-
Obamacare Implodes
May 15, 2013 | 41 comments
-
Obama’s Rising Inequality
May 8, 2013 | 101 comments
-
Downsize the Liberals
May 1, 2013 | 53 comments
-
Fight Back! Privatize the FAA!
April 24, 2013 | 65 comments
-
Fallacies and Charades
April 17, 2013 | 14 comments
Campaign Crawlers
Romney’s Education Choice
The Romney revolution could end up as big as the Reagan revolution.
Mitt Romney is rolling through 2012 at a faster pace than Ronald Reagan rolled through 1980. He is ahead of Reagan’s pace at this point in 1980. Reagan was carrying the mantel of a far bigger revolution, basically terminating the 50-year-old New Deal coalition and inaugurating a new era of American politics. But in the end the voters were probably right in choosing Romney as the man for this time in 2012. With the nation under threat of a Marxist takeover in a second Obama term, and a must win for the Republicans as a result for the survival of America, Romney presents no rough edges that will distract the public from seeing Obama’s ongoing deconstruction of their country. Because Obama may take down the whole Democrat party in the process as never seen before, the Romney revolution could end up as big as the Reagan revolution.
The Failed Education Status
Quo
Romney’s education initiative presented
late last month indicated the promising potential of a Romney
revolution. Most importantly, it was based on choice, which is the
most promising central theme for a true revolution of the entire
welfare state.
Romney’s 34-page white paper explaining the reform proposals, “A Chance for Every Child,” begins by explaining what is at stake: “Only 2 percent of those who graduate from high school, get a full time job, and wait until age 21 and get married before having children end up in poverty. By comparison, that figure is 76 percent for those who fail to do all three.”
And it explained the problem, saying:
Across the nation, our school system is a world leader in spending yet lags on virtually every measure of results…. On the latest international PISA test, American high school students ranked 14th out of 34 developed countries in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math. China’s Shanghai province led the world in all three subjects, outperforming the United States by multiple grade levels in each.”
Performance of our current public school system is so bad, it’s a civil rights problem:
Our K-12 system also poses one of the foremost civil rights challenges of our time: the achievement gap facing many minority groups. The average African American or Hispanic student performs at the same level in 12th grade that the average white student achieves in 8th grade. More than one in three African American and Hispanic students fails to graduate from high school within four years of entering…. The tragic result is that instead of providing an escape from the cycle of poverty, our educational system is reinforcing it.
The root of the problem is not lack of resources: “The cause is not a lack of public investment: as a nation we spend over $11,000 annually on each student enrolled in K-12 education, more than almost any other country.” Romney’s White Paper adds:
We spend two and a half times as much per pupil today, in real terms, as in 1970, but high school achievement and graduation rates have stagnated. Higher spending rarely correlates with better results. Even the liberal Center for American Progress acknowledged in a recent study that “the literature strongly calls into question the notion that simply investing more money in schools will result in better outcomes,” and reported from its own research that most states showed “no clear relationship between spending and achievement.”
Romney adds further: “Despite spending more than twice as much per student as other developed countries, our degree attainment lags behind. Currently, only 27 percent of community college students and 57 percent of those pursuing bachelor’s degrees will finish within three or six years respectively.” (Emphasis added.)
Romney commendably did not shrink from identifying the real root of the problem — teachers unions. The campaign White Paper says:
Unfortunately, rather than embracing reform and innovation, America remains gridlocked in an antiquated system controlled to a disturbing degree by the unions representing teachers. The teachers unions spend millions of dollars to influence the debate in favor of the entrenched interests of adults, not the students our system should serve. The efforts of teachers will be central to any successful reform, but their unions have a very different agenda: opposing innovation that might disrupt the status quo while insulating even the least effective teachers from accountability….[T]eachers unions are consistently on the front lines fighting against initiatives to attract and retain the best teachers, measure performance, provide accountability, or offer choices to parents.
Romney’s political courage and wisdom in directly taking on the teachers unions is a good sign for how he would govern.
As for higher education, Romney’s White Paper explains:
“[S]tudents and their families face skyrocketing prices for higher education and, partly as a result, ever heavier debt burdens. Since 1982, the cost of college has dramatically increased by 439 percent — dramatically higher than the growth even in the cost of health care….Students took out more than $100 billion in student loans last year, a record high, and total outstanding loans now exceed $1 trillion — an amount that exceeds total credit card debt.”
About the Author
Peter Ferrara is Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy at the Heartland Institute, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and Senior Policy Advisor on Entitlements and Budget Policy at the National Tax Limitation Foundation. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under President George H.W. Bush.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (63) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Peter Ferrara
More Articles From Campaign Crawlers
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/06/06/romneys-education-choice
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Appleby| 6.6.12 @ 7:17AM
What children need is parents who are educated enough to know what education is all about. My parents never graduated from high school, but both were avid readers who took us to the library and made sure we did our homework. Mama has always been the head of the Grammar Police, and Daddy taught us to discuss what we read and never to say "It'll be a nice day tomorrow" without citing our sources. If your parents are ignorant, you will probably grow up ignorant, especially in a country that still bullies and mocks the intelligent and exults the boy who can bounce a ball and the girl who is "perky" and "bubbly."
Brooksifier | 6.6.12 @ 10:17AM
America can do business v. well, but nothing else; America wont ever have schools as good as Europe and Asia will.
Brooksifier | 6.6.12 @ 12:05PM
...Perhaps you think Jesus will return to reform education in America? Over four decades you've been yapping about education reform-- it is a mirage receding into the distance.
Drunken Sailor| 6.6.12 @ 3:54PM
Kind of like you lefties and your "War on Poverty" isn't it?
Purp| 6.6.12 @ 4:31PM
Or you righties and the "War on Drugs" or the "War on Terror" ? You couldn't even capture the 6'5" Arab Bin Laden. You have no room to ridicule the other side.
Brooksifier | 6.6.12 @ 5:36PM
"Kind of like you lefties and your 'War on Poverty' isn't it?"
You don't care about others' children, you just want to sell Rightist rags and tomes. big glossy books such as:
'How The Evil Leftwing Negro From Chicago Destroyed America, And If You Vote For Romney He'll Improve Education [NOT]'
You'll be saying so 40 years from now!
Von Mises Jr| 6.7.12 @ 7:03AM
Hey look, it's Jefferson.
Drunken Sailor| 6.7.12 @ 8:39AM
Brooksie and Purp/jefferson's rant's are always good for a chuckle.
Drunken Sailor| 6.7.12 @ 8:41AM
Remind me again how many times Bill Clinton could have gotten that 6'5" Arab but passed? And by the way, it would have been nice of Obama to thank Bush for the interregation intel he got, that lead to Bin Laden's capture. I'll give him credit for being there and giving the right order (even though it took him many hours to weigh the pro's and con's). To bad that is about the only feather in his cap.
JmsA| 6.6.12 @ 11:00PM
You should be addressing your concerns to the teacher unions and the democrats.
Quartermaster| 6.7.12 @ 7:55AM
One of the worst things that happened to education in the US was FedGov. Reagan wanted FedGov out of education leaving it to the states at the highest. Alas, liberal states have so degraded their schools that they are almost beyond redemption.
The best thing Mittens could do is shut down the Education department and tell the states and locals to have at it. Being a Libtard, however, he won't.
CJW| 6.6.12 @ 7:44AM
The problem in education is the lack of choice in schools and that many children live with disfunctional families.
The first problem of choice is easy to solve by allowing parents to enroll their children in the school of their choice, public or private. If the other school costs more than the cost of the home school district, then the parents pay.
The second problem is that too many children live with lousy parents, single and married, and have poor role models. How do you fix this?
My experience with teachers and teachers' unions is that their power is greatly overrated. Most teachers are dedicated and hardworking. The teachers contracts in Pennsylvania, and state law, all allow schoold district to fire a teacher for cause. One problem is the school districts do not monitor teachers to documents any issues the way a private employer does.
Next, the public schools have a huge bureaucracy of principals, vice principals, administrators, ad nauseam, most of whom are busy completing forms required by the Dept of Education. The Dept of Education should be abolished.
Von Mises Jr| 6.6.12 @ 8:15AM
CJW, the Dept of Education must be abolished and the funds remain in the states. There are many problems of socialism in the schools, but it starts with the central planning of the Federal government. It is like the Kink's song "The Moneygoround" that goes round and round, and a little bit comes out here and comes out there. Like Medicaid and other central government programs, one-third is designed graft and waste.
If the funds are returned to the states, then the Governors can either fix the union problems or see their states wane. In big cities in Blue states, the schools have VP's, teachers whom are entitled to their sick and personal days and classroom aides. If they can't do the job or show up, they should be fired.
But as long as the teachers unions remain, they will eventually stifle innovation and reforms. On the micro level, we have recreated Guild Socialism. Instead of hereditary, it is attitudinal. Typically the worst performing students take secure and less challenging teaching jobs. They must make it through four years of Teachers College where they are brainwashed, and then make no waves questioning any authority for three years to get tenure. It truly is the "Brave New World" of producing drones from the Teachers Colleges to create drones in elementary education.
CJW| 6.6.12 @ 9:51AM
Another problem is that the management of the public schools does a poor job of negotiating with the unions., and generally public employers such as cities and states do a worse job negotiating with the unions. The unions have more experienced and dedicated negotiators and representatives whereas the public employers usually have politcal appointees who come and go, and are afraid to take a tough stand, unlike Walker. You have experienced dedicated union reps dealing with bureaucrats. The mayors, governors, and other polititcians, mostly Dems, are receiving political contributions from the unions they are negotiating with.
In Pgh we have an investigation of our former Dem mayor, Tom Murphy, who gave a sweetheart contract to the firefighters union, a politically active union, for their support in the primary. Of course, no charges were filed, but it was so obvious there was an "investigation."
The Catholic schools are also unionized in our area, but the Diocese has retained control of the management of the schools. The teachers average about 75% of the pay for public school teachers yet the results in the Catholic schools are superior. In addition to the dedicated teachers, the better management, the students in the Catholic schools come from more stable families. The parents are paying about $4000 per year for grade school and $10,000 per year for high school so the parents take more interest in the children's education, and are more involved.
Al Adab| 6.6.12 @ 11:14AM
Do we really think Romney would eliminate the Dept. of Ed? Will he really repeal Obamacare? What about the Dept. of Energy? Yes there might be some glimmer of hope and we can begin an incremental change. Incrementalism got us here and it can get us out, but it will take a well thought out strategy, a number of years and a Congress on board with the priorities and sgenda.
Von Mises Jr| 6.6.12 @ 11:39AM
I think you underestimate the bureaucrats, CJW. Chris Christie is working towards passing Agenda21 in New Jersey and the bureaucrats were very skilled in running Delphi Technique meetings and verbally hiding their agenda.
It is only with close readings of their plans, showing up at required meetings, asking questions UNTIL they answer them and then calling them out that you find any truth. And then you can count on them to simply disguise them better.
In socialist states such as New Jersey (and they will admit to it in private conversations), they are not just legislating socialism. It is in every program they devise.
The politicians and bureaucrats are running a money laundering operation. And they know exactly how to do it.
CJW| 6.6.12 @ 12:02PM
Von and Al Adab
Reagan promised to abolish those two depts and had not luck. The first step is to reduce their budgets, and repeal as much of their regulations as possible. These can be done by the Secretary of each dept and the president. I can guarantee you that we have a better chance of doing this with Romney than with Obama. Bush did not help with his NoChildLeftBehind which vastly increased the Education dept.
We need a solid Republican majority in Congress to abolish each. We can start by reducing their budgets, and limiting their powers.
My comments about the bureacrats was directed primarily to the lousy job they do in running the schools. I agree with you they are skilled at maintaining their fiefdooms.
"W"
Al Adab| 6.6.12 @ 1:55PM
Incrementalism. But it will take years and a Congress devoted to the cause.
Can we start with a budget say the same as 2005 in dollars? Staff reductions by attrition? Stop subsidies for preferred businesses? All those and more belong on the table. As you note, Reagan failed. Does Romney intend to try?
Von Mises Jr| 6.6.12 @ 3:08PM
What we need is a prefrontal lobotomy of the socialist policies. It will happen with Romney or it will happen with Market Discipline.
We need to have incrementalism in turning back the implementation of the policies, but slow change will not stop a national default.
JD| 6.6.12 @ 3:40PM
What Republicans take years to achieve in increments can be undone by Democrats in a week.
Brooksifier | 6.6.12 @ 10:33AM
How many decades have you been talking education reform? four?
Education reform has become feel-good:
"elect Bush and no child will be left behind."
"Elect Romney and he will reform education."
NOT!
TSD| 6.6.12 @ 8:01AM
Our school systems are run by the unions... period. Our university systems are run by the same people... period. Our government agency's' that regulate and test the education system is run by the same people...period. They have no checks and balances. They are run by a unionized, socialist, communist group of like minded subversives that look for centralized contorl and manipulation of our children in the hopes of changing our society. They are not interested in helping our children to understand how to learn, to develop the tools for critical thinking and ability to reason out right from wrong and have a work ethic to succeed on they're own efforts. Mr Romney and his people are correct in all of the above listed evaluations. Our teachers that support this crap they call an education system need to go, along with all the millions of management overhead we have at all levels and we can then work to support real teachers who will help our kids to learn the basic skill to lead a good productive life.
Pecos Pete| 6.6.12 @ 8:21AM
"The Dept of Education should be abolished."
The sooner the better. Block grant to the states all of the federal funding of the Dept of Education. Get the federal government out of education.
c. j. acworth| 6.6.12 @ 8:37AM
Which of course would be an actual increase in funding for education, since a whole layer of beaurocrats would be eliminated. Or the dollar amounts actually disbursed to the states could stay the same and the savings applied to paying down the debt.
Purp| 6.6.12 @ 4:51PM
We already did that, before there was a department of education. And, guess what? The States weren't any better at it. Next idea ...
c. j. acworth| 6.6.12 @ 9:26PM
You obviously haven't looked at a graph of SAT scores for the last few decades, have you? The line trends down ever since Carter saddled us with a Dept. of Ed.
JayDick| 6.7.12 @ 12:09PM
My recollection is that some schools were good, some not so good.
Federal money comes with lots of strings. The locals need lots of effort to make sure they comply with the strings and the Feds need lots of effort to enforce them.
In any event, it's a state/local responsibility, so they need the authority to go with that responsibility. They don't currently have it with all the Federal requirements.
One role that might be OK for the Feds would be some research, particularly about what works and what doesn't.
fmm| 6.6.12 @ 9:11AM
What is missing in the Romney plan as you outline is the recognition that the Federal government needs to be backed out of education. Again, the feds do not have a clue as to how competivite organizations are run. Changing control to the states will not improve the situation either. Until education is controlled at the local level where the taxes to run the schools are generated, the system will remain in failure.
C. Vernon Crisler | 6.6.12 @ 10:40AM
Dittos. I think many conservatives are ready to crown Romney as the new Ronald Reagan, but remember, this is the guy who gave us Romneycare, the precursor to Obamacare.
Derek Leaberry| 6.6.12 @ 12:49PM
Many conservatives better prepare for great disillusionment by the Fall of 1913 if Romney wins. Romney is not a conservative, never was a conservative, and has shown no understanding of sympathy for conservatism. He is the reprise of George Bush I.
JimP| 6.6.12 @ 9:17AM
No, no, no! We don’t need another plan from DC for public education. Let the states and localities handle their education systems. Have DC give block grants (if we as a republic want to provide funding) and the Dept. of Ed monitor that the money isn't going to cronies. Mitt’s plan no doubt will get votes, but a better plan would be to get the feds out of the education business. He blames teachers unions, but does he realize some states have no teachers union and at least one’s schools do well, Virginia’s. Others perhaps don’t do well but without a teacher’s union, who is to blame?
JimP| 6.6.12 @ 9:18AM
Half of the successful education equation is parenting. We don't have enough "Chinese Moms". Education edicts from DC, of all kinds, just make schools that are performing well that much less effective. NCLB is a perfect example. Teachers in my county's good school system became paper pushers for DC: and let one kid in one category not pass the standardized test and assets are taken away from a school for not meeting the standard. This of course punishes the remaining students who passed the tests. Mitt's plan will allow parents of poor performing students due to dysfunctional families, low IQ and various other pathologies and causes to have their child attend a school with better test scores etc, etc. But, their child, along with all the other transfer in students, will just bring the test scores down because the families expect the schools to do it all when at least 50% of the problem is their child's own limitations and their family's dysfunctions, neither of which change when the child transfers to the high performing school.
JimP| 6.6.12 @ 9:19AM
Choice does not automatically equate to better education/higher test scores. All that these federal initiatives do is complicate the present system even more, create negative unintended consequences and drive costs up further. One thing, for example, that those wanting vouchers never discuss, or even think of apparently, is how are the kids going to get to the school of their choice? Also, how long will it take to get there? How many buses and bus drivers will be needed or will these parents be driving the kids to school? Do they get transportation vouchers in addition to school vouchers? So on and so forth. Also, if you think vouchers will lead to private school nirvanna, well wait until the feds start telling the private schools they have to take all the problem, special needs, this special category and that special category kids from families with numberous dysfunctions and pathologies. Then it will be just like public education.
JayDick| 6.7.12 @ 12:13PM
Don't you think the parents and schools are capable of working this out themselves? Parents with children in private schools do. Why does the government, even local government, have to be involved?
JimP| 6.7.12 @ 6:40PM
Did you not understand my second sentence or is that some kind of rhetorical question? If you are referring to the busing comment, do you really think people will just give up school provided busing overnight? I don't, nor will the public schools disappear overnight. Therefore when everyone has a voucher to go to any school many will want their kids in a public school still, but one further from the one they now attend. It happens all the time now. Mitt's plan will open the flood gate for disruntled parents.
Derek Leaberry| 6.6.12 @ 9:35AM
The most apparent conclusion of this article is that most conservatives still don't understand that the public schools are centers of left-wing indoctrination as developed by John Dewey. Learning is secondary. Public schools can not be reformed as they always will be a moral wasteland. They should be radically defunded and left to rot. They should not be conserved.
All conservatives who love their children should rip them out of the public schools and place them in private schools, preferably with a religious bent, or homeschool them.
GW| 6.6.12 @ 4:43PM
Sigh. As the son of two public educators, this just flat out isn't true. If you live in a Midwestern town or suburb, most public schools aren't "centers of left-wing indoctrination," and public schools also have dedicated and intelligent teachers and curricula. I do agree with privatizing education, but in the here in now, conservatives should make the best of the public school system by seeking to decentralize it and ensure that American values are being taught--especially in the Red States they control.
obadiah| 6.7.12 @ 3:26PM
john dewey was not left-wing and public schools do not follow his principles. According to Will Durant, Story of Philosophy: "Following up Spencer's demand for more science and less literature in education, Dewey added that even the science should not be book learning, but should come to the pupil from the actual practice of useful occupations. He had no great regard for a 'liberal' education..."
Mimi | 6.6.12 @ 10:15AM
Good for Romney in putting forth a plan to improve education in the country....he gets it!
George Bush at his nominating convention had the same emphasis in bettering Education in America....911 changed that and not enough was done.
We have inner city schools that are truly failing our minority children...to excel in 12 years what white children do in 8 in not acceptable.
Perhaps education should begin in the WOMB...serving the mother to get a proper diet, and infant and preschool education info...ALL mothers desire their offspring to do well...it is natural and automatic.
Yesterday...in Wisconsin a monumental victory for education in limiting the union power over our schools...I hope they got the message, schools are for the nations children not their resources to be wasted on political friends.
Teachers not doing the job have to go ...and find something else they can be good at.
We have teachers sitting in rooms for years...doing nothing and getting paid protected by the unions...this should be un-acceptable!
Derek Leaberry| 6.6.12 @ 12:42PM
Most of America's inner city children are too stupid for high learning. It would be better to teach them viable trades. Installation of a solid work ethic and mannerly behavior is vital.
Alej| 6.6.12 @ 3:25PM
Agreed. The Japanese system, whereby a student in, I believe, about the equivalent of our eighth grade, takes a test that is the fork in the road for him... pass it, and go on to college prep school; fail it, and the student is shunted off to trade school.
Jesse and Al would sue, of course, so sewage will continue to be mixed with clean water in our national student body, and we'll continue to be amazed that the result isn't Daisani.
Ruckweiler| 6.6.12 @ 10:20AM
Romney will be the next President but, hang the luck, no dirt/scandals. What's a poor liberal to do?
Mimi | 6.6.12 @ 11:15AM
We will all have tears on Inauguration Day... knowing we have him, a certainly decent man and Ann by his side.
I just pray he follows the Conservative views and can restore the Country.
Derek Leaberry| 6.6.12 @ 12:43PM
Romney won't. He's a liberal.
Purp| 6.6.12 @ 4:35PM
You mean like Romneycare? You should have learned by now what he says is not what he does in office. He didn't in Massachusetts and he won't as President. But you go ahead and believe Willard.
CJW| 6.6.12 @ 5:55PM
I will believe Willard before I believe Hussein.
Drunken Sailor| 6.7.12 @ 8:43AM
"You should have learned by now what he says is not what he does in office. "
Now that is rich coming from a Obama supporter. Hell, even people on the left are mad at him for not doing what he said. Does your neck hurt from spinning around so much?
WillyP | 6.7.12 @ 4:59PM
Actually, he did do what he said. He promised the people of Massachusetts, a very liberal state, a state healthcare plan. And he delivered.
Oldefarte| 6.6.12 @ 11:52AM
Peter, outstanding article as usual!!!! Hopefully Romney will become elected and be able to implement some of these great ideas. Public education is faced with the problem of labor unions [and the incompetitent teachers accompanying same], student decipline, and lack of parental support. Sadly schools are little more that baby-sitting services for indigent parents [if they can be termed that]; and forcible deciplinary measures must accompany any school renovation ideas. Incompetitent teachers need to be fired and conpetitent teachers need to be given substantil salary raises based upon merit only. It all can and must be done if this country is to survive, since we are falling behind the Chinese, Japanese etc in educating our youth. Education needs to be restored to a thing of national pride that it once was, and it can be thus with a littel work and effort. We simply must get away from this selfishness of governmental protections of everything from entitlements, and become again a nation with a superb work ethic and desire to improve oneself [which benefits society in general]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derek Leaberry| 6.6.12 @ 12:45PM
Many of your points are wise yet you do forget that millions of students aren't really able to learn much beyond rudimentary scholarship. Beyond that, schools were meant to be indoctrination centers by John Dewey.
Oldefarte| 6.6.12 @ 4:27PM
Only because of the domestic terrorism of Democrats and their unions. Public education was once upon a time a thing of pride and joy, before federal control by Democrats was inflicted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who Knows?| 6.6.12 @ 12:28PM
“More than half of all recent college graduates are jobless or unemployed."
I think you mean “underemployed”, since “jobless” and “unemployed” basically mean the same thing.
Oldefarte| 6.6.12 @ 4:28PM
I think you'll find the word ''''''OR'''''' in his statement, meaning an equalization perhaps??????
Dave Williams| 6.6.12 @ 3:15PM
Whatever happens politically, the fact is that most people, and most Americans in particular, really do not give a fig about education...and by that, I mean TRUE, REAL education, the kind that takes actual work and study, not the pablum handed out in schools today. As long as the culture is ruled by American Idol, the NBA, and those airheaded parasites the Kardashians, education will NEVER make any headway. That said, it wouldn't be a bad idea to abolish the DEA and let the states try to run things....AS THE FOUNDING FATHERS INTENDED.
Purp| 6.6.12 @ 4:48PM
You do realize that quite a number of the airhead shows are run on FOX, don't you? Go tell them.
Purp| 6.6.12 @ 4:36PM
The very idea that Richie could even hold water for Reagan is quite insulting. Even I supported Reagan. But Willard, the Mormon, the flip-flopper, NO.
cicero| 6.6.12 @ 4:57PM
We have been sold a bill of goods. Most jobs in this country do not require a college degree, or even a 2 year certificate from a junior college. Most jobs training programs are a waste of time. The employers themselves are better equiped to train the new hires to do what is needed for the job.
We could shutter about 50% of the post secondary schools, and require real rigor in the high curriculums, and come out ahead. Most of these so calledd centers of higher education look upon the students as only a source of money, and treat them that way. They do as little as possible in order to get the stipend attached to each student's back. The unions, at all levels of education, are interested only in the economic betterment of their members. The students are only a means to that end.
Marie| 6.6.12 @ 6:18PM
What does Romney propose to do about the loser parents that pay no attention to what their school age children are doing? Give them even more welfare? Bribe them?
marque lunettes de soleil | 6.7.12 @ 3:59AM
Across the nation, our school system is a world leader in spending yet lags on virtually every measure of results…. On the latest international PISA test, American high school students ranked 14th out of 34 developed countries in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math. China's Shanghai province led the world in all three subjects, outperforming the United States by multiple grade levels in each."
aware| 6.7.12 @ 6:03AM
And now the conservative Charlie Brown will have another try at the "Reform" football Lucy is holding.
Notice how the right progressives are already cozying up to the State in anticipation of once again being able to do their part in the continuing destruction of what was once America? By the time November comes this pig(Romney) will have so much lipstick on he not only will be "Reaganesque", he will be Reagan himself!
obadiah| 6.7.12 @ 3:06PM
romney might win the election but not on the basis of delusions like these. romney has not changed from a year ago when he was always a second or third choice. if he shines in comparison to obama it is only because obama is so dim. romney is no reagan. and obama is neither carter nor marxist. obama is an empty construction of corporate interests like goldman-sachs, pharma and mpaa pretending to be for common people while betraying them on every side. romney will do better pretending to be in favor of the constitution that he will be betraying.
clemsberry| 6.9.12 @ 10:20PM
great article, great plan. thanks peter. this gives me hope. thanks..mike.