Schools Start, and Have New Focus

I was in church last night and, before the services started I witnessed a young girl (about age 12) with her little brother (about age 2.) She said, “A.” He repeated, “A.” Then, “B,” and he said, “B.” This went on and on through the alphabet. She was teaching him the alphabet. This child will grow up to never know what it is to NOT know his letters.

Here in the Lowcountry, schools have restarted for their fall programs. Thousands of children are geared up to return to, or start for the first time, school. School administrators are facing “not so good” progress in last year’s exit exams. I believe the alphabet soup name this year is ACT.

One nearby county superintendent has announced that they will focus on reading this year, so fourth and eighth graders can be tested on improved skills in basic reading and comprehension. Dear me, if they are waiting until fourth grade to see if kids can read, the kids will NEVER catch up.

One thing folks in the south don’t like to hear is how things are done somewhere else—or “from off.” As a person who came “from off” I have seen the educational systems of two cultures. “From off” where I lived and raised three children who were all accepted to their higher education of choice, I can relate how it was done “up there in the land of off.”

When a child turned three year’s old, they were tested for emotional and educational potential achievement. How was this done? All children when they turned three were brought into the classroom and scored on emotional stability. Could they be away from Mom for a short period of time without crying? Could they play with other kids without outbursts, fighting, biting, etc.

Then they were tested academically. Did they know their letters, numbers, colors, shapes? Could they say the alphabet? Could they count to 10, to 20? If NOT, these children, and only these children, were brought into the classroom atmosphere to learn these skills. And the parent was advised to accompany them frequently, so as to educate the parent on what was expected of their child.

In the land of “from off” reading was highly encouraged as a daily activity, with parents reading aloud to their children daily for at least 15 minutes. The parents were told through PTA groups that when children saw parents reading, this encouraged the children to want to read.

I think it is highly important for schools to try to focus on reading. However, to get the children the best start in life, another program could be implemented. This program would quiz new mothers on their reading skills when a baby is born—in the hospital. If a new mom has difficulty, she should be encouraged to join a literacy group, or even a book club. New moms with low literacy skills should be given books suitable to first graders to read to their babies. If a mom reads to her baby from day one, both the mother and the baby will benefit.

If this country really wants to jump-start its schools in this area of reading, it could be quite easy, and a lot less expensive than raising illiterate children doomed to be the next generation of high school drop-outs on welfare.

This country is in a mess right now, with the economy in the tank, and jobs scares. Raising another generation of children who can’t read or write, or do their numbers should NOT be an option.

What’s Depressing You Today?

Let me clarify, I am NOT a specialist on the economy. I studied it briefly in college, and received three credits. However, I have been a consumer since about age 12, so I am somewhat experienced in watching prices, working for a living, and seeing over 30% of my earned income go to others. You could say, I’ve been “spreading the wealth” for over 50 years.
My father was a confirmed Democrat—a died-in-the-wool union man, even a union officer. The company he worked for all the time I was growing up frequently called for strikes to improve the wages and benefits. Frequently they called the strikes near holidays, which left the workers and families in dire straits for the holidays.

When I started working for a taxable wage at age 18, and saw that over 30% of my pay went for various taxes, I became a Republican. No, I don’t think THEY have all the answers either.

Today we are going through an economic down-turn. In plain language, my opinion is, a recession is when there is a downturn in a good economy in which your neighbor loses his job, and possibly his home. A depression is when there is a prolonged down turn in the economy, and many more people lose their jobs, and more people lose, or come close to losing their homes. Repression is to hold back, to subdue, to control, to stifle free natural behavior, to prevent ideas from becoming reality. I believe this is where we are today.

We are in a very prolonged downturn in the economy, but it is politically incorrect to call it a depression. It might put fear into people’s hearts. Recessions are natural cycles in the world of economics. It is impossible to maintain a smooth operating economy. However, the government can do things to make it better, or then, worse.

Some people think the stimulus programs were right, and others think they were wrong. It’s possible that they were a good idea poorly implemented. However, some new programs initiated by our current administration are greatly WRONG and repressive in nature. The new Obamacare is repressive because it stifles business from hiring new workers. Letting the Bush taxes expire is repressive because it takes money out of the economy. All those new taxes passed with Obamacare are repressive because they impede hiring, and take money out of the economy.

While a country can come out of recessions by the government reducing taxes and encouraging free enterprise, national work projects that actually build something (like the CCC or WPA in the ‘30’s) might be of use in a depression. Some economists today said they only prolonged the pain. And it was the high military build up of WWII that brought America out the Great Depression.

However, repressing initiatives, blocking individual entrepreneurs, putting too many restrictions on business, trying to control everything and everyone, (media, public opinion) will only prolong the pain. One economist diagrammed the economy as a V, a U, a W, or an L. A “V” is a recession that has a sharp dip, but quick recovery. These are normal. A “U” is a recession that is prolonged and slower to recover. An “L” is actually a depression—a sharp dip followed by a straight line, slow or no recovery. Beware of the “W”. That is a quick drop in the economy, followed by some recovery, followed by another dip. Hopefully this will rise again.

With our current administration, I don’t think they know where we are. They are saying we are in a slow recovery, and the recession has ended. If they are telling the truth then this is a jobless recovery, and for many, a homeless recovery.

This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, independent thinking and self-discipline. Self-government won’t work without self-discipline. People were willing to work and sacrifice for what they wanted. Those unwilling to work were put “outside the camp.” We’ve lost our self-sufficiency in lieu of government handouts. We must go back to making things, growing things—to use for ourselves or to sell.

Morality and self-discipline are the keys to successful capitalism.

The Psychology of Sharing

As a mother of three, I have first hand experience of trying to get kids to learn to share. Most children before the age of five or six do not share willingly. It’s usually, “That’s MINE!” (shriek…hair pull) When my boys were little, (ages 2+ up to age 7) I bought everything in two’s and wrote their names on theirs. They learned to read their name before learning “See Spot Run!”
Many times I was referee of timing how long a child could play with something when there was only one. A timer came in handy. Then it took cajoling to get the possessee to relinquish whatever was being disputed.

When the child learned that he had a good chance of getting back his whatever, he became more cooperative about sharing. Ownership was paramount. A child should never be made to share what is dear. And, even later in life, the possession should never be given away without the child’s permission.

I remember at about age eight, an uncle of mine who worked in a manufacturing plant that made toys gave me a doll carriage for Christmas. It was nearly the size of a real baby carriage. And I prized it greatly. Eventually I outgrew the desire to push it around the neighborhood, but I never stopped liking it intensely, and never stopped thinking it as MINE!! (No I didn’t shriek or pull hair then.)

Imagine my extreme dismay when I returned home from school one day (at about age 14) and learned my mother had given it away! Of course, her mind, and reasoning was, “You haven’t played for it in years. You’re too old for dolls or doll carriages.” My argument was simply, “But, Ma, It’s MINE!!!” And I came close to the shriek. All to no avail.

Fast-forward to 2010. We now have a president who thinks nothing about taking what is MINE!!! Or YOURS!!! And giving it to someone else. It’s called redistributing the wealth. It’s called being fair. (It’s also called stealing, lying, and just downright NOT FAIR.)

The president has now put the country in such a fix economically that our great grandchildren’s toys will already have been given away to today’s children, in the guise of Obamacare, bank bailouts, Government Motors, stimulus plans that take from food stamp programs to give to education programs.

While we tried to teach our children that hard work pays off, today there is no work. And children are seeing that they can get what they want without working. There is a definite lack of respect by the government for personal ownership. It’s “not fair” if you work all your life and expect to retire on Social Security, because other people who haven’t worked, still get a monthly check.

During the Bush administration, Mr. Bush tried to discuss putting Social Security on firmer ground by allowing people to save into a private retirement fund, and cut how much they put into Social Security. These personal retirement funds would be their own money, not absorbed by the government into a black hole that the worker never gets back. But, Mr. Bush was berated off the stage for this, and the idea died. Now the O administration wants people to do both, continue paying into Social Security, AND save for their own retirement, because chances are very high that current workers will not collect anything from Social Security. This is because the O administration thinks what’s YOURS is really THEIRS, and THEY want it to be redistributed around the country for folks who are less inclined to work. The O administration is saying, “What you have is MINE!!!” (shriek, hair pull)!!

I tried to teach my children that when you take something that isn’t yours, without permission and agreement of the owner, it was called stealing. You could go to jail for it. Now you just get elected president.

The REAL Economy

I went shopping today for groceries, and embarrassed my husband, for which I am truly sorry. However, since he can’t read minds, maybe he can forgive me.

We were standing in line at checkout, third back from the register. An older gentleman, (not old, as we were probably about the same age) was there buying some food. He was paying with change. The cashier was patiently helping him count out his pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters trying to come to the required amount. This went on for several minutes. The longer it took, the hotter I got, not because of the TIME it took to count change out, but because of the NECESSITY of the situation.

I wasn’t angry about this man using coins to pay for his food, I was angry at the fall in our economy that brings a person to counting out the change in his pocket to buy food. I know someone who also paid for their groceries this week with change, but this person went to the bank with the change and converted it to dollars.

Again, I wasn’t angry at this man, or the time. I was embarrassed to be watching him in his time of need. I wanted to just go forward and pay for his food, but this would have embarrassed him more. So I did what I thought best, and moved to a self-check-out place. Of course, since I was already at the end of my patience, this was a bad move. This is where my husband got embarrassed. I couldn’t run that silly machine. And then I cancelled the operation and put my food back in my wagon and went to a place where a live person was working. (Why this store only has one or two live people checking out people on a busy shopping day, I don’t know.) Anyway, this move to a third register was seen as a hissy-fit by my husband, and as I said at the beginning, I am sorry for this.

However, I am sorrier that this country has fallen to the level that a person has cashed in their coins. What do they do next? This was where my mind was when I showed so little patience. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was anger at the government. Whatever it was, hissy-fits don’t help. But watching a grown man count change for bread just got to me. I will pray God will give him more change, or even a few dollars so he can shop again next week. And I pray he will increase my patience. I know that I need it.

If It Walks Like a Duck...

Much of the Left Liberal Political view is very upset to be called socialists. But, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck, or a socialist. We have a very socialistic bent to our government today, both state and federal. What? you ask. Why do  you say that?

We have a totalitarian despot for a president. We have programs in place that take from those who work and give to those who don't in the name of "redistributing the wealth" of this country. We have state and federal programs that go beyond anything that can be paid for by the current fiscal year's tax revenues. And it is just getting worse.

Obamacare is more than just getting medical coverage to those who don't have insurance.There are IRS rules in it now coming to light that will make it a paper trail nightmare for anyone doing business. 1099 forms will have to be filed by any and every business whose purchases exceed $600. Why? So the federal government can cross reference and make sure those business report all your purchases of copy paper or ink cartridges. Obamacare implementation will have their new Czar Dr. Donald Berwick, head of Medicare and Medicaid, taking from Medicare to give to all the new people coming into Medicaid. This appointment of Berwick came over Independence Day weekend when Congress was in recess. Obama is about to make another "recess decision" with an edict about immigration.

Illegal Immigration: In a recent article on American Thinker Jed Skillman notes that years ago, Colin Powell warned G.W. Bush about the "Pottery Barn Rule." He said, if you break something, it's yours. You break it, you own it."

Today, Obama has fought Arizona on it's new laws about illegal immigration. By "breaking something" (interfering) the problem became Obama's. During the last election Arizona Senator, John McCain tried to work on a comprehensive immigration reform package. This was fought on both sides. Now, his own state has enacted some strict rules, and Obama has taken the state to court, in effect, at least temporarily putting a halt to the most strict rules. Other states are trying to protect their borders, their workers, their employers, but Obama came out and saying, Not so Fast, It's the federal government's job. Well, now that we hear this is the federal government's job, DO SOMETHING!! But what is Obama about to do? He has a memo in place that would make a recess edict while Congress is out for the remainder of the summer to give amnesty to illegal immigrants. It's called "paroled-in-place." These folks would then have the ability to NOT be deported, and just stay in place and work out their immigration status and problems.

Economic Slavery: The illegal immigration problem is just one cog in the wheel of economic instability in America. We have so many programs to pay people NOT to work, programs to be paid for by the people who do work (now less than 47% ). Entitlements: welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security...all these programs have been put in place by the benevolent government to assist Americans. Actually, they were put in place to have Americans become dependent on the government. Dependency is control. This is economic slavery. There isn't any legal way an American can avoid this situation. Without recourse, Social Security and Medicare taxes are withheld from a person's pay, and matching funds are collected from employers. No choices there. Other tax structures are in place to penalize you for saving money: higher taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains than on earned income. The banking industry has been so marginalized that there is no interest paid to a savings account. Retirement leads a person to collect Social Security, and then become "one of them" getting a check without working. The unemployment was just extended again for those poor souls who still can't find work. Most all parts of the employment picture is still slow to recover.

One picture of growth comes from a report of new job growth. In another article on American Thinker, Phil Boehmke reports that in the stimulus programs that was supposed to create or save jobs the construction industry has been particularly hard hit. The "shovel ready" jobs did not materialize. However, there has been a number of new companies getting into the "hardened structures" business...offering a variety of "survival shelters,"  including an "entry level six person steel unit with nuclear, biological, and chemical filtration." Cost for these start at about $36,000. Many companies are developing "fortified underground shelters" across America.

The census: We all remember that census debacle that just took place. You know, when they want to know everything about everyone living in your house, or might live in your house in the months ahead. (As far as I know, only God is all-knowing about the future.Not even Obama can predict things like this.) Anyway, stories are coming in about census workers and the way this census was done. One fellow reported he received a call on his cell phone (?).  He said the woman asked to ask some questions. He said, I already sent in the questionnaire. She asked if this was the Name, Name, Name, or Name residence? He said, none of the above. She asked if this was such and such address. He said no. Three times she asked the same questions. She had no name in her list, no correct address on  a sheet, and only a cell phone to get started with. And these were census workers. He hung up his phone and wrote the article. "Commenters" about this article questioned if the caller was really from the census, if so, why didn't she have any information to go with, and why the person called just didn't say "No" when she asked if she could asked some questions. The last I knew, phones still have a disconnect button. But, other "commenters" listed some harrowing tales of dealing with the Census workers. So, the unemployment dropped a few months, and then went back up. Government work is NOT real work. If you don't produce anything you can sell or trade you are at the mercy of this socialistic government run by despots in Washington.

To the young people about to start college, learn something that has a license attached, that you can do working with your hands, and get paid for it. Degrees are things you receive for taking enough courses to earn the credits. They do not always lead to stable employment.

And finally, our country is in a mess, run by people without a clue. However, even though they think they are the only people who know anything, there is One who knows more, (and it isn't O). God knows our future. He will take care of His own. If you are one of His, remember what David wrote in the Psalms, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Ps. 37:25. Stick close to God. Live for Him and not for the clowns who think they are in charge.

May God Bless...