Comments on Mark Stegeman’s constituent letter
by David Safier Mark Stegeman sent a constituent letter out today, and he was good enough to send me a copy. (NOTE: Though our disagreements about MAS have been pretty extreme, Mark and I have been casual friends for a number of years. We have talked about TUSD related issues since he has been on … Read more
AIRC Update: In other news
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The concerns raised by Republican Commissioner Richard Stertz that the executive director of the Commission executed the contract with Strategic Telemetry without proper authority was disproved by minutes from the June 29 and June 30 meetings of the Commission. The Commission voted 4-0 to reaffirm the contract, with Stertz voting "present." The … Read more
AIRC Update: Tranparency for the media, but not for political lobbyists?
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) adopted an amendment to its contract with Strategic Telemetry, its mapping consultant, last week that requires the mapping consultant to log all contacts with the firm, including media contacts from mainstream media and bloggers (like Steve Muratore of the Arizona Eagletarian who is the unofficial blogger of the … Read more
Parents like their children’s school more than they used to
by David Safier It's a longstanding truism that parents say, "Schools are awful — except the school my child goes to, of course." But here's the weird thing. Parents seem to like their own child's school considerably more than they used to, despite the continual barrage of education bashing. This information comes from a recent … Read more
Today’s Gatewood goes to . . . Eric Cantor
by David Safier [NOTE: I created The Gatewood in honor of Henry Gatewood, the banker in John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach" who ran off with $50,000 in payroll money and said, while clutching the satchel full of stolen money, "'America for Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something … Read more
Unemployed man-of-the-people Mitt Romney to expand home
by David Safier I always loved the stories of John McCain's too-many-to-count homes during the 2008 election. Mitt Romney looks like he's destined to follow in McCain's real estate footprints. Romney owns a modest 3000 square foot home in Southern California. Where in SoCal, you ask? In La Jolla — oceanfront property. He bought it … Read more
My thoughts on current trends in education (almost) exactly
by David Safier There's a new book out trashing teachers' unions and singing the praises of charters — Steve Brill's "Class Warfare." I haven't read it, but it sounds like it sings the same old "education reform" tune. Sara Mosle reviewed the book in the NY Times Book Review, taking apart its premises beautifully, using … Read more
