GOP Victory .

(1)> Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,
and President Obama have a
long rocky road ahead.

It was a landslide for the GOP. The aftermath of the midterm votes is paving an "uneasy" path for President Obama.  President Barack Obama came out swinging on Wednesday just 14 hours after a Republican wave swept over the U.S. Congress in an election that largely repudiated his policies.'Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign,' he said, threatening to dust off a veto pen that he has used only twice in nearly six years.And he hinted at executive orders that will enrage conservatives. 'I'm pretty sure I'll take some actions that some in Congress will not like,' he said. 'That's natural. That's how Democracy works.'Much of reporters' tussling with the president focused on executive orders related to immigration reform – what some tea party Republicans call an 'amnesty' – which he plans to implement this year.He acknowledged that the GOP won Tuesday's elections, but framed the results as a mandate for Republicans to work with him, instead of the other way around.'Obviously the Republicans had a good night,' he said.  What happened on Wednesday is vary much a paradox on what happened *** way back in 2008- and 2009 , if you recall the Democrats came in a sweep and captured the House , combined with significant Congressional gains by this party could gave  Democrats extraordinary muscle to pursue an ambitious agenda on health care, taxes, union rights, energy and national security envisioned by  Barack Obama . The Honey-Moon is gone now . American history will remember this GOP victory the same way Democrats gained the same 60-vote majority . In 2009 America came close with the Obama experiment to have what was called a 'one-party' rule. Despite having control of Congress for the past years, Democrats have a pent-up agenda on health care, public works, energy, employment policy and other matters where they clashed with President Bush. Now the voter's rebelled , as the President said that they are sick of Congress . OK , he got the message now . Wait,  did he not get it in 2010 ?According to the New York Times, the results were so jarring to the White House that it hurt President Barack Obama’s ego. Supposedly, he referred to the results as “devastating.” . Interesting enough the(3)> RUSSIAN NEWS agency even  "predicted " that  ' Obama expected to lead Dems into biggest Senate defeat in modern history'  Either case the voters who went to the polls did not change anything in America , they simple reverted to the (2)>  old party of "red" as did time and time again . Now the epilogue to this far from simple . I have argued that our nation is not a true democracy in any sense of the word. We might have the right to vote , but still we are a two party state that is ruled by a vast MAJORITY of Democrats and Republicans . We just have a political illusion that every time we vote that we have voted for anything different . Yet there still are ballots that have not be counted .

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

***There should be no doubt that this election must be considered a wave election in very much the same category as 2006 and 2010. (1)> Back in April 2013, everything was going King Barry’s way. He’d fooled the American people twice. Everybody loved him. He could do no wrong. And he had no problem using his popularity, his bully pulpit, to attack anybody who dared to cross him. Even when he was “joking”: “Some folks don’t think I spend enough time with Congress. ‘Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?’ Really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?”(1)> President Barack Obama reached out to the man who is expected to be the next Senate Majority Leader after Tuesday night's Republican midterm wins, and left a message. Obama wants as I am seeing a truce ? If Senate Republicans follow the path of their House counterparts, he could be faced with proposals to repeal Obamacare and budgets that cut entitlement programs - the type of bills that will meet a quick end at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.Obama to voters: "I hear you" (2) >The glum voters who handed Republicans full control of Congress on Tuesday feel the U.S. is stagnating under President Barack Obama's leadership, but put little faith in politicians of either party. But Republicans still have a lot to prove to disgruntled Americans. Six in 10 voters were either dissatisfied or angry with Republican leaders in Congress.Both political parties were viewed unfavorably by a majority of midterm voters.A whopping 8 in 10 disapprove of the way Congress has been doing its job while power was divided between Republicans and Democrats, according to the exit poll. (3)> RT Russia's news in detail predicted this . See http://rt.com/usa/202183-midterm-senate-race-republican/

The Politics of Suicide : Brittany Maynard.

 

Beautiful Women on a cover
of a known magazine .
Suicide  is now
Glamorized ?

(1)> Suicide is the worst thing anyone can do. The recent suicide of Brittany Maynard, who became the public face of the controversial right-to-die movement over the last few weeks, ended her own life Saturday at her home in Portland, Oregon. She was 29. Doctors told Maynard she had six months to live last spring after she was diagnosed with a likely stage 4 glioblastoma. She made headlines around the world when she announced she intended to die – under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act – by taking a fatal dose of barbiturates, prescribed to her by a doctor, when her suffering became too great.  I am really sorry about her , you can almost feel her pain . I am altogether writing this , not just to point how disturbing it is . (2)>  It reveals much about our society and it's changing morals.But society’s big mistake is in believing that suicide can be a compassionate or dignified choice. Suicide is suicide. There is nothing that can change that. You can make it legal. You can make it seem less horrible by using needles instead of some rope and a chair or a gun. You can put a beautiful woman on the cover of a celebrity magazine as a spokeswoman. But it’s still suicide, and the reality is that anyone who commits suicide, or even ponders it, is suffering deeply. Attempting suicide is against the law (sort of). The police take you to a hospital to have you evaluated and if you are considered a danger to yourself or someone else you may be committed to a hospital. , but it is no joking matter. Theory is if you want to commit suicide you may have a chemical imbalance or are suffering due to something bad that happened in your life. There are only a few states that allow suicide even for the terminally ill. *** Brittany may think her choice is a highly personal and private one, but it is not. Already, her decision has reignited hotly contested debates as to whether physician-assisted suicide should be expanded beyond the five states where it is legal. Proponents of Brittany’s decision are already using her story as a bully pulpit to advance their so-called death-with-dignity agendas. There are good laws throughout the U.S. that help people die with dignity — laws that provide advanced pain management therapies for people dealing with intractable pain. Plus, people have the legal right to refuse treatment if they don’t want it.In addition, legalizing physician-assisted suicide in more states may send a bad signal to families who have little access to health care dollars: Would we be saying to low-income families, “We won’t provide health care for your critical condition, but we can make it easier for you to commit suicide”?---Obama Care.The culture of death that pervades our society is sickening. Abortion, suicide, doctor assisted murder etc are all part and parcel of this warped culture that the gullible and easily manipulated have bought into. This woman's diagnosis was tragic, her death a crime. There are ways to mitigate suffering, having doctors assist you in killing yourself should never be one of them.

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

*** The biggest problem with assisted suicide is gauging the intent of the person. If the infirmity is mental in nature, they may not have the capacity to consent to such an act (which is what got Kevorkian into trouble).The only thing worse is using a religious appeal to chime in on the subject. Religious attitudes towards suicide are arbitrary and contradictory at best. Pretty much any time religious dogma gets involved with medical science, nothing good comes from it. Be it on the subject of abortion, life supporting equipment, or in this case assisted suicide. It creates hard arbitrary rules where flexible context dependent actions are required. (1)> Just two months ago, the cover of People magazine was a tribute to late actor Robin Williams, who had just taken his own life. As they put it, Williams, “lost his battle with mental illness.” That they considered his death a tragedy was eminently clear. Fast-forward to the most recent issue, and People has an entirely different take on suicide.This week’s People features Brittany Maynard, the 29 year-old woman with terminal cancer who captured national attention when she moved to Oregon in order to be able to legally end her life. People’s coverage of her pending suicide is wholly different from its coverage of William’s suicide. The coverage of Maynard includes language like “die in peace” and “heart of a warrior.” (2)> A Pew Research Center survey conducted last year found that two-thirds of Americans say there are circumstances in which a patient should be allowed to die, as opposed to doctors and nurses always doing everything possible to save the life of a patient. But U.S. adults are more divided about laws that allow doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, with 47% in favor of such laws and 49% opposed. Views on doctor-assisted suicide are little changed since 2005.

California Proposition 2 and Ballot Review.

Could this be the greatest political bait and switch? November 4th is now around the corner . It might be if Gov . Jerry Brown has his way . I am talking about his Proposition 2 " rainy day fund" which is known as SB 858. Right now Public School Business Administrators are scrambling on how to deal with it if it passes . Many school districts are already sending out resolutions for it's "repeal" many of them are claiming that (1)>  " The Minimum reserve level required by SB 858 would leave many school districts with only a few days of cash flow on hand which is about 10 days." The focus on education and public safety ignores one controversy surrounding the reserve measure – a bill passed this year capping the amount of money school districts may set aside for economic uncertainties if state reserves reach certain thresholds. The bill was backed by California teachers unions and opposed by school administrators. California voters approved a rainy-day fund in 2004, but the recession hit soon after the state started contributing to it. And the fund was too small to solve the financial problems created by one of the biggest budget dysfunctions the state has: a tendency to spend one-time revenues on ongoing projects.Under Prop. 2, the state would set aside 1.5 percent of the general fund each year to put into the rainy-day fund — which is half of the current requirement. However, the fund would also capture capital gains — the taxable profits earned from the sale of investments such as stock or real estate. The dotted line I am seeing here is a money grab in disguise , it's another way to shift funds out of one pot : Education .  The ad's for Prop 2 can be misleading In the radio ad,“Prop. 2 creates a rainy day fund so we have a financial reserve to prevent cuts to schools and public safety when the revenues run dry.” *** The terms "prevents cuts to schools" is contrary to the other term that will require School Districts to spending  down their reserves,  that is  a form of cutting . This year's measure comes loaded with stricter rules intended to ensure its goals are reached. First, 1.5% of general fund revenues would be set aside every year, which is roughly $1.6 billion at the current size of the state budget. Half the money would be deposited in the rainy-day fund, and the other half would be used to pay down debts and cover long-term costs such as public pensions.November ballot measure has drawn angry complaints from an unlikely group: local school officials.They argue that the measure is too complex and will have a dubious effect on education funding. And they're furious about a bill linked to the measure that would trigger a cap on how much money school districts could keep in their reserve funds."The cap is fiscally irresponsible," said Josephine Lucey, president of the California School Boards Association. Many districts, especially small ones, need to maintain large reserves to weather the state's fluctuating funding and to handle unexpected expenses such as emergency repairs, she said. ON the other hand the Teacher Union has a different opinion that "A lot of districts in California were hoarding money," even when the economy improved, said Eric Heins, vice president of the California Teachers Association. "When they hold obscenely large reserves like that, it's affecting children's education. It's affecting our members." Statewide school organizations of administrators and business officials oppose the measure. But as of Sept. 30 no funds had been raised to campaign against Proposition 2.

NOVEMBER 4th in Review.

Here is a rundown from sources regarding  the Tuesday November 4th polls . I am assuming this , although my views are (3)>  Neel Kashari to lose , but I support him over Jerry Brown .

Will Kashkari beat GOP turnout? Although actual voter registration is 43% Democrat, 28% Republican, 23% no party preference (NPP) and 5% other, the Field Poll’s survey sample — based on the actual voter file and expected turnout in a low-interest election — calculates an electorate that is 43% Democrat, 34% Republican and 23% NPP and other.Nevertheless, Brown leads Kashkari 54-33% — just beating the all-important Calbuzz line – with broad appeal across race, age, gender, region and ideology.

Other's on the Ballot: 

Kashkari is drawing just 76% of Republicans and 73% of conservatives while Brown is supported by 83% of Democrats and 90% of liberals. In the middle, Brown beats Kashkari 59-22% among NPP voters and 55-25% among moderates.

In other races down the ballot, the Field Poll finds:

Lieutenant Governor: Gavin Newsom (D) over Ron Nehring (R) 47-37%

Attorney General: Kamala Harris (D) over Ronald Gold (R) 49-36%

Secretary of State: Alex Padilla (D) over Pete Peterson (R) 44-37%

Controller: Betty Yee (D) over Ashley Swearengin (R) 44-36%

Treasurer: John Chiang (D) over Greg Conlin (R) 46-35%

Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones (D) over Ted Gaines (R) 45-33%

Education:  

Superintendent of Public Instruction – a non-partisan race – in which Tom Torlakson and Marshall Tuck are tied at 28%, with 44% undecided. Both candidates are Democrats but eschewing party labels.

Torlakson leads by 7% among white non-Hispanic voters while Tuck is preferred by Latino, black and Asian voters. But Torlakson is favored by liberals while Tuck is leading among conservatives.

Propositions : 

The Field Poll also reported that while Brown’s pet project – Proposition 1 (water bonds) – leading handily and other polls have show Brown’s Proposition 2 (rainy day fund) also ahead, Proposition 45 (giving the insurance commissioner controlling review of health insurance rate changes, and Proposition 46 (increasing malpractice awards and drug testing doctors) both are headed to defeat.The Field Poll’s finding on Prop. 45 – 42% no to 30% yes – is similar to the finding from the Public Policy Institute of California, which had it 46-39% no. But it differed from a poll put out by the Hoover Institution (done by YouGov) which had Prop. 45 leading 42-30%.

 HONDA and RO KHANNA .

Rep. Mike Honda still had almost $1 million banked for his re-election campaign at September's end while Democratic challenger Ro Khanna was almost out of money, new Federal Election Commission reports show. Like Kashkari ,  (4)> Khanna is a poor "republican" who can't seem to beat the Democratic spending machine. According to Binder’s poll, the Khanna-Honda race is – against the odds — up for grabs, with Khanna pulling 33% plus 5% of leaners and Honda drawing 34% and 4% of leaners. That leaves about one-fourth of the voters – 24% — undecided and up for grabs with less than three weeks to go. Khanna, a corporate Democrat eager to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits to lower the tax rates for his wealthy supporters, sounds like a Republican. And Republicans and conservative pseudo-Democrats have financed his jihad against progressive icon Mike Honda in the Silicon Valley. Plenty of rich Silicon Valley tycoons with far too much money are behind Khanna’s relentless bid for office. Many of the companies, like Google and Facebook, who have helped the NSA and CIA with unconstitutional domestic spying against their customers, are Khanna’s biggest contributors. Google, in fact, is his biggest single donor.Big money has flowed into his campaign from the Wall Street banksters as well, particularly from Morgan Stanley, venture capitalists Kleiner, Perkins, Goldman Sachs, Pershing Square Capital Management, US Venture Partners, Artiman Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures and Cambrian Ventures. 

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

*** Several education groups are remaining neutral on Prop. 2 because of the cap on how much school districts can set aside in their own reserves. “It’s fiscally irresponsible and goes against the grain of everything the governor has said,” said Katherine Welch, director of the parent advocacy group Educate Our State in San Francisco, which is leading the opposition to Prop. 2. (2)>  The bill specified that if the state deposits even a penny into the education reserve that would be created by Proposition 2, the cap would be slapped on school districts' reserves. Surplus funds would have to be spent. Proposition 2 puts a 6% cap on school district reserves while the state aims for a 10% reserve. This addition of a 6% cap on school district reserves is a power play by the teacher's union to put pressure on the school district to give teachers raises. however, in the past the California legislature has been very tardy about appropriating money for the school, and thereby not allowing the school districts to plan properly. The school district may have to again borrow money and put more pressure on the district.Such a law may in the end not only hurt the children but also the teachers when the district runs out of money because of this corrupt law. For sure, the teacher's union will then take the  blame with the school districts for the fiasco it has help create if it happens.(3)> Which leads back to Kashkari’s fundamental problem: he’s a Republican in a state where the GOP brand is dog meat. And he’s running against a governor who is widely seen as doing a good job at guiding state government and moderating the liberal leanings of the Legislature . Only 29% of his backers said “I’m mostly voting for Neel Kashkari” while 69% (including 70% of Republicans and 73% of conservatives) said “I’m mostly voting against Jerry Brown.”(4)> latest poll shows that Congressman Honda is the overwhelming choice of voters in the 17th Congressional District. Ro Khanna’s campaign is clearly getting desperate, which is reflected in the barrage of attack mailers funded by Khanna’s Republican donors distorting Congressman Honda’s record of delivering for his district

The Politics of the NEW SPACE RACE.

This week the New Space Race was hit with mishaps that were referred to as 'anomalies'.  It made me wonder how much the commercial industry involvement in the space program is really worthwhile . President Obama way back in 2011 set the stage for a NASA decline,his cancellation of the Aries -Constellation rocket ,Obama cancelled NASA's Constellation program and "then, Congress dealt another blow, by cutting the funding for the Obama plan in half." and diverting future missions of exploration of the Moon and Mars for  an (2)> non governmental "development" of new craft to replace the Shuttle Program. (1)>  This whole cutting of NASA has led to massive layoffs of experts in the field . It has become so bad for the American Space program that  we were taking our (3)>  astronauts to fly on Russian rockets to the Space Station as a "cheap alternative" that cost 7 billion per launch to give  the Russians. As of now we still have no way of getting into space , even with the cutting edge involvement of the commercial developers are far behind by decades if you want to compare with the Apollo program and the Shuttle. So buy the time the commercial developers like Virgin Galactic really catch up , it is most likely that the Chinese will have one of their own on the Moon! Where Obama dropped the ball was in failing to save manned space programs, while failing to push private manned space flights that don't really need a bureaucracy to get the work done.At the same time, Obama has kept the largely useless, and pointless NASA bureaucracy in place. Such is typical of the federal government generally, especially as envisioned by Democrats: employees on the government dole not doing anything the people really need to have done. Obama prematurely retired our Space Shuttle fleet, with our Space Shuttles having completed only about 40% of their serviceable life expectancy.  Obama has capitulated and given manned space capabilities to the Russians and Chinese.  The United States for the present has no way to put humans into space.

Virgin Galactic is not bad for a concept:

The Design of the Virgin Galactic craft
would replace the Shuttle
only if NASA could lead it's
design .

I really believe that Virgin Galactic has potential . The design for Space Ship 1 & 2 is vary intricate , it should be applied for NASA development .   The project has been a decade in development and burned through $500m, and the completion date has moved so often that Private Eye magazine has begun keeping a record, under the headline: “Beam us up, Beardie!” The latest forecast is for early 2015: on David Letterman’s television show in September, Branson announced his family would be joining him for the first flight, in “February or March of next year”.

Rocket Failure.

The Antares rocket, operated by Orbital Sciences Corp.,crashed in a large fire Tuesday night, scattering debris over a wide area. It was carrying more than 5,000 pounds of scientific instruments, food and other supplies for the astronauts aboard the space station when down with the rocket. NASA says the space station is equipped with plenty of food to last while additional resupply missions are organized. Moments after lifting off at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the unmanned Antares rocket meant to bring cargo to the International Space Station exploded. This was to be the third commercial resupply mission by Orbital Sciences. The explosion occurred at 6:22 pm EDT on October 28, six seconds after launching. Yes, it was an expensive failure. But the benefit at the end of the tunnel is a private company (i.e. NOT the government) is developing (refining at this point, given that they've already had 2 successful launches) the ability for us to NOT spend tax dollars on space launches. Space launches are not going (and very much SHOULD not go) away. Our access to and use of space is vital and beneficial to humanity. Sure, obviously not ALL use of space is vital and beneficial, but our ACCESS to it very much is.

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

(1)> "The 7,000 layoffs at the space center triggered 7,000 more in the community. Unemployment has been close to 11 percent." (2)> The Orion/Ares (Constellation program) part of the VSE was failing. Obama cut Constellation, but saved and funded the Orion part (the manned capsule).  Obama has tried shifting the direction of LEO manned flight to private enterprise, but this year Congress only gave him HALF of what he asked for to fund that area of manned flight. (3)> Barack Obama’s decision to stop the development of a manned space travel capability for the United States is a leap backward of unfathomable proportions.  Obama is determined to not only destroy the image of the United States of America as the World leader but also to place us at an enormous future military disadvantage and even at the future mercy of Russia or China.

The Race for the State School Superintendent's office.

The two T's : TUCK and TORLAKSON . Either
one who wins election faces the same educational  bureaucracy
that made them.

The November election in California brings a number of issues . First who will be our Governor and who will succeed in the office  of (1) >  State School Superintendent . From my point of view  at a public school it means that we have to scrutinize  on who succeeds  . (2) >  Here too it's all about who spends the most , mostly at the hands of the super PAC's and the UNION dues .  ( SEE check out our campaign finance app here. )By law, donors are limited in how much they can directly contribute to candidates. Individuals are allowed to contribute up to $6,800 for a primary election and another $6,800 for a general election. All other donors, such as political action committees and businesses, are capped at $13,600 per primary election, and the same amount for a general election.  Right NOW Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is in the fight of his life against upstart challenger and fellow Democrat Marshall Tuck.  Marshall Tuck means to "Overhaul" the system that he says is ignoring our children.  "If you're happy with California public schools, vote for the incumbent and vote for the status quo," Tuck said in an interview. "If you think our kids can do better and we need major change in our schools, vote for someone who's actually delivered that." Tuck's view is the obvious it is similar material  spouted by far right Republicans that California that wealthiest and most innovative state in the nation, and yet according to recent national test scores,  (6)> our students rank 45th Education is a serious matter, BUT  I am just asking my self , just what if any of these State School Superintendents have done ? Going back to (5)> Delaine Eastin in 1995 . Most of the individuals who have had this office stay in that position almost longer than the  State Governor . I am sure that they over the last decade the (3) > BIG STATE EDUCATION SUPS  have gotten already cozy over the years  with the bureaucratic establishment that has already become a tremendous burden on  California state revenues . Our Education system has been cited by critic's as a failure  *** ( That's not my view ) State spending in California exceeds the flow of revenues  , which  has been a constant battle with late budgets over the years between Governor's Davis and Schwarzenegger . The Current Gov. Brown has solved the problem with taxation to keep up with (4)> Prop 98 funding guarantees  which now have brought education spending overboard to nearly equal the State's own yearly budget . I  don't know how long that is going to be sustainable like the Federal Deficit , but Educators are more worried about the state test's yearly API rather than the costs and bankruptcy . School solvency issues are not solved  without raising property taxes and state taxes . The battle has drawn national attention, along with millions of dollars from traditionalist teachers unions on one side and from those who want to wholly overhaul the way schools are run on the other. The result could reverberate far beyond California. Tuck, who built much of his campaign around the case, has repeatedly criticized Torlakson for his position, decrying it as a political move to assuage the California Teachers Association, a powerful political force in Sacramento and the biggest financial backer of Torlakson’s campaign. EITHER case I am seeing a repeat of the same bull on who win's the office . If Tuck get's it he is mostly going to make changes that will put him line with some ideas of the Republicans on education reform, its a double edge sword providing that Kashkari Brown's opponent wins the Governorship of the state . The other alternative reality is that  Torlakson will win the race . This is why everything is so cozy , how it REALLY will  last mostly depends on the state's revenues coming to support the same bureaucracy .
 Missing Candidate : 
There is a third candidate that was not mentioned by is running for the same office , but since the media attention has been on the  two Democrats .veteran teacher Lydia Gutierrez, a Republican with unconventional views, has been unable to attract comparable funding. She supports current job protections for instructors, much like Torlakson. But unlike Torlakson and Tuck, she would undo state learning goals, called the Common Core, adopted by California and 43 other states. Read the dotted line did I say "Republican"?

NOTES AND COMMENTS: 

 (1) > The HISTORY of the Office of   California  Superintendents of Public Instruction believe it or not goes back to 1851 . (2)> With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, the race for California state superintendent of public instruction has been fueled by a combined $24 million in total campaign spending for incumbent Tom Torlakson and candidate Marshall Tuck. Outside groups not affiliated with either candidate represent the bulk of that spending – close to $19.4 million on ads and mailers on behalf of the candidates. Another committee, “Great Public Schools Los Angeles PAC” – largely formed to support Los Angeles school board candidate Alex Johnson ­– gave $117,450 to the Tuck committee. The Los Angeles PAC is financed by many of the same individuals funding the Tuck committee. ***  I BELIEVE TEACHERS WORK HARD , and deserve the resources that they need to fulfill their obligations to teach . Often the problems are not in the classroom  they mostly have been in the Administration office , which is  mostly through out the whole State of California's school Districts. The term   "top heavy" with more management positions, and less support staff , less teachers . Is now the norm .Cost wise  Twenty-one “Top-Heavy States” employ fewer teachers than other non-teaching personnel. Thus, those 21 states have more administrators and other non-teaching staff on the public payroll than teachers. Virginia “leads the way” with 60,737 more administrators and other non-teaching staff than teachers in its public schools.There are significant differences in total employment ratios across states. Vermont, Maine, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia each have fewer than six students per public school employee. That compares to more than 10 students per public school employee in Idaho, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Utah, and Nevada. (3)> With California’s public school system facing economic uncertainties – even with the passage of a tax increase under Proposition 30 – some of the most financially troubled districts have been elevating the payroll for top administrators, a review of district data shows.In the 2012-13 school year, a record 188 districts – with about 2.6 million students – have landed on a special California Department of Education list designed to sound the alarm on possible financial peril (see this report : http://californiawatch.org/k-12/despite-budget-woes-superintendents-pay-rises-18791 ) (4)> California education spending is almost 50 % of the state budget , it's the most expensive of any American state , any attempts to cut have been futile . It's costly , and it is one of the reasons California has one of the highest rates of taxation . The education department has an annual budget to oversee $70 billion a year  in education funding. Remember yearly state is  "budget" is 108 billion dollars a year ! (5)>  Delaine Eastin  might be "remembered" for stance pro- Gay agenda which she received much criticism and accusation of indoctrinating children as  State Superintendent .Much of it is found here : http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kids-Not-Focus-of-Race-for-Schools-Chief-2982952.php  AND ALSO THIS OLD NOTE . http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/society/out.htm  (6)> The "rankings" have been a matter of debate . The Teacher's Union is justifiably against "rankings" of any kind , and in some cases unfair to some schools with struggling students . 

Russia's Putin On America .

Russian President Putin's speech at the Valdai Club
this week hosting a gathering
of Western and Russian
journalists .

You can't say that I  don't blame  Russian President Vladimir Putin, this week as  he gave a fiery speech accused the United States on Friday of trying to “reshape the whole world” for its benefit, in a fiery speech that was one of the most anti-American of his 15 years as Russia’s paramount leader. (1)>  Look at what our country did in the last decade since the "war on terror" began . All of the Middle-East has been a mess , our nation's leaders have gone back to "cold war antics " against Russia that in true reality don't make any sense . Putin said that “is not asking anyone for permission” in its conduct of world affairs . “It never ceases to amaze me how our partners have been guilty of making the same mistakes time and again,” Putin said, accusing the United States of breeding terrorists by upsetting the established order in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. What he is saying is true . It’s a story that should take your breath away: the destabilization of what, in the Bush years, used to be called “the arc of instability.” It involves at least 97 countries, across the bulk of the global south, much of it coinciding with the oil heartlands of the planet. A startling number of these nations are now in turmoil, and in every single one of them — from Afghanistan and Algeria to Yemen and Zambia — Washington is militarily involved, overtly or covertly, in outright war or what passes for peace. Garrisoning the planet is just part of it. The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence services are also running covert special forces and spy operations, launching drone attacks, building bases and secret prisons, training, arming, and funding local security forces, and engaging in a host of other militarized activities right up to full-scale war. But while you consider this, keep one fact in mind: the odds are that there is no longer a single nation in the arc of instability in which the United States is in no way militarily involved. America my own country that I live in ,  is looking more like a aggressor nation ( not just policing the world )  , but HARDLY A PEACE MAKER.  Here also is a key note what Putin also said as to why we as Americans should pay attention what our leaders are doing in regards to foreign  policy making  . Here Putin addresses the current problem he says  “The system of international relations needed some changes, but the USA, who believe they were the winners of the Cold War, have not seen the need for this.” He added that the US has been trying to create the world “for their own gains." The Russian President added that because of this, regional and global security had been weakened. Relations between Russia and the US have been plummeting for months; however Vladimir Putin accused the US of using the EU to further its own gains against Russia. He hit out at the numerous sanctions that have been imposed on Moscow, saying, "This was a mistake, which has a knock-on effect on everyone."“The USA, which has implemented sanctions against Russia, is sawing at the branches, upon which they are sitting,” President Putin added.The reduction of nuclear arsenals was another issue, which was high on the agenda for the Russian President and once again, he was not afraid of having a dig at Washington for their reluctance to cut the number of nuclear missiles. He mentioned that unfortunately many countries see the only way to preserve their sovereignty is, "To make a nuclear bomb."The reduction in nuclear arsenals was initially proposed by the Obama administration and Putin admitted it had potential, before talks about decreasing weapons stockpiles collapsed."Russia has been all for the continuation of talks about the reduction of nuclear arsenals," and according to President Putin, "Moscow is ready for serious talks, but without “double standards."

 ***Let's end this new cold war .

The Russian President said that there is no truth whatsoever in claims from the West that Russia is interested in empire building and that Moscow is looking to destabilize the world order. With relations between Russia and the West at a very low ebb, Putin also hinted Russia will look to develop allies further afield."Russia has made its choice – we want to develop our economy and develop democratic values. We work with our counterparts in the Shanghai Cooperation, the BRICS union for example. We want our opinions to be respected likewise. We all need to be cautious to not make hasty and dangerous steps. Some of the players on the global front have forgotten about the need for this," he said in another barb directed at Washington.

NOTES AND COMMENTS: 

(1)> The Obama Doctrine on the Middle East was hinted at in the president's 2009 Cairo speech, during a Middle East tour in which Obama did not visit Israel.  Obama apologized for our war on terror.  "The fear and anger" after 9/11 "led us to act contrary to our ideals," he told the Egyptian crowd.  In a speech in France, Obama declared that America must make deep cuts in our nuclear arsenal, because otherwise we don't have "the moral authority to say to Iran, don't develop a nuclear weapon." The United States is now involved in wars in six arc-of-instability nations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. It has military personnel deployed in other arc states, including Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Of these countries,Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all host U.S. military bases, while the CIA is reportedly building a secret base somewhere in the region for use in its expanded drone wars in Yemen and Somalia. It is also using already existing facilities in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates for the same purposes, and operating a clandestine base in Somalia where it runs indigenous agents and carries out counter terrorism training for local partners. *** The "blame" for the new cold war lies at the foot of the Obama Administration. There is a diplomatic way out. Putin did not begin or want this crisis; among other costs, it obliterated the achievement of his Sochi Olympics. Nor did he initiate the unfolding Cold War, which was inspired in Washington years before he came to power. Western policy-makers should therefore take seriously the adage, “There are two sides to every story.” Is Putin right, as he also asserted that Russia “has its own national interests that must be taken into account and respected,” particularly along its borders? If the answer is no, as it has seemed to be since the 1990s—if Putin is correct in angrily protesting, “Only they can ever be right”—then war is possible, if not now, eventually. But if the answer is yes, proposals made by Putin’s foreign ministry  could be the starting point for negotiations.

The "Midterm" elections is coming!

The mid term's are around the corner . There is a lot of anxiety and desperation in the political front . ALSO it's going to be a wall-up  in spending as the "rich" donations   pour into both the coffers of the democrats and Republicans with billions wasted to fraud the American people even further..  The total price tag for the 2014 midterms -- an election which almost no one is paying attention to -- will be nearly ***$4 billion, according to projections released Wednesday by the Center for Responsive Politics. That would make it the most expensive midterm election in history and set the stage for a 2016 presidential contest that could approach double-digit billions in spending. The American public by now should have all the fog cleared from their eye's , sure we have the power to vote , but we don't have the power of the dollar in our hands , so the election process is certainly bought with cash by the biggest donation Example President Obama's fundraising may have raised 1 billion dollars , that money is not from an average taxpayer , but the spending leaps like a frog . "So far, at least $663.3 million has been spent by outside groups like super PACs and 527s (a figure that is current within the last 48 hours), but CRP’s projections based on the pattern in the 2012 cycle indicate that at least another $233.5 million remains to be spent in the 12 days before Nov. 4," according to the Center."That’s a rate of $19.4 million a day." Political missteps by President Obama are unnerving Democrats just two weeks before the midterm elections. NO democrat candidate wants Obama nearby; BLACKs walk out on his speeches; Republicans and Democrats are struggling for control of the Senate in this November’s midterm elections. But there is no real fight for control of the House of Representatives. The Outcome?  on November 5, this will be seen as an anti-incumbent election first and foremost.  That means that Democrats may well lose the Senate (they will almost certainly lose 4 or more net seats) and some net House races and that GOP and Democratic incumbents - or incumbent parties - will lose Governor's mansions across the land.I see the GOP losing Alaska, Wisconsin, Florida, PA, Maine and Kansas on November 4 while Democrats lose Massachusetts, Arkansas and Connecticut.  Dems hold on in Illinois only because Bruce Rauner blew a winnable race with his business antics and Hickenlooper pulls out the narrowest of wins in Colorado.  Rick Snyder survives in Michigan by a percentage point or two because Dems didn't quite get out enough votes in Detroit to win it.  It's all about the practicability of the outcome , Politico is predicting a loss of 10 seats for Democrats, with 14 toss-up races not included. Larry Sabato is predicting a “strong and increasing chance” for the GOP to gain control of the Senate, but a House map that “isn’t really expanding to a great degree.” The Washington Post is predicting a gain of 8 seats in the House for Republicans and seven seats in the Senate. 

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

*** The issue isn't just whether money can help win races. The issue is to whom the candidates are accountable after they win. It's naive to believe that elected officials don't have some sense of what will happen to their campaign funding if they vote one way rather than another, and it's unquestionable that those who fund campaigns get far more access to the political system.