CLICHÉ DRIVES EDUCATIONAL THINKING IN AZ

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Doing more with less.

That worn-out cliché is the new mantra in American society, whether in our households, businesses or governmental agencies.

There are exceptions, of course: Hedge-fund managers, wall street brokers and big bankers still do more with more because they're gambling with other people's money. But that's a topic for another day.

For most of us, austerity is the byword. It's especially evident with the start of a new school year and more new approaches in Arizona to public education.

Specifically, doing more with less. Consider that state government is providing less money per student in Arizona than it has in more than a decade while at the same time pushing greater requirements on schools along with ideas to reshape and reform public education.

Few would argue that the educational system doesn't need improvement, even wholesale reform in many aspects.

Yet we must ask if the fiscal moves will reverse our societal philosophy of more than a century’s standing that we invest in public education as part and parcel of our national fabric. Public education has claimed a high place in society and has been a key driver of economic improvement at nearly all levels.

Now come new ideas: Do more with less; do more individually and not collectively; do for yourself and let others do for themselves.

These shifts in thinking are having an impact on American society and specifically on public education.

Political leaders in Arizona are espousing ideas that would fundamentally alter the public education system by spending less and less on it, by letting individuals decide how the money for their children's education should be spent and, basically, by moving toward privatization.

Is it the right or wrong direction? That doesn’t matter, because it is the direction Arizona is headed.

Whether you agree with that move or want a public education system that stays public, you need to get in on the conversation.

WEALTHIEST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill, has calculated the 50 richest members of Congress. The paper determined the ranking by adding up the minimum value of each Members total assets and then subtracted the minimum liabilities.

Only one Arizonan made the list, Senator John McCain. He ranks as the 28th richest Member of Congress. According to the report, McCain has $11.35 million in assets and $1 million in liabilities. By Roll Call’s calculation that gives him a value of $10.35 million.

The wealthiest Member of Congress is Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) who has a calculated value of $294.21 million.

“SONORA” GETS SPIKED!

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

That bright red thing in front of the downtown library has some new additions.

Since its dedication on July 4 ,1991, the big red statue (if that’s what it’s called) in front the Joel D. Valdez Main Library downtown has been the source of much debate. Some people say “Sonora” is hideous, ugly, or out-of-place, while others say... Well, personally haven’t heard anything good about it, but I’m sure somebody likes it.

Anyway, here’s a shot of the sculpture:

Here’s a closer look, with the new pigeon spikes, which give the appearance of hair:

On a recent visit to the library to interview some librarians for a radio feature, I was told about the spikes that were added recently to minimize pigeon droppings in front of the library, by making it difficult for the birds to stand on the structure. I’m usually pretty cynical, so my first thought was that the Rock Doves would just walk around on the ground instead and still do their business. Yeah, I was right!

So, what do you think about “Sonora,” or its new spiked-up look?

NEW FEDERAL DEPORTATION PLAN RANKLES BREWER

posted to Political Buzz by Andrea Kelly

The Obama administration's plans to review the cases of accused illegal immigrants scheduled for deportation has Gov. Jan Brewer fuming.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said yesterday the department will prioritize deportation for illegal immigrants who are convicted criminals.

Those without criminal records could get to stay in the country indefinitely, according to the Associated Press.

Brewer called the plan amnesty in a news release, and said it will make illegal immigration worse.

"This plan amounts to backdoor amnesty for hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of illegal aliens," she said in the news release. "Especially disturbing is that it comes in the wake of the Obama administration sanctioning the sale of weapons to Mexican drug cartels – even as border states such as Arizona come under threat from those same illicit organizations."

That last part is a jab at the Fast and Furious operation, in which federal agents tried to track Mexican drug cartels purchasing firearms in the U.S. Many of the weapons ended up at crime scenes across the border.

MORE GIFFORDS SECURITY

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

The campaign for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is asking the Federal Elections Commission for permission to pay for security upgrades to the congresswoman’s home.

A campaign official says they want to spend about $2000 to implement changes suggested by the US Capitol Police.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY DEPARTMENT

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

On three newscasts this morning, I've heard two different people say "small in size." Well, yes ... the concept of size is built into the word "small," so all they need to say is "small." People have a natural tendency, it seems, to inflate every possible element of language. I'm finding this especially tiresome in the print copy that I edit. One writer I work with is particularly fond of stating that something was begun, say, in 1885, and completed "two years later, in 1887." That's redundant. If you've established that the first year is 1885, everybody with basic math skills knows that 1887 is two years later, and it's unnecessary to burden them with both elements. One thing that's really driving me nuts these days is punctuation inflation; many writers I edit use colons when they need semicolons, semicolons when they need commas, commas when they need nothing at all. I suppose people think they seem more serious if they beef up their sentences with as much punctuation and verbiage as possible. To me, they just seem either pompous, or inattentive to the elements of a lean and limber style.