Forward To The Past!

Charlie Sykes, faithful water carrier for Scott Walker, gives free advertising to the Walker campaign by repeating their spin on the recently released results of a survey done by DPI. They compare it to the report from WEAC in 2004.

First, you have look past the fact that they are comparing apples to oranges by using reports from two wholly different agencies.

But Walker is saying that things are just as good or better than they were seven years ago, which only goes to confirm one of the recallers major complaints, he is making Wisconsin a regressive state by trying to take us back in time when things weren't as good as they have been in more recent years.

Of course, compared to last year, things are much, much worse.  Sadly, if Walker is not recalled, things will be even uglier next year when his "tools" are all used up.

Condescend Much?

Patrick McIlheran has a tingle going down his leg because some charter school is going to use a parable from the Bible in their curriculum. Apparently, he wouldn't be so tickled if they had also decided to teach the First Amendment, namely the Freedom of Speech:

My point is to add only this: Notice how striking it is when a public school proposes to teach a curriculum that, first, is traditional in content and, second, that actually tries imparting moral lessons of the non-denominational sort that would have been unremarkable in the Eisenhower era and that probably pass for mainstream ideals in the West Bend area.

(That’s religious! And that’s not mainstream at all! So shriek, momentarily, the roughly five militant agnostics who regularly shrill up any post on this blog that mentions faith. To them: Go back to Mommy’s basement and let the adults talk. Thanks.)

I wouldn't be surprised at all if McIlheran is plotting with co-zealot Dad29 to set about a plan to enforce the Catholic version of Sharia Law.

More at Illy-T's pad.

Sykes Has A New Dilemma: Support Walker Or Himself

We all know that Charlie Sykes does little more than parrot the talking points that the GOP email him that morning or the night before. So day in and day out, Sykes will use his bully microphone to rant and rave about the continued high unemployment or the poor education that our children are supposed to be receiving. And if he is not tearing down the good things, he is building up the bad, such as with false praises of Scott Walker, even if he has to lie to do so (which is most of the time).

But Sykes is also an author, who has a number of published books. One of his more well-known books is "Dumbing Down Our Kids," in which he decries that kids can't read or write like they should be able to, and how that is a drain on society. Or something like that.

And that is where Sykes faces a new dilemma.

Over the weekend, Sykes' favorite boy, Scott Walker, shot his fool mouth off and told kids that they would be best off to drop out of school and try to get a job in this depressed economy. And that is in spite of the fact that people with higher educations are experiencing less problems with unemployment than people with only a high school diploma or no diploma at all.

So now, does Sykes stay true to himself and say Walker was wrong in that comment or does Sykes throw himself under the bus to help support Walker's campaign?

How Would This Affect Home Schooling and Charter Schools, Charlie?

On Charlie's show today, he was going on about how math teachers are ill prepared to teach math in schools today. I did not catch the whole drift, as that I was driving in between appointments, but Owen Robinson was kind enough to post on it, and provide us with a link to the article.

Sykes, as is his wont, went on a strange tangent, and started to say how all teachers should specialize in their given field, whether it be math, English, science, or what have you.

My question is would he hold teachers at his beloved charter schools to the same standards? And what about home schooled children? Would he require the parents to be have degrees in all of these subjects?

Oh, The Horror Of It All

Yesterday, I had the misfortune of catching a part of Sykes' show. He was doing a bit about schools, one of his favorite targets for his hate.

To his credit, he didn't think that an elementary school having a spirit week, or as they call it "Wacky Week," was that big of a deal. I was pleasantly find to see him do that rare exercise of common sense.

Common sense, finding itself in a strange environment (Charlie's head), quickly vacated the area, and his usual nonsense kicked in.

He started complaining about some school in California (nice to know he's worried about local and state issues-he just never said which locality or state). His issue was that a school was preparing to have a Day of Silence in support of any lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students who are often bullied, intimidated and harassed by other students.

His issue wasn't with the act of support, per se, even though he did think that any student who wouldn't answer a question due to participating in the Day of Silence should receive some sort of consequence. Yeah, that makes sense. He must have been channeling Dad29.

Sykes' beef had to do with a teacher and a guidance counselor who were alerting other staff to the upcoming event, giving them suggestions on teaching plans that would allow them to continue with their lesson plans while working around the silence, and offering ribbons and T-shirts to those who wanted them. The ribbons were free and the cost of the shirts were $8, which sounds about the cost of just making the shirts and no profit included.

Sykes was complaining that this meant school officials were using their official positions to support this Day of Silence.

To which, I would say, "Yeah? So what?"

I think it would be a sign of a good teacher and a good counselor who would want to be in touch with their students. I don't see anything wrong with them also using this to teach the students how to respect themselves and each other. It highlights current events going on across the country at this very time, and I thought that was what schools were for: To teach.

He really has nothing to go on, except hatred. The counselor and teacher that sent out the letter he was complaining about, if nothing else, alerted other staff members that this was coming out. They were not making any money about it. They were supporting students. What is so freaking bad about that? That they might have used school letterhead. He is going to get himself all worked up for a few cents of paper?

Maybe Sykes is afraid that their won't be another Matthew Shepard. Or maybe he is afraid that the kids will learn tolerance. They will learn about respecting each other, and not hating someone because they're different. The kids will be learning about equality.

And then no one will grow up wanting to listen to his hate-filled dreck.

The Importance Of Being Literate

McIlheran thinks he scoring a point in favor of his hero, Scott "The Weasel" Walker, by pointing out that Senator Lena Taylor points out that Walker never finished school. McIlheran doesn't talk about why Walker quit school. (Some have said he was kicked out, but my information indicates he quit. After losing a school election. To a write-in candidate.)

He does reluctantly admit that education is important. He even more reluctantly admits that finishing what one starts is also important.

What he doesn't do is tell the whole truth. From Senator Taylor's online chat at JSOnline:

Q: Bill of Wauwatosa - Do you believe that a college degree is a requirement to be a county executive?

A: Lena Taylor - Bill, thanks for your interest in this election. A college degree may not be a requirement for county executive, but I have pointed this difference out between my opponent and myself because I believe that it speaks volumes about our ability to get the job done. My life experiences show a drive and sense of commitment which I believe is lacking in my opponent. When I set my mind on a goal, I stick with it until it is completed. Our education is but one example of our commitment and ability to the get the job done. My opponent was elected county executive and almost immediately began his campaign for governor. He abandoned the job we elected him to do because of personal ambition. For almost two years, while he campaigned for governor he was absent. During this time when the county was without the services of a full-time county exec, the problems multiplied. We now have $300 million in deferred Parks maintenance alone, the pension problems which happened on his watch continue to multiply, county health insurance is out of control, and the county lacks a coherent strategy to promote and develop economic growth. At the same time, my opponent continues to be the poster child for bad relationships with others to get the job done for Milwaukee county whether it's within our county, our region, state or federal levels. A college degree may not be a requirement for being the county executive, but in a county where less than 20% of individuals have a higher degree - we need a leader that will lead by example so we can encourage growth in this area. My opponent's lack of college degree speaks volumes regarding his priorities and his ability to complete what he starts. Moreover, would his credentials warrant his salary in the corporate arena, or an increase in pay by $50K when his management has cost us millions of dollars at the HOC, jail, courts, Huber, mental health, etc.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm sure McIlheran went to school and got a degree. But I think we all know whose school of thought he takes after.