Impressed by Trump administration

• Commander of Awesome

  

  gut;1835903 wrote:Maybe not if you think the Dept of Ed should go bye-bye.

  lol wut?
• like_that

  

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bru_5y2zsxA
• gut

  Commander of Awesome;1835905 wrote:lol wut?

  Federal. Too many people look to the federal govt to fix local problems because they are too lazy or disinterested in their local politics.
  
  Too many redundancies in local, state and federal agencies. More bureaucracy is rarely an effective way of solving problems.
• QuakerOats

  Commander of Awesome;1835901 wrote:100%
  
  No matter your leanings, she's straight trash and EVERYONE should be upset about the selection and passage.

  
  Spoken like someone associated with the NEA hoping to maintain the horrific status quo of keeping urban youth imprisoned in pathetic schools and maintaining a public sector monopoly that is more concerned with union member paychecks and dues than educating our children. Congratulations.
• Automatik

  

  Grizzly bears. LOL
• Commander of Awesome

  

  QuakerOats;1835910 wrote:Spoken like someone associated with the NEA hoping to maintain the horrific status quo of keeping urban youth imprisoned in pathetic schools and maintaining a public sector monopoly that is more concerned with union member paychecks and dues than educating our children. Congratulations.

  No, again you're completely off-base. First off, my biggest criticism of Obama was his education plan. Continuing to fund and propagate the myth of charter schools DESPITE the evidence and lack of oversight was horrible. Charter schools statistically have been proven to equal at best and majority of the time worse than public schools. Education and Environment policy are the two things that I am most informed on, and I'm willing to engage in a civil discussion.
  
  Let's take policies and politics out of the equation. Betsy DeVos was completely ignorant of education policy, discussion points, current events, comments have led people to believe that she believes guns have a place in schools, children with disabilities don't deserve an education, ruined Detroit's school districts (something that even pro charter ppl agree with). The list goes on and on as to why she's a terrible pick.
  
  Now, to get into your union paychecks, this again is far from the truth. I'll use Oakland as an example. They're operating at a $25M deficit, and under the recent superintendent, increased Admin costs and high level execs while spending less money in the classroom and on children. What we should be doing, IMO, is learning from the countries who are out pacing us educationally and see what is making them successful. Hint, It's not a silver bullet like charter schools.
• Heretic

  

  Automatik;1835911 wrote:Grizzly bears. LOL

  THEY ARE OUR CHILDRENS' BIGGEST THREAT!!!!
  
  I mean, I'd have no issue for education (and other things) being a state thing instead of a federal thing, but I'd rather that process be done by way of gradually shifting that burden from one level to the other, as opposed to hiring a head whose only qualification is that she's a really rich donor.
• Spock

  

  Listening to the hearing on travel ban.....the Washington state attorney is getting crushed.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  In good news, the Ninth Circuit panel destroyed the DOJ lawyers being forced to defend the muslim ban EO.
• superman

  Commander of Awesome;1835942 wrote:In good news, the Ninth Circuit panel destroyed the DOJ lawyers being forced to defend the muslim ban EO.

  Using false phrases like Muslim Ban really doesn't lead to civil discourse.
  I would like to know how hard the DOJ attorney is actually trying. That was the most corrupt, partisan department in the Obama government. Is this guy a holdover from that administration?
• QuakerOats

  Commander of Awesome;1835942 wrote:In good news, the Ninth Circuit panel destroyed the DOJ lawyers being forced to defend the muslim ban EO.

  
  There is no "muslim ban". But I guess if you keep repeating the lie long enough, some people will believe it.
• Spock

  

  Commander of Awesome;1835942 wrote:In good news, the Ninth Circuit panel destroyed the DOJ lawyers being forced to defend the muslim ban EO.

  no
  
  they didnt come close to that. Even CNN afterward was pretty much saying that the DOJ would win the day and that the state of washington had no merits at all.
• QuakerOats

  Commander of Awesome;1835928 wrote:No, again you're completely off-base. First off, my biggest criticism of Obama was his education plan. Continuing to fund and propagate the myth of charter schools DESPITE the evidence and lack of oversight was horrible. Charter schools statistically have been proven to equal at best and majority of the time worse than public schools. Education and Environment policy are the two things that I am most informed on, and I'm willing to engage in a civil discussion.
  
  Let's take policies and politics out of the equation. Betsy DeVos was completely ignorant of education policy, discussion points, current events, comments have led people to believe that she believes guns have a place in schools, children with disabilities don't deserve an education, ruined Detroit's school districts (something that even pro charter ppl agree with). The list goes on and on as to why she's a terrible pick.
  
  Now, to get into your union paychecks, this again is far from the truth. I'll use Oakland as an example. They're operating at a $25M deficit, and under the recent superintendent, increased Admin costs and high level execs while spending less money in the classroom and on children. What we should be doing, IMO, is learning from the countries who are out pacing us educationally and see what is making them successful. Hint, It's not a silver bullet like charter schools.

  
  Thank you for your response. One of my biggest issues is that the 'NEA side' basically always declares that they need more money, when in reality we spend, and have been spending far, far, far more on education over the last few decades in real and relative terms, and yet turn out far, far more functional illiterates than ever in history. So if money is the premise from which the left is always going to begin their arguments, then obviously they should expect push back. And a $73 billion federal Dept of Education is a proven failure, a massive waste of money, and should be eliminated. States, localities, and individual schools need to take charge of their education needs, and be free to remove all obstacles in the way of adequately educating the kids.
• QuakerOats

  Automatik;1835911 wrote:Grizzly bears. LOL

  
  Context can be your friend.
  
  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/education/315933-grizzlies-guns-and-games-of-gotcha-how-the-left-whiffed-on-betsy
  
  Try not to fall completely victim to liberal urban group-think.
• sleeper

  

  QuakerOats;1836004 wrote:Thank you for your response. One of my biggest issues is that the 'NEA side' basically always declares that they need more money, when in reality we spend, and have been spending far, far, far more on education over the last few decades in real and relative terms, and yet turn out far, far more functional illiterates than ever in history. So if money is the premise from which the left is always going to begin their arguments, then obviously they should expect push back. And a $73 billion federal Dept of Education is a proven failure, a massive waste of money, and should be eliminated. States, localities, and individual schools need to take charge of their education needs, and be free to remove all obstacles in the way of adequately educating the kids.

  Correlation does not equal causation. Facts don't care about your feelings.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  I see a role and purpose for the Dept. of Ed, but it is more of an advisory role. I don't have kids, so I honestly don't pay attention to local school issues. But, to me, the Dept of Ed should be the collective polling of all date from state and local schools, to measure how each state and local district is doing in comparison to others. Otherwise, how do we know if Ohio is better than say Indiana?
  I would also say the Dept. issues accreidation to colleges, and with the growth of private for profit schools, that is incredibly important. Look at the failing of ITT Tech last year as an example. There should be a federal office that ensures that higher ed. colleges are legit.
  There is also the huge federal student loans and grants that help lower income (me included growing up) students go to college.
  The private sector loans, from say Sallie Mae or whatever the hell they are called now, are higher interest and have a history of screwing over borrowers.
  
  That said, I'm not a fan of all the micromanaging of the Dept, but to me, they still serve a purpose.
• QuakerOats

  [h=3]Sharp May Break Ground On US Plant This Year.[/h]Reuters (2/7, Yamazaki) reports Sharp Corp may break ground on a new $7 billion US plant in the first half of this year, according to “a person with knowledge of the plan.” Parent-company Foxconn reportedly decided “to give Sharp the lead” on the project ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s scheduled diplomatic visit to the US – during which he plans to unveil investments that would create as many as 700,000 US jobs.
  
  
  
  Get used to winning; if you can remember how it's done.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  QuakerOats;1836018 wrote:Sharp May Break Ground On US Plant This Year.
  
  Reuters (2/7, Yamazaki) reports Sharp Corp may break ground on a new $7 billion US plant in the first half of this year, according to “a person with knowledge of the plan.” Parent-company Foxconn reportedly decided “to give Sharp the lead” on the project ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s scheduled diplomatic visit to the US – during which he plans to unveil investments that would create as many as 700,000 US jobs.
  
  
  
  Get used to winning; if you can remember how it's done.

  Doesn't mean jack shit until there is a ground breaking and actual deal for jobs.
  
  I have a question now. What is your measure for success for Trump? The unemployment rate? The labor participation rate? GDP growth? Wage increases?
  Just curious.
  
  To me, it is the labor participation rate and the wage increase/ stagnation rates.
• sleeper

  

  ptown_trojans_1;1836019 wrote:Doesn't mean jack shit until there is a ground breaking and actual deal for jobs.
  
  I have a question now. What is your measure for success for Trump? The unemployment rate? The labor participation rate? GDP growth? Wage increases?
  Just curious.
  
  To me, it is the labor participation rate and the wage increase/ stagnation rates.

  Goal posts will be moved, I guarantee it.
• QuakerOats

  ptown_trojans_1;1836019 wrote:Doesn't mean jack shit until there is a ground breaking and actual deal for jobs.
  
  I have a question now. What is your measure for success for Trump? The unemployment rate? The labor participation rate? GDP growth? Wage increases?
  Just curious.
  
  To me, it is the labor participation rate and the wage increase/ stagnation rates.

  
  Economic growth rates will be the most important, followed by tax rate cuts.
  
  The former will lift all boats, the latter will create additional purchasing power.
  
  All of this within the context of vastly reduced regulation and greater individual liberty.
• sleeper

  

  QuakerOats;1836022 wrote:Economic growth rates will be the most important, followed by tax rate cuts.
  
  The former will lift all boats, the latter will create additional purchasing power.
  
  All of this within the context of vastly reduced regulation and greater individual liberty.

  Good luck!
• Con_Alma

  ptown_trojans_1;1836016 wrote:...
  
  The private sector loans, from say Sallie Mae or whatever the hell they are called now, are higher interest and have a history of screwing over borrowers.
  
  ...

  Can you expand on that for me? What do you mean by "screwing over borrowers"?
• like_that

  

  ptown_trojans_1;1836016 wrote:I see a role and purpose for the Dept. of Ed, but it is more of an advisory role. I don't have kids, so I honestly don't pay attention to local school issues. But, to me, the Dept of Ed should be the collective polling of all date from state and local schools, to measure how each state and local district is doing in comparison to others. Otherwise, how do we know if Ohio is better than say Indiana?
  I would also say the Dept. issues accreidation to colleges, and with the growth of private for profit schools, that is incredibly important. Look at the failing of ITT Tech last year as an example. There should be a federal office that ensures that higher ed. colleges are legit.
  There is also the huge federal student loans and grants that help lower income (me included growing up) students go to college.
  The private sector loans, from say Sallie Mae or whatever the hell they are called now, are higher interest and have a history of screwing over borrowers.
  
  That said, I'm not a fan of all the micromanaging of the Dept, but to me, they still serve a purpose.

  I am a proponent of abolishing the department, but I am also ok with this compromise. This should reduce their budget by $72B.
• like_that

  

  sleeper;1836020 wrote:Goal posts will be moved, I guarantee it.

  Sticky wages.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Con_Alma;1836024 wrote:Can you expand on that for me? What do you mean by "screwing over borrowers"?

  Sure, last month Sallie Mae was hit with some lawsuits and a few years ago they had to pay penalties for misleading borrowers
  http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/18/pf/college/navient-sallie-mae-sued-cfpb/
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/18/student-loan-servicer-navient-hit-with-three-government-lawsuits-in-one-day/?utm_term=.62ce33612592
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/sallie-mae-to-pay-97-million-for-cheating-troops-on-student-loans/2014/05/13/bd76c2d8-dabb-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html?utm_term=.482a6b177331