Don't worry. No presidential candidates will be mentioned. People support presidential candidates with a religious fervor and I harbor no illusions that I might be able to sway anyone's opinion about who to vote for.
But. I do want to talk about two Idaho voting issues that are near and dear to my heart.
First: for you Shelley/Firth people: the library bond. Vote YES! I have heard a few people say that they think that libraries are outdated and that we shouldn't put any more money into our public library than we already have. This could not be further from the truth. Circulation at the North Bingham County Library has been increasing steadily over the past decade and doesn't show signs of stopping. The NBCL serves our community extremely well, catering to the needs and interests of the people in the region. They provide many excellent literacy, educational, and community programs for all age groups. Adding additional space-- at an average tax-payer increase of about $20/year-- will enable them to increase the number of available materials and provide even more services, including tutoring, classes, and learning manipulative for children (not gonna lie, not exactly sure what a "learning manipulative " is-- a fancy word for toy, mayhap?--but it sounds awesome and I think we need them.) If you care about literacy and life-long learning, THIS is the place to invest. Click here to learn more.
Now, Props 1, 2, and 3. Vote NO! IGNORE the idiotic propaganda about how ULTRA-LIBERAL NATIONAL TEACHER'S UNIONS WANT TO RUIN YOUR CHILD'S LIFE. That's a bunch of crap. Props 1, 2, and 3 are simply stripping teachers of their voice, increasing class sizes, decreasing overall teacher salaries, taking away teacher incentives to work with children with special needs or lower socioeconomic backgrounds, creating an even greater focus on "teaching to the test," and taking money out of educators' pockets to fund unnecessary extras like laptops for every high school student. I don't know any educators who support these propositions, and you shouldn't either. It is TEACHERS, not buildings or technology or standardized tests, that provide education. We need to put money into supporting teachers and make sure their rights and voices are honored and upheld. A vote NO for Props 1, 2, and 3 is a vote YES for teachers-- and a vote YES for teachers is the BEST vote we can give to our children.
Read arguments both for and against Props 1, 2, and 3 by linking from this page. Then realize that I'm right and vote NO on Props 1, 2, and 3.
2 comments:
Yay for books and teachers!
I already voted! But I obeyed your advice retroactively. I am also pro-manipulatives. But anti-manipulation. Also I want to know: How can I vote for your children? There's an adorable photo of them hugging and mugging for the camera in a photo underneath a suggestion of "other posts you might like" underneath this post. And indeed I DO like it. Can I write them in on some ballot? I find their adorableness adorable and would like to subscribe to their newsletter... OOOoooo!!! Actually--that would be AWESOME. Please ask Soren to create a newsletter, PLEASE? I saw his wonderful bat and have decided he's the most brilliant and creative child imaginable. (Liam in his Halloween costume, the most huggable. You and your Love Border Protect Post, the most Inspiring and Enviable Blogger Imaginable.) But WOULDN"T a newsletter of Soren's art and thoughts be AWESOME???! Maybe his Librarian Father could... whatever librarians do to it. I would subscribe. Tell S. I'll pay candy-buying money if he'll send it to me.
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