Linda and others
Around the world “Baby Bonuses”
are becoming a fact of the times and are coming back. The Canadians after
WWII, June 20, 1945 provided $5 per month for parents or guardians for children under
six, $6 for children 6-9, $7 for children 10-12 and $8 for ages 13-15.
Those figures with inflation indexed would be $52.52,$63.03, $73.53 and $84.04
per month if the practice was still in place. In 1988 the Province of Quebec paid up to $8000 after
the birth of a child. On the nightly news two days ago it was reported that communities
in Greater Japan are implementing a plan to hopefully offset their dwindling
population of young families. Australia implemented a plan for children born after July, 2001 ranging from
$500 to $2500 depending on the income of the parents. The “baby
bonus” went to $3000 July 1, 2004 ($2,100 U.S.). When the declining enrollment of our elementary schools
hits higher education classrooms how will we respond? We need babies and emigrants
or the age of retirement will move to 100!
http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2004/12/costelloas_baby.php
httt://www.civilization.ca/cwm/newspapers/canadawar/allowance_e.html
The idea is not new and we certainly have
the homes and classrooms available to handle several hundred families or kids.
Paul Double
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of LindaF
Sent: Tuesday,
January 03, 2006 11:34 AM
To: Online Democracy
Subject: Re: [Winona] Good
Help Wanted
I certainly don't think bringing emigrants into Winona
is the answer. I am not saying they aren't welcome, just it's not the answer to
good paying jobs.
No I am not willing to foot yet another tax/bill so
'poor' people can go to tech school. My kids put themselves through tech
school. Besides that there are more grants out there than most people are
aware of.
I am hoping you were kidding about paying to have
babies. I am already 'paying' into programs with my tax dollars that help
out new moms.
Winona employers have to be willing to pay a wage the
average person can live on and that is more than 10. an hour.
[Winona Online Democracy]
John and Randy
I believe John’s points are on the
mark but the question that begs to be asked is how do we attract entry level
workers. Are we willing to support, promote and sponsor legal emigrates
from Central America, from the Pacific Rim and Africa into our community? Are
we willing to provide baby bonuses as was done in Canada after WW II and is now
being put into practice in Japan now to combat declining populations of young
people in rural cities? Are we willing yet to offer free Technical
College Educations for those who move here in the trades to deal with the
shortages now and in the near future? The trades of Electricians,
Carpenters, Auto Mechanics, Nurses and Plumbers just to name a few will not be
replaced by offshore jobs nor Wal-Mart.
While Tony Wagner recaps the problem I do
not believe that the solution is to change to motivation logic. I believe
that moving the model back to “sticks and carrots” is the
quickest and best long term correction that needs to be made. It took 40
years for these changes to occur yet I would argue that reversing them can
occur in half that time.
Was the loss of expansion jobs in Winona
to Rochester a strong enough message to bring the issue to the front burners of
the city council? Is the possibility of a second company taking the same
path the second blow? As the city found out the issue is far less
complicated than available commercial and high end residential development
land. Maybe now affordable housing and active workforce recruitment will take
center stage and not Shakespeare.
Paul Double
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Randy Schenkat
Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006
2:32 PM
As I think of this discussion on the
challenge of finding workers for Winona companies, I recalled a wonderful
article that I've shared pretty widely in Winona by Tony Wagner from Phi Delta
Kappan , just 5 years ago now. It's titled
Leadership for Learning: An Action Theory of School Change
The full link is:
http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0101wag.htm
I think this pertains to our WOD
discussion:
"But the other changes -- changes in all students' life
circumstances and motivations for learning -- represent perhaps the greatest
dilemma for many teachers and are much less well understood. The traditional
motivations for learning, the "sticks and carrots" teachers have
relied on to get generations of students through school -- fear and respect for
authority and the belief that sustained hard work equals success and happiness
-- don't have much traction for many young people today, regardless of their
social class, skin color, or proficiency in English.
Adult authority has much less influence on young people today, for several
reasons. First, as a culture, we have grown increasingly skeptical of all forms
of authority. Respect for authority is no longer automatic; it must be earned.
But far more serious for students is the absence of adults from their lives.
Single-parent families, longer work hours, and large, anonymous schools in
which very few adults interact with students outside of class all contribute to
students' sense of isolation and lack of respect for adult authority. Most
young people spend too much time alone and are essentially being reared by
their peers. Many feel ignored or neglected and harbor resentment toward adults.
This leaves just the work ethic as the remaining dull tool in too many
teachers' small bag of tricks for motivating students. But
"downsizing" and our "shopping mall" society have conspired
to render this appeal ineffectual for most students as well. They've seen too
many people work hard and get laid off, and they've seen too many ads that tell
them to have it all, have it now, and get it without effort. Students today
have been acculturated to believe that the aim of life is to consume, not to
create. Unless there is an immediate payoff, most simply don't see much point
in working hard, especially in schools where the tasks are often boring and
unrelated to their needs or interests." From Pages 4-5
This quote points to some changing times. It's not as simple as cracking
down on unmotivated students. Is there a parallel between the old work
ethic of Danielle Durnen
featured in the Winona Daily News article and what Wagner is describing?
I don't think we should see it as all tapped out but rather consider some
pretty creative community responses in having all students have a higher
sense of purpose and in seeing a future for themselves. This might
call us to step back and look at the delivery system of education and how the
community's involved. I'd sure recommend reading Wagner's whole
article.
--
Randy Schenkat 1358 Skyline Dr. Winona, Mn
55987 507-452-7168
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