Re: OT: Politics [Was:Social Contract]

On Sat, Apr 29, 2006 at 09:43:35PM -0400, Roberto C. Sanchez wrote:
Christopher Nelson wrote:
On Sat, Apr 29, 2006 at 07:02:30PM -0400, Roberto C. Sanchez wrote:

Mumia W wrote:

[somebody] wrote:

And public schools are doing such a fine job of educating, too!


Yes, they are. I was educated in a public school.


As was I. That is exactly the reason why none of my children will
*ever* go to a public school. I like to think that I am succeeding in
life *in spite* of the fact that I went to public school.


That's your right, but unless you can *gaurantee* that I can, for no
cost, send my children to a 100% secular school with decent teaching,
there is no way I can support abolishing public schools. And if you can
gaurantee that, where does the line between public and private come?

Umm. You do realize that not all private schools are Christian,
correct? There are Jewish, Muslim, and yes even secular private
schools. If there are not enough secular private schools now, I'm sure
that a market would open up for them if public education was abolished.

I do realise that not all private schools are religious, but it seems
that the minority are secular, and I am of the opinion that it is
important that a child have the option to go to a secular school. I
also know that none of the private schools in the county I grew up in in
Kentucky were secular, which is why I raised the issue.

Besides, why is it my job to *guarantee* that you can send your children
to school for free? If you can't afford to raise them, then don't have
them. Really, why should I pay taxes for education my entire life when
kids only go to school for 12-16 years?

The same reason you should pay taxes for roads you don't drive
on--because at all stages of life having an educated workforce benifits
you, just as it benifits you for people (eg utility companies) to drive
on roads you particularly don't use. Or would you rather not pay your
doctor to pass high school anatomy and biology?

As to the free--I don't plan on having children before I can afford
them, but that doesn't help the middle class who can't afford most
private schools (the ones I've seen advertised aren't cheap), but
can otherwise afford to raise children in a decent environment. Do you
purport that you must be wealthy to raise children, or just well enough
off?

Besides, my contempt of public education has little to do with my
religious beliefs and more to do with the utterly dismal quality of them.

And yes, I had a nearly 100% secular learning experience, and we got the
one temp for was trying to preach at us disinvited to return; my
teaching was more than adequate prep for college; those aren't
unreasonable demands.

Ah. So you want a venue where you as a student can get a teacher
disinvited to return. That is exactly the kind of thing I am talking
about with public education. The kids basically run the schools. Not
to say that this doesn't happen in expensive prep schools either, but
that is the beauty of private education. I can take my kids and dollars
to another school. I can't do that in the public school system.

Sure you can. Nothing's forcing you to have your kids in public
schools. And shopping around for a good public school district is part
of being a responsible parent if you can't afford/don't like private
school.

Plus, she was blatantly violating the schools policy (based on
the secretary of the Department of Education) that you cannot teach
religious tenets as matters of fact in the public school system.

<snip>

Income taxes, hell yes. Consumption taxes levied equally upon
all? No.


Consumption taxes are a regressive (targeting the poor) idea that the
Right Wing has touted for years.


For an example of a consumption tax that is super-advantageous to the
poor, please go review the FiarTax.


It's a very interesting idea (I just read a brief on it). It would be
interesting to see it at work, I'm not sure if people would look at the
23% sales tax and balk at buying any luxuries, though. But then I don't
know much about tax systems besides that I put money in and file for a
refund the beginning of the next year, so take my thoughts for what you
will...


If you can, read the book. If not, watch the debate that Neal Boortz
had with Michael Graetz:

http://www.booktv.org/Feature/index.asp?schedid=412&segid=6995

Graetz has some good points, but I still think that the FairTax is the
way to go.

I didn't see the book mentioned on www.fairtax.org -- is there somewhere
else I should look for it? I will check out the debate.

--
Christopher Nelson -- chris@xxxxxxxxxx
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