Arizona: Andrew Eldredge Martin

November 30, 2009 - 12:55 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Good charter schools, bad charter schools

by David Safier

The good news: good charter schools can be very good. For certain parts of the student population, they can be better than public schools.

The bad news: bad charter schools can be just awful. They're run by either incompetents or profiteers -- or incompetent profiteers -- and the students are the victims.

A review of a recent study of New York charter schools points this out. The study maintains that students at New York charters perform significantly better on standardized tests than equivalent students in district schools. Some of the methodology is being questioned -- the study hasn't been peer reviewed yet -- but here is something which struck me as being very telling, and which I'm sure will stand up.

November 30, 2009 - 11:50 am
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Does Mike Huckabee Have a "Willie Horton" Problem?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Remember how Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater used this fearmongering ad to destroy the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign in 1988? (This was one version of the ad)

George H. W. Bush's campaign manager, Lee Atwater, predicted that "by the time this election is over, Willie Horton will be a household name." Media consultant Roger Ailes remarked "the only question is whether we depict Willie Horton with a knife in his hand or without it." Willie Horton - Wikipedia

Well, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee who now hosts a program for the very same Roger Ailes' Faux News network may have his very own "Willie Horton" problem.

November 29, 2009 - 10:55 pm
NEWS FEED: AZNetroots

Loansharks and Legislators

Last year Arizona voters rejected, by an overwhelming majority, a ballot initiative sponsored by payday lenders that would have allowed them to continue to do business in Arizona beyond June 30, 2010.  
... industry lobbyists pushed through a special law in 2000 allowing them to charge fees that far exceed the cap for what are called "deferred presentment transactions" of up to $500.

In essence, someone who needs money writes out a check for that amount plus the fee, which can be up to $17.85 per $100 valued. The company agrees not to cash the check for up to two weeks.

That computes out to an annual percentage interest of more than 450 percent.

November 29, 2009 - 09:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Way to win the women's vote, Beck

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Sarah Palin had some nice things to say about America's "Fearmonger-In-Chief", Glenn Beck of Faux News. In an interview with right-wing Newsmax.com, Palin was asked, "Is a "dream ticket" of Palin-Beck ticket completely out of the question? " Palin-Beck Ticket? Sarah Doesn't Rule it Out:

Palin initially chuckled when Newsmax broached the idea. But then she had some serious words of praise for the popular Fox personality.

"I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I'm not there yet," Palin tells Newsmax.

November 29, 2009 - 09:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Way to win the women's vote, Beck

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Sarah Palin had some nice things to say about America's "Fearmonger-In-Chief", Glenn Beck of Faux News. In an interview with right-wing Newsmax.com, Palin was asked, "Is a "dream ticket" of Palin-Beck ticket completely out of the question?...

November 29, 2009 - 08:26 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

The future of internet journalism?

by David Safier How do newspapers transition away from paper and still make enough money to survive? Here's one scenario I think might work. Create three levels of reading ease: Clunky with lots of ads (free), reasonably efficient and with...

November 29, 2009 - 08:23 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

The future of internet journalism?

by David Safier

How do newspapers transition away from paper and still make enough money to survive? Here's one scenario I think might work. Create three levels of reading ease: Clunky with lots of ads (free), reasonably efficient and with fewer ads (moderate subscription cost) and smooth as silk (higher subscription cost).

The free Level One would look something like online newspapers today, except you would have to wade through more advertising clutter -- popups, short mandatory videos, ad pages that show up before you reach the content you clicked to and so on. All the news (or most of the news) would be there, but you would pay the price of time and bother.

November 29, 2009 - 04:51 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Arizona's twin embarrassments want no exit strategy for Afghanistan

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

After eight years of war, Afghanistan remains a failed state.

Bush puppet Hamid Karzai is barely the mayor of Kabul; he has no control over the Afghan countryside. Voice of America Newsreported that the Taliban have a "permanent presence" in 80 percent of Afghanistan. "Permanent presence" in a province is defined as one or more insurgent attacks - lethal and non-lethal - per week. Tabina Control Spreads in Afghanistan (September 11, 2009).

Political corruption is rampant. President Karzai's brother Ahmed Wali Karzai is a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, and gets regular payments from the CIA. The agency pays Mr.

November 29, 2009 - 04:51 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Arizona's twin embarrassments want no exit strategy for Afghanistan

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: After eight years of war, Afghanistan remains a failed state. Bush puppet Hamid Karzai is barely the mayor of Kabul; he has no control over the Afghan countryside. Voice of America Newsreported that the Taliban have a...

November 29, 2009 - 02:06 pm
NEWS FEED: Blog for Arizona

Pro-Coal and Pro-Nuclear Congressional Energy Bills on Crash Course with Environment, U.S. Economy and the Public

This may seem like blasphemy: the House Bill on energy known as The American Clean Energy Act is the most detrimental bill the House has passed since the Patriot Act. Like the Patriot Act, it is not what it says it is. It should never become law.

        It is not a clean energy bill.
        It is not a pro-solution climate bill.
        It is not a pro-American bill.

        It is an energy giveaway bill.
        It is a bill that deletes Clean Air Act authority for the Environmental Protection Agency over nearly 50 coal plants.
        It is a bill that sets up an unfair energy tax system called cap & trade tax (CTT).