Deport the Illegals NOW

If you want to live here, DO this: apply for status as a legal immigrant, and wait to be accepted. When you come here, work hard and behave, and you will do fine.

DON'T:

1. Sneak in across the border in the dark of the night.

2. Hold rallies to protest not getting amnesty.

3. Complain about how important you are to the economy, and yet how unappreciated.

4. Record a loose translation of the Star-Spangled banner IN SPANISH.

5. Mount a "protest" by not showing up for your job, and thinking that anyone will care.

FIRST: None of these things will endear you to the people in your chosen new country.

SECOND: Let's use this opportunity to get a list from suspected employers of illegals. Get the list of their absent employees on Mon. May 1, and investigate the status of those people.

THIRD: Permitting illegal aliens to remain in this country WHILE THEY finally apply for legal status is AMNESTY and IS PUTTING THEM IN THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

Just Say NO to Smoking Ban

Per the News-Gazette, both Champaign and Urbana will consider a general SMOKING BAN in May. This courtesy of the high-minded folks at the "C-U Smoke Free Alliance" (just who is an 'ally' of the Alliance is not clear to me).

This is just another example of a vocal minority seeking to impose its will on everyone else. It can be an effective strategy, if the minority is seeking to curtail an activity that doesn't involve a right or activity that is important to most people. Public bodies and civic boards are impressed that 100 people show up at their meeting to advocate the will of the minority. They may not realize that the "silent majority" is simply not moved enough to speak their mind, they may not have unbiased facts on the topic, and they may get worn down by repeated attempts.

Say that the "Alliance" decides that chain saws smoke too much too, and petitions local city councils to ban them, too:
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"I can't be around the exhaust from those gasoline engines. If they are trimming trees in the park, I can't go there."

"Why do they have to use gas engines, can't they use electric?"

"It's not fair for the workers using those chain saws; they shouldn't have to inhale fumes all day while working with their chain saw."

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Anyway, 50 professional activists show up at the City Council meeting. The only people who show up to oppose the ban are 4 people who happen to own landscaping / tree trimmng businesses.

Meanwhile, 60,000 others sit at home, unmotivated by the issue, but believing that chain saws are not the devil incarnate.

City council members who are so inclined listen to the 60 who show up, and imagine they are a burgeoning grass roots movement. "They make some good points. Everyone should be able to go outside and not listen to chain saws or suck in their exhaust."

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You know, other people do lots of things that I wouldn't do. And they do lots of things that I don't like. And they do lots of things that aren't good for them. And they do things that keep me from going places and doing things that I might otherwise be inclined to do.

Yet, I don't seek to rein in people from exercising their freedoms, even if I don't like what it is they do. I don't do it because, as we are all so fond of saying, IT IS A FREE COUNTRY. Government in this country doesn't regulate behavior unless it has a compelling interest in doing so.

I haven't heard the compelling interest yet. Just a bunch of whining about the 'rights of non-smokers.' Yah, just what we need; another special interest group (full of victims).

Oh, by the way, I am neither a shill for Big Tobacco nor a smoker. I just hate to have to listen to the whiny vocal minority in their quest for attention. And, according to the American Lung Association, about 21% of adults in the U.S. are smokers.

SROs in, Troublemakers Out?

At its meeting on Monday, April 17, 2006, the Champaign Unit 4 school district approved the use of polices officers (dubbed "School Resource Officers" or "SROs") in middle schools and high schools in the district. News-Gazette April 18.

Today's big news is that some parents in the district are threatening to take their children out of the school district "in protest of the decision to put armed police officers in the schools." News-Gazette April 20.
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[Parent Natalie] Freeman "is concerned about unequal treatment for black children because the Champaign school district is under a consent decree in which the educational achievement and discipline of black children is being monitored, and because a study released last year showed minorities are more likely to be pulled over for traffic stops by Champaign police."

"We already know the children who are going to be targeted (by the officers) are African-American," she said.
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The News-Gazette article goes on to quote the parents' views that (a) the kids aren't learning anything anyway, so why not pull them out of school, (b) you can't expect police officers with only 40 hours of training to be "social workers and educate our kids", and (c) pulling kids out will cost Unit 4 federal school lunch aid money and state aid based on attendance.

Wow, where to start.

First, ladies, know that you are not hurting anyone by trying to home school your kids, other than them. You don't appear to have college degrees, guess what, the teachers of Unit 4 DO! They are trained experts in educating kids!

Second, I don't think the cops at school are going to be "targeting" anyone, anymore than they "target" offenders out on the mean streets. Unless by 'target' you mean 'go after kids who are causing trouble.' Yes, they will be going after them, but I'm sure that won't include your little angels.

Third, if you yank your kids, you won't have anyone to blame when things don't turn out well.

Finally, the consent decree should not be the basis for taking your kids out of the Unit 4 schools, rather it should be the reason you want them there, i.e., lots of things have happened and continue to happen to make Unit 4 schools better for your children.

In a perfect world, there would be no cops in schools. In this world, it seems to have become a necessity. Were that it wasn't so.

Two Questions From Andy T

From my boy AndyT:

1. I love reading your stuff and often agree. May I submit to you a political question? It seems to me that the current system is a total failure no matter which party is in charge. They both have their good and bad points. My priority is liberty and neither party is delivering. How come the libertarians can't field viable candidates? It seems like their party supports all the ideals we stand for but everyone who runs on their ticket is a nut job. What's up with that?

I think the problem is that Libertarians in general are a cranky, curmudgeonly group with a terrifically diverse membership which shouts"fringe" to anyone who is serious about running for national office. By merely tempering their rhetoric and easing their positions toward themiddle, would-be Libertarian candidates can shoehorn themselves into one of the major parties. The candidatesI have seen here in Ilinois are people who burn wood to heat their homes, have beards, and think they don't have to pay income taxes. Fun and everything, but not going anywhere with regard to getting elected.

2. Related question: In my experience the dems offer appeasement, high taxes and a better economy for poor folks (me). The GOP offers war, lower taxes and a better econmoy for rich folks. Your thoughts? I base this on direct personal experience (i.e. ability to get and keep a 'good' job).Is that your experience? Explain. This is an honest question not an invitation to a flame war. :-)

You can split it out a million different ways, of course, but I think the Democrat party appeals to people who (a) need or want help in their lives, (b) want to help others, (c) believe that all people are (or should be) more or less equal and interchangeable, and (d) think we can settle all of our differences if we just sit down and talk about it. Basically, the Dems appeal to people who think government helps people in their lives.

Meanwhile, the GOP works for (a) people who think they don't need any help, (b) want to help people, if at all, without government involvement, (c) believe that people have innate differences which mean that not everyone is a "winner" in the game of life, and (d) think that there are relatively bright lines of "right" and "wrong" in many cases.

Neither of the major parties are going to help you or anyone else get or keep a "good" job. No government will help you do that. I believe that, other than creating government positions, Democrat principles will not get you a job (something about more taxes and more government being antithetical to business). Repubs believe that, when government is business friendly (low regulation, low taxes), private businesses create jobs.

The truth is, those who are young, poor, and "other-directed" swing toward the Dems; those who are older, established, wealthier, and self-interested swing toward the Repubs. Dems believe government can make a big difference in the lives of people; Repubs think government should get out of their way, and let everyone make their own life.

I personally believe that the differences between the parties are more imagined than real 95% of the time. Most people are attracted to a party based on a very short list of issues: taxes, gay rights, abortion, environmental issues.

Based on what I've seen from you, AndyT, you are going to do fine in this life without regard to any political party or government policy. There's no way that I could sell you on any party, because that would be like exaggerating the differences between a Toyota and a Honda. While there are some differences, in the big picture you just pick the one that fits your arse. (A little Brit humor there).

My whole thing is, I want people to put away their hankies, get off their ass, take care of themselves, help others every chance they get, and quit their damn WHINING!

Morgan Spurlock is a Moron

Let's see, I think I'll make a movie about what happens if I live in my car for a month eating double quarter pounders. Gosh, I wonder if I'll gain weight? Wonder if that's healthy?

Next, I'll go to give speeches at schools and talk about the 'retards' with helmets who work at McDonald's. Never mind that the audience will include special needs kids who happen to be wearing head protection. http://wizbangblog.com/2006/03/27/morgan-spurlock-supersized-ass.php

Anyone who likes or believes in this guy is an even bigger moron than he is.

What to Think About Barry Bonds

Let's face it: Barry is not a very likable guy. He is the #1 fan of a ballplayer named Barry Bonds; he is a jerk, by all accounts; finally, it appears that he is a steroid user.

We can forgive athletes, politicians, and celebrities for faults of all sorts, IF WE LIKE THEM. Look at Mark McGwire. Won the great McGwire-Sosa home run derby in '98 (Saved Baseball! by some accounts). The Sosa-McGwire hugfest was all over TV. We know now that both Sosa and McGwire were using "The Juice." Like Bonds. Like Rafael Palmeiro. Like so many who play the game. Since McGwire played for my St. Louis Cards, wasn't a horse's ass, and doesn't play anymore, I don't feel a burning need to thrash him and spit on him.

Out of all the big-name offenders, only Bonds seems to be (a) in denial, and (b) still playing the game. And still an asshole.

I thought Barry had seen the light when he spent most of last season on the DL; ease out of the game with an injury. Apparently, however, the lure of breaking baseball's biggest record, and becoming the All-Time Home Run King, was too much for him. Boo for you, Barry.

Boo also for Bud "I Ruined the All-Star Game" Selig, who apparently didn't know Bonds was doing anything wrong until the recent book came out. By taking action now, Selig looks like the racist that Bonds and others think he is: out to stop Barry from beating out Babe Ruth.

Big E's Guide To Victimhood

So you want to get in on the action and proclaim yourself a victim. Well, you're a bit late to the party, but fear not, there is lots of room and some of your friends who have come before you have already staked out lots of ground which you can camp out on.

Deciding To Become a Victim

Some times it gets tiresome blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong in your life. Other times you are just bored, and want something to do. Still other times you see someone with something you want, or just having fun.

Becoming a victim can solve these problems!

Choosing Your Status

You can be a victim in lots of ways, including the following:

- Race or ethnicity;
- Gender;
- Economic status;
- Health status.

Victim Paradigm

Remember always that your victim status is the most important thing in your life, and that it defines who you are as a person.

Setbacks and unfortunate events are NOT YOUR FAULT. They are the fault of your genetics, or, more likely, the fault of an oppressive, uncaring, and biased society.

Any decision or event involving a third party, that you don't like, was probably made primarily for one reason: because of [insert your special victim status here].

Your victim status entitles you to special rights, privileges and gifts. Sometimes The Man makes you ask for them, so don't be shy.

It's OK to whine.

Vote DEMOCRAT. (They care more).

We are all equal.

Trying to help yourself is futile, The Man will see to that.

'Personal responsibility' sounds great and all that, but hey, taking care of yourself can take a lot of work.

No matter what I have, there is probably someone else with more, and I deserve that, too.

Making the Most of Your Victim Status

Putting it all into action:

Problem: You are a woman and you believe you are underpaid. You also read in Newsweek that women are paid 76% of what men are paid.

Solution: Claim gender discrimination with regard to your employment. You may get a raise, or even a s-e-t-t-l-e-m-e-n-t !
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Problem: People of your race are prosecuted for crimes disproportionately from the rest of the population.

Solution: Take as a given that all races and economic classes commit an equal number of crimes. Assume that The Man has loosed the cops on you BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE! If it works, you might get sympathy from your judge or probation officer. At a minimum, you might make some people question law enforcement, and get them off your back.

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Problem: You can't get into the University of Michigan law school because of poor scores on standardized tests.

Solution: Point out to the nice admissions people that your ancestors were slaves, that your parents couldn't attend college, and that you would have done better on your LSAT but for the gun fire outside your window the night before the test. After hearing all that, the school will probably invent a system to give you BONUS points for being descended from slaves!

Q & A

Q. Who is "The Man" that you refer to?

A. Whoever is keeping you down.
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Q. Can I have more than 1 victim status?

A. Yes! Multiple victim stats get you EVEN MORE.
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Q. Seems kind of selfish to try and get things for myself by claiming to be a victim.

A. Take the high road here. You have to be careful to phrase all of this in terms of OTHER PEOPLE, e.g., "I'm not asking for myself, I'm asking for . . . the children." Nothing is nobler than asking for things for others. Hopefully they, too, will seek out opportunities for you.
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Good luck!

Protests . . . to Obtain Citizenship?

Forgive me if I am the only one who sees irony in the specter of illegal aliens participating in rallies to pressure Congress to soften U.S. immigration laws. Let's see, I'm not a citizen of this country, but I'm going to grab my Mexican flag and run out to the public square to bully the country (that I am in illegally) to let me stay here.

Repub Conundrum on Immigration

The current immigration "debate" is clearly dividing the Republican party. On the one hand, you have Pres. Bush, who supports amnesty for illegal aliens from Mexico and other Latin American countries. On the other you have the law-and-order, defend-the-borders-and-enforce-the-laws types, like me.

Friends from Texas are some of the most strident defenders of better border enforcement and cracking down on "the illegals." I don't get it.

Listen, you bums in Congress, and hear me well: enforce the laws we have, and don't reward law-breakers by letting them stick around. If that means we all pay more for carrots and lettuce, so be it.

Free Speech . . . Please!

If I had 1/100th of a penny for every word written in this country in the last month on this topic, I wouldn't have to work anymore. So I will keep it brief.

For the last time: ideas and commentary should NEVER be banned, even when 99% of us disagree with the substance of what is being said.

Yes, that includes position papers by people who (a) want to have sex with animals or children, (b) worship the devil, (c) believe the Holocaust never occurred, (d) support Osama Bin Laden, or (e) advocate euthanasia for everyone over 65.

There are some fine points (why child pornography isn't protected speech, rights of private property owners to ban offensive speech), but those are for finely tuned Supreme Court decisions, not for broad debates in small spaces.

In my view, if your political, religious, moral or sexual beliefs cannot stand up to critical comment, they are not worthy of serving as your core beliefs. And if you come from a culture that squelches open debate and discussion, that is your choice, but don't try to bring that west of the Atlantic.

Thank you to South Park (this week's Family Guy episode) and Acton Gorton (Daily Illini) for standing up against the forces of censorship and fear. Like Cartman said: standing up for free speech might mean taking risks, which we haven't had to do for awhile in this country. See also the whimsical 'Muhammad and Me" blog at: http://muhammadandme.blogspot.com/

More Advice to Unit 4

Kudos to Greg Novak for his commentary in today's (Sunday April 2) News-Gazette on the failed Unit 4 bond referendum.

Excerpts (my comments in italics):

"The real answer is that Champaign Unit 4 lacks, and has lacked, a long-term plan of where it is going and how it is to fit within our community. Sections and bits and pieces are addressed from time to time, but never the district and the community as a whole."

[History would indicate that it has been one fire drill after another for this body, rather than pursuit of a cohesive long term plan.]

"The solution that I see is not to dash forward and something for the sake of doing something, but rather one of stepping back and taking a moment to reflect. . . .

"A back door referendum or other attempt to circumvent the will of the people or the public can, in my opinion, only backfire and cause the general public to further lose faith in Champaign schools . . .

"The school system needs to reverse the tide, and to do that it must present a clear course for the future. That course will not be pain-free, nor acceptable to all stakeholders in all matters, but until that course is plotted and the public has a belief that it will be followed, Unit 4 will not retain the public trust."

*****

Cheers also to Dan McCollum: "A wish list is not a plan. I want to support the schools, but I want to see a reasoned, cost-efficient plan before I will vote for a bond issue."

*****

I respectfully disagree with Thom Moore, who urged gathering information from the great unwashed as to what would compel them to vote "yes" on the next bond issue.

Sure, I want to be listened to, but I wonder if the package which was just defeated went down in large measure due to the apparent attempt to buy votes from various cohorts of the electorate . . . similar to the US Congress and its frequent pork barrel legislation.

*****

Jeers to Julia Johnson O'Connor, whose piece suggested that the bond referendum failed because the committees behind it were not "multiracial, multineighborhood, and multi-income" enough. Toss in some other gem phrases, such as "systematic oppression" and her suggestion that the "focal point" of facilities planning should be "northside children," and you are left with the impression that racism was part of the demise of the bond referendum. Not true, not helpful. The last 10 years have been all about helping that very cohort, more than anyone else.

NSA Surveillance Program

Caught yesterday's (Friday March 31) CSPAN replay of the Senate judiciary committee hearings on the NSA foreign-domestic surveillance program.

On the left, we had dumb-ass liberal Russ "Trying to beat Hillary" Feingold making a big show about his resolution to "censure" Pres. Bush for the communication intercepts of communications between suspected foreign terrorists and people in the U.S.

On the right, we had Arlen Specter and Lindsey Graham, not-so-gently pointing out that the issues involved here don't involve anything like intentional wrongdoing (cf. Clinton lying under oath), but rather uncertainty about the scope of a President's war-time powers.

She-Clinton, Feingold and Blago: Dem Stars of 2008? (Wow!)

Champaign Unit 4 - Next Steps

I truly believe that the good citizens of Champaign County want to support the public schools in every way, but, like citizen taxpayers everywhere, they expect clear thinking and honesty from their school board and administrators. They also expect judicious use of taxpayer dollars.

When you build a house, you might start with a "wish" list of features you want, which includes a lot of pie-in-the-sky amenities that you don't need at all, but which sound like a lot of fun to have.

When faced with the realities of your budget, however, you quickly get past the idea of having a large wine cellar in the basement.

It seems to me that Unit 4's priorities should look like this:

1. Add additional strands and seats north of University Avenue, as required by the consent decree.

Hint 1: Put those seats east of Mattis Avenue, not out in Whiteyville.

Hint 2: Might have to pay a premium if you want to build a new school in the heart of North Champaign. Suck it up and do it. If Unit 4 had done that 20 years ago, we wouldn't have continuing court oversight of our schools. Let's don't make the same damn mistake and build yet another school on the edge of town. While it might make sense to you and me to build schools where the city is growing, apparently that is racist, wrong and unfair to the inner city poor. Let's face it, if you buy a house way outside of town, you are probably planning on your kiddies having a little commute to school.

2. Save the spin doctoring for internal meetings that I don't have to listen to or read about. Have clear and legitimate reasons for the proposal that you put forth. If you are adding seats to counter past racism and to comply with the consent decree, just say that. Don't toss out a bunch of nonsense about community growth. News flash: Unit 4 has shrunk in size, and won't be getting back the kids who have moved to Mahomet or switched to private school. And, most of the people moving in to new houses west of Staley Road aren't new to the community - they are moving across town.

3. If air conditioning the schools is all of a sudden a priority, then get serious about it and do it across the board. Don't use it as a gimmick to try to attract votes; voters are not that stupid.

4. Don't even talk about building a Savoy school until you have met your consent decree obligations for north of University Avenue.

5. Budget the numerous needed capital improvements to the schools over 10 or 15 years. It is unfair and unpopular to try to correct decades of deferred maintenance on the backs of the people who happen to be property owners in 2006-2016. Spend $20 million this time, plan on coming back in 3 -5 years for $20 million more. News flash to Mr. Culver: we all work for a living, damn it, and while your schools have needs, so does everyone else. Don't forget that taxpayers already spend $70+ million a year on Unit 4 public education, and we are still paying for Stratton and Barkstalll. If you want to be a hero and rebuild all of the infrastructure now, get out your own checkbook and do it.

6. Think about actually putting some information on your website. http://www.champaignschools.org/ For example, one of the issues in the recent bond referendum was how many open seats there are currently at Stratton. Some sources said none, others said 200. Hey, here's a thought: put the data on the Internet so we can all see it. While you're at it, put all of the enrollment data, including the racial and socioeconomic make-up of all of the schools. Transparency builds confidence in the electorate.

7. Don't try to rush out a $66 million bond referendum until all of your ducks are in a row: what are you going to build, and where are you going to build it.

My Favorite Bathroom Graffiti of All Time

When I die, I want to go peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandpa

Not kicking and screaming, like the 4 other people in his car that night.


- Men's Restroom, The Blind Pig, Champaign, IL (July 1996)