tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post8697105641854075710..comments2024-03-28T11:57:21.902-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Meet Scott WagnerPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-14225728521944592342018-08-10T10:00:44.851-04:002018-08-10T10:00:44.851-04:00What successful businessmen (or women) like Wagner...What successful businessmen (or women) like Wagner don't get is that the purpose of business and government are vastly different. The purpose of business is to supply a product and make a profit. Fine, if you're a business. But the purpose of government is NOT to make money, i.e. fill the government treasury. Yes, it's good to have a reserve. The purpose of government is to supply services to the public, either by supplying those services itself, or supplying those services by contract or regulation. And it needs to do it in a just way that stewards the public's resources wisely and well. <br /><br />Wagner is staunchly pro-business in a way that's good for business. What good does it do the public if the jobs that're created benefit business thru low wages and production that damages the community and/or environment? What good does it do the public if teachers' jobs are low wage, but cannot attract talented, dedicated people? <br /><br />We need to be done with both the 'run government like a business' AND the 'government can make it all better' ideology. The Wagners and Sanders both represent an untenable ideology that can't be sustained. Louise Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17991219620728857418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-27974585556596450952017-05-07T23:15:18.137-04:002017-05-07T23:15:18.137-04:00I'm with Dienne. Yes, we need a new Democratic...I'm with Dienne. Yes, we need a new Democratic "establishment" - one that isn't beholden to corporate interests, and doesn't try to sabotage the politicians who aren't, like Bernie and Tulsi Gabbard<br /><br />Wagner is obviously an Ayn Rand fan (whether or not he's read her).<br /><br />"There are teachers that will exceed expectations while teaching a classroom of 100 of the toughest-to-teach students." I don't know what he means by "exceed expectations", but it can't mean much, because no one could do anywhere near a decent job in such a situation. He couldn't be more clueless.<br /><br />Giving teachers "an environment in which they can thrive" doesn't mean rewarding them with merit pay, it means giving them the autonomy to exercise their profession.<br /><br />Totally clueless. <br /><br /><br /><br />Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-85695991977571523012017-05-07T20:54:56.721-04:002017-05-07T20:54:56.721-04:00Incidentally, if you're worried about millions...Incidentally, if you're worried about millions of people being killed, what about the people of Iraq, Libya, Honduras, Haiti, etc.? Don't they count? Or is it only Americans who do?Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02815534068806482353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-20062158352935565322017-05-07T20:45:10.150-04:002017-05-07T20:45:10.150-04:00Candidate of my dreams? Are you kidding me? How ...Candidate of my dreams? Are you kidding me? How about one who isn't a nightmare? We didn't have that choice this past election. We had the candidate of Henry Kissinger vs. The Orange One. Seriously, either of those were acceptable to you?Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02815534068806482353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-10647829888040485662017-05-07T09:27:21.472-04:002017-05-07T09:27:21.472-04:00To follow your analogy, while you're simply de...To follow your analogy, while you're simply decline to support that establishment, milliins of people will be killed or have their lives destroyed by that establishment's competitor. You can afford to make false equivalences in the attempt to hold out for the candidate of your dreams. The rest of us cannot and understand that getting better candidates and a better party requires engagement and hard work (and possibly building a whole new establishment) while taking the best we can from what's currently on offer in order to protect the most vulnerable.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11778759574629784598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-60164734154009176052017-05-06T21:05:17.484-04:002017-05-06T21:05:17.484-04:00Reminds me of another millionaire businessman who ...Reminds me of another millionaire businessman who ran for governor with 'Scott' in his name.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544213160574214282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-38550295276638898992017-05-06T19:35:19.729-04:002017-05-06T19:35:19.729-04:00"...the first lesson of the current political..."...the first lesson of the current political silly season in America is that people really need to get off their asses and vote)."<br /><br />And the corollary of that lesson is that the Democrats (or someone) really needs to give us someone to vote for. I for one am not going to vote for "marginally less bad". If the only choices on your menu are a dirt sandwich or a poop sandwich, I'm not eating at your establishment. If that means the poop sandwich wins, so be it. Maybe people have to eat enough poop to get desperate enough to look for another alternative.<br /><br />"This being attacked business is part of the Wagner brand."<br /><br />A very important point that the Democrats also need to learn, especially as we're all cheering for Colbert's juvenile rant ending with "All Trump's mouth is good for is being Putin's c*ck holster". We can't win by going lower than Trump (or Wagner or any of 'em). For one, there is no lower - they already own that battle. For another, when you wallow in the mud with a pig, you only get yourself dirty. And the pig likes it.<br /><br />The only winning strategy there is is up. The Democrats (or somebody) needs to tell us what they stand for, not just that they're not Republicans. What's the plan for ending mass incarceration at home and military engagements abroad? What's the plan to equitably distribute wealth and reign-in billionaires, bankers, hedge funds, corporations, etc.? What's the plan to restore and improve public education? What's the plan to implement universal single-payer healthcare? What's the plan to keep workers employed and/or implement a guaranteed minimum income?<br /><br />I'm fully behind the first party or individual politician who can articulate answers to those questions, just just those who aren't as bad as the Republicans.Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02815534068806482353noreply@blogger.com