The Decline in Education

In an USA Today report, a study found some shocking data about the depth of education in higher education.

"Nearly half of the nation's undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college, in large part because colleges don't make academics a priority....After two years in college, 45% of students showed no significant gains in learning; after four years, 36% showed little change. Students also spent 50% less time studying compared with students a few decades ago, the research shows."- USA Today

If you've been to a college campus these days you sadly can see how this is very true. Education in general is being push to produced more higher education graduates. Like most government related products lowing standards are a lot easier then increase the difficulty. For when you lower the bar everyone a winner right?

Facts like this are not all that uncommon, studies have shown that students entering the workforce after college are increasingly unprofessional and unprepared for the tasks at hand.  People are not raised with the idea that they are responsible for their work, and that the quality and timeliness of their work does effect the outcome. People expect their teachers to hold their hands throughout college, then have their bosses hold their hands throughout the work world. Whatever happened to individual independence, and personal motivation to succeed? I guess holding people accountable and forcing people to think instead of just repeating information is now "Un-America".

Like most things in life time has a habit of fixing our own mistakes. With more students at college graduating in to a world were jobs are fewer and far an between, maybe people will start waking to reality. If not there is always government jobs available.

Healthcare Repeal: Fact or Fiction

With the 112th congress only two days old the fire works are already starting to fly. The Republican majority in the house are acting quickly to try and repeal the health care bill that was passed last year. It looks as though it will pass in the house but not in the senate. So many in the political establishments and the media ask this question;  "What is the point?" Some people have argued that this sudden move is nothing more the an attempt to appease their base, and stay true to their election promises. With the health care bill being challenged in the courts and on the floor of the legislature, some form of change is coming in regards to the bill. What level of change is still up in the air.

With an issue this polarized it will be hard to get real data about the potential changes to the health care bill. Each media outlet, depending on the writers bend, gives a little different report of the data.  Ever those in office argue about what the "real" facts are.

"I do not believe that repealing the job-killing health care law will increase the deficit," Boehner said at a Capitol press conference the day after the GOP formally regained the House majority."- (washingtonpost.com)


"The Congressional Budget office confirms that just one day after taking over the House, the Republican rhetoric on fiscal discipline doesn't meet the reality..... Sander Levin (D-Mich.) said in a statement Thursday."- (washingtonpost.com) 

So is the repeal of health care real or just more political posturing? Will congress change the bill or destroy it entirely? Like a lot of things in life, only time will tell.  

112th congress

Change is coming to Washington this year, but is it change we can believe in? With the Republicans taking control of the house and more of Obama's cabinet members leavings, the ground is fertile for radical change. With the republicans sighting in on Obama Care and cutting the deficit, the Democrats are already on the defensive even before the session has started.


The new wave of freshman congressman have been sworn in and their education is underway. It will be interesting to see what comes about from the new officials. Will the more diverse group bring about a more middle of the road approach to American politics or will the next year be nothing more then a political quagmire?    

Ones things for certain, the media will have an easy job making the new congress interesting. Internal fighting, health care lawsuits, corruption charges, Immigration reforms and much more! Get ready for 2011 here comes the chaos.    

Making A Difference : Push Forward Conference

Join us for a day of training and education about the Washington State Legislature. Our elected officials have admitted that they “have no plan” for fixing our state budget, so it’s up to us as citizens to provide them with the leadership and solutions our state needs to get back on track.

* Hear viable budget solutions from the Freedom Foundation’s top experts.
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* Customize your learning experience! Pick from 3 learning tracks.

SeaTac DoubleTree Hotel - January 15, 2011

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The New Years Resolutions: More Consitution

With the year coming to and end, people are in reflective moods and looking back on all 2010 had to offer. The American pass time that most mimics our government is right around the corner. New years resolutions are about as American as apple pie. Lots of optimism and lots of promises....the motivation for which diminishes in a month times or less.

Our federal government has a new house rule will come into effect with about as much live changing impact as a newly purchased gym membership. The House of Representative will read the constitution in full one day out of the month. This political move is a attempt to passivity the Tea Party crowd for next year. But formally is an attempt  "get back to there roots". But you never know maybe reading the document will help the legislatures follow it. Now for my new years resolution....

Get Free TV: Wiki Leaks

Stories from the Nanny State: Net Neutrality

Like more comings and goings of the federal government Net Neutrality is a very sticky and confusing topic. After reading the regulatory statute and the dissenting opinions, the easiest way to understand cloak-and-dagger government actions like this is to hear from the horse's mouth.  Below is an excerpt from one of the members of the FCC panel: 


"What had been bottom-up, non-governmental and grassroots based Internet governance will become politicized.  Today, the United States is abandoning the long-standing bipartisan and international consensus to insulate the Internet from state meddling in favor of a preference for top-down control by unelected political appointees, three of whom will decide what constitutes 'reasonable' behavior." -

COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. McDOWELL

From reading the full statement (way too many pages), McDowell's concerns are valid. He feels that this regulation will not make the Internet more free or available, but will instead be the gateway to more aggressive regulations. In the Net Neutrality Act or officially; "FCC Acts To Preserve Internet Freedom And Openness," the FCC is given the power to regulate "resolvable" blockage of programs, sites and/or services. In other words, it gives the FCC a free pass to meddle with any service providers it wants to slow or dismantle, providing that at least three commissioner approve. Below is a controversial passage from the official statement about "Net Neutrality"

Rule 3: No Unreasonable Discrimination

A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic over a consumer’s broadband Internet access service.  Reasonable network management shall not constitute unreasonable discrimination.


The argument the government uses is that "Net Neutrality" will stop the company from monopolizing the Internet in a similar fashion to how the railroads were controlled during the gilded age in American history.  At on time the railroads were controlled by one organization, and thus had the power to control who used their rail for shipment of the goods. This allowed the railroads to be the gatekeeper for any business trying to grow. The FCC argues that is what is happening with Internet providers. A company like Comcast could control what services or programs got special treatment, similar to how the railroads controlled commerce.  Net Neutrality, however, does a lot more then stop providers from blocking or "prioritizing programs"; it actually allow the government to control a lot of the "prioritizing" instead. 
 

When the government is given control over the definition of words, you will be surprised by the sudden level of creativity used when enforcing these rules. As the dissenting members of the FCC stated, this is nothing more then a backdoor way to control and regulate the Internet.