Quality education should be freely available to everyone - regardless of
socio-economic, ethnic, or other conditions.  Do you really think that
privatizing all schools would result in a larger percentage of the poplation
receiving a better education?  That's interesting.  I'd think it makes more
sense to raise the quality of public schools.  People who can afford good
schools will go to them regardless of whether there are public schools.
I've always felt that without putting a huge strain on the govt., having
nothing but privatized schools would result in a wider gap between the well
educated and the poorly educated.  Am I mistaken?

~Simon

Simon Horwith
CTO, Etrilogy Ltd.
Member of Team Macromedia
Macromedia Certified Instructor
Certified Advanced ColdFusion MX Developer
Certified Flash MX Developer
CFDJList - List Administrator
http://www.how2cf.com/

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Heald, Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Sent: 07 January 2004 15:21
  To: CF-Community
  Subject: RE: More Breaking News

  I'm a contractor.  I took a tech position at fair market value.  I do not
  work FOR the government.

  That being said, the department of state is the oldest department in the
  executive branch and almost the only one mentioned in the constitution.
  International affairs dictate the need for an organization that provides
for
  communication, direct and indirect, with foreign countries.  Additionally
I
  provide security and intelligence analysis for U.S. Citizens operating
  abroad.  Diplomatic Security is also the responsible law enforcement
  organization for visa and passport fraud (some of this has been eaten up
by
  DHS).  The department of State is not the defense department or the CIA or
  the FBI.  We are here for a constitutionally mandated reason.

  Also don't get me wrong, I didn't say I am against all taxes.  I know we
  need taxes for defense and law enforcement. Now roads, education and other
  services should all be handled at a state level, or as in the case of the
  postal service, privately.  In many cases I think we should move much more
  aggressively towards toll roads supported by those that actually use them,
  education that PARENTS want for their children, and by lowering the tax
  burden n parents I can assure you that parents are not going to choose the
  garbage schools that we have now.  Why not privatize all schools?

  While I know that government research, mainly defense based, is in large
  part responsible for great technological advances, this is not necessarily
  always the case.  Xerox, IBM and Microsoft, all private companies, had a
lot
  to do with getting us where we are today.  A few generations ago it would
  have been Ford, GM and Dodge.  Before that the railroads.  Private
industry
  is and always will be where the greatest and most powerful innovation
comes
  from.

  Just so you know, I have my own ethical questions about where I work and
  what I do.  I am a sellout, and I know it.  I have kids, and I do what I
  need to do to give them the best life they can have.  I didn't need a
knife,
  a gun or a stick to do it.  I did it with my mind.  I have worked in the
  private sector, actually starting to make something of a name for myself
  before deciding to go the "professional" route.

  Matt were you in a socialist position in the marines?  No.  It was a
service
  position.  It's different and you know it is.

  --
  Timothy Heald
  Web Portfolio Manager
  Overseas Security Advisory Council
  U.S. Department of State
  571.345.2319

  The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S.
  Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have these
  opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This e-mail
is
  unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Matthew Small [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 10:05 AM
  To: CF-Community
  Subject: Re: More Breaking News

  Whoa, now Tim.  You work for the US Government - that's a job provided for
  society's benefit, making that a socialist position.  Why should I pay for
  your job?

  The whole point is that we make some sacrifices in order to acheive a
safer,
  healthier society.  Without taxes, we would have no roads, no public
  education, no postal service.  Don't think that the private sector would
  take over these things, because people just don't care that much about
each
  other on a personal basis to make society better without a huge personal
  benefit.

  WIthout supporting the public, you and I would not be sitting here in forn
  of computers typing our views - we'd both be living in 1850.

  - Matt Small
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Heald, Tim
    To: CF-Community
    Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:44 AM
    Subject: RE: More Breaking News

    Yeah god forbid we expect people to work harder.  To study on their own
  time
    to better themselves.

    People rise to the level of their abilities.  Why is it my burden to
  support
    them in a manner better than they can provide for themselves?

    --
    Timothy Heald
    Web Portfolio Manager
    Overseas Security Advisory Council
    U.S. Department of State
    571.345.2319

    The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S.
    Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have these
    opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This e-mail
  is
    unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
    Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:42 AM
    To: CF-Community
    Subject: Re: More Breaking News

    Exactly. The overall cost to the country of an even poorer poor is worse
    than the minor burden of an artificially manipulated standard of living.

    Besides increases in unemployment, theft, and violent crime, there is
also
    an associated decrease in access to base medical care which leads to
more
    sickness and the spread of communicable diseases. With a shortened life
    expectancy, people tend to try and have more children in order for their
    family to survive which puts an even greater burden on the country.

    And besides, if people aren't making as much money who's going to buy
all
    the SUVs and HDTVs?

    -Kevin

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Simon Horwith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
    To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
    Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:24 AM
    Subject: RE: More Breaking News

    > but the idea behind Minimum wage is that it guarantees a standard of
    living
    > that, though still at or near poverty level, does help to guarantee
    certain
    > basic living standards.   Even then, the minimum wage tends not to
  keep-up
    > with the rise in inflation.  That said, if a higher inflation rate is
  the
    > price we must pay in order to guarantee legal workers a chance at a
  decent
    > life, so be it.
    >
    > ~Simon
    >
    > Simon Horwith
    > CTO, Etrilogy Ltd.
    > Member of Team Macromedia
    > Macromedia Certified Instructor
    > Certified Advanced ColdFusion MX Developer
    > Certified Flash MX Developer
    > CFDJList - List Administrator
    > http://www.how2cf.com/ <http://www.how2cf.com/>
  <http://www.how2cf.com/>
    >
    >   -----Original Message-----
    >   From: Heald, Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
    >   Sent: 07 January 2004 14:02
    >   To: CF-Community
    >   Subject: RE: More Breaking News
    >
    >
    >   I think two main things have led us through inflation and rising
  costs.
    >
    >
    >   1. Coming off of the gold standard, thanx Nixon.
    >
    >
    >   2. Minimum wage.
    >
    >
    >   Why in a free market economy should the government dictate what one
  side
    > of
    >   an open trade should receive?  If a person is willing to work for
next
    to
    >   nothing, should they not be able to?  Also, to return to a place
where
    we
    >   can compete in a world economy as not just a service provider, but
an
    >   industrial base, we need low pay low skill employees.  As long as
law
    >   requires us to meet and exceed basic standards we cannot do so.
    >
    >
    >   The only other answer would be to severely penalize countries and
    > companies
    >   that don't meet the same requirements that we impose internally.
    >
    >
    >   We start by exactly matching tariffs imposed by other nations
against
    our
    >   goods.  Add additional tariffs to nations that don't afford their
    > employees
    >   the same minimum standing of living, add even more for nations that
    don't
    >   have basic human rights.
    >
    >
    >   It would be painful, maybe even start a war or two, but I think it
  would
    > be
    >   worth it in the long run.
    >
    >   --
    >   Timothy Heald
    >   Web Portfolio Manager
    >   Overseas Security Advisory Council
    >   U.S. Department of State
    >   571.345.2319
    >
    >   The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the
  U.S.
    >   Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have
these
    >   opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This
  e-mail
    > is
    >   unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.
    >
    >   -----Original Message-----
    >   From: Simon Horwith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
    >   Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:58 AM
    >   To: CF-Community
    >   Subject: RE: More Breaking News
    >
    >   Hey - I like cutting my own lawn.
    >
    >   I'm no economist, bu i wouldn't hold your breath on seeing minimum
  wage
    go
    >   away.  Quite honestly, as far as I know it shouldn't go away.  The
  goal
    >   shouldn't be to do away with it so that companies can hire Americans
  for
    > as
    >   cheap as they can get illegal labor, but to legalize all of the
labor
  to
    > the
    >   extent that it all falls under minimum wage law.  That way there'd
be
  no
    >   benefit to hiring an illegal labourer as opposed to a legal one
  (they'd
    > cost
    >   the same).  Without minimum wage, what would protect the workforce -
    >   especially unskilled and manual labour?  Of course, this would most
    likely
    >   result in even more work being outsourced to countries like India...
  any
    >   work that can be, anyway.
    >
    >   ~Simon
    >
    >   Simon Horwith
    >   CTO, Etrilogy Ltd.
    >   Member of Team Macromedia
    >   Macromedia Certified Instructor
    >   Certified Advanced ColdFusion MX Developer
    >   Certified Flash MX Developer
    >   CFDJList - List Administrator
    >    http://www.how2cf.com/ <http://www.how2cf.com/>
  <http://www.how2cf.com/>
    <http://www.how2cf.com/>
    >
    >     -----Original Message-----
    >     From: Heald, Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
    >     Sent: 07 January 2004 13:36
    >     To: CF-Community
    >     Subject: RE: More Breaking News
    >
    >     >We have 10.5 million illegal workers in the United States right
  now,"
    >   said
    >     US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue.
    >
    >     >"If they went home, we'd have to shut down the country."
    >
    >     Hehe, or we'd just have to learn how to cut our own lawn again.
:)
    >
    >     Immigration is probably where I am furthest from libertarian.  At
  this
    >   point
    >     I am almost isolationist.  I would much rather see work-fare
  programs
    >   that
    >     get people off the rolls of welfare and into low and no skill
jobs.
    >   Really
    >     if we could do away with the minimum wage and make it so that
these
    >     companies that hire illegals because they can't afford Americans,
  can
    >   again,
    >     it would be good for us all.
    >
    >     Also isn't this going to encourage MORE illegal immigration, as
  people
    >   will
    >     see the "success stories" of people who got legal recognition.
Plus
    the
    >   way
    >     many state governments are set up, don't immigrants, even
    non-citizens,
    >   then
    >     become eligible for social programs, like welfare and medical
    benefits?
    >
    >     Yeah I can't see how any of this is a good idea.
    >
    >     --
    >     Timothy Heald
    >     Web Portfolio Manager
    >     Overseas Security Advisory Council
    >     U.S. Department of State
    >     571.345.2319
    >
    >     The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
the
    U.S.
    >     Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have
  these
    >     opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This
    e-mail
    >   is
    >     unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.
    >
    >     -----Original Message-----
    >     From: Erika L Walker-Arnold [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
    >     Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:27 AM
    >     To: CF-Community
    >     Subject: More Breaking News
    >
    >       http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm
  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>
    <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>
    >   <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>
    >     <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>
    >
    >     Cheers,
    >     Erika
    >       _____
    >     _____
    >
    >
      _____
    _____
[Todays Threads] [This Message] [Subscription] [Fast Unsubscribe] [User Settings]

Reply via email to