Dear Congressman Zeldin…by Paul Kalb

Originally posted at: https://opinion8ed2.wordpress.com

Just wanted to let you know I received your email in which you say, “Dear Paul, Today, I voted NO on the final version of the GOP Tax Plan. “

Thanks for the heads up and as long as we are on a first name basis, I’d like to say: Lee, while I appreciate that you opposed the provisions of the GOP Tax reform bill that are particularly onerous for middle class folks and especially Long Islanders, with all due respect your opposition does not absolve you of responsibility.

This bill which will line the pockets of your wealthy donors like Robert Mercer at the expense of millions of hard working Americans was the major goal of your party. As a result, like it or not, you own it.

It was your GOP colleagues who forced it through Congress without so much as a single hearing or debate to study the dire consequences. Your party didn’t like the ACA but the Dems held months of hearings and incorporated scores of GOP amendments, i.e., unlike the current majority party, they respected the democratic process. Not only has your party lost touch with the needs and desires of its constituents, it has trampled the time worn protocols and procedures inherent in democracy.

You say, “On balance, this bill remains a geographic redistribution of wealth, taking extra money from a place like New York to pay for deeper tax cuts elsewhere. New York is a net contributor that now will be contributing even more. This bill chooses winners and losers in a way that could have and should have been avoided.”

I couldn’t agree more but other than your impotent Nay when the roll was called what did you do to prevent this assault on your constituents perpetrated by your colleagues? How will you explain the “good parts of the bill” to those of us who will lose their health coverage or struggle to make ends meet in face of a net tax increase?

Every time I see POTUS gloating about this terrific “victory” I will recall your photo ops in the White House together with your close buddy.  I’ll remember you eagerly accepting the help of Steve Bannon, his former chief advisor and white supremacist at your recent fund raiser.

This is your gang and you are complicit in their actions. We will not forget.

Is Education Meaningless if it Doesn’t Lead to a Job? by Sue Kingery Woltanski

Originally posted at: http://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2017/12/12/is-education-meaningless-if-it-doesnt-lead-to-a-job/

In Florida, the Constitution Revision Commission (FLCRC) convenes once every 20 years to examine the Florida Constitution and propose changes for voter consideration. Any proposals that pass the FLCRC’s final vote would be placed on Florida’s General Election ballot (November 6, 2018) and must secure at least 60 percent voter approval to become law.  If you are not paying attention to the FLCRC, you should be.

On December 14, 2017, the Education Committee of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission will meet to discuss, among other things,  the “Mission/Intent” of Public Education. We suspect this is in preparation for Commissioner Nicole Washington’s Proposal 89.

Proposal 89 declares

“the purpose of the public education system of Florida is to develop the intellect of the state’s citizens, to contribute to the economy, to create an effective workforce, and to prepare students for a job”

and adds:

“in order to build Florida’s talent pipeline for the careers of today and tomorrow and align the state’s education, workforce, and economic development efforts, it is the intent of the people to provide high quality and affordable postsecondary education opportunities.”

Is the purpose of public education really to prepare students for a job or for economic development?

• Thomas Jefferson wrote “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said “The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.”
• Noam Chomsky felt “Education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn on their own.”

Are these old fashioned ideas? Is education meaningless if it doesn’t lead to a job?

Two years ago we wrote on this subject, disagreeing that the purpose of public education was merely to create an effective workforce or prepare a child for a job:

“Education means more to my family than job training… We do not send our children to school to help develop Florida’s economy; our children are sent to school to develop a love of learning, to expand their minds, to discover art, culture, history, to learn to think and problem solve, to collaborate, and to become involved active participants of our society; basically, to grow into good, solid human beings.

Do I want them to have successful lives? Of course, but I won’t measure that by their paycheck. To define a person by their job is so limiting… I want my children to do more than make a good living, I want them to have a good life… and that requires a quality education.”

Last week, a local Keys church summed it up nicely:

We believe public education should prepare our children for a life. We hope the FLCRC commissioners will agree.

You can follow the Florida Constitution Revision Commission at flcrc.gov and watch the Education Committee meet at 8:30 am, 12/14/17 on thefloridachannel.org.

Kids These Days by Aaron Michael Baker

Originally posted at: https://spoonvision.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/kids-these-days/

Kids these days with their screens and their Snaps.
Kids these days with their hoodies and their tight pants.
Kids these days with their short attention span and their potty mouths.
Kids these days with their constant questioning of authority.
Kids these days with their hostile rejection of polite society.

Back in the day, when kids needed information, they had to ask an adult.
Back in the day, the teacher did the talking and the student did the listening.
Back in the day, it was “no sir” and “yes, ma’am,”
or it was the principal’s office.
Back in the day, the kids were not violent,
but the teachers and administrators were.
Back in the day, waistlines were high, belts were on,
and shirts were always tucked in.

Kids these days with their low pregnancy rates.
Kids these days with their aversion to tobacco.
Kids these days with their declining rates of alcohol and drug use.
Kids these days with their anti-bullying campaigns, Gay Straight Alliances,
and Black Lives Matter.
Kids these days with their unprecedented interest in civic engagement.

Back in the day, we didn’t talk about sex and that allowed us to believe
that kids were not having any.
Back in the day, we declared a “War on Drugs” and created a
“school-to-prison pipeline.”
Back in the day, the students smoked in the courtyard,
and the teachers smoked in the lounge.
Back in the day, lesson plans for gym class included a game called
“Smear the Queer.”
Back in the day, kids openly mocked people with mental
and physical disabilities.

Kids these days with their consensual relationships.
Kids these days with their body positivity.
Kids these days with their hashtags and their social activism.
Kids these days with their openly critical views of capitalism.
Kids these days with their strong penchant for changing the world.

Back in the day, we taught boys that “maybe” meant “try harder.”
Back in the day, we taught our kids not to question the intentions of the 1%.
Back in the day, we taught our kids that people like MLK
were a danger to our society.
Back in the day, we didn’t teach “political correctness.”
We told the marginalized to “get over it.”
Back in the day, we didn’t believe women.

Kids these days with their “unsatisfactory” standardized test scores.
Kids these days with their reluctance to embrace corporate education reform.
Kids these days with their startups, coops, collectives, and communities.
Kids these days with their crowded classrooms and underpaid teachers.
Kids these days with their categorical rejection of 45.

Back in the day, we didn’t have to try so hard to hide our racist motivations behind where kids went to school.
Back in the day, kids were taught the American dream
and the virtues of a middle class white society.
Back in the day, we elected racist bigots on a regular basis.
We just didn’t call them that.
Back in the day, we made a long term plan to destroy public education.
We called it “No Child Left Behind.”
Back in the day, we spent a lot more money on education,
and asked a lot less from our students.

Twas The First Night Of Break by Melissa Marini Švigelj-Smith

Originally posted at:  https://msvigeljsmith.blog/…/20/twas-the-first-night-of-br…/

“Twas the First Night of Break”

Twas the first night of break, when all through the school

Not a creature was stirring, except a privatizing ghoul

A public school teacher was sleeping all snug in her bed

While visions of happy students appeared in her head

As the papers she graded slid off of her lap

She had just settled down for a long winter’s nap

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

The teacher dragged herself from bed to see what was the matter

And what to her tired eyes did appear?

But a bunch of self-righteous folks who were

billionaires

“O’ Waltons, O’ Broad, O’ DeVos , O’ Gates

What are you doing here on my lawn so late?

Do I even want to know your latest plans to deceive?

Seriously, winter break is supposed to be a reprieve!”

Unfortunately, to her front porch the billionaires did dash

Wearing their contempt for public schools like an itchy red rash

Down the stairs she went to meet them, as if in a trance

She thought maybe she could reason with them, if given the chance

A backpack full of cash was flung on their backs

And they looked smug and condescending in their tailored slacks

The teacher presented research about what kids need to learn

But their only care was the money they could earn

“Students are children; not products,” she tried to explain

“Your lack of knowledge and meddling are causing great pain”

She added that teaching is a mix of science and art

“It’s a humanity,” she said “Not a business with no heart!”

The vacant look in their eyes and tilt of their heads

Soon gave her to know she had much to dread

They spoke not a word, disregarding her work

She feared inequity would continue to lurk

Then away they all flew in their extravagant jets

Forgetting to thank her for cleaning up their mess

But they heard her exclaim, as they drove out of sight

“This isn’t over! We’ll continue to fight!”

Happy winter break to all and peace to those willing to fight for it.

About the Author: Melissa has been teaching high school for 20 years in Cleveland, Ohio. This is her 4th year as an educator at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center there. As an activist she also recruits her sons and dog to agitate and resist with her.

Are There Enough Roots in the Grass for Real Movement? by Larry Proffitt

As a teacher who’s always been an active union member, I’ve long been in search of the good in all people. As my commitment to a more serious style of advocacy has grown, my sensitivity to social injustices in a world that affects my students has become much more acute. Our public schools and the communities which they serve depend on advocates that are true to the cause of proving the ability of public schools to not only sustain but improve our society. Education must move forward, but it must be out of service to our democracy. Are changes necessary? Sure, changes are necessary, as with any endeavor, but those changes can be accomplished with the proper commitment from our government and the consent of the governed. How do we insure this? We insure it through grassroots. My question thus becomes, ”Are there enough roots in the grass for real movement?”

 IT was Orlando, Florida during the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly. Some of the contingency of Badass Teachers had met for a social gathering after the day’s business. I gave Mr. Fred Klonsky a ride back to his hotel after the evening’s social. On the drive back to his hotel, we had an interesting conversation which still rolls through my mind regularly. I suppose my awareness to the plight of many under an education system driven by corporate oppression keeps the conversation fresh. At a point in the conversation, Mr. Klonsky asked me a question. “Do you believe we have enough advocates to make real change in our union?” The wording may not be exact, but it is the idea expressed in the question. My response was steeped in positive hope, but my heart wasn’t convinced. He and I both know many good educators in the movement to relieve the oppression looming over the heads of schools, teachers and students. As we spoke, his own uncertainty became apparent to me. Looking back on the conversation keeps me in deep thought about the movement of social justice unionism and those in the battle to preserve the “good of all.”

It is this conversation then that brings me to the question which inspires this writing. Are there enough roots in the grass? Are there enough willing to take risks and come out of the shadows to make a difference in the fight to stave off the privatization of public education, provide equitable education for all and demand our government provide resources needed for today’s students in our society? Today requires more resources of a different type. Students come to schools with their own unique set of circumstances and require the school to play a larger role in achieving their educational, emotional and social success.  If those needs are to be met, grassroots movements combining parents, educators, students, and concerned community members must be effective. As of yet, even though many groups plow forward and persevere in the struggle, the dark money of privatization grows. Influence grows within government and without. Those with influence seek to spread the message of doom and gloom around our schools, thus promoting their message of needed change through private resources. The corporate provided tests are designed to provide a foundation for that argument. Words like failing are used to describe schools, teachers and students. In reality, the failure belongs to society.  The overwhelming budgets of privatizers flood the airways with negative messaging. What will stop it? My answer is simple, a massive grassroots effort combining forces of many populations.

This is what then brings me back to the question at hand. Are there enough roots in the grass for real movement?

If you are one of the courageous, join the roots beginning to cause the swaying of the grass. Create a positive response to the question.

There Has Never Been a Better Chance to Defeat Neoliberals and Neofascists: Hopes for 2018 by Steven Singer

Originally posted at: https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/18/there-has-never-been-a-better-chance-to-defeat-neoliberals-and-neofascists-hopes-for-2018/

As 2017 chugs and sputters to a well-deserved end, I find myself surprised at the pessimism around me.

Yes, I know. Donald Trump is still President.

The plutocrats have stolen trillions of dollars from the majority in unnecessary tax cuts that threaten our ability to function as a nation.

A slim majority of their sniveling creatures at the FCC have repealed Net Neutralitygifting our free expression to huge corporations.

And big business continues to sack and burn our public schools only to replace them with charter and voucher swindles.

This is all true.

But it does not make me lose heart.

These defeats may be fleeting, momentary as political and legal challenges mount against them. As far as the tide has pulled back, a wave is gathering strength at sea, such a prodigious burst of water as to create a new ocean once it hits land.

Yes, we endured many scars from the year that was. But we have gained something truly amazing – something that we probably could not have grasped without our sexual predator in chief, a reality TV show conman posing as a political leader.

People.

Are.

Awake.

They see the undeniable destruction, the naked power grabs, how our lawmakers are owned by the super-rich and the outright denial of democratic principles.

They see and they understand.

It is no longer debatable that we have lost control of our government.

It is no longer a question whether our lawmakers have our best interests at heart.

It is no longer at all uncertain that business interests and public interests are not the same.

Everyone knows.

Everyone sees.

The question is “What will we do about it?”

I’m reminded of the ending of John Carpenter’s cult classic “They Live.”

In the movie, Earth is conquered by aliens but no one noticed. The aliens took over the media and government using a transmitter to hide their ugly faces so that people couldn’t see what they truly look like. These intergalactic shepherds used the media and advertising to herd us human sheep to focus on naked consumerism and ignore how we’re being consumed by the powers that be.

At the end of the movie, the hero – played by Roddy Piper – sacrifices himself to destroy the transmitter so everyone finally can see the hideous aliens among us.

I remember watching the film the first time back in the ‘80s and wondering what people would do once they could see the truth.

Would they fight? Or would they try to convince themselves that they weren’t seeing the evidence of their own eyes?

(WARNING: The video below is NSFW, contains nudity and sexual situations.)

We’re in a similar situation today.

Trump did not cause all of this. He certainly made it worse, but the groundwork was laid by years of neoliberals from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama.

Reagan and both Bushes started us rolling down into the pit, but it was the Clintons and the Obamas who convinced so many of us that we weren’t headed into oblivion, it was merely a trick of the mind, this was the direction we wanted to go and that if anyone got left behind it was merely their own darn fault.

But now the truth is right there before our faces.

And that’s thanks to the blunt, unrepentant greed of Donald J. Trump.

He steals from us and doesn’t even pretend he’s doing anything else.

He hordes our money. He destroys our laws and disregards our values. He raises racists and bigots to respectability while appointing unqualified sycophants with the expressed purpose to run our government into the ground. And if anyone dares proclaim the emperor has no clothes, all he can say is “Fake News.”

And though I thoroughly despise him for everything he’s done and continues to do bringing our world to the brink of annihilation – I also have to thank him.

There is no longer any denying the truth.

It is merely a question of how we fight.

Opportunities abound for victory, and on a scale we could not previously have dreamed.

It would take such a little push to topple this pathetic toy dictator’s regime.

Merely a whisper out of all our mouths could bring it down.

The slightest flick of the smallest finger on all our hands could send a shock wave causing this pitiful empire to crumble.

If we merely took to the streets at the same time, these dollar store monsters would dissolve in our wake.

And in their place – imagine the world we could create.

All the socialist ideals of Roosevelt’s New Deal could be realized. We could enact a NEW New Deal where everyone truly had a fair shot at flourishing.

As the Rev William Barber says, we could bring about a Third Reconstruction so that our future was firmly built on the foundation of equity and understanding for people of all races, genders, nationalities, religions and creeds.

We could forever banish money from the halls of power and force the plutocrats to pay for all they have stolen from us – with interest.

We could do all this with the merest flexing of our muscles. Because the conquering power is so weak, so disorganized, so pathetic.

And the status quo false flag opposition is just as weak and powerless.

There is but one puissant force left in this country of ours, and it is us. The people.

We were there at the beginning and we are here still at what might be our end.

We, the People.

We can take this country back from the sick and stunted and powerful.

We can take this country back from the frail and the deranged and prejudiced.

We can make America great – if not again then perhaps for the first time. We can make America truly great.

That is the promise of the future.

As our darkest hour dawns, our brightest light may yet shine.

Here’s to igniting that spark.

Here’s to a brighter tomorrow.