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…when the next GOP nominee is named.
Because you aren’t allowed to be a GOP candidate for president without being called Hitler by the media.
This is not going to change any votes, and frankly no person who wasn’t already voting against Trump would buy it, but when you are crashing and burning you try whatever you can.
By John Ruberry
William J. Bennett, when he was Education Secretary under Ronald Reagan, declared the Chicago Public Schools system was the worst in the nation.
Decades later, CPS still might be at the bottom, despite a recent influx of federal COVID-19 relief cash.
According to Illinois State Board of Education test results, nearly three-quarters of CPS students can’t read at grade level and over eighty-percent of them aren’t proficient in math.
Not shockingly, many Chicago parents are finding alternatives their children’s education, such charter and private schools, or moving out of Chicago altogether.
The sad irony is that many CPS schools call themselves things like “school of excellence,” or “STEM academy,” or “college prep high school.”
One-third of Chicago’s traditional public schools, Wirepoints reports, are under half of enrollment capacity. One high school, the somewhat modestly named Manley Career Academy, which was built for 1,000 pupils, has just 100 students enrolled there. “Journey to world class” is the school’s motto.
There’s state-enforced moratorium preventing school closings, but that expires next year. But the Chicago Teachers Union, the straw that stirs the drink in city politics, is vehemently opposed to that.
Fewer schools means fewer union jobs.
The CTU and its allies say that Chicago schools are underfunded. However, they never say what the proper amount is. Just more, more, and more.
CPS-per-student funding has increased by 40-percent since 2019, when scores were higher, the district now spends nearly $30,000 student, while the statewide average is just $24,000.
As I reported here earlier this month, Chicago’s leftist mayor, Brandon Johnson, who prior to his election last year was a CTU organizer, saw his school board resign because, according to media reports, “Branjo” was pressuring them to fire the CEO of CPS.
Johnson appointed that entire board.
CTU was the primary funder of Johnson’s campaign. That union is fond of Alinskyite tactics, particularly creating and demonizing an enemy. Usually that’s the mayor, but Johnson is on the CTU team.
Johnson and CTU–assuming there is a difference between the two–are pushing for high-interest loans to increase spending for schools on things like salaries and pension obligations, rather than for capital projects, which is what fiscally responsible school districts use loans for.
CPS has a junk credit rating.
Johnson’s new appointees will be out of office soon. A new 21-member board–10 elected and 11 appointed by the mayor, will take over shortly after Election Day next month. Many of the electoral candidates for the new school board are endorsed by the CTU.
Things have gotten so bad that even the Washington Post has taken notice.
Chicago and CPS appear to be in a death spiral. How both got there goes back decades. As for the misdeeds of the last few years, the Chicago Teachers Union deserves much of the blame.
Getting out of this mess won’t be easy. While Governor J.B. Pritzker is also a Democrat, he and Branjo aren’t close. Pritzker is a liberal, but Johnson is a quasi-socialist. But a state takeover of CPS isn’t likely. Pritzker wants to run for president one day and if the state is in charge of Chicago’s schools, then CPS becomes his problem.
Even if Kamala Harris wins the presidency next month, a federal bailout of CPS is very unlikely, especially because the district squandered COVID funds.
And Chicagoans are stuck with Johnson until at least 2027.
John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.
A republic, if you can keep it
Ben Franklin when asked what kind of government was decided upon for the United States
Under anything resembling normal circumstances this election would be considered as over as 1984’s election was with Democrats regrouping to figure out how best to win votes.
The problem is I keep seeing stories like this:
Democracy Live’s OmniBallot allows me to create and print an official ballot for a made up voter at any address in King County! I recorded the whole thing! Watch the short video for details and try it out yourself!
Why is it so easy to create and issue real/official ballots to fake voters?
And this:
Dominion Voting Systems issued a chilling statement today on 𝕏, reminding Americans that they are actively monitoring online discussions about their voting machines as part of “preparations for future litigation.” Suggesting they’re gearing up to file more defamation suits against critics. Despite generating only about $50 million in annual revenue, Dominion raked in nearly $800 million last year from defamation settlements alone. The message is clear: speak negatively about their machines or even share someone else’s critique, and they may come after you with lawsuits.
and this
Judges in Michigan and North Carolina separately rejected RNC lawsuits on UOCAVA or overseas voting in US elections.
The RNC in Michigan challenged the rule by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson that voters who never resided in Michigan could cast their overseas ballot and have it count in Michigan.
The Michigan judge said the lawsuit was an attempt to “disenfranchise” voters.
The North Carolina judge said Republicans “presented no substantial evidence” of the fraud they claimed they were trying to prevent.
This is the bottom line.
If we let the left steal this election they will. If we make it too expensive legally for the left to do so or create a margin where it can’t be credible stolen it won’t be.
Do you want an oligarchy of elites or our republic?
Your call America.
Riddle: What’s the best way to make a small fortune?
Answer: Start with a large one.
One of the things that a lot of people forget about pro-team owners is that many of them begin as businessmen who have been successful in an industry, Robert Kraft is no exception having done very well in his Kraft Group of business holdings and even better with the Patriots with a lot of help from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Right now however that investment in the New England Patriots does not seem all that grand as he has a team that is 1-6 and likely to finish so bad as to end up with, at worst a top 5 draft pick for the 2nd consecutive year which will be the first time since before he owned the team.
Given that eventuality there have been those who have questioned putting Rookie Quarterback Drake May on the field with an offensive line that is below average at best and a receiving corps that is almost as bad if not worse. After all while the playing time may be of use you are risking a prime asset without the prospect of a return in wins.
The problem of course is that with a team that has managed only a single win he doesn’t have the luxury that Connie Mack the owner/manager of the Philadelphia A’s for 50 years did.
The A’s were Mack’s business and his goal was to make a profit. On that subject he would say that in terms of business the best result for him would be a team that started strong but finished 4th (in a 8 team league with no wild cards). He explained why saying:
A team like that will draw well enough during the first part of the season to show a profit for the year, and you don’t have to give the players raises when they don’t win.
Alas for Mr. Kraft his team has started so badly that the danger of fans deciding it was not worth the price of tickets or the price of the parking. And with no stars of any note, that also meant no shirt sales and all the other gear with the Pats logo that they get a cut out of.
So what do you to keep the butts in the seats and the eyes on the screen. You give them a reason to watch and right now the only reason to do so is a young Quarterback by the name of Drake May.
No he’s going to win you many games with this team and yes you are going to have to risk your valuable 3rd round pick getting himself pummeled.
In the end however this is a business and the only way you’re going to hold the public’s interest long enough so they will still be there when there is a product worth paying for on the field is to give them hope and right now Drake Maye who has proved that he can produce some offense for a team that can’t win, is that hope.
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