The Republican Utopia

[teachercd]

3 hours ago, Archy1221 said:

@Guy Chamberlin  you’ve asked a few times for someone to define a Republican Utopia so I will give my crack at some bullet points that matter for one man’s opinion on the matter…..

 

—A strong secure boarder with adequate legal processes to adjudicate the legal process in a much much much more timely fashion.   A remain in Mexico component until initial background checks are complete with no criminal history, security threats, or identity theft/fraud.  Once complete, the asylum or citizen requestor should be allowed in with some sort of managed check in requirements (not the catch release check in BS we have now) and those people should be allowed to participate in society while the citizenship process carries out (work, pay taxes, school etc..)  Okay, I really don't care all that much but this is fine.

 

—Regular order budgets and end the nonsensical use of the “spend the entire budget whether it’s needed or not” fiasco that has been going on for decades.   Incentivize, government agencies to come in under budget by bonus to the Gov employees for being stewards of our money, or give extra PTO for those agencies/groups that are under budget.   What happens currently is a use it all no matter what so we get funded at that same level plus some the next year even if it wasn’t needed.  Government waste at its best IMO.  Sure.
 

—Income taxes at the lowest level possible that can also adequately fund a lean Government agency.  I feel that we are probably at that level, however, if people think the top bracket can go back up to 39% then so be it.   Don’t care anymore. Yes and we should get options where we send our income tax.
 

—I want to see an end to activist District Attorneys that are fine with criminals running amok. Charge the crimes that are committed and end the ridiculous no cash bail experiment.   Along these lines, figure out some way to increase the Judicial capacity to try cases.  The backlog is insane in most cities.   With no cash bail and the backlog, people can be arrested 20-30-40 times on theft charges before anything happens to them if ever!   Yep
 

 

—Abortion.  Leave it up to the States with a voter referendum, and not just a legislature passing a law.  Make it up to the will of the people in that State.  If anyone were to ever bring up a national law, 12-15 week ban with the relevant exceptions seems like a good compromise.  Abortion should not only be legal it should be free and confidential with no age being an issue in terms of needing a parent to be there with you.
 

—Marraige.   Either have Gov get out of the marriage business or allow people to marry whoever and how ever many people they want.  If we are to say if two people love each other and should be allowed to marry no matter the sexual preference, I agree, but that same courtesy should go to those who may be in a throuple etc….Marry whoever you want or whatever you want, as many times as you want.  If you are dumb enough to get married you should be able to have all the choices in the world.
 

—Education.  I am a school choice advocate mainly because so many kids are stuck in failing school districts that receive so much funding and yet still suck and fail the kids that want to learn.  Let those kids/parents that actually care get the education they deserve.  School choice is a weird one, I really have no idea where I stand on this.  But everyone agrees that non-educators should not be on school boards.  
 

—Term limits.  Limits to be discussed but it’s quite evident to anyone paying attention that limits need to be in place. Our lawmakers care more about being re-elected than they do about voting their conscience.  Sure
 

—Elections.  Voter ID, 30 day maximum early voting, and no party affiliation listed next to the candidates name along with no “straight party line vote” option.  This is smart, I would also add that if you are a junior or senior in HS during a Presidential election year, you get to vote, on school grounds, if you want.
 

Let me know what other issues you want addressed for my “Utopia”.  

I am also happy to give my amazing thoughts on any topic.

[suh_fan93]

 

[teachercd]

1 minute ago, suh_fan93 said:

 

Ha!  i LOVE that scene in the movie! 

[suh_fan93]

 

[Scarlet]

Don't let anyone fool you.  If culture wars and a bent for authoritarianism were currently the recipe for winning elections, MAGAs wouldn't be trying to reconstitute themselves as adherents to a reasonable, centrist policies.  They'd be doubling down. 

 

They've already shown us their contempt for democracy and the rule of law.  Jan 6th, the continuing attempt to upend our democracy by the unquestioned leader of the GOP, and his and his cronies plans to finish the job with another term tell us all we need to know.

[teachercd]

13 hours ago, Scarlet said:

Don't let anyone fool you.  If culture wars and a bent for authoritarianism were currently the recipe for winning elections, MAGAs wouldn't be trying to reconstitute themselves as adherents to a reasonable, centrist policies.  They'd be doubling down. 

 

They've already shown us their contempt for democracy and the rule of law.  Jan 6th, the continuing attempt to upend our democracy by the unquestioned leader of the GOP, and his and his cronies plans to finish the job with another term tell us all we need to know.

Are you saying that people say things just to get elected?  
 

Ummm, no kidding.

[Scarlet]

36 minutes ago, teachercd said:

Are you saying that people say things just to get elected?  
 

Ummm, no kidding.

I think it's something each person's supposed to take in their own special way

[Dr. Strangelove]

If you want to take a shot of the GOP in its pure concentrated form, here you go. Be warned, the neurons in your brain may not have built up tolerance to this is if you're new to right wing news.

 

It should be noted that Biden has released tax returns going back like decades.

 

[funhusker]

17 hours ago, Crusader Husker said:

I get people's negative opinions on School Choice.  I am an administrator at a Christian school.  We have kids who get vouchers.  As a small government guy, I am somewhat opposed to vouchers.  But I know we have plenty of kids who would be stuck in failing school districts without it.  

 

I am not sure what the Cleveland Metropolitan School District would do without vouchers.  They can't handle the kids they have now.

 

There was movement for a Backpack bill a few years ago.  Each kid would be worth a certain amount of money and wherever He/She went, the money would follow them.  That would require open enrollment, that most of Ohio does not currently have.

As a teacher, I think the #1 thing that needs to be done to improve schools is to get rid of all the knuckle heads.  Politicians keep talking about mental health; well...time to pony up and do something.  Send kids to alternative schools and counseling centers when needed.  Open career centers and stop jamming math, reading,  and writing down everyone's throats beyond  7th grade.  Let the kids that "don't care" go learn a trade or pickup some type of work/life skills.  Schools should start pressing charges when fights or assaults or illegal possessions happen instead of suspensions.  It's crazy how low the standard has fallen for student behavior.

 

Get rid of behavior problems, and schools would improve in a hurry!

[Guy Chamberlin]

5 minutes ago, funhusker said:

As a teacher, I think the #1 thing that needs to be done to improve schools is to get rid of all the knuckle heads.  Politicians keep talking about mental health; well...time to pony up and do something.  Send kids to alternative schools and counseling centers when needed.  Open career centers and stop jamming math, reading,  and writing down everyone's throats beyond  7th grade.  Let the kids that "don't care" go learn a trade or pickup some type of work/life skills.  Schools should start pressing charges when fights or assaults or illegal possessions happen instead of suspensions.  It's crazy how low the standard has fallen for student behavior.

 

Get rid of behavior problems, and schools would improve in a hurry!

 

I'm such a goddamn liberal that I think we need to shore up funding for music and the arts as early as possible. Takes nothing away from reading, writing, and rithmatic -- they will always be there. But so will music and art. Doesn't matter if you go to university or a trade school or never pursue it as a profession. It just makes your brain better. 

 

Does that sound fuzzy and utopian? It's not, really. The return on investment in music and art shows up in so many ways, including reduced truancy, improved mental health, better academic performance, fewer behavioral issues, you name it. When introduced to lower income districts, the impact of music programs is stunning. It's a better educational experience, a better life, a better world. 

 

But music and the arts are the first to get the axe in a country that spends money ridiculously and has turned its attention to hiring armed guards. 

 

In my progressive utopia, people would understand that some humanitarian principles also have solid economic returns. 

[Archy1221]

21 minutes ago, funhusker said:

Schools should start pressing charges when fights or assaults or illegal possessions happen instead of suspensions.  It's crazy how low the standard has fallen for student behavior.

 

Get rid of behavior problems, and schools would improve in a hurry!

Would love to see this.  It’s not a huge issue in many of the suburban school districts where I live, but it breaks my heart to here the stories of kids in the city schools that really truly want to learn and get out of that situation, yet have to deal with the kind of crap you described.

 

I wish the parents could bear some type of responsibility also from the legal system for the actions of their kids if the kids are repeat offenders and it’s shown the parents have little regard for improving the behavior.   I understand it’s a legal slippery slope and probably a pipe dream.   I just hate seeing teachers and students having to deal with unruly kids at a school and the parents said kids don’t really give a crap.  

[Cdog923]

52 minutes ago, funhusker said:

As a teacher, I think the #1 thing that needs to be done to improve schools is to get rid of all the knuckle heads.  Politicians keep talking about mental health; well...time to pony up and do something. 

 

I agree 100%

 

52 minutes ago, funhusker said:

Send kids to alternative schools and counseling centers when needed. Open career centers and stop jamming math, reading,  and writing down everyone's throats beyond  7th grade.  Let the kids that "don't care" go learn a trade or pickup some type of work/life skills. 

 

Alternate placements can be fantastic for students who can't "fit" into a typical gen ed building. However, reading, writing and math still need to be core subject materials at the high school level, especially at a trade school. Augment these with business and professional classes to show students who are uninterested in them how they are used in a real-world setting. 

 

@teachercd and @Guy Chamberlin are also spot on: you gotta find a way to fund the arts. 

 

52 minutes ago, funhusker said:

Schools should start pressing charges when fights or assaults or illegal possessions happen instead of suspensions. 

 

This is a tricky area; students want the suspension because it gets them out of class and/or school. Plus, pressing charges depends a lot on the county attorney in the area and how far they want to press things like behaviors in schools. One way to handle this is to go back to your main point and provide more funding for health experts/specialists for schools. 

 

[teachercd]

4 minutes ago, Cdog923 said:

 

I agree 100%

 

 

Alternate placements can be fantastic for students who can't "fit" into a typical gen ed building. However, reading, writing and math still need to be core subject materials at the high school level, especially at a trade school. Augment these with business and professional classes to show students who are uninterested in them how they are used in a real-world setting. 

 

@teachercd is also spot on: you gotta find a way to fund the arts. 

 

 

This is a tricky area; students want the suspension because it gets them out of class and/or school. Plus, pressing charges depends a lot on the county attorney in the area and how far they want to press things like behaviors in schools. One way to handle this is to go back to your main point and provide more funding for health experts/specialists for schools. 

 

Knuckleheads in school.

 

If that kid doesn't want to be there and is an a$$ and their parent signs off, they go into the military.  

The second wave has to be a pre-apprenticeship program with school 1/2 the day and work half the day.

[Archy1221]

18 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

I'm such a goddamn liberal that I think we need to shore up funding for music and the arts as early as possible. Takes nothing away from reading, writing, and rithmatic -- they will always be there. But so will music and art. Doesn't matter if you go to university or a trade school or never pursue it as a profession. It just makes your brain better. 

 

Does that sound fuzzy and utopian? It's not, really. The return on investment in music and art shows up in so many ways, including reduced truancy, improved mental health, better academic performance, fewer behavioral issues, you name it. When introduced to lower income districts, the impact of music programs is stunning. It's a better educational experience, a better life, a better world. 

 

But music and the arts are the first to get the axe in a country that spends money ridiculously and has turned its attention to hiring armed guards. 

 

In my progressive utopia, people would understand that some humanitarian principles also have solid economic returns. 

Hey get out of the Republican Utopia with this liberal crap!

 

[teachercd]

20 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

I'm such a goddamn liberal that I think we need to shore up funding for music and the arts as early as possible. Takes nothing away from reading, writing, and rithmatic -- they will always be there. But so will music and art. Doesn't matter if you go to university or a trade school or never pursue it as a profession. It just makes your brain better. 

 

Does that sound fuzzy and utopian? It's not, really. The return on investment in music and art shows up in so many ways, including reduced truancy, improved mental health, better academic performance, fewer behavioral issues, you name it. When introduced to lower income districts, the impact of music programs is stunning. It's a better educational experience, a better life, a better world. 

 

But music and the arts are the first to get the axe in a country that spends money ridiculously and has turned its attention to hiring armed guards. 

 

In my progressive utopia, people would understand that some humanitarian principles also have solid economic returns. 

Totally agree

 

The problem is those art classes simple CANNOT BE MANDATORY.  

 

The hardest classes for teachers to have control over are art/music classes when they are mandatory.  It needs to be totally optional an elective.  Middle school boys destroy art and music teachers lives.  

 

We also need to treat computer programming as a foreign language.  It makes way more sense than forcing a kid to take 2 years of Spanish.