While the Taxpayers League is trying to generate interest in renaming Highway 55 for Ronald Reagan instead of Gov. Floyd B. Olson, I am still trying to figure out how Constitution Avenue got renamed "Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard." Maybe it's because the Pioneer Press doesn't offer home delivery where I live, but this Saint Paul street is the address of the historic Minnesota State Capitol, so one would think that there would have been more debate about honoring a basic document of our country and state vs. honoring a non-native son, albeit a prominent one. I guess what happens in Saint Paul stays in Saint Paul. Why don't we just sell our Constitution to Iraq? It's a great document, and we're not using it anymore.
(This is a preview of my annual rant about how certain school districts are calling the holiday on February 21 "Founders' Day" rather than "Presidents' Day," which continues the trend that began with the informal but now pervasive consolidation of Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday into Presidents' Day. "Founders" of what? Stay tuned.)
1/27/2005
1/24/2005
Government out of education now!
Is the school choice movement a conspiracy to privatize K-12 education? Many members of the public school elite think so. I phoned in the question during Saturday's Northern Alliance Radio Network show (AM 1280 The Patriot), and continued the discussion at Keegan's that night (see previous post). On The Patriot, Craig Westover and Liz Mische (Partnership for Choice in Education) made a distinction between protecting the institution or delivery vehicle for education, and serving the student. Are they necessarily the same? This question has been debated recently here on Scholar's Notebook.
Those at Keegan's were not of one mind on this subject. Saint Cloud State University professor King Banaian asked on air and at Keegan's, don't we already have enough school choice in Minnesota (private, public, charter, homeschool, open enrollment, PSEO, AP) without mentioning the "v" word (vouchers)? More than once in the past, Cheri Pierson Yecke praised Minnesota's current school choice environment, pointing out that Minnesotans by and large can "vote with their feet" for the school of their choice. Others at Keegan's questioned the fiscal feasibility of vouchers (would it work?). And concerning privatizing education, what would be so bad about that?
I am considering a couple of opportunities to explore school choice in more depth. I will be sure to share my findings and thoughts with you, dear readers. School choice should prove easier for me to sound intelligent about than, say, K-12 funding (I'm still trying, but it's a process).
Those at Keegan's were not of one mind on this subject. Saint Cloud State University professor King Banaian asked on air and at Keegan's, don't we already have enough school choice in Minnesota (private, public, charter, homeschool, open enrollment, PSEO, AP) without mentioning the "v" word (vouchers)? More than once in the past, Cheri Pierson Yecke praised Minnesota's current school choice environment, pointing out that Minnesotans by and large can "vote with their feet" for the school of their choice. Others at Keegan's questioned the fiscal feasibility of vouchers (would it work?). And concerning privatizing education, what would be so bad about that?
I am considering a couple of opportunities to explore school choice in more depth. I will be sure to share my findings and thoughts with you, dear readers. School choice should prove easier for me to sound intelligent about than, say, K-12 funding (I'm still trying, but it's a process).
1/22/2005
Virtual reality
Well, it finally happened. In stereotypical fashion, I'm blogging in my pajamas. It wasn't intended to be a tribute to Cathy in the Wright, but that's what happened.
I dropped by the latest Minnesota Organization of Bloggers (M.O.B.) "meeting" at Keegan's Irish Pub in Minneapolis earlier tonight. M.O.B. gatherings are organized and publicized by the bloggers from Minnesota known as The Northern Alliance, via their blogs and their Saturday afternoon radio show on AM 1280 The Patriot.
The M.O.B. meeting was the polar opposite of blogging. Blogging is a solitary activity, usually occurring in a quiet office or at home, contemplative, and interactive only via the faceless comments feature of the blog. The meeting at Keegan's consisted of bloggers, wannabe bloggers, and the curious, debating current events, politics, and this afternoon's Northern Alliance radio show, crowded into the close quarters of a cozy, smoky pub abuzz with dozens of loud conversations and laughter, overflowing pints of Guinness, Harp Lager and other such Irish brews everywhere, folks noshing on fish 'n' chips, and lots of real introductions to people we had met only in the virtual world.
Many bloggers of The Northern Alliance were in attendance, notably the inimitable Mitch Berg (Shot in the Dark) and the affable econ prof King Banaian (SCSU Scholars), who like many of the other regulars, were quick to invite newbies into the conversations and make introductions all around. Also rubbing elbows were Cathy (Cathy in the Wright, who made good on her promise to wear her flannel PJs to the M.O.B.), "Flash" (Centrisity, thanks again for the link), Margaret Martin and David Strom (Our House, with photos of the evening now or very soon), Derek Bingham (Freedom Dogs), James Lileks (The Bleat), Craig Westover (Craig Westover), and newspaper people, pols, and others I didn't have a chance to meet. My brush with fame was with Sarah Janecek, frequent political commentator on the TPT show "Almanac" and co-publisher of Politics in Minnesota.
It was a lot to take in, but it was quite enjoyable to meet and greet some fellow bloggers. For me, it made the blogosphere less virtual and more reality (and gave me lots more reading to do). It was open to all, intellectually stimulating, and at times hilarious. Maybe I'll see you at the next M.O.B. Good night, Frau Blucher.
UPDATE: Hats off to Doug Bass (Belief Seeking Understanding) for mentioning our conversation at Keegan's and for linking to this blog from his.
UPDATE: The King and I (Photo: David Strom)
I dropped by the latest Minnesota Organization of Bloggers (M.O.B.) "meeting" at Keegan's Irish Pub in Minneapolis earlier tonight. M.O.B. gatherings are organized and publicized by the bloggers from Minnesota known as The Northern Alliance, via their blogs and their Saturday afternoon radio show on AM 1280 The Patriot.
The M.O.B. meeting was the polar opposite of blogging. Blogging is a solitary activity, usually occurring in a quiet office or at home, contemplative, and interactive only via the faceless comments feature of the blog. The meeting at Keegan's consisted of bloggers, wannabe bloggers, and the curious, debating current events, politics, and this afternoon's Northern Alliance radio show, crowded into the close quarters of a cozy, smoky pub abuzz with dozens of loud conversations and laughter, overflowing pints of Guinness, Harp Lager and other such Irish brews everywhere, folks noshing on fish 'n' chips, and lots of real introductions to people we had met only in the virtual world.
Many bloggers of The Northern Alliance were in attendance, notably the inimitable Mitch Berg (Shot in the Dark) and the affable econ prof King Banaian (SCSU Scholars), who like many of the other regulars, were quick to invite newbies into the conversations and make introductions all around. Also rubbing elbows were Cathy (Cathy in the Wright, who made good on her promise to wear her flannel PJs to the M.O.B.), "Flash" (Centrisity, thanks again for the link), Margaret Martin and David Strom (Our House, with photos of the evening now or very soon), Derek Bingham (Freedom Dogs), James Lileks (The Bleat), Craig Westover (Craig Westover), and newspaper people, pols, and others I didn't have a chance to meet. My brush with fame was with Sarah Janecek, frequent political commentator on the TPT show "Almanac" and co-publisher of Politics in Minnesota.
It was a lot to take in, but it was quite enjoyable to meet and greet some fellow bloggers. For me, it made the blogosphere less virtual and more reality (and gave me lots more reading to do). It was open to all, intellectually stimulating, and at times hilarious. Maybe I'll see you at the next M.O.B. Good night, Frau Blucher.
UPDATE: Hats off to Doug Bass (Belief Seeking Understanding) for mentioning our conversation at Keegan's and for linking to this blog from his.
UPDATE: The King and I (Photo: David Strom)
1/05/2005
A new blog
A new local education blog, Minnesota E-Blog, arrived in December. It's being written by "The Education Truth Squad," and according to the site it "exists to hold the education establishment and media in Minnesota accountable for what they say about our K-12 system. The Blog is a perfect vehicle to squelch rumors, expose lies and counteract the negative messages orchestrated by the Minnesota education cartel." Nobody I know knows who this self-proclaimed "truth squad" is, but on behalf of Scholar, welcome to the party. (I have it on good authority that it's not Cheri Yecke; besides that, the writing at Minnesota E-Blog is a tad "bolder" than her style. Yecke should write a blog but then again she already has a podium over at the Center of the American Experiment.)
Tax the rich
The drumbeat for more money for K-12 began yesterday, the first day of the legislative session. But only one group of protesters provided an elegant if unoriginal plan for where the money should come from.
The Strib said in yesterday's editorial that increases to K-12, "should not be made at the expense of other good programs in health and human services or local government aid -- robbing Peter to pay Paul is not an answer; it is an abdication of responsibility."
Our friends at MinnBEST say, "MinnBEST doesn't take a position on how it gets done. Don't raise taxes or do, raise fees or don't, go further into debt or don't, but fund the schools."
The Association of Metropolitan School Districts has a little more serious proposal, which includes raising the local levy caps and reinstituting a general education property tax levy (property taxes are more stable source of revenue than sales and income taxes).
But they're all missing the boat. As I was watching the inaugural 2005 session of the Minnesota House of Representatives over a closed-circuit TV monitor just down the second-floor hall from the chamber itself, a group began chanting in the rotunda. A few of us peeked over the railing to see the center part of the rotunda filled with demonstrators, which included school-age children, shouting "TAX THE RICH."
Warning: Legislature in Session!
The Strib said in yesterday's editorial that increases to K-12, "should not be made at the expense of other good programs in health and human services or local government aid -- robbing Peter to pay Paul is not an answer; it is an abdication of responsibility."
Our friends at MinnBEST say, "MinnBEST doesn't take a position on how it gets done. Don't raise taxes or do, raise fees or don't, go further into debt or don't, but fund the schools."
The Association of Metropolitan School Districts has a little more serious proposal, which includes raising the local levy caps and reinstituting a general education property tax levy (property taxes are more stable source of revenue than sales and income taxes).
But they're all missing the boat. As I was watching the inaugural 2005 session of the Minnesota House of Representatives over a closed-circuit TV monitor just down the second-floor hall from the chamber itself, a group began chanting in the rotunda. A few of us peeked over the railing to see the center part of the rotunda filled with demonstrators, which included school-age children, shouting "TAX THE RICH."
Warning: Legislature in Session!
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