Categories
rant

Banks realize a raw deal from TARP

The banks thought they were going to get free money from the taxpayer but that was before Obama started changing the rules on a day-to-day basis. Once a bank signed on to accept this money they were then tied to every change in the political winds.

Fox Business

Signature Bank President and CEO Joseph DiPaolo said that terms imposed on TARP-funded banks “adversely affected our business model and it became apparent that we should return these funds to the Treasury. The return of these funds allows us to continue to execute our business model, which includes the successful recruitment and retention of highly talented banking professionals throughout the metropolitan New York area.”

Obviously the rhetoric about limiting executive compensation made an impression. I am surprised though that the banks have been allowed to return the money. According to the New York Times, the bank executives should give thanks to someone in Congress that slipped in a rule change to TARP.

Categories
everything else

Public Service

Spring has arrived and with it comes better weather for outside work. The ice storm of 2009 occurred two months ago yet the clean up is only just beginning. This past weekend I traveled to Princeton, KY to help clean up a horse pasture filled with dead wood.

Princeton clean up before
Princeton clean up before

Then we have the results of about four hours work among 8 or 9 people.

Princeton cleanup after
Princeton cleanup after

The pasture wasn’t completely clean but it is good enough that the field is usable again.

Categories
hopkinsville rant

Closing the Gap

A user called “Informed” on Hoptownhall made a comment that I simply must react to. I don’t post this in the thread itself because I would prefer more knowledgable people debate this in the main thread. Anything I say here is more like a shout from the peanut gallery. From previous posts Informed is obviously an administrator from the Board of Education and most often tows the party line regarding board policy.

beanie wrote:
if this model is being used to bridge the gap for all types of students falling behind, then it should not be titled or lead people to believe that it is geared towards just “African American” students. i think that is the problem many of us have with it…it is discriminatory in addressing only the shortcomings and needs of one group while ignoring the need for structure/help for students that are underachieving- of all type.

Informed wrote:
Actually, the district is following a state and national mandate to address the achievement gaps that exist and are identified by “No Child Left Behind” data. If the district does not address the specific gaps – they are out of compliance. The specific gaps in Christian County are Afican American students and Students with Disabilities. The document referred to on this site has two sections – 1. Strategies to address the African American achievement gap and 2. Strategies to address the Students with Disabilities achievement gap. The district is not being discriminatory in addressing the shortcomings of these two students groups – the district is following the law established by NCLB and the federal government.

By law, the district must address the needs of these students in the GAP and try to meet their needs. Be informed before you post on this site.


“The district is not being discriminatory in addressing the shortcomings of these two students groups -“

Given that I am uninformed about the details of NCLB. My impression based on the chatter I read from others is that NCLB is designed to improve the scores of the lowest performing students. So that all students demographic groups, in theory, will reach a designated level of proficiency. Notice that due to Federal and State law the schools are in the business of educating a demographic not students. If your not in this blessed group of needy individuals then your just SOL. From my personal experience as a product of the public school system I know there is a vast group of C-level and B-level students that simply slide through high school with no effort at all. The classroom level teachers typically give copious amounts of extra credit.

“Be informed before you post on this site.”

Simply obnoxious behavior.

Categories
rant

Inactive blog? Redundant!

It’s 10:30 PM I was supposed to be fast asleep over an hour ago. I have work tomorrow and I’ll be getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning. The worst thing you can do for a blogger is to give him a regular day job. During October of 2008, I made 13 posts during that month because I quit my old job. For all of 2009 I’ve only made 4 posts plus this one. In my personal life, there’s nothing happening I go to work and come home and go to work again. A dull dreary life is better in most aspects than living a soap opera, but it also doesn’t drive new material to write about.

Of course, there’s always national news that I could rant about but just quoting a bit of an article and saying I agree or disagree is rather boring. Another thing is the presence of Hoptownhall, there are a lot of topics where I might post on HTH because I can get plenty of discussion surrounding the topic.