Slashdot Mirror
Texas Politician Wants Violent Games Tax
Gamepolitics reports that a candidate for the Governor of Texas would pass a violent games tax if elected. From the article: "The Amarillo Globe News is reporting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Star Locke wants to scrap Texas' current property tax system. Instead, Locke would institute new taxes on abortion providers, soft drinks, and violent video games to fund the state's government. Locke, a rancher and builder from Corpus Christi, favors a 50% tax on violent games, as well as a $10,000 tax per abortion and a 10% levy on sweetened soft drinks."
If he was elected he would get rid of a tax he has to pay. And replace it with taxes he won't pay since they would be taxing services he obviously doesn't use? How is that fair?
wahooka - The #1 provider of the real Internet.
There's no way this sort of thing would pass. Texas is in the midst of some funding issues/scandals. And considering I live in Texas and this is the first I've heard of this guy, this is a cheap way to get some publicity for his campaign. Either that or I need to pay more attention to local politics.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
Ah, there is the epitome of sustainable government taxation: tax things you want to destroy. Sometimes I wonder what powers these politicians... it sure isn't brains. See, if you succeed in destroying the taxed items, then you have no tax base. So destruction of the taxed items clearly can't be the goal in such a tax proposal: it would deny the government the monies it needs.
So if your goal isn't to destroy the "sin taxed" items (since under his model you only tax things you don't want) then the reality is that you want to encourage or sustain the sin taxed items to help raise funds. Ah, isn't that a great idea? Get elected by claiming that you will remove taxes from things ordinary good folk want, such as property, and shift the burden to evil gamers, loose women and sugar fiends. (Wow, has Texas really become so utopian that those were the worst they could find? My trip to the Dallas BoardGameGeek convention sure didn't make it seem that way.)
One wonders if the people are smart enough to realize that fully funding your government via sin taxes turns you into something similar to Las Vegas, where sin is fully encouraged as long as the taxes are collected. Of course, the prior story on politicians ignoring the facts probably explains this all away anyway.
Sig under construction since 1998.
The colonies declared war on England because they taxed a beverage. And it wasn't even coffee.
what if, instead of the tax on sweetened soft drinks, they stopped subsidizing corn farmers? the price of corn syrup would go up, so soft drink manufacturers would switch to cane sugar and increase their prices.
government increases income (no subsidy)
soda price goes up
(soft drinks taste better)
Yeah, again, let's all support Kinky Friedman for Governor!
Oh, and I'd like to see a tax for stupid tax initiatives.
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
<snarky>Well, I hope this genius also taxes other things that could hurt you...like coffee, fast food, and city buses. I'd hate to be exposed to anything that could damage me in any way.</snarky>
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
What a kick in the nuts to gamers this would be... not only do you have to pay 150% for video games, but cases of mountain dew to keep you up and enjoy the games cost more.
It's a good thing that even conservatives think this dude is nuts. They must really love the Coke
acola.
Bury me in mashed potatoes.
What's the current tax per bullet and what's his recommended one?
This guy's the limit!
50% tax on violent video games??? Does this mean that prices of games would effectively double to cover taxes plus profits? If they are actually trying to do this then what about smoking? What percentage is that going to be increased by since that would really rake in the cash with people smoking a pack+ per day.
If he were to introduce a +1% levy on ammunition, i'm sure the state would have a hundred billion surplus by the end of the year.
If i wanted to hear bullshit, i'd go to church.
It sounds like he wants to eliminate the taxes he pays and create "extreme" sin taxes.
The 50% tax on violent video games would get declared unconstitutional most likely. It would be an infringement on freedom or speech (censorship on what the government "thinks" is violent) probably.
Would they even have the state constitutional authority tax put a flat fee tax on abortions? I'm not a lawyer, but I feel something would come up that would overturn that kind of tax.
We have something like the soft drink tax in Washington state, but it's at it's normal sales tax rate. Food items hear, most of them, and when not in a serving environment, don't get sales tax.
There are ways to get rid property taxes. Create a luxury sales tax. Have the sales tax only affect purchases the rich can afford. Electronics over $5k for example. Vehicles over $50k. Anything classified as a yacht. Property purchases (i.e. land) exceeding $1 million.
Corpus Christi is literally the boondocks. Plenty of Texas politicians say stupid things, but this guy doesn't even have a remote chance of being elected. Calling him a "candidate" is extremely far-fetched.
Anybody can spout nonsense; this guy doesn't have the support of any significant number of Texans, so it's silly to use him as an example of modern Texan politics.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
And all the conservative, mid-western corn farmers HATE a free market. It's like that hated communism. Oh wait...
Blar.
There's many a state right now gnashing their teeth over the almost universal jump in tobacco taxes a few years ago. They claimed that they were raising those taxes to get people to quit smoking. Well it worked and now they're complaining that they're not getting as much tax revenue from cigarettes. Sin taxes don't work because they do work. If you raise the tax high enough, a lot of people will drop the "sin."
Also, if you put a $10000 tax on abortions in the state of Texas, people WILL leave Texas to get abortions. A much smarter method would be to tax it such that it's not worth leaving the state for.
Locke, a rancher and builder from Corpus Christi, favors a 50% tax on violent games, as well as a $10,000 tax per abortion and a 10% levy on sweetened soft drinks.
And these taxes would go to where... general revenue? And as for abortion laws: no uterus, no vote.
Trolling is a art,
... and given that he thinks it's a good idea to tax nonintoxicating beverages, I'd suggest he put a largish tax on tea.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Quelle suprise. A republican reels out an illogical, unjust and morally oppressive proposition to tax people who don't fit into their puritanical world view. I just hope anyone calling the republicans a party in favour of low tax and fairness feels a jolt of ridiculousness from now on - they're simply religious fundamentalists trying to impose their fairy-tale morals on the rest of us, lying closer to the new islamist parties of the middle east than anyone else. From the grassroots to the very top they're a bunch of mindless, populist, reactionary and authoritarian asshats.
I wonder if this guy realizes just how many game development houses are currently based in Texas. Taxing violent games into oblivion would most likely force a lot of these developers to relocate, thus losing directly and indirectly associated jobs, future investment, and well, it's just a dick thing to do.
I bet this'll go over really, really well. Lmaonade.
"Apparently so, but suppose you throw a coin enough times. Suppose one day, it lands on its edge."
How about fact that this suggestion effectively make abortion unavailable to the poor in the state of Texas?
This proposal is a raft of bullshit intended to get votes from Christian conservatives and frightened, reactionary idiots. And no doubt, one significant purpose of this proposal is a backdoor attempt to make abortion unavailable de facto to one segment of the population.
Pro- or anti- abortion, don't ignore the important issue - the videogame tax is a minor part of the significance of the proposal.
Who, after those loveable Scots at RockStar North is probably the world's best known/infamous developer of violent videogames?
Why, that would be the guys at id.
Add them to all the other developers based in the Austin and Houston areas, and he's talking about driving a pretty reasonable amount of taxpaying out of the area. Is this even vaguely a good idea for the state economy?
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
I also live in Texas, I also have never heard of this loony. I am not sold on the Kinky Friedman movement as some are here. (Most of those people live around his stomping grounds in the more liberal areas of the state.) My personal bet is we're going to get a moderate republican in the next election via support of the bible belt, but being centrist enough to pull in some urban population support.
Maybe we should tax politicians under the "tax things we want less of" approach. Slap a yearly ding on any funds held by any political party.
I'm a fiscal conservative, it's a pity we don't have a political party anymore
I think it's time for the Dems and the Kinkster to clear the decks for Carole Keeton Strayhorn, now running as an Independent. She's about as good as they can hope to get down here.
I'm _hoping_ that people are thinking like I did, which is that a $10,000 tax on abortions will mean that a few people will cross state borders once.
People don't tend to get abortions terribly often, and $10,000 is such a ludicrous amount that he's just forcing people to go out-of-state in a piece of legislation that wouldn't last five minutes, it's so obviously an anti-abortion law by the backdoor.
However, an extra $25 on the price of a game is going to either get paid, or just make Amazon a shedload of cash as everyone orders online - it's not exactly worth a trip to Louisiana each time you want one there.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
I'm a very conservative guy, in fact I'm 33 year old software developing, video game playing, gun toting, SUV driving, soda drinking, Jesus freak with a black belt, three daughters, a wife, and a mortgage who would like nothing more than peace on earth in my lifetime. I've played 'violent' video games since there were 'violent' video games. I don't really care for the Grand Theft Auto type of video games, but I've played a couple of them and I don't think I've been warped. I can understand people's frustration with that type of game because it glorifies crime, but guess what, so do %80 of the movies that come out of Hollywood. Almost all video games could be considered violent. Look at Pacman, that weird yellow cannibal that runs around eating 'power pellets' to make him powerful enough to kill the 'ghosts'. Just because someone enjoys playing FPS's, MMORPGs, or other violent games does not mean that they are going to pick up a gun and go on a rampage for laughs. This guy is clueless.
Property taxes in Texas are a little ridiculous, but my daughters will receive a much better public education than I did because of them. If he really wants to do something good for Texas he would be proposing that the borders be properly patrolled. Maybe he should tax illegal immigration. He certainly won't get my vote or any of the other 'conservative' people that I know.
10: PRINT "Everything old is new again."
20: GOTO 10
He must be ignoring the facts.
I agree that this more offensive part of his proposal is the abortion tax, but that's not really Slashdot-worthy. This does however expose how seemingly unrelated issues (video game censorship and women's rights) aren't so unrelated at all.
Ceci n'est pas une sig.
"I take the position that the Founding Fathers took: that the power to tax is the power to destroy..."
Taxing the video game publishers 50% will destroy them, or @ least some of their titles. These leaders that want to obliterate don't even make sense.
One of the theories of Freakonomicsd _bbs_null_1/002-8602761-4144069?v=glance&n=283155
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006073132X/ref=p
is that abortion has had the single largest affect on reducing crime in the US in the 1990's. Offensive, but interesting.
...
So is this any surprise?
In his words:
"I'm for prayer in school, and for gay marriage. I'm the only candidate that is for both prayer in schools and gay marriage, and that in itself is a reason to vote for me."
All I know is he is the only candidate actually talking about border protection right now.
... elipses...
Eh, stranger things have happened.
PG-rated game, $60 + normal sales tax. = $65
M-rated free mod: $0 + 50% violent game tax = $0
Total cost: $65
Taxes: $5
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
If they can, they will tax anything with little reason other then "People won't buy it as often when it's to expensive" to cover up them just using it as a money tree. Really though. Taxation is needed to keep the government running, but most taxation targets like these serve no purpose other then to further their own political wants (like abortion) and get money, even if half the country may not agree.
In undeveloped countries, the consumer controls the market. In capitalist America, the market controls you.
"prayer in school" is an ambiguous position. Does he mean it's ok for students to pray on their own, personal time in school or does he support school-supported coerced prayer?
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
At least he makes it easy to know I never need to vote for him. Most candidates have many issues, so you have to juggle the plusses and the minuses.
Not this guy - he's a wackjob.
(oh, and to the guy who said, basically, 'what kind of idiot wants to tax things he wants to destroy' - easy, our current goverment. They don't want people smoking, but tax the F out of it)
Politican From Texas.... Those idiotic Southern politicians always propose the stupidest things. Jack Thompson, Orrin Hatch, now this guy and his useless taxes. Why do all these politicians and lawyers blame video games and the Internet for the degrading societal condition that America finds itself in, instead of our failing morals and lack of common sense?
I don't know, I only plan on buying one bullet, and after I do he won't be asking for any new taxes.
Want to find other gamers to play board and role playing game
"institute new taxes on abortion providers, soft drinks, and violent video games to fund the state's government."
Sin taxes. More sin taxes.
How did we get to a point in America where such a small number of people are allowed to decide for the larger number of people what is and is not a sin?
Some have tried to tax assorted food items as sin. Some have already sin-taxed alcohol and tobacco. What will be next if this is allowed to continue?
How about watching specific television programs, will that be taxed also? Will anything that is controversial to some be taxed? Maybe religion? Will going to church be considered a sin by some and get that taxed too? It boils down to wanting to curtail the behavior or the activities that they find objectionable with taxes; therby by-passing the legal processes.
Abortion is a privacy issue as current law states.
Video games are a right to speech as current law applies
SoftDrinks Whats next? Will everything we eat and drink that some find questionable be taxed?
This has been another valuable and informative opinion from:
Catahoula!
1) I own lots of property.
2) I buy no video games.
3) ?
4) Profit!
Is he a thief or a treasure hunter?
Besides the pure and utter idiocy of a tax system such as this, one main concern I'd have is who decides if a game is or isn't violent? Sure, titles such as GTA, Half Life 2, or DOOM 3 would easily be targets due to the amount of blood shown, but somebody in the wrong frame of mind could extend it to include racing games or worse. After all, in most the racing games, Burn Out 3 comes to mind, you actually get points for ramming into other racers and causing massive pile-ups. I'm sure that principle could potentially be seen by some folks as violent and as such they'd slap it with a tax.
If big boobed women work at Hooters do one legged women work at IHOP?
Let's hit them hard!! Let them produce violent video games but give the death penalty to anyone who plays it!
No worries, pepsi & coca-cola lobbyist will be out there defending the right to play violent games and for all income levels to have equal access to abortion.
In general, don't you find that conspicuously pious posturing and an inability to think through consequences go hand in hand?
Seriously. This guy is probably a so-called "small government" conservative, too, but he has no problem with the idea of government regulating which video games are violent, and which aren't quite violent enough, to require his new tax.
At least with tobacco and alcohol, which are the classic models for this, you can make the case that the tax money partly addresses problems created by the "sin" in question. Don't even get me started on the abortion side of this. That's unreal. (If you're pro-life, do you really want an idiot like this on your side? Work on Roe V. Wade, whatever, but a $10,000 tax? That's just dumb, and would be about as legal as Jim Crow poll taxes.)
The problem's with the folks what elected this bumpkin. Note to American voters: if you're looking for a good, decent person to hold office, try finding someone who actually struggles with moral questions, rather than someone who claims they're easy to decided on for reasons of religious faith or whatever. People who think moral questions are easy are either a) of Godlike divinity; or b) on the wrong side of those questions, but wearing a nice white robe because it gets them power. And I'm fairly sure this guy isn't divine.
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
Currently there are movements to completely ban any and all reference to any and all religion from public schools, while others are trying to get 'intelligent design' included in the curriculum. I personally think that they are both wrong.
Prayer and religion (or lack thereof) should be up to the student, not up to the school.
... elipses...
"Also ran."
Dig hard enough and you can find a candidate for any elected office in the United States that will say anything you can imagine. It will be news when this person gets more than 2% of the vote.
Or an open-air barbeque license. They say you can't breathe the air in Texas and still claim to be a vegetarian what with all the meat particles from backyard barbequeing. There's gotta be tax revenue in that.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
starting with the president.
This space available.
actually tea contains caffine, so it would be considered an intoxicating beverage.. lol
Go Strayhorn!
Executive ability is deciding quickly and getting someone else to do the work. --John G. Pollard
http://www.downsizedc.org/read_the_laws.shtml
... "I play Halo... and I vote!!"
#include <disclaimer.h>
#include <beer.h>
secede from the US. Good fuckin' riddance. Maybe they can move Austin to Arizona.
How about Congress stop putting in price supports for sugar? This is one of the most blatently corrupt practices in politics today.u gar00.htmlm
http://www.opensecrets.org/pubs/cashingin_sugar/s
http://www.greenscissors.org/agriculture/sugar.ht
I don't know if this rings true with anybody else, but it seems to me that putting taxes on all of these things is similar to the way the British government was forcing taxes on the colonists in America in the days before the revolution. Maybe it's just my attempt to draw parallels between two groups that I didn't agree with.
Surrealism: You have two giraffes. The government pays you to take harmonica lessons.
Gosh, I'm sure that never occured to him.
His website is great, though. Much of the text appears to have been written by someone with no more than an 8th grade education. He particularly does not seem to understand the correct use of CAPITAL LETTERS or "quotes,"
ISLAM is NOT a religion but a Virus
The ATHLETIC BOARD shall set minimum Physical fitness work out programs for all TEXAS SCHOOLS with 2 hour minimum P.E. daily classes for all students.
Fact is we need to STOP TAKING ANY MORE APPLICATIONS for immigration into the U.S. for at least the next 10 years. We need to "clean house" before we need any more immigrants.......if ever. Any new applicants inside our borders need to go home.
At least he's a mildly entertaining nut.
An article from a newspaper in Amarillo about a rancher from Corpus Christi is not news.
Make love, not reality television.
Die.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
No one has said that students can't pray to themselves, and it would be an obvious violation of the first ammendment if they couldn't. That's not to say that they can be disruptive of class and pray loudly, nor can they bully other kids into praying. However, a kid or a group of kids who feel like getting together on their own time can't be regulated to stop prayer. Beyond that, organized Bible study groups can't be denied a right to form unless the school bans all other clubs. Read about the Feberal Equal Access Act: http://www.religioustolerance.org/equ_acce.htm . Schools can't prevent kids from forming a Christian group, a Muslim group, a Hindu group, a Wicca group, or an Atheist group, all for the same reason they couldn't prevent kids from forming a stamp or a chess club.
Yeah, your elected officials are freaking geniuses. Tool.
I could be wrong on this but I thought any expression of Christianity was banned from public schools. Including clothing that mentions Jesus and crosses. I could be totally wrong on this. I know there are always lawsuits going on against these expressions, and that means little except inconvenience and money to a lawyer to fight it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
You are wrong. Unless the student is wearing clothing that is disruptive to the learning process, than there's nothing the school can do. I'd hardly see "Jesus saves" as disruptive, and I'm an atheist. Likewise, a pentacle, the Wiccan symbol, can be displayed, and it would be unconstitutional to ban it. Even if there's a distruption, it has nothing to do with the symbol, it has to do with the ignorance and intolerance of the individuals who don't like it. Would a pentagram be legal? I'd wager a guess that it is, since likewise, the symbol itself doesn't do anything, and just because some people may not like it, it doesn't mean that the school can trample on the first ammendment. Would it fly in court? Well, the south probably wouldn't see a problem with banning the pentagram, however the north would. Would the Supreme Court? Well, given the way it looks like it's going to go, it might be a sad time.
The only people in school that are prohibited from displaying religious clothing are teachers and staff, under the basis that they are acting as reprisentatives of the state, and thus cannot diplay their faith while working. This, however, doesn't prevent them from wearing a religious necklace, so long as it's tucked into their shirt.
This is all fairly firm case law, all based in the first ammendment.
See, if you succeed in destroying the taxed items, then you have no tax base
that "sin taxes" (at least those which could destroy the items they tax) are often so difficult to collect that the government doesn't earn a bit on them. they are only there to steer the popular behavour.
Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
There is no such thing as a Republican candidate for governor in Texas at the moment. The Republicans are nominating the current Governor Rick Perry to continue as the Republican spot on the ticket. Any other "Republican" candidates either aren't candidates in any upcoming election or aren't really Republican.
... she's like the comptroller right now, and since she can't compete for the Republican seat against Rick Perry she's trying to get on the ballot as an independent ... notoriously difficult to do in Texas but instigated by the expected success of independent hopeful Kinky Freidman.
The only other likely *conservative* candidate for governor is Mary Kate Ashley Rylander Strayhorn Carol Keeton Boutros Shazbot
Greg
Sounds like a good plan... if you're an asshole.
And as for abortion laws: no uterus, no vote.
i've had a hysterectomy, you insensitive clod.
Sure, he is making abortion illegal by taxing it to the point where it is effectivly illegal.
However, would you also be as upset if as some politicians have tried to do that we put a $10,000 tax on guns (and hence, pricing them into essentially being illegal)?
That is the problem... everyone is willing to use the aparatus of the government in order to enforce their own agenda. Are you against this because it is an abuse of government power, or because the agenda is different than your? For most people, it is the latter.
My bad, I thought it was the students that were banned as well from freedom of religion. And I did some reading and it looks like the courts held up that student run religious groups were okay. But I seem to remember that the schools wouldn't help at all. Which some people thought was a problem because other clubs like the chess club do get backing from the school. Also, I've lived in the south for a year and a half and just recently moved back to California. It's not as bad as we think. I thought it would be horrible. Texas rules. The people are nicer, housing is affordable and the cost of living is much less. There's also the education thing. It's 10 times better than here. My daughter is already getting dumber with the school systems here. There's going to be a lot of smart Texans and dumb Californians soon. It's amazing though, no state tax, only a slightly higher sales tax and higher property tax. The property tax doesn't matter much because the houses are valued less. Yet their government seems to be doing great, with a lot of money going to schools and public services. Oh well, shows how government corruption can hurt the people. The only thing California has on them is weather. I'm assuming your concern is over the supreme court nominee Judge Alito, I wouldn't be if I were you, at least he knows that the courts are supposed to interpret law and not make them. This should be good enough to evaluate evidence and make an informed decision. This stuff matters little in this day and age. It's been going down hill for 30 something years and no light at the end of the tunnel can be seen.
The following is taken from Star Locke's site at:
.
.
http://www.starovertexas.com/family_security_and_p rotection_act.html (NSFW: dead baby picture)
Interestingly, the relevant sections do not parse. I beleve that the bolded section provides for just doubling the sales tax:
This COMMISSION shall levy a 100% of price sales cost tax for the sale on all item listed below:
THE FAMILY SECURITY & PROTECTION ACT
An act promoting family security and safety by putting certain dangerous actions and dangerous products out of the reach of children thereby keeping our most precious blood--our children out of "HARMS WAY." Further this act put certain items out of the reach of government. By using a tool given to us by our founding fathers we hereby effect or families and their security. James Madison taught us, "the power to tax is the power to destroy". By utilizing this tool handed down to us by our founding fathers, we strive to promote the general welfare and protect our future security for ourselves and our posterity.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE UNITED STATES:
SECTION 1.
[a] The FAMILY HOME SECURITY COMMISSION is established which duty it shall be to carry out and implement this ACT.
[b] The COMMISSION shall establish the FAMILY HOME SECURITY ACCOUNT with funds coming from the EDUCATORS ACCOUNT under the authority of THE DEPOSIT AND RECYCLE ACT.
SECTION 2.
[a ] THE TEXAS ALCOHOLIC AND BEVERAGE COMMISSION IS HEREBY CLOSED and the enabling legislations is hereby rescinded.
[b] The FAMILY HOME SECURITY COMMISSION shall take over all existing facilities presently owned or leased by the T.A.B.C. and shall make its own determinations as to any future facility location needs.
[c] All TAX ON PRIVATE PROPERTY in TEXAS is hereby rescinded and repealed.
RICK PERRY supports 3% tax increase annually
10yrs = 30% over 30 year mortgage = 90% !!
[d] The Annual renewal fees and/or taxes on already licensed vehicles, equipment, trailers and/or instruments of transportation of humans or goods is hereby rescinded and repealed.
SECTION 3.
[a] The TEXAS ATHLETIC BOARD shall be established within this commission and consist of 10 members appointed by the GOVERNOR with their terms running concurrently with the Governors term in office and who's duties it shall be to establish and operate a CODE OF EXCELLENCE for health and fitness requirements for all TEXAS SCHOOLS
[a] The ATHLETIC BOARD shall set minimum Physical fitness work out programs for all TEXAS SCHOOLS with 2 hour minimum P.E. daily classes for all students.
[b] The ATHLETIC BOARD shall establish a High Protein Diet Nutrition Program that shall be instituted in all TEXAS Schools with the goal to [a] promote the physical fitness in each student. [b] to eliminate OBESITY and addictive behaviors in children and staff.
[c] The ATHLETIC BOARD shall work with existing School Boards to implement the goals of this act.
SECTION 4.
[a] This COMMISSION shall levy a 100% of price sales cost tax for the sale on all item listed below:
1 . any video game containing any form of human violence.
2. any machine, toy, or cd that uses or includes bodily harm of any human or human image its function or goa
People who think moral questions are easy are either a) of Godlike divinity; or b) on the wrong side of those questions, but wearing a nice white robe because it gets them power.
There is also an option c: Steadfastly convinced that they possess Godlike divinity. IMHO, these are potentially some of the most dangerous people in the world.
Must... think up... something... clever!
Brilliant. My hat's off to you, Sir or Madam, as the case may be.
As far as your daughter goes, if the schools are that bad in California then maybe you should consider paying extra to send her to private school...
A man who wants nothing is invincible
I never read about this, but that is pretty bad. It seems weird that the schools are in that much trouble when the education seemed so much better there. I apologize for my ignorance. I was just going by what I have seen having had my daughter in schools in both states. We have considered private school for her, and believe me as soon as we are financially able to we will do it. I do agree with you that public schools aren't nearly as good as private ones. I've been to both and know the lack of educational value of public schools. This was 10+ years ago I could only imagine when my daughter reaches high school how it will be. In Texas they seem to care more about the 3 r's of education where as in California she gets home like doing jumping jacks and baking cookies. I am exaggerating there are some of the basics of education there but a lot of homework seems to be more for broken homes. Like doing projects together as a family. This is fine but it seems more like the agenda is more for teaching the parents how to be a family unit then educating the children.
Being in public school, I can tell you that most classes that aren't AP generally don't do much. True, some teachers will care more than others, but most teachers don't, and thus not much is really learned. I've found that the best way to get someone to learn is to try to find something that interests them and build on that. I understand that it's impossible to please everyone, but I think that kids will learn more from being excited to learn. I can't tell you how much I've despised some of my classes before, but I can tell you that I didn't learn all that much from them. Likewise, I've had some great teachers for some classes that actually made it fun to learn, and it really does help. However, I think that the best situation is to have your kid find something they want to learn about outside of school, and then have them learn about it. The best teaching is usually that which is self done.
Let's see...
No.
But they don't think they can catch any votes with a 12th century morale.
Anecdote: There was this right-wing party leader in France. He was once seen watching a, let us say erotically liberal theatre piece. When confronted by journalists outside (already dreaming up headlines about his embarresment, I'm sure) and asked how he liked it, he simply replied that it was fairly good.
In the US, you'd have Congress calling for a ban on all theaters as breeding pits of sin or something like that.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
How does Texas rank in testing scores? There is not necessarily a direct relationship between how much you spend, and how well you educate.
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
The folks who have to deal with The Gov call him Good Hair Rick, I understand.
Not to mention that there are well-supported far-right parties in Europe as well. Austria comes to mind.
The example was not the argument, it was to support the argument. It appears you did not actually read the actual argument, which was the one with the number in it. :)
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Then you should choose better examples and better arguments. What you allude to as your "argument" was a mindless, baseless, and incorrect ad hominem attack.
How does Texas rank in testing scores?
Last I heard, we were ranking near the bottom on the test scores too.