Will the New Charter School Law Close Options to 13,000 Children?
Last year the Minnesota Legislature imposed new requirements on the organizations that oversee charter schools. As a result, as many as 13,000 children may be forced back into district schools next year. Maybe the decision for the Minnesota Department of Education to get out of the business of serving as an overseer should be reconsidered. A school in a public school district is overseen by […]
Republican and/or conservative singers
I’m always amused at the attempt that some people make to classify celebrities as political conservatives, as if one’s political beliefs ought to be determined by people who are famous either for creating an alternative reality (actors), crafting a tune, or who are famous simply for being famous (the Kardashian sisters, whoever they are). Still, I took the bait and looked through the musicians on […]
How government works: When headed in the wrong direction, double your speed
A very large portion of the laws that our officials enact run contrary to simple economics, which is to say, they are out of touch with the reality of how people operate. Take the “war on drugs” for example. We’ve identified a problem (people mess up their lives by abusing chemicals) and then think that the solution lies in government (make those chemicals illegal). How’s […]
School Choice is Gaining Ground
Since this is National School Choice, I’m offering up a five-minute interview of Jay P. Green by Nick Gillespie. According to Green, there are two major benefits of school choice: We can customize education to meet the needs of children and parents. Through choice and competition, we keep costs under control and improve performance. How much headway has the push for school choice made? A […]
Two SOTU responses
Here are two of the best responses I have heard to the State of the Union speech: The first came from Rep. Paul Ryan, who delivered the official Republican response. “It’s no coincidence that trust in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high.” But my favorite came from a father, who said, “You know what […]
Is China set to implode?
Is China the rising tiger that Americans should fear? Not exactly, says one commentary in Canada’s National Post, which predicts “China’s coming fall.” The essay is a good reminder of the fact that capitalism does not stand on its own; instead it requires a minimal level of integrity in government. Corruption in the Chinese government is enriching many people, but could lead to the downfall […]
Give the Obama Administration credit for one thing …
… they’re going to do away with the “terror by color” scheme that the Bushies put into place. If you’re gotten used to the message “the threat level, as determined by the Department of Human Security, is orange,” whenever you’re at the airport, enjoy it while you can. http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=1579