Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Now what?

Now that the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the health care reform law, what is next on their agenda or was this the only thing they planned to do? Isn't it amazing that these Republicans want to take away your access to health care, but they willingly accepted the health care offered to them as a member of Congress.

Even though the health care reform law would save federal money, increase jobs, and provide assistance for those who needed most, the greedy, insurance PAC-loving Republican elected officials will go out of their way to follow the orders of the big executives at insurance companies.  When the Republicans follow the orders from insurance companies, campaign contributions get funneled to Republicans who support the wants and desires of those insurance executives. 

Who voted to repeal health care?  According to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, every Republican supported the repeal including Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist. Stivers received $97,700 in campaign contributions from insurance PACs and those employed by insurance companies (see Open Secrets).

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The Detroit News detailed the financial problems that Detroit Public Schools are facing and the proposals to increase class size:

Detroit Public Schools would close nearly half of its schools in the next two years, and increase high school class sizes to 62 by the following year, under a deficit-reduction plan filed with the state....


....Starting this fall, the district plans to boost class sizes in grades 4-12 and at all grade levels by fiscal 2012, which begins July 1, to save $16.8 million. The plan would hike class sizes for: 
 
Grades K-3 from 17-25 students to 29 in 2012-13 and 31 in 2013-14. Grades 4-5 from 30 students to 37 in 2012-13 and 39 in 2013-14.
Grades 6-8 from 35 students to 45 in 2012-13 and 47 in 2013-14.
Grades 9-12 from 35 students to 60 in 2012-13 and 62 in 2013-14....

Can you imagine trying to teach, individualize, and monitor classes of those sizes? 

I guess we'd better be careful.  With the lack of respect that Gov. Kasich has displayed toward teachers and the Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly willing to go along with his proposed cuts to education, the Ohio Republicans might think that this Detroit proposal sounds like a good idea to them.  Then again, they've never had the experience of teaching real children in a real public school. Most of them couldn't do it but they are quite willing to make decisions that will hurt Ohio's children.