In Search of Innovation: SB 5442

AN ACT Relating to an accelerated baccalaureate degree program....(SB5442) 

This legislative session a lot of tough choices have had to been made. Ever now and then a the legislature comes up with a logical and cost effective change versus the number of increase growth and cost of government. In the first part of march i worked with a could school in Olympia to lobby and learn more about what is going on with higher education reform. One of the things I stressed is a push for innovation not just reduction or growth of a program.  SB5442 would allow the university to create a fast track three year degree, such as a honors program or adjust what many student dread, the general education requirements.  The idea of this bill is to allow students the choice to take a hard course load so they could graduate sooner. So those that have a specific goal or dream and get the education they need and get out into the world sooner.

This program would save students time and money and the state money, as the state subsidies a large amount of tuition for state schools. I hope to see more bills such as this come out of Olympia. As the saying going; 

"If we want something we have never had, we have to do something we have never done"

I think finally our legislators are getting the idea. If you love or hate the bill let your legislature know so maybe we can have more innovation in our state and local governments.

Privatizing the liquor board......again?

With our states economy a little worse for wear, the state legislatures are turning to some older ideas to save the state money and increase revenue.

"A new initiative to privatize state liquor sales has been filed with the Secretary of State's office. In November, Washington voters rejected two ballot initiatives to privatize liquor sales. But conservative blogger Stefan Sharkansky says his new proposal would maintain tax revenue and impose tighter control on private liquor sales. He helped craft last year's Initiative 1100. Sharkansky's initiative would only allow stores with a five-year record of no public safety violations to sell liquor, seeking to allay last year's fears of minors gaining easier access to alcohol. 

Private retailers would collect liquor sales tax at the current level, so the state would still receive revenue to continue public service programs. Sharkansky says privatization would allow the state Liquor Control Board to focus on controlling liquor, rather than promoting it."(Seattle Times)

During the election season both initiatives that were on the ballet regarding this issue failed. But when the state is looking for any way to save a few bucks, legislation like this doesn't sound to far off any more. If you reduce regulation you thus increase sale and taxation of said goods..... Sounds good to me! With the controversy of the Four Loko debacle forgotten my most voters, it will be interesting to see how our state feels about the bill now. Though trial comes creativity and ingenuity. I hope to see more bills of this nature coming out of Olympia in the future. I think it is time for our state to look at innovative ways to change the structure of our government instead of looking for more people or goods they can squeeze for taxes.  

Shocking Reality: We are $698 million more in debt

"The state's chief economist, Arun Raha, on Thursday projected the state will collect nearly $700 million less in taxes over the next two years than previously forecast. That pushes the budget shortfall to around $5.1 billion or more, depending on how you count it, through fiscal year 2013. State fiscal years run from July 1 through the end of June." ( Seattle Times)

So if you haven't heard, we are even further in debt than before. So the cuts to higher education we were worried about will only get bigger with a 11% increase being the minimum that it might go up. Teacher unions and state workers unions that protested against reducing their state  benefits, might have to reevaluate their strategy. With our state not being able to raise taxes with out a 2/3 majority, the only thing we have left to do is cut.

Get ready for some intense rallying and protesting at our capital because people and services are going to be getting cut. And with every dollar goes another voter. So with all eyes once again on our legislators what projects will they cut? Will they reduce the size and the power of regulator organizations? Will the state expand the gambling taxes and allow more off reservation gambling? Will we privatize the whole sale of liquor in our state? Will we finally allow charter schools in our state? What will out state do?

Out of every crises comes opportunities, and with our state having to cut back on costs, we will be able to in-act sweeping reform in our state the likes of which we have not seen in a long time. But the question beckons, what form will that change take?

Social Security : The Titanic of our Time

"More than eight in 10 Americans now see the country’s Social Security system as headed for a crisis, and most think a major overhaul is in order, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."(Washington Post)

One of the lesser talked about crises is that of social security. While we talk about reducing the deficit our officials don't like to talk about the growing deficit that is social security. Sense its creation it has been raided by one administration after the next. The funds have gone to paying for a large number of pet projects, many of which now are on the chopping block. So what will be come of the National Retirement plan? If our recession and deficit grow, will we limit or cut those on social security? If it comes down to funding our parents retirement of paying for infrastructure who will win?

To understand the true magnitude of the problem I will give a little back ground to the program. In a nut shell social security was created to get older people out of the work force to provide opening for new young employees to get there start in the work world. Social security is base off a ponzi scheme. Basically the workers pay into this program to pay for those that are retired, and once they retire the younger generation pays for there retirement and so forth.

This plan works only if there are more workers then retirees. However with people living longer and the population having a high percent of retirees, the percent of people working to retiring is becoming less. What this means is that we either have to increase the amount each worker pays into the system, to off set the difference, or give less benefits to those that have social security. However neither of these plans seem favorable to most people in the system. People don't want to lose benefit or want to pay more into the system. So in the end a deficit and inflation is the only option.

This topic will be a hot button issue during the 2012 campaign season, it will be interesting to see what candidates on both sides of the political world think about reform. For whatever reform we do in act someone is going to get the short end of the stick. I wonder which generation will in the end call the shots?

The Plight of Education

Most days I read two to three newspapers to stay up to date on whats going on in the world. One of my favorite things to do is read some of the comment chains on popular articles and stories of controversial issues. Of late the more I read and research controversial issues, the more I come what is the biggest problem in American education, the inability to think critically.  

I love to talk politics with people, especially if they don't agree with me. ( You learn more about the world by looking out a window then by looking in a mirror)  Lately I have run into a large number on both sides of the political spectrum that don't think critically, they think emotionally. They are more likely to yell at you then talk with you. 

My parents are both teacher and conversations like this come up all the time. How do we teach critical thinking?  Mainstream education teaches you what to think, not how to think.  What we need is to focus more on the latter. With "Education reform" making education look more like an assembly line then a school. The question beckons...What are we teaching our kids? 

Being a higher education student myself, I have learned and refined the ability to regurgitate the equivalent of an education hairball in class, but true understanding is another situation entirely. So i would pose the question, should we be focusing on measurable criteria? Or on something more in depth when i comes to education reform? 

The Art of Stupidy

A short while again the New Hampshire Legislature tried to redefine how student vote. The sponsoring senators stated that students only voted on emotion not on fact.....and that is some how different then the rest of the voting populous?

"The measure gained national notice, thanks in part to a YouTube video of the state's new GOP House speaker declaring students "foolish" because they are "liberal" and "just vote their feelings." The sponsor of the measure went further in his denunciations of college students, declaring that they turn out in college towns on Election Day and cancel out other voters, motivated by a "dearth of experience and a plethora of the easy self-confidence that only ignorance and inexperience can produce. - Washington Post

Sometime the actions of our representatives deeply worry be not only is this a horrible political move, ( lets turn of an entire generation off to your party why don't ya....), it show how little our representative care about the voice of the youth. Instead of reaching out to learn what issues and concerns the youth of our nation has, lets just punish them for not voting  in the way i wanted.... This if nothing else should give credence to getting involve now, before our future is planned with-out us. The legislature is already mortgaging our futures against the present (deficit spending), and now some people want to silence our voice..... 

To get involved with a group that is fighting for your future today check out the Student Freedom Project. 
And learn how to get involved in your community today.

Tiger Blood and Union Riots

"I'm proud of what I've created. It was radical," he said. "I exposed people to magic. I exposed them to something they're never otherwise going to see in their boring, normal lives. And I gave that to them. I may forget about them tomorrow, but they'll live with that memory for the rest of their lives. And that's a gift, man."- Charlie Sheen

Sadly this magic doesn't seem to different from whats been going on in Wisconsin. Union busting or fighting for the tax payer? Sadly this fiasco has shown America the true depths of political maturity in America politics today. So you can win a debate by leaving the state and then complain that the Republicans are not "playing far"....really? how does that pan out, if Republicans left during the health care debate would the Democrats, simply say..."Well played sir"....Not likely. Way to much lately it seems that both parties are trying to use every trick in the book to discredit their adversary or try to label them as crazy as possible in order to prove there superiority. This tact seems about just as logical as a lot of the Charlie Sheen quotes plaguing the internet these days.

It seems like Wisconsin legislature is not bi-partisan their "Bi-Winnering", because after this fiasco both sides have them self convinced that they have discredited the other.

But in the end of the day what way real accomplished? The teacher protesters ran out of sick days, students in the public school system got an extra vacation and the senate dems got a mid session vacation.... but is the debit in their state any close to begin eradicated?.....didn't think so......   

With the serous nature of the problems out nations faces i would hope that our officials from both sides  would at least find a way to work together and fight for the preservation of our nation. Just like Charlie Sheen's Magic, the Wisconsin legislature showed the nation..... something they're never otherwise going to see in their boring, normal lives....the senators may forget about the people tomorrow but they'll live with that memory for the rest of their lives. And that's a gift, man!