Again, RTS, I don't disagree with your intent. The problem is, those that we would "write off" still become our problem, as they are more likely to become criminals.

Good point. I'll give that some thought. Glad to see you somewhat agree with me on kids though.

So, the solution, in your opinion is to just ignore it. Will that make it go away? Change doesn't happen because people think it can't be done. Change happens because people believe it can be done.

I just gave you my solution, I know you don't like it, but I believe it would cure the problem where as what you are proposing is just another bandage.

I disagree. If their parents don't care and they don't care, a nice new building isn't going to matter. How in the world is a school built in 1953 so dilapidated?

 

Not enough money for maintenance. Simple as that.

I just gave you my solution, I know you don't like it, but I believe it would cure the problem where as what you are proposing is just another bandage.

 

 

No, it's not just another bandage. Your solution is to leave a problem unsolved and create another problem.

Not enough money for maintenance. Simple as that.

Poor district?

Good point. I'll give that some thought. Glad to see you somewhat agree with me on kids though.

 

I do almost entirely agree. Parents that refuse to provide education for their child are doing them a HUGE disservice (and breaking the law) and therefore this is just one of those instances where the child should not have to suffer for it.

No, it's not just another bandage. Your solution is to leave a problem unsolved and create another problem.

I'm talking about the orphanage. That's a fix. You're for throwing good money after bad, that's a bandage.

Having spent a lot of years in the inner city I can tell you people of all races want the same things as the people who are on this board.

 

The parents want their children to go to school and be productive citizens of this country.

 

The parents want jobs to provide for their families. They want to live the American Dream just like the rest of us. They see businesses leaving or shutting down. They see funding cut for schools so the best teachers can't be hired or the buildings are not properly kept up. These families don't have much of a safety net to fall back on if something happens so I can see how many of them will give up.

 

Many generations of their families lived under Jim Crow so they feel that this country doesn't care what happens to them. What I've seen on here and on television gives credence to that.

 

Senator Obama is correct on this one.

Poor district?

 

Most district in the state of Kentucky are poor districts.

 

But yes. And it is a school just for the at risk kids in our community. 4 classrooms, a portable and 80 kids will go through the building in a year.

 

and FWIW - when we are able to spend time with the kids and work with the parents we do make changes in their attitude toward school. But these kids and families have been called failures for so long they believe it. how can a 14 year old be a failure.

Was my post unclear in some way?

 

 

 

My point is, and it is a valid one, that spending more to try to provide better schools does not necessarily achieve the desired results. Lack of money is not the cause of poverty in this country, the roots of poverty are cultural. The culture of dependence bred by decades of liberal programs have robbed entire communities of a once strong work ethic. The inner cities have been hit hardest but the damage has also impacted large swaths of other areas such as Appalachia. Obama is promising more of the same failed policies under the ironic banner of "Change."

 

Yeah, poor reading on my part. :lol: I could have sworn it read "was #1 in spending." Sorry. :thumb:

 

At least I didn't use the "f" word. :lol:

Yeah, poor reading on my part. :lol: I could have sworn it read "was #1 in spending." Sorry. :thumb:

 

At least I didn't use the "f" word. :lol:

I knew DC was near, but not at the top in per pupil spending. I was just feeling too lazy to look up the rank. :lol:

 

Thanks for taking time to do the research. :thumb:

I'm talking about the orphanage. That's a fix. You're for throwing good money after bad, that's a bandage.

 

I'm not sure it provides all you are wanting it to for the problem. The probelm is also psychological. How does taking children from home and placing them in a large group without a parent do that? We can go around and argue about these are bad parents and I would agree. However life is not a vaccum in which we merely take them from one environment and another without possible issues that undermine our goals.

 

It's not a bad idea RTS, it's just that I'm not sure it's that much better in producing the results we all seek.

I'm not sure it provides all you are wanting it to for the problem. The probelm is also psychological. How does taking children from home and placing them in a large group without a parent do that? We can go around and argue about these are bad parents and I would agree. However life is not a vaccum in which we merely take them from one environment and another without possible issues that undermine our goals.

 

It's not a bad idea RTS, it's just that I'm not sure it's that much better in producing the results we all seek.

 

That's why I promote the foster home idea. The ones that I am familiar with attend their foster child's school events and participate fully in their lives. I bet there are tons of BGPers that would make wonderful foster parents!

Then again he claims the U.S. should review how it can make amends for "offenses" committed during its history. "There's no doubt that when it comes to our treatment of Native Americans as well as other persons of color in this country, we've got some very sad and difficult things to account for," Obama told the convention. This, to me, sounds like more than improving schools, health care and the economy for all. Sounds like reparations to me.

I'd say that is quite a leap.

 

 

But then again, Obama said, "The biggest problem that we have in terms of race relations, I think, is dealing with the legacy of past discrimination which has resulted in extreme disparities in terms of poverty, in terms of wealth and in terms of income. Our inner cities are a legacy of what happened in the past. And the question is less assigning blame or rooting out active racism, because that's not the reason that those inner cities are in such bad shape, but rather figuring out are we willing to make the investments to deal with that past history so we can move forward to a brighter future? And that involves investing in early childhood education, fixing the schools in those communities, being willing to work in terms of job retraining. And those are serious investments."

I think he is right on here. It isn't the racist that are keeping the African American community down, it is the acceptance of a life of poverty. An acceptance formed from years of withstanding it. It commonly believed that through improving education people can free themselves from the poverty cycle.

 

Take new schools for instance. How does building a new school in the inner city make kids go to school? How does building new schools make bad parents good parents?

This is a fair policy arguement. One might argue that lowering student teacher ratios provides a better learning environment for students, one where students feel more incline to attend school. Another arguement might be that the creation of a new school creates energy and pride in the community, and increase attendance. A third arguement might be that the areas he is talking about have such bad facilities that they can't adequately support the educational needs.

 

Question I have is how expensive and destructive would Obama's income redistribution policy be. What will it do to the economy?

I doubt it will be truly redistributive, I think your just using scare tactics.

The other question to ask is what kind of future can we expect if the minority populations never break out of poverty cycles yet grow to become the majority populations.

I'm talking about the orphanage. That's a fix. You're for throwing good money after bad, that's a bandage.

 

The orphanage is NOT a fix. You're breaking up families, for one thing. You don't possibly think that kids are going to thank you for that? Now you have created who knows how many more institutions that need funding, and you've yet to tell us how that should be done.

 

You may call it throwing good money after bad, but it's not if real change is effected with the money. To keep pouring money into something, yet not changing anything is throwing good money after bad. If you read my post in it's entirety, with even half-open eyes, there's more than just throwning money suggested to improve the schools. There's money needed, but new ideas are needed.