Most of Common Core is OK. Just tweak it. O-Care? Forget repealing it. Let’s FIX IT.
It’s too bad that we have to turn to history books detailing events of generations long ago to appreciate principled American leaders. These days — party platforms are flexible and “living” — *kinda like that Constitution thingie*. Platform planks — like campaign promises — are merely gimmicks meant to excite the rubes out in the hinterlands so that they will keep coughing up the campaign contributions and turning out to vote so that our, um, “leaders” can keep their dirty hands IN the cookie jar.
After the votes are counted, all that stuff gets thrown out the window, and our “leaders” get back to lining their pockets, scratching each other’s backs, and paying us off with our own money.
I’ve followed politics for a long time. Every so often, I come across a candidate who gives me hope — possibly the next “Mr. Smith.” Far too often, they win the election, get sworn in , and start to disappoint me. Why cut government when you’ve got a large, powerful bureaucracy at your beck-and-call that you can use to do “favors” that win you extra campaign cash and votes for the next election?
Social Security was initially meant to be a temporary measure to help folks get through the tough times brought on by The Depression. Yet, it’s still here — a Ponzi scheme adding layers of government dependents and bankrupting our nation.
Recently, two elected officials I had high hopes for began showing signs of disappointing me. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest fought the party establishment in 2012 and eked out a win — in spite of ZERO assistance from Team McCrory and the rest of the establishment. He came out strong against the state’s common core curriculum. Now, it appears Forest might be showing signs of “growing in office.” Check this out from a recent interview he did with John Drescher’s shih tzu:
[…] The Common Core standards gave Forest his largest megaphone. Adopted by the state in 2010, the math and English standards are designed as a national benchmark. All but five states have adopted them but conservatives like Forest are raising opposition.
In July, he sent a 40-page letter to the state Department of Public Instruction listing hundreds of questions about Common Core. Forest, whose wife home-schools their children, is concerned about the cost, the rigor of the standards and the state’s ability to revise components it doesn’t support.
However, in the interview, he said “95 percent of Common Core is great.”
“I think we could easily keep a large quantity of Common Core and just change the standards on it,” he added. “…Get rid of the copyright so we can do the things we need to do with it.”
His political bearing was noticeable in other ways as he appealed to the party’s far-right supporters. He called U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, a Cashiers Republican who played a prominent role in pushing the government shutdown, “the smartest man in Washington today” – a remark that drew rebuke amid the furlough of federal workers. [..]
On a side-note, isn’t it interesting how people who support the GOP platform are called “far-right,” but those who strongly back the Democrat Party platform get labeled in much milder terms, like “activists” or “Democrats”?
Congressman Mark Meadows (R-11th) drew quite a few “atta-boys” from this site and many other Tea Party and otherwise concerned American sources for his courage in getting out front in the ObamaCare repeal fight. Recent media reports indicate that John Boehner, Eric Cantor and the boys have had a sit-down (an “intervention,” perhaps, in state board of elections-speak) with him:
[…] Meadows represents North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, which encompasses Burke County and much of the western part of the state. He said the more realistic goal is to make positive changes to the way the law affects the people.
“A repeal is something that may still seem desirable,” said Meadows. “But in reality, it’s not something that’s going to happen … not with this President and not with this Senate.”
Although the White House said “it’s time for Republicans … to stop re-fighting old political battles over health care,” Meadows said the party is no longer looking to repeal the newly-enacted law. Instead, he said, Republicans seek to improve the Affordable Care Act and the way that it is influencing American citizens.
“I don’t agree with the headlines that the White House has sent out,” Meadows said. “Like so many of their other headlines — like ‘you can keep your doctor’ or ‘you can keep your insurance’ — they’re in sales mode.”
While he admits that repealing the law is not the party’s goal, the Congressman has committed to making changes that can make it work better.
“We’re hearing real stories that are unfolding daily that give me great concern,” he said. “What was intended with Obamacare is really not what’s being delivered.”[…]
We GAVE these people a majority with explicit instructions to GET RID of this nightmare. A repeal is THE ONLY possible happy ending to the story of ObamaCare. You couldn’t “fix” Hitler. You HAD to get rid of him. You couldn’t “fix” bin Laden. You HAD to get rid of him. You can’t “fix” the Taliban and al Qaeda. You have to get rid of them.
Everyone who sits out the repeal fight, votes to fund this, or tries to “fix” it, is an accomplice in siccing this travesty on the American people. The main purpose of O-Care is to enslave another subset of people into government dependency. It’s working JUST how its creators intended.
When Ronald Reagan took office, he had a Republican Senate majority and Democrat House majority — the inverse of what Obama has today. Reagan aggressively pursued tax cuts and smaller government. Did the Democrats roll over and play dead, whining about not being able to stop a GOP president and Senate majority? Nope. They went to war — actually forcing Reagan to agree to a tax increase and back off some bureaucracy cuts.
Did the Democrats roll over and play dead when George W. Bush had the House AND the Senate? Nope. They went to war. Despite total GOP control of DC, we got an explosion of spending.
Sad. And they will wonder why the base does not bother to vote next time around.
This is not Mark Meadows position concerning Obamacare and I am surprised that the Haymaker(of all publications) would print such nonsense. You can take anything out of context but the question is, why? I would urge the readers to contact Mark’s office for a statement. “Conservatives”need to stop eating their young.
Reading the original article, it is clear that the writer is more a leftwing propagandist than an objective journalist, which is far too common today. She may well have spun and distorted quotes from Meadows in order to fit her own agenda, as such people in the media often do. I certainly hope that is the case instead of Meadows going soft. Has Meadows responded to the article to clarify his statements?
Yes, Mark was asked about this directly and his response was that his position has not changed. He also said that he had never spoken with the author and did not know where she got these quotes. This is the second article I have read on this site that makes these false allegations. In terms of Dan Forest, this does not represent his position on Common Core, either. He probably did say that there were some good parts to Common Core but overall he still believes that it takes away local control especially all decision making on the part of teachers. He is working hard to get NC to reach consensus on Common Core. Hopefully that it should be rejected. Again, please ask Dan for a direct statement on his position. Frankly, the Haymaker (at least the author) has an agenda. I know both of these men personally and they have the best interests of NC at heart and do not deserve to be misquoted. It pays to double check the sources if you want the truth.
The writer I referred to was the woman at the News-Herald who produced the Meadows quotes. She seems to have a lot of Binker in her. The Haymaker already takes Binker’s work with a grain of salt, and it appears that should be extended to this woman at the News-Herald as well.
Lt. Gov Dan Forest has always been clear about his opposition to Common Core. It takes away local control and decision making in education from parents and administrators who know best the needs of the community. Federal intrusion into education has had a negative impact on the quality of our graduates. Common Core standards continue that trend. Though some standards may be good, many won’t get our kids to college. Others strike at the heart of basic tenets of cultural principles and values of many families, a place the government has no business.
The overall impact of the Federal government continuing to stick its nose in our yards is socialist policy. Our education system is failing because of it. Dan has always been in favor of supporting teachers and education. http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/12/25/3485327/dan-forest-looks-to-make-good.html.
Congressman Mark Meadows position on O-Care remains unchanged – as demonstrated with the many votes and interviews. Full repeal and defunding – always the goal. He continues to work with others in Congress to protect NC11 families from this Obamination by passing legislation to keep the law from implementing. This is not a tweak. It’s a dismantling – brick by brick – of this immoral, social engineering debacle that is devastating our economy. Businesses and families are in serious economic jeopardy because of it.
NC is fortunate to have two such leaders who will stand tall against the statists who continue to assault the very fabric of our nation to turn us into a failed socialist state. Thank you both!
Sad to say that Forest does HIMSELF by saying “95% is great”, which is a political throw away line to keep the less informed pacified.
However, those who studied Common Core, whether they are serious educators, parents, or classroom teachers…they would be hard pressed to agree with Dan.
NOTHING, especially coming from govt or any such consortium in 95% “great”.
It apparent that Dan did not delve as deep into Common Core as he should have,
nor stayed long enough in the first public hearing to get to hear the serious questions which could not be answered.
In the coming months there will be serious efforts to educate the legislators who have to deal with an education standard they did not get to review before Bev Perdue adopted it.
I believe the more the public learns about Common Core, they will conclude NC can provide a superior standard without Federal strings and untold millions in unneeded spending. ajbruno14 gmail
95% percent of Common Core is rotten. Just its origin alone should make it anathema to any conservative. Can anyone spell cronyism? The ties between June Atkinson and CCSSO should sent up some serious red flags.
If anyone looks at the standards, they might find some good things. But if you want to find the dirt, go to the Appendices. Even though the proponents will attempt to say it’s only ELA and Math, they are attaching their nasty tentacles into history and science as well. Every left wing talking point is somewhere in those Appendices.
Just look at the goal of Common Core: to prepare students for college and careers. I always thought the goal of education was to…educate? College and careers are a byproduct of a good education. All thinking people know that government education has been dumbing down America children for decades. After all, if you actually teach people to think for themselves, they might notice that snake oil you are selling them at every turn.