News & Views 03/30/2014

NEWS
NYC- "Little Italy is on the brink of extinction". "Rising rents and changing demographics have driven Little Italy to the verge of extinction."

VIEWS
This is happening in every major city in the United States. It's also happening throughout the world. I don't see this problem as one concerning ethnicity. Rather as one of creating a further separation between the 'haves' and 'have-nots'. After studying what's behind each and every one, I've concluded it all comes down to money. Wealthy developers could care less about what the nationality of the people are living in these areas. They see them as possessing below market value properties. Ones they'd have to pay more for elsewhere. There's only one thing these investment groups have in mind, money.

Traditionally we tend to think of discrimination as something between the races of people. 'Socioeconomic' discrimination can become far more sinister. When the wealthy come into a neighborhood they bring with them a team of lawyers and lobbyists. What follows is they gaining control over politicians that depend on wealthy campaign contributors. Once that happens ordinances are then passed having negative consequences to current residents and businesses of lower value. Following not too far behind we begin to see government utilizing the power of eminent domain against those that stand in their way.

So next time you see one of these gentrifications keep in mind.. Greedy people could care less about white, red, black, or yellow people. They only care about one color. The color of money. If you ain't green, you ain't seen. Get it?


NEWS
WSJ- Telephone landlines going the way of the dinosaur. "Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon Communications are lobbying states, one by one, to hang up the plain, old telephone system... the copper-wired landline phone system "

VIEWS
Not so fast. That's all fine and dandy for folks living in urban areas, but 30% of Americans don't have broadband access at home. There's also huge areas in this country that don't have cell phone service towers within range of their homes (especially in the Midwest). More importantly many of these services won't provide 911 operators with an ID or exact location of where calls are coming from.

I have no problem with companies taking down these ugly expensive wires prone to storm damage. However if provisions aren't made first to meet the needs I mentioned, the companies should be required to maintain land lines until they are. Cutting these people off would send them back to the dark ages.


NEWS
Charter Schools In The United States..

VIEWS
There are pros and cons that need to be considered. I've always personally felt the government shouldn't have a forced monopoly on education. On the other hand I'm not sure tax dollars should be forcibly extracted for the enrichment of schools owned by religious institutions either. Nor allow private educators to cherry pick students based on academic achievement or a student's financial resources.

It makes no sense to trade one monopoly for another. Some of these private charters are owned by national corporations who (justifiably so) are in existence for the sole purpose of making money. Right now the public is outraged over pensions. I don't want to see this same outrage in a few years if this same amount of public money were instead to go towards investors and corporate board members.

There will be those who insist the private sector always does things better then the government can. If that were to be true we wouldn't be seeing dozens of companies going bankrupt each year or a number of charter schools that shuttered without warning. In essence private education is no panacea for the problems that lay ahead.


NEWS
Speaking of outsourcing. EXPOSED: America’s Highest Paid Government Workers. "These well-paid workers aren’t the local teachers, social workers and corrections officers that Americans were told are responsible for state and local budget woes. Rather, they are the corporate executives who worked hard to privatize public services and who use taxpayer dollars to enrich themselves with outlandish salaries and benefits."

VIEWS
The 'Source Watch.org' article speaks for itself much better then I can present this issue here. Check it out for yourself. However I'll add the following thoughts.

If 'Tea Party' types are worried about elected officials turning the United States towards a socialist direction they should think twice about trying to privatize our government services. Unlike elected representatives corporate board members are not elected by the public therefore are not accountable to 'John Q Public'. Either way we're still going to have to pay taxes for them. There's no way of getting out of it.

It's seems kind of odd there are those so in fear of government socialism creeping up on them they'd rather place their trust in corporations. Do they not understand in many ways corporations pose a larger threat then socialism? Company officials are publicly unelected. Were it not for government oversight they'd ignore constitutional protections and regulations whenever possible. Companies are accountable to investors first and foremost beyond the general welfare of the public.

This doesn't make them evil. They serve a purpose. But one's things for sure. It's not to serve at the pleasure of what may be in the best interests to the general public. Having to choose between either 'big government' or 'big industry', when it comes to providing for the basic needs of the American public, I'll go with the government every time.