My Local Libertarian Newspaper?
Last week, I discussed how much I was enjoying the local Hamilton County newspaper scene, and in particular, the Noblesville Daily Times. The sentiment only has grown this week.
Since my comments were posted, they ran another of my letters, which is always a wonderful thing. Yesterday, they also had an article on Social Security by Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Institute, and another today on the three-party political campaign dynamics by Kenn Gividen, the 2004 Libertarian candidate for governor.
My fellow Hamilton County Libertarians, I urge you to enjoy the local newspapers, and these days, especially the Noblesville Daily Times.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Gratuitous Post
This is a gratuitous post designed to drive website hits. I have to say that it pleases me already that when someone does a google search for the "Geist Annexation", this blog comes up on the first page. Likewise for "Mitch Daniels Sucks". That one's amusing because I have never actually said that, except in referrence to others doing searches on that phrase, and this blog getting hit as a result.
Anyway, I like having the blog come up high on search pages, so here goes!
Libertarian Party, LPIN, LPIN Kole, Kole Libertarian, Kole Hard Facts, Mike Kole Libertarian, Libertarian Party of Indiana, Libertarian Kole, eminent domain, kelo v new london, Kelo V. New London, Kelo eminent domain, eminent domain abuse, indiana eminent domain, colts eminent domain, eminent domain Indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts eminent domain, socialized football, NK Hurst Co, NK Hurst beans, NK Hurst bean plant, bean plant, save the bean plant, save NK Hurst, Jim Irsay eminent domain, Jim Irsay, Irsay Colts, Colts eminent domain, property rights, nk hurst property rights, Colts, Indianapolis Colts, Libertarian Secretary of State, Mike Kole Secretary of State, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Libertarian, Secretary of State Mike Kole, Indiana Secretary of State, Todd Rokita, Rokita Secretary of State, Todd Rokita Secretary of State, Theodore Rokita, Rokita Republican, Rokita Indiana, Rokita Munster, Just Say No To Fishers, Just Say Yes To Fishers, Yes To Fishers, No To Fishers, Fishers Indiana, Fishers annexation, Fishers forced annexation, Geist annexation, Geist forced annexation, Carmel annexation, Carmel forced annexation, Home Place annexation, Home Place forced annexation, Homeplace annexation, Homeplace forced annexation, Southwest Clay annexation, Southwest Clay forced annexation, South West Clay annexation, South West Clay forced annexation, Mitch Daniels, Indiana Republican, Fishers Republican, Carmel Republican, Fishers Town Council, Fishers Republican Town Council, Fishers Faultless, Fishers White, Fishers Easley, Fishers, Pritchett, Fishers Levine, Fishers Scott Faultless, Fishers Council President, Fishers Council Presidetn Faultless, Fishers Council President Scott Faultless, Fishers Town Councilor Charlie White, Fishers Charlie White, Fishers Republican White, Fishers Republican Charlie White, Charlie White Fishers Republican, Jim Brainard, James Brainard, Jim Brainard Carmel, James Brainard Carmel, Mayor Jim Brainard, Mayor James Brainard, Election, Elections, Hoosier elections, Hoosier election, Indiana election, Indiana Elections Division, Indiana SOS, SOS Indiana, Indiana Statehouse, Indiana State House, Election Day, General Election Day, election precinct, Indiana House, Indiana Senate, Indiana rep, Indiana representative, Indiana Senator, smaller government, lower taxes, fair elections, ballot access, integrity, budget cut, budget deficit,
This is a gratuitous post designed to drive website hits. I have to say that it pleases me already that when someone does a google search for the "Geist Annexation", this blog comes up on the first page. Likewise for "Mitch Daniels Sucks". That one's amusing because I have never actually said that, except in referrence to others doing searches on that phrase, and this blog getting hit as a result.
Anyway, I like having the blog come up high on search pages, so here goes!
Libertarian Party, LPIN, LPIN Kole, Kole Libertarian, Kole Hard Facts, Mike Kole Libertarian, Libertarian Party of Indiana, Libertarian Kole, eminent domain, kelo v new london, Kelo V. New London, Kelo eminent domain, eminent domain abuse, indiana eminent domain, colts eminent domain, eminent domain Indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts eminent domain, socialized football, NK Hurst Co, NK Hurst beans, NK Hurst bean plant, bean plant, save the bean plant, save NK Hurst, Jim Irsay eminent domain, Jim Irsay, Irsay Colts, Colts eminent domain, property rights, nk hurst property rights, Colts, Indianapolis Colts, Libertarian Secretary of State, Mike Kole Secretary of State, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Libertarian, Secretary of State Mike Kole, Indiana Secretary of State, Todd Rokita, Rokita Secretary of State, Todd Rokita Secretary of State, Theodore Rokita, Rokita Republican, Rokita Indiana, Rokita Munster, Just Say No To Fishers, Just Say Yes To Fishers, Yes To Fishers, No To Fishers, Fishers Indiana, Fishers annexation, Fishers forced annexation, Geist annexation, Geist forced annexation, Carmel annexation, Carmel forced annexation, Home Place annexation, Home Place forced annexation, Homeplace annexation, Homeplace forced annexation, Southwest Clay annexation, Southwest Clay forced annexation, South West Clay annexation, South West Clay forced annexation, Mitch Daniels, Indiana Republican, Fishers Republican, Carmel Republican, Fishers Town Council, Fishers Republican Town Council, Fishers Faultless, Fishers White, Fishers Easley, Fishers, Pritchett, Fishers Levine, Fishers Scott Faultless, Fishers Council President, Fishers Council Presidetn Faultless, Fishers Council President Scott Faultless, Fishers Town Councilor Charlie White, Fishers Charlie White, Fishers Republican White, Fishers Republican Charlie White, Charlie White Fishers Republican, Jim Brainard, James Brainard, Jim Brainard Carmel, James Brainard Carmel, Mayor Jim Brainard, Mayor James Brainard, Election, Elections, Hoosier elections, Hoosier election, Indiana election, Indiana Elections Division, Indiana SOS, SOS Indiana, Indiana Statehouse, Indiana State House, Election Day, General Election Day, election precinct, Indiana House, Indiana Senate, Indiana rep, Indiana representative, Indiana Senator, smaller government, lower taxes, fair elections, ballot access, integrity, budget cut, budget deficit,
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Schools Experiment
The Indianapolis Public Schools are undertaking a sweeping change- taking their five high schools and making 20+ high schools out of them. The theory is that smaller is better, that it means more attention for students, more of a community feel, and less falling through the cracks. Indy Star story.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is putting up several million dollars to help fund the project. If you've ever cursed Microsoft and the wealth of Bill Gates, this is what you have cursed, by the way.
On the surface, I think it's a wonderful development. However, I am only cautiously optimistic for results in areas like graduation rates and test scores. Reason? Teachers can give students all the attention in the world, but the real issue is always parents.
If the parents do not hold the child accountable for producing good grades or completing to graduation in a big school setting, the only thing that changes here is the school setting. At the end of the day, the parents aren't changing their accountability standards.
Too many parents take the attitude that educating children is solely an educator's job, and in no way a parental responsibility. Homework isn't going to be done by children who have the distractions of the television, friends, video games, etc., if the parents fail to see to it that it gets done.
Then there's the community. If the community attitude is that brainy = geek, and D+ = cool, then no amount of time in a classroom of 12 students is going to matter. Moreover, no amount of Bill Gates' money will matter, if the parents and the community are lazy or worse.
Sadly, what I've seen of IPS students and community is laziness and worse.
When my son Alex was at IPS, he had a wonderful teacher. She had a cell phone and wasn't afraid to use it. She called me directly any time Alex was out of line. It was great, because I knew exactly what was going on, and what needed to be corrected.
I sat in her class one day, to get a feel for things. It was appalling. The teacher spent most of the time trying to gain order. At the break, I asked her why she wasn't on the phone with the parents of those couple of children who were causing disruptions. She said that she had given up on those, because their parents were unresponsive or worse. Those parents would either throw the call back in her face ("You're the teacher, so it's your job to get him to shut up.), or were resentful of her punishments ("How dare you single out my little angel!").
Where discipline is not a tool in the teacher's workbench, and where parents refuse to impose discipline, there will only be chaos.
My concern is that it will now be spread over 20+ schools instead of just 5. But hey- it's Bill Gates' money and an attempt at improvement, so let's see how it goes. I swore I would never send my son back to IPS schools, and we moved out of Indianapolis for Fishers, where the parents insist on achievement. I still think that latter will always carry the day.
The Indianapolis Public Schools are undertaking a sweeping change- taking their five high schools and making 20+ high schools out of them. The theory is that smaller is better, that it means more attention for students, more of a community feel, and less falling through the cracks. Indy Star story.
IPS is carving its five high schools into 24 small academies in a sweeping bid to boost test scores and improve abysmal graduation rates.
The wholesale overhaul is the largest of its kind in the nation and one that state officials will watch closely as they consider similar changes for the rest of Indiana's high schools.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is putting up several million dollars to help fund the project. If you've ever cursed Microsoft and the wealth of Bill Gates, this is what you have cursed, by the way.
On the surface, I think it's a wonderful development. However, I am only cautiously optimistic for results in areas like graduation rates and test scores. Reason? Teachers can give students all the attention in the world, but the real issue is always parents.
If the parents do not hold the child accountable for producing good grades or completing to graduation in a big school setting, the only thing that changes here is the school setting. At the end of the day, the parents aren't changing their accountability standards.
Too many parents take the attitude that educating children is solely an educator's job, and in no way a parental responsibility. Homework isn't going to be done by children who have the distractions of the television, friends, video games, etc., if the parents fail to see to it that it gets done.
Then there's the community. If the community attitude is that brainy = geek, and D+ = cool, then no amount of time in a classroom of 12 students is going to matter. Moreover, no amount of Bill Gates' money will matter, if the parents and the community are lazy or worse.
Sadly, what I've seen of IPS students and community is laziness and worse.
When my son Alex was at IPS, he had a wonderful teacher. She had a cell phone and wasn't afraid to use it. She called me directly any time Alex was out of line. It was great, because I knew exactly what was going on, and what needed to be corrected.
I sat in her class one day, to get a feel for things. It was appalling. The teacher spent most of the time trying to gain order. At the break, I asked her why she wasn't on the phone with the parents of those couple of children who were causing disruptions. She said that she had given up on those, because their parents were unresponsive or worse. Those parents would either throw the call back in her face ("You're the teacher, so it's your job to get him to shut up.), or were resentful of her punishments ("How dare you single out my little angel!").
Where discipline is not a tool in the teacher's workbench, and where parents refuse to impose discipline, there will only be chaos.
My concern is that it will now be spread over 20+ schools instead of just 5. But hey- it's Bill Gates' money and an attempt at improvement, so let's see how it goes. I swore I would never send my son back to IPS schools, and we moved out of Indianapolis for Fishers, where the parents insist on achievement. I still think that latter will always carry the day.
Radio Appearance
I had a nice, lengthy radio interview yesterday, which Hoosier probably missed. The reason? It aired live on WRUW in Cleveland. Fortunately, you can download the streamed signal for the next few days on WRUW's website. We talked about the progress of the Libertarian Party in Indiana, the value the LP could bring to Ohio if it were on the ballot there, and eminent domain.
Big thanks the Stella, who hosts the show; and her husband AP Magee, who scheduled the interview. Thanks also to Alchemy For Dummies, who blogged the appearance and reminded me that the stream is available.
I had a nice, lengthy radio interview yesterday, which Hoosier probably missed. The reason? It aired live on WRUW in Cleveland. Fortunately, you can download the streamed signal for the next few days on WRUW's website. We talked about the progress of the Libertarian Party in Indiana, the value the LP could bring to Ohio if it were on the ballot there, and eminent domain.
Big thanks the Stella, who hosts the show; and her husband AP Magee, who scheduled the interview. Thanks also to Alchemy For Dummies, who blogged the appearance and reminded me that the stream is available.
Welcome Fellow Blogger
Welcome to Rob Beck, who recently launched his blog "Shall Not Perish". Check it out.
Rob ran for Hamilton County Auditor on the Libertarian ticket, and showed very well in his debates and in the local media. I will have to invite him to lunch sometime soon, as we had great conversations over chow during his campaign.
Welcome to Rob Beck, who recently launched his blog "Shall Not Perish". Check it out.
Rob ran for Hamilton County Auditor on the Libertarian ticket, and showed very well in his debates and in the local media. I will have to invite him to lunch sometime soon, as we had great conversations over chow during his campaign.
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