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Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

As the strutting but numbwitted person in the White House shows more of his true colors.

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Bush budget plan would cut reading program

By GREG TOPPO
April 24, 2001 | WASHINGTON (AP) --

Reading Is Fundamental, but funding can be fickle.
For 35 years, the RIF program has given millions of free paperback books to poor children in 50 states. But it stands to lose all of its federal money next year. President Bush's 2002 education budget cuts all funding for "inexpensive book distribution."

Bush still champions literacy, and he is proposing a $5 billion, five-year plan to get all of the nation's students reading by third grade.

Reading Is Fundamental supporters say that's what their program does best.

"You ask the second-grade reading teachers and they'll say it's extremely effective," said Patricia Heck, a RIF coordinator in Mesa, Ariz. "It's really quite magical."

In fact, former first lady Barbara Bush, the president's mother, is listed on the program's National Advisory Council. Laura Bush, herself a strong literacy advocate, is an adviser, too, according to the White House Internet site.

Program officials say the loss of federal funds -- they total $23 million this year -- would take away about 70 percent of the budget.

"The program is too important to this nation and to children at risk to discontinue," said William Trueheart, the program's president and CEO.

He said volunteers serve about 5 million children, handing out nearly 15 million new books a year -- 200 million since the program began. The national organization provides about 75 percent of funding for most local chapters, but gives 100 percent of funding to programs for especially needy children, such as migrant workers and those in homeless shelters.

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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of trechery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Speaking of which, I think you need an "a" in your .sig. Treachery?

Besides, the homeless are too dumb to read. Why give 'em books? They probably just wanna use 'em for toilet paper or the like.*

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
***
"I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
*[DataSpeak]grin, sardonic laugh, sarcasm, insinuation, inuendo, bad compliment, scandaleuse, roor-back, cynicism, criticism, mockery, irony, hiss, hoot, gibe, flout...[/DataSpeak]

[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited April 25, 2001).]

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

Trechery, the act of treching....
Scandaluse, the use of a scandal....

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"One's ethics are determined by what we do when no one is looking" Nugget
Star Trek: Gamma Quadrant
Star Trek: Legacy
Read them, rate them, got money, film them

"...and I remain on the far side of crazy, I remain the mortal enemy of man, no hundred dollar cure will save me..." WoV

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

Spelling is of course irrelevant.

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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of treachery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :

For 35 years, the RIF program has seen the armed forces drastically reduce in size.

Oh, wait. RIF as in Reading Is Fundamental? Oh.

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"Instructed by history and reflection, Julian was persuaded that, if the diseases of the body may sometimes be cured by salutary violence, neither steel nor fire can eradicate the erroneous opinions of the mind."

-Edward Gibbons, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire.

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

Yep, we've lost more troops and equipment through RIFs antics than most countries will ever have.....
At least we had a slightly lower unemployment rate when there were another million people in the military.....

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"One's ethics are determined by what we do when no one is looking" Nugget
Star Trek: Gamma Quadrant
Star Trek: Legacy
Read them, rate them, got money, film them

"...and I remain on the far side of crazy, I remain the mortal enemy of man, no hundred dollar cure will save me..." WoV

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Apparently, W's view is "If I can't read, no-one can!"... :-)

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"Although, from what I understand, having travelled around the Mid-west quite a bit, apparently Jesus is coming, so I guess the choice now is we should decide whether we should spit or swallow."
-Maynard James Keenan

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

I'd post something substantial here, but you people have already made this thread so pointless as to be not worth my time.

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"Omega is right."
-Jeff Karrde, March 18, 2001 08:47 PM

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

We already have an inexpensive reading program. It's called a public library.

I got 80,000 books here.
You wanna come in and read 'em?
It's free.
You wanna take 'em home?
If you live in the city, it's free.
If you don't, it's $30 a year. A YEAR!! $30 wouldn't even buy you TWO kid's books nowadays!

In the summer, we give kids who read FREE TOYS!!!
Read 10 books, get $10 to buy Scholastic books with!

We have free computer access. The only thing we charge for is when you print out.

Get off your duffs, America. Git'cher asses to the library.

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The government that seems the most unwise, oft goodness to the people best supplies. That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring. - The Tao Te Ching

Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :

I'll agree with First here. Provided that the budget doesn't cut funds from libraries.

Such a program is quite unheard of here. Teachers are regularly encouraged to get their kids to the libraries so they can read books. Ad campaigns are out and about stating the importance of the library.

The only problem here is inner-city kids whose libraries and schools have inadequate resources to pay for such books to educate these individuals. That is where it would probably hurt the most. But then, giving funding the these libraries and schools oughta do the trick.

Bush still champions literacy, and he is proposing a $5 billion, five-year plan to get all of the nation's students reading by third grade.

Let's see what he's got in mind. You never know.

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"In a completely unrelated news story, I have a date tomorrow night."
- Omega, in trying to explain why pigs are now flying, why Microsoft products are now working perfectly, hell freezing over, and George W Bush giving a flawless speech. 04/06/01, 12:17AM

[This message has been edited by Tahna Los (edited April 25, 2001).]

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Reading at a third grade level? Or just reading the instructions for their DEATH FILLED COMPUTER GAMES OF EVIL!

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You know, when Comedy Central asked us to do a Thanksgiving episode, the first thought that went through my mind was, "Boy, I'd like to have sex with Jennifer Aniston."
-Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

There are literally dozens of programs with the goal of encouraging elementary-age reading. RIF is only one of them.

Read Across America (Partnered with Pizza Hut)
First Book
County Literacy Programs (most counties I know of have these programs)
State literacy initiatives (just about every state has one of these, they pay to put on summer programs for children)
Readers 2000 (now Readers 2001)

etc, etc.

Cutting one is no big deal. What WOULD be a big deal would be putting all these eggs in one basket and actually ENRICHING struggling public libraries. Also, mandating that libraries be supported by the areas they serve would be good. As it is right now, we serve practically the whole of Fayette County, but only the City of Uniontown pays for us. If we were supported equally by even HALF of the other areas we serve, we'd be capable of nearly TRIPLING our services.

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

Right, and to that I say there is something very special about a child owning a book esp. if that has never been something considered important before.

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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of treachery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

Lest I be misunderstood, book giveaways are part of four of the five programs I mentioned above.

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

great, but what is the purpose of eliminating one that is successful for so many years?

or do we partner with pizza hut and create good little consumers while we're at it?
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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of treachery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

[This message has been edited by Jay (edited April 26, 2001).]

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

If it is good for big business then it is good for W, which means it is good for all Americans....

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"One's ethics are determined by what we do when no one is looking" Nugget
Star Trek: Gamma Quadrant
Star Trek: Legacy
Read them, rate them, got money, film them

"...and I remain on the far side of crazy, I remain the mortal enemy of man, no hundred dollar cure will save me..." WoV

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

The above statement's total relevancy and logic content is zero. Thank you for the demonstration.

Now, the answer to Jay's question is:

1.) While redundancy in the space shuttle's systems is good, redundancy in government spending is bad.

2.) The federal government should never step in and do what state and local governments are quite capable of doing on their own. Stopping it from doing so is good.

Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :

Ritten has a point. Why else would companies want to have their name on such programs?

It's basically advertising. Basically telling them that "hey, we're good people since we're sponsors, go buy our product". They don't actually have to do it, but since it furthers their name and contributes to more sales, who gives a rats ass? It's called Corporate Influence. While such corporate influence is good, too much is bad. Pretty soon, you'll have Pizza Hut sponsoring schools, General Motors sponsoring Libraries, and Citibank sponsoring libraries, etc. etc.

And when companies sponsor, or give some form of donation to a public institution or program, that money comes with Strings attached. That means, the institution or program has to do what the Company wants, or they lose the money. Depending on the amount of the sponsoring or donation, the company could basically "own" the public institution or program by telling them how to run day-to-day operations.

That's Corporate influence. It's happening here in Canada. And if you don't think it is a bad thing, well......

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

>"And when companies sponsor, or give some form of donation to a public institution or program, that money comes with Strings attached. That means, the institution or program has to do what the Company wants, or they lose the money."

But the government does the EXACT SAME THING!

Take the new Internet Filtering Bill, that ties Library funding to whether or not the library has filters on its computers, as one example.

ALL money has strings attatched.

Posted by Antagonist (Member # 484) on :

Of course all money has strings attached. In a way, this is good for keeping benevolent control over what the institution is doing.

Tell me, would you rather have a capitalist corporation, in which you have no stock ownership and thus no control over, out for almost nothing but fame and profits, dictating your libraries? Or perhaps you would like a governmental body, whom you have the power to elect and the right to speak to, guiding your educational institutions?

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"Turn off every .sig!"

Posted by Quatre Winner (Member # 464) on :

Antagonist thus spake: "Tell me, would you rather have a capitalist corporation, in which you have no stock ownership and thus no control over, out for almost nothing but fame and profits, dictating your libraries? Or perhaps you would like a governmental body, whom you have the power to elect and the right to speak to, guiding your educational institutions?"

You failed to take into account that said capitalist corporation OWNS the politicians who we "have the power to elect" into office.

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In this crazy world of lemons, baby...you're lemonade!

[This message has been edited by Quatre Winner (edited April 26, 2001).]

Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :

Heh.... now isn't that funny, eh? How funny that such a situation exists right here in Ontario.

How really funny.

[This message has been edited by Tahna Los (edited April 26, 2001).]

Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :

Move to Saskatchewan. I think we've got a Grain Auger as our Premier. If we have a Premier at all.

-Edward Gibbons, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire.

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

Antagonist:

I'd rather have the capitalist corporation. They actually care about their money, and want to see it used efficiently. History has shown that the government, OTOH, at least when run by liberals, doesn't care how much money they waste, because it's not theirs.

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"Omega is right."
-Jeff Karrde, March 18, 2001 08:47 PM

Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :

So Omega, if one is to look at history, there hasn't been one conservative government that wasted more money than a liberal one?

How much money did Reagan waste on weapons, again? Or was that not waste?

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"I can be creative when I have a good idea. That just happens way too rarely."
-Omega, April 6

Posted by Quatre Winner (Member # 464) on :

O-smega doesn't seem to understand that Capitalist Corporations tend to fund more "Liberal" programs than anyone else. They don't want the populace to be kept ignorant, unlike his right wing, Neo-fascists zombies. They only want corporations to support the politicos that only meet THEIR narrowly defined poltical beliefs.

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In this crazy world of lemons, baby...you're lemonade!

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

Whereas the corporate bosses are beholded to naught but a few majority investors who have not naught but their own interests and greed in mind.

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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of treachery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

[This message has been edited by Jay (edited April 27, 2001).]

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

Tom:

How much money did Reagan waste on weapons, again?

Military spending went from ~18% of total spending to ~23% of total spending during the Reagan administration. Tax revenues went from <$500 billion to >$900 billion, adjusted for inflation. We ended up hugely in debt, yet the money wasn't spent on the military. So what was it spent on? Well, ask the Democrats. They controlled the money at the time. They controlled the House.

And since the next two posts have no intellectual content whatsoever...

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"Omega is right."
-Jeff Karrde, March 18, 2001 08:47 PM

Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :

Yes they do.

It's called Puppet String Pulling, in which they use their influence on politicians to create laws that benefit corporations more than the people, the environment, etc. etc. etc.

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

As opposed to Puppet String Pulling in which the government creates regulations on companies and industry which serve no useful purpose, but increase the power of government.

Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :

That's also possible, not saying it is true, guess that's why we need more "independant" types of government. Free from influence whatsoever. Free to serve the people, not just the guys with the big bucks.

[This message has been edited by Tahna Los (edited April 27, 2001).]

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

Like a dictatorship? I'm still available...

Seriously, trying to find an influence-free government is like trying to find an especially dark spot on a black panther in the middle of the night six miles underground while blindfolded.

The one possible solution might be to drastically reduce the salaries of people in government, thus making sure that the people who get into it aren't people who are out to make their fortunes.

(One might say that the solution is to cut campaign contributions, but that just makes it easier for incumbents to stay in, because they already have recognition, and harder for new candidates to get their message out.)

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

Those of you who have never worked in a corporate environment who whiney on about how beneficial, loving and un-bureaucratic these gods of the sky are, clearly have a load of horse droppings in their eyes which is all the better for you to get your anti-goverment rocks off.

Government works best when it works for the common good. Which is quite different from it working least.

If you, the environment or the spotted sea otter are not on the bottom line in the mind of the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent, you might as well not exist. But remember, your corporate big brother loves you.

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I'll kill you, you bloated museum of treachery!
~ C. Montgomery Burns

[This message has been edited by Jay (edited April 27, 2001).]

Posted by DT (Member # 80) on :

No government official should receive more than a skilled worker

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"A mass of tears have been transformed to stones now, sharpened on suffering and woven into slings"
Zack de la Rocha
Rage Against the Machine

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

It just occured to me that we could pay elected officials absolutely nothing, and simply supply them with decent (but ONLY decent) living conditions.

No government official should receive more than a skilled worker

That's a little vague.

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"Omega is right."
-Jeff Karrde, March 18, 2001 08:47 PM

Posted by Daniel (Member # 453) on :

You realize that the reason government bureaus are only open until 4:30 most weekdays is because government officials are being paid very low wages. If you want better service, pay'em more.

In low level government (and even high level government) there is very little incentive driving serving the public better.

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

I don't think he meant people who work for the government. I think he meant the governament themselves. The people elected to office.

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

"Yes, I said; and you may add that they are only fed, and not paid in addition to their food, like other men; and therefore they cannot, if they would, take a journey of pleasure; they have no money to spend on a mistress or any other luxurious fancy, which, as the world goes, is thought to be happiness; and many other accusations of the same nature might be added."
--
Republic, Book IV.

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OH NO< THE OLD MAN WALKS HIS GREEN DOG THAT SHOTS PINBALLS!~!!!
--
Jeff K
****
Read three (three!) chapters of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet" and nothing at all will happen.

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

It isn't there actual pay that is the killer, it's the perks, since the pay for GS employees does have set levels. The relocation expenses for moving a few miles, the GSA cars used for all manner of things, etc...

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"One's ethics are determined by what we do when no one is looking" Nugget
Star Trek: Gamma Quadrant
Star Trek: Legacy
Read them, rate them, got money, film them

"...and I remain on the far side of crazy, I remain the mortal enemy of man, no hundred dollar cure will save me..." WoV