Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

sosuemetoo

Active Member
Messages
723
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

I had to read this twice to believe it. This is insane! And using our tax dollars!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...tortopromotelaw

White House paid commentator to promote law

Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.

The campaign, part of an effort to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB), required commentator Armstrong Williams \"to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts,\" and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.

Williams said Thursday he understands that critics could find the arrangement unethical, but \"I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in.\"

The top Democrat on the House Education Committee, Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record) of California, called the contract \"a very questionable use of taxpayers' money\" that is \"probably illegal.\" He said he will ask his Republican counterpart to join him in requesting an investigation.
...

The contract may be illegal \"because Congress has prohibited propaganda,\" or any sort of lobbying for programs funded by the government, said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. \"And it's propaganda.\"
....

The Bush administration used similar releases last year to promote its Medicare prescription drug plan, prompting a scolding from the Government Accountability Office, which called them an illegal use of taxpayers' dollars.

 

CaryP

Senior Member
Messages
1,432
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

The contract may be illegal \"because Congress has prohibited propaganda,\" or any sort of lobbying for programs funded by the government, said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. \"And it's propaganda.\"
....

The Bush administration used similar releases last year to promote its Medicare prescription drug plan, prompting a scolding from the Government Accountability Office, which called them an illegal use of taxpayers' dollars.

What'd you expect? Government sponsored and paid for proganda has been a staple of many a facist regime.

Cary
 

StarLord

Senior Member
Messages
3,187
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

Question: Is No Child Left Behind a good program?
 

PyRo99

Active Member
Messages
567
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

In my book Star, No.

This lovely little act created these new tests, that you have to pass or else you do not graduate from Highschool. Mind you, it used to be the 9th Grade Profienceny test.

Your school system, has to have X amount of people pass, or else Federal Aid is cut off. Now, this is supposed to help Children, but in reality it doesn't do anything. Plus, if your school system excels beyond the average, set score they get money, and the teachers get higher bonuses.

Plus, there are hidden clauses about the draft. How, Highschool students names are allowed to be given to the United States Military, or else federal aid is cut off.

There are always hidden benefits for the USA Feds. Whatever happend to the "Good of the Nation". Must've been buried in the dust.
 

StarLord

Senior Member
Messages
3,187
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

So basicly, this is an incentive program rewarding schools that have an above average in testing?

Do you know where America ranks in scholastic achievement with the world?
It's very poor. Most countries are 2 to 3 years ahead of us.

What idea would you come up with to stimulate schools to stimulate students to achieve better?
 

sosuemetoo

Active Member
Messages
723
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

Just a quick reply here.

We were told that this act would be a benefit. It wasn't. What they've done is "dummied" up the kids. They've made the tests very easy so the kids will pass them.

It also put more money into the special ed and remedial learning classes. It took money away from the honor's classes. For instance, I have a daughter who should be in honor's classes. Her state tests shows that in subjects of English and Math, she is at a Post-High school level (at 12 and in 7th grade). They cancelled all honor's classes.

Further, the teacher's are pushing ADD, ADHD and LD. In otherwords, if you're child is at a C level, they encourage you to send your kid to the Dr. and have them labeled. Why? because these kid's scores won't apply in the overall grading/Federal Aid process. They are in a special group of their own.

Thank You No Child Left Behind. You left both of my kids behind.
 

Unintentional

Active Member
Messages
577
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

Originally posted by PyRo99@Jan 7 2005, 04:07 PM

In my book Star, No.

This lovely little act created these new tests, that you have to pass or else you do not graduate from Highschool. Mind you, it used to be the 9th Grade Profienceny test.

Your school system, has to have X amount of people pass, or else Federal Aid is cut off. Now, this is supposed to help Children, but in reality it doesn't do anything. Plus, if your school system excels beyond the average, set score they get money, and the teachers get higher bonuses.

Plus, there are hidden clauses about the draft. How, Highschool students names are allowed to be given to the United States Military, or else federal aid is cut off.

There are always hidden benefits for the USA Feds. Whatever happend to the \"Good of the Nation\". Must've been buried in the dust.

Just a quick interjection. I was born and raised in Indiana and it was required all high school students took a civics class to graduate and the class HAD to be taught by a US Military Veteran. This more than anything probly installed a good sense of cynism in me. This particular civics teacher I had said basically if ANY institution, be it a business or school or whatever, that takes even 1 cent from the government in contracts or purchases is subject to boo-coo rules and regulations. He also said it is nearly impossible these to days to do business without involving the government. Basically the gov writes the rules and then says, "Well if you don't like it, don't do business with us." To that I say, "Good striking luck!!"
 

DadOf5

Member
Messages
292
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

Originally posted by StarLord@Jan 7 2005, 02:43 PM
Question: Is No Child Left Behind a good program?

In a word, no.

I was asked some time ago on the old .tk site, by Paul I think, what my thoughts were about this law. At the time, I had not done any research on the law. As some of you know, my wife is currently a college student and wrote, for one of her classes, an essay on No Child Left Behind. During the course of her research, I learned a great deal about this law and the far reaching effects it has on our educational system.

Here is a link to the rough draft of her paper on this subject.

http://www.eitniear.com/nochildrough.htm
 

StarLord

Senior Member
Messages
3,187
Bush paid a commentator to support a bill

Thanks Dad.

It's pretty much as I had thought, And that this is not a answer for our kids. This attempt at helping is hamstringing our upper level students. Nothing worse than being bored in school because there is no challenge.

They need to dump this act yesterday and go back to real grades for real effort.
No grades, no pass. I went to a international school for a few years run by the Franciscan Brothers. ( There are were debates about who kicks butt the most, the Jesuit Brothers , or the Franciscan Brothers, and we postulated that sadism was a requirement in their training for teaching credentials.) I digress.

Top students need to be identified early and handed their ton of bricks from the get go and driven.

Latin NEEDS to be put back in schools as a mandatory subject.( I had to take it for two years so let's call this misery loves company)

Classes need to be regulated for size and achievement. Childred that require extra attention need extra attention, not company.

The fools passing legislation on "helping" our education system need to be re-educated.
 

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