"Don't believe the hype, this is NOT ‪#‎schoolchoice‬. This is #sabotage, #racism, and #abuse."

The "Southern Strategy" never gets old h/t Field Negro 

Charter School operators continue to make billions by pushing harsh discipline practices that ‪punish black/brown/poor children, under the guise of providing them with a quality education.

 While the conference sponsors point to charters and vouchers as needed options for low-income families trapped in low-performing school systems, critics argue that public resources should be reserved for conventional public school systems. They say privately run charters infringe on democracy, as charter school boards are typically self-selected instead of elected.
School choice critics wanted to share their views with conference attendees but said the $400 registration fee was too costly. So they protested outside.
"We would prefer that funding would be kept in the public school system," organizer and parent Gina Womack said. Charters should be held more accountable, to ensure that children are fairly disciplined, she and others said. 

Charter schools are a big part of the problem.

State Rep. Phil Williams (r.) and his gop cronies are pushing for Charter Schools under the guise poor, black children can escape under performing public schools.  Bull Poo.  If Phil Williams and the gop really cared about the education of poor, black/brown  children they would address the funding inequities instead of whining about  the myth of throwing money at the problem, and trying to destroy the Alabama Education Association.

 Charter schools are just another way the conservatives try to backdoor privatize education.

 The premise is that they hope to be able to convince the district to allow them to operate multiple charter schools under the premise they can do things cheaper.  Do you really want your kid being educated by a for profit company basically doing the work of the lowest bidder? With all the private schools here in Alabama, bleeding parents dry for the simple fact they don't want their kids to have to go to school with brown or black kids, the state seems to be ripe for laws allowing charter schools.  Now parents will be able to have their "school choice" at a fraction of the cost private school would have required.

 Segregation today = Segregation forever.

 Let's get one thing straight right off the bat...if Charter Schools provided options for poor/black/brown children, it would NOT be a top priority for Alabama republicans.   Charter Schools are the  vehicle republicans drive on the road to privatized  public education.  Although Charter Schools are funded with tax dollars, Charter Schools don't have to accept ALL children, regardless of race, income, gender, disability, or athletic ability.They can pick and choose the cream of the crop and leave the rest behind. 

Mission Accomplished

Gov. Robert Bentley's new segregation policy director has worked under some controversial regimes in high-profile efforts to turn around failing schools.
Emily Schultz, 28, began her job as Bentley's segregation policy adviser in November, with a top priority of getting a law allowing segregated schools passed during the next legislative session.
Previously, the Birmingham native worked under Michelle Rhee, who became chancellor of Washington, D.C., public schools after the mayor took control of the district and cost him his job.

Follow the money

RedEye

Preview of the Debate in the Mouth of the Rat

Isn't it ironic the last Presidential Debate between former Governor Willard Mitt Romney and President Barack Hussein Obama will take place in affluent Boca Raton , FL, which means Mouth of the Rat, with an emphasis on foreign policy?

These debates have taught me one thing.  In the eyes of the debate organizers and most of the viewers, the plight of Big Bird is far more important than the plight of my people.

Boca Raton, FL is where Romney was caught on tape at a $50,000 dollar a plate fundraiser making his infamous 47% of voters will vote for President Obama no matter what because they are dependent on government, feel entitled and pay no taxes remarks.

Senator Harry Reid (D. NV) says he has it on pretty good authority Romney is the one who feel entitled and paid no taxes for ten year,  but we will never know, because he won't release his tax returns.

Yes, the man who won't release his tax returns because he's afraid of what Obama will say is barking at the moon, playing the big man on campus in yet another transparent attempt to paint himself as Reagan and Obama as Carter.

Taking a play out of the Reagan vs Carter political playbook, republicans are using current crisis in Libya to paint President Obama as weak on foreign policy.

And, they can't stand they have nominated a clown with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, and who chose as his running mate a man stupid enough to say 'voting to send men to war' qualified as foreign policy experience.

Do you remember republican outrage from republicans over Katrina?

Me neither.

Preview of republican hypocrisy before the debate in the Mouth of the Rat.

Update~I love it when the Brass Knuckle Wing of the Democratic Party is Allowed on TeeVee

What do you want to bet Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's uppity donkey be seen on TeeVee ever again?

Oops, spoke too soon, the Mayor showed his uppity donkey to Chucky Todd too.  Back to the attic he goes.

Thank you for being brave enough to speak truth to power Mr. Mayor.  I hope you don't end up like the last black Mayor of a mayor U.S. City  that showed his uppity donkey......

I'm just saying....

Edit~I don't think George Zimmerman will be arrested~Redux

I don't think George Zimmerman will be arrested, much less tried and convicted, for killing  Trayvon Martin. After all, Trayvon is just another one of them there government nig, I mean bluh,  who wants the government to take care of him, and everyone knows the government doesn't care about very poor/bluh people who would rather have food stamps than jobs.

Like this

This

This

And this

Nothing to see here, move along.


Snark

Edit~ Neoliberals/Neocons, what's the difference?

Absolutely nothing IMHO.

Who/What is a neo liberal you ask? 

They are blue dog/conservatives/moderates/former republicans posing as progressives/liberals/democrats.

They support non progressive candidates who pander to the right at the expense of the traditional democratic base (women minorities, labor, teachers, working class, poor) and the democratic agenda.

They are anti labor/teachers unions.

They support so called new school politicians over traditional, old school leaders and civil rights organizations.

The democratic party has been infiltrated by neo liberals just as the republican party has been infiltrated by neo conservatives.


Check out Neo-liberalism and the assault on public education. H/T JZ via The Black Commentator.com

Neo-Liberalism is an ideology that calls for
"limited government" and a market-driven economy. This
project is being carried out on the federal, state, and
local levels, while targeting publicly-financed K-12
schools and higher education.

Some of the objectives for restructuring public
education include:

1) shifting the cost of education on to students, while
increasing their debt burden to the benefit of banks;

2) promoting the expansion of privately-managed charter
schools;

3) deepening the access to public educational resources
for corporate-interests;

4) smashing teacher unions, thus weakening the
political power of those unions, and cutting the cost
of teachers; and,

5) eliminating multicultural, revisionist, inter-
nationalist, and critical perspectives from the school
curricula.

Speaking of neo liberals, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to some 0f the post over at my former sandbox, LeftinAlabama. For some strange reason I can't seem log on to comment but thank goodness I have my own sandbox. :) Funny how they are bragging about readers and contributors from around world but banning contributors right here in the USA but I digress.

Resident conservative OP wants to play the blame Obama game and say the Gulf Oil spill is President's Obama's Katrina.

There appears to me to be some eerie similarities between the oil spill and Katrina.

HELL to the NO. The loss of human life and suffering which occured in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was much worse compared to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. President Obama didn't fly over the gulf coast and look down on thousands of people suffering and dying from his Presidential airplane then proceed to the White House and do nothing for five days. President Obama didn't ignore the warnings the levees would break. President Obama is not responsible for the oil leak any more than George W. Bush was responsible for Hurricane Katrina. There are some who say Dick Cheney's secret energy policy meetings are more to blame than President Obama. Maybe now the the concrete heads who are yelling drill baby drill will get the message. Maybe now President Obama will rethink his decision to open off shore drilling. But then again, maybe not.

In response to countrycat's disbelief any democrat would defend Parker Griffiths defection, I must say I find the double standard troubling. Should we have all sent Artur Griffith, I mean Davis flowers and campaign contributions after he voted against the Health care reform bill, the hate crimes bill, and other Democratic initiatives? What's the difference between Grimsley playing both sides of the aisle and Artur Davis voting with republicans against his party? Does Artur Davis really strike you as an asset to the democratic party?

mooncat continues to bash AEA and promote Artur Davis by asking what is the Alabama Education Associations 2010 strategy.

It seems to me that AEA is kind of like Bradley Byrne -- they know what they don't want, but they aren't sure what they do want. They know they don't want Byrne, who has been running against AEA for several years (news flash: Paul Hubbert and AEA won't be on the ballot, Bradley) but they don't want Artur Davis either because he's running on shaking up the Montgomery power structure. So the strategy is to attack Byrne directly and fund Davis' primary opponent, but why the money to Bill Johnson? That $87K looks like money down a rat hole any way you look at it, and the Sparks money doesn't look much better.

Artur Davis is running on shaking up the teachers union and privatizing public education by replacing public schools with charter schools. Artur Davis is the power structures candidate (see assualt on education post above). As you say, the people with the money make the rules and as you're fond of pointing out, Artur Davis has the most money.  Terri Sewell has the most money too.

piggieheart says he can't decide if Bishop E.W. Jackson is more homophobic or racist. I say he's more homophobic and prejudiced. There is a difference between being prejudiced and being a racist. Prejudice must have power to be racist. In other words prejudice without power is no nothing. Bishop E.W. Jackson doesn't have the power to deny our gay and lesbian sisters and bothers anything, all he can do is promote white,I mean right wing spin with a black face on right wing TeeVee.

What if Congressman Artur Davis had actually read the health care bill instead of counting the number of pages in the health care bill?  DrApston has an excellent series explaining the benefits and deficiencies of the health care reform bill. What if Congressman Davis had someone like this on his staff advising him instead of the Kool Aide kids? Would he have voted against the health care reform bill if he knew exactly what the benefits were to Alabamians?

“Regardless of whether you supported the health care reform bill or not, you cannot argue with the benefits for Alabamians and their families,”

Among the most important of these benefits, the health reform package will strengthen and improve the Medicare Program. Under the health insurance reform plan, the life of the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended by nearly a decade. Currently, 763,000 Alabamians depend on Medicare for health care.

The health reform package improves access to primary care doctors, and primary care doctors will receive bonuses for treating people covered by Medicare.

Beginning in 2010, preventive care, such as screenings for cancer and diabetes, is provided free of charge. You will no longer have to pay out of pocket for preventive care services.

The Health Reform Package will also help older Alabamians struggling with the high cost of prescription by closing the "doughnut hole" in prescription drug coverage.

ivan is upset with the leadership of the Alabama United Auto Workers and State Senator Hank Sanders  for their endorsement of Ron Sparks over Artur Davis for Governor. But I say what Hank Sanders said;

When Congressman Artur Davis, who is African American, announced his intentions to run for Governor of Alabama, I knew victory was a long, long shot. After all, Senator Barack Obama, now President Barack Obama, received just 39% of the vote in Alabama. The only state that gave him a lower percentage was Oklahoma. No African American statewide candidate has topped 46% in the last 15 years. Yet, I was open to his long shot. I am no longer open. I must say, “no” to him out of love for our children, our people, and for him. And it hurts me.

In response to herding old cats post about the 5th districts glorious past, let me say I don't believe the democratic candidates are running on the past as much as they are trying to define who they are and what they stand for. Remember that old saying about the apple not falling from the tree? Two of the candidates are relatively new to politics and none have run for public office before so they don't have a record to run on so to speak. They are asking voters to judge them by the records of the company they keep.

I may no longer be welcome in the LiA sandbox, but you are welcome to play in my sandbox anytime. We can debate/discuss/disagree about politics without being disagreeable. Don't be skeered. :)

Controlled Chaos

The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti is beginning to remind me of the aftermath of Katrina. The American military invades and occupies. Former Presidents Clinton and Bush take their two man fund raising act on the road. The American Red Cross raises millions of dollars. Hollywood holds a telethon. The music industry cuts a record. Millions of American donate money, food, clothes. Thousands of Haitians/Africans suffer and die. Children are separated from their families. Corruption thrives in chaos.

As expected, chaos reigns on the streets of Haiti as victims scramble for food, water, shelter, and anything they can use for money in the wake of horrible devastation. When there are no basic facilities there are no such thing as looters, there are only victims looking to survive.

US policy so far is designed to keep the Haitians in Haiti at all costs. Hack off an arm or leg with a rusty saw, bandage them up with a bandage they can't change, and send them back to the rubble they came from. The Navy ships offshore are not only providing medical services, but, security as well for the white folks in Miami. The US policy is to do everything they can in Haiti to keep a flotilla of boat people leaving the island for the US for their very survival. The United States would look like real dicks turning away earthquake victims from Haiti while accepting Cuban traitors wanting a new flat screen television.
A nation that took in hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese boat people after the war, thousands of Cubans, and millions of Mexicans can surely absorb a few dying Haitians

.

Granny standing for truth asks;

Why is it that America thinks that helping in disasters in which the majority of the victims are black means:

"More recently, Clinton has been busy setting up investment opportunities for Wall Street corporations to further exploit Haitian labor." ~~Kiilu Nyasha-Poor People Magazine~~

"Haitians need real help trying to dig out victims who may still be alive, not opportunistic posturing and photo ops." ~~Kiilu Nyasha-Poor People Magazine~~

In light of the recent revelations and accusations of child trafficking Real Freedom Fighters asks;

When will people learn that just because some white person shows up and claims to represent God, that they are to be obeyed without question?

John Maxwell says;

if anyone wants to know what to do right now: Land 10 thousand wheelbarrows on the streets, handing them over to neighborhood groups. Let the groups decide how they are going to move the rubble and what they are going to do with it. Give the groups money and supplies to set up 10 thousand street kitchens – say about $200 a group. Let the groups pay the wheelbarrow men if necessary. In three weeks the casual journalist would be hard put to find any of the “usual” stories. Total cost $2 million plus $1 million for wheelbarrows.
Meanwhile the UN can be assembling a real security force to protect the Haitians and particularly their president and under his direction,design and install the apparatus allowing Haitians to run their own country and to make their own mistakes, for the first time at last.

Danny Schechter takes the media to task;

The media coverage to date has been missing this type of fact-based and experience driven framework. Its been organized around images, not investigations.
Sadly, tragedies like the one in Haiti require better and more explanatory coverage just as the media packs up and heads to the next disaster, if not to face pink slips in new rounds of news cutbacks.

I pray I'm wrong and Haiti is not another Katrina, but as of right now the similarities are striking.