Is the GOP DOA?

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/party-of-nobody.html

It's an interesting question regarding what is happening to the Republican Party and whether or not they will climb out of their current difficulties or be replaced with a different conservative political entity.  [I was a Republican my entire life until a year or so ago.  I decided to switch party affiliations to vote for Barack Obama in the '08 Connecticut primary.]

I ask this out of genuine curiosity - not in any way to celebrate or bemoan this turn of events.  Just like Specter's party change, it would be a big turn of events in all things political.

For instance, is this the path to renewal or a death rattle?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/29/gop-set-to-launch-rebranding-effort/

Early Childhood Education

http://northhaven.ctcitizens.com/story/community-conversation-zooms-early-childhood-education

Maybe this means that cutting all day Kindergarten in this or any budget is off the table in North Haven . . . ?

Raise the Drop Out Age?!

http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/30/news/doc49f9da2e8648d307766500.txt

If you don't work in or around a high school, this might sound like a good idea.  Keep the kids in school and they just might learn something.

This is, in fact, a TERRIBLE idea.  There is a small number of students who are little other than distractions and even dangers in the halls of a high school.  They are either completely disrespectful and consciously disruptive of the learning process or they engage in behavior that endangers other students either directly or through negative influence.  

Oftentimes, the only way to get these students back into the learning process is to allow them to leave it, discover the difficulties that creates, and then come back.

Raising the age to 18 only forces schools to keep students longer who are likely only detrimental to what the school is achieving with the rest of the student population.  Call your representatives.  This might be good politics, but it is a lousy practical solution to the challenge of uncooperative students.

Two More Possible Infections

http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/30/news/doc49f9d76fc265b067049568.txt

Two more suspected cases of swine flu in CT brings the total possible cases here to five.

Gun Permit Applications Shoot Way Up

http://northhaven.ctcitizens.com/story/police-see-tremendous-rise-gun-permits

Maybe I am missing something.  I know that it is a right protected by the Constitution from a certain point of view, but why would law abiding citizens of North Haven need to carry guns?  I know they can.  Tell me why they should.

Every extra gun increases the likelihood of innocent victims.  They also vastly increase the likelihood of suicide, homicide, and the violent escalation of domestic problems.

Budget Passage

Okay, here it is.

I am asking that you vote to pass the budget coming up next month on referendum.

Here's why: it is my understanding that the next item on the educational chopping block is all-day kindergarten.  I have a pre-school age child.  I need to be able to send my child to school next year, all day.  Early childhood education is critical both to brain and social development.  It's also necessary to the schedules and professional needs of many parents.

Vote "yes" to save full day kindergarten.  That's the crux of where I stand.  Yes, it is selfish, but it is also practical on behalf of the town.  Where will these children be in their skills and abilities if they are robbed of fully HALF of their instructional time at this crucial age?

My Deepest Condolences

http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/29/news/metro/a1_--_girlfollo_0429.txt

There is nothing that can be said except that this is a horror and that my prayers and heart go out to the family and friends who are more than stricken by this crime.

As the Budget Turns . . .

http://zip06.theday.com/blogs/north_haven_courier/archive/2009/04/23/bof-approves-81-44-million-budget-referendum-set-for-may-19.aspx

As you already know, we are in the interregnum that occurs between the finalizes of the budget by the Board of Finance and the referendum.

Please take the time to inform your decision before you report to the polls.