The state governments are right now all over this great country grappling with how to make ends meet and unfortuantely it means that many states will be cutting education budgets. When educational budgets are cut it is not only a burden on the teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, and custodians but it is a burden on everybody in a community for the coming years. The two points that need to be made is the constiutional authority of the federal government to put mandates on the educational community and that the damage done to the future of a community.
1. The Constitution explicitly states that any powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution is delegated to the states, not to the federal government so Idaho should be able to decide what is best for their people and New York should be able to make their own laws and rules and regulations. While I do understand that when the constitution was written there was more independence between the states and they had a fear of the bigger states taking over the smaller states, but regardless of what the cultural/political difference is the fact of the matter is that it is unconstitutional to have a federal oversight of public schools
2. The cutback of funds to schools is making the future in a community a future that does not allow the students in some communities to have access to art, music or athletics. This also deprives the community of educators that help out by volunteers at librarys, churches and other opportunities to help the community and therefore the community loses a sense of duty that educators give a community. If funds continue to be cut further and further a generation down the road we will reap the rewards of this action.

When we think about how to make budgets work, we as americans need to consider the consequences before we think that cutting the educational budgets will then have no impact on the average Joe's life. It will have a significant consequence.

Simple observations from the casual observer:

1. The media has just made themselves irrelevant in American social discussions. These so called "neutral observers" have made it painfully obvious that they would like one candidate to be in office that they will use their power and responsibility to ensure that it will happen. A study has said that late night comedians have had 7 times more jokes about McCain than Obama. Another study just came out this week that 56% of the stories about McCain were negative and 14% were positive. While Obama has 36% that were positive and 29% were negative. Almost the exact opposite. The media has made him the Teflon candidate. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/22/study_coverage_of_mccain_much.html

2. One has to wonder if Senator Obama is somewhat of a Manchurian Candidate. Is he truly who he says he is or if he is just a mouthpiece for the rainbow push coalition or other organization such as ACORN or other groups around the world. There have been robot calls coming from Romania of all places. The people of Romania simply cannot vote!!! Why does the world want Senator Obama to be president so bad? Maybe it is because there is a strong America and a weak America. The world wants a weak America so that America can become irrelevant in the world's eyes. Some food for thought and some observations by someone who may not have many letters after their name but who knows how to think and make observations.


After the observations I have made one conclusion that there is an obvious difference in the two candidates and no matter who you vote for please be informed on their ideas and beliefs before casting that vote.

Democratic Senator Jim Moran: "We have been misled by the simplistic notion that those who have wealth are entitled to keep it." If you think about this statement than you must believe that capitalism is dead according to the democrats. We need to stand up as fiscal and social conservatives and keep this country from becoming a western France. I fear the future if we move significantly to the left of center as a country.

Joel

In George Washington's farewell address he said there were two things that America needs to avoid: Political Parties and foreign entanglements. These two ideals are what has gotten us to the current situation we need to take steps to create a new group of leaders who put country above party decisions and stop taking marching orders from party leaders. We need Americans not democrats or republicans.

In America we do not have a vacuum of ideas, work ethic or ingenuity, but simply a leadership deficit. On November 4th we have a choice of two men for president. McCain on one hand has served our country in Vietnam, but favors the bailout of people who made bad loans and gave into to the pressure of banks who said "you can afford the house". He also is a man who can have a temper and can lose his cool quickly, but can work with people of both political parties. Senator McCain also has had some less than ideal relationships with the savings and loan scandal. On the other hand we have Senator Obama who has said that we need to distribute the wealth evenly, a variation of Robin Hood's economic policy. He says change but his ideas are more of the same. He has had very close ties to some less that outstanding members of society. He started his political career in the home of Bill Ayers who said that he wishes he would have bombed more buildings and was married by a pastor who spews hatred from the pulpit. Jesse Jackson said today that Senator Obama would change the foreign policy in the middle east to stop putting Israel's interests ahead of other countries. That would constitute a huge shift in foreign policy.

So when you go to vote on November 4th realize that we need change, but what kind of change do we need? Do we need to go down the socialist road or do we need to go down a road that has nationalized industries? When given the opportunity to vote for two people who will take us down the wrong road I choose the one that will take us there the slowest.

Choose wisely, for your childrens and your grandchildrens lifestyle may depend on it.