Charter-school amendment would set off gold rush
Reading the list of out-of-state contributors to the campaign to pass Amendment 1, the state charter-schools amendment, you get the sense that an old-fashioned gold rush would begin in Georgia the moment the amendment is approved.
J.C. Huizenga, founder of Michigan-based National Heritage Academies, a for-profit charter school operator, has contributed $25,000; his company contributed a matching $25,000. Charter Schools USA, based in Florida, contributed $50,000 as well. D.A. Davidson, a financial services firm based in Great Falls, Montana that touts itself as “a recognized leader in charter school financing,” has so far given $5,000. And K12 Inc., a for-profit provider of online classes and “full-time online public schools,” has kicked in $100,000.
Those account only for contributions made through Sept. 21; the final campaign-disclosure reports may include additional big-dollar donations from companies eager to enter Georgia’s public-school marketplace.
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong about for-profit companies operating in the education sector. However, despite the fervor of those who preach that competition solves all problems, there’s nothing inherently good about it either. None of the countries that outperform the United States in education, for example, do so through the for-profit model.
In addition, the overall shoddy performance of for-profit colleges and universities here in the United States provides stark evidence that when the profit motive conflicts with academic standards, profit takes precedence. A Senate report released this summer found that tuition at for-profit colleges averages six times that of community colleges, while the education provided is greatly inferior. Only a small fraction of students who enroll at for-profit colleges actually graduate, and those who do get degrees usually find their diplomas aren’t worth much. That explains in part why students at for-profit schools account for almost 50 percent of student-loan defaults, even though they make up just 10 percent of the nation’s student body.
And why are for-profit colleges generally inferior? In short, the $32 billion industry has found it more lucrative to compete on grounds other than education quality. According to the Senate report, the nation’s 30 largest for-profit schools spend just 17 percent of their revenue on student instruction, while spending 22.7 percent on marketing to keep fresh bodies coming in.
There’s every reason to worry that similar dynamics will play out in k-12 education. Take K12 Inc., the company that has so far contributed $100,000 to opening up the Georgia market. In Florida, where the company operates in 43 school districts, a typical K12 high school teacher may have as many as 275 online students per class, which enhances profitability if not education. Last month, Florida officials launched an investigation into charges that K12 also uses teachers uncertified for the classes they teach and that company officials asked employees to cover up that fact.
It’s also important to consider the ethical culture in which the Georgia education gold rush would take place. On Sunday, the AJC reported that the State Properties Commission — headed by Gov. Nathan Deal — decided that the best place to locate a new, $13.6 million State Poultry Laboratory was in a Hall County industrial park. In what was clearly just a happy coincidence, the park turns out to be owned in part by Deal’s close friend and campaign manager.
If an appointed commission is given the power to create state charter schools run by private enterprise, I suspect the potential for many more such happy coincidences would increase. It’s interesting, for example, that under Amendment 2, also on the November ballot, the State Properties Commission would for the first time be given constitutional authority to sign real-estate leases of up to 20 years.
There are good arguments in favor of that proposal. However, it’s also true that if one were contemplating a spate of new state-authorized charter schools, the ability to sign long-term leases with developers would be very useful in getting the necessary facilities built. Again, just a coincidence I’m sure.
– Jay Bookman
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420 comments Add your comment
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
7:53 am
Just yesterday I received a nice glossy direct mailer telling me that I’ll get ponies and candy if I allow those swell charter skoolz into GA by voting YES.
I assume there’ll be more to come.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
7:54 am
Of course it’s just a coincidence. The current crop of Republicans in this state would NEVER do anything to hurt the citizens here. They are only looking out for our best interests day and night, 24×7, round-the-clock. (puke)
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
7:54 am
And why are for-profit colleges generally inferior?
dunno, there’s something in the Good Book about the problem of serving two masters, gotta look that up.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
7:54 am
I’m number….2!
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
7:57 am
Given the rush to privatize virtually everything in this state and country by our Republican bretheren you’d think they’d want to privatize s e x next. Those working women (and men) really can do this better because they are professionals.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
7:57 am
But seriously, I can’t even imagine how long it will take to untangle this massive web of corruption, down the road, if these two measures pass.
and I see no reason why the “Charter Skoolz and Ponies!” measure won’t pass (dunno about the other one Jay’s mentioned), although who knows, maybe our corporate media might have some kind of conscience and will actually report on who benefits sometime between now and the tuesday after next.
Wouldn’t hold my breath on that, though.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
7:57 am
Stands,
They only have one master – no need to look it up.
Ronald Reagan Parkway
October 24th, 2012
7:58 am
The South has a long history of discrimination. This video is pretty long people but it is worth watching. Without Brown –vs. – Board of Education, this country would be on the same track. Just vote NO to this amendment. Please do not give Nathan Deal this much power with our tax dollars!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ACS4PgDFA
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
8:02 am
They only have one master – no need to look it up.
That would be the overriding principle of educating tomorrow’s leaders in commerce and government, right?
Whew, I feel so much better now.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
8:03 am
Anyway, someone’s got to pay for this crap, so it’s off a-producin’ I go. Back later…
Georgia on my mind..
October 24th, 2012
8:04 am
It’s also important to consider the ethical culture in which the Georgia education gold rush would take place. On Sunday, the AJC reported that the State Properties Commission — headed by Gov. Nathan Deal — decided that the best place to locate a new, $13.6 million State Poultry Laboratory was in a Hall County industrial park. In what was clearly just a happy coincidence, the park turns out to be owned in part by Deal’s close friend and campaign manager.
_______
It is amazing how this state can let this happen. Is there not an F.B.I. investigation into Nathan Deal’s skills at skirting outside the law?
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
8:05 am
Jay,
You should profit off the Republicans for your efforts to educate them. It’s only fair.
Republicans,
Take out student loans and pay Jay for educating you. Do it! Now!
Child, please
October 24th, 2012
8:09 am
I would like to know what percentage of our tax dollars go to classroom instruction in our public schools. All we here is how expenditures have gone through the roofs over the years while our performance drops, while the number of “administrative” people skyrockets. Have the % of dollars spent on instruction INCREASED or DECREASED here? I’d appreciate anyone posting any statistics on the matter.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
8:09 am
Will the porn king that Nathan sold his business property to be keeping the name “Wilder Outdoors” when he opens shop. It does have its connotations that Republicans might just find appealing.
Aquagirl
October 24th, 2012
8:11 am
I’ll get ponies and candy if I allow those swell charter skoolz into GA
Offer free candy and ponies to a child and most will suspect something’s up. On the other hand Georgia voters will swallow this measure like a pr0n star.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
8:12 am
I have watched as people work/job has been changed to being another commodity, something bought/sold/traded as though we were nothing but a piece of furniture. All of this in the name of ‘improving’ things, that business can do it better and if it is done better we all will share in those rewards/improvements.
Now they want to do this to education. This must be stopped here and now. Not everything in life can be put on a balance sheet or should it and education falls into that category.
Get Smart
October 24th, 2012
8:15 am
GA schools = cash crop. Politicians’ pockets are heavy with the haul. Vote no.
Hugh G. Johnson
October 24th, 2012
8:16 am
Libs be whining
[r]epublican - If you have to ask, your part of the problem...
October 24th, 2012
8:18 am
“You should profit off the Republicans for your efforts to educate them. It’s only fair.”
HA! Maybe the big “R” Republicans but never a little “r” [r]epublican. The [r]epublican would school Jay. Was that a bell??? Class is in session……
Fulfilling Father’s Campaign To Segregate Public Schools
October 24th, 2012
8:18 am
In a way, the Koch brothers are simply fulfilling their father’s legacy. In 1958, Fred Koch — the founder of Koch Industries — joined a group of manufacturing executives and Robert Welch to found the John Birch Society, a virulent far-right group that dominated the civil rights debate. The John Birch Society organized an impeachment campaign against then-Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren for the Brown v. Board decision outlawing racial segregation, and mobilized its supporters to oppose integration of schools on the grounds that mixing black and white would lead to the “mongrelization” of the races. Fred supported the John Birch Society’s anti-civil rights campaign, and wrote a screed denouncing the civil rights movement as communist-inspired.
Charles and David did not only inherit an oil company, they inherited a political philosophy. The Tea Party movement, orchestrated by AFP and other Koch fronts, reflects the paranoid style of the movement started by their father, Fred. As Thom Hartmann has explained, corporate interests have long funded far-right, paranoid movements to continually shift the balance of politics in America. The radical right creates political space for corporate candidates like Richard Nixon or Mitt Romney to appear “moderate” in contrast. David Koch, it should be noted, actually supports Romney for president in 2012 even though David’s fronts have spent the last two years boosting reactionaries like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).
http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-news-section/188-188/4594-koch-brothers-campaign-to-segregate-public-schools
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
8:20 am
I would like to know what percentage of our tax dollars go to classroom instruction in our public schools.
http://www2.census.gov/govs/school/10f33pub.pdf
independent thinker
October 24th, 2012
8:23 am
How much money is Tagg Romney going to make if this amendment passes????
I am sure everyone knows about his for profit education company that Daddy created with ten milllion from that fake blind trust.
Jerome Horwitz
October 24th, 2012
8:23 am
Geuss this goes along with the Republican desire to do away with the Dept. of Education and return control to the states. Control meaning the ability to compensate their cronies without anyone looking over their shoulder. Glad I grew up in another time/place where education was valued and the community responsible.
USMC
October 24th, 2012
8:24 am
Breaking News! Obama Administration KNEW from the beginning… Obama Lied… People Died!
Emails detail unfolding Benghazi attack on Sept. 11…
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57538689/emails-detail-unfolding-benghazi-attack-on-sept-11/?tag=AverageMixRelated
Bad News for the Obama Administration…
jconservative
October 24th, 2012
8:25 am
Never vote to increase the power of the central government.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
8:26 am
In addition, the overall shoddy performance of for-profit colleges and universities here in the United States provides stark evidence that when the profit motive conflicts with academic standards, profit takes precedence. A Senate report released this summer found that tuition at for-profit colleges averages six times that of community colleges, while the education provided is greatly inferior. Only a small fraction of students who enroll at for-profit colleges actually graduate, and those who do get degrees usually find their diplomas aren’t worth much. That explains in part why students at for-profit schools account for almost 50 percent of student-loan defaults, even though they make up just 10 percent of the nation’s student body.
And why are for-profit colleges generally inferior? In short, the $32 billion industry has found it more lucrative to compete on grounds other than education quality. According to the Senate report, the nation’s 30 largest for-profit schools spend just 17 percent of their revenue on student instruction, while spending 22.7 percent on marketing to keep fresh bodies coming in.
+++++
None of this even applies to charter schools. Is the government going to give loans to people to go to charter schools? No. Are charter schools going to charge tuition? No. If they did would people go to them? No, if people were going to pay for a charter school they would probably pay to go to private school. Apples and oranges.
Jay brings up for profit colleges but has this had any negative affect on the public colleges. No. For profit colleges exist because of the student loan program subsidize people going to college even if they are taking a courses that do not achieve a usable degree. Charter schools can be either for profit or non-profit. If charter schools are not graduating their students at the same rate as the local public school are people going to go there? No.
People go to for profit colleges paying 6 times the tuition because they can’t graduate from a traditional college.
For more on profit colleges watch the documentry linked below on profit colleges.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/collegeinc/
Ronald Reagan Parkway
October 24th, 2012
8:29 am
People go to for profit colleges paying 6 times the tuition because they can’t graduate from a traditional college.
____
They can always try the community colleges or technical schools. (DeKalb Tech, Gwinnett Tech, Georgia Perimeter, etc.)
Mick
October 24th, 2012
8:36 am
The times they are a changin…incredible how we are sprinting towards a new age of privitization where the money flows upward to the few…
DJ Sniper
October 24th, 2012
8:39 am
USMC, please take your trolling antics somewhere else. This conversation has nothing to do with Obama.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
8:39 am
“incredible how we are sprinting towards a new age of privitization where the money flows upward to the few”
Not towards…back to. Why do you think they want to “take our country BACK”?
Clanmack
October 24th, 2012
8:40 am
Didn’t know about the porn king land deal. Who got the better of that transaction? Was the porn king a contribution to Deal’s campaign for Governor?d
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
8:43 am
“Was the porn king a contribution to Deal’s campaign for Governor?”
I know you actually meant “contributor” but it’s a lot funnier the way it came out!
kayaker 71
October 24th, 2012
8:47 am
Would we even he having these conversations about charter schools if systems like the Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton County had done their jobs?
Mr Right
October 24th, 2012
8:48 am
The libs are getting their britches jacked up because something might go private!
ragnar danneskjold
October 24th, 2012
8:50 am
Thus the effect of government intervention is to discourage capital investment, and removing that impediment will draw private investment. From your pen to Obama’s large ears.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
8:54 am
USMC, please take your trolling antics somewhere else. This conversation has nothing to do with Obama.
No it’s about Romney’s son Tagg.
willie lynch
October 24th, 2012
8:54 am
There used to be a time when reporting on things such as Deals deals would lead to a public outcry. Unfortunately we sit back and take it because it’s come to be expected that these things are going to happen.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
8:54 am
“The libs are getting their britches jacked up because something might go private!”
So you’re Ok with the government “confiscating” your money via taxes and then using it to pay for the education of someone elses kids in what amounts to a private school? And here I thought the mantra was LESS GOVERNMENT. Learn something new every day.
curious
October 24th, 2012
8:56 am
If Charter Schools, funded with public money, are so great, then just close all the cureent public schools, eliminate school boards and go all Charter.
kayaker 71
October 24th, 2012
9:01 am
Time to go fishing with the grandkids…… a parting thought….. Today is the oldest you have ever been, yet the youngest you will ever be so enjoy this day while it lasts.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:02 am
Off topic but interesting. The Washington Post had a story on Total Taxes paid by income group.
0-20 – 17.4%
20-40 – 21.2%
40-60 – 25.2%
60-80 – 28.3%
80-90 – 29.5%
90-95 – 30.3%
95-99 – 30.4%
Top 1% – 29%
This dispels two myths. One is 50% of the people do not pay taxes and that the rich pay less total taxes than everyone else.(Right Myth) The top 1% pay less tax as percentage of income than those who pay no income taxes.(Left myth)
As always the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The Top 1% pay less taxes than the 80-99% but not hte 0-80.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/19/heres-why-the-47-percent-argument-is-an-abuse-of-tax-data/
http://ctj.org/images/taxday2012table.jpg
Mr Right
October 24th, 2012
9:03 am
The libs are getting their britches jacked up because something might go private!”
So you’re Ok with the government “confiscating” your money via taxes and then using it to pay for the education of someone elses kids in what amounts to a private school? And here I thought the mantra was LESS GOVERNMENT. Learn something new every day.
So if this is more government, why are you so jacked about it, thought libs are for government! Nice try!
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
9:03 am
The cons are drooling over the prospect of profitting from privatizing more tax dollars.
iRun
October 24th, 2012
9:04 am
Jay,
You say this “Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong about for-profit companies operating in the education sector.” and then go forth to disprove it.
By the way, I totally disagree with that statement. There is something completely and totally inherently wrong with for-profit education.
It’s like for-profit parenting.
willie lynch
October 24th, 2012
9:05 am
Why should I pay a private company to drive on highways built for public use? Privatization is not the answer to everything.
the cat
October 24th, 2012
9:05 am
Ragnar is just jealous. We know what big ears, big feet mean.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:06 am
“So if this is more government, why are you so jacked about it, thought libs are for government! Nice try!”
You thought wrong. Nice try.
Ol' Timer
October 24th, 2012
9:06 am
Aliens have invaded this country and sucked the common sense out of the brains of a considerable portion of our population. At least, that’s the only explanation I can come up with to explain the idiocy that is abounding in our midst.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:06 am
curious
October 24th, 2012
8:56 am
If Charter Schools, funded with public money, are so great, then just close all the cureent public schools, eliminate school boards and go all Charter.
++++
The counter to that is if public schools are better then charter schools will not be a threat since people will choose the best option. What is wrong with people actually having a choice
the cat
October 24th, 2012
9:07 am
It’s like for-profit parenting
Are we talking about the Kardashians again???
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:07 am
iRun
“It’s like for-profit parenting.”
Just like the welfare mommas having more kids in order to get a bigger check.
We’ll be paying for it.
independent thinker
October 24th, 2012
9:07 am
“”"”"”"”"”Yesterday, Mitt Romney visited Universal Bluford Charter School in West Philadelphia to highlight the need for more school choice and opportunities for low-income students.
Say what you will about Mitt’s trip to an inner-city charter school but don’t say it was because he cares about education.
Education too can be leveraged, it can have a profit. No, no, no…not for you or me but for those private equity groups. Romney has $10,000,000 invested in Solamere Capital, a PE firm headed by his son Tagg. Solamere offered its clients TA Associates which invests in privatizing education. “”"”"”"”"
http://jjocarolata.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/25/11877790-romneys-investment-in-for-profit-schoolswith-his-son-tagg
That being the same son who has an interest in the company providing voting machines in the current election.
No conflicts of interest in this family.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:08 am
“There is something completely and totally inherently wrong with for-profit education”
No, there isn’t. If parents want to put their children in for-profit schools, that is their decision. They just can’t do it with MY money. Their decision, THEIR money.
RB from Gwinnett
October 24th, 2012
9:09 am
Look at the state of the school systems in Georgia controlled by democrats and then tell us why they’re even allowed to voice opinions on the subject.
I agree charter schools and school choice are not the answer because neither addresses the real problems. But when parents can’t send their kid to private school and they have no influence over lousy teachers or lousy administrators at their school, what do you expect them to do? Charter schools and school choice are seen as their only means of influencing the system.
Something for you to think about… Every one of you remembers still today which teachers you had in high school were effective and which ones weren’t. Why didn’t anybody ever ask you for that information?
Common Sense
October 24th, 2012
9:09 am
You really believe these non profit schools are run any differently than the non-profit NFL?
And because of that you fear for profit competition?
You better start watching Intrade, where the Messiah’s stock is falling faster than the DJIA.
Steven
October 24th, 2012
9:09 am
This country is being taken over by Capitalist in the name of Capitalism. Now education is going to suffer because all this student debt that our recent college grads are amassing and have amassed. Education is no better when you have to pay out of the ears and noses for it. Already voted NO and so did all my friends, family and co-workers. AMF, we have led a think tank on why Charter Schools are bad news. I listened to Eric Erickson yesterday on 750WSB radio and his ranting calling Tea Party people idiots for being opposed to the Charter School Amendment. We are not idiots, privitization of education in America of course is not a new thing. It puts money in the pockets of a few at the top. As seen by the out-of-state contributors to this amendment.
The same thing happened to hospitals. When the Catholics, Baptist, and other faith-based groups were heading these hospitals, they had a soul. Now that big-business has gotten involved, i.e., Alegent, Kaiser, Emory (a private school) etc healthcare declines and the bottom line is to make a profit for the ’shareholders’. So give me a break….I would vote NO forever on this Charter School Amendment.
the cat
October 24th, 2012
9:10 am
Where is Fred? We need his insight on this.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:11 am
“The counter to that is if public schools are better then charter schools will not be a threat since people will choose the best option. What is wrong with people actually having a choice”
Nothing is wrong with having a choice. There is nothing stopping any company from having private schools now. The issue is that they want to be paid from OUR tax money, not from the pockets of their students parents.
MiltonMan
October 24th, 2012
9:11 am
Jay fails to mention that the federal government plays a big, big role in keeping these evil “for-profit” schools in business with the plethora of federal student loan/grant programs.
Typical libs solution: Charter schools are bad; let’s just keep our wonderful public school system the way they are and continue to throw money at it only to hope that more money with eventually improve the schools.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:11 am
Mr Right
October 24th, 2012
9:03 am
The libs are getting their britches jacked up because something might go private!”
So you’re Ok with the government “confiscating” your money via taxes and then using it to pay for the education of someone elses kids in what amounts to a private school? And here I thought the mantra was LESS GOVERNMENT. Learn something new every day.
So if this is more government, why are you so jacked about it, thought libs are for government! Nice try!
+++++
Charter School vs Public School. How is either one more or less government. They are two ways of implementing the same amount of government. Also, the government currently takes taxs dollars and hire private contractors to build roads, schools, office building schools, prisons etc. Would you advocate the government start doing all this in house instead of contracting out? Would doing it in-house be more or less government? It would be neither. It is merely a different way of doing the same thing a different way. Personally, I believe public school will the predominate choice of most people.
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:12 am
Moderate Line
++++
“The counter to that is if public schools are better then charter schools will not be a threat since people will choose the best option. What is wrong with people actually having a choice”
Nothing wrong with people having a choice. I’m just against having to pay for two school systems. I’d rather have a single public funded system that works.
If a parent objects to their child having to go to school with the riff raff, then send them to a private school.
Gale
October 24th, 2012
9:13 am
The best school possible will fail to educate a kid if neither the kid, nor the parent is committed to the child’s education. Adding charter schools will not automatically improved GA’s education status.
iRun
October 24th, 2012
9:14 am
curious, you’re an idiot if you think that’s a profit. Truly.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:14 am
JAY
I apologize for off topic nature of this but sometimes fact is really much, much stranger than fiction:
1) Solyndra gets $500M (No need to mention Kaiser bundler..another story)
2) Solyndra files bankruptcy
3) Obama and DEMs begin attack on private equity in campaign
4) Solyndra arises from bankruptcy….due to a PE group…
5) PE group gets monster tax break in the process despite DOE objection..
http://bankruptcynews.dowjones.com/article?an=DJFDBR0020121022e8amiezyn%20&r=wsjblog&ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%2fbankruptcynews.dowjones.com%3a80%2farticle%3fan%3dDJFDBR0020121022e8amiezyn%2520%26r%3dwsjblog
UNCLE SAMANTHA
October 24th, 2012
9:14 am
IGNORANT LIBERALS
1) charter schools are not PRIVATE schools – only liberals cannot make the distinction
2) Education in Georgia is funded on a roughly 50/50 basis by state tax dollars and local tax dollars (it varies slightly from district to district). When a parent chooses to send their child to a charter school, the state dollars for that child follow him/her to the charter school to fund their education.
3)The local school dollars (E-SPLOST and property taxes) previously allocated for that child’s education remain with the local BOE even though it no longer has the obligation to educate that child.
http://www.thecitizen.com/articles/10-23-2012/correcting-errors-charter-school-foes
MiltonMan
October 24th, 2012
9:14 am
“Now education is going to suffer because all this student debt that our recent college grads are amassing and have amassed. Education is no better when you have to pay out of the ears and noses for it.”
(1) Our “education system” is not suffering now???
(2) No pity on students who take on massive debt to study history, art, music, etc. because they “love their major”. Study something you don’t necessarily love but will obtain decent employment.
bob
October 24th, 2012
9:16 am
If the powers that be are against charters then I am for it, simple enough. I pay close to 10K in property taxes and have no English speaking elementary school option in my neighborhood. And interesting that Jay isn’t turning our attention to the fact that the white house knew the embassy was attacked by terrorists two hrs after it happened. Pretty sad Obama lied so many times when he told us it was over a video. And does it help our standing in the world that everyone but Obama knew what happened ? If Obama did not lie then he is not the smartest man ever to take office.
Williebkind
October 24th, 2012
9:16 am
Wow, the progressives see their indoctrinaion base being challenged-charter schools. Yep those Kock brothers are far worse than Lenin, Marx, Stalin, and Castro, the heros of the progressive liberal. Yes, with charter schools those liberal teachers cant spew hate to our children, create divisiveness among races, and our children might actually get prepared for college for skills other than in sports.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:17 am
Sorry the is better link..
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-solyndra-bankruptcy-approvalenvbre89l15l-20121022,0,1580634.story
USMC
October 24th, 2012
9:17 am
Bob Woodward: Obama ‘mistaken’ on sequester
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82772.html
Obama, The Liar!
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:18 am
iRun
“curious, you’re an idiot if you think that’s a profit. Truly.”
Thanks for the insult, but that is exactly the mentality of many of those welfare mommas.
MiltonMan
October 24th, 2012
9:19 am
Win/win for me. Charter school vote fails: I still live in a district with some of the best schools in the state. Charter school vote passes: I have a choice between a very good school or a very good school.
Sucks to be a liberal and having to send your kids to APS, DeKalb, Clayton – all crappy schools.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:19 am
WILLIE
At least our kids get to pay for college where the lunatic left unhinged faculty can shout them down with their outerworldly political BS..
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:19 am
“Also, the government currently takes taxs dollars and hire private contractors to build roads, schools, office building schools, prisons etc.”
the difference is that all of those are in the public interest. I use roads, government buildings, etc. Prisons help protect us all from criminals. And I have no problem with Charter schools UNTIL it comes time to pay them
I have no children, never have had, yet I still pay taxes that go towards schooling students. And I don’t have a problem with that. What I DO have a problem with is the government taking that money and giving it to someone else who wants their childrens education done outside the public school system.
I’ve said it before and I stand by it: if parents want to take their kids out of public schools, fine…go for it. But the only MONEY they can get is what they paid in taxes that go towards public schools. Leave MY money in the public schools system. That’s what I’m paying it for and that’s where it belongs.
RB from Gwinnett
October 24th, 2012
9:21 am
Face it. The only real opposition here is giving up control of the money. If its really about educating kids, this is a no brainer.
james
October 24th, 2012
9:22 am
Hope this fails like T Splost did and Im voting for
Romney- we need a change! If you want charter schools foot the bill yourself
or better yet pay to go to a private school or homeschool
which many folks do these days….
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:22 am
USMC
If not already done so, suggest you read the whole book…it is mostly a tale of failed leadership by BO in cliff debate…but it is also clear that the GOP was more than a little inept..
BTW A123 has filed for bankruptcy…I guess this means the Chinese can buy them at more of a discount..
Georgia
October 24th, 2012
9:22 am
Charter Schools is a done deal. No amount of sunshine can stop it. Congratulations to Jay and Kyle for a sucessful debate yesterday. Today, Donald Trump will torpedo Obama’s campaign. A debate with Trump is obviously a debate with an Empty Hair. Isn’t there a 20 centimeter distance between the ears minimum for any partisan shrill? Someone contact the Chinese Embassy.
MiltonMan
October 24th, 2012
9:23 am
“I’ve said it before and I stand by it: if parents want to take their kids out of public schools, fine…go for it. But the only MONEY they can get is what they paid in taxes that go towards public schools. Leave MY money in the public schools system. That’s what I’m paying it for and that’s where it belongs.”
Same person who has a problem with HIS/HER money going to a parent who has a choice on their children’s education; has no problme with taxpayer money being used for abortions, “free” health care, welfare, “free” phones, etc., etc.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:25 am
“Charter Schools is a done deal”
Of course they are…but THIS amendment is to inject the state’s power into what should be a LOCAL issue.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
9:26 am
Republicans already get all the education they need from Rupert Murdoch for the price of their Fox channel subscription so why would they want to pay him even more.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:28 am
“Same person who has a problem with HIS/HER money going to a parent who has a choice on their children’s education; has no problme with taxpayer money being used for abortions, “free” health care, welfare, “free” phones, etc., etc”
Tax payer money does not go for abortions. The other things benefit everyone, not just those who get those services. Do you REALLY want people with a dangerous, communicable disease to be wandering around unable to get care…and thus infecting others around them?
Public schools are a benefit to all of us too, because an educated populace is a productive populace. But anyone who wants what amounts to private schooling should have to pay for it themselves, and not take that money from ME to do it.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
9:28 am
the profit motive conflicts with __________, profit takes precedence.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:28 am
What is odd is I normally vote no on all amendments but this blog has actually made me look into the issue and I voted yes.
Here are the main arguments against charter schools.
1. People who work for companies that make a profit have no souls.
2. People should not make profit from tax payer money.
3. You should be against charter schools because it increases the power of government.
4. For profit colleges are bad so for profit charter schools are bad.
5. There should be no profit motive in schools. I guess this doesn’t apply to the building of schools and to the people actually running the schools making over $100,000.
6. Will take money away from Public Schools.
Most of these arguments are pretty weak other than 6.
Most of the people I know who sent their kids to charter schools were very happy. However, they still had some of the same problems as people in public schools. I don’t think charter schools are really much of a threat to public schools.
willie lynch
October 24th, 2012
9:29 am
To Jay’s point government is running the schools in the countries that are outperforming America. Privatize?
Mighty Righty
October 24th, 2012
9:30 am
My understanding is “Charter Schools” are superior to public schools in all respects. Therefore it only makes since to do what ever it takes to expand “Chareter Schools”. I don’t know what “for profit universities have to do with the ballot” question being voted on. Certainly there is a very successful record of private colleges versus public universities. Harvard, Yale, Stanford come to mind as pretty good schools.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
9:30 am
I believe it was Johnson Controls that scarfed up A123’s automotive business assets. JCI is a good buy at its current price.
too little time
October 24th, 2012
9:30 am
If this amendment does not pass, there will never be another charter school in Georgia. No politician (local school board) will willingly give up any power whatsoever. Look at Clayton county as an example. They would rather lose accreditation than give up power.
If this amendment does pass, we are merely to the point where we were last year before the previous state involvement was declared unconstitutional (George constitution). Declaring that a “gold rush” is hyperbole.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
9:31 am
“Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong about for-profit companies operating in the education sector.”
===========================================
I appreciate this column very much, and for its highlighting the warning signs relative to changing traditional public schools to quasi-private public charter schools, which are often run by private profit-based management companies. However, I must register the degree of my rejection of this plan. As a committed teacher of children – grades 1 -12 – for 35 years, I am horrified by the prospects of what Amendment 1 may very well do to public education in Georgia. Children for profit. Unconscienable.
I am not naive, either, as to what is really going on here. It is not coincidental, imo, that Rep. Jan Jones and Rep. Edward Lindsey, sponsors of HR 1162 that became Amendment 1 chose to be members of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) which wants to privatize public education. State Sen. Fran Millar, who supports this amendment (see Maureen Downey’s blog) is also a member of ALEC. I have stated before that presidential candidate Mitt Romney has an out-of balance mindset regarding “government” services and public “government” schools which are not based on profit. This Charter Movement, much of which springs from ALEC’s impetus, supported by the Koch Brothers, would move public non-for-profit schools into schools in which profiteers will make money on children and, imo, thereby, ultimately adversely affect the quality of education. More importantly, the model by which we teach children, of the service-based value of education, will change and, thereafter, the values in society will become even more entrenced in the value of exercising self-interests for profit over service to others, as is public not-for-profit education.
This must not happen in Georgia.
Eyes throughout the nation are on what Georgia will do regarding Amendment 1. Vote NO in NOvember for amendment 1. Improve public education. Don’t dismantle it and leave it to those with stealthy motivations to enrich their own pocketbooks. I placed my life’s priorities on helping children because, in my deepest core, I am a teacher. It is abhorrent to me to think that some would use children to benefit their own pocketbooks. Immoral, in fact, in my opinion
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
“Here are the main arguments against charter schools”
You haven’t voted yes for Charter schools…you have voted yes to give the state the power to overriede local school board decisions and to inject a charter school into a school system that rejected it.
You have voted FOR state power and AGAINST local power.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
9:28 am
the profit motive conflicts with __________, profit takes precedence.
+++
And what takes precedence in when profit motive is not there? Power. The Soviet Union did not have profit motive along with the rest of the Eastern Bloc.
Which was a better place to live? Where profit motive existed some extent or where it didn’t exist at all. I am amazed after the failure of the Soviet Union anyone would even make such arguments.
RAMBLE ON!!!
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
Our Campaigner in Chief, King Obama lied about Benghazi and did nothing for 7 hours as our Ambassador and 3 other Americans were being murder by TERRORIST!!!
Get ready for the landslide, it’s coming!!!
Jimmy Carter, you are NOT the worst President anymore.
Madge From Accounting
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
CP: I would like to know what percentage of our tax dollars go to classroom instruction in our public schools. All we here is how expenditures have gone through the roofs over the years while our performance drops, while the number of “administrative” people skyrockets.
Good Morning Child Please, (love your moniker); what you hear is true and false. Yes costs have risen, but NO its not all going into salaries. The costs have risen for the counties because the STATE has not matched the funds it should be matching towards their citizen’ education. The State is funded by the Feds and then the state “trickles down” what they get towards each county within the state. The state has been short changing the counties and have blamed it ont eh Teachers, (i.e.: Teacher’s Unions). If you wanna know where your money’s gone, look on the State Sup’s website.
Have the % of dollars spent on instruction INCREASED or DECREASED here? I’d appreciate anyone posting any statistics on the matter.
Well now, you can always Google this information. But let me get that for you, in case you don’t know how.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
Tax payer money does not go for abortions.
Doggone,
Republicans do not like the idea of being educated unless you profit from it. Send MiltonMan a hefty bill.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:33 am
“My understanding is “Charter Schools” are superior to public schools in all respects”
Got proof?
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:33 am
The local school boards already have the power to create charter schools if the local taxpayers want to have them. This amendment is for big government because, instead of leaving school decisions on the local level, the state will be able to make decisions too. I choose to vote against big government. Funny how all the “conservatives” here are championing big government and the liberals here are against it.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:34 am
What is odd is I normally vote no on all amendments but this blog has actually made me look into the issue and I voted yes.
Another champion of big government…..
Joseph
October 24th, 2012
9:35 am
Yet another shameful clueless blog by Bookman. You have no clue! Again I’ll ask have you ever visited a Charter school? Or for that matter have you ever visited a failing public school? Come down to SW Georgia and visit the Calhoun, Randolph/Clay or Mitchell/Baker High School. You can’t imagine the discipline problems these schools have yet you and your fellow libs want to force good kids to go to school there. Most of these school systems have democrats running them. Your ilk. Why haven’t they solved the many problems Jay? Why does public school cost twice, sometimes three times per student what Charter Schools cost Jay? Do you have an answer for that? Probably not…..
This is two comments in your tripe that hit a nerve:
However, despite the fervor of those who preach that competition solves all problems, there’s nothing inherently good about it either.
The problem with you liberals is that you all think throwing money at a problem will solve it. We all know this is not true because we throw billions away on a failed education system.
None of the countries that outperform the United States in education, for example, do so through the for-profit model.
But those countries don’t have the social problems (parental involvement) that we face in this country.
iRun
October 24th, 2012
9:36 am
curious, well, it’s also the mentality of someone making a 6-figure income. I feel like the less than 4% of Americans dependent on welfare (meaning more than half their income comes from subsidy) and the less than 16% receiving some sort of subsidy (that includes SS) aren’t exactly living off the high hog.
And, for the less that 4% they’re getting less than $500 a month for a family of three.
So, yeah, this girl who has a household income of nearly $200,000/year thinks you’re an idiot if you think a “welfare” momma is a for-profit parent.
Find something ELSE to talk about.
I am done with you and this conversation. You clearly do not know of what you speak.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
9:36 am
I am amazed after the failure of the Soviet Union anyone would even make such arguments.
I am not amazed that you make such a blatantly puerile either/or argument.
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:38 am
This is just a ploy to SEGREGATE schools. Just like the old days when the black schools were underfunded and white schools had the necessary resources.
Yes, there will be minorities, but the real objective is to leave the under performers in a failed or failing school. Once that happens, the failed school will get even less support and we will be successful in creating a permanent under class.
Georgia on my mind...
October 24th, 2012
9:38 am
Yet another shameful clueless blog by Bookman. You have no clue!
______
It does not seem as if most of the people on this blog are against Charter Schools per say…they would rather the local boards have control instead of Governor Nathan Deal. Just imagine how many Charter Schools will be built in Hall County!! Amazing!!!!
Ken
October 24th, 2012
9:38 am
Went ahead and voted against this in early voting, however, all the libs need to realize that the current model is full of graft and waste as well. Look at the number of administrators each county now has- assistant superintendant this, assistant superintendant that, all making well over $100 K annually. Also, pay close, very close attention to who the schools are buying land from to build new schools. While the bids on building new schools is a sealed bid situation, most counties are buying land from the same fat cat over and over, just months after same said fat cat buys the land and makes 50-100% profit.
And while I am on this rant, until recently, teachers could take a mail order masters or doctorate degree from some podunk diploma mill and increase their salaries substantially with a post-graduate degree with absolutely no connection to their profession that benefitted the student. So, with this in mind, be very, very careful when you defend the Georgia Public Education System- as our old swamp ‘possum Pogo reminds us- we have found the enemy and it is us.
Mighty Righty
October 24th, 2012
9:38 am
Speaking of coincidences, it is being reported that Joe Bidens Brother has received a billion plus dollar contract to build houses in Iraq! Biden has no builder experience, is not a contractor, and apparently didn’t have to mess with something as cumbersome and nasty as competitive bidding or voter approvals. The money of course will come from China and be repaid by our children and grandchildren. But then, its just theft of taxpayer money as usual by Obama’s crony capiltalism regime.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:39 am
The problem with you liberals is that you all think throwing money at a problem will solve it. We all know this is not true because we throw billions away on a failed education system.
And the problem with y’all conservatives is that you say stuff like that and then support this amendment which is a big government powergrab that throws money at the education problem by shifting taxpayers dollars from one source to another as opposed to truly reforming the system. You talk a good game, but your actions make you look like the liberals you describe.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:40 am
Ken
Thank you for being a true conservative and voting against big government. I tip my hat to you.
UNCLE SAMANTHA
October 24th, 2012
9:40 am
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:25 am
“Charter Schools is a done deal”
Of course they are…but THIS amendment is to inject the state’s power into what should be a LOCAL issue.
========================================================================
INCORRECT
it is the fact that the LOCAL leaders have failed the education system in their county……..
parents are at the mercy of the LOCAL LEADERS…… if you live in Henry or City of Atlanta……… they are not going to allow outside groups or PARENTS to show how INCOMPETENT they are…………. if a CHARTER SCHOOL with LESS MONEY outperforms the PUBLIC schools in that district….. then it shows how INCOMPETENCE of the LOCAL CONTROL………..
Mick
October 24th, 2012
9:40 am
**My understanding is “Charter Schools” are superior to public schools in all respects**
Your understanding is not at all factual. Across the board most of the time they are no better and in many cases – inferior…
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:41 am
TAXPAYER
JCI is a terrific company and l remains a great long term investment but not in any fashion related to A123…this is a long term play for them..they have 160k employees and do 40billion in sales..an investment as miniscule as A123 is not atypical of other small investments they historically make to see if technology can be furthered…
The idea that in the case or Solyndra that a PE firm bringing them out of bankruptcy is hysterical…at least for those who don’t take their politics too seriously..
DJ Sniper
October 24th, 2012
9:42 am
Oh Jesus, did somebody come back with the whole taxpayer dollars being used for abortions? Please retire that line, because it’s getting pretty lame.
Also, the real issue here is not the charter schools themselves; it’s the amendment that would take power away from local voters and place it into the hands of a board that will have little to no oversight. That, my friends, is the real problem.
Gale
October 24th, 2012
9:42 am
Catch a clue, those of you railing on about charter vs public. The amendment does not allow/forbid charter schools. The amendment is to override local control of charter schools. Pay attention. This is why the electorate is constantly making bad decisions. They do not pay attention.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
9:42 am
On June 4, 2012, I posted these words on a local journalist’s blog, which concerned a university football coach’s statement that he would only hire assistant coaches if the prospective assistant coaches had ”good-looking wives”:
======================================
“Perhaps, as citizens, we should begin to consider what degree of competition versus what degree of cooperation we wish to perpetuate within society. Perhaps, it is time to question whether the more ‘muscular’ concepts of power, dominance, winning, and wealth (which football brings to colleges and universities) are the values most to be sought within our nation, as opposed to the values of collaboration, cooperation, egalitarianism, and intellectual and spiritual development. It is interesting that the valuing of looks (which is a form of personal power) seems, often, to be a priority within the arenas of life which place priority upon power, a hierarchial way of seeing.”
“Perhaps the business world operates best through the threat of competition, but I believe that most educators, and perhaps most people, if inspired, have an intrinsic desire to excel. They achieve that excellence best in a nurturing, not a threatening, environment. Treating teachers with respect and care, while also educating them to more effective ways to increase student growth, enhances both teachers’ and students’ productivity and joy in the learning process. Look at the recent cheating debacles throughout the nation for examples of what has happened when unrealistic goals have been set for teachers in highly competitive, tense environments.”
================================================
The above was posted as an entry in my personal blog. For a full reading of that post, please use the link, below:
http://maryelizabethsings.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/competition-vs-cooperation/
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:43 am
“if a CHARTER SCHOOL with LESS MONEY outperforms the PUBLIC schools in that district….. then it shows how INCOMPETENCE of the LOCAL CONTROL………..”
And if that charter school was approved LOCALLY how in the world does that prove the “incompetence” of local control? Especially since, as of right now, it HAD TO BE APPROVED LOCALLY.
Joseph
October 24th, 2012
9:43 am
Brosephus™:
The local school boards already have the power to create charter schools if the local taxpayers want to have them.
Yes they do but they have the misconception that these schools will take money away from them. Which if you inform yourself know this is not true.
This amendment is for big government because, instead of leaving school decisions on the local level, the state will be able to make decisions too. I choose to vote against big government.
The amendment is intended for families to have a choice where they want their kids to go to school. A huge bureaucracy in the local school systems that many times are controlled by Democrats that allow no parental involvement. Or give parents a choice to have a Charter School system controlled by parents themselves.
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:44 am
If Charter schools can be approved by the State, what happens if the local BOE doesn’t want to fund them?
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:44 am
DJ Sniper & Gale
They’re not going to listen to common sense. They’re going to be good little lemmings and follow the herd.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:44 am
“This is why the electorate is constantly making bad decisions. They do not pay attention”
Have you actually read the amendment as it will be printed on the ballot? It is worded to make SURE the electorate makes a “bad decision”
Ken
October 24th, 2012
9:45 am
Where is parental involvement ? Ask a teacher. Almost non existant.
Georgia on my mind...
October 24th, 2012
9:45 am
If Charter schools can be approved by the State, what happens if the local BOE doesn’t want to fund them?
______
It means that State Law supercedes local law!!
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:46 am
Over the past 40 years or more, the state and federal strategy to improve schools is the throw money at the problem…all presidents have to have an educations agenda and none work, despite how much of our dough they spend…we are all rubes to continue to think the the GOP and DEMS continued use of ridiculous monikers and over spending will fix anything..
IMO, with exception to schools in poverty stricken areas who have much more complicated issues and need more help, generally speaking, a kid can get whatever level of education he/she wants with the right incentives by parents and teachers…
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:47 am
KEN
The best measure of school results with few exceptions is the PTA participation….the lower the participation, the lower the school performs by any measure..
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:48 am
Georgia on my mind…
“It means that State Law supercedes local law!!”
Will the State set the millage rate to fund the school?
Ronald Reagan Parkway
October 24th, 2012
9:48 am
George W. Bush created “No Child Left Behind” with intentions on improving the U.S. educational system. How did that work out?
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:48 am
The amendment is intended for families to have a choice where they want their kids to go to school.
Bullsh*t!!!! Parents already have that choice. I have a Pre-K 4 year old, and my wife and I have already began to look into schools. You can sell that stuff to ignorant people, but I know there are already choices people can make. Some choices are free, and some cost money. I’ve paid into the school system here for 8 years without a kid setting foot inside a classroom. That money helps the school system maintain a level that makes it better for my property values and community worth. This amendment does nothing but give the state the opportunity to override local decisions that can already be made. You keep harping about your precious charter school in SW Georgia. Why do we need state control when you already show the current laws work?
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:48 am
BRO,
Arent’ we all either sheep, dogs or pigs?
Georgia on my mind...
October 24th, 2012
9:49 am
Will the State set the millage rate to fund the school?
_____
That is above my educational level. The local Tax Commissioner should have the answer to that one!
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
9:50 am
RONALDREAGAN,
Show me an obligatory presidential plan that has rendered results…that have materially increased results for our kid…??
This is not a typical DEM v GOP..one or the other issue.
Jay
October 24th, 2012
9:51 am
Curious, the state would then pick up the entire tab. No local money would be spent.
However, there’s every reason to expect that the hundreds of millions of dollars appropriated by the state for state-run charters would come out of the total education budget, reducing state funding for traditional public schools and for locally approved charters as well.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
9:51 am
Stevie Ray
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
9:53 am
Hilarious…A thread bout GA charter schools and on page 1 are posts about the evil Koch Bros and another about Romney profiting from GA charter schools….lol
Gale
October 24th, 2012
9:53 am
Ah yes, DogGone, I am aware of the tricks of wording on ballots. I learned this lesson many years ago when the local gov reworded a school tax issue to sound like voting NO, meant the tax was increased. When the truth came out, the gov was in court to override the result. The locals had voted down that same increase for six years running because they wanted changes to the way the school board operated before giving them more money.
What we have here, is more of the same. And if people are so sure the local school board is incompetent, they should vote them out. This is an elected office. I do not want the state appointing people to make these decisions for the local government. If the parents wants a change in the school system, that is the place to start working.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
9:55 am
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
9:32 am
“Here are the main arguments against charter schools”
You haven’t voted yes for Charter schools…you have voted yes to give the state the power to overriede local school board decisions and to inject a charter school into a school system that rejected it.
You have voted FOR state power and AGAINST local power.
++++
I could car less about such rhetoric. I voted for individual power. I voted to give ordinary people the power to trump local power by going through the state. My current county is redistricting schools. The threat of a charter school is the only thing that makes them even listen to the citizens who will be affected since the citizens being affected are a small number and can not affect elections for school board.
JDW
October 24th, 2012
9:56 am
@Child Please…all you have to do is look at the budget for a school system they break it out for you. In Fulton more than 67% of revenue goes directly to instruction. That percentage is slightly higher than 2008.
http://portal.fultonschools.org/departments/Financial_Services/Budget_Services/Documents/FY13%20Budget%20Markup%20%20Presentation.pdf
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
9:57 am
My thanks to the poster on this blog, who originally shared the below article. I cannot recall that poster’s moniker. What is now happening in Florida, can easily happen in Georgia, if voters are not wise. Vote NO to Amendment 1.
——————————————————————–
“For-profit education companies are becoming serious players in lobbying the Florida Legislature. In the current election cycle, charter school companies, school management firms, online learning outfits and for-profit colleges have lavished more than $1.8 million to statehouse candidates, electioneering organizations and political parties, according to a Miami Herald review of Florida campaign finance data. Most of the money went to Republicans, whose support of charter schools, vouchers, online education and private colleges has put public education dollars in private-sector pockets.
Some observers say the big dollars foreshadow the next chapter in a fierce fight in Tallahasse: the privatization of public education.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/22/3061509/with-political-money-charter-schools.html#storylink=cpy
Georgia
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
This ammendment is a done deal. People will vote for it thinking they are voting against it. We’ve been over all of this ad nauseum. There’s no way to stop that kind of business opportunity. The wordsmiths who write the description on the voting sheet thingie are total geniuses and no matter how you end up voting, it’ll be the opposite of what you thunk it were.
ANd that’s just a natural born fact, Jack.
Don't Tread
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
I see we’re back to the evils of profit…
oh, and let’s throw in the evils of “freedom of choice” while we’re at it.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
Another case of a simple solution, wrapped up in ‘free market’ and ‘competition’ vs ‘inept government bureaucracy’ having instant appeal. Dig just a little beneath the surface and one finds a whole host of problems. Thing is, many people hear that great-sounding answer and the excitement part of their brain shuts down everything else. Why look any farther? The answer’s there for all to see!
So the money to fund the schools will come from the current education fund, lowering funds available for traditional schools, leading to increased problems and more calls for charter schools to fix the problems that traditional schools can’t fix.
They’ve built themselves a nice continuous funding mechanism there, Jay.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
Jay
October 24th, 2012
9:51 am
Curious, the state would then pick up the entire tab. No local money would be spent.
However, there’s every reason to expect that the hundreds of millions of dollars appropriated by the state for state-run charters would come out of the total education budget, reducing state funding for traditional public schools and for locally approved charters as well.
+++++
But you failed to mention that it would also increase the local funds available to educate kids in the local schools because the charter schools would not get such money. In poor districts that seems to be a good deal.
Another argument for charter schools.
This assume the state provides no funding to local schools which is not going to happen.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
“I voted for individual power”
So your idea of “individual power” is to vote to give a big government even MORE power than they already have? I always knew the conned were projecting their own faults onto the “libs”…thanks for proving it so clearly.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
10:01 am
There already exists a means for parents to supersede the decision of their local Boards of Education which might deny their application for a charter school. That means is through making application to the state Department of Education. Amendment 1 is unnecessary. There is no need for a Commission for Charter Schools, a separate agency, which is more politically based than educationally based, in my opinion.
Vote NO to Amendment 1.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:02 am
BRO,
I submit that we have an inordinately large number of sheep…per Roger Waters…”mindlessly passing the time in the grasslands awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy….you better watch out there may be dogs about..” “while watching…for pigs on a wing…love that album
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
10:02 am
Don’t Tread
October 24th, 2012
10:00 am
I see we’re back to the evils of profit… oh, and let’s throw in the evils of “freedom of choice” while we’re at it.
+++
The left like choice when it comes to abortion and birth control but are against when it comes to school.
Being a cynic it must be because their argument changes depending on whose vote they are tyring to get.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:03 am
Stevie Ray,
If JCI buys up A123’s automotive business, then the government investment in A123 would remain with a US domiciled company. What are you claiming in your reply.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:03 am
Doggone
If I didn’t know it, I’d swear you were a shrink.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:04 am
Stevie Ray
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:05 am
“The left like choice when it comes to abortion and birth control but are against when it comes to school”
Who said anything about being against choice in schools? Choice is already there. There are private schoools, there are home schooling options, there are even GASP charter schools. I haven’t seen anyone call for doing away with those choices. It is the mechanism of instituting “choice” that is the issue, not choice itself.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:06 am
Actually I have no objections to folks profiting from trying to educate Republicans. It’s a challenge and anyone willing to undertake it deserves an ample reward.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:06 am
“If I didn’t know it, I’d swear you were a shrink”
Nah, just another product of those “failing” public schools!
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
10:07 am
I am not against all charter schools. We must be prudent in how charter schools are implemented so that the education of ALL children is considered, not just the education of the few.
Those who seem to be so fervently intent on supplanting traditional public schools with charter schools seem to have a rigid ideological agenda, imo. Moreover, they do not appear to be educators, themselves, yet they arrogantly feel they have all the answers for public education, not based on direct experience.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:07 am
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:09 am
Where did Richard Mourdock graduate from? And with what degree?
loyd george
October 24th, 2012
10:10 am
Of course here in the “empire” we all went to “public schools”… $$ influencing decisions ,all in a days work….of course your “public” schools are quite disappointing with all the money your tax payers throw at them….mabye a little competion would help, hmmmm. But we in the labour party agree with you ,good man, privitazation/competition is not THE way………
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:10 am
The left like choice when it comes to abortion and birth control but are against when it comes to school.
Again with the puerile either/or binary mindset.
This isn’t about whether or not anyone is for or against “choice”.
Anyone can already “choose” whether or not to send their children to a charter or private school.
Geez….
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:12 am
I’m also in favor of private privies.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
10:12 am
Parents already have that choice. I have a Pre-K 4 year old, and my wife and I have already began to look into schools.
Don’t know about Bros’ county situation, but where I live, you not only (obviously) have a choice of public vs. private schools, but you can apply for and generally get a transfer out of your districted public school, to another public school. Of course transportation is on your dime, and if you can’t work things out with like minded locals who want to carpool, it can be a bear for the parents.
But those options are (generally, far as I know, still) there, and they are rarely discussed ’round these parts or elsewhere.
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
10:12 am
ME…yet they arrogantly feel they have all the answers for public education, not based on direct experience.
I’d say being educated in public schools is experience enough to determine it’s adequacy…how arrogant huh?
extrainfo
October 24th, 2012
10:14 am
From what I can tell from the comments that there are a lot of people who have no idea how charter schools function. A charter school is operated under the same standards as a public, everyone has the right to attend the school, it is handled on a blind lottery. My kids have attended charter school K thru 8 and the plan for them is to attend charter high school. It is not a private school, their school is very diverse economically as well as racially. The scores are higher in charter school than the public school districts that we live in. The high school, only 4 years old already is showing scores higher than the best high schools in our area. It is amazing that a school can actually make money or break even, compared to the public schools that lose money and whine and cry about wanting more and more to balance their budgets. Give the charter system a chance, your education system will be better off for it.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:14 am
“I’d say being educated in public schools is experience enough to determine it’s adequacy”
Only of the schools you attended. You know nothing of the hundreds of others you didn’t attend.
ATL Tiger
October 24th, 2012
10:15 am
No surprise that the AJC nor Jay Bookman would have an article about the biggest foreign policy cover up in a generation.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:15 am
“Give the charter system a chance, your education system will be better off for it”
We already HAVE a charter “system”…this amendment is not about that, it’s about who has the POWER to approve charter schools.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:15 am
Indiana GOP U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock declared Tuesday night he opposes aborting pregnancies conceived in rape because “it is something that God intended to happen.”
If find it difficult to differentiate between such a belief and those publicized by the Taliban.
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:16 am
13 days till the election. Gotta throw this charter school crap out there to deflect attention from $1.5 trillion deficits, sustained record-high unemployment figures, $4 gasoline, embassy murders, terror attacks, fast & furious, etc…..
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
10:16 am
I urge readers of this blog to take a few minutes to listen to the teenage students in the video below – which they produced – explain succinctly why you should vote NO to Amendment 1 in NOvember.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/10/18/student-produced-video-questions-push-for-charter-schools-amendment
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
10:16 am
extrainfo – Give the charter system a chance, your education system will be better off for it.
There already are avenues for charter schools in GA…This amendment is a power grab and nothing else
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
10:17 am
“If find it difficult to differentiate between such a belief and those publicized by the Taliban”
but if a woman chooses to terminate a pregnancy that’s NOT God’s will too? After all, he endowed us with the ability to choose.
curious
October 24th, 2012
10:17 am
Somebody look at Lake Oconee Academy in Greene County, the demographics of its student body, and the attendance zones established for first choice.
Dirty Dawg
October 24th, 2012
10:17 am
Frankly I was prepared to vote no on the charter school amendment and yes on the ‘long-term lease’ one…but, once again I’m reminded that every time they propose something that sounds too good to be true, it ain’t. Basically it’s just another ‘deal’ so one or more of a politician’s cronies can make money off the rest of us.
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
10:18 am
Doggone @ 10:15 beat me to it
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:18 am
From what I can tell from the comments that there are a lot of people who have no idea how charter schools function.
People understand how charters work. People also know that charters work in the current system. The argument against this amendment is because of the fact that it’s nothing but a big government takeover of education. If this amendment were truly necessary, your kids wouldn’t have already been in charter schools OR have the option of attending a charter high school now.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2012
10:18 am
I’m a little surprised that nobody has brought up the somewhat applicable precedent set by Michigan, wherein they were granted the ability to do “emergency management” of cities/towns deemed too
Negroidfiscally inept to manage themselves.This will get a lot uglier than anyone is willing to acknowledge, methinks, if it is passed.
(and by the way, for any schmuck who’s gonna get all butthurt over me playing TEH RACE CARD, sorry, but no whiter-than-white a guy than the rather conservative Gwinnett schools superintendent Alvin Wilbanks has already said this is a slide toward “separate but equal.” So y’all can go bite my neighbor’s dog if you don’t like it.)
/drive-by
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:19 am
EC @ :
Great minds???
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:19 am
TAXPAYER
Good question but typically if this is an asset sale as opposed to stock sale, the buyer has no continuing obligation for liabilites remaining on sellers remaining books…if it were a stock sale (as in lock, stock and barrel) the buyer assumes all outstanding liabilities and assets…
Given this is an asset sale, it is unlikely JCI will have any obligation of honor any borrowing commitments …so either way, taxpayers are getting stiffed for a 200 million or so…it seems like the chinese deal is dead…they were going to invest 400million and take control…in that event, to the extent we loaned them money instead of grant, they would assume liability for loan..
Not sure on the details of this deal which are all in purchase agreements but that’s how it works on 95% of deals…
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
10:21 am
There is good reason that the Georgia Association of Educators is advocating AGAINST Amendment 1. See the below, which has been excerpted from the GAE magazine, “KNOW.”
————————————————————————
FACT: The public needs to realize that almost 60% of the state commission charter schools (not charter schools approved locally) had contracts with EMOs (for-profit education management organizations) vs. only 12% of all other startup charter schools in Georgia, which means a portion of the $86 million in state funds these schools receive go to out-of-state companies.”
“FACT: The state (of Georgia) has already cut $4.4 billion from schools since 2008.”
“What it (Amendment 1) means to our public schools. Shorter school calendars. Ballooning class sizes. Lost jobs. More furlough days. Fewer programs and resources for Georgia students. Amendment 1 siphons money and resources from already underfunded traditional public schools and existing public charter schools. That money then goes into the coffers of state commission-approved charter schools often run by out-of-state, for-profit charter school management companies.”
“Did you KNOW? According to the Georgia Supreme Court, the state clearly overstepped when it created the state commission to approve charter schools. That commission approved charter school applications until the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that UNCONSTITUTIONAL this past year. The power to authorize charter schools belongs (exclusively ) to local school boards as stated in our
Constitution.”
“FACT: There is already a policy in place for reviewing charter school applications by local school boards + there’s already an appeals process in place, too.”
“Our students – the future of our state – deserve more than Amendment 1 can promise. While the preamble that appears above the amendment language on the ballot promises to improve student achievement and parental involvement, we know that it might do that – but only for the very few. ALL children across Georgia deserve the equal opportunity to learn in engaging, innovative, creative, and safe classrooms and schools. We build those classrooms and schools by investing in public education – not strip-mining it for big profit.”
————————————————————————
Source for the above quotes: KNOW Magazine from GAE, Volume 11, Issue 1
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:21 am
“If find it difficult to differentiate between such a belief and those publicized by the Taliban.”
Mr. Mourdock’s statements are ridiculous. Having said that, opposition to abortion is about saving life, as opposed to the Taliban’s practice of stoning women, denying them access to education, arranged marriages, shooting them for advocating education, etc.
The fact that you can’t “differentiate” really speaks to intellectual bankruptcy on your part.
Have a blessed day though.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:22 am
No surprise that the AJC nor Jay Bookman would have an article about the biggest foreign policy cover up in a generation.
Go to blogspot.com.
Create your own blog.
Choose the topics you wish to discuss.
No surprise that you haven’t done this already.
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:22 am
“It is amazing how this state can let this happen. Is there not an F.B.I. investigation into Nathan Deal’s skills at skirting outside the law?”
There was… he resigned to avoid further investigation, went bankrupt, and conned the conned wingnut rubes of GA into giving him another job…
It’s simply amazing… wingnuts shouldn’t be allowed to vote… or at the very least if they voted for W more than once OR voted for Deal, they shouldn’t be allowed to vote for 10 years…
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:22 am
I’m thinking if Charter Schools were only allowed in the bottom 50% performing school districts and not in others would be an interesting proposal…the students currently getting the shaft will continue to get same or larger shaft with amendment…just say no..
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:22 am
Jay has a phobia about Charter Schools.
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:22 am
“The argument against this amendment is because of the fact that it’s nothing but a big government takeover of education. ”
LMAO. I guess you’re opposed to all big government takeovers, like health care, GM, Chrysler, etc.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:23 am
“Emails detail unfolding Benghazi attack on September 11th…
6:07 PM 9/11/12: ‘Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility’… ”
HE KNEW ………. HE LIED.
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:23 am
“No surprise that the AJC nor Jay Bookman would have an article about the biggest foreign policy cover up in a generation.”
Ooo oo oo.. (raising hand violently…)… Is it “bigger than Watergate”???!??…;)
St Simons - (ab)original Georgian
October 24th, 2012
10:23 am
You’ve tried everything to run us off from our home, Georgia.
Infected blankets,
massacre/genocide
stealing land
and we’re still here. You couldn’t run us off.
A few like me & mrsstsimons, even beat you at your own game.
but, you bunch of rednecks
if you pass this crap,
we’re gone – to the banana republic of Florida.
Gen Sherman was right. God will have forsaken this place.
Enough stupid is- well, enough.
I’m sorry, but its time to be blunt.
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:23 am
“Jay has a phobia about Charter Schools.”
Jay has a phobia about whatever the DNC tells him to have a phobia about.
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
10:24 am
I worked at one of those for-profit colleges for a brief time. It was a disgusting place. They were having SACS issues at the time I was there and seeing things from the inside, I was shocked they managed to somehow stay accredited. You have no idea about what for-profit education is until you see it from the inside.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
10:25 am
“The fact that you can’t “differentiate” really speaks to intellectual bankruptcy on your part.”
That fact that you seem to be speaking about two distinct issues as if they are the same thing, demonstrates your usual disingenuous bs or your own “intellectual bankruptcy”
Ben: You decide.
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
10:25 am
What’s sad is that this is all about money and not education.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:25 am
If Republicans want to pay a for-profit school to teach them faith-based math and science, who are we to stand in their way even if they need to be transported to said schools via a Mitt Romney designed airliner. Roll down the windows and enjoy the ride.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:26 am
I guess you’re opposed to all big government takeovers, like health care, GM, Chrysler, etc.
I advocate freedom bro. I laugh my ass off at y’all pseudo conservatives who talk the talk but cheer on big government like it’s going out of style. I also LMAO at people who bluster on the internet but can’t read more than three lines in a link when they ask for proof of something and can’t provide proof on their own to back up their assertions.
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:26 am
So this Libya Watergate makes no less than 8 Watergates for Obama…
Obama’s Immigration Policy Change
“I remember hearing Watergate spelled the end of the imperial presidency. ‘That’s what Watergate did. No more of these presidents thinking they’re bigger than the Constitution, bigger than the law!’ Well, what’s more imperial than President Kardashian declaring an untold number of illegals legal?” Rush Limbaugh, 6/15/12
Joe Sestak “Bribe”
“The White House is facing a major scandal – one that threatens to bring down President Obama. It could be his Watergate.” Jeffrey Kuhner, The Washington Times, 5/27/10
“Obama’s Watergate?” RedState.com, 5/27/10
For more on the Sestak “bribe” falsehood, visit here and here.
Fast And Furious
“This is not only a major scandal; it is a high crime that potentially reaches all the way to the White House, implicating senior officials. It is President Obama’s Watergate.” Jeffrey Kuhner, Washington Times, 12/15/11
“Fast And Furious Scandal: A Watergate For Obama?” Investor’s Business Daily, 7/13/11
For more on Fast and Furious, visit here.
Obama’s Birth Certificate
“Why does the press protect him? Is this another Watergate?” Donald Trump, 5/30/12
“But as we learned in Watergate, sometimes the cover-up is worse than the crime itself. I now believe Obama and other government officials in Washington and Hawaii have been engaged in just such a cover-up – one that could make Watergate pale by comparison.” Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily, 5/8/11
Solyndra
“Solyndra Scandal Looks More and More Like Obama’s Watergate.” Breitbart.com’s Big Government, 9/16/11
For more on Solyndra, visit here.
Arrest Of Former Obama Campaign State Staffer
“Much like Watergate, which began with a seemingly simple (if puzzling) burglary and ultimately unraveled the Nixon administration, it is impossible to say how far the trail of criminality will go if the Edwards case is pursued aggressively. Will that happen? I don’t know; stay tuned.” Powerline’s John Hinderaker, 1/21/12
Media Matters
“Is Media Matters Obama’s Watergate?”Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator, 2/21/12
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:26 am
“You have no idea about what for-profit education is until you see it from the inside.”
Straw man
Charter schools are NOT all for-profit. If you’re scared of for-profit schools, don’t send your kid to one.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
10:26 am
They BOTH
You’re talking about Ben. You have to grade on a curve.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
10:26 am
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:10 am
The left like choice when it comes to abortion and birth control but are against when it comes to school.
Again with the puerile either/or binary mindset.
This isn’t about whether or not anyone is for or against “choice”.
Anyone can already “choose” whether or not to send their children to a charter or private school.
Geez….
+++++
I can not send my kids to charter school because there are none in my area. The right would claim that outlawing abortion is not about choice either.
From my perspective it is all about choice and really nothing else.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:27 am
KAMCHAK
Was poster talking about Bengahazi?
If so, this does not compare to several others….say IranContra for example…imagine how many true cover ups exist that we will never have knowledge of….
It’s unlikely any cover-up exists…this is pure incompetence in communication that may be election connected…..the question is why hasn’t there at least been a press conference by WH to give status and address all the discrepancies that exist..the Wesley Clark shoutdown was a bunch of BS
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:27 am
Taxpayer ridicules faith, then votes for Obama, who claims to be a Christian and has publicly stated that he has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior.
Ben laughs….
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
10:28 am
“You’re talking about Ben. You have to grade on a curve. ”
Another ad hominem attack from Brofeces. Anybody surprised?
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:31 am
“Jay has a phobia about Charter Schools.”
More like a phobia about central control…
Funny thing about all this kerfuffel is that it’s a wingnut cause, started because of wingnuts… It was the Cherokee county school board who kicked all this off by revoking a charter thus wingnuts angered wingnuts, so naturally the aggrieved wingnuts turned to the nanny-wingnut state for remedy… Now anyone opposing central control is reciting “DNC talking points”..
How do you wingnuts keep up with all your duplicity? Is it really that easy to slip in and out of “truths” as you see fit? I believe there’s a psychological condition that can be attributed to your behaviour… if you believe in science that is…
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:31 am
BENGHAZIGATE !
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:31 am
…..the question is why hasn’t there at least been a press conference by WH to give status and address all the discrepancies that exist..the Wesley Clark shoutdown was a bunch of BS
My question is why haven’t you or ATL Tiger:
Gone to blogspot.com?
Created your own blog?
Chosen whatever topic you wish to discuss?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:31 am
Were Obama and Romney asked about charter schools ?
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:32 am
Stevie Ray,
The technology developed by A123 with federal tax dollars would remain with a US domiciled company if it is purchased by JCI. That was the concern raised by several Republican congressmen.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:33 am
RIGHTWING
Interesting position from Alan Dershowitz re: Media Matters…btw, their show on POTUS radio is a blast to call…admittedly, they are too easy a target..kinda like calling Limbaugh on the right..
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/alan_dershowitz_says_media_matters_could_cost_obama_the_election.html
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
10:33 am
Erwin’s Cat, 10:12 pm
“I’d say being educated in public schools is experience enough to determine it’s adequacy…how arrogant huh?”
———————————————————-
There is a big difference in one student’s experiences, within one school setting, and the experiences and extensive educational training of professional educators, whose educational experiences span decades in many different school settings and working with thousands of students from many different cultural/economic backgrounds.
Moreover, every school setting is different and every classroom teacher’s expertise is different – even within the same school setting. We should try not to generalize to the extent that we would overturn a complete educational delivery model based on simply one student’s experiences, although of course all experiences should be heard.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
10:34 am
Ben
Speaks of others being “intellectually bankrupt” then does his usual crying antics when he gets a dose of his own medicine.
Thanks for the laughs little boy Ben………. The big money maker
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
10:34 am
I wonder where Obama stands on charter schools? Oh. That’s right. He sends his kids to the prestigious sidwell school while keeping inner city DC kids stuck in failing schools. I don’t think this amendment is the answer. But I do know the opposition to charter schools by liberals is quite irrational. With some of these people like doggone it seems to be about having control over other people and using tax payer money as an excuse to justify that control. Nevermind all the other crap we all pay for via taxes that we all disagree with.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:35 am
Ben obviously believes that it is God’s will when a rapist impregnates a woman.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:35 am
KAMCHAK
Help me understand how a simple press conference that he still has 2 weeks to have just to close the loop on discrepancies is indicative that I should start my own blog?
I’d be heartbroken since I know you wouldn’t visit…
curious
October 24th, 2012
10:35 am
Education is probably the single most important thing this Nation can concentrate on. Without it, we’ll soon resemble Afghanistan.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:38 am
TaxPayer:
“Are you trying to suggest somehow that God preordained rape, no I don’t think that,” said Mourdock, according to The Associated Press. “Anyone who would suggest that is just sick and twisted. No, that’s not even close to what I said.”
http://news.yahoo.com/gop-senate-candidate-god-intended-pregnancies-rape-061057785–abc-news-politics.html
P.S.
From yesterday ………. be careful ! You do know that Bookman’s parents were both Hessians I hope.
TBone
October 24th, 2012
10:38 am
Much like TSPLOST this charter school initiative is designed to place as many of Gove Deal’s backers in well paying government jobs that they are more than likely not qualified to hold but will greatly benefit for a long time. I am a dreaded conservative that tries to live his life based on the example of my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Deal is no conservative but merely a commited statist.
catlady
October 24th, 2012
10:39 am
Smart people vote NO on every amendment, because they have seen, repeatedly, for the last 10 years that EVERY amendment to our state constitution is a means of self-agrandizement for the state “elected officials”, their families, and campaign contributors. If you vote YES for either of these, you are voting to raise your taxes in order to give monies to those friends and family members. Open your eyes, people! You don’t have to be JUST SHEEP!
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:39 am
Democrats must take an oath to profit immensely from all attempts at educating Republicans. It’s the only way Republicans will accept education. Don’t fight it.
Donald Trump's Important Announcement
October 24th, 2012
10:41 am
A European Hair Stylist has created the solution to Donald’s hair woes…
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=donald+trumps+hair&id=7640BC16BF94B5CA8E2FEA94F28E4826893BDC88&FORM=IQFRBA
bob
October 24th, 2012
10:41 am
The new APS super is another reason to vote for charters. He lied to the parents of NAHS when he said that NAHS was going to be taken over by the state.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
10:41 am
Morning, Brosephus
Kinda tugs at the old heartstrings, doesn’t it?
http://tinyurl.com/927qwqf
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
10:43 am
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
8:54 am
“The libs are getting their britches jacked up because something might go private!”
So you’re Ok with the government “confiscating” your money via taxes and then using it to pay for the education of someone elses kids in what amounts to a private school? And here I thought the mantra was LESS GOVERNMENT. Learn something new every day.
+++++++++++++++++++
he’s ok with whatever the hell Neal Boortz TELLS him to be ok with………
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:43 am
TAXPAYER,
Agreed…I misunderstood you previous comment…JCI is a exceptionally well run company and it appears they may be able to reduce the cost of purchase to $8 million with DOE support…good article…unfortunately DOE expected sales of 175,000 electric cars this year…appears demand for 25,000 is a stretch…
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121016/AUTO01/210160393/A123-Systems-files-bankruptcy-will-sell-assets-Johnson-Controls?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
10:43 am
Scout,
In your Republican candidate’s own words:
“The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother,” said Mourdock, the Tea Party-backed state treasurer. “I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:45 am
Stevie,
It gonna be close, my gut says Mittens wins. That’s how it feels right now,and Obama hasn’t been strong enough to change it, as a matter of fact he seems a bit angry and acrimonious these days (I can’t blame him, based on the magnitude of the lies, but it’s not very presidential).
I’m fine with it. I hope Mittens can do all he’s promised, but I seriously doubt it.
I say even if Mittens wins, the recovery will continue to grind along slowly gaining steam, we’ll be lucky to see 3-4% growth by 2016 (if nothing in the world blows up). 3 years ago there were 5-6 vacant subdivisions within a mile of my house, where the land was cleared, streets were laid, then all was abandoned. As of the last 6 months all of those have new houses going up. There are help wanted signs out everywhere in the Marietta/Kennesaw area, have been since last spring when I decided to “help” my college freshman find a job (he found a great job at Publix).
So, regardless of the spin and lies during this election cycle, things are better, and will contniue to be so regardless of who we call president Jan 20.
Also, I think wingnuts got punked during the primary season. Punked by Philo Bedoe and his chair, and by the “severely conservative” Mittens…
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
October 24th, 2012
10:45 am
Where is Fred? We need his insight on this.
Well, what I want to know is, how come nobody ever says, Where is Redneck? We need his insight on this? How come it’s always Fred or somebody else and never Redneck? I mean, I got insights. I got lots of insights.
Anyhow, I sure wish they’d hurry up and pass this amenment so that little Nathan Zell George
won’t have to go to school with Those Peoplecan benefit from a charter school. Maybe one that specializes in chain saws and truck driving and stuff like that, instead of learning all this useless stuff like history and math and such.Have a good Hump Day everybody.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
10:46 am
Bro
Have you seen this article?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/us/politics/race-for-president-leaves-income-slump-in-shadows.html?hp&_r=0
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:47 am
Help me understand how a simple press conference that he still has 2 weeks to have just to close the loop on discrepancies is indicative that I should start my own blog?
Help me understand that you cannot discern that this is a thread about a charter school amendment in Georgia and not Obama.
Help me understand why you cannot cease your incessant whining about Obama on a thread that has nothing to do with him.
Help me understand why you cannot create your own blog so you can pick and choose the topics that you want to whine about.
Rightwing Troll
October 24th, 2012
10:47 am
Ooooohhh…
We’re up to 8 Watergates… and Trump’s gonna tweet a gamechanger today… it’s a BANNER wingnut day!!!
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
10:48 am
ME – There is a big difference in one student’s experiences, within one school setting, and the experiences and extensive educational training of professional educators, whose educational experiences span decades in many different school settings and working with thousands of students from many different cultural/economic backgrounds.
True if you are talking about me the individual, but the voting public is a collective experience of what you describe. I was educated enough in public schools to be able to think on my own, from my own experiences and education. I have no problem with charters and don’t summarily dismiss them as ill-equipped because of local influence or needs…Just because you’ve been taught to believe you know everything about education doesn’t necessarily make it true and shouldn’t limit anyone’s choice
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
10:48 am
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
10:34 am
I wonder where Obama stands on charter schools? Oh. That’s right. He sends his kids to the prestigious sidwell school while keeping inner city DC kids stuck in failing schools. I don’t think this amendment is the answer. But I do know the opposition to charter schools by liberals is quite irrational. With some of these people like doggone it seems to be about having control over other people and using tax payer money as an excuse to justify that control. Nevermind all the other crap we all pay for via taxes that we all disagree with.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Oh horse crap Doomy. This isn’t about “charter schools” at all. We HAVE charter schools, and can have more at anytime right now. What this is about is a Republican driven money grab. As it stands right now Deal can’t steal the money from Dekalb County to give lucrative contracts to those who bribe him best to open lucrative ’schools.”
pull your head out of that warm dark place and for ONCE look at an issue for what it IS not as “something the *libs* are against.” There is not one single advantage to education by stealing local control and money away from communities and giving it to unelected secret committees.
This is just flat out wrong and anyone who argues otherwise is either extremely stupid and brainwashed or part of the scam to steal our money, there IS no middle ground.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:49 am
SIGN THE APOCOLYPSE IS UPON US…
We all wait with baited breath some big announcement by an irrelevant blow-hard…Donald Trump…perhaps re-runs of Honey Boo Boo are on at that time?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
10:51 am
TaxPayer:
I am aware of that but he explained that was not what he meant.
Just like Obama explains all the time “that’s not what I meant”.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
10:52 am
KAMCHAK
Give me your address and I will send you a crying towel..
Another example of your great powers and mastery of deflection and the shoutdown..brilliant…I guess you haven’t noticed that most all of Jays posts (even Friday’s music) end up in the election…you sure seem protective of the incumbent….just saying..
Steve-USA
October 24th, 2012
10:54 am
“We all wait with baited breath some big announcement by an irrelevant blow-hard…Donald Trump…perhaps re-runs of Honey Boo Boo are on at that time?”
If I worked for Romney I would ask Trump, The Bush’s and Dick Cheney to disappear for the next 2 weeks, Actually the next 2 decades might be a better idea.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
10:55 am
Give me your address and I will send you a crying towel..
5678 Blow My Neighbor’s Dog Blvd.
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
10:57 am
I wonder where Obama stands on charter schools? Oh. That’s right. He sends his kids to the prestigious sidwell school while keeping inner city DC kids stuck in failing schools.
There is choice in education. It is called private schools and those that can afford the cost (in this case around 33k per year) have the freedom of choice to do so without expecting any taxpayer help. Sidwell Friends School (SFS) is a PK-12, co-educational Quaker day school with campuses in Washington, D.C., and Bethesda, Maryland. Founded in 1883, the School is a nonprofit, tax-exempt institution governed by an independent Board of Trustees.
Unless you have direct proof this school receives government dollars that should otherwise be directed to those poor inner city schools, your point is meaningless. That is the core difference here. The ballot initiative in Georgia would result in money being taken away from public schools and given to a for profit company.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:00 am
Preach it East Cobb RINO, Inc. , Preach it.
Just a money grab to steal the cash from already cash strapped school districts. SHAME on you fools supporting it, SHAME.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:01 am
Another ad hominem attack from Brofeces. Anybody surprised?
Ummm… what’s that old saying about Liberalism 101???
Liberalism 101 – When the facts are against you, resort to name-calling
When you have to resort to name calling, you’ve conceded that you have already lost the debate. Liberals like you are boring, Ben.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
11:02 am
Fred,
You must have missed the part where I said I don’t support this amendment. It is because it takes control away from local that I don’t support it. That and I think Jay is right about community colleges being much better than places like strayer or bauder college. In the larger context of charter schools though I think liberal opposition is often completely irrational and is more about power and control than the kids welfare.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:02 am
I have no problem with charters and don’t summarily dismiss them as ill-equipped because of local influence or needs…
But we aren’t talking about charters here, we already HAVE charters and the ability to have more. We are talking about STEALING MONEY here. An unelected secret “board” will make all the decisions of who to steal the money from and who to take the bribes from, I mean who to “award” the charters to.
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2012
11:03 am
Just like Obama explains all the time “that’s not what I meant”.
He was pretty clear with his words and then he tried to backtrack but it’s not working.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:03 am
Dammit Paul!!!! You gotta put a warning up before you do something like that. I just burned the hell out of my lip with my coffee….
btw… G’morning.
diddy
October 24th, 2012
11:04 am
At first I was going to vote yes on this but after doing research on National Heritage Academies (one of the big donors metioned above) I’m not sure now. I looked up some of their schools in Ohio and they are underperforming. Both of the ones I researched in Ohio failed AYP. One is on academic watch and only me 2 of the 10 Ohio standards. I read some reviews and people said the students, not the teachers, are controlling the classrooms and that there are behavior issues. I’m not sure about this.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:05 am
Doomy: Sorry, I didn’t read the back pages. I thought you were saying this money grab amendment was a good thing.
Don’t even get me started on the “for profit” University scam that has already cost tax payers 10’s of billions of dollars. I have plenty of insider info on that crap.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:09 am
They BOTH
I had not seen that one yet… Gonna give it a read though. Thanks.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
11:10 am
East Cobb rino,
You completely missed my point. I’m simply starting the irony that when o came in that while he himself had the choice and means to afford a good private school the choice for DC kids to attend charter schools was being opposed. Seems to me that the only answer dems have for education is to simply throw more money at it. Choice for people of lesser means doesn’t seem to be an option for them.
USMC
October 24th, 2012
11:10 am
Chinese Professor…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM&sns=em
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
11:12 am
Doom: I think liberal opposition is often completely irrational and is more about power and control than the kids welfare
Submitted as Exhibit 78921 of a complete inability of the poster to frame rational intelligent thoughts. You might have Pompous assenisia. It is a FTD (Faux Transmitted Disease).
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 24th, 2012
11:13 am
I can see the rush to get Obama out of office. We certainly wouldn’t want to continue the practices of the past 4 years would we.
“NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. oil output is surging so fast that the United States could soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s biggest producer.
Driven by high prices and new drilling methods, U.S. production of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons is on track to rise 7% this year to an average of 10.9 million barrels per day. This will be the fourth straight year of crude increases and the biggest single-year gain since 1951.”
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:13 am
Sorry, Brosephus…
But it was worth it, wasn’t it?
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:13 am
“Ben obviously believes that it is God’s will when a rapist impregnates a woman.”
At 10:21 I said Mourdock’s comments were ridiculous. Try to keep up sweetie.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
11:14 am
Fred,
Indeed. The for profit universities do seem to be a scam. Not all of
Em but enough of them.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:14 am
Brosephus
I’ve one in reserve for him – or HUH???? – or both next time they’re feeling needy -
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:15 am
Paul
And then some. I really needed a good laugh this morning. I would have just preferred to not have it come with hot coffee. One of these days, I’m gonna stop poking at Mr. Attention Seeker, but I had way too much fun yesterday.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:16 am
Brosephus
Kinda leaves you with that same feeling after watching a multi-car pileup, doesn’t it?
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:16 am
Liberals are so funny. Brofeces, Paul, and Taxpayer….combined IQ 100. LMAO
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
11:16 am
Below is an excerpt from the Get Schooled AJC blog. The rest can be found clicking the link.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/10/17/guest-column-charter-schools-could-become-cash-cows/
Under a federal program known as EB-5, wealthy foreigners can in effect buy U.S. immigration visas for themselves and their families by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects. In the past two decades, much of the investment has gone into commercial real-estate projects, like luxury hotels, ski resorts and even gas stations. Lately, however, enterprising brokers have seen a golden opportunity to match cash-starved charter schools with cash-flush foreigners in investment deals that benefit both.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
11:17 am
Riddle me dis
Riddle me dat
Why do keep up
Yak yak yak?
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:18 am
“Charter-school amendment would set off gold rush”
Fear mongering at it’s best.
Regnad Kcin
October 24th, 2012
11:19 am
Apparently “LMAO” is Ben-speak for “I have no point”.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
11:20 am
Paul
It didn’t take long for one of the culprits to feel needy……
Go figure
Kamchak - "Socialism" is just a code word for "fear," the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
October 24th, 2012
11:20 am
Fear mongering at it’s best.
Socialism — BOO!
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:21 am
Apparently “Regnad Kcin” is lib-speak for “Bookman’s water boy.”
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:21 am
Liberals are so funny. Brofeces, Paul, and Taxpayer….combined IQ 100. LMAO
Ben Shockley
October 23rd, 2012
3:55 pm
Liberalism 101 – When the facts are against you, resort to name-calling and ad hominem attacks
Ben
Why are you hating on yourself??? Libs like you ARE funny indeed…
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:22 am
Kamchak, unless you’re willing to debate socialism, maybe you should stick to unicorns and skittles.
Just a thought, world of gor Boy……………
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:23 am
It must really be sad to be a liberal hating liberal…
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:24 am
Ben Shockley
Just for you, from me, Brosephus, TaxPayer and They BOTH suck
(apologies to anyone else who wanted to be included)
http://tinyurl.com/9z7ptja
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:24 am
Brofeces, you sure quote me and cite me a lot for a guy you supposedly dismiss as silly.
LMAO
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
11:24 am
Thulsa Doom, perhaps I did mis-interpret. But I do not see this as something that would give choice for people of lesser means. If a school is considered to be superior to others, I am confident the ones who would get preferential treatment for enrollment would be those who could afford the private schools themselves. That is just the way these things tend to work out. The when the money gets sucked away form the public schools, the children of people of lesser means are stuck in an even worse school.
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:24 am
Paul, you know that no one clicks on those silly links, right?
Thomas
October 24th, 2012
11:25 am
Driven by high prices and new drilling methods, U.S. production of crude…..
A little confused here- so we desire high prices, more drilling on private property, and less on gov’t property on US gov’t land? If I am not mistaken that would lead to private individuals and institutions profiting on the backs of the little guy simply due to “increased demand” which is really wrapped in a weak $. See, the problem is, the WH is frustrated as it can print a lot of $ that stimulates the crack addict economy but it does weaken the greenback which in turns creates a bubble in commodities.
Anyway- back to name that tune
USMC
October 24th, 2012
11:27 am
Breaking News…
OBAMA Knew!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/23/state-dept-emails-from-day-libya-attack-show-al-qaeda-tied-group-on-radar/
Can you all say BenghaziGATE??
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:27 am
They BOTH
That link was interesting indeed. It makes me wonder about something else I read about earlier this year.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-really-experience-violent-upheaval-2020-162332158.html
the cat
October 24th, 2012
11:28 am
Ben Shockley
October 24th, 2012
11:24 am
Paul, you know that no one clicks on those silly links, right?
We ALL do and we ALL are laughing at you!
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:28 am
Ben Shockley?
No one clicks on those links?
Give it a minute. You may just hear from some people who did.
I seem to recall last time you used that line, it was a link to something that many others read that directly contracted your big point of the day. You, true to form, refused to click on it.
But this link – doesn’t really matter if you click on it or not. It was mostly for everyone else’s benefit.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
11:29 am
Debate socialism?
Socialism is just a code word for fear.
The monster under your bed.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:29 am
Paul: Hilarious. I want a MALT girl lol.
Obama Kills
October 24th, 2012
11:29 am
The AJC sucks, Bookman you suck even more that the AJC, When will you idiot liberals admit that your president is a failure and a murderer.
Bengahzi should be the topic on everyones mind.
Just cause you libs don’t want to talk about it does not mean it did not happen.
The democrats of this country all have blood on their hands and only the truth will make them clean again.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 24th, 2012
11:30 am
Paul, you know that no one clicks on those silly links, right?
We’re not laughing with you, we’re laughing at you.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:30 am
Paul
I sat the cup down this time…
————————-
Ben Shockley
I only quote you for two reasons:
#1 If you are right (which I highly doubt), you are calling yourself a liberal, and self hating at that, by resorting to name calling.
OR
#2 You’re basically a worthless, lying, sack of sh*t who basically comes here attention whoring.
So, are we to believe the words you post or not?
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
11:31 am
East Cobb Rino
There in lies the fine line we have to straddle. How to give poor kids more choice and opportunity without making the public school they left even worse.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:34 am
Brosephus
Awww, nuts….. I was holding a bottle of Bosch’s Screen Cleaner ransom for you -
Benghazi Suspect Held in Tunisia: Report
October 24th, 2012
11:36 am
One of the first clues the intelligence community had about the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was when a Tunisian national posted an update on social media about the fighting shortly after it had begun.
The post from Ali Ani al-Harzi, who is now suspected of participating in the attacks, was what helped U.S. intelligence locate him and track him down after he fled Libya for Turkey, according to four U.S. officials familiar with the unfolding investigation.
http://news.yahoo.com/benghazi-suspect-held-tunisia-084500046–politics.html
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:36 am
BENGHAZIGATE
BENGHAZIGATE
BENGHAZIGATE
Unfortunately, the ambassador and three others are dead. The Oblunda administration has blood on its hands. They sat by and watched. They sent no help. It was a calculated political decision to let them be killed. It is criminal malfeasance. It is deriliction of sworn duty. It is shameful.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
11:37 am
Erwin’s Cat, 10:48 am
I have been in support of charter schools that will work in harmony with traditional public schools, not against them. I do not support Amendment 1 because I believe that this amendment is more politically based than educationally based.
I wrote, in my last post to you, that every voice should be heard, and that means your voice, my voice, and the collective voice of the people of the state. The last poll done, about a week ago, showed that there is only about a 4% point variance in the public’s opinion on this issue. I believe that there has been a concentrated propaganda thrust to undermine public schools in Georgia over the last few months and years, by forces which have wanted to privatize public education for profit motives. They have highlighted – in their intense propaganda mission – the few public schools that need improvement in order to dismiss the many public schools that do an excellent job with students. Thus, they have deliberately skewed the public’s impression of traditionally public education toward the negative.
Don’t be fooled. Don’t supplant our traditional public educational delivery model for one that is profit-based, using children for the self-interests of profiteers. People who would do that have no problem with being stealthy in their tactics. Vote NO to Amendment 1.
Morality?
October 24th, 2012
11:37 am
Jay opposes Charter School Amendment ’cause his bros is all Labor Union. Putting the Union afore the children just don’t seem right do it?
Benghazi Suspect Held in Tunisia: Report
October 24th, 2012
11:37 am
BENGHAZIGATE
____
Can you say similar to Fast and Furious? Bunch of noise from the Rightwingers.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:38 am
Ahem
Bless you!! That sneeze sounds pretty bad. You might need some government run healthcare to get that looked at.
USMC
October 24th, 2012
11:40 am
“Debate socialism? Socialism is just a code word for fear. The monster under your bed.”–Kamspam
What an absolute Moron. He spouts Socialist ideals then like a foolish child acts as thought it does not exist. Talk about clueless. Blogs are fun.
Yes, I believe the correct term is USEFUL IDIOT!
Regnad Kcin
October 24th, 2012
11:41 am
“Jay opposes Charter School Amendment ’cause his bros is all Labor Union.”
Link or lie?
getalife
October 24th, 2012
11:41 am
” It is impossible to look at the G.O.P.’s behavior in the last four years — from its unwillingness to consider Obama’s jobs bill, which was praised by independent economists, to the unwillingness of its presidential candidates to consider a $1 increase in taxes for $10 of spending cuts, to the time it spent on sheer lunacy such as questioning the president’s birth certificate — and not conclude that many in the party just wanted Obama to fail in the hope that they could pick up the pieces. Too many Republicans, particularly moderate business types, don’t want to admit how much their party has been led around of late, not by traditional conservatives, but by a radical Tea Party base that has driven decent, smart conservatives — like Bob Bennett of Utah, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Olympia Snowe of Maine — out of office.
What I’d say about Obama’s domestic and Middle East policies is that, given the messes and political constraints he inherited in both arenas, he did about as well as anyone could. He kept the homeland safe, prevented us from getting drawn into any sinkholes and killed bad guys. It is not the stuff of foreign policy legend, but it was not bad. I’d say the same at home. He stanched the bleeding in the economy and initiated some smart reforms in education, energy and health” Friedman.
Intellectual honesty.
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 24th, 2012
11:43 am
Ahem – “It is criminal malfeasance. It is deriliction of sworn duty. It is shameful.”
When is your Mother coming for you?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:44 am
Bob Woodward: Obama ‘mistaken’ on sequester
Bob Woodward says President Barack Obama got some of his facts wrong on sequester at Monday night’s debate.
Woodward’s book “The Price of Politics” has been the go-to fact check source for the president’s answer, in which he claimed the idea of using deep, automatic, across-the-board domestic and defense spending cuts to force Congress to address the nation’s burgeoning federal deficit originated from Congress, not from the White House.
“What the president said is not correct,” Woodward told POLITICO Tuesday. “He’s mistaken. And it’s refuted by the people who work for him.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82772.html#ixzz2AEQ9s7Wo
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:46 am
Guess what the main topic on the Neal Boortz show was today? Anyone guess Benghazi? Of course that’s why all these asshats keep coming here to rehash the Boortz show.
Yo dummies, I listened to the show too. you do a really poor imitation of Boortz so stop it already with your Boortz spam. Think for yourselves for a damn change.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:47 am
When is your Mother coming for you?
That is not a possiblity. My Dad won’t be coming either. Neither will Ambassador Stevens.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
11:47 am
What I’d say about Obama’s domestic and Middle East policies is that, given the messes and political constraints he inherited in both arenas, he did about as well as anyone could.
With that ringing endorsement from Friedman, I’d say it’s time to give someone else a chance.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
11:48 am
“With that ringing endorsement from Friedman, I’d say it’s time to give someone else a chance”
“as well as anyone could” means no one else could do better
getalife
October 24th, 2012
11:48 am
mitt has another rape problem and he endorsed the con and made an ad for the con.
mitt lost the women vote.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
11:49 am
“mitt lost the women vote”
Well…those who can think for themselves anyway
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:49 am
“Bless you!! That sneeze sounds pretty bad.”
Ambassador Christopher Stevens won’t be sneezing anymore. Ask Obama why.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
11:50 am
Ahem must be one of them paid campaign spammers doing the blog rounds
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
“Bunch of noise from the Rightwingers.”
Ambassador Stevens makes no noise. He died while Obama slept.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
“Ambassador Christopher Stevens won’t be sneezing anymore.”
Evidently you don’t believe in life after death
Steven
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
@MiltonMan….If you have the best of both worlds, get off this site and go enjoy your world! You’re sickening!
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
USMC
From a column this week.
I had no idea you’d begun attending parties so early in the season!
“DEAR MISS MANNERS: The U.S. elections and my quadrennial quandary draw closer. I am an expatriate, living where “communist” is a political position, rather than an insult. At social events, other Americans ask for whom I will vote. I have tried being humorous and evasive, but when pressed I tell them that I support neither candidate because I am a communist.
I am then treated to a summary of 50 years of Cold War propaganda….
MISS MANNERS: to your questioners who are visitors to the country where you live, it might be worthwhile to interrupt by saying gently, “While you’re here, you should look into what this means — it’s not at all what you think.” This should at least leave them embarrassed to be caught in critical ignorance of the place they are visiting. ”
Or of the subject they are discussing on a blog.
Thomas
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
Really telling and predictable going through the major online “news” sources regarding gotcha emails re: Libya
Headline on Fox and “all the more reason to throw out the corrupt WH”
NY Times- completely ignore
ABC/CBC etc story plus WH response
Interesting one was CNN which, to me, has become interesting as the WH dissed CNN for releasing the diary. I think CNN has since become more neutral which has hurt the WH.
We all know where Jay would stand “this is not news”
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:52 am
It is criminal malfeasance. It is deriliction of sworn duty. It is shameful.
Are you talking about Rep. Issa and Rep. Chaffetz outing the CIA and endangering the lives of Libyans who are/were helping us?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
11:50 am
“Ahem must be one of them paid campaign spammers doing the blog rounds”
And you must be one of them.
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Ahem – “Ambassador Christopher Stevens won’t be sneezing anymore.
Of course not, have you ever known someone who was dead to sneeze?
Chuck
October 24th, 2012
11:54 am
Who in their right mind could argue that to continue our educational system in the form that it is in now is a good idea. We spend a great deal more money per student than most of the industrialized world, all the while our results plummet against them. I will not pretend that I know the answer for fixing the problem, but I have to believe that if things do not change massively soon then we are cheating the kids.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
11:54 am
And you must be one of them
I wish…. I would love to haunt some of the wingnut blogs for money. How much are you paid?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:55 am
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:52 am
If you are trying to put your head in there you may want to use some lubricant first.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:55 am
Ahem
And I wonder how much Ambassador Steven’s family would enjoy your little marionette puppet show with their deceased family member.
I guess it’s ok to play political chess with deceased people if you are conservative.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
11:56 am
Doggone: He said “about as good” And while if taken literally, it doesn’t sound bad, in everyday usage, it’s not very complimentary. So anyone else could have done about as well?
If my employer gave me a review that said, “gh did about as well as anyone could”, I wouldn’t be expecting a raise and I would know that I better be keeping my options open.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:56 am
“I wish…. I would love to haunt some of the wingnut blogs for money. How much are you paid?”
I can’t say exactly, but it is in cash and they don’t issue 1099’s.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:56 am
Ahem
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the idea originated with some White House budget wonks.
But… why do you suppose Republican Congressional Leadership took to the idea so quickly? Why do you suppose they wrote into the legislation that programs could not be cut, but there would have to be across-the-board percentage cuts?
Could it be Republicans liked the idea of slashing the size of agencies but did not want to risk their pet programs being put on the chopping block?
Bottom line: ideas can come from all sources. But the Congress, by the Constitution, is responsible for the bills that go to the President for signature.
So what we really have are Republicans saying “well… we originated the bill… we wrote it… we sent it to the President…. BUT IT WASN”T OUR IDEA!!!”
Republicans are so fixated on a ‘gotcha’ for the President they have no idea how silly they look in all this.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
11:57 am
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
11:50 am
“Ahem must be one of them paid campaign spammers doing the blog rounds”
And you must be one of them.
++++++++++++++++++++
Oh my what a BRILLIANT comeback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DPKf7y1F-Q
Hey Ahem, in case you didn’t know? Ambassador Stevens is dead………
Erwin's cat
October 24th, 2012
11:57 am
ME – I already voted NO to amendment 1
The fact you don’t think I understand the issue indicates that you may believe that public schools have failed to educate me in critical thinking
Peadawg
October 24th, 2012
11:57 am
“And I wonder how much Ambassador Steven’s family would enjoy your little marionette puppet show with their deceased family member.”
Hell, I wonder how much Steven’s family would appreciate Jay trying shift blame to the Ambassador himself the other day.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:57 am
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:55 am
You really should give up the self-colonoscopy. And your head will need a good scrub when it pops back out.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
11:58 am
“If my employer gave me a review that said, “gh did about as well as anyone could”, I wouldn’t be expecting a raise and I would know that I better be keeping my options open”
and if I got the evaluation I wouldn’t expect to be replaced…because “anyone” could only be expected to do the same as me.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
11:58 am
RB — “Look at the state of the school systems in Georgia controlled by democrats and then tell us why they’re even allowed to voice opinions on the subject.”
If this is how you actually feel, then one wonders why you even open your yap about Iraq any more.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
11:59 am
“Hell, I wonder how much Steven’s family would appreciate Jay trying shift blame to the Ambassador himself the other day”
reading comprehension’s not your strong suit I see
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
11:59 am
If you are trying to put your head in there you may want to use some lubricant first.
Well, last time I checked, Scooter Libby got convicted of outing a CIA agent. Just yesterday, a former CIA Agent pled guilt to outing another agent. So, there is precedent for criminal malfeasance in my example. What proof do you have for your allegations?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/23/us-usa-cia-plea-idUSBRE89M0YO20121023
(Reuters) – A former Central Intelligence Agency officer is expected to spend 2 1/2 years in prison for telling a journalist the name of a covert agent, marking the first time in 27 years that someone will go to prison for blowing the cover of a CIA agent.
John Kiriakou, 48, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of disclosing the identity of a covert agent.
Kiriakou revealed the agent’s name in a 2008 email, one of many instances in which he helped journalists with information on activities such as waterboarding and the CIA’s interrogation of al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah.
It helps to be informed.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
11:59 am
Ahem
That’s two posts to Brosephus that reveal a pronounced scatological fascination –
just sayin’ -
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:00 pm
Peadawg
October 24th, 2012
11:57 am
Good point. It seems that the left has lost all ability to face the truth and will stoop to levels previously unknown in desperation to save to failed their precious little manchild.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
Hell, I wonder how much Steven’s family would appreciate Jay trying shift blame to the Ambassador himself the other day.
I’ll offer my same suggestion to you again, Peadawg. Go research airplane crash accident investigations. The question Jay asked is the same line of questioning they use to investigate potential pilot causes of crashes. Nobody’s blaming anybody. If you don’t investigate that line of questioning, you can’t rule out anything either.
————————-
Ahem
The only thing resembling a colon around here is your spastic posting. As I posted above, I have proof of my statement, where’s yours?
paulo977
October 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
Madge F A …..” The costs have risen for the counties because the STATE has not matched the funds it should be matching towards their citizen’ education. The State is funded by the Feds and then the state “trickles down” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
_____________________________________________
Thank you for informing the uninformed ……;also check ALEC’S part in all of this!!
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
“Republicans are so fixated on a ‘gotcha’ for the President they have no idea how silly they look in all this.”
I guess we will just have to wait and see, Paul.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:04 pm
Brosephus — “I guess it’s ok to play political chess with deceased people if you are conservative.”
They do it with disabled veterans, too, as I’m sure you know. Then, when one of up speaks up and says something different than the bulldada they’re trying to peddle as our monolithic and unified opinion, they lose their freaking MINDS. I had one brave conservative thinker tell me, over on the Marietta Square in 2004, that I ‘ain’t no vet’ran no moar’ because disabled me dared to have a Veterans for Kerry bumpersticker on my car.
Funny how displaying the wrong bumpersticker causes you to lose your veteran status, isn’t it? Do you think the VA will go as far as repossessing the disability I left the Army with, too?
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
12:04 pm
and if I got the evaluation I wouldn’t expect to be replaced…because “anyone” could only be expected to do the same as me.
I think the country deserves better than a President that can do about as good as anyone. Heck, might as well put the heathen in there.
I could do about as good as anyone.
Peadawg
October 24th, 2012
12:05 pm
“reading comprehension’s not your strong suit I see” – Um…..
“In Benghazi, Stevens fatally misjudged risk, reward”
“If you’re going to conduct a meaningful, honest assessment of what happened, that absolutely has to be part of it.”
Maybe it’s YOU Doggone who isn’t very good a reading comprehension.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:05 pm
Paul
I would say he has sh*t on the brains, but since today is Wednesday, I’m supposed to be the nice Black guy. Therefore, I’m not allowed to say that.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
“What proof do you have for your allegations?”
Read your own words and then schedule the procedure with a trained professional. Early detection could prolong your life. The prep is the worst of it and you won’t remember a thing.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
JHM
I simply blame it on low self esteem.
Peadawg
October 24th, 2012
12:07 pm
I agree with you regarding plane crashes…but a plane crash and a terrorist attack on a foreign embassy…not even close.
alex
October 24th, 2012
12:09 pm
@getalife; sounds more like acceptance of mediocrity….”not bad”, NOT good….Sheeesh!
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
12:09 pm
Erwin’s Cat, 11:57 am
“ME – I already voted NO to amendment 1
The fact you don’t think I understand the issue indicates that you may believe that public schools have failed to educate me in critical thinking.”
———————————————————————
I am delighted to learn that you voted NO to Amendment 1. You must remember that I am writing more for the readers of this blog than I am to any poster to whom I might choose to respond. The very fact that I have responded to your posts means that I have respect for your opinion – because you are authentic in your voice and you respond with care.
Thank you very much for voting NO to Amendment 1, Erwin’s Cat.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:10 pm
Wow. peadawg lowered the boom at 11:57. Unbelievable to see the libs say shame on you ahem. This after Jay writes a post blaming Stephens for his own death. But yet its ahem who is the bad guy for poinfing out obamas lie and the growkng scandal.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:10 pm
Ahem
Since you do it so well, I’ve gotta believe that this is you…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtZc6CrIFzE#t=01m20s
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:11 pm
Peadawg
Have you ever done incident investigation before?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:12 pm
(Reuters) – Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show.
Administration spokesmen, including White House spokesman Jay Carney, citing an unclassified assessment prepared by the CIA, maintained for days that the attacks likely were a spontaneous protest against an anti-Muslim film.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:12 pm
Doom
My fault with Ahem is that, you can blame Obama all day. There’s no need to drag Ambassador Steven’s body through the streets to do that though? Anybody who would claim to respect life would also respect the deceased. If you want to co-sign that crap, then by all means don’t let me stop you.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
12:13 pm
Wow Doomy Really? Now you have become one of those who thinks the President sets the Security roster at every Embassy? You reckon he orders the printer paper at every federal office too?
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:13 pm
Ahem — “Early detection could prolong your life. The prep is the worst of it and you won’t remember a thing.”
Right, right and not necessarily.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
12:14 pm
TaxPayer @ 11:03
Same with Obama ……….. and it’s not working.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
12:14 pm
Paulo 977, 12:03 pm
“Thank you for informing the uninformed ……;also check ALEC’S part in all of this!!”
———————————————————————
The membership of the State Commission of Charter Schools would come from a list supplied by Georgia’s House Majority Leader and Georgia’s President of the Senate, as well as from the Governor, all of whom are Republican politicians, not educators, as in the state DOE. In addition, Rep. Jan Jones and Rep. Edward Lindsey, who sponsored HR 1162 which became the Amendment 1, are both members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The link, below, will show how ALEC has had its political influence into this legislation in Georgia. Rep. Jones is part of the Educational Task Force of ALEC as well as on the Education Committee of Georgia’s House of Representatives.”
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/05/09/how-alec-is-quietly-influencing-education-refor/184156
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:14 pm
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:10 pm
They don’t allow us to click on links, but I hope you and others enjoy it.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
12:15 pm
Barack “Snark” Obama
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:16 pm
To be clear: I don’t click on the links to you tube that I can’t verify as safe.
Peadawg
October 24th, 2012
12:16 pm
“Have you ever done incident investigation before?” – Nope. Keep spinning and sticking up for Jay. Next.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:18 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:13 pm
Yikes. I have never spoken to anyone that remembered the actual invasive procedure, but I suppose it could happen sometimes. Sounds like you have anecdotal evidence of this happening.
Mary Elizabeth
October 24th, 2012
12:19 pm
In my last post, my words “all of whom are Republican politicians, not educators. . .” referred to the Governor, the House Majority Leader, and the President of the Senate, and not to the people on the lists they may provide. Those words were unintentionally ambiguously stated.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
12:21 pm
Doom: Wow. peadawg lowered the boom at 11:57. Unbelievable to see the libs say shame on you ahem. This after Jay writes a post blaming Stephens for his own death. But yet its ahem who is the bad guy for poinfing out obamas lie and the growkng scandal
When you post really stupid lies that border on idiotic, you have Pompous Assenisia.
When you post whines about a lie that asserts your faux horror at a lie of “blaming an ambassador for their own death” but you support a troll post that uses that same ambassador as a prop for inane political claims, you have Pompous Assenisia.
Beware the spreader of this FTD…..
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
12:22 pm
Yikes. I have never spoken to anyone that remembered the actual invasive procedure, but I suppose it could happen sometimes.
I watched the whole thing on the little TV. Thought I was watching “Voyage to the Center of the Earth”.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:24 pm
Fred,
The buck stops with the president. Plain and simple.
Brocephus,
Dragging Stephens name through the mud ? This from the liberal left who constantly harped on u.s. Soldiers for political points? Puh leeze! Its stunning to see you guys bringing out the shame on ahem card one day after Jay seemed to blame Stephens himself for his own death. ahem isn’t even blaming our dragging his name around. He is asking went the o admin lied and tried to blame this on a damn video of all things. The hypocrisy of you guys knows no bounds. None.
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 24th, 2012
12:26 pm
By the way, Here’s Donald Trumps “October Surprise” that was going to be devestating to the Obama campaign.
“Trump guaranteed that he would stay in the spotlight for at least another week by calling on Obama to get the universities he attended to release the president’s college applications and transcripts. The Donald also asked to see Obama’s passport application. If Obama does this by October 31, Trump said he would write a check in the amount of $5 million out to a charity of Obama’s choice.”
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:26 pm
In the 11 swing states, Mitt Romney earns 50% of the vote to Obama’s 46%. Two percent (2%) like another candidate in the race, and another two percent (2%) are undecided.
This is now the fourth time Romney has hit the 50% mark in the combined swing states in the past five days. This survey is conducted on a rolling seven-day basis, and most of the interviews for today’s update were completed before the end of Monday night’s presidential debate. Romney has now held a modest lead for 13 of the last 16 days; Obama was ahead twice, and the candidates ran even once.
In 2008, Obama won these states by a combined margin of 53% to 46%, virtually identical to his national margin.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:27 pm
Tweedledum you need some new and funnier material if you really want some of my attentions.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
So child by rape is simply God’s planning? Guess we now have seen it all…too bizarre for words…
Already a humanist….gonna double down on my writings for Humanist Mag…
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
It really does not matter much to me about emails sent with 2 hours of the Benghazi attacks indicating who was responsible. I understand that acknowledging this group could be exactly what they wanted. It is a common practice in criminal investigations to “allow” the perpetrators to think they have gotten away with it. Those 2 weeks would have been used to uncover clues to capture those responsible. And now a suspect has been captured in Tunisia. I place more value on the actions to capture these terrorists than on whether not or the White House is sharing emails about the subject with the world.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
I think I would have to ask for the remote
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:29 pm
Ahem
Well, it’s a video of Wonder Woman deflecting bullets. Your fascination with my colon is nothing but deflecting from the question I asked you. If you are seriously interested in uncovering criminal malfeasance, why are you not questioning the criminal activities going on by the investigation committee? There’s no need to get all defensive and/or ugly about it. I’m just asking a question. If you don’t want to answer it, just be man enough to say so without all the deflection.
————————-
Peadawg
It ain’t spin dude. As much as you want to believe what you believe, I’m not trying to change your mind, nor am I trying to defend Jay. If, for example, a questioning of why Stevens was there reveals he got a request to show up at that particular date/time, then that would go to back up the notion of a well planned, well orchestrated attack. I can guarantee you that the FBI investigators are looking into why he was there, and it ain’t to lay blame on him. You do that line of questioning to rule out him as a contributing factor. Maybe you’ll understand that when you get a few more years under your belt.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
12:29 pm
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:24 pm
Fred,
The buck stops with the president. Plain and simple.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Right, so when they are out of coffee at the Embassy in Singapore The President needs to rush his happy little ass right over there and fix another pot. I get it.
Thanks for re-emphasizing the utter stupidity of the right wing base. Thank you also for replaying the Boortz show………..
yuzeyurbrane
October 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
Remember, Governor Deal comes from a family of educators. I understand he still has plenty of living ones around. Time for consultants for for-profit education companies.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
Ahem — “Yikes. I have never spoken to anyone that remembered the actual invasive procedure, but I suppose it could happen sometimes. Sounds like you have anecdotal evidence of this happening.”
Three times, actually.
I’m no longer on Kaiser (employer switched to United and I’m displeased about that), but I clearly recall ALL THREE colonoscopies I had while I was a Kaiser member. There was no oral or inhaled anesthesia, just something IVed into the back of my hand, but they didn’t even stick me until about five minutes before the procedure started — certainly not enough time for anything to kick in.
Kaiser thoughtfully provides flat-screen monitors right in front of your face as you’re lying on your side during the examination, so you can see all your insides in Glorious Living Color. During my first scope, the doctor wanted to take a few biopsies, so he used the little butterfly-shaped nipper device on the procto probe as he was backing out. I couldn’t actually feel that, so I thought the anesthesia was starting to take effect — until he took a couple samples from the last stretch of colon. I could *definitely* feel those.
They actually offered copies of the pictures if I wanted them. I asked for a digital copy so I could send it to Capital One and have them put the pic on my credit card, but no dice.
The anesthesia seemed to have its full effect about 30-60 minutes after they stuck me, so IMO either they need something stronger or they need to administer it a lot earlier to patients. This five-minutes-before-liftoff thing happened with all three of the scope procedures Kaiser did on me, so I guess it’s just a flaw in their standard butt-o-scope procedure.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
He is asking went the o admin lied and tried to blame this on a damn video of all things
When you still don’t know that CIA reporting indicates that an offensive movie trailer intended to incite was part of the cause and you have to lie about emails that indicated that were not fully verified and that responsible people should jump to conclusions like some birther conspirator……. you have a serious case of Pompous Assenisia.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
12:32 pm
BRO,
Has the discussion hit new lows? Are we really discussing colonoscopy? Having had growths removed in such fashion…my conclusion is simple..
NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS A ROOM WITH A DRAIN IN THE FLOOR.
Of course that was before they started putting me down for the procedure…
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 24th, 2012
12:33 pm
October surprise!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/24/the-gloria-allred-october-surprise/
Jay
October 24th, 2012
12:33 pm
USMC, “I’m a Liberal”:
What’s your take on the Trump “game-changer” that you found so exciting?
You’ve been played once again, gentlemen.
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:33 pm
Doom: Its stunning to see you guys bringing out the shame on ahem card one day after Jay seemed to blame Stephens himself for his own death. ahem isn’t even blaming our dragging his name around.
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T!!!!!!!
Where have you seen me denigrate any military?? Put up your damned broad brush and open your eyes for once…
You tell me exactly what benefit to the discussion about Benghazi does these statements have:
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:47 am
When is your Mother coming for you?
That is not a possiblity. My Dad won’t be coming either. Neither will Ambassador Stevens.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:49 am
“Bless you!! That sneeze sounds pretty bad.”
Ambassador Christopher Stevens won’t be sneezing anymore. Ask Obama why.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
11:51 am
“Bunch of noise from the Rightwingers.”
Ambassador Stevens makes no noise. He died while Obama slept.
You can defend that sh*t all you want to, but that is not necessary nor is it beneficial to the conservative argument. It makes you conservatives look like opportunistic jackasses.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:24 pm
My drawing of their flak is a good sign; an indicator they have me on their radar. I could get a raise.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Wonder Woman hell Brocephus, the Republicans think President Obama should have tele ported himself to Benghazi with an M60 and started whipping Muslim ass Rambo style and saved Stevens singlehandedly.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
JOE HUSSEIN,
That’s funny…Last August, I got to have a colonoscopy simultaneous with endoscopy…my first question was “do the camera’s see each other in the middle”?
Fly-On-The-Wall
October 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Seems like someone should be screaming ‘death panels’ since this amendment would set up an appointed, not elected board to decide on the health of local schools and override local decisions.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
“I think the country deserves better than a President that can do about as good as anyone”
“as good as anyone” means NO ONE CAN DO BETTER
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
October 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
Combined swing state polling is completely meaningless. The electoral votes are not awarded by the entire block of these states. Electoral votes are awarded by each state and they are all mostly within margin of error.
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
Well the sick child has awoken, time to go play nurse. Later.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
Jay
Of course these are the same bloggers who thought Hillary not going to the convention was some big conspiracy as well………………..
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:36 pm
Stevie Ray
Knocking on wood as I haven’t had any procedures done in such a room yet. But I understand the thought.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
JHM,
My recollections were similar, but I had different insurance so I don’t think that’s it. I think they just twilight you enough to make you compliant and at peace with what’s going down (up). Some that are prone to hysterics probably get the full nighty-night dosage.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
Ahem
“Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show.”
We’ve had numerous cases of all sorts of group taking credit for various hits to American interests.
How do you think it would have played if the President got his CIA-prepared daily brief, then Carney went before reporters and said “well, this Islamic group says they did it, we haven’t been able to corroborate it, but we’re gonna believe the Islamists, so that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.”?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
Fred ™
October 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Wow, Fred. You leap better than a big ol’ slimy bullfrog leaving the pond’s edge in the moonlight.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
S. Ray — “NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS A ROOM WITH A DRAIN IN THE FLOOR.”
I must disagree. My college fraternity’s Consolidated Partyin’ and Throw-Down Room had a drain in the floor. Made Sunday cleanups a whole lot easier.
Paul
October 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
Ahem
One other point in all this: it almost seems the storyline’s changed to say the administration denied an attack took place.
The issue had been, was it preplanned, opportunistic, the group protesting a video, some other group, what?
And not “was it Muslims doing the attacking?”
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
S. Ray — “Last August, I got to have a colonoscopy simultaneous with endoscopy…my first question was “do the camera’s see each other in the middle”?”
LMAO
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
All we need now is for Thulsa to declare Ahem the winner or someone else the loser…….
Thulsa: You like to be the winner, so I would declare yourself the winner today.
Jay is giving away a Chia Pet to the next winner.
It will go well with your Kinsu knives and AJC coozie
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
12:40 pm
“as good as anyone” means NO ONE CAN DO BETTER
Yea, sure dog. Whatever you want to believe.
Cactus
October 24th, 2012
12:41 pm
Welcome to Louisiana style politics where Nathan Deal is a self styled Huey Long and everything is for sale………at our expense.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
Paul,
Your premise is strange: How do you think it would have played if the President got his CIA-prepared daily brief, then Carney went before reporters…
The point is that the White House knew it wasn’t about a video. They had time to order some military assets into the area to break it up, or at least make an attempt. They chose to take no immediate action and then chose to formulate and foist an apparent politically calculated ruse.
If you choose to join in and support that type of manipulation at the hands of the Oblunda administration then that is your choice. What they did was at least incompetent; but seems to be much worse.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
G. Heathen — “I think they just twilight you enough to make you compliant and at peace with what’s going down (up). Some that are prone to hysterics probably get the full nighty-night dosage.”
The only time I got agitated was during the second procedure. It felt like I had the most horrendous gas pains in recorded human history and I thought something was going to pop down there.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
“Yea, sure dog. Whatever you want to believe”
I see that reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit either.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
Bro,
I never said that u personally denigrated the troops but that Libs in general did
with the w lied troops died crap.And u know that. And ahem is not denigrating Stephens. He is denigrating the o administration for its failure to protect him and the ensuing coverup. You’re trying to make it like ahem is trying to convey something which he is clearly not trying to Convey.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:49 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
I have had just one and the wife has had three. Neither of us remembered a single detail from the time the surgeon showed up until the recovery nurse said we could leave after passing gas. It must be a different procedure than what you and others have mentioned here. We do use a very highly acclaimed colorectal surgeon working out of St. Josephs in Atlanta.
Doggone/GA
October 24th, 2012
12:50 pm
I think I’m beginning to see why some of our conned posters think the public school system is failing. More projection. Because they didn’t learn much, they can’t see that others DID.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 24th, 2012
12:50 pm
sheets….. adults and those not suffering illness are welcome.
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
I will forego any awards and prizes and think we are all best served when the truth wins. It is somewhat surprising that so many in positions to invesitigate and write stories and research the truth seem to have suspended their obligation due to the presidential election cycle.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:55 pm
Ahem — “The point is that the White House knew it wasn’t about a video. They had time to order some military assets into the area to break it up, or at least make an attempt.”
You may not have seen the discussion the other day, but it was pointed out that the closest air assets would have been *much* more destructive than needed. You could certainly reply that airborne or air assault troops could have been inserted, but from my recent readings, it seems that embassy security is the host nation’s job. Apparently the Marine guards serve mostly a ceremonial function, as well as ensuring that classified documents and commo gear is not compromised or captured.
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
12:56 pm
Ahem
Based on the “Bomb shell” predictions you have made, you are not exactly an individual seeking the truth. You seem to be one that will take anything that will meet your narrative whether it is the truth or not.
I will wait for the FBI analysis to come out on Libya.
You could be correct, but for now you have conjecture and as always it works to meet your narrative………
And it is Thulsa who usually says about bloggers winning or losing………….
So I like to mess with him about it
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Ahem — “We do use a very highly acclaimed colorectal surgeon working out of St. Josephs in Atlanta.”
Could you be speaking of either Dr. Ambroze or Dr. Orangio?
Brosephus™
October 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Doom
You might wanna paint with a smaller brush then.
Brocephus,
Dragging Stephens name through the mud ? This from the liberal left who constantly harped on u.s. Soldiers for political points? Puh leeze!
THAT sounds like you’re broadbrushing me as part of the liberal left who did as you stated? If you didn’t mean that about me personally, then why put that comment in where you were addressing me personally?
If he’s not denigrating Stevens, then why did he have to post those statements that I copied? What purpose do those statements serve?
They BOTH suck
October 24th, 2012
1:00 pm
Ahem
Case in point………… Univision and Donald Trump “bombshells”
You fall for it every time…………….
Nothing about you in terms of this blog is seeking the truth
Marcus Byrd @ TeacherAde
October 24th, 2012
1:06 pm
I don’t see a problem with charter schools who are for profit. Even if the primary objective is to make a profit…they still have to perform to stay open. If a charter is under-performing, then don’t renew the charter.
What I think is a bigger issue is the amount of students we are shoving in to college. That is not always the best solution.
http://www.teacherade.com/2012/10/the-first-question-in-debate.html
Paul
October 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
Ahem
Sorry for the late reply – lunch break.
“The point is that the White House knew it wasn’t about a video. ”
“Knew” does not mean ‘aware of’ in that realm. It means confirmed, verified. Saying a Muslim group took responsibility means the WH knew it was preplanned is just not how things work.
After all we went through with giving priority to unreliable sources before we went into Iraq, I’d think we’d want to very carefully assess from here on out.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
I read fine, dog. If you are happy with a President that is about as good as anyone, I’m glad for you. I’ll set a higher standard.
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
Case in point………… Univision and Donald Trump “bombshells”
And Gloria Allred’s “October Surprise” linked earlier?
godless heathen
October 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Could you be speaking of either Dr. Ambroze or Dr. Orangio?
Or Dr. Seymour Butts?
Ahem
October 24th, 2012
1:26 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
October 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
I have heard of Orangio, but was referring to Benderow.
n
October 24th, 2012
1:27 pm
Where is Tom Murphy when you need him?
He would’ve nipped this grotesque insider-enriching boondoggle “Constitutional amendment” in the bud.
The Georgia Constitution, like the U.S. Constitution, is not an Etch-a-Sketch to be cynically manipulated at the whim of those who stand to benefit royally. They have spent millions on a campaign of disinformation, including tens of thousands of glossy mailbox flyers linking this amendment to the Hope Scholarship. I received one yesterday. Pure Big Lie tactics. Utterly revolting.
Our CONSTITUTION should be amended ONLY after much grave reflection and due process.
What we’ve had instead is a campaign of propaganda & disinformation, for the benefit of out-of-state corporations and their Georgia cronies, all who stand to make hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, if this passes.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 24th, 2012
1:33 pm
OCTOBER SURPRISE !
AMERICANS DIED !
OBAMA LIED !
BENGHAZIGATE !
Rabbit
October 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
No. No. And heck, no.
JKL2
October 24th, 2012
2:50 pm
Autopsy results on Ambassador Stevens are in. He died of asphyxiation. He was smothered by kisses of libyans because they just love obama that much…
Dano4372
October 24th, 2012
3:15 pm
I believe that the attempted correlation between for-profit colleges and charter schools (many of which are not-for-profit) is a vain attempt to further bolster the districts control and political stranglehold on education and students. The political concern of “back scratching” as you notably insinuate is currently more of a concern in the district run schools. Charters can simply be non-renewed by a district vote to flush out charter schools that perform much better than the local district schools allowing the districts to take over the property and install their employees without having to incur the start-up cost associated with opening a new school. It is easy economics and politics. A student goes to a charter school operated more efficiently than a district public school and the district loses the dollars with that child. Less children, less districts union employees, less political power. Good teachers can still teach in charter schools and earn a great living. Simply put, when you are the authorizer, judge and jury, chances are things are going to go your way. Again, just a coincidence I’m sure….
catlady
October 24th, 2012
3:29 pm
Whatcha want to bet the friends, family members, and financial supporters who would be named to the Commission are already picked out? And already gathering “fact sharing” gratuities from the for-profit charter businesses?
John Konop
October 24th, 2012
4:37 pm
From a tax payer prospective we are moving in the wrong direction by creating more overhead not less. I have made this point for years, we should be consolidating overhead not creating more. The best way to achieve this is by having high schools consolidate with colleges, JC………to increase options, quality and lower overhead. We should be coordinating facilities, administrators, staff…… We should be waving No Child Left Behind college prep requirements for vocational based. Students.
If done right we could open this option up to home school, public school, private and charter school. Finally school systems should be rated on graduation rates with job skills and or entrance into 4 year college not some mean level score that creates this crazy teach to the test………
The following are important taxpayer protections that should be added to the charter school amendment:
• School board members are forbidden from being a consultant, owner, or employee of the charter school management company or its vendors within the past two years. They must provide full disclosure of any such prior affiliations.
• Officeholders that vote on public or charter school legislation and/or funding must fully disclosure any affiliations with any charter school and/or vendors providing services to charter schools. They must also disclose any relatives that are affiliated with charter schools and/or vendors.
• No charter or public school board member and/or officeholder may have any interest in the real estate underlying any charter or public school.
• Charter school board meetings must be publically listed 30 days in advance and must be held after 7 pm (note: short-term notice, unannounced date changes, and inconvenient meeting times have been used to reduce public participation and oversight).
• Every privately managed charter school with over 750 students must secure a bond that compensates the school district if the charter school closes before the end of a school year.
• If a charter school’s private owners/management company owns an interest in the real estate underlying the school, that property must be put up as security to repay any free taxpayer money the school received (e.g. grants or loans) in the event the school fails.
• The contract between the private management company and the charter school must be fully disclosed.
Taxpayers have too often been left holding the bag for failed publically funded private businesses. The above are, for the most part, common requirements in the private sector. We taxpayers deserve these minimal protections.
deegee
October 24th, 2012
5:18 pm
I voted against both ballot amendments. As long as Nathan Deal is the governor you can be sure that they are a good deal for Deal and a bad deal for the taxpayers.
Z
October 24th, 2012
6:30 pm
Romney/Ryan plan on sending every Social Program they can to the States. Look what Governor Deal has done, Toll Roads and lots more on the way, now Charter Schools, Republican’s want to privatize everything. Think your State Taxes are high now, just wait, if Romney/Ryan get in they will (TAX) you up the yin yang and call it a fee. Charter Schools are just another way of sucking Taxpayer monies from Public Education into the coffers of those Owners and Administrators of these Charter schools. Vote for a Republican at your own peril.
Moderate Line
October 24th, 2012
7:29 pm
curious
October 24th, 2012
9:12 am
Moderate Line
++++
“The counter to that is if public schools are better then charter schools will not be a threat since people will choose the best option. What is wrong with people actually having a choice”
Nothing wrong with people having a choice. I’m just against having to pay for two school systems. I’d rather have a single public funded system that works.
If a parent objects to their child having to go to school with the riff raff, then send them to a private school.
+++++
I am for a single public funded system that works. Luckily, I live in one. However,many people are not.
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
October 24th, 2012
7:35 pm
If they are no good, they will not last (can not say that for traditional public schools). Folks are desperate for good schools. Even if they did nothing but take money away from public sector unions, they would be worth it.
CharterStarter, Too
October 25th, 2012
12:23 am
3 companies that manage schools invested in this campaign.
1. All 3 manage Georgia schools.
2. All 3 have staff that live and work here in Georgia
3. All 3 have stuck around, despite the uncertainty, despite the very, very low funding
Jay is poorly informed and lacks the ability to reason effectively.
Anon
October 25th, 2012
11:59 am
As someone who worked for K12, the children and parents of Georgia have NO idea what they’re in for!
Keith
October 25th, 2012
4:25 pm
In Gwinnett the super-gestapo J Alvin Wilbanks has split our district into two and at the secret request of powerful Gwinnett and Suwanee politicians and developers, has purposely engineered (yet again) a rich district and a poor district. If you do not believe me, go to the Ga DOE website and compare demographics between North Gwinnett Middle School and Lanier Middle School. The result is a blatant and intentional socioeconomic segregation that in some perverted way is legal. And believe me, there is no ‘local control’ in WIlbanks system, unless you are making land deals or have some way to sway him with your power and money. The local community argued passionately over the lines. Local leaders even submitted alternate solutions but in standard Wilbank’s style, all were dismissed with no serious consideration. Our neighborhood became the ‘wealthy’ end of the poor district (and its not a wealthy neighborhood by Gwinnett standards). The result has been a middle and high school forced to give far more priority to every student’s right to attend than every student’s need to learn. Our son, who was struggling in math, fell into a class where several students showed up each day only to meet the drivers license attendance requirements. They sat there and constantly disrupted the class. Even when I came to monitor the class, they still acted like hooligans. The teacher had no control The administration threw up their hands and advised there was little they could do. Our son now attends a private school and is excelling in all areas including math. I will gladly vote for the opportunity for more choice in what school my children attend.
Deal will profit
October 25th, 2012
8:40 pm
Twenty yrs ago Georgia had one of the best funding formulas in the country.
What happened ?
Roswell Parent
October 26th, 2012
8:15 pm
I’m all for reforming public schools. Unfortunately, change will take decades if we expect it to come from the people who are working within the “system”. Just like in business, we need a “disruptive technology” to change the paradigm of education. Charters are the closest thing I know to that, though there are other hopeful ways… like the Khan Academy on YouTube. I’m voting YES.
solve it
October 28th, 2012
4:18 pm
Do away with tenure and unions for teachers and accountability might return to government education.
Concerned Parent
October 29th, 2012
6:54 am
I think that everyone commenting on this amendment does not have children. This Charter School amendment is very important to parents of sick or disabled children. This amendment allows for our paid county tax dollars to be directed to the school that our children attend. My son has Epilepsy and ADHD. Online school was recommended to me by another parent at an Epilepsy Support Group. Many public school teachers are not equipped to deal with sick children or just don’t want to. My son began online public school classes earlier this year. His stress level is down and his grades are up. He’s not getting bullied by anyone and he’s able to focus on his education. Additionally, he’s not enslaved to the regular 8am to 3pm school schedule. When he’s not feeling well, he can miss early morning classes and view them later in the day as all classes are recorded. PLEASE VOTE ‘YES’ TO THIS AMENDMENT.