Sweating Bullets Over Meeks
Chicago Defender Executive Editor and WVON-AM mid-day talk show host Roland Martin says black politicians are “sweating bullets” over the coming gubernatorial candidacy of the Rev. and State Senator James Meeks.
"There are a group of people who are sweating bullets and hoping Meeks isn’t successful in getting the 25,000 signatures, and those are the Black state representatives, senators and aldermen. If they are forced to choose between the chair of the Black caucus or the Democratic governor, many would likely prefer to vote for Topinka!"This comes after the following paragraph:
"A Meeks run puts on front street the claims by white conservative evangelicals that they support those who support their issues. Here you've got a guy who is against abortion, against gay marriage, for prayer in school, and provides a strong moral voice to the political discourse. So with his kind of track record, then he should be the darling of white evangelicals. But the big question is if they will leave the moderate Republican candidate, Judy Barr Topinka - who is for abortion rights and gay marriage – to vote for a Black guy. Oh, yea, a gay marriage amendment could very well be on the ballot in November. This will mean a tremendous number of people who oppose gay marriage heading to the polls, and out of the three choices, Meeks lines up best with them."And, finally, the set-up for a question I’d like feedback on:
"But the main issue that a Meeks run means for Democrats is that it could usher in a new age where Black elected officials buck their party, and demand more for their broad support. Trust me when I say this, there are a multitude of Black eyes across America that are fixated in Illinois, and this couild launch a domino effect across the country that would unsettle Democrats’ long lock on Black voters."What about that?
Could a Meeks' candidacy for governor lead to a realignment of American politics?
Comment here or at McHenry County Blog.
32 comments:
The interesting issue here is the split between the fiscal conservatives and the social conservatives.
Meeks is a big government guy. Will Republicans vote for him because of his social positions and in so doing, vote for bigger government and higher taxes?
I'm hoping so. I think this could loosen the lock Democrats have on the black vote. I also think a lot of people have something to lose in this too though. Especially those who are fat cats so to speak.
If Meeks takes blacks from Blago and social conservatives from JBT, which would he hurt more? Or would he leave them in the same place in relative terms, excluding the Meeks voters.
It's a polling question. I'm sure some overpaid pollster is working on it right now.
I would add that I am indifferent to the social conservative issues...but what scares me is that Meeks means tax increase if he wins. Big tax increase. A lot bigger than JBT, who is also likely going to raise taxes.
If you really think about it being pro-life and pro-education funding are actually consistient positions. Conservatives want to force people to have unwanted children but then refuse to fund programs to support them. They want it both ways.
Greed and religious fanaticism is a bad combination.
The speculation about Meeks and GOP Conservatives is all baloney.
Conservatives will not be able to stomach Meeks' tax and spending policies. Tom Roeser has already said that.
A Meeks run will not damage Topinka, other than (1) a few hard right types that hope to ruin the chances of the GOP for fun and personal advancement, and (2) the myopic Jill Staneks of the world, who don't see any other issue than abortion.
A Meeks run will, however, drive a stake through Blagojevich, and set up a black candidate, Jackson, Meeks or whomever they choose, for Chicago Mayor in 2007.
Doubtful.
This is a "cut off your nose to spite your face" argument. Meeks isn't going to win. Isn't going to come close to winning. But he could throw the race to a party that traditionally enjoys single-digit Black vote, and governs like it. Is that really a way to start a national movement?
And to go one further, isn't it a little disingenuous, offensive even, to suggest that the Democratic party chooses their voters, rather than the other way around?
Is it cynical to suggest Meeks would cut a deal with JBT to run?
And expect a payback from her if he draws enough of the African American vote Blagojevich is counting on from Chicago?
I don't know if that's cynical to think that... or if it's even bad thing.
The governor who follows this term will have to raise taxes or cut programs. Eevery nook, every cranny has been scoured for dough to fund sweetheart projects.
Education reform should be high on the agenda for the blacks as well as all Illinoisans. Perhaps only Rev. Meeks is not beholden to the Education mafioso, who keep claiming more money is the only answer. I know he has been after more dough for the existing system. More money to that bureaucracy is like pushing on a string.
Money can be saved by the State and Education quality improved through competitive choice, in which students are each equally fully vested in the moneys spent from Federal, State and local sources, and are abble to take their vesting to any accredited school. This is the best method for shaping up the public school system and...
the people benefiting most are those whose children are in underperforming public schools.
Truthful,
School choice will demand a free-market competition that can only make under-performing schools improve. However, the powerful education lobby will tighten the wing-nuts on clamps already in place. Only elected officials with real vision allow that to happen. Take a look at what Rep. Jim Durkin said today in the Sun Times about the continued assinity at the University of Illinois about its foolish search for diversity in other states, as an example of such a visionary. Public schools, with very rare exception, are failures. A gevernment monopoly of education is a failure.
Pat,
Oh sure, like privatizing is the answer. Check out the ave. ACT score at Leo before touting the greatness of competition.
Our students arrive at Leo from the public schools, many with 2nd and 3rd grade reading skills. Next Sunday we will graduate a group of young men who have raised themselves up and 93% have been accepted at colleges and universities.
Bill, the sad reality is this: inner city Catholic grammar schools closed and the vast majority of our young men are public school products in their freshman year. 99% of Leo's funding comes from white Catholic middle class men - not bad for privatizing.
Bill Bill Bill,
You inability to distinguish between funding children's education and funding a piggish and protected monopoly is almost endearing.
Unfortunately, your protection of the status quo is shoving disadvantaged kids to the back of the bus so that protected mediocrities can get big pay raises.
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Rep. Fritchey,
Welcome to the club of people who know that an HB750 style reaming of Illinois taxpayers is a "fait accompli."
It's good to know that the spending interests have so compromised both parties that no one can even speak of budget cuts.
How long do you think it can last? Remember, a successful parasite lives in harmony with its host.
10:17, how is Meeks' wanting to tax and spend any different than Bush's borrow and spend policies? Many conservatives who voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 surely cannot be so short-sighted to think that added borrowing now will result in added taxes later.
Will Meeks accept vouchers as a viable option if his taxation for schools is a failed plan? I believe that to be the bigger question/issue. Voters may not think of it now but if Meeks wants to raise your income tax 2% for programs that aren't much different than our current system, voters will then grow incensed.
Instead of Rep Fritchey raising the state income tax maybe he should consider raising cigarette taxes to $1000.00 per pack. Or they could tax all the poker machines in the bars and restaurants and have the state split the money with the mob insted of the businesses.
Better yet, we could have the state reps and senators where jackets and gear similar to race car drivers with their sponsers names advirtised. For example, Rep Fritchey could be sponsered by the teachers union and have their union logo on his back. He could where a trial lawyers cap ect. Not only would this raise tax dollars but it would also let voters know who's paying his bills.
I found this article surfing a few seconds ago.
What will happen to the education establishment when more and more people realize they too can do this...
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Homework Help, From a World Away: Web Joins Students, Cheap Overseas Tutors (Amit R. Paley, 5/15/06, Washington Post)
In an hour-long session that cost just $18, the Indian tutor, who said his name was Mike, spent an hour walking Del Monte through such esoteric concepts as confidence intervals and alpha divisions, Del Monte recalled. He got an A on the final exam. "Mike helped me unscramble everything in my mind," the 20-year-old said.
Thousands of U.S. students such as Del Monte are increasingly relying on overseas tutors to boost their grades and SAT scores. [...]
But educational outsourcing has sparked a fierce response from teachers and other critics who argue that some companies are using unqualified overseas tutors to increase their profit margins.
"We don't believe that education should become a business of outsourcing," said Rob Weil, deputy director of educational issues at the American Federation of Teachers. "When you start talking about overseas people teaching children, it just doesn't seem right to me."
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Hey Mr. Weil! Getting more money in REAL dollars for 70 years straight while stupefying what used to be the best educated populace in the world doesn't "seem right" to an increasing number over here.
"Unqualified?!!!" That's funny!
Teem Sleep-
No one has suggested rasing income taxes 2%. The tax hikers want to raise it two percentage points.
That would be a 67% increase in income taxes.
Cal,
Does that mean that a young couple making $50,000/year combined (AGI) will pay another $1000 of their "disposable income" to the State of Blaginois?
What else might they do with that $1000. New Washer/Dryer? A nice vacation w/ the kids? Materials for a new room addition on their first home? A tutor to make up for contentless drivel in their school?
The selfish bastards. Don't they appreciate the universal pre-school (more teachers & admin), "free" All Kids care (more Admin), and the extra steaks that their local teacher's union reps & adminstrators can afford.
Sticks and stones, Bruno, sticks and stones...
Don't you realize that you are out of the mainstream. Look at the two (or three) candidates for Gov..Judy won the primary. Rod won the primary. That is not too much of a choice for the righties, now is it?
We have already won. Buchanan's culture war has been lost. You, Grover, and the rest of the boys have become caricatures of yourselves.
Stick with Fox News and the Policy Institute and stop bothering the real people with your nonsense.
Fund systems,not students!!!
Extreme Wisdom - I'm no tax expert, but I think after the standard deduction of $5,000, that couple making $50,000 a year would pay an extra $2.50 a day in taxes. That's $2.50 a day to fully fund our schools, meet the health care needs of seniors and the poor, fund our pension obligations, and provide significant property tax relief.
I'd also like to point out for the record that, during his time in the General Assembly, I don't recall then-State Rep. Cal Skinner ever offering a detailed and comprehensive plan to balance our state budget.
Are the other ideas out there worth looking at? Sure.
Has anyone offered a better plan in writing? Not to my knowledge.
Is a tax increase needed to balance the budget, no matter who is Governor? Yes.
Is it inevitable?
Only if we want to stop short-changing local school districts and expecting homeowners and businesses to carry the load.
Only if we want to stop siphoning money from our health care system and continue to expect doctors, pharmacists, and hospitals to carry the debt.
Only if we want to stop skipping out on our pension obligations and leaving the tab for future generations.
Only if we want to stop taxing manufacturers and local merchants out of the state so that we can subsidize movie theatres and nail salons.
As for the big question, could Meeks candidacy re-align national politics? Doubtful, for a couple reasons.
First, in order to re-align national politics, Meeks would have to re-align Illinois politics. That would mean he would have to succesfully forge non-traditional coalitions in Illinois, and then he would have to actually win in November.
Meeks track record on forging big coalitions around big ideas is not good. Only one single bill he's authored in the Senate has passed the General Assembly, and that was a bill to create a fund to install cameras on police cars. And building bipartisan coalitions in the General Assembly is a cakewalk compared to building bipartisan coalitions in the heat of a partisan election.
Secondly, Meeks' track record on fundraising is not great. He only had $76K available at the end of 2006, and $43K of that came from personal loans from himself. I know he claims that folks have promised him over $1 million if he runs. My advice to Meeks is to wait to file his petitions until he has their checks for the full amount in hand. Lots of folks were trying to lure Democrats into running against Blagojevich. Those Democrats smartly refused to commit themselves until they had seen the money. Karl Rove promised Topinka millions if she ran. Guess what? Roves about to be indicted.
Thirdly, despite the GOP's best efforts to throw gasoline on the fire, neither the Democratic Party nor Gov. Blagojevich have "taken the black vote for granted", and Blagojevich will have the money to make that clear. Democrats have made health care and education top spending priorities, even if Meeks and I agree we should do more on education. Democrats have increased the minimum wage, expanded the earned income tax credit, and increased funding for child care, major economic issues. And Democrats have banned recial profiling, implemented death penalty reforms, and passed second-chance legislation for ex-offenders, major civil rights issues. The argument that the needs of the black community have been ignored don't hold water, and any insistence by Meeks that he could do better in a state where over 40% of lawmakers will remain Republicans streches credibility.
Finally, and this is a depressing truth: white evangelicals from Southern Illinois are not going to vote for a black state senator from Chicago. Yes, Virginia, there are racists out there, they've just stopped wearing Klan hoods and flying the Confederate flag (for the most part). But it's not only about racism, it's also about regionalism, and downstate communities who feel like the plugs been pulled and their towns are circling the drain. They're looking for someone to blame, and Chicago and the Chicago politicians in Springfield have become a convenient scapegoat.
I remember lots of folks talking about how Alan Keyes was going to bridge the divide between social conservatives and urban black voters. We saw how well that worked.
School Choice would help keep the inner city Catholic and other private schools open
I'm all for using public tax dollars to fund private schools -- after public schools are fully funded. When a teacher makes as much as a garbage collector in Chicago, we will have reached an important benchmark.
The average voter is an irrational actor.The lobbyists lobby while you work AND while you sleep.Taxpayers be damned (but first you pay).
Fritchey- an honest man, hopes he is wrong, but he knows he is right.
Republicans win Republicans loose. Democrats win and Democrats loose. Bureaucrats ALWAYS win. Pay!
Anonymous said...
School Choice would help keep the inner city Catholic and other private schools open
5:59 PM
Shouldn't the Catholic Church be the one that keeps Catholic schools open?
I say that as a Catholic. We should be responsible for the religious education for our children. We shouldn't dump that responsibility on the government.
What I can't get over is how all these people (school board members, teachers, Superintendents, politicians, et al) so many of you seem to dislike/distrust got all this power over you (and your children).
Have you ever pondered if even for a minute that it may well be that a significant majority of citizens don't agree with you? Without debate, a majority must not have the intensity of feelings that you have, bacause they don't even bother to vote. And of those who do vote, it doesn't appear to me that anywhere close to half feel as strongly as some of you do about school choice, vouchers, the misfeasance of school board members and other elected officials, etc.
My rough math tells me that at most 20-25% of your fellow Illinoisans agree with you on these issues enough to take any action about them, and truthfully it's probably a much smaller percent than that, maybe more like 10 or 15%.
Do you understand that this means the solutions you think are best have very little chance of being implemented in this state, in this world, at least in the foreseeable future?
To blame the school establishment and the teacher's unions for this is disingenous and specious at best, and probably delusional.
If this mental masturbation entertains you, good for you. But if you think this does anything to make schools and education better, I really don't believe it does. You need to go take over a school board by electing people who agree with you, or something like that. Then people may either flock into or flock out of this new paradigm district.
More discussion of things that at least have the potential of happening in the next 10 or 20 years seems to me to be more productive.
What about Cal's question at his site about whether or not the state treasury should pay out of it's broader based revenues at least 50% of the cost of educating children, rather than the current system where statewide an average of around 2/3 is paid out of local property taxes? I would modify that at least slightly to say that at least 50% of an agreed amount necessary to achieve an acceptable educational outcome be paid out of the state treasury (sure,that's code for you and me paying for the local share of educating our children, the state share of educating our children, and the state share of educating kids who aren't ours and who may live 25 or even 250 miles away). Then districts whose voters choose to could add more to the education kitty for that district.
What about more charter schools, and can we figure out why some of them don't work as well as we had envisioned?
And, what about choice within a district among all it's schools for all children in the district? That might actually be achievable; would it be helpful?
Anyway, I used to enjoy as much as anyone the all night sessions of pizza and Ripple where we solved all the world's problems. But that was when I was 20, not today.
Bill and Steve S.,
Why should anyone care what the "majority" thinks if said majority is simply wrong?
You (and other defenders of our failing public schools) seem to enjoy pointing out that promoters of choice are "out of the mainstream."
Who cares?
In every state where same sex marriage has been on the ballot, the voters came down on the side of marriage being "between one man and one woman?"
Is that going to stop gays (and their supporters) from "fighting for their rights?" Should it? Somehow, my guess is that it won't.
Today's education system is a politically protected pile of corruption. There are incredible amounts of evidence that I'm right and precious little that I'm wrong.
The fact that entire sections of the population - swayed by well-funded ad campaigns and a 'know-nothing' rubberstamp media - "supports" a corrupt system that is short changing our kids doesn't really mean much to me.
I'll do all I can to persuade them otherwise, and when they see the numbers, it gets pretty easy.
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Specifically to Steve's point...
I get a kick out of your 'take over a district' scenario. It's been tried. First off, the system is rigged in that you have to get 4 votes to have any effect.
I've spoken to numerous board members who have sat on a board with 5-6 teacher's union purchased reps who simply ignore anyone who tries to step out of the lock-step mediocrity imposed by this disgusting system.
What happens when a group of reformers takes over a board? Education mandates from the state dictate 80-90% of what a district can teach, and/or how it can negotiate with the unions.
With the local unions dragging their feet over any change in the tiny 10-20% the local district may actually control, any positive change is impossible.
In closing, Bill, Steve and to some extent YDD, all promote the myth that more money is the only solution.
Given the track record of this "solution," one wonders how such nonsense could retain any credibility at all.
But then, as they so effectively point out, they still have the votes, just like the Dixiecrats had the votes to maintain segregation up to 1964.
Being in the majority isn't always right, and to me, it is your defense of a corrupt and protected monopoly that is "delusional."
The current system is failing miserably to educate our children, and contrary to all the specious comparisons to "garbage collectors," the system is literally drowning in cash.
There used to be a time when "progressives" in both parties cared about improving education opportunities for the disadvanged (blacks in particular).
Now, it seems that many of these so-called "progressives" are more interested in using the disadvantaged as sticks to beat more money out of taxpayers to fund obscene pesnions and more payroll bloat. I suppose this happens as one gets older, more tired, and sclerotic in their thinking - particularly if they can pick up nice legal and consulting fees to boot.
I'm not that tired, nor that sclerotic. As a matter of fact, I feel empowered by a whole new sense of purpose.
Fund Children, not Systems.
Ad hominem attacks may work wonderfully in your world wisdom, but they don't mean much to me (and I would hope to most of your "educated populace"). I don't consider myself a defender of the current system. It serves some children very well and fails others miserably. To give some credit for, or blame to, some individual teachers, administrators, or school boards for those successes and failures seems to me to be reasonable, as long as consideration is given to the demograpic and socioeconomic differences in the respective communities. Indicting the whole system seems simplistic to me. But to do otherwise might not lead to your predetermined conclusion, right?
I do consider myself a defender of rational thought, though. I have read your extensive comments damning the darkness, but I fail to see a single candle that you have lit. Why don't you tell us how your approach and attitude and actions have made educational opportunities better for children in Illinois.
By the way, I don't have any sympathy for your "it takes four votes" on a board to make substantial changes in a school district. Duh! That's exactly the point I was making in my earlier post.
Oh, by the way, if it's so easy to persuade people to your way of thinking, why is it so hard to elect 4 members to a school board?
The Education system in Illinois is as corrupt as a a corrupt political system can make it. It is designed not to assure that Education Value is delivered to the to the students but that Education costs are delivered to the teachers and burdened on the taxpayers.
Legislators are beholden to Education NEA and lcoal union bloc voting.
The ISBE has three observable functions. First to hand off to its captive Education Funding Advisory Board, Their sole duty as an offshoot of the ISBE -- it appears to me -- is to hire consultants who will propose additional funding which will solve the school financing problem, permit the schools to operate efficiently, and to result in every student operating at or above grade level. I would call that, if you will, the Lake Woebegone effect. But that is itself the problem “Grade level” is not the standard it must be.
The second function is to administer the ISATs, dumbing them down and norming the results, which makes it appear that the establishment is doing a good job.
The third function is to collect financial information on the Districts and pay relatively little attention as to how (and certainly not why) the numbers got so horrendous.
One should not be surprised. After all, these are education degreed civil servants, just like their kissing cousins in the schools.
By the way, how are American schools doing?
You may want to refer to -- and most likely have not seen -- the following 2004 study. Written by the President’s Advisory Commission on Science and Technology
“Sustaining the Nation’s Innovation Ecosystem”, available on the web.
http://www.ostp.gov/PCAST/FINALPCASTSECAPABILITIESPACKAGE.pdf
It highlights the shoddy performance of U.S. schools. I provide two tables below. One shows, for instance, that the Advanced Placement Courses in Physics and Science rank – internationally – at the absolute bottom. That’s in comparison to both the nations of Western Europe and Japan and the emerging countries of China, India and South Korea. Has ISBE made you aware of this? Of course not. It is to busy manufacturing tests which show how well we are doing.
One thing for sure, we are not providing our children with the ability to compete in a 21st Century World economy.
The teachers unions resemble no more and no less and the old CIO industrial unions. Its members work hard, and are tired, looking for a good retirement. The assembly line is old. But they know no other way. They have studied hard, gotten and been contractually rewarded for additional course leading to higher education degrees. They hold certificates to teach, math and science and English.
But where is the Subject matter mastery, the up to date knowledge, not of methodology but of the subject, the love of which they should be passing on to their classroom?
Who knows? They refuse competency testing? Professionals in other fields are required by Illinois law to update their education and be tested. Sanitarians, dealing with pure food are required to be tested. Why not teachers who deal with pure knowledge?
Why are we in the third generation of people who believe that Eduation is neither an Economic or a Social Good? Why do we, then have two generations of parents not equipped to provide their children with the assistance so that they might succeed, let alone the pre-pre school educational experiences?
This is what the Public Education system has brought to us.
Who can be proud of this extreme child and student neglect?
It is not more money that will solve the problem with the present system.
If we had paid the skipper of the Titanic more money would that have avoided the sinkling? No. The design of the ship was flawed. So to is our education system.
Focus on how we can deliver Education Value. We have accredited resources available and underused, because the union wants to continue the closed shop.
Lets vest every student, each with an equal amount of Federal, State and local funds. Let the family choose: public schools, local or distant; charter schools; private schools; parochial schools -- let them teach religion in the weekend, after school format of CCD; home schooling.
The District will with State approval run the accrediation. Insofar as the tuition per student is less than that vested, the District will either use it to improve its functions or (heaven forbid) return money to the taxpayers.
That we have wasted the innate talents of generations is an insult by the governments to the parents.
steve --
You raise an excellent point. Taxpayers and residents have slept through the problem up to now.
On the other side the PTA is highly and tightly organized. In addition, in many communities, parents formed a large plurality of eligible voters. That demographic may be shifting as the suburb and the average age of the resident grow older.
Assisting this is the use of off year elections.
Given the referenda rejection information, this may be changing.
Steve S.
1. What "ad hominem" attack? Reference it, and I'll apologize. While I make no apologies for attacks on our awful schools, and chide people for supporting the unsupportable, I don't intentionally insult people.
2. Though I understand that there are good people, and some good schools in this current system, that is no longer a good enough reason to keep that system intact.
Where public schools are adequate, they are adequate at too high a price. Further, the fact that there are good schools in one district is no reason to prevent radical reforms in the bad districts, and I notice that the "some schools are good" canard in used mostly to prevent reforms everywhere.
When the whole system circles the wagons to prevent improvement, it is not "simplistic" to indict the entire system. It is rather, simplistic to defend it.
3. Re: lighting candles...
I've actually done some fairly indepth research and developed a workable plan that reforms IL tax structure from the ground up while funding children directly.
The fact that my idea will not get passed in this current political climate isn't going to prevent me from talking about it. Reform is alway "impossible" until it happens.
If you've read the debates on Cal's site, you know about my plan, and it is a far better "candle" than give one more dime to the current system.
The fact that you don't agree doesn't make it a bad idea.
4. Re: your point about persuasion and why it hasn't swayed school board elections...
The answer is simple. Talking to people one-on-one is much easier than talking to an entire town or state. (having a radio show helps, though)
I have a very liberal neighbor who has drunk all the kool-aid that America's Established Religion (public education) has to offer, but when I showed him the pension numbers, the compensation schemes, and end-of-career bonuses, he said, "That's not right."
He is, of course, correct.
___
In closing, I'd be happy to test my theories in a debate with you (or anyone else here who thinks this system is defensible). Chose the time, place, forum, and let's set up a Pre/Post measurement of attitudes.
...and I wasn't kidding about apologizing for any "ad hominem" attacks.
If Rep Fritchey is correct and Meeks is out because of a Tollway deal, Blago is toast. Even the most spiteful of conservatives will come home to JBT if they think the tolls are being extorted. How do you think ads run by JBT describing how Blago is selling off the state to appease the Rev are going to play in Peoria?
Put a fork in this Turkey, He might be done.
Wisdom, you continue to reference me as one of the defenders of the current system. I don't think I am since I consider it to have many faults, but perhaps you are right. I learned as part of growing up that disagreeing with someone doesn't make me right and them wrong.
Anyway, I have read your plan in your posts on Cal's site. If I suggest as a solution to being trapped in a deep pit, "I'll jump up 12 feet and grab that ladder", I'm not really proposing a solution, am I, since I can't jump up 12 feet?
That's what I'm saying about your plan; it's not a solution because it's not going to happen. If we were starting a whole new country from scratch, and you had the job of designing the education system, your plan might in fact be a very plausible one. But we aren't, and you don't.
Your response to this point is always that it doesn't mean you should give up trying. Absolutely! Be my guest.
But like an ancient alchemist striving to convert lead to gold, your disappointments (to me quite visible in the anger you show in your comments) are legion, and are going to contine to be legion.
In the mean time, other well meaning people are going to continue to try to make improvements in the system we have. They may well be disappointed also, but not every time, and not forever, as I suspect you are.
I never meant for this to become some sort of personal disagreement. Though I wouldn't put all my eggs in the basket you have chosen, you can always surprise me. Drop me a note when you have succeeded in your quest.
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