WE NEED LEADERSHIP, NOT DICTATORSHIP

THE RIGHT SIDE

BY BUDD SCHROEDER

FEBRUARY 15, 2012

WE NEED LEADERSHIP, NOT DICTATORSHIP

            This is an opinion column and this is strictly my opinion.  I recognize that my intellectual capabilities are modest, but my opinions can be somewhat controversial.  I have learned to live with that.  I hope my readers can cut me a little slack on this controversy if they disagree.

            Today’s column will deal with the premise on a subject we have discussed before about the people we elect to office.  We vote for people with the idea they will represent us only to find that there are legislators and executives who go beyond that and believe they are in office to rule us.  How may laws have been enacted that cost us more than we can really afford to pay, just because a majority of legislators have decided that they can spend our money on programs THEY decided were the best for us?

            How many freedoms have been taken away from us because these legislators and/or executives decided we were not smart enough to figure out things for ourselves?  The seat belt law is a good example of this.  No intelligent person disagrees that buckling up while driving is a smart thing to do, but does it really need a law?  Well, the use of seat belts does save lives, but should responsibility for saving a person’s life rest with the government or should it be a personal responsibility?  The debate can continue, but the requirement is the law and should be obeyed.

            However, the power of the politician keeps growing and the freedoms of the people keep diminishing.  The government has nothing that it doesn’t take from the people which is obvious with the tax laws.  We are supposed to rely on the politicians to protect our freedoms, not to modify or deny them.  Our past columns on gun control have given examples of the abuse of political power with some of the draconian laws to deny or at best, modify Second Amendment Constitutional rights.

            Now, President Obama has gone father and with a stroke of his pen decided that the Catholic Church has to provide contraceptive products although it is against their doctrine. Then, because he was getting flak and possibly the loss of a voting base, he announced that he was willing to make a compromise.

            Now, the church organization doesn’t have to provide the benefit, but the insurance company must provide the benefit for free.  Hello? Who pays the premium to the insurance company?  Will the insurance company absorb the cost by lowering the compensation to their management?  Hardly!  They will just raise the cost of the insurance to the Catholic institutions that buy it.  Hardly a compromise!

 I am a believer in birth control as something responsible for people who want to have only as many children as they can afford.  I disagree with irresponsible people who keep having babies and expect them to be supported by checks from Social Services (the taxpayers).   There are some who will argue that free birth control will actually reduce abortions. 

            I am against abortion except if it is absolutely necessary to save the life of the mother. I’m a bit ambivalent regarding exceptions for rape and incest.  I really don’t like to get involved in that discussion.  Then again, I have met some people who made me think birth control and abortion should be retroactive.  But that is just another opinion.

            My big argument against Obama’s directive is that he is forcing his will (and opinion) on organizations that have a moral objection and church doctrine against what he has dictated.  I believe that is absolutely wrong, especially in a health insurance policy.

            Pregnancy is not a disease and health insurance policies should be dedicated to curing and preventing disease.  The cost of preventing pregnancy should be the sole responsibility of those who can cause or be pregnant.  This is an issue that smacks of true intrusion on the responsibility of individuals. 

            Like Obamacare that was jammed down the throats of Americans, this provision should be eliminated from making the church subservient to government.  In fact, one could make the argument that it is a violation of the First Amendment.  Remember this in November.

IF IT’S BROKE, LET’S FIX IT.

THE RIGHT SIDE
BY BUDD SCHROEDER
FEBRUARY 8, 2012

IF IT’S BROKE, LET’S FIX IT.

            Education is one of the most important aspects of our society.  How we teach and train our children has the greatest impact on the future of our civilization.  All our progress depends on improvement and without new minds and new ideas, a culture and innovation stagnate.  That is how important a good education is.
            We have seen decades of failure in education, and in spite of all the money spent on the educational system, the results have, for a significant portion of our student body, been very disappointing.  So what’s the problem?  Many people have an opinion and few are worth considering.  Some, not so much, because of the self-interest that feeds the opinions.
            This is just my personal opinion and it could be completely wrong or it could be worthy of consideration.  Again it depends on perspective and perception, but many ideas are controversial. I doubt if this will be an exception to that rule.
            If I had absolute power to change the system these are some of the suggestions I would like those in power to think about and then implement.  The first suggestion is to really focus on the reason for schools.  It is for the benefit of the students.
            If that is the focus, then it is most reasonable to believe that the most important people in the educational system are the teachers.  They are the ones who are directly responsible for making sure the students are properly taught and leave the system with the skills necessary to function properly in a civilized society.
            We understand that this can be a real challenge in many school districts.  Some districts are comprised of family units that are strong and supportive of a good education.  In other districts, many children are sorely handicapped by being in a family where there is a abundance of indifference and an “education don’t matter” attitude.  Some children are abused and/or have genetic learning disabilities.  They deserve an education too, but may have to need special attention in order to progress.
            That is the reason we need exceptional teachers and a better system for them to use their talents and abilities.  The system needs revision and many or the bureaucrats who are living in the ivory towers and the superfluous administrators can be more of an impediment than a asset to education.  In fact, when they cut education budgets, they should save teachers and lay off assistants and deputy superintendents in the systems.
            A good place to start would be for the federal government to get rid of the Department of Education.  It spends billions of taxpayer dollars and the results have shown the money has, for the most part, been wasted.  The State Department of Education could have the budget cut in half and I will bet the farm this would not have any negative effect on graduation rates.
            It has been my experience that most bureaucracies and the bureaucrats who run them have as their prime directive to: 1. Justify their existence, 2.  Expand their power by raising their budget, and 3. Hiring more people and requiring a lot of paper work.
            Granted, there are some bureaucracies that are necessary.  They aren’t so necessary in the field of education.  If you agree with this concept, let’s continue with some ideas for improvement.
            First, give the teachers the respect and protection they deserve, like make any assault on a teacher a felony.  If a parent or student assaults a teacher, a minimum of a year in jail is not excessive.
            Second, change the way the system works.  Put an end to social promotion and put the students in modules that are made up of students of similar abilities.   Integrating students of lesser abilities in the same classroom hinders the good students for reaching their learning potential, and hasn’t shown to raise the abilities of the educationally challenged students.
            A classroom that has even one disruptive student is a distraction for those who come to learn.  The disruptive and the academically challenged students should have their own classes with a specially trained teacher.  These teachers deserve a premium salary if they are able to progress with these students.
            Future columns will offer more suggestions regarding education, and more research is necessary, but if something is broken and doesn’t work right, it is our obligation to fix it.  Let’s make sure it gets fixed.

WILL YOU BE PART OF THE PROCESS?

THE RIGHT SIDE

BY BUDD SCHROEDER

FEBRUARY 1, 2010

WILL YOU BE PART OF THE PROCESS?

Taxes are too high.  The rich should pay higher taxes.  Government is too expensive.  Something has to be done to reduce property taxes.  People can’t afford to live in their own homes if they retire.  The state places too many restrictions on businesses which is the reason businesses are leaving and new ones won’t come to New York.  Public employees are getting too many sweetheart deals on pensions and health care plans.

            We have all heard the comments and because this is an election year, the politicians are well aware of the people’s concerns.  Since re-election is a top priority with incumbents, we may hear a lot of campaign speeches with them addressing these problems.  Some will make sense, some will offer solutions, and some will be pure rhetoric with excuses.  Some may even be pure political side stepping and promises. 

            By now, we should expect all this.  One of the big targets this year will be school districts.  This is probably the only government expense that is devoted to one occupation.  The county tax includes many departments and so do town and village taxes.  Town taxes are included in the county tax bill and they are accepted as part of the cost of living in the chosen locality. 

            But the school tax is sent all by itself and it can be the largest of the tax bills in some localities.  It can draw resentment from some people, especially those who don’t have children in the system. Yet, some people don’t drive or use libraries, but pay for them, too.  Some people begrudge paying for welfare because they don’t believe there should be a safety net for those who are unfortunate.  That is a pretty mean spirited attitude.

            But schools lately have been getting the brunt of the criticism and in truth, there should be some adjustments in funding and in taxation.  Many believe there is too much top heavy administration costs.  Perhaps the consolidation of smaller districts could help that factor.  It would seem logical that a school district could and should have at least 10,000 students.  Why should a school district having fewer than 500 students have a superintendent with a six figure salary?  That could be hard to justify.

            The first priority should be the education of students, but with the power of the unions, their focus seems to be on the welfare of the employees.  That is the prime function of the unions and often conflicts with the attitudes of the taxpayer.

            There is a dichotomy between the philosophies of:  “A workman is worthy of his hire,” and “Nothing is worth more than what people are willing or able to pay.”  And, this is the problem for the politicians.  In Allegany County, there are many non-residents who have property, but use it seasonally.  This gives the assessor the perfect condition for assessing land.  The assessor and politicians can skin the taxpayer without disturbing the voter.  This is a politician’s dream.

            There are no easy answers.  No matter which way a law is written there will always be supporters and critics.  Sometimes an issue really heats up and squeaking wheels get the grease. It can even cause people to set up tents on public land in protest for their perceived grievances, and that gets attention.

            This might be a route for taxpayers to get attention, but since most taxpayers work for a living, it could be impractical.  It is going to be an interesting journey to the ballot box in November with many issues to resolve.  It will be fun writing columns during this time.  Remember:  we get the government we deserve.  Plan on being a participant on Election Day! 

 Intelligent people get involved in the process.  The weak-minded, irresponsible dunderheads will ignore the campaigns and stay home.  Usually, they are the biggest whiners when the country heads in the wrong direction.  Then, these idiots have the nerve to blame other people.  What a shame in a great country!