Out of touch republican party

The Presidential Election is almost upon us. Obama is ahead in the polls and McCain has never been the strong contender republican headquarters had hoped. Good ol boyism is fraying around the edges. Newcomers like Obama are seen as attractive alternatives to old guard politicians by democratic voters and party officials who are hungry for change. Even hitherto staunch republicans are rejecting the old ways of conducting party politics embracing Sarah Palin, a relative rookie, but being cool towards John McCain, an old timer. The republican movers and shakers are becoming old hat, out of touch with their supporters, resistant to change.

The democrats on the other hand are not afraid to hand over the tiller to younger less experienced helmsman. They see it less as a power struggle, more to advance their agenda. Republican hierarchy have power as an agenda so find it impossible to embrace a newcomer with zeal. Imagine what the polls would reflect now if the republican party had run Palin for president.

Palin is used to bolster McCain's bid for the title but would never be considered as a contender in her own right even though the rank and file would love it. The Republican party deserve to lose this race, not because Obama is a better choice than McCain but because McCain was not the best choice. I like him and respect his sacrifices for our country, but he was a poor choice for president even though I hope he beats Obama. I personally don't like Obama but I can understand why people do. Democrats chose the best man they could for president, the republicans didn't and that is why they should lose.
That's what I think. What do you think?

School for scandal

The fact that Bradley county will be building a new elementary school seems a done deal, even though conditions are continually changing in respect to attendance figures and areas to be annexed by the City of Cleveland. Why is this important to the county tax base?

Because Cleveland has its own school system but the residents of the city also pay county taxes, the county shares a portion of the money spent on education with the city on a per-student allocation. This includes local, state and federal money. Also any money the county borrows for school building projects is shared with Cleveland. At present the county is calculating the need for extra classroom space in advance so as to avoid a future increase in county student population with insufficient classroom space to house them. County student numbers are growing but there are other factors that are forcing school construction that are not the county's responsibility. In January 2008, there were 901 students attending the county school system that the county were not responsible for educating. 727 of these should have been educated within the Cleveland system. Also there are plans by the city to annex areas of the county containing school age children that will further reduce county enrollment figures.

If Bradley County builds a new school for say $12 million to house city students, the county also has to pay Cleveland $6 million as their share of the money borrowed. So, the county is educating city students and also paying them for the privilege. The same goes for annexation. When the city annexes a part of the county,  it expands its tax base without being responsible for the students. As Cleveland annexes it should relieve the pressure for classroom space in the county allowing them to function with existing schools, even with overall growth. It should be Cleveland building new schools without financing from the county. It is fair that if Cleveland wants to annex more and more of the county for a larger tax base, then it should be expected to accept more and more students to educate. The City of Cleveland seem to be milking the Bradley County cow both ways and the county commission is holding the bucket.
That's what I think. What do you think?

Senior Discount

I read in ads all the time that senior discounts are offered, which is a great idea for the elderly and good public relations for retailers, but I don't understand why companies require seniors to beg for the discount at the checkout. If seniors are such valuable customers, their dignity should be preserved with an automatic discount at time of purchase. It would be nice to just charge them less than was expected instead of making them feel like second class citizens.
That's what I think. What do you think?
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