Wednesday, March 27, 2019

DeVos' Attack On Special Olympians


            There are few things that truly make me angry.  People who display animosity and disrespect toward others who are at their mercy, however, can send me over the top!  The Trump Administration in general, and Betsy DeVos in particular, rank very high in this category.

            President Trump has a disturbing knack for choosing persons who are uniquely unqualified to fill specific roles in his Administration.  In fact, his Cabinet is a literal Who’s Who of the worst possible candidates for employment.  That topic would make an interesting article for another time.  But today I want to focus on the absurdity of Betsy Devos and her most current insult.

Betsy DeVos is Trump’s Secretary of Education.  This alone is an injustice.  But first let’s look at a brief biography of this woman.  DeVos is married to Richard DeVos, Jr., son of the billionaire founder of Amway, a marketing company built on a pyramid scheme in which the rich get richer while taking advantage of the little people.  I readily admit I hold a strong bias against companies like Amway.  As a pastor I have seen some of the discord that Amway has sown among church members.  Betsy DeVos, however, did not attain her wealth solely through her marriage into the Amway dynasty.  Her family, including her father Edgar Prince heads a family of fortune that includes her brother Eric, founder of Blackwater USA, the private military company found guilty of murdering 14 Iraqi citizens in 2007.  Forbes magazine lists the Prince family as the 88th wealthiest in America with over $5.4 billion net worth.  Her marriage to the Amway dynasty only added to her excessive wealth.

It is only reasonable to ask what qualifications any candidate would have to hold a specific job.  Money aside, why would Betsy DeVos make a good Secretary of Education and be entrusted with the educational future of America’s students?  This country has about 50.7 million students in public education compared to less than 6 million in private schools.  That represents roughly 90% of our young people depending on public education.  Surely the Secretary of Education would be devoted to enhancing the academic achievements of all our children, and especially those in public education, right?  I mean, the Department of Education is fundamentally responsible for the welfare and integrity of our nation’s public educational system.  That ought to be obvious just from the name of the Department.

Yet here is the catch.  Betsy Devos has spent a lifetime seeking to destroy public education in favor of private schools, charter schools and school vouchers.  Let us be very clear on this:  charter schools and school vouchers only benefit wealthy families and ultimately cripple public schools by diverting taxpayer funds away from the local public school and sending them to private and charter schools.  The result is an accumulated gap between the haves and the have-nots.  In other words, the rich get richer and the poor get trampled upon.  Sound familiar?  It is the Amway of Education.

But it does not stop there.  DeVos’ latest offense is perhaps her greatest.  The most recent budget proposal for the Department of Education calls for reductions of over $7 billion in programing and resources.  Yet even with such drastic loss of revenue DeVos proposes increasing spending by $60 million  for charter schools!  This insanity is highlighted by a report in the Washington Post that the Federal government has wasted over $1 billion dollars on charter schools that never opened or had collapsed.  So why are we investing even more funds in a program that is a proven failure while stealing funds away from 90% of our children?  This can only make sense in an alternate reality known as Trumpia - - the kind of realm encapsulated by the deceptive and illegal practices of Trump University.

In addition to all this immoral behavior I find an even greater condemnation when it comes to Special Education.  We have 6.7 million students in Special Education which represents 13% of all public school students, and is more than the number of students in private or charter schools.  Again let me clarify:  Betsy DeVos, the one person charged with responsibility for our children’s education, wants to take huge sums of money away from these students and jeopardize their future by doing so while giving an increase of $60 million dollars to the minority of privileged students who attend charter schools.  Included in these cuts would be in excess of $18 million to support Special Olympics.  I cannot understate my disgust at such proposals.

Special Olympics are one of the few jewels in our society.  I have personally attended and supported Special Olympics for many years.  These programs offer a rare glimpse of joy, success, and pride for participants who too often meet with failure, frustration, and discrimination.  Special Olympics represents all that is good in this life.  My son has been a Special Olympian and I can tell you the lessons he gained from his experience have stayed with him many years thereafter.  Lessons such as sportsmanship, athletic skills, muscle development and control, and discipline combine with an abundance of friendship, comradery,  joy and achievement to create a unique and rewarding moment for these delightful individuals.  The Special Olympics are enormously moving and inspiring.  There are few if any institutions that can rival its contributions.  Yet Betsy Devos would deny this opportunity for our special needs individuals.

I am not blind to the dangers of an uncontrolled Federal deficit.  I understand that programs need to be evaluated and reviewed from time to time.  Budget cuts may be required on occasions.  At the same time we need to take a close look at how funds are distributed and what effect redistribution will have on all groups.  Special Education students require a disproportionately higher cost per student because they demand a higher degree of attention and supervision than other students.  In many cases they also need specialized transportation to and from school, utilizing vehicles with custom equipment and/or increased traveling distance as school districts frequently send special needs students to neighboring schools with programs that are better designed to meet their needs.

Why, then, would we target these students for budget cuts while offering  an additional $60 million to fewer students who do not need it but rather choose to attend more favored schools?  It just does not make sense.

Some may argue that Special Olympics are not education but rather are just fun and games.  I wish to strongly express my disagreement with this assessment.  But even if you want to go down that path, then we need to take an equally proportionate sum of money away from conventional scholastic athletics.  Hey, what’s fair is fair for all.

Finally, I must point out that these proposed budget cuts were preceded by the foolish tax cuts forced through by the Republicans, championed by Trump, and resulting in far less revenue.  Again, the ones who benefitted from the tax cuts were the ultra wealthy, the 1%.  It is no coincidence that the currently proposed budget increases for charter schools are also designed to benefit the wealthy, upper class families.  To which I must scream:  FOUL!

From what I have read it sounds like DeVos’ Budget will surely be challenged and likely defeated by the House of Representatives.  I would strongly urge you to write your Representative and voice your opposition to the DeVos Budget.  Take nothing for granted.  But at the same time write to Betsy DeVos at the department of Education and let her know you will not stand for her deceptive tricks aimed at destroying our public schools and especially the educational needs of the 6.7 million students in special education, students who cannot speak up for themselves but are at the mercy of our governmental leaders who are entrusted with their well being.

This is a battle worth fighting.  It will define our character and integrity.







G. D. Gehr

March 27, 2019

Comments welcome!

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Plenty of Lies To Go Around

I read today that Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Steve Scalise, both Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, are claiming that Rep. Adam Schiff lied when he stated that he believed there was obvious evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.  They both conclude that Schiff should now resign as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, claiming he has lost all credibility due to his comments. Special Council Robert Mueller's report, as summarized by Attorney General Barr, indicates no evidence of collusion.

Schiff's comments are open for debate, I suppose. But Republicans should tread carefully.  Using their own standard President Trump should resign first.  It is well documented that Trump has made thousands of lies since taking office.  If false statements are cause for resignation, we will have very few politicians remaining in office.

Perhaps we should wait to see what happens next, in the aftermath of the Special Council's report, and with the Southern District of New York.  This story is by no means over.

G. D. Gehr

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

WHEN THE TRUTH HURTS: Ilhan Omar Has a Point


The sharp divide in this country between conservatives and progressives is becoming a major concern in a number of ways.  It reached a new level recently when Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) questioned the U. S. unwavering support for the nation Israel and the acceptance of Israeli lobbyists who regularly seek to influence members of Congress to support programs and legislation favorable to Israel.  Specifically, she has criticized the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, also known as AIPAC.   AIPAC is a powerful lobbying group that has used strong-armed methods to garner support for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister.  The response to Rep. Omar has been powerful and condemnatory.  But I have to ask: could Omar have a point worth looking at, and are her critics’ objections based on facts?

Just by raising this question I am sure I will find myself in hot water with some people.  But can we try to put emotions aside and look at just what it is that Rep. Omar said?  As I understand it, Omar has criticized the policies of Israel on a number of occasions.  These criticisms led Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy to threaten Omar and another congressperson for criticizing Israel with the potential use of censure.  Omar then responded to McCarthy with a tweet that read, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby.”  I must confess I was not sure what that meant until I researched it a bit.  For the uninformed this is another way of saying that McCarthy and others are only objecting to her comments because they have received lots of money from AIPAC (Benjamin Franklin’s portrait is on the $100 bill.  I honestly thought she was making a vague reference to Benjamin Netanyahu – shows how uninformed I am!)  McCarthy and others claim that Rep. Omar has engaged in anti-Semitic language based on her criticism of Israeli policy and Israel’s publicity/lobbying agent AIPAC.

To be clear so far as I can tell, Ilhan Omar at no time criticized the Jewish race or made disparaging comments about them.  She has clearly criticized Israeli policy, especially as it relates to the Palestinians.  I must admit I feel she has a very good point.  Israel needs to be held accountable for their many offenses against the Palestinian people.  Israel is indeed guilty of carrying out a terrorist war against Palestine.  In saying this I am not implying that the Palestinians are completely innocent.  The violence has gone both ways.  But to blindly and ignorantly place all the blame on the Palestinians is wrong!  Let us not forget that Israel at least has a nation they can call their own.  The Palestinians do not.  I have said numerous times in the past that the only solution for this Middle East tension between Israel and Palestine is to make good on the United Nations pledge for a two-State solution.  (See my previous post entitled Resolution 181 Revisited dated 11/4/2011).  As a reminder the United Nations decision that established the State of Israel in 1948 also called for a separate State of Palestine to be established.  However, to this day the second part of that resolution never was enacted.  At the very heart of the crisis in the Middle East is this solitary fact:  Israel has a homeland at the expense of the Palestinians.

Adding fuel to the fire is the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has held the office from 1996 – 1999 and again from 2009 to the present.  His policies have been oppressive toward the Palestinian citizens of Israel, especially with regards to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, where they have built and defended settlements.  But Netanyahu’s problems go deeper.  In recent years he has come under investigation for possible “fraud, breach of trust and bribes”.  On February 13, 2018 Israeli police issued a statement saying there was enough evidence to indict Netanyahu and just this year the Attorney General of Israel announced that he planned to go forward with the charges.

Ilhan Omar is entitled to her opinions about Israeli policies.  Some of her comments might be better served if they were worded more carefully but here is the thing.  What difference is there between Omar’s comments on Israel and Donald Trump’s offensive language?  Trump has openly criticized U. S. allies such as Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Mexico and others.  He has denounced the NATO agreement that has maintained peace on the European continent for over 70 years and is integral to American security.  He has disparaged his political opponents with slander and malicious name calling.  Numerous sources claim that our President has lied well over 8,000 times since taking office.  The tragic part about this is that so many of his lies actually endanger  our security.  The man who is our Commander In Chief simply cannot be trusted on any issue.  That makes me extremely nervous.

Add to this the fact that Trump routinely rebukes and humiliates his own security advisors, intelligence officers, law enforcement agencies and officials, and takes the word of our sworn enemies (Putin, Kim, and Xi) over theirs.  How can this be?  As bad as this is I remain baffled why members of Congress remain so silent – and in many cases, defensive – towards our deceiving President while being so outspoken and critical of Rep. Omar’s opinions that are actually more factual than Trump’s. 

More importantly, Omar has very publicly apologized for her comments and taken responsibility for them.  Has Trump?  Of course not!  He responds to his own lies with even more humiliating and distorted rhetoric.  It seems to me if anyone deserves to be censured it is The Donald.  I suspect that a major reason why the Right is making such an issue out of Omar’s comments and framing them as “anti-Semitic” is an attempt to divert attention away from the constant turmoil surrounding our current Administration.

When I was just a kid my parents taught me to be careful when pointing a finger at someone else because in doing so there are three fingers pointing back at you.  That is what I see here. Sometimes the truth hurts.  Ilhan Omar needs to take responsibility for her comments – and she has.  Can we accept that and move on?

Friday, March 8, 2019

Judges Ruling Favors Special Education

Disability advocates won a major victory against the Trump Administration recently when U. S. District Judge Tanya Chutkin ruled the Department of Education under Betsy DeVos inappropriately delayed the so-called "significant disproportionality" rule.

The rule was established in 2016 under the Obama Administration and was set to go into effect last summer.  However, the Trump Administration tried to delay its implementation.  This is yet another example of the incompetence of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary and her distorted agenda which seeks to undermine the effectiveness of public education.

Details on Judge Chutkin's ruling can be found at https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/03/08/trump-reinstate-sped-rule/26137.



What Will It Take To Restore Honor?


The President of the United States has declared a national emergency on our Southern border.  He justifies this by claiming that we are being invaded by masses of terrorists and drug dealers who are threatening the security of our nation.  That is a serious concern indeed.  Or is it?

We have yet to see evidence that supports Trump’s delirious claims.  I wonder how many weapons have been confiscated by border security from those who are being contained.  The fact is weapons are being smuggled out of the United States, not into it, according to the Associated Press.

“A 2013 report by the University of San Diego says the number of firearms smuggled from the United States was so significant that nearly half of American gun dealers rely on that business to stay afloat. On average, an estimated 253,000 firearms each year are purchased in the United States expressly to be sent to Mexico, the report said, the vast majority of the sales originating in the border states of California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.”

Lisa Marie Pane

The Associated Press

September 30, 2018

And what about drugs?  How many drugs have been found in the possession of the illegal immigrants?  The Federal government’s records show that most of the drugs entering the United States come through the legal ports of entry. 

It is essential to understand how many people we are talking about who are seeking to enter the United States illegally.  The Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that in 2018 there was an average of 42,000 people in custody on any given day.  Of that number, 15,000 were children under the age of 18.  These minors were also separated from their parents and held in different facilities.

There is no denying that this represents a serious concern.  However, it is not a threat to our national security.  Rather, it is a humanitarian problem that needs to be addressed in a rational and humane way.  Many of those being detained are seeking asylum.  United States law allows people to apply for asylum for anyone who has suffered persecution, or who fear they will suffer persecution, due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion, according to the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Those who seek asylum may remain in the United States while their application is considered.  This includes persons who attempt to enter the country through ways other than the legal ports of entry.

At least this is how it is supposed to work.  However, once again the Trump Administration plays by a different set of rules.  Since then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance policy” toward illegal immigrants even those who seek asylum are now treated as criminals.  Children are separated from their parents and all are locked up in detention prisons to await deportation.  I do not get it!  The United States of America is morphing into a police state.  Fear is driving our national activity and shaping our policy.  This fear is unfounded but is promoted from the highest powers within the land - - the White House.  And the Republican Party has crumbled into a bunch of cowering puppets who are terrified to hold their rogue President accountable.  There are individual exceptions but they are powerless against the majority within the GOP.

Let’s get realistic here.  Is there a crisis?  Yes.  Is this crisis a security threat to our nation?  No!  This is a humanitarian crisis caused by the Executive Branch of our government.  Kirstjen Nielson, Secretary of Homeland Security, oversees the agency responsible for supervising immigration.  Her recent appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee on March 6, 2019 was most revealing.  In her testimony it became painfully obvious that Nielson either is determined to deceive Congress and the American public by refusing to answer questions and defying our laws, or she is woefully ignorant of what is happening at the border.  Either way she proves herself to be incompetent and unqualified for her job.  Consider these takeaways from her testimony under oath, as reported by CNN.

·         On children in custody: Nielsen said she didn't know how many children are in Customs and Border Protection custody.

·         On Trump's national emergency: She defended President Trump's national emergency declaration despite his claim he "didn't need to" do it.

·         On terrorists entering the US: Nielsen confirmed that most terrorists were stopped while trying to fly to US — not at the border.

·         On zero tolerance: Nielsen defended the administration's "zero tolerance" policy, which called for the criminal prosecution of adults crossing the border illegally and, as a result, the separation of families. 

·         On the dangerous journey to the US: Every girl over 10 who crosses the border is given a pregnancy test, Nielsen said.

·         On family separations: She said family separation wasn't intended to be a deterrent despite leaked memos.

·         On drugs at the border: Nielsen said she didn't have numbers on drugs coming through border.

·         On cybersecurity: The current cybersecurity threat is “blinking red” and is possibly the "highest threat" to the US homeland, she said.



For the life of me I cannot understand how Republicans in Congress can possibly continue playing dead in the path of this Administration’s absurdities.  There are exceptions, thankfully, and opposition is beginning to mount.  But it is slow in coming.  One has to wonder what it will take to restore honor and responsibility to our national identity.



G. D. Gehr

March 8, 2019