Debt limit could threaten military pay

[longrange1947]

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

...................Here's something that pisses me off though, the lottery...the "NC Education Lottery" has been in existence for what? 6 or 7 years now? Seems to me we had an Education Budget at the state prior to the lottery. What happened to that money? I don't remember my taxes going down.

Remember, the dims immediately took what was "extra" from the education budget and instead of saving or paying down, spent it on pet projects.

that is why increasing taxes will only encourage more spending. they see and increase in revenue and see that as a green light to spend.

CHARGE!!!!!!!!

[1stindoor]

I remember all too well. I've also watched them "borrow" from other funds such as the highway fund...I told my wife not to expect too much from her retirement.

In other related news, I found this "opinion" piece on Fox News. I think there's some merit in a lot of the sarcasm.

Everyone keeps talking about a possible government shut down on Friday, April 8 as though it is a bad thing. Someone will get the blame. The president or the Republicans or Democrats will suffer at the polls. The planets will fall out of alignment. Reporters might run out of things to pontificate upon.

Listening to pundits one gets the impression that there will be a federal tsunami washing away life as we know it; chaos in the streets; weeping and gnashing of teeth for all. But one wonders, how bad would it really be for government to call in sick for a few days?

With less government, would teachers send home less busy work for parents so that evening hours would be spent on family time rather than shanghaied by the government-run school systems that already had your children for 8 hours?

Could people drive to the grocery store unharrased by speed traps set for the peaceful among us who happened to drift 5 miles over the legal limit?

Would forests be saved as politicians were unable to put out self-aggrandizing statements about their views on the environment?
Could we quietly enjoy a hamburger without the haranguing of the self-appointed food czars who comment on weight with all the viciousness of a cheerleader in high school?

Do we really believe our soldiers would be less brave or less honorable during the days in which politicians waffle over their finances?

With full funding, does anyone believe that highway departments will diligently fill potholes with efficiency and speed or that the miles of orange cones that clog the nation’s highways will involve actual work?

Will the Department of Motor Vehicles give you service with a smile as it keeps the lines moving?
Stephen Moore in the Wall Street Journal this week reported that today in America nearly twice as many people are working for the government (22.5 million) than in all manufacturing (11.5 million). We’ve become a nation of “takers, not makers,” he writes. And we’ve also all become well acquainted with what kind of service is available from those who draw a salary from the rest of us.

You could think of government workers like teenagers. You pay them an allowance, but do you get any work out them? They eat the food, put their feet on the furniture and complain loudly whenever they are unhappy.
A Pew research poll out this week indicates that 39 percent of Americans would point fingers at the GOP if the government were shut down, while 36 percent would blame President Obama. A whopping 16 percent think everyone is at fault. Which leaves the majority of Americans perhaps pondering if we might be better off if they did have a time out.

For the politicians in angst this week about whether they should shut the government down, here’s something to consider: What if you shut it down and we all liked it better that way? If I were you, I would find a way to play nice with others and keep working lest you find yourself out of a job.

Kristi Stone Hamrick is a media consultant.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/...t-shut-cared/#

As a father to three teenagers...I can attest to the "they'll eat you out of house and home" statement.

[longrange1947]

And here I am a gov't worker.

[Richard]

I think this pretty much sums up the general mood of the public over the matter...

Richard

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

1 Maybe it really is free, Maybe this is a "loss-leader" to expose quality candidates to the colleges. A classroom is a fixed cost item, up to a point, it doesn't matter how many students are in the room.

2 I have not seen the spreadsheet but again I doubt one (or two) roundtrip buses per school per day is going to add that much to the bottom line.

3 How do teachers suffer? Other then one less "fun to teach" kid not in the classroom?

Yup. So? It is nice to see something for the dedicated, hardworking students. And that IS what it's for -- this is not designed for the bright kids. We have GATE (Gifted And Talented Education). Or shall we have them all plod along at the NCLB pace?

I know this isn't military pay tread....


1 Maybe it really is free, Maybe this is a "loss-leader" to expose quality candidates to the colleges. A classroom is a fixed cost item, up to a point, it doesn't matter how many students are in the room.
I know it works for many kids and their families, but we sates are having to fire or lay-off teachers.. Maybe???

2 I have not seen the spreadsheet but again I doubt one (or two) roundtrip buses per school per day is going to add that much to the bottom line. No it is a Ton of Money that goes out to pay for Students who pareants can't not take them to these Colleges along with the ones that can't pay for courses. I will find out the cost, I was surprised how much it was just for Buses. It's not just Gas, it's overtime for drivers, maintance fees rolled in (Likely BS) and other fees.

3 How do teachers suffer? Other then one less "fun to teach" kid not in the classroom? So we put them into College course to Disrupt that classroom? I don't like this idea if that is one of teh reasons. I don't think it would be, just because most of those kids wouldn't be in a AP school program.

SO I'm sorry, you want to save money for teachers and other pay, cut programs that students don't need graduate. I understand it is great for many students and what they get out of it. I'm talking about overall funds going out.

[MtnGoat]

I saw this morning one top Army official and a Congressman confirmed that, if there is a shutdown, troops would not receive pay past April 8 and would have to be paid retroactively once legislation for funding is passed.

So how many times you gotten your back pay done on TIME!?!?! Yeap that's what I think too.

[Richard]

3 How do teachers suffer? Other then one less "fun to teach" kid not in the classroom? So we put them into College course to Disrupt that classroom? I don't like this idea if that is one of teh reasons. I don't think it would be, just because most of those kids wouldn't be in a AP school program.

I think you misread what DZ523 was saying - I think he was saying that the students who are most likely to opt for the college courses over their normal high school classes are the students teachers most enjoy having in their classrooms, and when they're gone it just leaves a greater percentage of the class being made up of the less motivated, more disruptive, and needier students.

Richard

[1stindoor]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

I saw this morning one top Army official and a Congressman confirmed that, if there is a shutdown, troops would not receive pay past April 8 and would have to be paid retroactively once legislation for funding is passed.

So how many times you gotten your back pay done on TIME!?!?! Yeap that's what I think too.

We're getting paid?!!!! My wife is in sooo much trouble right now.

My "Inbox" is filling up hourly by all the emails back and forth about the furlough, the pay issue, leaves, travel, etc.

[1stindoor]

Originally Posted by Richard

I think you misread what DZ523 was saying - I think he was saying that the students who are most likely to opt for the college courses over their normal high school classes are the students teachers most enjoy having in their classrooms, and when they're gone it just leaves a greater percentage of the class being made up of the less motivated, more disruptive, and needier students.

Richard

Very true...there's something to be said for the student that actually does his/her assignments, reads the read-ahead stuff, and comes armed to discuss things in the classroom. Everyone benefits from that kid. Everyone talks about the "curve" being thrown by the egghead...no one mentions the benefits.

BTW...my son is one of the eggheads....but then again he belongs in the Midvale School for the Gifted.

[Pete]

Save money in the local school systems?

I'm sure the four guys leaning on the truck watching a fifth mow the grass would fund a teacher or two.

The two guys down at Biscuit Kitchen for the last 2 hours in a school system truck - at least one more teacher.

Half the workers down at the HQ on 301 Business - a couple of dozen more.

Still have the work order system of fixing things? The plumber shows up to fix a leaking faucet. After he's done you show him another one and he says turn in a work order 'cause he has to take a lazy drive to the other side of the county to fix another faucet.

[Dozer523]

I'm still laughing about the school sales tax vote that we had this week. One district sent home a flyer explaining that voting for the tax would allow the district to reduce the tax burden already in place because they would use the new tax money to accelerate the old tax debt.
Yeah me too.
The last class the sponsors failed must have been Intro to Logic.

OTOH our superintendent guaranteed his job with the quote, "This is the wrong tax at the wrong time, vote No."

[1stindoor]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

OTOH our superintendent guaranteed his job with the quote, "This is the wrong tax at the wrong time, vote No."

I'm guessing that after the next election he'll come up with the "right tax at the right time."

[Richard]

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

Very true...there's something to be said for the student that actually does his/her assignments, reads the read-ahead stuff, and comes armed to discuss things in the classroom. Everyone benefits from that kid. Everyone talks about the "curve" being thrown by the egghead...no one mentions the benefits.

I used to tell my faculty that if kids come to us (educators and teachers) from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.

And so it goes...

Richard

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

Very true...there's something to be said for the student that actually does his/her assignments, reads the read-ahead stuff, and comes armed to discuss things in the classroom. Everyone benefits from that kid. Everyone talks about the "curve" being thrown by the egghead...no one mentions the benefits.

BTW...my son is one of the eggheads....but then again he belongs in the Midvale School for the Gifted.

Love that school... my kid is there too.

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Richard

I think you misread what DZ523 was saying - I think he was saying that the students who are most likely to opt for the college courses over their normal high school classes are the students teachers most enjoy having in their classrooms, and when they're gone it just leaves a greater percentage of the class being made up of the less motivated, more disruptive, and needier students.

Richard

Richard - Okay I got out of old Muddy Now.. I'm cleaned off.

Yes very true and it's almost better at some point before Christmas break (or whatever school systems are calling it now) to move all those kids into on classroom.