Do You Hug Your Garbage Collector? Union Attacks Romney

This guy is upset that Mitt and Ann Romney don’t come out and shake their hands and hug them while they are out collecting garbage.

I have never met my garbage collector.  I am normally busy when they come around and most of my neighbors are at work.  My garbage is collected about noon or so, if I am not mistaken.

Now Ann and Mitt do pay property taxes on this home.  This is their home in California, which they don’t live in full-time.  If I am not mistaken those taxes are quite high.  Those taxes pay his salary as well as his benefits.   If this is the worse thing that someone can say about Mitt Romney, I would say that he is someone that belongs in elected office considering some of the other imbeciles  we deal with.

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Homeschooling Reaching the Black Communities

A dirty little secret that you won’t find out about from the U.S. media (shocker, I know) is that more and more black families are turning to home schooling in an attempt to give their children the education that they deserve.  While I am sure it is very difficult in the more urban areas where the public schools are especially atrocious, it is still a growing trend.  Another thing many are probably not aware of the existence of is a homeschool cooperative dedicated to the black community.

 Monica Utsey, who runs a home schooling co-operative for African American children in Washington DC, says: “African-American mothers, especially those who have boys, have a lot of trouble in the school system. The way the classroom is designed is more conducive for girls.”

For her, though, the main motivation was cultural – she wanted her sons to learn about their African roots and not “to believe that their history begins with slavery”

Another words, she doesn’t want her sons to be taught that they are victims who have no real chance of succeeding because of a racist society that is America.  Derrick Bell will be rolling over in his grave.  How will the left indoctrinate these young sons who are taught they are equal human beings and have the same opportunities that their white counterparts have, they just have to work for it? Oh Al Sharpton, watch out, you may not be able to make a living peddling fear anymore.

It is true that homeschooling is not something that will work for every family.  Some parents don’t have the discipline, the qualifications, and some children do well in a public school environment.  I know someone who has one child in public school and homeschools the other.  Her son was just not doing well in school and his teachers were not communicating that to them.  They pulled him out and have him at home.  She works full-time, but works from home most of the time.  He does much of his school work online and if she happens to be away from home she can log in and watch his progress.  She told me the difference is night and day; he is learning –eager even–and is much happier.  Her daughter has excelled in the public school and is a very social young lady, homeschooling wouldn’t suit her personality.  It is a situation that works for their family.  It is the essence of choice.  Not every parent who has that choice will pull their children out of public school.

Of course that destroys the narrative that the public school system will crumble.  More homeschooling will make the public school system better.  Competition is a good thing.  If they need to compete for the dollars they make sure that they are giving an added benefit to the parents who are making that choice.  One of the things you hear unions complain about all the time is the fact that the class sizes are too large (they are right, they are in most cases) this will also help with this problem.  The teachers will have smaller classes and will be able to give more attention to the individual students.

Another topic that has come up with these homeschoolers is how they resent that teachers now are only teaching to the test (Thanks Sen. Kennedy and President Bush).  The evil of No Child Left Behind has left children behind.  The school systems are under so much financial pressure to keep and/or improve test scores that the joy of learning has been taken out of the equation.  I am sure it is no joy for the teachers either.  But students are suffering because of this piece of lousy legislation.  Parents are seeing for themselves that their kids are losing motivation:

It was not the violence, or even the fact that he was being bullied, that finally led to the decision to remove Copeland from his public school in what she describes as a “really bad area” of Washington DC, but the fact that he was “losing his love of learning”.

Of course this little boy was learning his love of learning – which by the way, is innate in a child – if he is being bullied, seeing violence, and being taught only to a standardized test.

The shift to homeschooling has been much slower for the black community than for the white.  They are under even more pressure to keep pretending that the public school system has their child’s best interests at heart:

“For the African-American community there was a huge amount of pressure against it, because in America, the grandparents of today’s home-schooled children fought for desegregation of schools. They thought, ‘The public schools are going to save us,'” he says.

But Dr Ray, who regularly interviews black home-schoolers as part of his research, says attitudes are changing fast – and it’s also a lot easier today for black families to try it than it was 20 years ago, he points out.

Joyce Burges, co-founder of National Black Home Educators, who home-schooled all five of her children, aged 16 to 35, says the practice is growing “exponentially” in the African American community.

“The failings of public schools have caused all of us, whether we are white or black, to come up with creative ideas about how we can educate children.

It is way past time that the black community push back and stop accepting the failing status quo that has become our public school system and take matters into their own hands.  Stop listening to the stories of the past generation that believed that it was going to be public schools that solved the ills of the black community.  Access is meaningless if the school is failing.  Your children will be much better off for it.

H/T Jammie Wearing Fool

Quote of the Day – Lawrence Summers Edition

“Another cause of long-term unemployment is unionization. High union wages that exceed the competitive market rate are likely to cause job losses in the unionized sector of the economy.”

Lawrence Summers, former Economic Advisor to President Obama

Really, I never would have guessed.

Is the Atlanta Public School for Scandal Typical?

USA Today has a piece noting few states check for suspicious erasures on standardized tests, in the wake of systematic cheating by Atlanta teachers:

A survey by USA TODAY of state education agencies found that 20 states and Washington, D.C., did erasure analysis on all pencil-and-paper tests required during the 2010-11 school year under the federal No Child Left Behind education law.

That means nearly 45% of the annual reading and math exams this year were scored without analyzing erasures.

A D.C. check found problems with over half.

A better approach would of course be to let the tax dollars go to the parents and follow the child. Parents know how well their children are learning, and even if some parents don’t care there are enough who do to force improvement through school competition.

A matter of degree

Women surpassed men over a decade ago in getting bachelor’s degrees. Now it’s post-graduate.

On the face of it, fine.

But the story touts the wonderful opportunity for men to be Mr. Mom. This is a feminist leftie take on the stats.

If you’re going to take that tack, given men’s underemployment in the mancession, shouldn’t this be a cause for concern? I mean, men might want choice too.

The other issue is just what kind of learning is going on in some of our schools anyway? (See previous post for just one example. Here’s another. Here’s another and another.)

We’re paying a lot, or our kids are. Some call it a higher education bubble.

With this economy, what kind of jobs do we especially need for the future, to be able to compete in the world economy?

Women still trail men in professional subcategories such as business, science and engineering.

It’s a matter of degree.

Mad City judge returns from vacation, inserts self again

Oh yeah, she had said she needed more time to consider whether the passage of the bill violated the open meetings act, then went on vacation. Now she’s baaaack, and still hasn’t ruled on the merits (such as they are NOT) The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

This Secretary of State business reminds me of the Illinois posturing about seating seedy Dem Sen. Roland Burris, using process to evade common sense. This is how the leftie-leaning legal profession strikes many of us these days. I thank God that after my acceptance at UW law school years ago, when I was still a wavering liberal, I got a private sector job offer and never looked back.

Another reason to eliminate Secretaries of State. (Isn’t that how corrupt IL GOP Gov. Ryan ascended?) And eliminate process, if it means you have to publish laws in the MSM for them to take effect. Why should they have so much power vested in them?

An interesting split among law profs at Marquette. One agrees with Judge SEIU Sumi. The other:

Richard Esenberg said he was not surprised by the ruling but criticized the judge.

“There is applicable Supreme Court precedent that a court has no authority to enjoin the publication of a law,” he said. “The state has repeatedly cited that law to her and as far as I know she has not only failed to explain herself about why she feels she has the authority, she hasn’t even acknowledged there is an issue. That just leaves me speechless.”

Esenberg was referring to a 1943 state Supreme Court opinion that said courts could not interfere with legislation until it is published and becomes law.

According to the JS the Assistant Attorney General says the law is absolutely still in effect.

As for the public sector unions and their ally Dem WI Secretary of State LaFollette, struck inarticulate by the TEA party, I will quote his famous relative, Fighting Bob:

“Free men of every generation must combat renewed efforts of organized force and greed to destroy liberty.”

More over by me at BackyardConservative.

Walker Calls Out The One in the WaPo

Doesn’t this hugely amuse you too?

Our reform plan calls for a 5.8 percent pension contribution from government workers, including myself, and a 12.6 percent health insurance premium payment. Both are well below what middle-class, private-sector workers pay. Federal workers, however, pay an average of 28 percent of health insurance costs.

It’s enough to make you wonder why there are no protesters circling the White House.

Meanwhile, back in Obama’s home stomping grounds of Cook County, IL, there are actual calls for the public unions to back off.

Other states are exercising long latent citizen muscle to confront the public union excess driving us to the poorhouse.

Come on America, let’s move! Our way:)

 

Nudity, Child Rape, Suicide Shown to 9yr olds at Suburban Chicago Winnetka Grade School. ‘Appropriately’, no one Fired

However, we can assure the public that the staff members involved in this incident were treated fairly and appropriately. No employees were or will be fired as a result of this incident.

Do you know who’s teaching your child? And what they’re “teaching”? Who decides when a child is old enough for nudity, rape and suicide – parents or teachers?

Maybe it’s all the rumblings about union salaries, pensions and power in the news, but there is a broader question raised by a recent incident at Greeley School in Winnetka. That’s where a couple of substitute teachers showed parts of an HBO movie called The Middle Passage to fourth graders a few weeks ago. Some parents were upset that their 9-year-olds were viewing a movie that included nudity, child rape and suicide aboard a slave ship.

Of course parents who questioned this were accused of being vile bigots… 

The issue came to light after Patrick Livney and three other parents of Greeley School fourth graders complained about the film.

Livney said it’s had scarring effects on his daughter and other students at Greeley.

“Now we’ve got a situation where there’s demonstrable damage done to 9-year-olds’ brains. We have fourth graders talking about depressing classrooms, depression. Boys going around talking about ‘rape dogs.’ Are you kidding me?” Livney said. “After five great years at Greeley, (my daughter) doesn’t want to go to school.”

He said some boys now don’t want to go into the water “because this movie shows sharks devouring slaves who were purposely thrown overboard.”[snip]

From a harshly sarcastic email by Jen McQuet, a Winnetka parent, published in TribLocal:

About 20 million Africans were taken from homes and families and sold into slavery to work plantations in North and South America. More than half died. But the real tragedy, really and seriously, is that a privileged little girl from Winnetka had to see some scary pictures of it. That’s serious, long-lasting damage.

…For wanting to protect their children from vile imagery. (You know, something a bit like this but much, much worse.) More at leftie Huffpo, which overwhelmingly voted it was OK to show this to grade school kids.Who is politicizing education? For the children. Who is treating children as pawns for their agenda? Is this a “safe learning environment”? Causing some children to cry until midnight and have recurring nightmares and fears? 

What next, Winnetka, a Laurie Dann reenactment? For educational purposes, of course.

The rest of the post here.

Video: Best union spokesman yet

Listen and learn, ye ignorant masses:

Well, I’m convinced.

Hat tip: Gateway Pundit

Let’s hope he wasn’t a history teacher…

Borrowing JaCG’s line, here’s another, pardon the pun, teachable union moment from the Providence Journal:

“This is beyond insane,” Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith said Tuesday night. “Let’s create the most chaos and the highest level of anxiety in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress. Now I know how the United States State Department felt on Dec. 7 , 1941.” That was the day the Japanese government bombed Pearl Harbor.

I guess the paper had to insert that tidbit of explanation for those readers who had been educated in the Providence school system.

H/t: Legal Insurrection.

Fleedom Fighter Farce. WI Dems discovered. Indiana Dems Flee

Fastmoving events this morning.

WISenDems on lam in IL forced to buy underwear, scavenge for food

More Dems on the lam. Indiana

WISen Dems discovered on border, Harvard, IL. Call police on TEA Party!

Meanwhile, I believe our President Barack Obama is blathering on in Ohio. The next showdown:)

…And Gov. Christie on now with his budget address.

Gang Rape, Bloody Assault & Medical Fraud – Barry Approved!

Barack Obama  endorses the protests in Madison, Wisconsin (coming soon to a city near YOU), here is what he is supporting and helping to facilitate through his minions:

Medical Fraud

Gang rapes for Conservative females

Violent bloody assaults for TEA partiers who dare to voice opposition to the OfA/SEIU agenda

Barry is winning the future for his cronies at the expense of everyone else in America and that expense may be a steep price indeed.

WTG, wtf!

Listening to WTMJ Milwaukee–The Walker Revolution:)

Live here. Radio Free Wisconsin vs. the people’s republic of Madison.

Teachers ditch classes and encourage their students to skip school. Holding kids and working parents hostage. Classic union irresponsibility which has driven states and localities into bankruptcy. Public servants are our masters, but Wisconsin’s new Republican governor Scott Walker is pointing out some home truths and, with a newly elected Republican majority in both legislatures, reflecting the will of we the people:

The protesters are taking issue with Walker’s budget repair plan, which he presented last week. The governor said besides removing workers’ collective bargaining rights, except when negotiating salary, state employees need to pay more for health care benefits and their pensions. Local firefighters, such as local police and members of the Wisconsin State Patrol, are exempt in the bill.

The governor said that the moves are necessary to better contend with the state’s fiscal problems and he can’t negotiate with the unions since the state has nothing to offer. The bill’s supporters said public workers must make sacrifices to help balance the state’s budget. The state has a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall.

It’s the only thing to do. What future will these kids have if they have to pay for people who retire early with cushy salaries and benefits. Wisconsin is trying to fend off the death spiral that Illinois is embracing.

More here.

Wal-Mart, Obama, and “Fundamental Transformation”

Is anyone else wondering what is going on with Wal-Mart and the leftist BO regime?  All of a sudden, after at least a decade of being the target of leftist vilification and rage, Wal-Mart is being wooed by Obama and his traitorous horde.  DHS and FLOTUS are cuddling up to Wal-Mart . . . and Wal-Mart is spooning them right back.  Let’s not forget how Wal-Mart came out in support of BO’s government takeover of healthcare; that didn’t really seem to make sense at the time, particularly given Wal-Mart’s shaky history with its employees’ health coverage and poverty-level wages.  Oh, sure, the SEIU hasn’t received the memo and that marriage of convenience between the purple shirts and the yellow smiley face over health care is definitely not going well, but something is going on here.

It seems to me, given Wal-Mart’s history of supporting crap legislation (like cap and tax and the aforementioned job-killing healthcare monstrosity), that Wal-Mart is more than happy to support anything that will push their competitors–small businesses–out of business.  Sky-rocketing health care and energy costs?  Sure, that’s wonderful . . . for massive Wal-Mart.

The free market isn’t free (or much of a market) if the biggest players, abetted by the federal government, manipulate it through regulation and assorted under-handed, dishonest machinations that eliminate all (or certainly most) competition.  This seems pretty obvious, right?  And yet, one can’t help but wonder if this isn’t exactly what this regime and Wal-Mart are doing.   Using socialist progressives to further your own business interests at the expense of the middle class?  What can go wrong?

The unanswered question: what’s in it for the Tyrant in Chief and how does this play into his “fundamental transformation” of our beloved country?

Did union slowdown cause blizzard deaths?

Can this be true? I sincerely hope not. It would be unconscionable:

Selfish Sanitation Department bosses from the snow-slammed outer boroughs ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest budget cuts — a disastrous move that turned streets into a minefield for emergency-services vehicles, The Post has learned. [. . .]

The snitches “didn’t want to be identified because they were afraid of retaliation,” Halloran said. “They were told [by supervisors] to take off routes [and] not do the plowing of some of the major arteries in a timely manner. They were told to make the mayor pay for the layoffs, the reductions in rank for the supervisors, shrinking the rolls of the rank-and-file.”

The mayor isn’t the only one who has been made to “pay.” A newborn baby and a 75 year-old woman are dead because emergency vehicles couldn’t get to them:

A blizzard baby delivered inside the lobby of a snowbound Brooklyn building died after an emergency call of a woman in labor brought no help for nine excruciating hours.

The baby’s mother, a 22-year-old college senior, was recovering Tuesday night at Interfaith Medical Center, where her newborn was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. on Monday. That was 10 hours after the first 911 call from the bloody vestibule on Brooklyn Ave. in Crown Heights.

“No one could get to her. Crown Heights was not plowed, and no medical aid came for hours,” said the student’s mother.

If this was deliberate, heads need to roll.

Sherrod accused of exploiting her own laborers

Tom Blumer, The Examiner: Former Shirley Sherrod employee accuses her of exploiting black farm laborers.

Somehow this is not a surprise. Can we recall SEIU employees picketing SEIU?

The left always thinks rules are for everyone else. Someone else should always pay.

Discovery during her lawsuit against Andrew Breitbart should be interesting.

More. Roger L. Simon, on a related subject, in part:

At this moment, two of their leaders from a supposedly disadvantaged minority are about to be tried for ethical transgressions (read: thievery) even Congress couldn’t sweep under the rug. Never mind that these transgressions mostly exploit the very minority these people purport to represent. It’s part of the game. Convince minorities they should act like victims. Extort guilt payments from the majority and keep the change. Meanwhile, nothing improves for the minority because it would interrupt the system.

Connected elites win, most lose.

All we want is a level, color-blind playing field.

A Stop and Shop in the Everglades?

Don’t be fooled by her cardigans–it’s the big belts that are the clue. The Obama Administration Chews the Fat.

I have a better idea. How about support Wal Mart in Chicago, Michelle. That would help alleviate food deserts–and maybe create some real jobs in the neighborhood.

(Backlash already started.)

P.S. All jog together now.

–crossposted at BackyardConservative

Thugs storm bank lobbies — in US, not Greece

Sister Toldjah: Union thugs storm the front yards of banking lobbyists, take over some banks

When I saw that headline I thought this must be happening in Greece. Nope. It’s bussed-in SEIU thugs harassing private citizens in Maryland and storming bank lobbies in Washington, DC. Click above for story and photos.

SEIU Executive VP Advises: “Black people get scared”

H/T: Breitbart

SEIU Executive VP Gerry Hudson lays out a sure-fire plan in this video clip from Naked Emperor News to scare their black membership so they no longer oppose immigration reform. Surely they can’t have the concerns of their own members messing up the opportunity to have a slew of newly legalized immigrants to fill the union coffers. Hudson isn’t really worried about opposition from the black community though, “it doesn’t take a whole lot to argue African-American workers to another place.” Essentially the plan involves telling them pay no attention to these immigrants who might take your jobs look over there at those “f’ing rabid racists.”  Nice plan, shows great respect for the African-Americans he represents doesn’t it? Video at the link, language warning applies as you may have already guessed.

Another fun California public school story

From the LA Weekly via Mark Hemingway:

In the past decade, LAUSD officials spent $3.5 million trying to fire just seven of the district’s 33,000 teachers for poor classroom performance — and only four were fired, during legal struggles that wore on, on average, for five years each. Two of the three others were paid large settlements, and one was reinstated. The average cost of each battle is $500,000.

During our investigation, in which we obtained hundreds of documents using the California Public Records Act, we also discovered that 32 underperforming teachers were initially recommended for firing, but then secretly paid $50,000 by the district, on average, to leave without a fight. Moreover, 66 unnamed teachers are being continually recycled through a costly mentoring and retraining program but failing to improve, and another 400 anonymous teachers have been ordered to attend the retraining.

Read the rest at Beltway Confidential.

Related post here.