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Closing the "achievement gap" and raising student tests scores are the holy grails of the education reform movement.  Washington, D.C. became a showcase for reform under the leadership of former Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  That's why the report questioning the rise… Read full post »

On Monday I met with someone I thought was a potential client.  His name is Will (not really).  This is a rough sketch of the meeting.

Will is talking a stream of consciousness about time and money as he draws a circle around a dollar sign and another around… Read full post »

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In an appropriate kick off to Hunger Action Week in Seattle, a report about the success of programs like basic food assistance was released in New York on Monday.  "Policy Affects Poverty", while only focusing on New York City, shows that an additional 250,000… Read full post »

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Especially when making a false equivalence and supporting the status quo is so much easier.

President Obama gave us a thousand words or so of equivocating and middling policy proposals, which will satisfy no one, on gun control in the Arizona Daily Star on… Read full post »

Made even worse when the world is watching.

From the New York Times:  “I wish the Americans would help us,” she said. “But the day after your defense minister came here, the Saudi troops came in. What is the United States doing to end… Read full post »

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The GOP's legislative assault on everything and everyone that it doesn't like continues unabated.  The midterms ensured that the GOP will be able to push through changes that attempt to fundamentally change the political paradigm in this country.  T… Read full post »

With all due respect to the Hermantator – 2012 gets real today.  And by real, I mean not interesting at all.  Newt Gingrich might announce that he is going to fundraise to test the waters to see if he has the support to set up an exploratory committee. … Read full post »

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Today the Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist Church has the right to protest at the funerals of soldiers.  The "church", which is really just the family of its founder Fred Phelps, somehow finds the resources to travel throughout the country wave ugly,… Read full post »

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It appears that the federal government will not shutdown this week.  The House is voting today on two-week Continuing Resolution.  The CR would cut four billion in government spending and would provide time for further debate on funding the gov… Read full post »

States are facing a budget crisis that, at times, is worse than the Federal government.  For the most part, states cannot run deficits year to year - they have to pass a balanced budget.  This gives the governors and legislatures two options.  Raising taxes… Read full post »

Republicans seem to have become their own worst enemy in Wisconsin.  Even in winning they lose.  They had the votes to win, they always have.  There was no reason to call for a voice vote and close it in seconds.  Twenty-eight members of the Assembly didn't have an… Read full post »

The President's Budget Director, Jacob Lew, curiously declared on Monday that "Social Security isn't the problem..."  It was strange because just last week the President was chiding the Republicans for not want to work together to "fix" Social Security.   Social Security one of the nati… Read full post »

While Governor Walker is digging in deeper, even after the embarrassment of the Koch prank call, other Tea Party and Republican governors appear to understand that they have lost this fight.  Florida is not even considering a similar bill, but Governor Scott let it be known that… Read full post »

Wisconsin State Senators are still in Illinois, preventing the State Senate from reaching a quorum.  Senate Republicans held a limited session today which included commending the Packers on their Super Bowl win and potentially approving Gubernatorial appointees with a simple majority vote.&n… Read full post »

The Republicans in the House passed their budget late Saturday night. Not a single Democrat supported the bill and its $61 billion in cuts was declared dead-on-arrival in the Senate and panned by the President.  A day after de-funding Planned Parenthood, Republicans in… Read full post »

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Five days.  Eight Days.

The protests in Wisconsin have entered their fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth day. Teachers in Madison have again organized a sick-out and will be at the Capitol on Friday and Saturday (as of Tuesday, teachers are teaching again).  Democratic Senators… Read full post »

It is beginning to look like the Tea Party might end up as a flash-in-the pan.  Or a one-trick pony, to use another terrible cliche.  Rick Scott, Florida's new governor, who was heavily backed by the Tea Party rejected $2.4 billion in federal high-speed rail money this week.… Read full post »

 Note: This piece was originally published at Here It Is.  Read more at wearenow.wordpress.com

At the risk of giving this story more air than it deserves, there is a "watchdog" group seeking an investigation of certain Members of Congress who sleep in their office.  The story is about… Read full post »

The President released his budget yesterday.  It is a tough budget and has made no one happy.  In addition to the cuts previously reported cuts to programs like CDBG and LIHEAP the proposal al… Read full post »

The D.L.C. may be dead, but it appears to live on in President Obama.  During one of the most severe winters in recent history, the President is reportedly proposing to cut LIHEAP, a program… Read full post »

"...Although my father worked full-time we needed the food bank in order to stretch out the food we were able to afford. With four children ranging in age from two months to 10 years, there was… Read full post »

Note: This piece was originally published at Here It Is.  Read more at wearenow.wordpress.com

Education reform has been on the agenda for years.  Most Presidents try one program or another while in office, as do Governors, Superintendents, and Mayors.  While we have never lacked for… Read full post »

Note: This piece was originally published at Here It Is.  Read more at wearenow.wordpress.com

Quick - What makes living in cities and towns full of modern convenience in the middle of the desert possible?  Especially when your only real industry, besides mining, is tourism.  And the… Read full post »

Note: This piece was originally published on February 1st, 2011 at Here It Is.  Read more at wearenow.wordpress.com.

We are walking slowly to get on the right side of history in Egypt.  Though our pace may be quickening.

The word from the Administration seems to be "transition" and an orde… Read full post »

Note: This piece was originally published on January 31st, 2010 at Here It Is.  Read more at wearenow.wordpress.com

The ruling on Healthcare Reform in Florida makes it two for and two against.

This doesn't have any practical effect at the moment - Judge Vinson has allowed the law to… Read full post »