Everything Isn't So Rosy with Mr. Henry

[Cubs]

quote: Istook is a fool. He blames Henry for Kerr mcgee leaving? Kerr Mcgee was BOUGHT! What does he propose? Buying the company to keep them in state? And GM? they created their own problems and correctly closed a bloated SUV plant.

Well you can make excuses for everyting. What about Citgo, Sunoco, Closing of the Bridgestone Firestone plant in OKC by the end of this year, Six Flags, Valtimet (Stainless Steel Plant)(60 jobs), Eaton (plant in Vinita; 185 jobs), etc., etc.?? .... I know I am forgetting several. I'm sure you have excuses for all of these! I'm sure it isn't Brad Henry's fault is it?? NO, we should blame Bush -- who is the President of the WHOLE country -- not Brad Henry who is responsible for ONE state.

Just face the facts ... Brad Henry's solution to the economic problem is casinos. Now whether or not you like casinos, (you know were I stand) you have to realize that most of the jobs casinos create are no better than retail jobs. These low-paying jobs explain the growing poverty rate. Yet Brad Henry thinks this is good. With the increasing number of low-payed citizens, the amount of food stamps going out is also surging -- and who pays for that? Yep the state! Plus the state has to pay to help those who get a gambling addiction.

Sorry my posts always go to casinos, but they are so stupid, I can't help myself.

Have a good night!!

[Cubs]

Oh and in Brad Henry's commercial it says that by raising teacher pay that it helps us get teachers from other states. Do you really believe this?? It might help us keep a couple (like 2) but no one is going to move here because of the teacher raises.

[SXSW]

Brad Henry has my vote because he values education and its impact on Oklahoma.  Our education system is one of the worst in the nation so anything we can do to improve, even if it means no new tax cuts and maybe even a slight raise in taxes, is well worth it in the long run.  He fought to give teacher's a considerable pay raise and better fund higher education, but was compromised by the Republicans (typical) but if the state congress goes back to Democratic control he may actually be able to do it right.  His $500 million higher education bond helped keep tuition at Oklahoma universities out of control and has resulted in new buildings and professors.  I think Oklahoma is in good, albeit not great, hands with Henry.  Much better than Istook...

[Cubs]

Just because you throw money at education does not mean you are helping it. And you should know, my sister and several other family members are teachers. Some good quotes about teachers by Anne Coulter in Godless:The Church of Liberalism.:
"We are simultaneously supposed to gasp in awe at teachers' raw dedication and be forced to listen to their incessant caterwauling about how they don't make enough money. Well which is it? Are they dedicated to teaching or are they in it for the money?"
"Educating children is no longer the primary purpose of the public schools. Today their purpose is to employ 2 million people."
"Putting children in government schools at younger and younger ages does not help the children; it merely expands teachers' unions' membership rolls. As any normal human being could tell you-and studies now confirm!-it's better for a child under five years old to be at home with his mother than in child care, not matter how 'stimulating' the environment."
"Comparing hourly wages based on the teachers' self-reports, Vedder says, 'Teachers earned more per hour than architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, statisticians, biological and life scientists, atmospheric and space scientists, registered nurses, physical therapists, university-level foreign-language teachers, librarians, technical writers, musicians, artists, and editors and reporters.' Only lawyers, engineers, and doctors earned more."
"Comparing hourly earnings still does not quite compare apples to apples or even apples and oranges-more like apples to grapes-because of the massive benefits packages public school teahcers receive. Teachers have far more generous pensions than other professional workers, allowing them to retire earlier."
"Between 1982 and 2001, spending on New York City public schools increased by more than 300 percent, clocking in at $11,474 per pupil annually....And yet the New York State courts oficially found in 2003 that graduates of New York City's public schools are not competent to sit on a jury. The courts found that schools were not providing children with such skills as 'basic literacy, calculating and verbal skills necessary to enable children to eventually function productively as civil participants capable of voting and serving in a jury.'"
"Most public schools are-at best-nothing but expensive babysitting arrangements, helpfully keeping hoodlums off the streets during daylight hours."

Throwing money at schools does not solve the problems. However, liberals love the public school system because they know that public schools teach liberal ideals. Public schools are the churches of "The Church of Liberalism"

Conclusion --- Brad Henry's solution of throwing money at schools will not help the schools in the long run.

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by Cubs

Oh and in Brad Henry's commercial it says that by raising teacher pay that it helps us get teachers from other states. Do you really believe this?? It might help us keep a couple (like 2) but no one is going to move here because of the teacher raises.

Yes, I do believe it.  When our salaries were substantially lower than surrounding states, teachers left for those states in large numbers.  Based on this evidence, I think its a fair bet that they will be more likely to stay.

/And stay away from Ann Coulter, she doesn't know how to make things better, she has simply figured out how to make a buck by saying ridiculously inflammatory, hateful, things.  And she isn't even original; she's a plagiarist.

[iplaw]

Speaking of teacher raises.  My wife is a special ed teacher and received a "raise" this year, like many of the "raises" she has had before.  Unfortunately, they are paying less of her insurance so she is paying more of her monthly insurance payment so she may end up making less this year than last year.

She has been teaching for 6 years now and they always pull something like that.  They give the teachers a raise, but to compensate for the raise, they modify another area of compensation.  Sorry for the derail.

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

Speaking of teacher raises.  My wife is a special ed teacher and received a "raise" this year, like many of the "raises" she has had before.  Unfortunately, they are paying less of her insurance so she is paying more of her monthly insurance payment so she may end up making less this year than last year.

She has been teaching for 6 years now and they always pull something like that.  They give the teachers a raise, but to compensate for the raise, they modify another area of compensation.  Sorry for the derail.

How's that a derail?  If Hiatt and the Republicans had managed to trim the raises the way that they wanted, she'd be making far less than she is today.

Runaway insurance costs are a national trend.  If Oklahoma is providing offsets and other states aren't, then we are still ahead of the game.  Sorry for the rerail.[]

/And props to your wife.  Teacher's are true heroes and Great Americans!

[iplaw]

I guess my point was that dollar for dollar she really isn't making much more than she did when she started 6 years ago.  They ensure that any "raise" is counteracted by a concomittant cut in benefits somewhere else to balance their loss.

Bottom line for her is if she need to make more money she could move to Texas and be far better compensated.

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

I guess my point was that dollar for dollar she really isn't making much more than she did when she started 6 years ago.  

I hear ya.  From the above chart, you can probably infer that most Americans are in a similar situation...not that there should be any comfort in that.

I simply see the investment in education as a bright spot in our future.  When China and India are turning out engineers at a rate of 10-to-1 over the US, you still have to ask yourself if this is enough.  Whether it is or isn't, you have to appreciate the fact that there's still some fight in us.

[iplaw]

I tend to wonder if their current success is more of a cultural thing.  It seems as if education and self improvement is valued overseas more than in the US.  The vast majority of students in the US are spoiled, rotten, Ipod cultured students who think things should be handed to them on silver platters.

Success and excellence are only sought by a minority of students in the US, whereas overseas it is the majority of students who are dedicated to education and success.  

I think it's a symptom of parental failure en masse.  Schools can only do so much for a student.  They can only teach those that are there to learn.

[Cubs]

quote: Speaking of teacher raises. My wife is a special ed teacher and received a "raise" this year, like many of the "raises" she has had before. Unfortunately, they are paying less of her insurance so she is paying more of her monthly insurance payment so she may end up making less this year than last year.

Sounds to me like Henry is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

Oh and another story just today of Henry's lack of economic success. http://kotv.com/news/?110598
I'm tired of us loosing jobs under Henry .... I guess the Henry supporters like loosing jobs.

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

I tend to wonder if their current success is more of a cultural thing.  It seems as if education and self improvement is valued overseas more than in the US.  The vast majority of students in the US are spoiled, rotten, Ipod cultured students who think things should be handed to them on silver platters.

Success and excellence are only sought by a minority of students in the US, whereas overseas it is the majority of students who are dedicated to education and success.  

I think it's a symptom of parental failure en masse.  Schools can only do so much for a student.  They can only teach those that are there to learn.

Don't get me started; I suffer from premature crotchetiness.  Its hard to blame the kids, sometimes.  Seems like a third of them are plagued by helicopter parents and weighed down by "participation medals".  I know kids like this.  These show ponies grow up believing that they are gifted at everything  cannot handle criticism of any kind.  The reality of a 9 to 5 hits 'em hard.

Another third should be so lucky...no parents around and nothing but "Pimp my Hamster" for guidance in life.  They probably won't ever have to worry about a 9 to 5.

The other third will probably turn out okay, but in the meantime, they need to STAY THE H*LL OFF MY LAWN!

Seems like other cultures, out of necessity or tradition, treat their kids more like tiny adults.  I'm sure there's a downside, but I'm not seeing it.

[Cubs]

Two good casino/lottery stories just today.
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/359001.html
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/358960.html
I wish my job of showing that Henry is an idiot was not so easy.

[AVERAGE JOE]

quote:Originally posted by Cubs

Two good casino/lottery stories just today.
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/359001.html
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/358960.html
I wish my job of showing that Henry is an idiot was not so easy.

So all the idiot voters who passed the lottery and casino gaming... what about them?

[marc]

quote:Originally posted by Cubs

Two good casino/lottery stories just today.
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/359001.html
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0906/358960.html
I wish my job of showing that Henry is an idiot was not so easy.

Many non-gaming businesses are victims of crime, and there are many phone scams out there unrelated to gaming. It is only when gaming is involved that the type of business is blamed, rather than the criminal.