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Lobbying blog post #3

Posted by Kristina Chiev in American Government - Laufenberg on

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, is supporter this decision to somehow take care of these “anchor babies”. Right now many take this as a negative issue because it’s separating a child from their parents or others say that they had to struggle to even sneak in, so they should stay. Then there is also good media attention from news station saying how much these babies cost just to be born in America, and tax payers’ are responsible to pay for this bill that the hospital has for giving birth to the child. During my research, I haven’t ran into any people against this law that has power, but some people I found a while back, were professors at universities that said something like, “there is a solution, we just have to make one.” Even all the research about how much we are wasting on giving birth to “anchor babies”, there hasn’t been a policy put out, but the thing is, I don’t think a policy would really reinforce this to make it work. 

Rep. Steve King plays a big role in this because he is part of the house in some way. He can get his subcommittee to agree with this and then convince the committee to pass it on and show the legislative branch how much money we are spending on “anchor babies”

People who might care to hear about this subject are U.S. taxpayers, which is about everyone living in the States. Many people don't know that a hospital wastes about $30,000 to deliver a child and that hospital bill is paid from money from the taxpayers. If they knew that their money is going to children that technically are not supposed to be here, they might have a change of mind.

There is no time frame as of now, but I am hoping to contact a representative that agrees with my thinking to talk about where is most of the money from tax payers is going to.

Repeal DADT: Blog Post #3

Posted by Andre Serrano in American Government - Laufenberg on

Attempts have been made to revise DADT, the homophobic law enacted under Bill Clinton to keep gays out of the military.  In May 2010, an amendment was passed in the House of Representatives, however it lacked the necessary 60 votes to get the bill passed in the senate.

Also, attempts to pass DADT are becoming increasingly more difficult. Prior to the recent election 90% of democrats were in favor of the repeal, versus 97% of republicans, and since the election has drastically shifted the power to republicans, it can only damage the odds of getting it approved. Therefore it is a fair assumption that the window of opportunity is quickly closing.

Despite the general public being largely in favor of an amendment to the bill, Republicans have decided to vote along party lines.

dadt1

The pentagon has recently issued a study regarding the current amendment. It has concluded that lifting a ban that prevents gays from serving in the military would result in “minimal and isolated incidents to the risk to the current war efforts.” The pentagon requested that the survey, which was given to more than 400,000 active troupes, address the issue of a repeal potentially hindering the military’s ability to fight. More than 70% of the respondents to the survey suggested the results to the move would be either positive or nonexistent – thus eliminating the only legitimate argument of withholding the ban.

Gay rights activists have begun a campaign around ten different states to aid the process of the DADT amendment. The Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Joe Solmonese, President of HRC, recently said in a statement: “As we approach the waning days of this congressional session, we must continue to demand immediate action on critical legislation.”

Repeal DADT: Blog Post #2

Posted by Andre Serrano in American Government - Laufenberg on

Chaka Fattah  is currently the representative for Pennsylvania’s second district, which includes sections of the city of Philadelphia.
Congressman Fattah has a long history of voting in favor of issues regarding gay rights.
This act was designed with the intent to make it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an individual on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation,

  • He voted no for on constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman.

The proposed amendment to the constitution stated that "Marriage in the US shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
Therefore, it was no surprise when he voted in favor of abolishing the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. His response to the issue was: “the worldwide injunction issued today by Judge Virginia Phillips to stop enforcement of the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy concerning gay and lesbian members of our military is welcome and long overdue.”

The greater opposition of this blatantly homophobic bill is John McCain.
In 2006 he spoke to a group of Iowa state university students and said "The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it."
However, since losing the election to Barack Obama, McCain has been the president’s biggest critic, so it was no surprise when his stance on the issue changed when Obama announced his current push to repeal the bill.

"At this moment of immense hardship for our armed services, we should not be seeking to overturn the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," he said bluntly, before describing it as "imperfect but effective."

Repeal DADT: Blog Post #1

Posted by Andre Serrano in American Government - Laufenberg on

In 1992, officer Allen Schindler was stomped to death by a shipmate for being openly gay in the military. This was later used as a means of justifying the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law - with claims of protecting the well being of homosexuals. However, this blatantly homophobic law has been embraced by the military as a way of recruiting straight officers, who would have otherwise been deterred by the awkwardness of boarding with an openly gay man. Since the policy was put in place in 1993, over 12,500 troops have been discharged due to their sexual orientation. The Government Accountability Office reported that it has cost $95.4 million for recruiting and $95.1 million for training replacements for the 9,488 troops discharged from 1994 through 2003. This law has been used as a tool to reject the very people it was made to protect, and it is costing the government money to train the replacement troops that it could have otherwise used to bolster the military.

This issue has been widely debated, especially within the past few months, with John McCain being the leading advocate. When asked about the repeal on DADT, Senator McCain backs the current policy. "This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels," McCain said “At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy."

This bill has unfortunately been made into another example of a left vs. right wing issue. When asked about the repeal of the bill, Senator Susan Collins was quoted saying “It’s the right thing to do. I think it’s only fair, but I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that’s going to shut down the debate and preclude Republican amendments. That too, is not fair.” This is what politics in the United States has come to entail – a type of science where politicians tread a thin line between what is right, and what will get them reelected.

Accused of being a political ploy with the November elections coming up, President Obama has made this his main priority. Obama claimed he delayed acting on the repeal because with two wars he did not want anything to distract him from his health care fight. Although there is no constitutional right to serve in the military, President Obama made it clear that DADT would not impose on our first amendment right. “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it.”

There has been several attempts to change the bill, however the pending legislation has increased within the past couple of months. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 is a bill that seeks to establish a tradition of nondiscrimination regarding sexual orientation in the Armed Forces, by repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This bill would also authorize the reappointment of otherwise qualified individuals previously discharged on the basis of their sexual orientation

Although this bill was made with the intent of helping homosexuals, it has served as a of homophobic legislation, that has lead to the dismissal to thousands of qualified soldiers. My partner and I are lobbying for the repeal of DADT because not only is it not fair, but it will make our military stronger, and allow us to allocate funds elsewhere to help bolster the military. Our goal is to bring more publicity to this already heated debate in hopes of more people acknowledging the need to repeal this widely contested bill. There is plenty of already pending legislation that we hope to bring recognition too.

Blog#3

Posted by Oscar Holton in American Government - Laufenberg on
Sadly no one indicated support for my issue. There isn’t much media attention on my issue. A policy hasn’t written to addressing my issue but there are similar issues that had been address in other cities such as Washington. “Metro Police say they plan to deploy more officers this weekend after a fight among dozens of youth in the transit system led to three arrests.” I want to deploy more officers to prevent these incidents happening in Philadelphia. I think I need to work with an elected official to write a policy for my issue.
The essential members that can contribute to my issue would be the police department and the mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter.
There was a report citing several studies making the case for more uniformed officers in the city of Philadelphia released by ACLU deputy director Jennifer Shaw. “Using 250 officers and targeting 60 violent crime locations, the Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment prevented 50 violent crimes during the summer of 2009.” I could use this report as a helper to present my issue to the right hands in my favor to show that my issue has a realistic solution.

Blog#2

Posted by Oscar Holton in American Government - Laufenberg on

From my previous blog post, I mentioned that the S.167 - COPS Improvements Act of 2009 bill is related to my lobbying topic. Senator Herbert Kohl is the sponsor of the bill. He is a Democrat from Wisconsin serving his 4th term. Kohl is one of the United States’ wealthiest politicians, owning his own family business.


Someone in my city that represent me is Mayor Michael Nutter. He is Philadelphia's third black mayor. Nutter was a councilman of the city's 4th Council District, that included the neighborhoods of Wynnefield, Overbrook, Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls and parts of North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, and my area, West Mount Airy.

Mayor Nutter shares the same interest as I do. I want to have the city of Philadelphia safe place. He supports having Philadelphia declare a "Crime Emergency" in certain areas of Philadelphia. This involved stationing more officers in needed areas of Philadelphia, limit the ability to gather on public sidewalks, impose a curfew for all residents, and limit the ability to travel in certain areas.

Blog#1

Posted by Oscar Holton in American Government - Laufenberg on

I am lobbying for more police officers to be dispatched around public transportation, schools and around urban areas. On my way to and from school I travel a good distance and I really don’t see police officers in the area. My motivation for investigating and influencing public policy is to see crime decreased and safety increase. I’m sure that victims of crime, parents that want safety for their children, supervisors of recreation centers and teachers at school who care about their students would support my lobbying idea. An opponent to my lobbying idea would be who ever is in charge of the city finances. I don’t think the city would support me.


The S.167 - COPS Improvements Act of 2009 is a bill related to my lobbying topic. Its a “bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, and for other purposes.” This law does support my lobbying topic. I want to have more police patrolling the city, especially around public transportation. The law that mentions, "to increase the number of officers deployed in community-oriented policing" is perfect.

Lobbying Post #3

Posted by Kimberly Yarnall in American Government - Laufenberg on

 What is the status of your issue at the legislature? Is this a "good" year?

There is no local legislators currently working on doing something about the FDA, but I found someone in Arkansas who is working on the issue. It was Congressman Mike Ross. Alaska state legislators have asked the US Food & Drug Administration to withhold its approval of Aquabounty's application to bring a genetically modified salmon to market. (October 7th, 2010)

Who is essential to the outcome?

The people who are essential to the outcome are the people who are working to fix and/or change certain things involving the FDA. As of now, there aren't any local legislators working on the issue I'm working on, which is stopping the FDA from changing food names. If their were people working on this, then those would be the people who were essential to the outcome.

Who else is working on this? Can you coordinate?

Me and Alex McGrorty are working on this topic together. No one in local government is working on our topic, so it would be fairly difficult to work or talk to someone who is doing something involving our topic.

Who can you influence?

I can influence the people who aren't aware of the name changing issue. Since their aren't many people aware of this issue, it would be easy to inform and influence them to help, or consider helping.

What is the time frame?

Since there is no one local working on this topic, there wouldn't be a time frame on it, so my time for this could be long.

clock

Lobbying Post #3: Test Optional

Posted by Kimberly Bush in American Government - Laufenberg on
As of the year 2010, I believe that that the topic, Standardized Testing, is having a some-what good year. It seems as though many people have been informed about the non-educational practices of standardized testing.

GOOD YEAR:

October 11, 2010: James S. LiebmanAccording to this Columbia Law School professor, New York City has come up with a new idea on how to evaluate schools based on their student’s knowledge at the end of the year. Instead of focusing on “a single, arbitrary line” it looks at the process of each student across the whole scale.October 12, 2010: Monty NeillAccording to the interim executive director of FairTest, “Parents, children and taxpayers would be far better served if politicians understood the well-documented limitations of standardized exams rather than continuing to pursue misguided high-stakes testing policies that undermine real learning.”

FairTest

What is it?

- The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) is working to end the “misuses and flaws of standardized testing” and to make sure that the assessment of students, teachers, and schools is fair and benefits the education.

Goals:
  • The Assessment Reform Network, aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among teachers, parents, education reform and civil rights organizations seeking to improve student assessment practices in their communities.
  • Creating a new framework for assessment through dissemination of Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems
  • Uncovering the bias, misuses and coach ability of the SAT, ACT and similar college entrance exams
  • Stopping the misuses of SAT/ACT scores to determine eligibility for college financial aid such as National Collegiate Athletic Association's initial eligibility rules (Propositions 48 and 16) and the National Merit Scholarship Competition
  • Promoting test score-optional policies for college admissions
  • Attacking the false notions that test scores equal merit

2010 College Bound Seniors Average SAT Scores

The Higher Ups:

Joe Biden

"A child is more then a test score. So how can you expect our students to build a new economy if all they are doing is filling out bubbles? How can you expect them to think critically if all we are doing is testing their ability to memorize things?"

- Joe Biden

   

According to Joe Biden,

“We know what we need to do, and its not No Child Left Behind. We have to stop focusing on test scores, a child is more than a test score.”

At the NEA (National Education Association) Convention, Biden spoke on Standardized Testing and Education in general. He believes that many things should be changed, such as:

  • Class sizes
  • Teacher Salary
  • No Child Left Behind
  • Focus on Test Scores
  • Availability to an Education
Barack Obama

“Creativity has been drained from classrooms, as too many teachers are forced to teach to fill-in-the-bubble tests...It just can’t dominate the curriculum to an extent where we are pushing aside those things that will actually allow children to improve and accurately assess the quality of the teaching that is taking place in the classroom.”

-Barack Obama

Obama doesn’t support the No Child Left Behind Law because he believes that it’s all talk but no action. The No Child Left Behind Law “leaves the money behind”. It takes away the creativity and the individuality of students and their teachers.

Obama states that teachers should be able to teach instead of spending majority of the year preparing students to fill out bubbles on a test. Instead of just standard testing on Math, Reading, and Writing he will fund states to apply a broader variety of assessments such as:

  • using technology
  • conducting research
  • engaging in scientific investigations
  • solving problems
  • presenting
  • defending their ideas.

Who Does This Problem Most Relate To?

Students:

The link above is a video of four high school students performing poetry about standardized testing. In it they state how standardized testing has conformed the minds of students and that it doesn’t educate you on “the things we need to know to live.”

I believe that students feel more singled out by standardized test than anyone else because they are the ones who are taking them and these tests “determine” their future. However, some colleges and universities are becoming test optional.

Upcoming Meetings on Education:

The Compact meets on the first Thursday of every month to share perspectives on reform initiatives in the Philadelphia schools, and to support policies and strategies that hold the best promise for improving the culture and outcomes of local schools.

Friday, December 3, 2010; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, January 6, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, February 3, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, March 3, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, April 7, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, May 5, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Thursday, June 2, 2011; 8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/opinion/l18schools.html

http://www.fairtest.org/

http://www.fairtest.org/2010-collegebound-seniors-average-sat-scores

http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/joe-biden/2/education/14/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4PbJs6N3k&feature=player_embedded#!

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Barack_Obama/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktC_C7Z-wWE&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9EkX_gX6R8&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4A6e8Rk8Oo

http://www.thedailyriff.com/2010/10/saying-no-to-standardized-testing-for-college-entry.php

http://philaedfund.org/programs/engaging-citizens/education-first-compact/upcoming-meetings

Lobbying Blog #2: Yes or No

Posted by Kimberly Bush in American Government - Laufenberg on
Kimberly BushOctober 22, 2010Joe Biden"A child is more then a test score. So how can you expect our students to build a new economy if all they are doing is filling out bubbles? How can you expect them to think critically if all we are doing is testing their ability to memorize things?"

- Joe Biden

   

According to Joe Biden,

“We know what we need to do, and its not No Child Left Behind. We have to stop focusing on test scores, a child is more than a test score.”

At the NEA (National Education Association) Convention, Biden spoke on Standardized Testing and Education in general. He believes that many things should be changed, such as:

  • Class sizes
  • Teacher Salary
  • No Child Left Behind
  • Focus on Test Scores
  • Availability to an Education
Barack Obama“Creativity has been drained from classrooms, as too many teachers are forced to teach to fill-in-the-bubble tests...It just can’t dominate the curriculum to an extent where we are pushing aside those things that will actually allow children to improve and accurately assess the quality of the teaching that is taking place in the classroom.”

-Barack Obama

Obama doesn’t support the No Child Left Behind Law because he believes that it’s all talk but no action. The No Child Left Behind Law “leaves the money behind”. It takes away the creativity and the individuality of students and their teachers. Obama states that teachers should be able to teach instead of spending majority of the year preparing students to fill out bubbles on a test. Instead of just standard testing on Math, Reading, and Writing he will fund states to apply a broader variety of assessments such as:
  • using technology
  • conducting research
  • engaging in scientific investigations
  • solving problems
  • presenting
  • defending their ideas.
Chaka FattahFattah, when asked if he supported standardized testing, gave two perspectives. He believed that tests were needed to “analyze how students were doing in relation to other students,” however, he also believes that, “students should not be merely taught to pass examinations or given tests prematurely before they have been taught the information.”

According to Chaka Fattah, the No Child Left Behind Law is, “intellectually dishonest because it holds children accountable for test scores when their schools lack resources.”

My Views:

I guess you could say that I agree with those who believe that standardized testing is needed in schools. However, it should not be heavily weighed as a resource to test a student’s intelligence. How can you measure someone’s mind and abilities through a test? You can’t because memorizing and learning are two different things. There’s a distinction between understanding and remembering what you are told. You can be told one thing but this doesn’t mean that you actually understand the meaning behind that thing. Being a Senior in high school, I have a biased view against the Scholastic Aptitude Test because my GPA shows a higher degree of learning than the scores on that test. To get into a college, you should not be based off of how many bubbles you’ve filled out correctly but by the actual grades you get in high school.  Either way, there needs to be a change on how we assess the future of our world.

If we don’t change today, than what will we learn tomorrow?

Sources:

http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/joe-biden/2/education/14/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4PbJs6N3k&feature=player_embedded#!

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Barack_Obama/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktC_C7Z-wWE&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9EkX_gX6R8&feature=player_embedded

http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=21850#Result

http://www.ucc.org/justice/public-education/transforming-no-child-left.html

Lobbying Post #1: Standardized Testing

Posted by Kimberly Bush in American Government - Laufenberg on

Kimberly Bush
October 6, 2010
Science Leadership Academy

I’m lobbying against any federal financial aid giving college that’s using Standardized Testing as criteria for admissions.

All throughout my childhood I’ve been told that I am a smart young woman who is capable of many things. However, it was brought to my attention that when taking tests, my intelligence wouldn’t really reveal itself on this piece of paper. Looking into it, I realized that in reality tests can’t be accountable for every young adults smartness because there are those who aren’t good at test taking, one of them being me. This is the main reason on why I wanted to go to Science Leadership Academy. After hearing about this project based school, I felt as though they understood that there are those who are very intellectual and therefore found a way to surface their creativity. As a Senior, I’m looking back at all the projects I did and wondering if I could have shown this type of creativity and individual uniqueness through tests. The answer would be no. However, now I’m trying to get prepared for college which involves finding the colleges, visiting them, and determining if my SAT scores are high enough for any of them. Not only are the SATs one of the things that can determine if you get the education you want but it also causes a lot of unnecessary stress that builds up until you’re done the whole college application process. This whole process made me wonder what SATs are really about and whether they determined how bright a person is based on the answers to a multiple choice question and their view on a topic. To me, a person can be very insightful and wise even if a test says otherwise because they may have different views and different knowledge that we have never been introduced to.

    The main supporters of my lobbying topic would probably be high school students, parents of those high school students, and those who took the SATs and didn’t get a good enough test score to get into their desired college. Those who probably would not support my lobbying topic would be the colleges with high expectations (i.e. Ivy League Colleges...), those who have very strong test taking skills, and possibly educators.      There is not any type of bill or legislation on my topic that I know of. If there was one to be made, I would like to see what both sides of the topic would propose for the benefit of our youth today. However, I would want to get the opinions of actual high school students too, to see their point of view on this topic. I feel as though you can’t really make a bill without actual concrete evidence. Therefore, if I were in charge of choosing whether or not financial aid giving colleges should use Standardized Testing as criteria for admissions, I would bring together high school students from all around the world with different views and have a big discussion about it. After gathering up data from that event, I would bring together different Representatives from colleges ranging from Ivy League Schools to Community Colleges and have the same discussion with them. Based on the information gathered and the points given I would from there conclude on whether or not Standardized Testing is a good way to represent the intellectual being of a student.

This article states many key factors and details on why Standardized Testing isn’t an effective way on judging the smartness of a student. The writer gives his opinion and backs up his statements with evidence from the actual test itself and those who judge the tests as well.

Here are a few things that he stated in his article:
  • “Rather than learning anything of consequence, students are taught how to beat the test.”
  • “The essays written on these tests are frequently not scored by educators, but by temp workers, who are paid minimum wage, and who generally spend no more than two minutes on each exam.  According to one former scorer, "There were times I'd be reading a paper every ten seconds.  I know this sounds very bizarre, but you could put a number on these things without actually reading the paper." Furthermore, the scorer added that he and his coworkers were offered a "two hundred dollar bonus that kicked in after eight thousand papers."’
  • “Quoting Roger Farr, a professor of education at Indiana University, "I don't think there's any way to build a multiple-choice question that allows students to show what they can do with what they know."’
These are just a few examples in this text that sheds light on the flaws of Standardized Testing.     In conclusion, as a high school senior, I view Standardized Testing as unnecessary and a defective way to represent the intelligence of our youth. Hopefully, later on, this topic will be brought to the attention of those higher up who will realize that there needs to be a change on how we assess our youth. These faulty assessments should not be the criteria that colleges base the future of this world on.

Sources:

http://www.standardizedtesting.net/worst.htm

lobbying post #2

Posted by Bethany Knibbe in American Government - Laufenberg on

Sunday, October 24, 2010

 

        So, part two of the lobbying project has come up. This time, I researched about specific legislators and/or bills that are involved with my topic. I spent a lot of time searching for bills that had been passed or are in the works, and came up empty. Well, except for the National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery month. So I decided to direct my research towards specific places that have holistic recovery programs and the people who run them.

        

        The first organization that I found is called the Public Health Management Corporation, or PHMC and, mainly through their affiliate organization, The Bridge, runs many recovery centers in the philadelphia area. The people who run these centers would be good contact points for me to find out what the needs of these programs are, and what the government can do to help promote the growth of these centers and the creation of new ones.

 

        Another organization I can contact is the Whosoever Gospel Mission in Philadelphia. This is a religious organization, so they don’t recieve federal or state funding, but it would be interesting to think about what the government can do to help out all recovery centers, for example, tax breaks. It’s something to think about.

Creative Freedom in the Classroom: Blog 3

Posted by Sky Kalfus in American Government - Laufenberg on
#3
Arlene Ackerman’s Imagine 2014 district improvement plan aims to “[revise] language arts, math, science, and social studies curricula to be more integrated, rigorous and relevant in preparing students for college and careers in the 21st century.” This past year, the district identified new literacy and math programs, and plans to institute new English and Math curriculums for 2010.
I haven’t been able to find the details of these new curriculums. A powerpoint presented to the School Reform Commission outlining the goals of Imagine 2014 lists raising test scores and increasing the number of “predicative assessments” as goals for 2011. A focus on test scores means that teachers have to spend more time teaching to the test and less time teaching creatively to the interests of their students. “Predicative assessments”, I believe, is just another term for more testing.
It’s clear that Arlene Ackerman holds the most power regarding my issue, but I think Larry Farnese has the power to approach her. He certainly is involved in getting education funding for the state.

Creative Freedom in the Classroom: Blog 2

Posted by Sky Kalfus in American Government - Laufenberg on
#2
In my district (the first senatorial district), senator Larry Farnese is most involved in education reform. He’s on the state senate education committee, and he’s working with State representative Curtis Thomas to establish five new technical and vocational schools in the next five years. He is also partly responsible for increasing education funding by 250 million dollars.
Larry Farnese is a democrat and advocate of public education. His grandfather served on the Philadelphia school board. He’s sponsored programs on behalf of the Sister Cities Young Artist Program at the Moore College of Art and Design, as well as Italica Arts and Education. He attended Villanova University for undergraduate school and Temple University for Law school.
I think Farnese will take interest in my cause. He’s clearly invested in public education, and he cares about art programs, which suggests that he values learning as an end to itself. (Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it’s possible.) He’s also is willing to spend money on education.
My district representative is Babette Josephs is an advocate for public school, and for charter schools in particular. She strongly opposes giving tax money to religious schools. She’s voted for special education funding, and is strongly in favor of the public school system.

Violence In Philadelphia

Posted by Mckelly Timothy on
Pending Legislation On Violence

The state supreme court ruled on Philadelphia's gun ordinances on June 11, 2010.
These laws basically state:

• The city is allowed to force its citizens to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours.
• Police are allowed to seize guns from those “considered to pose a risk to themselves or others.”
• Those subject to a protection-from-abuse order may not own a firearm within the city.
• Need to purchase more than one gun a month then you can.


Things seem to be on hold with the law. Dwight Evans lost his title holding the positiong  of chairman of the Appropriations Committee, which he held for almost 20 years. Dwight evans has had a succesful outcome with his projects such as support are the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the creation of the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp. in West Oak Lane, shaping how Pennsylvania’s share of the stimulus package was spent, school reform, education funding and creating the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. With someone taking his title, it seems like all his work will be put on hold or won't be acknowledged.

Others Working on this

The law is still pending. Much hasn't changed since June.This is an article that is an overview of what is going on with the pending law.There are several elected officials working on this issue, such as Mayor Nutter, Dwight Evans, Donna Reed Miller, Walter M. Phillips Jr, Babette Josephs and many more. This is one of the first laws I have ever seen with almost every official coming to an agreement. Considering this there aren't people opposing this law.

     Who can you influence?



Can you help me find a job? Can you get me an internship?' " This shows that children and or teens are the main target for influence. They are the ones who are pressed to get jobs and internships. If they understand that supporting Dwigh, joseph, Miller, and the others who are working to stop gun violence could help then get jobs and internships, I am sure they would be all for it.

                                                Key Date

December 2, 2010
“We will suffer,” said Council Majority Leader Marian Tasco. “It is truly a sad time for Philadelphians to lose their strongest voice,” she said, pointing out work Evans had done to bring money for grocery stores, museums, arts and recreation to the city. There will be a meeting on December 2, 2010, this meeting isn't completely on the Law about violence, but the conditions Philadelphia is in now that we have " lost our strongest voice. This meeting will be used to discuss issues tax increases, no union contracts and health care spending emergencies. There hasn't been anything that happened with the gun laws since June 11, 2010. 2010 was a good year for this law. It made a lot of progress in the beginning of the year but towards the end nothing productive has been done. Hopefully after the scheduled meeting on December 2 the gun law will get back on the right track.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.llr.state.sc.us/images/teenworkers.jpg&imgrefurl
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2010/11/18/council-mad-as-hell-about-dwight-evans/
http://tonypayton.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:forums-at-city-hall-take-on-philas-gun-violence&catid=2:news&Itemid=5

Creative Freedom in the Classroom: Blog 1

Posted by Sky Kalfus in American Government - Laufenberg on
#1
I’m advocating for a flexible curriculum that gives teachers more creative freedom in the classroom. Currently, teachers are hindered by a restrictive curriculum that directs not only the content of each class, but how the content should be taught. Teachers aren’t able to tailor their classes to the individual needs and interests of their students, and they aren’t able to experiment with teaching methods. I’ve heard stories about dozens of teachers who would be willing to teach at public schools if only they could teach without the guiding hand of the school district. Instead, they go to private schools.
In public school, teachers often receive “Routine Cards” that dictate the details of each lesson. Students are frequently given standardized Benchmark tests designed to make sure that teachers remain on track.

Violence In Philadelphia

Posted by Mckelly Timothy on
Dwight Evans

Evans stated that “legislators should move beyond boundary lines and party labels to take action on gun control.”


    It is not hidden that violence is on the rise in Philadelphia. Many people notice it, and do nothing about it. One person who is fighting to change the increasing numbers of murders/ attacks in Philadelphia is Dwight Evans. Dwight Evans is a Pennsylvania State Representative. He runs the 203rd district which is in in Northwest Philadelphia. Dwight Evans entered the Pennsylvania House of Representatives  in 1980.  Since he has held the position, Dwight Evan has several goals for improving the safety and lifestyles for members of our community and always worked to support them. While holding the position as the PA State Rep, Dwight Evans has been successful in creating legislations for increasing job opportunities and economic development, improving education opportunities and conditions, and working to reduce violence  in the City Of Philadelphia.

    He focuses on reaching out to children and discussing violence and violence prevention. He has conducted several presentations to Philadelphia students about violence. Unlike many politicians that just discuss the issues to other politicians he speaks to the people being effected by the issue and gives them useful information on the issue.

    Dwight Evans strategies for reducing violence are similar to mine. We both grew up in Philadelphia, so we know what it is like to be surrounding by violence. We both want to focus on children. If children learn about other ways to solve issues without violence it will be reduced. Providing children with education and activities will allow them to stay occupied. Without an education there is a low chance in becoming successful because with no education, there will be no jobs and with no jobs comes along poverty and at the end of the chain poverty leads to violence.

Video

Summarizes Dwights intentions as a State Rep and for his district.

                                                People Against Dwight Evans

PENNSYLVANIA
"This month, all gun owners in Pennsylvania need to stand up and be heard. Anti-gun legislators, led by Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), are pushing new gun control measures in Harrisburg. Pointing to data from a recent Democratic Party funded poll that indicates suburban residents are concerned about gun violence, Evans stated that “legislators should move beyond boundary lines and party labels to take action on gun control.” Gun-control legislation has been dead on arrival in Harrisburg for more than a decade, because the balance of the General Assembly supports the rights of gun owners. However, if Representative Evans and his supporters are successful this could change overnight. With your help, we can again stop this from happening. Pennsylvania gun owners have two important dates to remember:

September 25th - Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Stewart Greenleaf (R-12) schedules final hearing in Harrisburg - On Sept. 25, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a final hearing to receive testimony relating to urban violence. The hearing will be held 10:00 a.m., in Room 8E-B of the East Wing. During the past several months, the committee has heard testimony from public officials and anti-gun zealots insisting on new gun control legislation to combat urban crime. This will be the final opportunity for NRA members to voice their discontent regarding the lack of enforcement and prosecution of federal and state firearm laws which has fueled violent crime over the past year. If you’re planning on testifying or need additional information, contact Gregg Warner of Sen. Greenleaf's office, (717) 787-6599 or gwarner@pasen.gov. "

This is a website posted by the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association

Violence In Philadelphia

Posted by Mckelly Timothy in American Government - Laufenberg on
"It's nothing you can do. It's never gonna change, that's the way life is in Philadelphia."- A.J., Masterman High School student who was attacked.

    I am lobbying to change the amount of violence in the Philadelphia community.  I am interested in trying to change the way that violent events in Philadelphia are handled. There isn’t many things being done to reduce violence in Philadelphia, besides the occasional events to turn in illegal or old guns for money. These events normally receive a positive turnout. There should be more events like this more often. Innocent children lives are cut too short due to guns being in the hands of the wrong people and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need more things for the youth to do and more events for them o be a part of that your average teenager in Philadelphia would enjoy. To solve violence in Philadelphia, it would take a very long time simply because such a drastic change could not happen over night. I would like to attempt to remove guns from the streets of Philadelphia. Right now my solution is undecided.

 

    As a teenager growing up in south west Philadelphia. I have lost several friends due to violence. Even though some of the deaths don’t effect me directly it is still devastating. There was an article discussing teen deaths due to violence in Philadelphia.The rate of teen deaths in Philadelphia is on a rise and there isn’t enough being done at the city level.

The teen violence is getting out of control in December there was an attack on Asian teens at South Philadelphia high and nothing was being done about it several stories were written about this issue.

Who is Helping?


    There are several supporters but it still seems like there isn’t enough being done. There is only so much council members who are mentioned in this article can do. There are several organizatons assisting . One organization was started and funded by a councilman Dwight Evans, the  is a organization which I was a member of which is A blue Print for A Safer Philadelphia. This anti- violence organization mission states “The Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia Initiative is a 10-year community-based violence prevention initiative with the goal of eliminating all youth homicide in Philadelphia by the year 2016. State Representative Dwight Evans created The "Blueprint" by securing $16 million in state funding and bringing a number of key partners to this historic effort.”

Violence In Philadelphia Statistics



- http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/philadelphia/crime/?gclid=CNuStaSWwqQCFd9n5QodXDULjA
Pending Legislation On Violence

The state supreme court ruled on Philadelphia's gun ordinances on June 11, 2010.
These laws basically state:

• The city is allowed to force its citizens to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours.
• Police are allowed to seize guns from those “considered to pose a risk to themselves or others.”
• Those subject to a protection-from-abuse order may not own a firearm within the city.
• Need to purchase more than one gun a month then you can.

Lobbying post #1

Posted by Bethany Knibbe in American Government - Laufenberg on
Friday, October 8 2010
I'm lobbying for support of holistic drug and alcohol recovery programs in the city of Philadelphia. I read an article in the Inquirer about how Philly has a lot of great programs and I'd like to see that grow and help to make our city a better place. These programs treat addictions as a chronic illness, and support the people in the long-term.

Addictions are unbelievably hard, and you can't get out of them on your own. When I read about these programs, I got so excited because there is a huge number of people in our city living with addictions, and dying of them. These kind of programs really work and our city needs them. The more support the government gives to these organizations, the more successful they can be. I want to see these organizations grow and transform our city into a place where people with addictions know they can get the help they need to get rid of their addictions, and the support systems they need to leave them behind for good.


Thomas McLellan, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is a big supporter of holistic recovery. Here’s a Philadelphia Inquirer article about him. Also, there are 6 city council members that, in 2009, passed a resolution for September to be proclaimed in Philadelphia as “National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month”. These people may be a good starting point for lobbying because they are aware of the issue and have shown that they believe it to be important.

Now that I have an idea of the issue and some people in government that are involved, I’m ready to take the next step!

Lobbying Against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Posted by Taylor Valentine in American Government - Laufenberg on

DADT Blog Post #3

For Blog #1, click here
For Blog #2, click here
For Blog #4, click here

To say that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a hot topic in today’s politics would be an understatement.  It seems that every time you log onto the New York Times, or CNN an article related to the policy is front page news.  Whether it’s the recent filibuster, the current injunction, or the lame-duck session push, DADT is on everyone’s mind.  According to a recent Washington Post survey, the American public’s disagreement with the policy has drastically increased over the last 17 years.  When the policy was first enacted, 44% of Americans were against it.  Now, that number has risen to 75%.  Politicians are taking notice.  In fact, earlier this year, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 with an amendment allowing for the repeal of DADT, but in the Senate, Democrats have failed in the face of Republican opposition.  

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dadt1
Public opinion on DADT repeal (Religioustolerance.org)

While most Republicans are not necessarily against the repeal, all are waiting for the Pentagon’s release of its report on the effects that a repeal would have on the military.  The report is scheduled to come out December 1st, but parts have already been leaked.  The survey of hundreds of thousands of military personnel and families concluded that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would not hurt military readiness, a fear that many hold.  These findings have the potential to sway at least 10 senators, including moderate Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.  Both hope for a more open debate after the report is released.

The biggest hurtle, by far, is Senator John McCain, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.  He insisted that a study was needed before he could approve of the bill.  Now that the study has been completed, he is still stalling, stating "Once we get this study, we need to have hearings. And we need to examine it. And we need to look at whether it's the kind of study that we wanted.”  It appears that McCain will do everything in his power to hold off the vote until after the lame-duck session ends.  With his position in the committee, this is not an impossible feat.

However, despite his opposition, there are major allies.  Secretary of Defense Gates recently expressed that he would like to see DADT repealed by the end of the year, which was a very bold statement, as it went against the views of many senior commanders.  Despite recent inconsistencies, President Obama still supports repeal, even calling Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) last Wednesday to reinforce his stance and demand a vote in the coming weeks.The urgency is felt by all parties involved. Currently Democrats hold 57 seats, which will fall to 53 in January.  Since cloture has already failed once with the larger majority (the September 21st vote was 56-43), it will be near impossible to convince at least 7 Republicans to change their vote after the lame-duck session.  For this reason, Sen. Carl Levin plans to hold a hearing in the Armed Services Committee in early December.  Though the date is not yet set, a rapid hearing is imperative to the success of a DADT repeal.

Two national lobbyist groups are heavily involved in this process.  The Human Rights Campaign, which works to eliminate discrimination against the LGBT community, and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization focused solely on DADT, are constantly pressuring the Senate.  They encourage citizens to call, write and visit their senators to demand repeal.

Screen shot 2010-11-21 at 5.56.31 PM
Screen shot 2010-11-21 at 5.56.31 PM
Advertisement on HRC.org

Locally, Equality Forum, based in Philadelphia, “undertakes high-impact initiatives and presents the largest annual national and international GLBT civil rights forum,” among other goals.  They host events throughout the area and while not currently involved with DADT, they would not be opposed to it.  Given their local and national presence, they would be a great ally in increasing public outcry for repeal.  This demand is needed to encourage Pennsylvania’s senators Specter and Casey to not only vote “aye,” but to proactively push for a vote.

Inhumane Acts Post #1

Posted by Narcissa Haskins in American Government - Laufenberg on

For my lobbying project, I will be trying to expand the seriousness of human trafficking. There are no bills that are currently passed in the united states that protect the rights of women and children who are soled as sex slaves. My ultimate goal is to help the current senator Christopher Smith  pass that bill.

My motivation for this is being surrounded by girls who have been rape victims. Just the thought that they didn’t have the opportunity to say no, then to keep it hidden so long really repulses me.  The girls I knew, some of them were tricked into their situations and some of the people they knew. Alike, these are the occurrences that happen during trafficking.

The supporter for this cause is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. I will be going up against the federal government that is having issues with supporting the bill being past. Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 is being led by Hillary Clinton and she is apart of the 10th annual trafficking report. She discussed issues and things to help stop these things from occurring  

Its happening across the Globe and the U.S is aware of it. What bothers me, is that its not being stopped as fast as I would like. If we could a force, something similar to NATO to dig these people out, I believe that it would make a significant difference.