As for David Leitschuh's claim that Canada is committing to $1.3 billion in additional personnel and new technology to increase US border security.
They had agreed to that weeks before, so they just restated it in slightly different terms & hornswoggled that demented, deranged, halfwitted lunatic in the White House, who is easily fooled by anyone smarter than a two year old! But then the fat fascist does have an IQ of 73!
That was the result of a test he took in high school.
The facts are, he is a moron, he proves that daily, but also a con man. he falls for the most stupid & absurd crap all the time. Con men have a totally different type of intelligence than anyone else. They are generally stupid people, who have the weird ability to find the suckers & take their money, or in the case of the fat fascist, get the fools to vote for him, despite all his lies.
Hey Garry and fellow anti-Trump PS readers - I would like to respond with a couple facts regarding the suggestion that the Canadian commitment of 1.3 billion in increased border security is not attributable to Trump.
Shortly after his election in November last year, Trump announced he was contemplating 25% tariffs on both Canada and Mexico because he did not see them doing their part in security with the US border.
On November 29th in response to Trump's threat of tariffs, Canadian prime Minister Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with Trump on border security and the tariff threat.
On December 17th, The Canadian government announced its commitment for a package of measures valued at $1.3 billion dollars to increase security at the US border.
If in view of this factual timetable of events you continue to assert that Trump was not responsible for obtaining the Canadian commitment for increased border security after Canada had done absolutely nothing over the previous four years, I am forced to conclude it that your dislike of Trump precludes you from recognizing the obvious on this. But I believe that the overwhelming majority of people who are able to look at this objectively will inescapably conclude that Trump's threat of tariffs illicited both the immediate response from Trudeau for the visit and meeting and the announced decision two and a half weeks later for increased border security.
Hi John - no, not at all if you follow the sequence of events. Trump made the threat of tariffs specifically tied to border security. That was before there had been any indication from Canada that they were doing anything different at the border.
Was that heavy-handed? Undeniably it was. But, that negotiation worked spectacularly with the desired results of increased Canadian security at the border in direct response to his threat of tariffs.
In attempting to understand how Trump works which is unquestionably a challenge for all of us, I read something from a conservative commentator that made a lot of sense to me. When Trump says something, do not take him literally, but always take him seriously.
I find the phrase "don't take him literally, but take him seriously" infuriating, because it's such a weaselly thing to say. If he does exactly what he said then why didn't anyone heed the warning, and if he doesn't, why were you taking him literally?
That aside, my comment was related to yours -- you said Trump floated the idea of a tariff if Canada didn't increase border security, Trudeau then met with him at Mar-a-Lago and afterward announced Canada would invest in border security. Then last month Trump imposes the threatened tariff, only to pause it shortly after. In other words, performative BS since he already had Canada's commitment to do what he wanted.
I don't see it as performative, but rather part of the negotiation. The tariff was there until there was a hard commitment to step up with specific measures for border security and that's what candidate it. To me it was a very successful negotiation that has significantly enhanced American security.
Stop it! Everything Trump says and does is performative. Besides, even if true, it’s nothing to celebrate. The Canadian border was not that big an issue. Trudeau is pathetic which is why his polling is low and Canada is about to kick him out. I’m not a big fan of extortion.
Now the actually weaponized Bondi Dept of Justice is telling prosecutors to lay off corrupt Eric Adams, mayor of New York City. It tooks years of ass-kissing for Blago to get his pardon, Adams did it in a few weeks, and joins Giuliani in the Mayoral Roll of Dishonor.
To any reasonable person who values public education, "adequately funded" public schools means schools in all areas that have reasonable student/teacher ratios, sufficient and sufficiently qualified teachers and support staff, decent professionally staffed libraries, a wide range of subjects taught, clean and safe physical plants and equipment, and supplementary funding for activities and services that fall on the school other than education. Can't afford it? Then you can't afford a decent society that does not fail its children.
There’s some vague adjectives in here. “Reasonable“ “sufficient“ “decent." And I think that’s what the point was. What are we talking about here in terms of money and then where is that money going to come from?
As previously stated, I am a retired teacher. I also have a masters in administration. I have no idea what any of the funding terms used here mean. I attended CPS schools. I have taught in the suburbs and the most out of the way rural schools, which spent half of what CPS does with much better results. What’s not being discussed here is the basics of education. That is trained teachers that know the subject(s) and students ready to listen and absorb. Without those, no amount of money will help. Think to when all of you were in school. Your classroom didn’t have the bells and whistles that many schools today have. What we had was teachers that cared and parents at home that told us we had better listen. I am not claiming that librarians, nurses, social workers, and arts teachers would not enhance the educational experience. But is starts with the basics. Get the kids to school on time every day and in front of teachers that care. The issues that many CPS teachers face can mostly not be fixed merely with more money. I know this from personal experience. I have worked in schools that were doling out school materials and supplies with eye droppers. Somehow many of my students successfully completed the school experience and went on to college and other forms of productive lives. It even happens in CPS. So we can keep debating the money issue. But it’s far from the only thing that needs fixing.
For my district, money for students reflects what's needed in the classroom, including the number of students per classroom. We are a high-poverty district, and our teachers are at the lower end of the pay scale compared to others. It's hard to attract and keep good teachers, staff turnover is a problem. Bells and whistles don't exist for us. We buy our own supplies and often supply our students as well. We have technology, but it's not the best or even reliable. The problem of getting students to school on time, every day, is the highest priority, and it's not easy without parental support. While we can't offer what other districts are able to provide for their students, we do our best to give them what they need and enable them to be successful post-graduation. The disparity between districts is what bothers me the most.
I don’t question anything you say. I’ve been there. I taught in one rural building that was well over 100 years old. With district finances, they didn’t even consider a new building. What many question is the amount of money CPS already has and where it goes. If you’re a CPS teacher, you already know some of the other difficulties that cannot be fixed merely with money. Undereducated parents that don’t provide enough home support. The feeling that school is often a waste of time because society won’t let black students succeed. I’ve told the story before of interviewing for a CPS position. The principal told me about a 5th grader that didn’t care about school because he was making big money on weekends as a lookout for drug dealers. I commend you for taking on a difficult task. It’s hard to convince taxpayers to pony up more when they feel they already pay too much and they question if it’s worth it. By the way, I agree with you on teacher pay and have said so. People look only at numbers. They forget most teachers are required to live in the city and the cost of doing it.
Hi Laurence - I find myself in agreement with everything you say, and your background certainly makes you qualified on the subject.
I believe there is also a social/cultural element that is a critical piece of the puzzle in trying to solve our education system failures. And that is the absence of a family emphasis and support for education for many inner city students.
When we began fostering the inner city girl for her junior year of high school, we were shocked when she told us that she had never in her life done homework before, and again when I was preparing to attend her first parent teacher conference and she told me that no one had ever attended one of these on her behalf before. This lack of parental and family support for education was obviously a significant factor in her tragic gross academic deficiencies.
But conversely, the inner city boy we mentored through the Boys Hope/Girls Hope program had a mother who was fierce in her determination that he attended all his classes, did all his classwork ended everything possible to succeed with his education. (The fact that the program provided him with the ability to attend a private Catholic school for a better education was also a huge element in this.) This young man struggled his first year upon coming to the private school from CPS, but through grit, determination and support from a lot of us he won the award his sophomore year for the most improved student. He graduated with sufficient grades to get a full academic scholarship to Drake University where he subsequently graduated with honors and out his in the early stage of a great career. That is a true success story for this young man, his family and our society!
So I believe that support and encouragement for education in the home is a critical determinant of either academic success or failure. And that's something as a society we need to be willing to talk about and find ways to address.
Ok, yes, CPS has challenges that, say, Winnetka doesn’t. The question is whether even more money to CPS would work to overcome these challenges. Given the near doubling of per-student CPS funding in the last 13 years and the dismal results, it’s not obvious. Even if it’s spent wisely, not manifestly the case for CPS, there is some amount of money which represents the best you can do in the circumstances, after which more money is just waste. I think CPS is already well past that point. Evanston is getting close.
It is impossible to quantify such things (beyond quantifiable measures such as teacher/student ratios, qualified staff, etc.). Where the money comes from is a question about what you value as a society, something that should arise from consensus. The fact is that the US is the richest country in the world and could afford the best health care and educational systems, but heaven forfend that those with deeper pockets should pay proportionately more toward the greater good (see the Griffin and Uihlein funded torpedoing of the Illinois graduated income tax).
"In looking through my archives for something else the other day I came across . . ."
Deep thanks for evoking the late, great Sun-Times columnist Sidney Harris. His columns were always worth reading, but the ones that had the biggest influence on me began something like this: "Things I learned while on the way to looking up something else," which was followed by nuggets of unrelated information that he'd seen while physically thumbing through the pages and skimming through the entries of his dictionary, encyclopedia, or other reference work en route to the thing he'd originally intended to check. I'd had the same habit, delighting in chance encounters with new words, unfamiliar places, and challenging ideas. Those columns gave me permission to embrace that practice as part of my wider education, not as a waste of time when I could have finished my homework hours earlier without it. Expanded physically when looking for a volume on the shelves of a library or flipping through the card catalog, this practice has been an abiding delight. It's not easy to deal with when packing my reference books in preparation for moving, and no impediment to my happy use of Wikipedia, but still a vital key to broadening my horizons and keeping me curious.
“ Things I learned while on the way to looking up something else”
Yes! I feel this is something we’ve lost. It’s why I still have my old Britannica (please don’t ask for anything after about 1960, though). It’s why I prefer browsing in a bookstore to looking for a book on a website. The random, serendipitous nature of finds is something I’m loathe to give up.
That's why I like to actually do the grocery shopping sometimes - you never know what you're going to find! Sometimes a particular veg or fruit just looks fabulous and you can incorporate in your meals or a new product is on the shelves or there's something in the clearance meat bin that would make a great dinner on the cheap. I admit I do use the pick-up service at Jewel and Mariano frequently but like to actually enter the store myself at least once a week and see what there is to see. When we go to a bookstore, our family similarly ends up with armloads of books we would never have stumbled across on Amazon or BN.com. Though the library is that way as well and far less painful on the wallet
Perhaps, besides getting rid of the penny, they should start making nickels like pennies (out of zinc). That way, the zinc lobby is happy, and we can still round to 5 cents without losing money.
Great idea ... however, nickel is very difficult to plate onto zinc. A zinc core could be plated with copper and then nickel but that seems like a challenge. They need a new shiny metal solution because the quarter and dime, like the nickel, are also nickel plated over copper. Maybe nickel-plated aluminum.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the back story is with Blago’s pardon. I thought Trump simply wanted to stick his thumb into the eye of the DOJ for prosecuting federal political corruption, especially in light of him now considering a pardon for NY Mayor Eric Adams. However, what’s with Blagojevich becoming an ambassador? There has to be more to it. Trump is transactional. He doesn’t do anything unless it brings some benefit to him. Any thoughts?
He’s going to have an ally who used to be a Democrat. Just like he will probably have NYC’s Democratic mayor in his pocket after stopping the investigation into him.
I think he just generally loves people who are corrupt. He likes those who cheat to get ahead. He sees the era of the robber barons as one of America's "great" time periods.
Trump’s comment was that Blago was treated unfairly. What does that even mean? The FBI had recorded conversations. Does Trump even know the details? Does he care? Or is he merely sticking it to Illinois Democrats?
Trump is a moron that believes whatever bullshit is told to him personally. So Blago told him he was set up buy the Democrats & the FBI, so the fat fascist moron believes it, because Blago told him that!
Treated unfairly might be the fact that he was sentenced to over 10 years. Not sure of any other politicians who got that long a sentence. Nixon was pardoned and many think that was great of Ford.
There have been politicians treated much the same as Blago. Selling a Senate seat is pretty serious. Your Nixon and Ford example is not a good one. Nixon resigned before a Senate trial was held. There was no conviction. His own VP, Ford, supposedly pardoned him to spare the country over any more Watergate stuff and get the country on a different path. It didn’t totally work as Ford became the first sitting president to lose reelection.
I have argued that Ford's preemptive pardon was toxic in its own right since it forestalled any definitive conclusion to Watergate. The unresolved issues fueled further divides and fostered resentment. We're now paying the price...
I think there is plenty of evidence to that effect. Reagan nominates Bork to SCOTUS knowing Dems won't confirm him, feeding the right-wing resentment. Whitewater turns into a free-for-all from Ken Starr, leading to the GOP impeaching Clinton for lying about a blow-job. The 2000 election shenanigans. I'm not saying none of that wouldn't have still happened if Nixon had been tried, but it seems connected to me.
The first? Nah. John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland , Benjamin Harrison: William Howard Taft and Herbert Hoover beat him to that distinction.
My bad. I will now proceed to flail myself with a wet noodle. I will then watch 10 hours of Donald Trump telling us how to make America a great country again.
I would really love to hear the Illinois Republicans who were quite vocal about Blago being a corrupt crapweasel explain how he was unfairly prosecuted and deserved a full pardon.
Not disagreeing with you. But remember the history of Democratic politics in Illinois. Right from the start they are suspect. Also remember it was the feds that nailed Blago. Would the Dems have done it? Blago and Obama were not exactly buddy-buddy.
I'm not saying Blago isn't a corrupt crapweasel -- he certainly is. I'm just wondering if the cognitive dissonance in GOP HQ will cause a fissure in the spacetime continuum...
Blago wrote an op-ed in the WSJ where he implied that Obama was the mastermind, using the deep state to target both him and Trump. He also spoke at the Republican convention. He hit all the points: Trump was the target of law fare, there is a corrupt deep state, and Obama is an evil mastermind...
I have no idea how to arrive at the proper amount of money to spend per student at CPS that would satisfy the teacher's union, but if that figure was magically reached, by the next contract negotiations they'd want it raised.
Also, is there any way that teacher compensation can be tied to reading or math score testing results in the same way that winning and losing is tied to coaching hiring, firing and compensation?
It would be appalling to tie teacher compensation to testing results. It’s not as though teachers were the only influence on student achievement. You can be the greatest teacher in the world, but if your students are malnourished; live in households without books, or parents who care; who come to school dodging bullets and bullies, you’re not miraculously going to achieve high test scores.
What Joan said. The only sort of teacher evaluation that I might be able to endorse would be one that does baseline testing of a classroom of students at the beginning of the school year and then compares test results at the end of the school year to see if the progress that was made was in line with standards Set by comparisons with similar student groups. I know that sounds fussy, but this idea that teachers are failing because their students aren’t reading and writing and ciphering at grade level is nonsense.
Makes sense from a statistical modeling perspective. You want to get the effect a teacher has on students no matter their level. I had a neighbor who sent his daughter to Walter Payton High School which has a great reputation. He was not at all impressed. Their test scores are good because they can cherry pick students.
Based on what I have heard I would be interested in seeing the "teacher effects" at Whitney Young. I would expect them to be very good.
One of my boys went to Payton and the teachers were terrific. But, yes, the process cherry-picks the most talented, focused, disciplined kids (not bragging on my son, but he was a good student) and that’s going to make teaching a lot easier.
I should have been clear that my neighbor did not think Payton was bad. It just did not have a higher standard than what he had in high school and he expected that it would.
I would not be surprised if things have changed over time. Teachers and principals come and go. I have seen the schools in Evanston change quite a bit in the past 20 years
Anecdotes do not really mean all that much, but my two grandsons attended Whitney Young. One has graduated and is doing well at university (deans list, not that you asked), the other is in his senior year. The school has many of the things that lead to successful eduvational outcomes, but I do not think that is by any means the case all over the CPS. It is easy to say money is not the answer, but lack of money to pay qualified people and provide good back-up and facilities sure as hell leads to failure.
I wasn't thinking of the larger picture with my original comment, and if my daughter who teaches in a suburban public school was to read it, I would be properly admnished.
One of the top issues that CTU pursues in every contract is the elimination of any testing and any teacher evaluation. I like your idea, except that the 'progress in line with standards' is a potential weak point.
Performance 'at grade level' is a good example. The governor was celebrating the fact that Illinois was the top performing state with 74% at 'grade level' in elementary grade levels. But only 32% were 'proficient' at grade level.
If the school system, including teachers, should be expected to deliver a program that delivers minimum skills. Reading, math, and civics skills in particular. If that means holding students back or increasing the class hours on basic skills (at the expense of other classes) then maybe that should be considered.
In any case, the school system should admit that it is dependent on parents and students and stop pretending that it is capable making up for their contribution.
Wait.. Blago pardon = Blago to Serbia? SOLD! This may be my most favorite descriptor, "The endlessly annoying. insufferably vain, incorrigibly combative, brazenly corrupt and stubbornly unrepentant former Democratic governor...(...mericless, cowardly and lazy...)" Reading on... Blago's getting divorced? That's how I read his statement on running again.
Trump dumps Lincoln head penny for costing too much... proposes $.03 coin to commemorate Jan 6 hostages. Eric's counter point (China doesn't own Panama Canal) to David's point (Rubio terminate agreement on China's canal operations) is mute. If Trump says China owns the canal it must be true as David notes. Good Times Mark - ixney on the illary-ney. Puns: Eric Zorn admits to not having a proofreader due to DEI policies in place during the Biden years. :P Mail: I get computer images emailed me on what is to arrived for the day. Most days it is ads so I don't go to my mailbox unless there is a package that might be delivered to my box vs door. Late superbowl (& playoffs0 David L. The NFL would happily relocate those outdoor games to dome or southern stadiums - maybe even to larger stadiums in Germany, Mexico, and Brazil too
Bekoso, bekiso, bekaso, beservo, begolfo... be-butkus by how they act watching football games.
I have been preaching about getting rid of the penny and the nickel for years. It's crazy how people defend keeping them sometimes. (I think it was someone from the W administration years ago I saw on the news that promoted keeping the penny because penny jars are some sort of quaint family tradition).
It's insane they are still in use when you consider what they were worth when they were first minted compared to today. You could actually buy something for a penny back then. It's dumb to keep them around.
The other thing we need to do is get rid of the paper dollar. There is no paper British pound or euro, for good reason. They've tried for years to get people to use a coin dollar instead of paper, from Susan B. Anthony in 1979 (I think?) to Sacagawea to the presidents. But the way to make the change is to stop making the damn paper dollar.
And another thing while I'm on my soapbox (I don't comment much here these days):
So many countries I visit the paper money makes more sense too. Denominations are usually different sizes and colors, making them easier to use and not accidentally use the wrong bill. And it makes the money easier for blind people to use.
Also, while this is one very rare thing I agree with when it comes to Cheeto Hitler, it is both questionable if he can do it (like everything else he is doing) and a really stupid way to do it. You don't just tell the U.S. mint to stop making pennies. You have to actually have a plan for changing your money, and time for businesses to do what they need to do to get ready for the change.
He can if nobody in Congress stops him. He has been told by the courts to stop certain things, and his administration response has been to float the idea of impeaching the judge. It's like watching a movie where the actor will start to do something and somebody will say "Hey, you can't do that" and then the actor will go ahead and does it anyway.
If the mint stops making the penny and the Republicans in Congress let him then I guess he can cancel the penny.
So what happens to those machines at various tourist locations, where you put four quarters and a penny into slots and it die-presses a souvenir medallion out of the penny. Another minor pleasure of my youth on its way out?
Deni - I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I have used the term the "Sacagawea Dollar Problem" to describe a situation where you can't get folks to adopt a new, much better system until you make the old system unavailable. Coin dollars last hundreds of times longer than paper dollars. The research I've seen shows that the Crane Stationary Company (the sole supplier of paper for US currency, formerly based in MA, but now based in CT) has used skilled lobbying efforts for decades to put a stick in the spokes of all previous efforts to do away with paper $1.00 bills.
I love receiving and sending mail through the USPS! We rely on the daily mail where I work, and I enjoy my daily visits to the post office to greet the person working there as I mail my letters, invoices and payments. Believe it or not, everyone does not have access to email or online bank accounts. In my personal life, I mail at least 2 postcards or letters every day to people I care about, with pen pals across the country, the world. I also still receive print issues of magazines I enjoy…so, yes, I want to continue mail service 6 days a week. It brings and shares joy and information across the miles.
I admire the post office workers and their system. The items that I want to see that I get (magazines, social security and Medicare items) arrive as needed and the fact that I can send something across country in a couple days for whatever a stamp costs these days is pretty cool. So, props to the post office!
Interesting that Eric ignored the elephant in the room, the Super Bowl, but got all worked up about Blago.
I found the Super Bowl to be ultra crass. Money, money money,. How many more diamonds in the Super Bowl rings, the cost of commercials, how much money the winners and losers take home.
I have a suggestion, let us make the next a Super Bowl a charity one. Put social pressure on the greedy NFL to donate 25% of its profits to charities. Same for all the players and ask the bettors to take 25% off their bets and donate that.
Let us make something positive out of this event. And as for charities, I suggest these 3 if you need guidance:
1. Give to organizations that help victims of violent crime get back on their feet both medically and financially.
2. Support for cancer patients and research. I wonder how much better the world would have been if JFK said: We choose not to go to the moon, we choose to cure cancer instead.”
3. Financial and medical support for the various high school football players who are injured every year.
One last note, Eric, do not take the bait! With Blago, any publicity is good publicity and is likely smiling at your lead headline. He is best forgotten.
I love the idea of it being focused on charity and having all the parties involved compete to see who can be more charitable. Unfortunately, it'll never happen because the entire thing is about capitalistic greed now and nothing at all about an athletic contest. Sadly, that's the direction of the entire country now.
I was appalled at the monetization of stupid things thanks to prop betting. Also appalled at legalized sports gambling and how it has taken over even the sports "news" programs. It's all about the betting, not the game. I know gambling has always existed and always will but the average person wasn't betting on how many camera shots of a WAG would happen during the game or what color the Gatorade would be before legalization and online gaming.
No one counterfeits coins, except the gold coins. Even then, it's a very complicated process, that require engravers to create the stamping dies & extremely few attempt it.
Positive? But surely Our Dear Leader owes his bigly success to being an asshole and gorging on festering grievances! Dale Carnegie was woke and must be canceled.
The general consensus seems to be that Trump got something right with the penny. Good for him! The counterpoint is other news.Gaza had better wise up by Saturday or else. Just what does that mean? Does Burger Boy nuke Gaza or send in the troops? Forget consumer protection. Remember Wells Fargo a few years ago writing up accounts for customers that didn’t ask for them? They won’t get caught now. The fight to stop companies from further poisoning the air on the southeast side or BP dumping in Lake Michigan? Forget it with the EPA getting slashed. Forgive me if I don’t get over excited about penny issues.
Agree. This is a distraction and part of the strategy to overwhelm the populace. I think Bannon was even quoted somewhere explaining it - throw three things out there every day and chances are at least two of them will go unnoticed or unopposed, just due to sheer volume. They're flooding the zone with sh-t and the country is drowning in it.
As for David Leitschuh's claim that Canada is committing to $1.3 billion in additional personnel and new technology to increase US border security.
They had agreed to that weeks before, so they just restated it in slightly different terms & hornswoggled that demented, deranged, halfwitted lunatic in the White House, who is easily fooled by anyone smarter than a two year old! But then the fat fascist does have an IQ of 73!
Here we go again - spreading fake news. Let's keep this factual and independently confirmed. There is no way he has an IQ of 73! :)
Wanna bet?
That was the result of a test he took in high school.
The facts are, he is a moron, he proves that daily, but also a con man. he falls for the most stupid & absurd crap all the time. Con men have a totally different type of intelligence than anyone else. They are generally stupid people, who have the weird ability to find the suckers & take their money, or in the case of the fat fascist, get the fools to vote for him, despite all his lies.
I think DancesWithDogs was saying there is no way his IQ is that HIGH
LOL, but he wasn't saying that, he's a fool who thinks the fat fascist is a genius!
Melinda is indeed correct. There is no way he's a 73. You could have dyscalculia and flipped numbers
As much as I know he's a moron, I don't think someone with an IQ of 37 can even breathe on their own.
Also, Mexico already had troops at the border. DonnyDespot did nothing, as usual, but take attention away from his failures.
Hey Garry and fellow anti-Trump PS readers - I would like to respond with a couple facts regarding the suggestion that the Canadian commitment of 1.3 billion in increased border security is not attributable to Trump.
Shortly after his election in November last year, Trump announced he was contemplating 25% tariffs on both Canada and Mexico because he did not see them doing their part in security with the US border.
On November 29th in response to Trump's threat of tariffs, Canadian prime Minister Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with Trump on border security and the tariff threat.
On December 17th, The Canadian government announced its commitment for a package of measures valued at $1.3 billion dollars to increase security at the US border.
If in view of this factual timetable of events you continue to assert that Trump was not responsible for obtaining the Canadian commitment for increased border security after Canada had done absolutely nothing over the previous four years, I am forced to conclude it that your dislike of Trump precludes you from recognizing the obvious on this. But I believe that the overwhelming majority of people who are able to look at this objectively will inescapably conclude that Trump's threat of tariffs illicited both the immediate response from Trudeau for the visit and meeting and the announced decision two and a half weeks later for increased border security.
So what you're saying is Trump's announcement of the Canadian tariff was just performative BS since he already had the commitment sewn up. Got it...
Hi John - no, not at all if you follow the sequence of events. Trump made the threat of tariffs specifically tied to border security. That was before there had been any indication from Canada that they were doing anything different at the border.
Was that heavy-handed? Undeniably it was. But, that negotiation worked spectacularly with the desired results of increased Canadian security at the border in direct response to his threat of tariffs.
In attempting to understand how Trump works which is unquestionably a challenge for all of us, I read something from a conservative commentator that made a lot of sense to me. When Trump says something, do not take him literally, but always take him seriously.
I find the phrase "don't take him literally, but take him seriously" infuriating, because it's such a weaselly thing to say. If he does exactly what he said then why didn't anyone heed the warning, and if he doesn't, why were you taking him literally?
That aside, my comment was related to yours -- you said Trump floated the idea of a tariff if Canada didn't increase border security, Trudeau then met with him at Mar-a-Lago and afterward announced Canada would invest in border security. Then last month Trump imposes the threatened tariff, only to pause it shortly after. In other words, performative BS since he already had Canada's commitment to do what he wanted.
I don't see it as performative, but rather part of the negotiation. The tariff was there until there was a hard commitment to step up with specific measures for border security and that's what candidate it. To me it was a very successful negotiation that has significantly enhanced American security.
Stop it! Everything Trump says and does is performative. Besides, even if true, it’s nothing to celebrate. The Canadian border was not that big an issue. Trudeau is pathetic which is why his polling is low and Canada is about to kick him out. I’m not a big fan of extortion.
Now the actually weaponized Bondi Dept of Justice is telling prosecutors to lay off corrupt Eric Adams, mayor of New York City. It tooks years of ass-kissing for Blago to get his pardon, Adams did it in a few weeks, and joins Giuliani in the Mayoral Roll of Dishonor.
Hoping that Letitia James steps in.
To any reasonable person who values public education, "adequately funded" public schools means schools in all areas that have reasonable student/teacher ratios, sufficient and sufficiently qualified teachers and support staff, decent professionally staffed libraries, a wide range of subjects taught, clean and safe physical plants and equipment, and supplementary funding for activities and services that fall on the school other than education. Can't afford it? Then you can't afford a decent society that does not fail its children.
There’s some vague adjectives in here. “Reasonable“ “sufficient“ “decent." And I think that’s what the point was. What are we talking about here in terms of money and then where is that money going to come from?
And where is it going???
Exactly. More "money" for students rarely translates into actual money for students.
As previously stated, I am a retired teacher. I also have a masters in administration. I have no idea what any of the funding terms used here mean. I attended CPS schools. I have taught in the suburbs and the most out of the way rural schools, which spent half of what CPS does with much better results. What’s not being discussed here is the basics of education. That is trained teachers that know the subject(s) and students ready to listen and absorb. Without those, no amount of money will help. Think to when all of you were in school. Your classroom didn’t have the bells and whistles that many schools today have. What we had was teachers that cared and parents at home that told us we had better listen. I am not claiming that librarians, nurses, social workers, and arts teachers would not enhance the educational experience. But is starts with the basics. Get the kids to school on time every day and in front of teachers that care. The issues that many CPS teachers face can mostly not be fixed merely with more money. I know this from personal experience. I have worked in schools that were doling out school materials and supplies with eye droppers. Somehow many of my students successfully completed the school experience and went on to college and other forms of productive lives. It even happens in CPS. So we can keep debating the money issue. But it’s far from the only thing that needs fixing.
For my district, money for students reflects what's needed in the classroom, including the number of students per classroom. We are a high-poverty district, and our teachers are at the lower end of the pay scale compared to others. It's hard to attract and keep good teachers, staff turnover is a problem. Bells and whistles don't exist for us. We buy our own supplies and often supply our students as well. We have technology, but it's not the best or even reliable. The problem of getting students to school on time, every day, is the highest priority, and it's not easy without parental support. While we can't offer what other districts are able to provide for their students, we do our best to give them what they need and enable them to be successful post-graduation. The disparity between districts is what bothers me the most.
I don’t question anything you say. I’ve been there. I taught in one rural building that was well over 100 years old. With district finances, they didn’t even consider a new building. What many question is the amount of money CPS already has and where it goes. If you’re a CPS teacher, you already know some of the other difficulties that cannot be fixed merely with money. Undereducated parents that don’t provide enough home support. The feeling that school is often a waste of time because society won’t let black students succeed. I’ve told the story before of interviewing for a CPS position. The principal told me about a 5th grader that didn’t care about school because he was making big money on weekends as a lookout for drug dealers. I commend you for taking on a difficult task. It’s hard to convince taxpayers to pony up more when they feel they already pay too much and they question if it’s worth it. By the way, I agree with you on teacher pay and have said so. People look only at numbers. They forget most teachers are required to live in the city and the cost of doing it.
Hi Laurence - I find myself in agreement with everything you say, and your background certainly makes you qualified on the subject.
I believe there is also a social/cultural element that is a critical piece of the puzzle in trying to solve our education system failures. And that is the absence of a family emphasis and support for education for many inner city students.
When we began fostering the inner city girl for her junior year of high school, we were shocked when she told us that she had never in her life done homework before, and again when I was preparing to attend her first parent teacher conference and she told me that no one had ever attended one of these on her behalf before. This lack of parental and family support for education was obviously a significant factor in her tragic gross academic deficiencies.
But conversely, the inner city boy we mentored through the Boys Hope/Girls Hope program had a mother who was fierce in her determination that he attended all his classes, did all his classwork ended everything possible to succeed with his education. (The fact that the program provided him with the ability to attend a private Catholic school for a better education was also a huge element in this.) This young man struggled his first year upon coming to the private school from CPS, but through grit, determination and support from a lot of us he won the award his sophomore year for the most improved student. He graduated with sufficient grades to get a full academic scholarship to Drake University where he subsequently graduated with honors and out his in the early stage of a great career. That is a true success story for this young man, his family and our society!
So I believe that support and encouragement for education in the home is a critical determinant of either academic success or failure. And that's something as a society we need to be willing to talk about and find ways to address.
Ok, yes, CPS has challenges that, say, Winnetka doesn’t. The question is whether even more money to CPS would work to overcome these challenges. Given the near doubling of per-student CPS funding in the last 13 years and the dismal results, it’s not obvious. Even if it’s spent wisely, not manifestly the case for CPS, there is some amount of money which represents the best you can do in the circumstances, after which more money is just waste. I think CPS is already well past that point. Evanston is getting close.
It is impossible to quantify such things (beyond quantifiable measures such as teacher/student ratios, qualified staff, etc.). Where the money comes from is a question about what you value as a society, something that should arise from consensus. The fact is that the US is the richest country in the world and could afford the best health care and educational systems, but heaven forfend that those with deeper pockets should pay proportionately more toward the greater good (see the Griffin and Uihlein funded torpedoing of the Illinois graduated income tax).
"In looking through my archives for something else the other day I came across . . ."
Deep thanks for evoking the late, great Sun-Times columnist Sidney Harris. His columns were always worth reading, but the ones that had the biggest influence on me began something like this: "Things I learned while on the way to looking up something else," which was followed by nuggets of unrelated information that he'd seen while physically thumbing through the pages and skimming through the entries of his dictionary, encyclopedia, or other reference work en route to the thing he'd originally intended to check. I'd had the same habit, delighting in chance encounters with new words, unfamiliar places, and challenging ideas. Those columns gave me permission to embrace that practice as part of my wider education, not as a waste of time when I could have finished my homework hours earlier without it. Expanded physically when looking for a volume on the shelves of a library or flipping through the card catalog, this practice has been an abiding delight. It's not easy to deal with when packing my reference books in preparation for moving, and no impediment to my happy use of Wikipedia, but still a vital key to broadening my horizons and keeping me curious.
“ Things I learned while on the way to looking up something else”
Yes! I feel this is something we’ve lost. It’s why I still have my old Britannica (please don’t ask for anything after about 1960, though). It’s why I prefer browsing in a bookstore to looking for a book on a website. The random, serendipitous nature of finds is something I’m loathe to give up.
That's why I like to actually do the grocery shopping sometimes - you never know what you're going to find! Sometimes a particular veg or fruit just looks fabulous and you can incorporate in your meals or a new product is on the shelves or there's something in the clearance meat bin that would make a great dinner on the cheap. I admit I do use the pick-up service at Jewel and Mariano frequently but like to actually enter the store myself at least once a week and see what there is to see. When we go to a bookstore, our family similarly ends up with armloads of books we would never have stumbled across on Amazon or BN.com. Though the library is that way as well and far less painful on the wallet
If only I could remember your fine observation about public libraries more often!!
I love libraries, but why do my holds all come in at the same time?
Put my response in the wrong place … but public libraries are such a great alternative to buying books.
Perhaps, besides getting rid of the penny, they should start making nickels like pennies (out of zinc). That way, the zinc lobby is happy, and we can still round to 5 cents without losing money.
Brilliant!
Great idea ... however, nickel is very difficult to plate onto zinc. A zinc core could be plated with copper and then nickel but that seems like a challenge. They need a new shiny metal solution because the quarter and dime, like the nickel, are also nickel plated over copper. Maybe nickel-plated aluminum.
I don't believe aluminum works in vending machines.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the back story is with Blago’s pardon. I thought Trump simply wanted to stick his thumb into the eye of the DOJ for prosecuting federal political corruption, especially in light of him now considering a pardon for NY Mayor Eric Adams. However, what’s with Blagojevich becoming an ambassador? There has to be more to it. Trump is transactional. He doesn’t do anything unless it brings some benefit to him. Any thoughts?
Sticking it to the Dems is a benefit to him.
I’m not sure how this is sticking it to the Dems.
He’s going to have an ally who used to be a Democrat. Just like he will probably have NYC’s Democratic mayor in his pocket after stopping the investigation into him.
I think he just generally loves people who are corrupt. He likes those who cheat to get ahead. He sees the era of the robber barons as one of America's "great" time periods.
He said he was "set up by a lot of bad people". It makes him think of himself. He has a soft spot for people that cheat their way through life...
Am curious, the "America Great Again" thingee....what period did he think was the Great one?
When everybody knew their place, ma'am, and companies were free to do anything they wanted.
Trump’s comment was that Blago was treated unfairly. What does that even mean? The FBI had recorded conversations. Does Trump even know the details? Does he care? Or is he merely sticking it to Illinois Democrats?
Trump is a moron that believes whatever bullshit is told to him personally. So Blago told him he was set up buy the Democrats & the FBI, so the fat fascist moron believes it, because Blago told him that!
Treated unfairly might be the fact that he was sentenced to over 10 years. Not sure of any other politicians who got that long a sentence. Nixon was pardoned and many think that was great of Ford.
There have been politicians treated much the same as Blago. Selling a Senate seat is pretty serious. Your Nixon and Ford example is not a good one. Nixon resigned before a Senate trial was held. There was no conviction. His own VP, Ford, supposedly pardoned him to spare the country over any more Watergate stuff and get the country on a different path. It didn’t totally work as Ford became the first sitting president to lose reelection.
I have argued that Ford's preemptive pardon was toxic in its own right since it forestalled any definitive conclusion to Watergate. The unresolved issues fueled further divides and fostered resentment. We're now paying the price...
Hmmm, I never thought of it that way. Are you suggesting we’re still paying the price for Watergate with the chasm between the two main parties?
I think there is plenty of evidence to that effect. Reagan nominates Bork to SCOTUS knowing Dems won't confirm him, feeding the right-wing resentment. Whitewater turns into a free-for-all from Ken Starr, leading to the GOP impeaching Clinton for lying about a blow-job. The 2000 election shenanigans. I'm not saying none of that wouldn't have still happened if Nixon had been tried, but it seems connected to me.
The first? Nah. John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland , Benjamin Harrison: William Howard Taft and Herbert Hoover beat him to that distinction.
My bad. I will now proceed to flail myself with a wet noodle. I will then watch 10 hours of Donald Trump telling us how to make America a great country again.
I would really love to hear the Illinois Republicans who were quite vocal about Blago being a corrupt crapweasel explain how he was unfairly prosecuted and deserved a full pardon.
That is an excellent point. Has any intrepid reporter put the question to the leadership of the IL GOP??
Trump is their god; they're not going to say anything negative about the pardon.
Not disagreeing with you. But remember the history of Democratic politics in Illinois. Right from the start they are suspect. Also remember it was the feds that nailed Blago. Would the Dems have done it? Blago and Obama were not exactly buddy-buddy.
I'm not saying Blago isn't a corrupt crapweasel -- he certainly is. I'm just wondering if the cognitive dissonance in GOP HQ will cause a fissure in the spacetime continuum...
Above my pay grade
Blago wrote an op-ed in the WSJ where he implied that Obama was the mastermind, using the deep state to target both him and Trump. He also spoke at the Republican convention. He hit all the points: Trump was the target of law fare, there is a corrupt deep state, and Obama is an evil mastermind...
I have no idea how to arrive at the proper amount of money to spend per student at CPS that would satisfy the teacher's union, but if that figure was magically reached, by the next contract negotiations they'd want it raised.
Also, is there any way that teacher compensation can be tied to reading or math score testing results in the same way that winning and losing is tied to coaching hiring, firing and compensation?
It would be appalling to tie teacher compensation to testing results. It’s not as though teachers were the only influence on student achievement. You can be the greatest teacher in the world, but if your students are malnourished; live in households without books, or parents who care; who come to school dodging bullets and bullies, you’re not miraculously going to achieve high test scores.
I'll have to agree with the above. But I also think that there should be some metric by which teacher efficacy is measured.
What Joan said. The only sort of teacher evaluation that I might be able to endorse would be one that does baseline testing of a classroom of students at the beginning of the school year and then compares test results at the end of the school year to see if the progress that was made was in line with standards Set by comparisons with similar student groups. I know that sounds fussy, but this idea that teachers are failing because their students aren’t reading and writing and ciphering at grade level is nonsense.
Makes sense from a statistical modeling perspective. You want to get the effect a teacher has on students no matter their level. I had a neighbor who sent his daughter to Walter Payton High School which has a great reputation. He was not at all impressed. Their test scores are good because they can cherry pick students.
Based on what I have heard I would be interested in seeing the "teacher effects" at Whitney Young. I would expect them to be very good.
One of my boys went to Payton and the teachers were terrific. But, yes, the process cherry-picks the most talented, focused, disciplined kids (not bragging on my son, but he was a good student) and that’s going to make teaching a lot easier.
I should have been clear that my neighbor did not think Payton was bad. It just did not have a higher standard than what he had in high school and he expected that it would.
I would not be surprised if things have changed over time. Teachers and principals come and go. I have seen the schools in Evanston change quite a bit in the past 20 years
Anecdotes do not really mean all that much, but my two grandsons attended Whitney Young. One has graduated and is doing well at university (deans list, not that you asked), the other is in his senior year. The school has many of the things that lead to successful eduvational outcomes, but I do not think that is by any means the case all over the CPS. It is easy to say money is not the answer, but lack of money to pay qualified people and provide good back-up and facilities sure as hell leads to failure.
I wasn't thinking of the larger picture with my original comment, and if my daughter who teaches in a suburban public school was to read it, I would be properly admnished.
One of the top issues that CTU pursues in every contract is the elimination of any testing and any teacher evaluation. I like your idea, except that the 'progress in line with standards' is a potential weak point.
Performance 'at grade level' is a good example. The governor was celebrating the fact that Illinois was the top performing state with 74% at 'grade level' in elementary grade levels. But only 32% were 'proficient' at grade level.
If the school system, including teachers, should be expected to deliver a program that delivers minimum skills. Reading, math, and civics skills in particular. If that means holding students back or increasing the class hours on basic skills (at the expense of other classes) then maybe that should be considered.
In any case, the school system should admit that it is dependent on parents and students and stop pretending that it is capable making up for their contribution.
Wait.. Blago pardon = Blago to Serbia? SOLD! This may be my most favorite descriptor, "The endlessly annoying. insufferably vain, incorrigibly combative, brazenly corrupt and stubbornly unrepentant former Democratic governor...(...mericless, cowardly and lazy...)" Reading on... Blago's getting divorced? That's how I read his statement on running again.
Trump dumps Lincoln head penny for costing too much... proposes $.03 coin to commemorate Jan 6 hostages. Eric's counter point (China doesn't own Panama Canal) to David's point (Rubio terminate agreement on China's canal operations) is mute. If Trump says China owns the canal it must be true as David notes. Good Times Mark - ixney on the illary-ney. Puns: Eric Zorn admits to not having a proofreader due to DEI policies in place during the Biden years. :P Mail: I get computer images emailed me on what is to arrived for the day. Most days it is ads so I don't go to my mailbox unless there is a package that might be delivered to my box vs door. Late superbowl (& playoffs0 David L. The NFL would happily relocate those outdoor games to dome or southern stadiums - maybe even to larger stadiums in Germany, Mexico, and Brazil too
Bekoso, bekiso, bekaso, beservo, begolfo... be-butkus by how they act watching football games.
I believe you mean "moot."
George says the card reads "Moop"
I have been preaching about getting rid of the penny and the nickel for years. It's crazy how people defend keeping them sometimes. (I think it was someone from the W administration years ago I saw on the news that promoted keeping the penny because penny jars are some sort of quaint family tradition).
It's insane they are still in use when you consider what they were worth when they were first minted compared to today. You could actually buy something for a penny back then. It's dumb to keep them around.
The other thing we need to do is get rid of the paper dollar. There is no paper British pound or euro, for good reason. They've tried for years to get people to use a coin dollar instead of paper, from Susan B. Anthony in 1979 (I think?) to Sacagawea to the presidents. But the way to make the change is to stop making the damn paper dollar.
And another thing while I'm on my soapbox (I don't comment much here these days):
So many countries I visit the paper money makes more sense too. Denominations are usually different sizes and colors, making them easier to use and not accidentally use the wrong bill. And it makes the money easier for blind people to use.
Also, while this is one very rare thing I agree with when it comes to Cheeto Hitler, it is both questionable if he can do it (like everything else he is doing) and a really stupid way to do it. You don't just tell the U.S. mint to stop making pennies. You have to actually have a plan for changing your money, and time for businesses to do what they need to do to get ready for the change.
Cheeto doesn’t plan anything. He just thinks it and then it should magically happen, ie. Declassifying documents.
On the other hand, Euro-coins are practically indistinguishable and if you need to carry some cash, make for a heavy pocket.
Since Congress regulate coinage, the fat fascist can't actually cancel the penny!
He can if nobody in Congress stops him. He has been told by the courts to stop certain things, and his administration response has been to float the idea of impeaching the judge. It's like watching a movie where the actor will start to do something and somebody will say "Hey, you can't do that" and then the actor will go ahead and does it anyway.
If the mint stops making the penny and the Republicans in Congress let him then I guess he can cancel the penny.
The Mint says they have made pennies in almost two years.
So what happens to those machines at various tourist locations, where you put four quarters and a penny into slots and it die-presses a souvenir medallion out of the penny. Another minor pleasure of my youth on its way out?
Deni - I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I have used the term the "Sacagawea Dollar Problem" to describe a situation where you can't get folks to adopt a new, much better system until you make the old system unavailable. Coin dollars last hundreds of times longer than paper dollars. The research I've seen shows that the Crane Stationary Company (the sole supplier of paper for US currency, formerly based in MA, but now based in CT) has used skilled lobbying efforts for decades to put a stick in the spokes of all previous efforts to do away with paper $1.00 bills.
I am glad that I got my Lincoln copper medallion when I bought the Am Franken gold medallion back in 1980.
Sorry can't find the video on YouTube. Still I bet in this forum of boomers many remember.
I love receiving and sending mail through the USPS! We rely on the daily mail where I work, and I enjoy my daily visits to the post office to greet the person working there as I mail my letters, invoices and payments. Believe it or not, everyone does not have access to email or online bank accounts. In my personal life, I mail at least 2 postcards or letters every day to people I care about, with pen pals across the country, the world. I also still receive print issues of magazines I enjoy…so, yes, I want to continue mail service 6 days a week. It brings and shares joy and information across the miles.
I admire the post office workers and their system. The items that I want to see that I get (magazines, social security and Medicare items) arrive as needed and the fact that I can send something across country in a couple days for whatever a stamp costs these days is pretty cool. So, props to the post office!
Stamps are now $0.73 each. Ouch!
Holy crap, you're right. We use them so infrequently that I hadn't kept track.
"More popular might be the idea of simply eliminating Saturday deliveries, "
I joke that I don't get Saturday delivery already because all I seem to get on that day is junk mail.
Also, the Super Bowl will be moved another week to Presidents Day in a few years when they add an eighteenth game.
Interesting that Eric ignored the elephant in the room, the Super Bowl, but got all worked up about Blago.
I found the Super Bowl to be ultra crass. Money, money money,. How many more diamonds in the Super Bowl rings, the cost of commercials, how much money the winners and losers take home.
I have a suggestion, let us make the next a Super Bowl a charity one. Put social pressure on the greedy NFL to donate 25% of its profits to charities. Same for all the players and ask the bettors to take 25% off their bets and donate that.
Let us make something positive out of this event. And as for charities, I suggest these 3 if you need guidance:
1. Give to organizations that help victims of violent crime get back on their feet both medically and financially.
2. Support for cancer patients and research. I wonder how much better the world would have been if JFK said: We choose not to go to the moon, we choose to cure cancer instead.”
3. Financial and medical support for the various high school football players who are injured every year.
One last note, Eric, do not take the bait! With Blago, any publicity is good publicity and is likely smiling at your lead headline. He is best forgotten.
I love the idea of it being focused on charity and having all the parties involved compete to see who can be more charitable. Unfortunately, it'll never happen because the entire thing is about capitalistic greed now and nothing at all about an athletic contest. Sadly, that's the direction of the entire country now.
I was appalled at the monetization of stupid things thanks to prop betting. Also appalled at legalized sports gambling and how it has taken over even the sports "news" programs. It's all about the betting, not the game. I know gambling has always existed and always will but the average person wasn't betting on how many camera shots of a WAG would happen during the game or what color the Gatorade would be before legalization and online gaming.
There’s a good reason for it to cost more, or at least as much, to make a coin. It’s a disincentive for counterfeiting.
No one counterfeits coins, except the gold coins. Even then, it's a very complicated process, that require engravers to create the stamping dies & extremely few attempt it.
Being nice to servers and generally people of lower status than you is right out of Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The thesis of the book is if you are positive and not an asshole then you will get along well with people.
Positive? But surely Our Dear Leader owes his bigly success to being an asshole and gorging on festering grievances! Dale Carnegie was woke and must be canceled.
LOL. I have heard that some people do not have kind feelings regarding the Supreme Orange Leader of the greatest government there has ever been.
The general consensus seems to be that Trump got something right with the penny. Good for him! The counterpoint is other news.Gaza had better wise up by Saturday or else. Just what does that mean? Does Burger Boy nuke Gaza or send in the troops? Forget consumer protection. Remember Wells Fargo a few years ago writing up accounts for customers that didn’t ask for them? They won’t get caught now. The fight to stop companies from further poisoning the air on the southeast side or BP dumping in Lake Michigan? Forget it with the EPA getting slashed. Forgive me if I don’t get over excited about penny issues.
Agree. This is a distraction and part of the strategy to overwhelm the populace. I think Bannon was even quoted somewhere explaining it - throw three things out there every day and chances are at least two of them will go unnoticed or unopposed, just due to sheer volume. They're flooding the zone with sh-t and the country is drowning in it.