I am pissed off, but why aren't you.

Yesterday, Pat and I watched, "Waiting for Superman", and I want to challenge everyone that follows me on face book or America's Voice to watch this documentary. If you are not as angry as I was, then you do not care and if you are as angry as I was then we need to start now to fix our education system. First, I want to say to all of the excellent teachers out there, I do not, for one moment ,want to hurt you. The incompetent teachers are another matter. The union that supports the people that do not want to work hard for our kids is another matter. Automatic tenor has to be taken out of the contracts and the great teachers have to be rewarded for their efforts. Teachers are only a portion of the factors that have placed us in the position we are in now. Politicians have, for decades, given not much more then lip service to  helping the children learn and the teachers, teach. They always say the answer is not money. That is what politicians and corporations always say when they are about to take away money and screw you. Money is not the ending, but it certainly should be a beginning. In Florida, the average cost for a prison inmate is $34,600 per year, while the cost per student is only $9,100 per year. Think of that for a moment. We spend almost 4 times more on a felon in prison then we do to educate our children to keep them out of jail. The national average is $33,000 per inmate and $10,300 for students. Great improvement there, we only spend 3 times more on a national level. Real progress. Each president and governor has come in and wanted to be known as the education president or the education governor and yet we keep slipping further behind. Our leaders in Washington and the state capitals are all talking about the economic crisis. I agree. What is their solution. Cut education. What, so we can pay 3 to 4 times more down the road when we fail to educate our kids. Are we trying to fill our businesses with qualified employees or fill our jails with more criminals?  In the movie, we subject our students and their families to the concept, that if you want to attend a good or great school, you have to win a lottery. That's right, we hold lotteries to either give someone hope of a better life or throw them into a life of failure. Maybe we should hold lotteries for our prisoners to determine whether they get into a good prison or they have to go to the worst prisons we have to offer, and then give all children a world class education. This is America and we don't give a damn that our children do not get an education. It broke my heart to watch students and parents sitting with fingers crossed, praying that they will have an opportunity to a better life. It was emotional to watch them break down crying and the look of desperation in their faces when they were not selected. I want everyone to watch this, and I am sure you will be as moved as we were. Then let's talk about ways we can work together to change the direction of our education system. We can not wait one more year, month, week, day or minute. It is the most important item we can address.

Where is the leadership, Mr. President?

Anyone that has been following my blog knows that I support President Obama. That support is still there and will continue. I will, however look at politicians and when I feel the need to criticize or offer an opinion, I will. Unlike some groups I will not look away from either party. Right now I want our president to lead. Whether you agree with his point of view or not, we need direction. We should know where our elected leaders stand on each and every issue. There are times when an important problem has no clear cut, black and white solution, but we should aways know where politicians stand. The problem with politicians, and right now the president they are looking at ways to answer questions and stay in the middle. They are waiting for someone else to make the first reccomendation, so they can attack the other side. Enough with the politicing. The president has to stand up and say, "We must start making changes to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare." He must address the need to shut down two wars, not later but now. He should lead the way on tax reform. I want him to stop the practice of corporate welfare at the expense of the average American. He should lead the way on election financing reform. There are so many issues we need to move forward on. He should stop the practice of waiting for Congress to set the agenda. The president is there to LEAD, not follow. He let Congress control the conversation on health care, don't ask don't tell, the oil spill, the wars and now the budget. Mr. President it is time to do what we sent you to Washington, to do, lead. Americans will follow, if we are told what direction we are going to and how do we get there. That does not mean we will follow blindly, but we do want direction. Take the "bully pulpit" and use it in the way it was designed. You stated that your concern was not whether you were re-elected, but in doing what is needed to move America forward. I will support you to another term, but you have to support all Americans with leadership. There is an old saying, "Lead, follow or get out of the way." Now is the time to decide what you are going to do, Mr. President.