First of all imo, thank god Romney is gone he was kinda scary (not that the rest of them aren't). His ship sank for me when he tried to give his speech comparing himself to Jack Kennedy....
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tibaal89 previously said:
This really isn't much of a revelation, and is in fact something that Obama himself says again and again when he speaks... that things happen from not from the top down but from the bottom up. The whole point is that ordinary people becoming engaged is what we need. Too many live in apathy. A true leader isn't the guy who can do everything himself, but the one who can get everybody around him to give a damn and do something.
Just my $0.02
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Mike I totally agree with you and have been saying this for years. If people want change, they have to make it....if you seriously think that by simply electing anyone on any level is really going to get the job done you are mistaken...the system is too broken and too corrupt...YOU must be the change. However I find that as long as middle America has their 6 pack of beer, their Monday night football and food on the table they are content...its not going to be until something directly happens to them that they will start truly worrying about it and getting motivated.
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uphill previously said:
Do they EVER look good, Jason?
And the Kalifornia Republik is getting worse. I'm quite seriously contemplating a second home purchase in AZ so that I can claim AZ residency. Move my finances to that state and split my time between the two homes.
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Along the same lines of getting motivated.....I'm a big history nerd and have lived in AZ most of my life and it is one of my favorite states for many reasons....one is a favorite piece of trivia that not many people know and I often love to share. It is declared in the Arizona State Constitution that if Martial Law is ever declared by the Federal Government, the state of Arizona automatically secedes from the union. Not that we need more people here, but come on over and bring your guns!
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Katfish previously said:
Jeebis, there are WAY better states than here..... How old are your kids? You do NOT want them to go to school here....even the colleges.....
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I see you state this often, yet you continue to choose to raise your children here? Yes, its true, we are often ranked low low out of all the states but considering some of the tools they use to measure that ranking, I find it hard to completely blame the entire State....things like Public Elementary and Secondary School Revenue per $1,000 Personal Income, Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, High School Drop Out Rate, Average Class Size? Another thing we have to deal with in that state ranking are the reservations. Arizona has more of them than any other state, and I hate to say it but I have seen it first hand...education is not really a top priority for a lot of those communities. They have higher teen pregnancy and drop-out rates than any other population in Arizona.
My question is, when are we going to start holding the parents accountable ALONG WITH the schools? I talk to a lot of teachers in my line of work and the #1 complaint I hear from all of them isn't about the kids, or the pay, or the school system...its about the parents...the lack of involvement, the lack of interest, not making their kids do the homework, not making sure they are getting to school on time, divorced parents who are more interested in blaming each other at the parent-teacher meetings than finding out what the hell is really going on with their kids.... As far as I'm concerned, those are basic things that come along with parenting, and if you can't handle it then you shouldn't have kids.
There are bad school districts here and there are great school districts here, just like everywhere else. You cannot tell me that every district here is any worse than what you might find in the Bronx, Compton, Detroit, Cleveland, or Atlanta. We have open enrollment here in AZ, so if you live in a crappy district, you are welcome to search out a better school and send your kid there. I specifically had to petition to have the right to go to a different high school that had a better curriculum, a safer campus and was further away from my house. All of my education has been in the state of Arizona, including both rural and urban settings. While I used to think I was one of the lucky ones who escaped with a great education and having had excellent teachers my entire span, I find more and more of the people I meet who's parents were involved in their education and took the time to make sure they were going to the right school, are some of the most intelligent people I know.
I will however agree with you when it comes to ASU....that school is a joke...parents, don't send your children there! I went there for 2 semesters and felt like I should have demanded a refund, absolutely some of the worst educators I have ever experienced! I guess my problem was I actually wanted an education, not just to jump through hoops so I could get a piece of paper!
**end rant**
As for Ron Paul, I probably would get behind him, except he doesn't support a womans right to choose....
