bodhipooh wrote:
If the roads conditions do not allow for safe riding, dismount and walk your bike. Those trying to justify their doing so are simply rationalizing their disregard for the law. It's that simple.

Vigilante wrote:
Monroe and Gravey, you guys are trying to convince the wrong people here. Christie's biggest problem is those in his own party. You talk about how he is the logical candidate but you now need to convince the illogical looney right-wingers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/nyr ... e-partys-savior.html?_r=0

jedo1 wrote:
...If you're too SCARED to ride on the street without a bike lane, then do everyone a favor and sell your bike, then you won't have everyone quietly wondering why you're such a moron.

Thanks!

borisp wrote:
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Wishful_Thinking wrote:

And anyhow, don't we have harmony among the social classes? After all, the 1% won the class war ages ago and since the rest of us are well and truly defeated there's no point in disharmony anymore.

You don't know much about America, do you now? Well, 80% of America's millionaires were not born millionaires. They created their wealth, not inherited it. This is how people get wealthy, - by creating wealth. The disharmony exists only thanks to the people who begrudge others their success.

dtjcview wrote:
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bobsacamano wrote:
....
Yes, standards are good, but I don't think they're good in their current form. They need to be tailored to the area they're in - for instance, if a suburban school exceeds the standards, why keep them low there? On the flip side, many of my students have trouble reading and writing at a high school level (or even English for that matter), so a standardized test is much more difficult. Again, there are always those kids who are fine, i.e. at grade level, which presents more challenges.

...

Is it simple pass/fail scoring that's the problem? I would have thought that the curriculum and testing should be about aiming for grades in the tests, and improving the overall grade averages in different levels of students. If the standardized testing doesn't cater for a grading scale, then there is a problem...

Monroe wrote:
Wishful thinking, how could you say that? The Hudson/Bergen Light Rail comes to mind . . .

Monroe wrote:
While not referencing me, an old girlfriend used to say 'weathermen are like all other men. They promise you nine inches, and you're lucky to get five'.

:)

Monroe wrote:
Who do you think radical Islam, Putin, Syria, the mullahs, and other loonies and miscreants would like least in the White House among those three?

Monroe wrote:
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Pebble wrote:
I'm still confused... What the frack does Obama have to do with whether or not the governor of NJ is petty enough to shut down roads in a city because a mayor wouldn't support him?

If Christie is behind it, how can any reasonable person support him?

It's only in a looney left wet dream at this point in time, if there was a shred of evidence it'd be out already.

Right now this is a 'when did you stop beating your wife' kinda story, Christie is better off doing what he's doing by not responding.

Monroe wrote:
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dojan wrote:
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dtjcview wrote:
The "spending per student" includes immigrants, so the spending itself is still high, so dilution probably isn't the issue. As far as welfare goes, there might be something to that, but it's tough to imagine other countries don't have the same issue.

From reading various sources, it seems that money is being wasted on items not directed at improving education. Smaller class sizes doesn't seem to corrrelate to education improvements. The US has an extremely high spending on non-education items like Sports. The US does invest in early childhood education, but that program doesn't seem to reaped dividends as it has in other countries.

I think some of the things that are broken are:
- Little fiscal accountability. The billions of dollars of spend is managed by locally elected moms and pops. Local government isn't the right way to run a multi-billion dollar industry.
- No competition for teaching jobs. It seems there is little initial and ongoing standardized teacher training and assessment, performance incentives, career development, etc. The teaching industry seems geared to attract and retain the worst. Paying teachers more, but removing obstacles such as tenure might be the way to go.
- Misdirected parental participation - according to authors such as Amanda Ripley, parents in the US engage as much other countries in ed-related activities, but it's not directed to helping the kids learn. Cheering the school team at the weekend doesn't help the kid count.
- Bar is set too low. Lessons, homework, tests don't challenge the students to think critically, and are more designed to "learn-by-rote".

The focus should be on education and the educators, and not the excuses. Standardized student testing and more competition and choice provided by charter schools are steps in the right direction.

Great post. It's amazing a lot of people in this country whine about healthcare (which is valid) while at the same time deny that US education is in bad shape overall and find all kinds of excuses, like xenophobias blaming everything on immigrants.

If you're taking a poor shot at me-I'm just trying to figure out how we can improve our own inner city kids education. Most of the countries that send millions of their citizens to be educated, fed, housed, and have their medical problems fixed on our tax dollars are much less likely to do the same with illegals who visit THEIR country.

Suggesting that our own children get a better education is a bad thing AND xenophobic? Why don't you support the children of the USA; black, brown, white, red, and yellow?

RUinHamiltonPark wrote: ...That's the whole problem with the PATH- there is NO mechanism for accountability...

Dwtnguys wrote:
So I have lived here six years and take the PATH train into Manhattan every day. I have been wanting to ask anyone who may know...... I often notice that when the train leaves Christopher, the conductor/or person who opens the doors, leaves the door control area, walks thru a usually crowded train and enters the engineer/driver's room. Often, If I am at the front, I can hear them talking about their weekends, laughing..etc. Then just before the train arrives at Newport, this person is rushing to get to the controls to open the doors. Now here is my question, does this make anyone riding the train uncomfortable? Is this ok under PATH protocol? Am I being paranoid? Anything could happen and the person most likely to address whatever happens is behind a locked door. Please chime in. I was thinking I could record it, but wasn't sure I should. Thank you. Be nice...

hero69 wrote:
does the proletrarat reaaly want higher wages as opposed to harmony among the social classes. Think about it.

HeightsBrat wrote:
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user1111 wrote:
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skyl4rk wrote:


This is my favorite, unofficial neigborhood map. Couldn't tell you how accurate it is, but it's purdy.

Courtesy of http://wardensandroosters.blogspot.com/

This map is pretty slick, but it has me living in Bergen Lafayette which is not the case.

Dang, it ain't bad but it doesn't show Sparrow Hill or Dogpatch.

pdevoto wrote:
Probably confusing Palisade with Central Ave, where there is a new boxing gym (which is why it is dominated by a boxing ring). The new coffee shop is being opened by Mod Cup, who have had their cart at various places and roast their own beans.

Monroe wrote:
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Wishful_Thinking wrote:
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Monroe wrote:
You're linking the Daily Kos to support an argument, lol?

The Daily Kos piece does link you directly to the ARB report (warning - PDF). I've provided several links to articles that cover/analyze the Benghazi attack to provide food for thought. I'm open to hearing/reading other people's sources, but all I'm seeing from you is the same old conspiracy talking points.

How can we analyze anything when, from the get go, Obama and Clinton have done everything to cloud what the public has a right to know?

Monroe wrote:
You're linking the Daily Kos to support an argument, lol?

Pebble wrote:
Given the relative income range of people along with population size, it absolutely should be expected that the state assist in the spending. It's silly to suggest otherwise.

In regards to which is better... the difference is negligible. It is something that absolutely must improve if you are to get more families here.

Monroe wrote:
Just to note, those districts received supplemental funding from taxpayers outside their own towns to the tune of over $2,535,000,000. Yes, over $2.5 BILLION dollars of the cost of those children's education came from other NJ taxpayers. In 2011-2012 alone-yes, for one year.

And these were the results we got for this. Clearly, throwing more money can't solve the problems.