Public School Monopoly: A National Disgrace.
 
Public School Monopoly
Click Here For Today's IRS Tax Update Public School Monopoly June 24, 2008Positives of Washington D.C. VouchersHERITAGE FOUNDATION June 20, 2008 Safer Kids, Better Test Scores: The D.C. Voucher Program Works by Shanea Watkins, Ph.D. Full article by Shanea Watkins Heritage Foundation Excerpts: In January 2004, Congress passed the District of Columbia School Choice Incentive Act of 2003, the first federally funded school voucher program in the United States. Now known as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, this initiative provides scholarships of up to $7,500 to more than 1,900 low-income students in the District. A recent U.S. Department of Education (DOE) evaluation of the program should provide policymakers with some encouragement, as the report demonstrates that the Opportunity Scholarship Program is having a positive impact on students and families alike.[1]
Academic Achievement
The DOE evaluation reviews the first two years of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, examining approximately 19 months of instruction. The results indicate that students who received vouchers realized higher academic achievement than students who were not awarded a voucher, though the differences between both groups of students were not statistically significant.[2] Despite this lack of statistical differentiation, students who participated in the Opportunity Scholarship Program achieved higher reading scores than students who did not. The study also indicated that certain subgroups of students experienced significant positive gains in reading achievement.[3] These results are encouraging because they offer compelling evidence of two years of positive achievement gains for D.C. voucher program participants.[4] Public School Monopoly June 18, 2008Washington D.C. Next Victim of Public School Monopoly Unions are spending up To $16,000 a year for students, this has produced unthinkable results-Unions/Democrats, keep rolling over minority kidsTHE HILL David Keene Many a child left behind By David Keene Posted: 06/16/08 05:19 PM [ET] Full article David Keene The Hill Excerpts: The news that the District’s representative in Congress has joined with organized labor and liberals within the Democratic Party to demand an end to Washington’s successful voucher experiment shouldn’t come as much of a shock. Voucher programs and public charter schools are under attack all over the country by the very people who like to justify more federal programs than I can possibly list here as needed “for the children.” The problem is that in the liberal ideological and political world, the interests of the “children” almost always take a back seat to their belief that every interest must be serviced through government and unionized government workers or not at all. The liberal mindset sees this insistence on denying children, and particularly minority children, access to any institutions other than traditional public schools as evidence of some ethereal goodness and insists that anyone who seeks to change the educational status quo is an enemy of education itself. It seems not to matter a whit to most of these people that many of the schools they would force children to attend don’t work. Public School Monopoly June 12, 2008Will Teachers' Unions Keep Detroit Students In BondageSeize chance to bring school choice to Detroit The Detroit News June 11, 2008 Full article The Detroit News Excerpts: The Detroit Public Schools system will get a free pass for its chronic failure if the school funding bill now before the state House passes as written. And Detroit parents and children will lose an opportunity to gain an expanded escape route from a system that by nearly every measure continues to get worse. The school funding bill, which could go to a vote in the House as early as today, contains a clause that would change the definition of a first-class school district. Under current law, a first-class district has enrollment above 100,000 students. That means only Detroit, and it qualifies the district for extra funding, in some years as much as $15 million more. The new legislation would redefine first class as being the largest district in the state, anticipating that Detroit will fall under the 100,000 mark this fall. That change would continue all special Detroit school funding. If the law passes that way, it would forfeit an excellent opportunity to provide more school choice to Detroit parents and children. Public School Monopoly June 9, 2008An Encouraging Step Against the Democrat/Union MonopolyWASHINGTONPOST.COM Charter Schools' Big Experiment New Orleans's Post-Katrina Test May Offer Lessons for Ailing Systems By Jay Mathews Monday, June 9, 2008; Page A01 Full article Jay Mathews Washington Post Excerpts: NEW ORLEANS The storm that swamped this city three years ago also effectively swept away a public school system with a dismal record and faint prospects of getting better. Before Hurricane Katrina, educator John Alford said, he toured schools and found "kids just watching movies" in classes where "low expectations were the norm." Now Alford is one of many new principals leading an unparalleled education experiment, with possible lessons for troubled urban schools in the District and elsewhere. New Orleans, in a post-Katrina flash, has become the first major city in which more than half of all public school students attend charter schools. For these new schools with taxpayer funding and independent management, old rules and habits are out. No more standard hours, seniority, union contracts, shared curriculum or common textbooks. In are a crowd of newcomers -- critics call them opportunists -- seeking to lift standards and achievement. They compete for space, steal each other's top teachers and wonder how it is all going to work. Public School Monopoly May 19, 2008WALL STREET JOURNAL Democrats for School Choice May 19, 2008; Page A14 Full article WSJ Excerpts: When Florida passed a law in 2001 creating the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program for underprivileged students, all but one Democrat in the state legislature voted against it. Earlier this month, lawmakers extended the program – this time with the help of a full third of Democrats in the Legislature, including 13 of 25 members of the state's black caucus and every member of the Hispanic caucus. What changed? Our guess is that low-income parents in Florida have gotten a taste of the same school choice privileges that middle- and upper-income families have always enjoyed. And they've found they like this new educational freedom. Under the scholarship program, which is means-tested, companies get a 100% tax credit for donations to state-approved nonprofits that provide private-school vouchers for low-income families. Public School Monopoly May 16, 2008One Small Step For Mankind-Against The Powerful Public-School-MonopolyTHE HERITAGE FOUNDATION GEORGIA ENACTS NEW SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM Full article The Heritage Foundation Excerpts: Earlier today Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation (HB 1133) to create a $50 million school choice tax credit program. The legislation will allow individuals and businesses to take a dollar-for-dollar credit on state taxes for contributions to non-profit groups that fund tuition scholarships. In all, Georgia taxpayers can claim $50 million in tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations. The Alliance for School Choice estimates that will fund as many as 10,000 scholarships: “With his actions today, Governor Perdue has sealed his legacy as one of America’s foremost ‘education governors,’” said Lori Drummer, director of state projects for the Alliance. “Georgia is now a national leader in a school choice movement that is gaining momentum.” Public School Monopoly April 30, 2008Will The Teacher's Union Try To Hurt Minority Kids For The Umpteenth TimeTeacher's Unions Fight For Their Own Gains-Against The Gains of Poor KidsTHE WASHINGTON POST WashingtonPost.com Vouching for Vouchers The educational interests of 1,900 D.C. children are riding on Adrian Fenty's trip to the Hill tomorrow. Tuesday, April 29, 2008; Page A16 Full article Washington Post Excerpts: IN MAKING education his top priority, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has been guided by one principle: Children trump politics. It's an idea that Mr. Fenty might want to expound on when he goes to Capitol Hill this week to defend funding for the city's unique school voucher program. Political ideology and partisan gamesmanship should not be allowed to blow apart the educational hopes of hundreds of D.C. children. Congress must respect the judgment of District leaders in giving parents a choice in one of the most crucial aspects of their children's lives. A minefield awaits Mr. Fenty as he prepares to testify tomorrow before a House appropriations subcommittee. President Bush's budget includes an unprecedented $74 million to bolster education in the District, dividing the money along three pathways. Public schools would get a big chunk to undertake such initiatives as teacher "pay for performance" and leadership training for principals. There would be money to replicate high-performing charter schools And $18 million would go to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides grants for low-income children to attend private schools; it is this third purpose that's expected to come under scrutiny, if not attack. A Republican-controlled Congress barely approved the program in 2004, and the Democrats who now rule the House are sworn enemies of vouchers. It doesn't help that District Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has been a fierce opponent. Public School Monopoly April 27, 2008WALL STREET JOURNAL Twenty-Five Years Later, A Nation Still at Risk By CHESTER E. FINN JR. April 26, 2008; Page A7 Full article Chester E. Finn Jr. Excerpts Today marks the 25th anniversary of "A Nation at Risk," the influential Reagan-era report by a blue-ribbon panel that alerted Americans to the weak performance of our education system. The report warned of a "rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people." That dire forecast set off a quarter century of education reform that's yielded worthy changes – yet still not the achievement gains we need to turn back the tide of mediocrity. After decades of furthering educational "equality," the 1983 commission admonished the country, it was time to attend to academic excellence and school results. Educators didn't want to hear this and a generation later many still don't. Our ponderous public-school system resists change. Teachers don't like criticism and are loath to be judged by pupil performance. In educator circles, one still encounters grumbling that "A Nation at Risk" lodged a bum rap. Others heeded the alarm, though, and that report launched an era of forceful innovation and accountability guided by noneducators – elected officials, business leaders and philanthropists. Public School Monopoly April 21, 2008Use of Dues for PoliticsVisit: Center For Union Facts Every day, millions of union members have money taken from their paychecks to support some union presidents' political agenda. In 1996, Rutgers economics professor Leo Troy estimated that union political expenditures totaled about $500 million in each election cycle. More recently, the National Institute for Labor Relations Research estimated that total union political expenditures reached $925 million in the 2004 cycle. Over time, this has added up: According to The Center for Responsive Politics, eight of the top ten all-time political contributors are labor unions. Labor leaders have made the use of employee money for political causes a popular practice — but it's far less popular among the public and the members themselves. Use of Member Money for Politics is Unpopular and Misunderstood Use of members' money for political goals was second only to corruption as the reasons Americans disapproved of unions, according to a 2004 Zogby poll. That poll also found that 63 percent of all employees, and 61 percent of unionized employees, agreed that union members shouldn't be forced to contribute. A McLaughlin & Associates poll indicated that 67 percent of workers were unaware of their right to withhold mandatory dues for politics (to see how to keep your dues, learn more about resigning your union membership). March 23, 2008Giant Sign of the Times (Square) In case our mobile billboard wasn’t enough, the Center for Union Facts has also unveiled an enormous seven-story billboard in Times Square. The billboard tells New Yorkers and tourists about the “Ten Worst Union-Protected Teachers” contest we’re running (click here to read about some pretty egregious New York City examples). We’ve already received some pretty scary nominations (such as yesterday’s Nominee of the Week, the Drunk Gunman), but with this board reaching so many eyeballs, we expect to receive a lot more. Click here, here, here, and here to see more photos. Center For Union Facts ### From: Teachers For Union Facts March 13, 2008MassachussettsFull article Teachers UnionFacts Excerpts: For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts. From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country. Boston Teachers Union: Protecting Bad Teachers The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) is the exclusive bargaining agent for teachers from the Boston Public Schools district. According to district records, however, policies defended by BTU and its parent unions (AFT Massachusetts and the American Federation of Teachers) mean that practically no teachers are ever fired by the school system after they work for three years and thus acquire tenure. Public School Monopoly March 10, 2008 Send this to a Friend From: campusreportonline.net Educational GIVEaway by: Paul M. Weyrich, March 06, 2008 Full article Paul M. Weyrich campusreportonline.net Excerpts: This week the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on H.R. 2857, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, more creatively known as the GIVE Act. If passed and signed into law, the bill would revise and reauthorize appropriations for numerous community service programs through Fiscal Year 2012. Among the revisions to some of the programs is the addition of four “purposes” to the National and Community Service Act of 1990. These include “providing year-round opportunities in service-learning; involving citizens in emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery; increasing service opportunities for retiring professionals; and encouraging service by Baby Boomers and continued service by national service alumni.” Public School Monopoly Feb. 26, 2008NEA=National Education Center From: LaborPains.org. A great site to visit To LaborPains.org NEA Rings the Dinner Bell Today the National Education Association issued a press release that displayed remarkable candor about the union’s institutional tilt to the left, urging Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to take the union’s electoral clout more seriously while expressing no interest in appealing to Republicans. According to the teachers union’s release, “[w]ith both [Democratic] candidates scrambling to gather enough delegates to win the nomination, NEA is uniquely poised to play a major role in either campaign.” The NEA’s latest Democrats-only summons is just the latest example of a lengthy trend: between 1990 and 2006, more than 93 percent of donations made by National Education Association political action committees and individual officers went to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That’s not to say that anywhere close to 93 percent of NEA members are Democrats, however; the NEA’s own “Status of the American Public School Teacher 2000-2001” [PDF] indicates that only 45 percent of public school teachers are Democrats. Public School Monopoly February 5, 2008From: Education Policy Institute The Teacher Unions: Enemies of Reform by Charlene K. Haar, EPI President Full article: Education Policy Institute Excerpts: From the school house to the White House, the teacher unions are the most formidable foes of meaningful education reforms -- reforms, which I believe are necessary to achieve superior educational outcomes for children at lower costs to parents and other taxpayers through competition. Despite their rhetoric, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, like other labor unions, were established to redistribute income from employers to employees and the unions. There is no incentive to reduce costs when taxpayers must pay upon demand. There is no reason to excel when the best employees are paid what the worst are paid. For decades, the NEA/AFT have negotiated highly inefficient contracts covering such items as Public School Monopoly hours of employment and compensation teacher work load and duties teacher qualifications teaching assignments and seniority benefits teacher evaluation and tenure taxpayer subsidies to the unions, such as paid time off for union work, use of school mail system, payroll deduction for dues and NEA/AFT PACs at no cost to the unions, and retirement credit for full-time service as a union employee. Public School Monopoly January 27, 2008Peter Brimley is the author of the 2003 book THE WORM IN THE APPLE: HOW THE TEACHER UNIONS ARE DESTROYING AMERICA See Further Comments From Peter Brimelow Immediately BelowSummarizing just a small portion of this very worthwhile read, is the following: It is no coincidence that the thirty year decline in U.S. K-12 education and the simultaneous surge in education spending began at the same time that the modern teacher unions were created, Today, the biggest union in the country is the National Education Association, which has nearly 3 million members. Its agenda is not to provide better teaching in schools; it is to provide more money and benefits for teachers-and above all for itself. It accomplishes this through collective bargaining muscle and by buying political influence. Even worse the unions want to turn curriculum, textbook and grading standards into bargaining chips in labor negotiations. Public School Monopoly January 27, 2008Peter Brimelow exposed the teacher unions for what they are; a political and economic monopoly that is choking the education system, like the "trusts" that put a stranglehold on American business a hundred years ago. Until the unions are held accountable, and public schools opened up to market forces, no education reform, no matter how worthy, will succeed. It is time, Brimelow convincingly argues, to bust the Teacher Trust. Public School Monopoly December 23, 2007From: Family Security Matters FSM’s Second Annual ‘America’s Most Dangerous College Courses’ Jason Rantz Full article Family Security Matters Excerpts It’s been two years since I’ve begun investigating insipid, scary and yes, downright dangerous college courses – sometimes funded by tax dollars – and unfortunately, little has changed. Arrogant professors, protected by tenure and faint-hearted administrators, use their classrooms to spread their twisted views of America and its allies. Sometimes, entire courses are focused on anti-American views; other times, professors take time from non-political classes, such as math or Kinesiology, to complain about George Bush, the war on terrorism, social justice, and whatever it is that happens to bother them at the time of their rants. Consequently, students are not being taught properly and universities and colleges are robbing their students of the well-rounded educations they are paying for and deserve. As was the case with the first installment of this list in 2006, courses for this list are based on a variety of criteria: * The course must focus on the issue or issues detailed in the syllabus or class description. That is, a math course with a professor who may rail against America will not be considered. * The course must also express an agenda far beyond any honest or accurate academic cause. That is, professors who teach courses that lie, manipulate facts, propagandize students, or express a dishonest and fact-deficient extremist view on the class topic, will be considered. * Courses that may be required as part of a “core” curriculum will also be considered if they offer nothing more than to stroke the ego of the professor’s fascination with silly topics that offer little academic value to students. ###
Public School Monopoly From CampusOnlineReport.net Leaning Tower of PISA by: Bethany Stotts, December 18, 2007 Full Article Campus Report On Line Excerpts The recently-released 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results have been heralded by some as proving that American science and math illiteracy are endangering American competitiveness abroad, and will lead to an economic crisis within the next generation. The results rank the U.S. 21 out of the 30 advanced industrial Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, and American students scored an average 489 points on the combined science literacy scale compared to the 500-point OECD average. In response to these gloomy results, Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced on December 4th that the 2006 PISA results reinforced the need for school reform according to “what President Bush has long been advocating for: more rigor in our nation’s high schools; additional resources for advanced courses to prepare students for college-level studies; and stronger math and science education.” She states that President Bush’s reform initiatives such as No Child Left Behind, increased state accountability, and the National Math Panel will all improve America’s future scientific success. Public School Monopoly However, Newt Gingrich and Roy Romer disagree that current reforms have enhanced America’s economic strength, arguing in their December Washington Times editorial “Losing the Race” that the PISA results show “America is falling behind its global competitors and the economic security of our children is at risk.” They add, “If an American corporation produced such mediocre outcomes, then the CEO would be fired immediately. Yet, American schools continue to churn out below-average students with no fear of consequences.” Public School Monopoly December 12, 2005Huckabee's Upcoming Union Endorsement Press Release From the CLUB FOR GROWTH Education Monopoly Loves HuckabeeVisit The Club For Growth Washington - When it comes to education policy, Mike Huckabee looks more like Hillary Clinton than a conservative Republican. Apparently, the National Education Association agrees. Today, Mike Huckabee will receive the recommendation of the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association along with Democrat Hillary Clinton in their respective presidential primaries. “No doubt, the NEA’s endorsement has something to do with Huckabee’s opposition to private school choice and his support for a federally mandated and funded arts and music curriculum,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Like Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee puts the interests of a labor union ahead of children’s education.” “In contrast, the other major Republican candidates support school choice as an important step towards achieving a competitive education system that will give parents the freedom to choose which school best suits their children’s needs. While Huckabee claims he is an economic conservative, he is aligning himself with those who oppose competition and choice.” Public School Monopoly Nov 12, 2005Another Win For Teachers Unions-Another Loss For KidsPossibly the biggest scandal in America is the Democratic Party's collusion with the powerful teacher's unions. Back in April, after an agonizing effort to satisfy all sides in the state of Utah a compromise was worked out and legislation was passed to allow kids in that state to receive vouchers and go to the school of their choice, even compensate schools that lost children by giving the school the amount lost for 5 years. This did not satisfy teachers. They do not want their monopoly curtailed in any way. They got a measure on the ballot, flexed their muscles and knowing the Democratic Party is in their hip pocket for all their efforts, brought the voucher effort down. We Must End The Public School MonopolyPublic School Monopoly Nov 5, 2005No Relaxation Technique Left Behind! Taxpayers Now Paying For Schools To Teach Yoga Classes Michelle Malkin Has This To Say: According to the piece, “Less Homework, More Yoga, From a Principal Who Hates Stress,” the head of Needham High School in the Boston suburbs is pushing “stress reduction” through better stretching and breathing. Principal Paul Richards, who last earned nationwide mockery when he ditched publishing the honor roll, is part-Oprah, part-Deepak Chopra, part-Richard Simmons, and all edu-babble. Michelle facetiously suggests: Math test scores have plummeted. Solution: Remove the U.S. from international competitions. Students are failing. Solution: Hide the honor rolls so the under-achievers don’t feel bad. Elementary pupils don’t like drills and spelling tests. Solution: Fuzzy math and inventive spelling. Families can’t manage their time. Solution: Less homework, more yoga. Full article Taxpayers Paying For Yoga in Public Schools BulletinPublic School Monopoly FORMER POW'S-PRISONERS OF WARDo you know any former prisoners of war (POW'S) or their family members? If so, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs your help. VA is once again reaching out to former prisoners of war not currently using VA benefits and services, urging them to contact the Department to find out if they are eligible for health care, disability compensation and other services. Learn More Public School Monopoly April 1, 2007 Using The IRS Sales Tax Deduction CalculatorNEA Political Power, More Important Than Kids
Click Here For Today's IRS Tax Update<
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Public School Monopoly 2007Nowhere is the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party more evident than in its collusion with the powerful teacher's unions. This effort sentences millions of the nation's young, to a lifetime of crime and poverty. It could, instead, make the decision to have hundreds of thousands of those same young people receive a reasonable education and as a result, have some share of the American Dream. Public School Monopoly August 5, 2007According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the achievement gap is virtually unchanged since the mid-1980's. Only 15 percent of students eligible for a free or reduced price lunch scored at or above proficient on the 4th grade reading exam in 2005, compared to 42 percent of students not eligible for federal assistance. By race and ethnicity, 47 percent of white students are at or above proficient, compared to only 13 percent of black students and 19 percent of Hispanic students. Numbers are worse for math. However recent study by researcher William H. Jeynes of Baylor University found that private religious schools have been very successful in reducing the achievement gap. There seems to be evidence that private religious schools have a positive academic effect on all students. These schools provide greater benefits to students from the poorest families and minority students. . Public School Monopoly July 10, 2007Public School Monopoly Gets Tricky With Achievement ResearchIn July 2006, the Department of Education released a performance report of kids in public schools and kids in private schools. The Department of Education study compared the performance of public school and private school students on the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress exam. Fourth Graders and eighth graders in private schools scored significantly higher than students in public schools in the two vital areas of reading and math based on the raw data. Experimentally, researchers made an adjustment of the data taking socioeconomic status into consideration. Among fourth graders, public school students scored “significantly higher” than private school students on mathematics but “not significantly different” for reading. Among eighth graders, the results were reversed-the average score of private school students for reading was “significantly higher” than the public schools average but “not significantly higher” in mathematics. From this Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association teachers union, declared victory. Soon afterward Harvard University scholars studied the same data and found “a consistent, statistically significant private school advantage.” Public School MonopolyEDUCATION NOTEBOOK: The Real Score on School Choice Research Public School Monopoly August 4, 2006 When statistical research makes the headlines, it’s important to read beyond the politically charged conclusions and take a look at the fine print. Interest groups often seize on a part of a study’s findings but leave the larger truth buried. That was certainly the case when the Department of Education released a study last month comparing the performance of students in public and private schools. Defenders of the public school establishment celebrated the study’s findings-that public school students perform about as well or better than their peers in private schools-as proof that we don’t need reforms that give parents the freedom to choose the best school for their children. But the teachers unions shouldn’t declare victory just yet. A sober review of the study tells a very different story than what’s been widely reported. Public School MonopolyNeal Boortz on teachers unions (2-21-07)
Add to My Profile | More Videos Needless to say the large majority of these young people are minorities. This Public-School-Monopoly, the NEA-National Education Association-and the Democratic Party have for years teamed up to keep this monopoly going. Each group talks a good game about how much they care for the poor and minorities, but when it comes to action, both groups take care of the needs of each other, but prove they have no actual concern for kids, especially those in the inner city. Throughout most of the USA, the Public-School-Monopoly has battled competition. Where school competition exists, minority parents line up to get their children into schools that offer voucher programs. Charter School popularity is also soaring. Charter Schools first came into being in 1991 in Minnesota, starting with just 2 schools. By 2004, there were nearly 3000. Louis King, a black leader who served on the Minneapolis School Board from 1996 to 2000, puts it [public school performance] bluntly: Public School Monopoly"Today, I can't recommend in good conscience that an African-American family send their children to the Minneapolis public schools. The facts are irrefutable: These schools are not preparing our children to compete in the world." Mr. King's advice? "The best way to get attention is not to protest, but to shop somewhere else." Democrats have strongly supported the status quo, while Republicans have strongly supported voucher programs The NEA contributes millions to Democrats, but paltry amounts to Republicans, even than, just to make it look good. Since 1990 the NEA has given $1,781,502 to Democrats and just $170,600 to Republicans. Big bucks are still flowing from the NEA to Democrats. Democrats continue to show their gratitude. The Public-School-Monopoly remains a powerful force. To add to the horror story of what the NEA is all about, see below some of the groups it supports: You may not recognize some of the names, but you would recognize the agenda of most. Summed up, they would be mostly radical left, big government, Blame America First soldiers who love the New York Times, the United Nations, the ACLU and other groups that mostly disparage America, but do virtually nothing to improve education. Human Rights Campaign ($15,000) National Women's Law Center ($5,000) Rainbow/PUSH Coalition ($5,000) This is Jesse Jackson's group Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network ($5,000) Democratic Leadership Council ($25,000) Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ($40,000) Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute ($35,000) Public School MonopolyEconomic Policy Institute ($45,000) Ballot Initiative Strategy Center ($75,000) People for the American Way ($51,000) Fund to Protect Social Security ($400,000) Social Security is heading for disaster but it is money controlled by Democrats, which they don't want to give up. Rock the Vote Education Fund ($10,000) Floridians For All ($249,000) Alliance for Nevada's Working Families ($250,000) ___________________________________________________________ 5-13-07 Public School MonopolyRepeatedly, minority parents voice their support for school choice, usually in the form of vouchers. These parents desperately want their kids out of the failed and failing public schools, knowing very large numbers of public school kids wind up in prison and in other states of misery. Yet the teacher monopoly holds fast to the status quo. In fact, they get vicious against those trying to get their kids on the road to the American dream. Author John Stossel has been promoting the paperback edition of "Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity". Stossel seems to think that the people who seem the most energetic are those pursuing school choice. He states: "Many of them are under attack." Stossel relates attacks by the teachers union. When the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing individual liberty, criticized the Washington state teachers union's use of dues to politick against school choice, the union attacked the organization with full-page newspaper ads and prime-time 30-second radio spots. The ads called EFF a "right wing extremist 'think tank'" that uses "bundles of cash" to promote its agenda. Union spokespeople also called them "trolls," "lying dirt bags," and "evil ... zealots." According to one union supporter, "Those scum are lower than sewer water, and smell less pleasant." Public School Monopoly More To Follow July 3, 2007 From: LaborPains.OrgThe following headline appeared on the site LaborPains.org Newark Teachers Union Threatens to “Smash Your F***ing Head in” Workers from LaborPains.org recently visited the headquarters of the Newark [New Jersey] Teachers Union Headquarters. The workers were there to pick up copies of the most recent tax documents. The Internal Revenue service has a requirement that labor unions must turn over their tax documents for public inspection upon “request” Anyone who goes in person and asks for the forms is entitled to receive copies the same business day. Near the top of the form on the right side, sitting boldly and prominently are the words “open to public inspection.” According to the person from LaborPains.org, he politely asked for a copy of the NTU’s form and was told ““If I smash your f***ing head in with this toolbox, nothing would happen to me. I’d have a blanket and a cup of coffee, and be out [of jail] in half an hour.” Public School MonopolyJuly 4, 2007 FROM: UNION FACTS.COM Barbara Bullock was president of the Washington Teachers Union from 1994 to 2003. She was forced out after it became known that she had embezzled millions from the Washington Teachers Union. She apparently spent $1.8 million using unauthorized credit cards and hundreds of thousands in other illegal payments. Ms. Bullock's aide, Gwendolyn Hemphill, spent $492,000 in unauthorized credit card charges and checks. Public School Monopoly Unions: Washington Teachers Crime IRS Tax Updates Feb. 22Issue Number: IR-2007-38 Inside This Issue Feb. 26, 2007 IRS TOLL-FREE HELP Free tax help from the IRS is just a phone call away. The IRS provides various services through its toll-free telephone numbers. Some of these services are available 24 hours a day.· Ask questions about your tax return. You can call the IRS Tax Help Line for Individuals at 800-829-1040, to get answers to your federal tax questions. · Order forms and publications. Call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Copies of forms, publications and other helpful information are also available around-the-clock at the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. · Check the status of your refund. Call the Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954. You will need to know your social security number, filing status and the exact whole-dollar amount of your expected refund. TeleTax, the automated refund line, at 800-829-4477 is available around the clock and will also let you check the status of your income tax refund. Automated refund information is generally available four to five weeks after you have filed your tax return. You can also check the status of your refund at IRS.gov by clicking on Where’s My Refund? This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. · Recorded tax information: The TeleTax line at 800-829-4477 has recorded messages covering more than 100 tax topics. Topics include items such as Who Must File?, Highlights of Tax Changes, Education Credits, Individual Retirement Accounts, Earned Income Tax Credit, What to Do if You Can't Pay Your Tax and more. · Hearing-impaired individuals with access to TTY/TDD equipment. Call 800-829-4059 to ask questions or to order forms and publications. This number is answered only by TTY/TDD equipment. The IRS Tax Help Line, Refund Hotline, and the TTY/TDD numbers are available from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (local time) on weekdays. Alaska and Hawaii will follow Pacific Time. The services offered on the IRS toll-free lines are also available 24 hours a day 7 days a week on the Internet at IRS.gov. Public School Monopoly Feb. 22 IRS Capital Gains & Losses-Rental PropertyIf, during the 5-year period ending on the date of sale, you owned the home for at least 2 years and lived in it as your main home for at least 2 years, you can exclude up to the maximum dollar limit. However, you cannot exclude the portion of the gain equal to depreciation allowed or allowable for periods after May 6, 1997. This gain is reported on Form 4797 (PDF),Sale of Business Property. Refer to Publication 523, Selling Your Home, and Form 4797 (PDF), Sale of Business Property, for specifics on calculating and reporting the amount of gain. Public School Monopoly Feb. 20 IRS Capital Gains & LossesUpdateI have investment property. Can you explain the term basis of assets? Basis is your investment in property for tax purposes. The difference between the selling price of your assets and your basis determines whether there is a taxable gain or loss on the disposition of your property. You need to determine your basis to figure allowable depreciation deductions as well. Your original basis is usually your cost to acquire the asset. Your adjusted basis (which is the basis you use to determine gain or loss or depreciation amounts) is the result of increasing or decreasing your original basis according to certain events. Increases to basis include but are not limited to: . Improvements having a useful life of more than a year . Assessments for local improvements . Sales tax . The cost of extending utilities lines to the property . Legal fees such as the cost of defending or perfecting title . Zoning costs Decreases to basis include but are not limited to: . Depreciation . Nontaxable corporate distributions . Casualty and theft losses . Easements . Rebates from the manufacturer or seller Additional information on basis can be found in Publication 551, Basis of Assets, or Tax Topic 703, Basis of Assets. Public School Monopoly Issue Number: TT-2007-34 Inside This Issue TAX FACTS ABOUT CAPITAL GAINS AND LOSSES Almost everything you own and use for personal purposes, pleasure or investment is a capital asset. When you sell a capital asset, the difference between the amounts you sell it for and your basis, which is usually what you paid for it, is a capital gain or a capital loss. While you must report all capital gains, you may deduct only capital losses on investment property, not personal property. Here are a few tax facts about capital gains and losses: * Capital gains and losses are reported on Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses, and then transferred to line 13 of Form 1040. * Capital gains and losses are classified as long-term or short-term, depending on how long you hold the property before you sell it. If you hold it more than one year, your capital gain or loss is long-term. If you hold it one year or less, your capital gain or loss is short-term. * Net capital gain is the amount by which your net long-term capital gain is more than your net short-term capital loss. * The tax rates that apply to net capital gain are generally lower than the tax rates that apply to other income and are called the maximum capital gains rates. For 2006, the maximum capital gains rates are 5%, 15%, 25% or 28%. * If your capital losses exceed your capital gains, the excess is subtracted from other income on your tax return, up to an annual limit of $3,000 ($1,500 if you are married filing separately). Public School MonopolyFor more information about reporting capital gains and losses, get Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, and Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses, available on the IRS Web site at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Public School Monopoly Public School Monopoly To Extreme Groups Info Please subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Political Junkies Journal. It tells you each month about the new information we have added, including: Walt Mossberg’s Personal Technology, Key Tax Information, Trivia (play for prizes), Quotes, Lyrics, Rhymes and Brian Wesbury on Economics.
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