uneducated people who don't value education are self-segregating to raise their kids amongst other uneducated people who don't value education.
In the early 1970s, liberals sought to correct that problem by busing. The idea was that if you took black kids from poor and inner city neighborhoods, and then spread them around to white suburb schools, the better education combined with being around kids and parents who valued education would "rub off" on them. We don't know what the ultimate results of that experiment would have been, because, frankly, certain whites fought it so much that it was basically dropped by the time Reagan got into office.

Should we pick up the idea again?
I don't have any data, but my gut feeling is that it doesn't have a huge effect.

The problem is that the bused in students likely feel like outsiders and mostly keep to themselves, defeating the purpose of busing. Great schools work because of parental involvement - that's not going to happen when parents have to travel far. The kids may get a positive influence at school but then spend the rest of their time around negaive influences.
I think you might be right. Thats why i dont think we would truly see results until not only are they going to school together, they live in the same neighborhoods, hang out together, work together, etc.

 
#3 is a mixed bag. It would create a better atmosphere in schools, no doubt, but it would also increase the number of a violent uneducated underclass going around doing damage. I mean lets face it- one reason we have public schools is to educate these kids and hopefully steer them in the right direction, but another reason we have public schools is to keep the troublemaker kids busy so that they're not going around committing crimes. If we expel all the troublemakers, then the latter issue blows up on us.

 
#3 is a mixed bag. It would create a better atmosphere in schools, no doubt, but it would also increase the number of a violent uneducated underclass going around doing damage. I mean lets face it- one reason we have public schools is to educate these kids and hopefully steer them in the right direction, but another reason we have public schools is to keep the troublemaker kids busy so that they're not going around committing crimes. If we expel all the troublemakers, then the latter issue blows up on us.
I'm not suggesting we give up on them, but should be in a separate school if they are hurting the education of others.

 
  • NIMBY for section 8 voucher - Right
This would be solved with a BIG.

A problem I have with other liberals is the need to micromanage people's lives. If you're going to spend the money then give it directly to them and let them manage their own money.

Not only would BIG be more efficient (less government overhead and waste) it would empower people instead of making them jump through hoops to get money.
Preaching to the choir.

 
So where do we go from here? We both seem to want thoughtful politicians who are going to spend money more wisely, rather than simply increase or decrease the amount spent. How do we find those politicians and get them into office?
Bit of a tangent, but we can't. Not as long as politicians continue to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Politicians do this because it works. Of course, limiting voting to only the informed doesn't really work, as there's not really a good way to identify "the informed". Also, people go into a tizzy about this, for some reason.

Maybe some out of the box thinking is required. How about we don't take away anyone's right to vote. Instead, we continue to allow everyone to vote, but you can EITHER vote in political elections or reality TV shows, but not both.

 
Not gonna lie, pretty proud of myself for ending the curfew by standing on the corner for 6 minutes after 10 last night and then hotfooting it the hell out of there when the cops scared me

 
A problem I have with other liberals is the need to micromanage people's lives. If you're going to spend the money then give it directly to them and let them manage their own money.
Unfortunately, while I agree with the premise, I still think there would be a need for yet another safety net after many of these folks fritter away their BIG and reach out for more assistance. There would be many, many politicians who would take up this banner as free stuff = votes.

Also, as a conservative I have no issues with letting adults deal with the fruits of their labors, but so many times this would entangle innocent children and to see them suffer due to their parents' inability to control finances is untenable.

 

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