Quote of The Day: Liam Neeson

"I'm not the kind of actor that would know what my character had for breakfast last Tuesday." ~Liam Neeson (Actor)

Clip of The Day: Lynyrd Skynyrd

From Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour. Tuesday's Gone.

Freedom of Press vs. Right to Privacy

I'm just curious. When did we decide, that it's okay to give the press access to courtroom proceedings during celebrity divorces? What public good does that serve? Or, is this not the ultimate violation of privacy? What if the media decided to cover your divorce? What about the impact on the children involved? I'm just sayin'.

I Had A Dream: Check That, A Nightmare

One night during this past week, I went to sleep a socially liberal, spiritually enlightened, passionate, capitalist American. The next morning I turned on my television, and discovered I had transformed into a godless, America-hating, fag-loving Marxist. Well, at least they got one out of four right.

Problem is, I had a bad dream that night. People around the country were glued to their televisions...watching the breaking news. Leaders from the democratic and republican parties were joined in hand with leaders from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. They were mourning over some catastrophic event, where a huge number of lives were lost, and property destroyed. They were pleading for an end to divisive, rhetorical politics. Calling for a "New Era" of statesmanship, unparalleled in our history.

Does anyone remember Timothy McVeigh? Oklahoma City? The Murrah Federal Building? Am I the only one who sees what's coming down the road? To assume, or make accusations, that anyone whose ideas differ from yours hates their country, is not only irresponsible...it is dangerous. Freedom of Speech is guaranteed by our Constitution. But in my Civics class we learned that with rights, come responsibilities. Not least among those, should be consideration of the impact your words will have.

Please don't let your words be the spark, that ignites the torch of some wingnut we will condemn together tomorrow. Honor the memory of the 168 people who died in Oklahoma City, as we approach the 15th anniversary of their senseless murders.

Quote of The Day: Author Unknown

"One of the most curious things about American politics, is that without a single historical exception, a partisan is invariably a member of the other party." ~Author Unknown

Clip of The Day: Buffalo Springfield

"Everybody look what's goin' down...nobody's right, if everybody's wrong..."
A little music for the moment. (2:39)

Community College Students No Losers

Recently, a close friend and I were talking about her high-school senior's plans for college. After putting off applications for the 2010-2011 school year, she is now faced with attending community college next fall. Unfortunately she is hesitant, out of concern over being labeled a "Loser".

Having an associates degree from a community-college myself, I took exception to this. While I know she didn't mean to infer that I'm a loser, I understand her frustration, given the judgment one faces in a peer-pressure environment. There are also many other young students out there facing the same questions. So, I decided to research some facts that might help them with their decision.

Let's begin with the cost of college tuition. Anyone who listens to the news knows that costs have gone through the roof. Average tuition at a four-year public college this year is $7,020, and at private colleges it has risen to $26,270. Compare that with the average annual cost at a community college of just $2,540. You can see where this is going.(1)

Next let's talk about admission priority at four-year colleges. While I can't speak for other states, many of them do offer programs similar to those at California's UC and CSU campuses. Upper division transfer students at California community colleges have the highest admission priority of all students applying to the UC and CSU. This includes those from four-year institutions, and intercampus transfers.(2)

Let me repeat that: Upper division community college transfer students have the highest admission priority of all students. During the 2008-2009 school year, nearly 64,000 students transferred to UC and CSU combined, while 20,000 students transferred to independent colleges. In fact, over the past five years, the University of California has admitted on average, nearly 8 of every 10 California community college students who apply.(3)

So, let's talk about the prestigious UC colleges. California's UC system offers some of the most well-respected colleges in the country. These include UC Berkeley, UCSF and UCLA Medical Schools, and Hastings College of the Law. Unfortunately, with recent increases tuition at UC is expected to exceed $10,000 per year this fall.(4)

The good news is that UC is contemplating a proposal that would streamline bachelor degree programs through a combination of increased summer school offerings and reduced requirements. The goal being to graduate a portion of full-time students after three years. Do the math: by attending a community college in combination with summer school and upper division transfer, a student could potentially complete a bachelors degree at UC for approximately $15,000 in tuition costs. That's no Loser plan.(5)

In closing, I'd like to introduce you to some of the other "Losers" who've attended community colleges across the country:

James Belushi, Actor/Businessman
Rita Mae Brown, Author, Playwright
Carol Browner, (Former) Administrator EPA
Benjamin Cayetano, Governor, State of Hawaii
Francisc DeMasi, Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Normandy
David Donald, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
Carla Dove, Ornithologist, Smithsonian Institution
Maureen Dunne, Rhodes Scholar
Douglas Fields, Director of Research, NIH
Robert Gibson, Space Shuttle Commander, N.A.S.A.
Parris Glendening, Governor, State of Maryland
B. Thomas Golisano, Chairman and CEO, Paychex, Inc.
Rich Karlgaard, Publisher, Forbes, Inc.
Joyce Luther Kennard, California Supreme Court
Kweisi Mfume, President, NAACP
Harry Reid, US Senator, Nevada
Martha Simmons, President, Suntrust Bank
Shawntel Smith, Miss America 1996
Olympia J. Snowe, US Senator, Maine
Esther Tomljanovich, Minnesota Supreme Court
John Walsh, Host of "America's Most Wanted"
Allen Weiss, President, Walt Disney World Resort
Jim Wright, Former Speaker of the House
Richard Zahn, President, Shering Laboratories

So, what do you think? Want to join these Losers?(6)

Postscript: After publishing this article, I was discussing it with a friend of mine who has an extensive background in college admissions. Ron Clement is the former Director of Graduate Admissions at Mills College in Oakland, California, and former Dean of Admissions at the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Illinois. He confirmed that nearly every state university system has preference programs for community college transfers. He went on to say that he would give young people one piece of advice: "Community Colleges certainly welcome losers, but they are not the exclusive population."

Sources:
(1) Trends in College Pricing, 2009, College Board
(2) About the California Community Colleges, CaliforniaColleges.edu
(3) Advice for California Community College Transfer Students, CaliforniaColleges.edu
(4) UC President Recommends Huge Tuition Increases, SFGate.com
(5) UC Panel Proposes Three-Year Bachelor's Degrees, Los Angeles Times
(6) Notable Alumni, American Association of Community Colleges

Quote of the Day: Susan B. Anthony

Quote of the Day: "If all the rich and all of the church people should send their children to the public schools, they would feel bound to concentrate their money on improving these schools until they met the highest ideals." ~Susan B. Anthony

Clip of The Day: Dumbest Millionaire Contestant

Just remember that College may provide you an education, but it doesn't necessarily make you smart. Young Chase Sampson from Nashville demonstrates that for us here: (1:25)

Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Overdue

In this economy, can you imagine losing your job not because of layoffs, not because of performance, but because of who you choose to love? Believe it or not, it is still legal in 29 states to fire someone simply because of their sexual orientation.

My friend Cleve Jones is leading a petition drive, urging Speaker Pelosi to bring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act up for a vote. This important legislation is long overdue. Please join us by signing on to the petition. It takes about 30 seconds: Speaker Pelosi: Pass ENDA.

Jerry Brown: 6.6 Million Californians Say No

The San Jose Mercury News reported today, that California republican state senators are urging Attorney General Jerry Brown to join the lawsuit against the federal government over health care reform. The article notes that "Christine Gaparac, a spokeswoman for Brown, said the attorney general had not yet seen the letter sent Monday by state Sen. Tom Harman, a republican from Huntington Beach who says the overhaul violates the principle of federalism."

As discussed in my article "Railroad Reality: No Red Dogs" yesterday, the health care reform passed on Sunday is not perfect...but it is a start. Trying to circumvent it now may set us back another decade in reform progress. A better solution is to engage congress and the electorate in discussions for improving, and building upon, the legislation already passed.

According to the California Health Care Foundation, the state currently has 6.6 million citizens that are uninsured...the highest in the nation. Following is an excerpt from their December, 2009 report on California's Uninsured:

"Over the past 21 years, the percent of uninsured Californians under age 65 has continued to rise as employer-sponsored health insurance has declined. Between 1987 and 2008, employer-sponsored coverage declined 9%. Although Medicaid and individually purchased coverage partially offset this decline, more than 20% of Californians remain uninsured.

The problem, though national, is more prominent in California, which has a lower percentage of individuals with employer-sponsored coverage and a higher proportion of uninsured. And because of California's large population, the number of people without insurance — 6.6 million — is the highest of any state."

Attorney General Brown is a candidate for Governor of California. If you feel as strongly as I do about this issue, urge him to refrain from joining this assault on the victory for California's 6.6 million uninsured. Let him know his decision may impact your vote in the election. You can contact him here. Following is the text of the email I sent to Mr. Brown. Feel free to use part or all of the text:

"Mr. Brown: On behalf of California's 6.6 million uninsured, I urge you not to join the lawsuit against the federal government over the recent health care reform victory. While not perfect, this legislation is a milestone in the long battle to secure health care for all Americans. Over the next few years, we can work hard to improve upon the bill that passed. But to scrap it entirely is a slap in the face to the most vulnerable among us. Please understand, that your decision will weigh heavily upon my vote for Governor."

Quote of the Day: John Kerry

"Fixing our healthcare system as a whole is our primary challenge, and to make it happen you need to get engaged - to pound the pavement, get your hands dirty, endure real sacrifice, take on antiquated thinking and help lead the public debate." ~John Kerry, U.S. Senator

Clip of The Day: Banned Condom Commercial

This is an old clip, but just in case you missed it. Funny.

Railroad Reality: No Red Dogs

Well folks, what can only be described as an exercise in mediocrity, finally passed through congress last night. If you listen to right-wing pundits, it sounded like a railroad. More realistically, I'd compare it to a '93 Chevy Malibu. Built to market for the masses, but sorely lacking in design integrity.

Frankly, I'd like to have seen more republican involvement in the process. But to say the democrats "railroaded" the package through? What other choice did they have? When, or how, was anything approaching reform going to pass if not now? This country is facing a crises of colossal proportion in health care delivery. And, the reconciliation process referred to as the railroad vehicle, has been utilized by republicans more often than by democrats. (Another misinformation campaign.)

Why is it that when we need centrist ideas and bipartisan effort to resolve an issue, we always see the Blue Dogs rise up. Where are the Red Dogs? Where are the truly centrist bipartisan republicans? I thought they existed. Now? Not so sure. Out the rich varied palette of communities across all 50 states, constituents are represented by no less than 178 republican congresspersons. How many of them voted for reform? Zero. Nada. Zilch. Now you tell me: that isn't lockstep obstructionism?

Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased that after decades of failed attempts, at least something resembling health care reform finally passed. Problem is, this legislation does little more than subsidize health care insurance corporations at taxpayer expense. They will be getting millions of new customers over the next five years. Think that's a mistake? Think the fat cats at WellPoint and Humana aren't tickled pink about this bill? That's because they had more of a voice in it's construction than you did.

So what's next? HealthReform 2.0 is what we need now. To address some of the core issues that were left out of this bill. Incentivizing preventative care would be first on the list. And yes, some form of tort reform. Standardized digital billing and records would drive down costs. But, the bottom line is we can't stop now. Don't stop engaging. Don't stop writing congress. Tell them real cost control is what we need next. And we need it now.

House of Representatives Contact Directory
U.S. Senate Contact Directory

Quote of the Day: John McCain

"I fully recognize that Republicans have in the past engaged in using reconciliation to further the party's agenda. ~John McCain, U.S. Senator