Free Market Education for Teacher

From a recent Letter to the Editor by Heather Beutler:

First of all, I appreciate the intent behind Luna’s pay plan. I am a teacher myself and would love to see a pay raise. This is my eighth year teaching and my paycheck has changed by maybe $300. I guess I just don’t understand what giving up my contract rights has to do with student achievement. Can Luna answer that question for me? Am I going to try harder in my classroom every day because now I don’t have protection from being fired? I don’t understand why that component is in Luna’s plan.

In a word, yes. There are a lot of complacent teachers out there, in part because a good teachers makes as much as a bad teacher and they can never get fired. Giving up some contract rights has the effect of putting you in a fully incentivized situation, where you’re responsible for your performance and there are consequences for that.

I am a professional and I deserve to be treated as such.

That’s a two way street. Most professionals are much easier to fire if unsatisfactory results than are unionized teachers.

Build Families, Build Prisons, Take Your Pick

I have to wonder at the incredible short-sightedness of the Otter Administration which seems to non-chalantly comment on the overcrowding of our prisons with no clue as to addressing what’s going on.

Fundamentally, this comes back to the decline of family and the rate of fatherlessness in our communities. If we fail to address that, then we’d better expect to build a lot more prisons and get a lot more creative with space, because the number of criminals will keep on growing.

Tax Increase With No Purpose Dies

Hurrah to the Idaho Legislature for not voting for a senseless tax increase. It was senseless in that there was no point to the tax increase. There was no new program that would be funded, no taxes that would be cut, no comprehensive tax reform program, just eliminating some tax exemptions, just ‘cuz. Hey, I’m all for tax simplification, but it’s got to be part of a broader package. Simply removing exemptions with no reason isn’t going to fly.

President McCain

Republican voters are trending towards John McCain in recent primaries. What would John McCain do as President? Many of his supporters are ignorant of his record, or overlooking it. This column will project what a John McCain presidency would look like. If you still vote for him after reading this, the pain that comes on this country will be on your own head:

Social Issues: John McCain will appoint liberal judges to the federal bench. He will make the defense of his unconstitutional campaign finance law a priority. Those judges who will rule for that unconstitutional abomination are very unlikely to see the error of Roe v. Wade as that requires a strict constructionist judicial philosophy, which those who support McCain-Feingold would not have.

John McCain would fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The McCain Administration, by doing so, would not relieve suffering, as recent advances have been able to develop embyronic stem cells without destroying human life, but would rather lead to ennobling abortion as a way for women to take an unwanted pregnancy, get an abortion, and use the stem cells to help those suffering from various diseases. McCain would turn abortion into a noble choice.

Economic Issues: John McCain can be expected to increase the payroll tax as part of a social security fix. He will do nothing to reform our out-of-control federal tax system.

He will rightly strain the gnat of pork barrel spending, only to swallow the camel of overly excessive environmental regulation. Even now, Americans are suffering with higher gas prices, and consequently higher prices on everything, in part because of John McCain’s refusal to support drilling in ANWR.

This would deepen as McCain would implement environmental proposals similar to Kyoto with the support of a Democratic Congress. This would further increase the price of energy and fuel for all Americans, and raise prices on everything else.

Sovereignty: John McCain has no respect for America’s sovereignty. This shows most prominently in his support for illegal immigrant amnesty, but will show in other areas as well, such as his backing of the Law of the Sea Treaty and the International Criminal Court.

American sovereignty will retract under John McCain Administration in the name of expanding the powers of International organizations that have already failed us.

Havoc on the Republican Party: John McCain will take a wrecking ball to the Republican Party.

Republicans will lose seats under McCain as Republicans loss seats under Eisenhower (the president most similar to McCain), beginning with McCain’s own Senate seat, which will be filled by the Democratic Governor of that state. With McCain’s policies appealing more to liberal and moderate voters than conservatives, many McCain voters will continually elect Democrats to Congress. If McCain were to serve two terms, by the time he ended his tenure, Republicans would certainly have less than forty senate seats and less than 175 House Seats.

In addition to this, his amnesty for illegal aliens will lead to a host of new Democratic voters, as immigrants tend to be with the party of bigger government that provides more services until they move up to the middle class. If John McCain is President, the 109^th Congress may be the last time in our lifetimes we ever see a Republican Majority in Congress.

These are a few of the likely consequences if John McCain is elected President. If Republicans love liberty, they will band together to stop this man. If they do not, John McCain is someone they richly deserve.

South Carolina Round Table

Podcast Show Notes

South Carolina/Nevada aftermath roundtable with Adam Graham joined by David Oatney, John McJunkin, Fabian Story, Warner Todd Huston, and Ken Marrero.

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In the Wilderness

Conservatives must steel themselves to prepare for hard times ahead.

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Abortion Rate Falls

Podcast Show Notes

We sit back and listen to the first recorded Presidential speech by Calvin Coolidge.

Then, good news: the abortion rate is way down to levels it hasn’t been at since 1976. Still, much work needs to be done, as we still think cats are more important than unborn children.

Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) wastes taxpayer time and money to sick the Department of Homeland Security on a political opponent. (Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin.)

Finally, Hugo Chavez is in trouble as his country is in shambles. To see dictators in decline is a beautiful thing.

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National Suicide

Rep. Curtis Bowers (R-ID. 10) has gotten into trouble with an op-ed relating his experience going to a meeting of communists incommunicado. He writes that their agenda to bring down America that he heard back in 1992 is already in effect in our country:

Firstly, to destroy the family, they would promote co-habitation instead of marriage. They would also try to get children away from their mothers into government programs at the earliest age possible. They felt the best way to do this was to promote the feminist movement, which had been very effective at making women discontent with marriage and motherhood.

Secondly, to destroy businesses, they aimed to wipe out the profit potential that motivated people to start them. If people couldn’t make good money off their ideas and hard work, they would eventually be content working for someone else. They were sure the environmental movement (modest at the time) was the only vehicle capable of creating enough regulation and expense to discourage business growth.

Finally, to destroy our culture, they needed us to abandon our heritage of religion and morality. They believed the homosexual movement, if accepted, would begin to effectively extinguish these values.

At the time they laid out this strategy, I wasn’t overly impressed. It seemed very unrealistic and certainly not something to worry about in my lifetime. Yet as I sit in my office, recall their plan and consider where America is today, I am shocked.

Our first woman presidential candidate talks about how degrading it is to be a stay-at-home mom. Businesses are closing down or moving daily to other countries because environmental regulations are too excessive to make a profit. And legislation is being considered in Washington, D.C. that makes it a crime to discuss in public any opposition to the homosexual lifestyle. As the old advertisement said, “You’ve come a long way, baby!”

When we see many mainstream politicians and activist judges with the same agenda that just 16 years ago was that of Communist strategists, it is time for patriotic Americans to wake up and get involved.

This has created a lot of guffaws in the blogosphere, some posting pictures of Bowers with a goatee (like he grew to infiltrate the communists.) Others choosing to believe a communist who disputes Bowers version of events at the meeting. Bowers’ for his part backs up his view by citing W. Cleon Skousen’s “The Naked Communist,” a popular text on the Cold War that lays out 45 goals of communists for America, most of which make sense from a Soviet perspective.

Our friends on the left downplay the influence of Communists in America, because some people who were not communists were accused, but there was a degee of influence, how much we can debate.

In the end, where I disagree with Bowers is that I don’t think the Communists after-Soviet Union plan was the key factor in what’s happened in recent years.  In 1992 when Bowers went to a Communist meeting, the die was already cast. The decline of the family, crippling regulation, and a tax code that doesn’t make sense and is anti-growth was already in place.

We now have people who insist illegitimacy be considered equally good to two parent homes despite the studies that show otherwise. We are gripped by a destructive tax code beause greedy special intersts (none of whom will end benefit it from it. The same tax code keeps mothers and fathers who might choose to be at home in the workforce.  Churches rarely challenge, rarely confront and tolerate sins of all sort ignoring the Bible’s call to holiness.

Yet, I don’t see the hands of Communist in this. I see our own. It’s the rampant apathy of those who identity themselves as Christians and Conservatives but refuse to challenge a culture gone mad. Perhaps, we’re afraid that like Rep. Bowers we’ll be castigated. Indeed, Bowers will have difficulty getting re-elected as he’s done something that politicians should never do if they want to enjoy a long time government: call our attention to the deteriorating shape of our culture.

The sad thing is that what Communists dreamt of and would have spent billions to make happen in the Cold War Days, we do at no charge in America. The destruction of the Family, run away entitlements, over-regulation of business. We’re destroying our own country. And the only hope is that we do exactly what Rep. Bowers said: Wake up.

Politicians Unlimited

What do you think the appropriate response is to a state legislator that runs the state close to bankruptcy with a $14 billion deficit? If you answered, “Relax their term limits.” Congratulations, you’re either a member of California’s legislator or its governor.

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Was I Too Hard on Kirk Sullivan?

I previously suggested Kirk Sullivan presenting an impassible primary bill was being passive aggressive. Dennis Mansfield suggests I was being far too harsh:

Kirk Sullivan is a man with whom I have a good, long-standing relationship. He is a man who has steered the GOP “ship of state” through some recent frigid waters: a fractured 1st CD ‘06 Primary, law suits in ‘07, Larry Craig’s ongoing situation starting in 07, and now this legislative issue. Be honest. He’s done a good job. Not everyone agrees with him – I’m sure, as in my own marriage, even his wife isn’t too pleased with him on certain issues. So what?…

Sullivan has presented an RS for the Legislature to review, amend and develop. That’s the nature of a routing slip – it’s a pending bill…not a finished one. The head of the GOP was given a task to bring forward legislation. He has now done that…and some folks think it’s not “good enough”. Of course it isn’t…that’s the nature of writing bills. I’ve written hundreds of bills – all starting out as Kirk Sullivan has done.

With all due respect to Dennis, Chairman Sullivan has spent the last year plus acting in bad faith in this matter. At the 2006 Republican Party convention, we voted for closed primaries, at the 2007 Summer meeting, we voted for closed primaries and throughout most of the year, Sullivan has been a foe of that movement, despite the fact that as chairman of the party, his job is to promote the views of the party, not his own personal agenda as he’s done for the past year.

As for Sullivan as Chairman, I think in the 2006 elections, he deserves high marks. Beyond that, Sullivan delivered the type of ambiguity that’s allowed us to have the honor of carrying Craig in the Senate, even while the vast majority of Idahoans don’t want him to be there. This leads to feaverishly nervous fundraising letters that would have been unnecessary had Sullivan not worked to rally people to Craig’s side.

Had Sullivan supported the closed primary lawsuit, we would have had this thing resolved. Instead, he slapped down the lawsuit and introduced this bill. The hopes of the bill getting fixed are unfounded. The leadership of the Senate doesn’t like the bill and is concerned about the expense and have no plans to actually fix it or amend it. Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis says it’s no priority. Indeed, it’s not. It’s just part of the Republican platform passed by the people who make it possible for them to sit in the Senate year after year. The grassroots of the Republican party don’t amount to a whole lot in Senator Davis’ world, and judging by the type of DOA bill Sullivan has introduced under tremendous pressure, I question how much we matter to Chairman Sullivan.

Mitt Romney Is Our New Inevitable Frontrunner

Based on last night’s results and the comments of Bryan at Hot Air, I’m pleased to Mitt Romney, the new inevitable frontrunner of the week. Succeeding prior inevitable frontrunners Mike Huckabee and John McCain. This is despite no one having won 2 primaries in a row yet. But it was a good sized victory, therefore Mitt Romney is going to inevitably be the GOP nominee, unless someone else wins South Carolina. In that case, we’ll have a new inevitable frontrunner.

Switching Servers Again

Those of you who are RSS Subscribers will see this. Everyone else won’t. I’m having to move my blog again. This’ll be my 3rd host and I’ll hope it’ll be my last. I’d rather not talk about it. Blogging will be light for a while. Every post I make, I’m going to have to export the actual posts over here. I’m switching to a VPS server, which should avoid this happening. I work too hard to build the blog only to have it shut down by the hosting company.

The Cost of Lax Borders

Podcast Show Notes

A twice-deported illegal is alleged to be behind a string of sexual assaults in Phoenix. How many more innocent Americans will have to be victimized before the Bush Administration enforces the law? (Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin.)

A federal commission proposes raising gas taxes 40 cents a gallons.

American soldiers save the life of an Iraqi civilian. Don’t hold your breath if you expect to hear about this in the mainstream press.

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Charlie Rangel Wants You!

Podcast Show Notes

Powerful House Ways and Means Commitee Chairman Charlie Rangels wants two years of the life of every American 18-42.

The Democratic Congress presents an average $6,000 per car increase for every GM car sold in America. (Hat Tip: The Corner.)

In the midst of the mediocrity and liberalism of the candidates of the day, a beacon of hope shines from Louisiana, Bobby Jindal is sworn in as governor. (Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin.)

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