In a recent email battle with Kevin, my conservative nemisis, I found myself stumped. When asked why--since it was, in my opinion, such a grand idea--Hillary Clinton had not proposed her new plan to revamp the health care policy of the federal government to fellow senators for a vote, I didn't have an answer. Clinton's great idea to make health care mandatory will have to wait until she is elected president--assuming she remains as popular as she is currently.
So Clinton, along with several other front-runners, obstensibly has such this great plan that will benifit the nation, yet apparently doesn't feel that it is good enough to propose for a vote in the senate. Senators work together to come up with a law that will benefit the nation, but in this case, Clinton is too busy parading around the country spouting off on the pitfalls of the current health care policy to enact actual change.
Obama, McCain and Kucinich are equally guilty. These candidates would rather talk of what they would do as president than perform their job as senator. Guiliani, Thompson, Romney and Edwards do not currently work in the public sector to enforce any sort of policy change, although my guess is that they would do no different.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Milwaukee Public Schools Board Meeting - Who Cares?
Last night my sister Sarah, an MPS teacher for about 4-5 years, called imploring me to show up to a MPS school board meeting. The meeting was scheduled to discuss the prospect of a 16.4% hike in the amount of property taxes that get doled out for MPS. Since I listened to her suggestion on a voicemail, I was able to make a snide comment to Michelle along the lines of, “Why show up? They’re just going to pass it anyway.”
I never called Sarah back, as I am sure she got the message, although I can actually say with confidence that I’m glad I didn’t show up for the meeting. I can say that because of an article I read on the Journal-Sentinel’s website. The reporter refused to hide his contempt for the lack of interest parents of MPS students showed by not attending the meeting. He derided the fact that, with the exception of one citizen who spoke out against the tax hike, the only attendants at the meeting were school officials and the media.
While the reporter, Mr. Alan Borsuk, may have gone a tad far in his rant session, he may have a point. I recall (after deleting Sarah’s voicemail) feeling a sliver of guilt for not attending a meeting that would directly impact family and friends. I wonder if parents of MPS students felt that same sliver of guilt. I wonder if the meeting even registered when they were subconsciously planning the tasks of the day.
I feel that parents play the largest role in the success of a child’s education—that’s right, more important than school breakfast, class size, and even the quality of the teacher. So when a meeting that determines whether certain aspects of their child’s education (extracurricular activities, more teachers, etc.) will progress or remain stagnant goes unattended, there is a cause for concern.
I never called Sarah back, as I am sure she got the message, although I can actually say with confidence that I’m glad I didn’t show up for the meeting. I can say that because of an article I read on the Journal-Sentinel’s website. The reporter refused to hide his contempt for the lack of interest parents of MPS students showed by not attending the meeting. He derided the fact that, with the exception of one citizen who spoke out against the tax hike, the only attendants at the meeting were school officials and the media.
While the reporter, Mr. Alan Borsuk, may have gone a tad far in his rant session, he may have a point. I recall (after deleting Sarah’s voicemail) feeling a sliver of guilt for not attending a meeting that would directly impact family and friends. I wonder if parents of MPS students felt that same sliver of guilt. I wonder if the meeting even registered when they were subconsciously planning the tasks of the day.
I feel that parents play the largest role in the success of a child’s education—that’s right, more important than school breakfast, class size, and even the quality of the teacher. So when a meeting that determines whether certain aspects of their child’s education (extracurricular activities, more teachers, etc.) will progress or remain stagnant goes unattended, there is a cause for concern.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Media's Right of Confidentiality Under Attack
Recently the House overwhelmingly authorized a bill that would continue to allow reporters to be immune from disclosing their sources. …Wait for it…and the Bush administration threatened a veto.
To nearly all investigative reporters, this bill is imperative when performing their craft to the best of their abilities. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to rake up the facts of the Watergate scandal by using a trusted source—named Deepthroat—who would only speak on the record if his name were not published.
The White House says that this bill will potentially allow publications to leak classified information, which in turn might pose a threat to our national security. Corruption among the Iraqi government was investigated by an American task force, yet the results remain classified by the administration. This information, among many other items that are classified by the administration, do not pose a threat to our national security, they are merely a potential black eye on an administration that has had many.
To be fair, administrations of the past tried to block periodicals from publishing material that they felt would be harmful to the national security; the Johnson administration attempted to forestall the publication of a story that described many more Vietnam casualties than were originally thought. The Supreme Court allowed the story to run, as the public had a right to know.
It is absolutely essential to any strong democracy for the freedom of the press to be taken seriously and the rights belonging to the press to be protected. It is ironic that the same leaders who espouse freedom as their main talking point would be so quick to throw a wet blanket onto the largest spark plug of information for the American people.
To this day, investigating stories often involves uncovering the truth, which to those in power may be a tad unflattering. It is sad to see only a few main publications willing to do the dirty work necessary to expose essential information to the public, it is even sadder to see those in power so willing to silence them.
To nearly all investigative reporters, this bill is imperative when performing their craft to the best of their abilities. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to rake up the facts of the Watergate scandal by using a trusted source—named Deepthroat—who would only speak on the record if his name were not published.
The White House says that this bill will potentially allow publications to leak classified information, which in turn might pose a threat to our national security. Corruption among the Iraqi government was investigated by an American task force, yet the results remain classified by the administration. This information, among many other items that are classified by the administration, do not pose a threat to our national security, they are merely a potential black eye on an administration that has had many.
To be fair, administrations of the past tried to block periodicals from publishing material that they felt would be harmful to the national security; the Johnson administration attempted to forestall the publication of a story that described many more Vietnam casualties than were originally thought. The Supreme Court allowed the story to run, as the public had a right to know.
It is absolutely essential to any strong democracy for the freedom of the press to be taken seriously and the rights belonging to the press to be protected. It is ironic that the same leaders who espouse freedom as their main talking point would be so quick to throw a wet blanket onto the largest spark plug of information for the American people.
To this day, investigating stories often involves uncovering the truth, which to those in power may be a tad unflattering. It is sad to see only a few main publications willing to do the dirty work necessary to expose essential information to the public, it is even sadder to see those in power so willing to silence them.
Friday, October 12, 2007
UWM Campus Safety
I have mixed feelings about this letter from Carlos E. Santiago, Chancellor of UWM. I have attended UWM for three years now and always lived within walking distance of the campus. For the first time ever I am actually scared to walk to my car when my classes get out at 700pm. It seems like each night students are receiving emails about another "Strong Robbery." I feel like Santiago is not willing to take responsibility or action about the robberies that have been occurring almost on a daily basis. Because they are not happening on campus, UWM does not take responsibility? What about the fact that UWM is a commuter college and a majority of students who drive to UWM have to park in the areas where the crimes are occurring. I feel like with the high robbery rates right now, maybe UWM could let students who are paying a lot of money to attend the University park for free in the parking structures.
Dear UWM Students, Faculty, Staff and Neighbors,The frequency and severity of Campus Safety Alerts and Warnings this semester has resulted in many important questions and concerns being expressed by members of our community. I would like to address this very serious issue.1. I cannot stress this enough: The UW-Milwaukee campus is a very safe place. Incidents on campus and adjacent public land remain low. See for yourself by reviewing the statistics in our federally required Annual Security Report,https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww4.uwm.edu%2Fsafety%2Fannual_security_report.cfm&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df82. Nearly every campus safety e-mail we have relayed to students, faculty and staff in recent months has been about incidents in the general vicinity of the campus. We are compelled by federal regulations to communicate this information.3. Most of the incidents in the general vicinity have happened in Milwaukee Police Department District Five, which encompasses 9 square miles and houses 100,000 residents. These incidents compete for the attention of city police officers who, in other parts of the district, are dealing with comparatively more severe crimes. This evaluation can be seen online athttps://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.city.milwaukee.gov%2FCrimeMaps115300.htm&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8.And as shown in the article in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fstory%2Findex.aspx%3Fid%3D673459&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8,aggravated assaults have increased citywide and the rise in incidents is not limited to the East Side.4. Regardless of what is happening elsewhere in District Five, UWM is doing a great deal to address incidents happening near campus. Our initiatives include:•University Police officers are assigned to visibly patrolling neighborhood streets by squad car, bicycle and foot. We are currently hiring more security officers to expand our walking patrols of the neighborhood. These patrols complement those by the Milwaukee Police Department, who provide a notable presence in part because UWM pays for MPD overtime wages that allow for additional area coverage.•The University Police Department will escort any UWM student or staff member who feels unsafe. Its 24-hour non-emergency number is (414) 229-4627.•Students who staff the university escort service (B.O.S.S.) have been trained to watch for and report suspicious behavior and circumstances.•The University Police Department offers many services including personal awareness and self-defense courses. Training officers will tailor their material to any specific request, which can be made through a form on the police web site, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uwm.edu%2FDept%2Fpolice%2F&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8.•A new, detailed campus safety website, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campussafety.uwm.edu&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8, is part of our continuing work to be very transparent in our presentation of useful campus safety information. Please bookmark it.•The campus safety website also is the starting point for signing up for S.A.F.E. Alerts, the emergency campus text-messaging system. If you have not already signed up for the free service, I urge you to do so today.•More developments are being considered for the university, including an emergency siren system.Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, UWM is committed to the S.A.F.E. (Safety Awareness for Everyone) initiative. A focal point of the concept is that safety is everyone’s responsibility. Working together, we can and will make UWM a progressively safer place to receive a world-class education.Sincerely,Carlos E. SantiagoChancellorUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dear UWM Students, Faculty, Staff and Neighbors,The frequency and severity of Campus Safety Alerts and Warnings this semester has resulted in many important questions and concerns being expressed by members of our community. I would like to address this very serious issue.1. I cannot stress this enough: The UW-Milwaukee campus is a very safe place. Incidents on campus and adjacent public land remain low. See for yourself by reviewing the statistics in our federally required Annual Security Report,https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww4.uwm.edu%2Fsafety%2Fannual_security_report.cfm&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df82. Nearly every campus safety e-mail we have relayed to students, faculty and staff in recent months has been about incidents in the general vicinity of the campus. We are compelled by federal regulations to communicate this information.3. Most of the incidents in the general vicinity have happened in Milwaukee Police Department District Five, which encompasses 9 square miles and houses 100,000 residents. These incidents compete for the attention of city police officers who, in other parts of the district, are dealing with comparatively more severe crimes. This evaluation can be seen online athttps://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.city.milwaukee.gov%2FCrimeMaps115300.htm&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8.And as shown in the article in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fstory%2Findex.aspx%3Fid%3D673459&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8,aggravated assaults have increased citywide and the rise in incidents is not limited to the East Side.4. Regardless of what is happening elsewhere in District Five, UWM is doing a great deal to address incidents happening near campus. Our initiatives include:•University Police officers are assigned to visibly patrolling neighborhood streets by squad car, bicycle and foot. We are currently hiring more security officers to expand our walking patrols of the neighborhood. These patrols complement those by the Milwaukee Police Department, who provide a notable presence in part because UWM pays for MPD overtime wages that allow for additional area coverage.•The University Police Department will escort any UWM student or staff member who feels unsafe. Its 24-hour non-emergency number is (414) 229-4627.•Students who staff the university escort service (B.O.S.S.) have been trained to watch for and report suspicious behavior and circumstances.•The University Police Department offers many services including personal awareness and self-defense courses. Training officers will tailor their material to any specific request, which can be made through a form on the police web site, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uwm.edu%2FDept%2Fpolice%2F&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8.•A new, detailed campus safety website, https://panthermail.uwm.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campussafety.uwm.edu&Horde=585e941ec2cde15367d09423e6ca8df8, is part of our continuing work to be very transparent in our presentation of useful campus safety information. Please bookmark it.•The campus safety website also is the starting point for signing up for S.A.F.E. Alerts, the emergency campus text-messaging system. If you have not already signed up for the free service, I urge you to do so today.•More developments are being considered for the university, including an emergency siren system.Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, UWM is committed to the S.A.F.E. (Safety Awareness for Everyone) initiative. A focal point of the concept is that safety is everyone’s responsibility. Working together, we can and will make UWM a progressively safer place to receive a world-class education.Sincerely,Carlos E. SantiagoChancellorUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Political genius or Un-substantive Hype?
Fred Thompson took part in his first Republican debate yesterday, and he continued to stroll along his low-key path to becoming the most likely candidate to take on the top Democrat.
Thompson has been criticized for being lazy and aloof to the fast-paced presidential race that now starts a year in advance of the first primary. Thompson seems to relish that portrayal. Asked about how Republicans can win back confidence in the economy, he replied:
"I think we need to tell the American people the truth. Congress' approval rating now is about 11 percent. I don't think anybody believes anything coming out of Washington anymore. I think we need to tell them the truth that our security is on the line, that our economy is on the line, the our prosperity is on the line. We're going to have to do some things differently."
Asked about the present course in Iraq, he opined:
"I think the policy we're engaged in now is the right one. Clearly, to me, we didn't go in with enough troops and we didn't know what to expect when we got there. But now we're showing signs of progress. I think we got to take advantage of the opportunities that we have there, now that we see a window of opportunity for things to turn around and us to stabilize that place and not have to leave with our tail between our legs. If we did that, it would make for a more dangerous United States of America."
Given questions that could potentially incite in-depth responses that might contain policy specifics or fresh ideas on a new course of action, Thompson laid it out his own unique way; we need to do things differently regarding the economy and we should stay the course in Iraq.
So while Romney and Guliani went at it over who raised taxes while in office, Thompson sailed under the radar without having to defend his past economic policies. No substance needed here…
Thompson has been criticized for being lazy and aloof to the fast-paced presidential race that now starts a year in advance of the first primary. Thompson seems to relish that portrayal. Asked about how Republicans can win back confidence in the economy, he replied:
"I think we need to tell the American people the truth. Congress' approval rating now is about 11 percent. I don't think anybody believes anything coming out of Washington anymore. I think we need to tell them the truth that our security is on the line, that our economy is on the line, the our prosperity is on the line. We're going to have to do some things differently."
Asked about the present course in Iraq, he opined:
"I think the policy we're engaged in now is the right one. Clearly, to me, we didn't go in with enough troops and we didn't know what to expect when we got there. But now we're showing signs of progress. I think we got to take advantage of the opportunities that we have there, now that we see a window of opportunity for things to turn around and us to stabilize that place and not have to leave with our tail between our legs. If we did that, it would make for a more dangerous United States of America."
Given questions that could potentially incite in-depth responses that might contain policy specifics or fresh ideas on a new course of action, Thompson laid it out his own unique way; we need to do things differently regarding the economy and we should stay the course in Iraq.
So while Romney and Guliani went at it over who raised taxes while in office, Thompson sailed under the radar without having to defend his past economic policies. No substance needed here…
Monday, October 8, 2007
obama - is he for real?
In an election when candidates are more likely despised than beloved, Barack Obama seems to stand above the disdain. He is likable, smart and passionate and for a while seemed to walk on water. News was that Obama had more donors for his campaign than fellow Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton gave hope to millions who were ready for a fresh face in the presidency. Oprah tagged him as her guy and things couldn’t get any better.
Then the debates came. Obama came out swinging. He, Edwards and Clinton went at each other with half-playful jabs, but each remained unscathed. Then Obama felt really lucky. The topic was whether the leader of our country should be talking directly to our enemies, i.e. Hamas, Ahmedinajad and the Taliban. Obama said it would be irresponsible for our president to talk to our enemies. Clinton shot him down and chalked his claim up to inexperience. Obama called Clinton “Bush lite.” Foreign policy pundits laughed off his position as foolish. It seemed time for Obama to back down and begin detracting his foot from his mouth.
He has done the opposite. I recently received a newsletter from the Obama camp that included an outline of what Obama plans to achieve regarding his foreign policy if he were elected president. There it was, bullet point 4 out of 8; “Talking directly to friend and foe.” Could it be? Obama heard the criticism and stood by his claim. This action is reminiscent of another strong candidate in 2004 who was praised for sticking by his gut and deflecting critics by the thousands.
Most of his plan was a vast separation from how our foreign policy currently operates, among it the strengthening of the state department so that diplomacy is a top priority. As the talk of military strikes on Iran heat up, a leader who is committed to true diplomacy is needed. There are certain things Iran’s leadership wants that we can offer without compromising our values. As he has proven in the past with his stance against the war in Iraq, Obama will stand firm on the importance to use war only as the last resort.
Then the debates came. Obama came out swinging. He, Edwards and Clinton went at each other with half-playful jabs, but each remained unscathed. Then Obama felt really lucky. The topic was whether the leader of our country should be talking directly to our enemies, i.e. Hamas, Ahmedinajad and the Taliban. Obama said it would be irresponsible for our president to talk to our enemies. Clinton shot him down and chalked his claim up to inexperience. Obama called Clinton “Bush lite.” Foreign policy pundits laughed off his position as foolish. It seemed time for Obama to back down and begin detracting his foot from his mouth.
He has done the opposite. I recently received a newsletter from the Obama camp that included an outline of what Obama plans to achieve regarding his foreign policy if he were elected president. There it was, bullet point 4 out of 8; “Talking directly to friend and foe.” Could it be? Obama heard the criticism and stood by his claim. This action is reminiscent of another strong candidate in 2004 who was praised for sticking by his gut and deflecting critics by the thousands.
Most of his plan was a vast separation from how our foreign policy currently operates, among it the strengthening of the state department so that diplomacy is a top priority. As the talk of military strikes on Iran heat up, a leader who is committed to true diplomacy is needed. There are certain things Iran’s leadership wants that we can offer without compromising our values. As he has proven in the past with his stance against the war in Iraq, Obama will stand firm on the importance to use war only as the last resort.
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