What teachers are hearing
by David Safier During a teacher's meeting at an Arizona school this week, the teachers were told about some ideas being bounced around concerning the 2010 round of budget cuts for K-12 schools: Cuts of about $1,000 in spending per pupil. Salary cuts ranging from $4,00-6,000. Getting rid of the experience index for teacher salaries. … Read more
GOP ‘Taliban’ Insurgency
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Republicans have gone so batshit crazy lately that the comedy just rights itself. I am not making this up: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Hotline On Call (National Journal) Sessions: GOP Insurgency "May Be Required": "Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because … Read more
Why does this sound familiar?
by David Safier From columnist Nicholas Kristof's blog: The effort to prune the stimulus package to make it more palatable to Republicans is focused on slashing money for education. The proposed cuts, by various accounts, include $40 billion to help states (in large part with education budgets), possibly $14 billion for Pell grants, and $14 … Read more
Obama Puts Kibosh on Bush’s Space Cadet Ideas for Space-Based Weapons
by Michael Bryan Most people can rattle off many of the bad decisions and harmful policies of the Bush years. But one little-known policy vital to our national security and our economy that Bush worked very hard to get dead wrong is space-based weaponry. I wrote about the issue back in 2004 and again in … Read more
Obama Speech at House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: President Obama rallied Democrats in support of the stimulus bill currently before the Senate at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference. To view the entire speech, see C-SPAN Video Player – President Obama Attends Democrat Conference Here is a video clip highlight from the speech: Transcript of remarks h/t to Talking Points … Read more
Obama Speech at Department of Energy: “The Time for Talk is Over. The Time for Action is Now.”
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Highlight from the transcript The White House – Blog Post – Serious about energy independence As we are meeting, in the halls of Congress just down the street from here, thereās a debate going on about the plan Iāve proposed, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. * * * Now, I believe … Read more
Pearce: Budget cuts won’t cause any “real layoffs.” Ed woes “fabricated.”
by David Safier Why bother with analysis when the quotes speak for themselves? Here's Russell Pearce as quoted in the Arizona Guardian: "If you want to get rid of something, you tax it. If you want to increase something, then deregulate and untax it," he said. The budget cuts made last week will not cause … Read more
