From: New York
Date sent: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 12:09:29 -0500 (EST)
Subject: STW - Last Chance?

TO ALL LOOPIES: STW AMMUNITION!

A major newspaper was held up on C-SPAN this morning. Masthead was not visible as I tuned in to Washington Journal, guest/phone-in session. Feature headline, with color photo, "German Joblessness Highest Since Hitler."

OUR SCHOOL-TO-WORK AGENDA IS BASED ON REPLICATING THE GERMAN MODEL OF EDUCATION/ECONOMY. A New York POST story several years ago featured Clinton and Gore promoting the glories of the German school-to-work plan -- and EVEN THEN the article mentioned that German unemployment was growing. (Ho-Hum...)

IF CLINTON'S BUDGET PASSES, IT'S ALL OVER IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS FOCUSED ON SCAMMING THE PUBLIC AND SKIMMING THE MONEY. (See Bernie's post of the details of the education budget; and see also the recent posts on the plans to use Hollywood to sell it all, and Medicaid in the schools to institute Hillary's "failed" (make that "temporarily delayed") national health care plan. THEY ARE NOT KIDDING!

At the risk of inflaming many on the loop, I will say again: The time is long past to argue philosophies of who proposed what for classroom best-case scenarios for learning, in an effort to change things without involving the uninformed voters. The time is long past for setting up clearinghouses for people to tap into for learning about how education works. Americans aren't interested in details and don't see how it affects them, anyway. The time is long past for changing things with local budgets or local elections.

IF THIS CURRENT BUDGET PASSES IT IS ALL OVER FOR EVERYONE -INCLUDING THOSE WHO THOUGHT WE COULD JUST GIVE IT ALL A CHANCE, BECAUSE "IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN, DON'T YOU KNOW."

To finish with an allegory: Some Americans are ostriches with heads buried in the sands of our jobs and our sports and O.J. Some are the Unicorns on the rocks, wanting to play instead of finding a buddy to get on the Ark. Some are arguing about whether chintz or burlap would be better for the curtains on the Ark, if they decided they might think about going. Some are trying to pay for their passage by lining up deck chairs on the Titanic or offering to choose music for the finale. Meanwhile, the educrats have all-but-locked down the monopoly on iceberg machines, convincing legislators and voters to become apprentice iceberg makers --with proper mentoring and community partnerships, of course. That is to ensure that all icebergs have the necessary configurations, and underwater shelves. Coast Guard budgets have been stripped of rescue equipment and personnel, to provide more money for a world class grade of iceberg able to take us into the 21st Century. God has sent us just about the last remaining helicopter in his fleet. Do we get on?