Your missing the point. I'd rather "throw away" half of the taxes I pay at schools (or whatever...pick one) than the so called "military industrial complex" where our tax dollars buy the most sophisticated machines ever devised by our species for the purpose of waging war. Mike
"James G. Branaum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Redler Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 11:05 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Bush on matter - a thousand points of light SNIP For example, spending $0.50 for every $1.00 of my taxes on building the military does not represent balance when our (K-12) schools don't come close in comparison to most of those in the industrialized world. SNIP You hit one of my really hot buttons. One of the most expensive schools in the nation, when breaking out the cost per pupil, has the lowest scores on any standardized test given. That should clarify that fact that money is not the problem, but it gets ignored as most would prefer to simply accept the easy way out. I have several relatives who teach at college level and they espouse the same unwashed garbage without using their fine minds to analyze what the problem really is. What most folks ignore is the simple fact that throwing more money at the school system is NOT going to begin to address the problem as long as PARENTS use the schools as parking places with baby sitters for their offspring. That is one of the reasons that most schools are unwilling or not permitted to provide any punishment to miscreants. Hence we see pre-teens in handcuffs for temper tantrums or worse. The teachers unions are not going to say money is not the answer because it removes the reason for their fight to get more pay and reduces their political leverage. The taxing folks are not going to say that because then the people will want to lower taxes and politicians are against you having your own money and choices because then government won't be providing everything. Clearly the students are not going to say that because they don't know. Unfortunately for many, the intelligentsia has sold the idea of more money to the schools rather than parental involvement and interest. When was the last time YOU went to your kid's school to visit with a teacher? Even a bad teacher can be lead to the path of educating kids rather than babysitting, but someone who cares has to do the work. When was the last time you reviewed your kid's test results good AND bad with an eye to teaching the corrective information? When did you look at your kids homework to make sure they are getting the message? A little outside help goes a very long way towards making an education effective, and that is the parents JOB. In addition that is the sort of thing it will take to change the paradigm in our education system rather than more money. Let's put it on a more direct basis. How many of you discuss biofuels with your kids? That is educational, if someone explains some of the technical and financial issues that are hidden from view. I do. We cannot move towards biofuel usage without educating people with more than the intelligentsia allows in schools. Jim _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
