That’s a big 10-4. Back in the 60-70′s teachers made pitiful money.

That goes double here in Texas. In fact, don’t have to be a redneck, just a conservative racist.

That was very considerate of you. I will tell you all those numbers for Twcxas are extremely accurate. They recently published teachers’ and administrators’ salaries in the newspaper and online. That’s how I know.

Agree wholeheartedly. WE have what they call a “robion Hood” plan in Texas. The more “better off” districts share revenues with the poorer districts to help level the playing field. Some people bitch about that. Guess which ones????

Understand, we in Texas catch a lot of flak. But with all the immigrants we have to educate, and many enter school not even speaking English as late as 8, 9 10th grade, it’s a BIG problem. Good friend of mine is principal at Houston H.S. where 40% of his students are ESL, English second language, and 30% don;t read English at even a 2nd grade level. Note I said high school.

Can’t speak for other states or cities, but Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County, where I live, teachers earn a pretty decent living. And have a very generous retirement plan. It ain;t easy street, buit it’s comparable to what othere make.

I don’t think it’s the teachers’ fault. The disintegration of the family and the mobility of students is at the top of the list. Kids with just one parent at home, or in some cases, no parents. Families moving and kids changing schools frequently. I went through 12 years of schooling with the same bunch of kids. Nowadays, many schools have a 40-60% turnover in students within the academic year. Veru fristrating for teachers and administrators. My parents made sure I got an education or else I got my ass kicked.

Unfortunately, I don’t see a solutiuon to either problem.

I’d say that’s a safe bet.

I think the local half-way house let some people out for the holiday weekend a little early.

We already rank #17 among industrialized nations in the quality of education our children are getting.

I suppose we could go for #22 or maybe #25. If ANY of you have every watched an episode of “Jaywalking” with college graduates, you already know that we are well on our way there.

Do some people want an ignorant elecctorate?????

Indeed. Ya’ know I gave the “French Revolution” a “look see”. The French, thos people know how to orchestrate revolution. But, damn, you really can’t find guillotines anymore.

I think your contributions are always well though out and pertinent.

I do think Clinton, although shoudering some of the blame, did a pretty good job overall. I’ll leave it at that. I got no grudge against Bush Sr. It’s Reagan and the Cheney/Bush administrations who, whole the democrats sat and fiddled, put is where we are. And, as you know, I very disappointed in Obama. He reminds me of that musical, “Promises, Promises”. That’s all we got.

Don’t get me wrong….this is still a lesser of two evils election. And, being in Texas, a guaranteed “red” state, my vote for Green party WILL be counted as a “no confidence” vote against BOTH parties.

One thing about being in the 99%….there’s one helluva lot of us out there. Now, a lot of people don’t realize that. But as they and their friends and relatives get “taken” by the 1%, slowly but surely these people, many of them republicans, are waking up and smelling the destruction.

Those were rhetorical questions, right????

Just didn’t want you think we were ignoring you. :-)

And, regrettably well out of OUR price range.

OB, you’re pretty smart and analytical too.

I wonder, did they deputize Steve Wonder and send him over to head the investigation???

And we’re supposed to vote for Obama because, the other asshole is from Wall Street and he would be even more evil.

Steve, you are absolutely 100% right. Some people, this whole thing is elusive. But you’ve deciphered it and boiled it down perfectly!!!!

Oh, re: last sentence. Yes, we are.

That Repo 105 is the same thing Enron did. They frequently used fraudulently created SPE’s for that purpose. I’m not saying he invented the tactic, but Andrew Fastow certainly gets credit for developing it for apparently widespread use in the financial industry.

And, ya’ know….it didn’t used to be like this. Whatever happened to our Judaeo-Christian values? Kindness, sympathy, willingness to help others not so fortunate……honor. What ever happened to honor????

Indeed, being the Jackie Robinson of American politics has and is a tough job. I’ll give him that.

But:

he also has to fight the perception that he cares more about the jobs of bank CEOs that he does about jobs for the middle class.

He’s failed dismally at this. Or, as some say here, is it a failure?