public schools?

Will the American people figure this guy out before it’s too late! Let’s see how well we have done so far figuring out disingenuous lawmakers......

Kwamie (not only elected but re-elected)

Grandholm (not only elected but re-elected)

Levin (not only elected but re-elected several times)

Conyers (not only elected but....well you get the picture!)

Bush (not only elected but...yep, you guessed it)

Clinton(s) (and we all thought New Yorkers were stupid!)

WOW! With the voting track record we have shown in this country, I would not be surprised if we elected this flavor of the day closet Muslim to be president.

--by Not looking to good! on 7/31/08   Lives: Detroit area  

A lot of politicians who have made major public school reforms in Congress don't send their kids to public schools, but instead to expensive private schools. This is a fact. Whether politicians do this because they don't believe in public schools or not is pure speculation. I can understand, however, that no parent would want their kid singled out or bullied because of their last name: "Kennedy" "Obama" "Bush" "Reagan". It's hard not to recognize those names. If all of the kids in those schools are from recognizable, prominent families than it at least gives those children a place to grow socially without all the negativity over their famous last name. However, I think the real test about whether or not the Unions should endorse a candidate is where they stand on the issues, and obviously Senator Obama is more favorable in their opinion.

--by Brian on 7/31/08   Lives: USA  

Brian,

Issues are not important to the Union bosses in D.C. They have their circle of friends that give them drinks and all the other party favors. They live a good life and their part of the deal is that they automatically commit to the democrat whoever he or she is.

It is the same deal for business people and the republicans. They all have their big club and you and I aren't welcome, we just pay the bills.

--by Moe on 8/1/08   Lives: Dearborn  

If I was a mindless drone paid to vote by a union, I guess I would be concerned about who they endorse especially if they donate money from dues to these people.
I was really leaning towards voting for Obama, but in a complete flip-flop, I am now voting straight ticket Republican.
It is really quite simple to me... Do we want to harness Obama's hot air on the campaign trail and get power for Obama's wind mills in 10 years (while paying through the nose for electricity and other energy) or do we want to do what every country in Europe is doing and look at nuclear & Drilling? I think we need to drill as well as make major investments into whatever the next "fuel" will power our economy. We do not need $5 and up gas and a small winter miracle just to pay heating bills.
This is America. We are innovators. If we need energy we create it, drill it, find it, invent it, whatever. Forcing Americans to pay $6,10, $15 for gas should be considered treason if the oil is sitting below OUR GROUND and politicians refuse to allow us to use it!

--by Change is Good on 8/1/08   Lives: Michigan  

I had a thought

Is it even remotely possible that sending Congressmen, Senator or even Governors kids to a public school could pose a security risk for these kids?

How much more accessible are the kids of lawmakers in a public schools (or any public institution) than in a private institution?

Not only are they more accessible but so are their records and activities by our friends in the cut throat media who would not bat an eye in twisting either a popular or unpopular lawmaker’s kids inside and out in the media as we so often see them do.

The children of politicians do not deserve to be under the microscope for the choices their parents make should they? Don’t they deserve to have an expectation of privacy and safety in school like any other kid does?

Besides all of this, it is pretty well known that private school kids DO NOT receive a better education than all public school kids do. Take Dearborn for instance. Divine Child students routinely score lower in standardized testing for Math and Science than Dearborn High School students but score higher in writing. Students who enter the DPS in their Junior and Senior years from DC are at least a year or two behind their honors and AP equivalent DPS students. Sure, they know all about Catholicism, but no one in Lansing is testing our kids for that.

--by But than again on 8/1/08   Lives: Dearborn  

The ironic thing is that Barack Obama sells himself as a 'working man' who 'turned his back on Wall Street' to work with the people of Chicago. His wife has said that they were 'poor' until Obama sold those two books. Some level of poor, isn't it, to send your children to very expensive private schools. Remember, Obama attended the Muslim schools as a young boy, but after moving to his grandparents' home with his mother, he attended expensive private schools himself before he went off to the Ivy League.

--by Who is he? on 8/1/08   Lives: Dearborn  

Gee, Brian is back on the the job of hyping for Obama
Obama's stand on issues is liberal, liberal and liberal. Sorry Brian your "boy" is not fooling anyone but liberals like yourself.

--by Matt on 8/1/08   Lives: Dearborn  

FYI, dues dollars don't go toward political campaigns. All unions have voluntary PACs for that.

--by Tim on 8/2/08   Lives: Dearborn  

First off, Nice to have you back Russ! Back in 1969 when I was in grade school, I was in the Detroit Public Schools, in North Rosedale Park. Roman Gribbs was elected Mayor. He and his family decided that they would use the mansion for social events and remain living in their home in the area.

All the Gribbs kids went to Cooke Elementary while he was mayor. No Fuss, No muss, no special arrangements.

Should politicians and city employees send their children to public schools? that is a decision that should be made with their families after they weigh all the factors. Has a politican not been reelected because their children went to private school? I dont think so.

Just an observation

--by Another Voice on 8/4/08   Lives: Detroit area  

I'm glad that I'm incendiary for stating the obvious. I'm still confused as to how anything I previously said defends Obama. It's not like John McCain's kids went to public schools either. It's just the way it is.

Change is good:

FYI-Wind Turbines are operational the day they're installed, which can take up to a whole two weeks. Unlike oil, there is no refinement or procurement process because THE WIND BLOWS ON ITS OWN. Not to mention, if you got a loan to put a wind turbine on a Western-Michigan farm the energy it produces would pay off the loan in about 3-5 years by itself. After that you'd be making an extra 10k a year just for keeping it on your freaking lawn. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

--by Brian on 8/4/08   Lives: USA  

Brian,

Maybe you should do the math. To meet the expected increase in energy needs for Michigan over the next 20 years we will need about 35,000 windmills. Where you going to put them all?

If anything the future is in solar. What is needed is new and better batteries and a new transmission grid. It can work but will take 15 to 20 years to get up and running once they get serious about doing it. In the mean time we live in a world that was built to run on oil.

Time to start drilling. Who are we saving it for?

--by Moe on 8/5/08   Lives: Dearborn  

Ok - as for wind turbines, people complain NOW about someone installing a small satellite dish or off-air antenna on their house. Cell phone companies are required to "hide" the cell towers making them look like flag poles (Ford Rd and Hines Drive) A religious cross (275 and 8mile) JUST to name a few. You think the tree hugging libs are going to let ANYONE install a wind turbine for crying out loud????

I guess you still have your head in the sand!!

--by Return of The Blue Parrot on 8/16/08   Lives: Detroit area  

To say "great" and "union" in the same sentence, paragraph, passage, book etc - is the biggest OXY-moron.

Perhaps you REALLY meant "Unions are the GREATEST Terrorist in America". They had their time -- and now for this country to pull out of this, the unions really need to be abolished, and torn apart. Unions cause workers to by loyal to the union - and not loyal to the company that pays the check. Unions have caused worker wages to continue to rise and rise and rise - with no end in sight. I crack up when I hear elected officials (and those currently running) say that the American worker is of such high quality. GEE - the way I see it the American worker has long ago said "forget quality - just show me the money"
American quality has been gone for years - cripes thats why Ford has to quit saying Quality is job 1 - it was False Advertisement!!!

--by Return of The Blue Parrot on 8/16/08   Lives: Detroit area  

This is really a non-issue. What parent, if given the means, would choose a public school if they had a child who possessed the aptitude to excel in a private school? A school where there might be 15 students per teacher as opposed to 35 students in a class? Where computers are utilized in all areas of the curriculum? Where intramural sports is required of all students? Having taught at Detroit Country Day, college is frequently seen as a break after enduring the rigorous academic expectations of high school. Look at a roster of what schools students graduating from Country Day, Cranbrook and University Liggett are admitted to: Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Georgetown, etc. Compare that with the proud boosting by FHS administration that 15 students out of a graduating class of 400+ were accepted to UofM! There's nothing wrong with parents wanting the best for their kids.

--by Keeping an Open Mind on 9/3/08   Lives: Dearborn  

John McCain's children went to private schools, too.

--by Jimbo Dunbar on 9/17/08   Lives: USA