ColoNoCoHusker

The biggest Republican state politician in support of vouchers in Co has been pushing it for 20+ years. His vision for rural education is basically turning rural schools into cube farms of online education... His position is laughable that urban schools need more teachers but rural schools need less. So many from the urban areas buy into it tho

There are State/Federal subsidies that get apportioned as well to help address the cost issues in rural districts. As urban districts lose students and/or as charter schools increase, there will be more competition for those funds. Typically this competition works against rural schools.

At the heart of most school voucher/choice programs is the ability to funnel public funds to private schools and decreasing the net total amount given to public schools.

I'm going to ask again, because I would like some info on it because I'm actively trying to know.

 

I wonder what will happen, if anything, to rural nebraska one school districts?

 

I'll add this, because I don't know. Is this something that will affect mostly metro areas? How much would this affect a Grand Island area? North Platte? etc...

Everyone is covering your other points so I'll take a stab at your policy question...

I don't see how this would be good for rural districts. Typically, those that are proponents of rural education have a background/history/career in education and exposure to the challenges rural districts face. Every model I have seen for school voucher/choice structures ends up hurting rural districts at least indirectly by funneling a higher portion of funds towards areas with more school choices. The lower density an area, the fewer schools to choose from, the less $$ ends up being available.

This is not guaranteed but I have yet to see a model proposed that avoids funneling dollars or State/Federal subsidies away from rural districts. If the Sec of Ed has no idea on how Public Ed works, is he/she going to surround themselves with those that do? Will any of those people be advocates to address the challenges unique to rural districts? It doesn't seem likely from what is available so far...

 

 

At what point, I wonder, does the White House start ordering book burnings?

 

I'm sure Trump is just praying out loud for spontaneous combustion to solve it...

The death penalty is specifically reserved for repeat offender schools, which Baylor sadly isn't. Hopefully, at the very least, Art Briles goes to prison.

NCAA is loath to implement death penalty in D1 football/basketball. If you look at non-D1 death penalties, it also includes willful patterns of wrongdoing or specifically egregious behavior... The reason stated for PSU not getting it was they took corrective action.

As it has been discussed the last several years, the threshold for "repeat offender" can be retroactive. In 2015 school did X, investigation in 2016 finds school also did X in 2014, & 2013. Under current interpretation, that would satisfy the repeat offender rule for the death penalty but the measure for D1 is whether the school is taking appropriate corrective action.

Here's the ACLU's take that's not riddled with political hyperbole.

 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is pleased to support H.R. 3516, the Social Security Beneficiary 2nd Amendment Rights Protection Act. All individuals have the right to be judged on the basis of their individual capabilities, not the characteristics and capabilities that are sometimes attributed (often mistakenly) to any group or class to which they belong. A disability should not constitute grounds for the automatic per se denial of any right or privilege, including gun ownership. Accordingly, we endorse the Social Security Beneficiary 2nd Amendment Rights Protection Act.

 

https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-endorses-hr-3516-social-security-beneficiary-2nd

 

 

I suggest reading the letter in the link.

 

Also, this:

We recognize that enacting new regulations relating to firearms can raise difficult questions. The ACLU believes that the right to own and use guns is not absolute or free from government regulation, since firearms are inherently dangerous instrumentalities and their use, unlike other activities protected by the Bill of Rights, can inflict serious bodily injury or death. Therefore, firearms are subject to reasonable regulation in the interests of public safety, crime prevention, maintaining the peace, environmental protection, and public health. We do not oppose regulation of firearms as long as it is reasonably related to these legitimate government interests.

 

At the same time, regulation of firearms and individual gun ownership or use must be consistent with civil liberties principles, such as due process, equal protection, freedom from unlawful searches, and privacy. All individuals have the right to be judged on the basis of their individual capabilities, not the characteristics and capabilities that are sometimes attributed (often mistakenly) to any group or class to which they belong. A disability should not constitute grounds for the automatic per se denial of any right or privilege, including gun ownership.

 

https://waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ACLU.pdf

 

Once again, it's important to read what's actually at stake. This was akin to the "Terror watch list" no fly fiasco.

I would like to see firearm reform and I personally support keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill.

However, Saunders45 & the ACLU are correct in supporting the bill. The threshold for needing/having/being appointed a representative payee is the inability to manage one's own finances. It's a pretty low-bar to get an SSA representative payee and makes anyone in this category automatically mentally ill or disabled. We have gone through this for family members and it was much easier than getting a power of attorney. Having an SSA representative payee making someone classified as mentally ill/disabled is a miscarriage of our SSA system.

IMO, this bill would be like using your IRS records to determine employability. It could be accurate but more often it would lead to the wrong conclusion. In any case, the system was not built for that purpose and there are better sources to use.

https://www.ssa.gov/payee/

https://www.ssa.gov/payee/faqrep.htm

They are two completely different, unrelated processes.

Impeachment is the process used to remove POTUS or other official from office. For POTUS, the House votes to impeach the POTUS. If it passes by majority, the POTUS is now "impeached" meaning charges are brought against POTUS. After impeachment, the POTUS goes on trial in the Senate; conviction (2/3 majority vote) means removal from office. When most people discuss the issue of "impeachment", they are talking about "impeachment (House) & conviction (Senate)".

Other than the above, the POTUS cannot be indicted on charges while in office. Nixon resigned before the House did anything and Ford issued the pardon preventing any indictments.

Censure is a public & formal reprimand or statement of disapproval. In Clinton's case it was undertaken after they failed to muster enough votes for impeachment. It's a totally separate vote and process with no direct consequence for POTUS.

Great NPR podcast with both Bush's and Obamas' ethics lawyers explaining why/how they came together to identify the issues with ethics and Trump's position. http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2017/01/19/510596329/fresh-air-for-january-19-2017

Do they discuss the Ethics statements/EO issued by the previous POTUS' that Trump refused to issue? Pretty telling from the get go...

Moiraine - A lot of us have identified this since the day after the election. It's amazing the fodder amassed in only a couple months:

 

Common historic grounds for impeachment are: abuse of authority, intimidation, misuse of assets, misappropriating government funds, failure to supervise, maladministration, dereliction of duty, appointing unfit subordinates, suppressing petitions, granting warrants without cause, conduct unbecoming, or inappropriately using the influence of office.

Just since he took office, he has created valid legal arguments for every basis...

Nominate Red Five

2nd

Nominate: dudeguyy

2nd

A couple I bought when they were first published:

Rereading this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique%27s_Journey

Reading this for the first time; amazing the similarities to 80 years ago...

https://books.google.com/books/about/Decade_of_Betrayal.html?id=f0ftCgAAQBAJ&source=kp_cover&hl=en

We need all the idiots in politics, apparently

I'm cool with an official language as long as it's either Anglish or Ol' English. Anything else has been done already...

PS: I'd be cool with Galactic Basic or Klingon if those are options...

 

Gotta hand it to you teach. I don't think I've ever encountered a more cunning internet troll in my time online.

 

I can agree with this. Even when I know it's happening it happens.

What's everyone's opinion on eset these days?

 

I actually still just use Microsoft Security Essentials. Linux and Sandboxie are occasional fallbacks but I can never quite accept the convenience tradeoff.

Sandboxie is a PITA to setup/maintain. Seamless mode with Virtualbox/KVM or Unity mode with VMWare is much easier without the inconvenience... Also makes migrating to Linux super easy...

Yay another super bowl filled with political commercials #NotMySuperBowl

You always did strike me as more of a Zima Clearmalt fan

 

I knew they lost a ton of market share last year and were trying to figure out how to attract more millenials. This is what they came up with for their marketing campaign for the next year? Hmm...

 

Maybe they should make their mass-market beer taste better.

 

I know Coors is in denial on that; gotta assume AB is as well. The root of the problem is people not buying the beer; not that the beer is no longer worth buying... lol

I knew they lost a ton of market share last year and were trying to figure out how to attract more millenials. This is what they came up with for their marketing campaign for the next year? Hmm...

Super Bowl LI pre-party slightly buzzed but working on it...

Can't get the video to play. Is Budweiser just riding the general wave of immigration discussion or they going a step further (even softly)?

I visited the one in Centennial a few months after it opened. It was a typical theme-based suburb chain. The food was below average. The beer selection was below other franchise chains like Yard House or BJs Brewhouse. The best tap selection I have seen out here has to be Falling Rock in downtown Denver.

Kroger has lobbied for years to allow more than 3.2% beer sales at grocery stores out here. It finally passed last year and will be in full effect by 2037 (probably 2057 for Greeley, lulz). The reason for the long phase-in is to prevent all the liquor stores going bankrupt overnight. This was more to keep the tax-revenue up while avoiding alcohol price wars...

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/06/10/new-colorado-law-allows-full-strength-beer-phase-in-at-groceries/

No one has enough hours to spend directly helping with every single cause they care about but voting and voicing one's concerns is a way of helping.

Absolutely and that is so vital...

 

 

What's fascinating to me is not that people would boycott Starbucks over that, but that they would find a way to convince themselves that this response -- angry derision over a positive commitment to help helpless refugees -- is one that deserves plaudits.

Will you be helping any refugees?

 

Why would it make a difference? What if he is helping?

 

There are a ton of ways to help with the refugee situation right here in Nebraska. Many do.

 

I would say zoogs & others are helping by voicing their opinions on this board & elsewhere. Many of us would love to do more but that's not always an option.

Regardless of one's personal beliefs, doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING is sorely needed. This applies to anything in which a person believes or supports. It's so easy to be apathetic and that is what is truly damaging. I support all protestors, even those that are diametrically opposed to my beliefs. Activism of any kind makes this country great.

When we hit Denver, there are a couple Middle Eastern/Persian markets we try to hit. The food quality is top notch and there are a lot of items that cannot be purchased anywhere else. Since the ban, we started ordering as much as we can from these markets. Given how these communities are being treated, a little inconvenience is the least we can bear. I feel like it's a practical way to support local residents/citizens directly affected by this ban. When we left a Halal butcher yesterday, the owner (an Iranian) stopped us at our car to thank us for our business. He was overly grateful. He has lost most of his white customers over the past weeks and has been treated like hell. It reinforced this was right decision. Local communities like this need some positive support in so many ways right now.

 

He really is the most unique special snowflake there is.

president snowflake does have a ring to it.

 

Ski resorts out here rely on snowflakes for business; not sure I want to alienate frozen water like that...

 

I'm not sure how this bozo got into office BUT- is a 1000 people really a good sample size? I didn't even know that there were 1000 people that still answered the phone.

It's statistics man. Black magic stuff.

 

That would make Moiraine what, a Black Magic Woman?