With 83% of precincts reporting, Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss has won re-election. Chambliss won with 59% of the vote. Although I did not agree with his vote for the bailout, I congratulate him on his victory.
Daily Archives: December 2, 2008
Capitol Visitor Center Opens Today Nine Times Over Budget
Well, the Capitol Visitor Center opened today amidst controversy and without a great deal of fanfare from those who believe our taxpayer money should not fund a project that originally started with a $265 million dollar budget, but finished with $621 million in debt. Wow, that is at least nine times over the allocated amount.
Like I said, it did not open with so much fanfare. There is more office space for members of Congress and more media studios. Additionally, the Capitol Visitor Center messed up on an important element, because on one statue, they placed “e pluribus unum” as our nation’s motto. Our nation’s motto is “In God We Trust.” There are other aspects as well ranging from honoring General Welfare, which basically hailed passage of Medicare as the best policy ever passed.
The Capitol Visitor Center is completely underground. It does not offer you the opportunity to enter the Rotunda. Basically, the Capitol Visitor Center was a wasted attempt by Congress to preserve history at its essence. They should be ashamed of this quagmire.
For more on the Capitol Visitor Center, check out:
a great architectural critique by The Washington Post.
The Heritage Foundation had a great post on their blog.
The Hill also reports on the controversy surrounding the Capitol Visitor Center
Have We Gone Mad?
I have been asking this question a lot lately in response to a lot of things within our culture. We are a culture that is striving for perfection, whether it is keeping up with the Jones by buying the next Mercedes Benz or by conforming our bodies to fit Hollywood’s image. Geez, I think we have gone mad.
It did not really hit me until I read this New York Times article about parents jumping at the chance to get Little Johnny or Little Julie tested to see if they have gene to make them the next Michael Phelps or Flo-Jo. Whatever happened to allowing the child to display his or her own unique talents to contribute to society? I mean, there are some of us who are not athletically inclined, but they certainly kick the crap out of the soccer star in Math or Physics. Better yet, Little Johnny could be the next concert violinist in a symphony hall (he’s not gay for trying this pursuit) or Little Julie could be the next blogger who wants to make a difference in the community through her writing.
So, why do parents feel the need to place their child through a test to find out whether their child is athletically inclined? I guess these parents want their children to follow the dreams they have planned for them, not the dreams of the child. Another example of innocence leaving childhood, and I can’t help but to notice the next generation of therapy dependent children, who will always be striving to please their parents, but not seek out their own joys or unique talents. We have truly gone mad in this society, if we can’t appreciate differences.
Who’s Next in the Government Bailout Game?
Well, it seems like everyone is cozying up to the Government lately. Let’s see: it all began with Wall Street, then Citigroup, soon Detroit will get their bailout, and now, it appears the public schools want a bailout too.
According to a recent post by my good friend, Nan Swift at FreedomTalks, it seems that everyone wants a bailout of sorts. Nan mentions the public schools in particular. With the recent bailouts, Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Cavalho wants the school systems to receive a bailout.
Now, why should we give more money to the public schools? After all, doesn’t our tax dollars already fund them? If the public schools would not cave into the teachers’ unions or dole out money for the liberal indoctrination of our youth, they would not need the bailout. Has education improved in the public school system? No, especially since many high school graduates cannot recall certain historical events or do not receive proper spelling in their English curriculum.
I agree with Nan’s remarks on how there is an alternative to the bailouts to the public schools. This would be to allow school choice. By allowing the parents to choose the best educational option for their children, you will be helping to hold teachers accountable and allowing the funds to travel with the student. There would be an increase in competition between the schools and help to bring the failing schools back from failure.
Bailouts are not common sense solutions to the economic recession. Instead, we need to focus on holding those entities accountable for their actions, and help lead them to other solutions that will not bankrupt America.
