From: sscrivan@nyx.cs.du.edu (steve scrivano)
Subject: Pena appointment
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 06:47:10 GMT

Well in case you haven't heard, the ex-mayor of Denver is going to be put
in charge of transportation for the entire United States.  As a Denver metro
resident, here is a view of what Pena can do for the whole country if Denver
is used as a model:  

He can spend millions of dollars building airports all over the country for
the airline industry that is belly up.  Why not!  He did it for Denver and
now we have an airport we don't need built in the middle of nowhere that is
not even close to the original plan size.  Frederico Pena has been trying to
portray a positive outlook in the middle of an economic disaster.  Watch out
for salesmen that tell you it is daylight in the middle of the night.

Now for education in the public schools:

Education will never amount to anything because technology is growing faster
than schools can afford to keep up with it.  In short, everything is going to
be computerized today and if you think CD-rom is great, imagine what it will
be 10 years from now.  You will never see one computer per student.  Computers
can give a child a 12 year education in 8 years or less.  The software is there
and schools don't use it.  Ask yourself this question -- why does the average
property tax bill for schools total as much as one whole IBM compatible computer
and if so, what do we need schools for when we could use the tax money to buy 
to buy a brand new computer every year for the rest of our lives?  Can schools
buy your child a new computer every year?  I pulled my own child out of school
once and gave him math on computer and it took one semester to achieve a 2 year
grade increase in this subject.  At best, schools have become cheap baby sitters
for 2 income families and there is no discipline.  Almost every form of
discipline is now called child abuse.  Teachers don't run the class, the kids
do!  Don't hit Johnny, don't spank Johnny, don't insult Johnny, put Johnny
in time out and call the parents!  If the parents spank Johnny, call the
welfare department and lock up the parents.  Poor Johnny!  Johnny and his
friends go home, watch shoot-em up shows, rapes, junk music, etc., and
Johnny goes back to school with all of his friends under the influence
of this false impression of life, returns to school and the cycle of
inappropriate behaviour continues.  Kids today are so busy impressing their
peers there is no time for learning anything.  The Clinton administration
needs to look to home schooling, computerization, and some good old fashion
discipline to bring education back in line.  Maybe we should dress all of
our children in uniforms for school.  This way, they would all look the
same and stop spending their time staring at each other's manner of dress (with
their black shirts, backwards caps, and torn jeans) and get some work done for
a change.  Look at the discipline in the military.  If it worked for them
it would work for our kids.  Adults are expected to dress for success on the
job, but children get away with bizarre forms of appearance when attending
school.  Yes, it is still considered square and not the in thing to be the
intelligent child in the class room.  Bookworms are still considered nerds!

Personally I see nothing better in sight with the Clinton administration.
We are going to put Americans to work by building roads.  The roads
will be paid for by the taxpayers, and this amounts to nothing more than
the redistribution of wealth through taxation.  Bush doesn't believe in
tax and spend.  Don't believe it when a politician suggests spending as
a way to correct the economy.  Spending is what put the economy where it is
today. 


Steve Scrivano
sscrivan@nyx.cs.du.edu
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.elections,alt.politics.libertarian,talk.politics.misc