Condolezza Rice & Joel Klein: "Education Reform Is Necessary For Our National Security"

Condoleezza Rice on Education: American Dream on Verge of Collapse


America's national security and the upward mobility the country was built upon could collapse if the education system isn't rapidly improved, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Tuesday.

"If you look at why [Americans] are here or why their parents are here or their grandparents are here, someone believed that in the United States of America, if you worked hard, you could have a better life. That's what set us apart," she told a group at the Council on Foreign Relations. "It's fragile, and we have to make sure that's [still] true. If it ever becomes not true because the education system can't deliver it, then there's no hope of rebuilding it."

Rice and former New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein co-chaired a task force that looked into the relationship between education reform and America's national security. American students have fallen into the second tier of achievement when compared to international competitors such as China, South Korea, and many European countries. That failure threatens America's economic future, its physical safety, ability to protect cyber assets, awareness of other cultures, and the country's sense of unity, the report warns.

The task force said America should throw its support behind and expand the Common Core State Standards—benchmarks in English and math that have been adopted by all but five states—to other subjects; provide more school choice to students, so they are not stuck in "dropout factories" that graduate a low percentage of students; and launch a "National Security Readiness Audit" that would determine whether students are learning national security skills such as foreign languages and computer programming.

According to the report, America's educational system is "not adequately preparing its citizens to protect America or its national interests." The Department of Defense estimates that 75 percent of young Americans are not eligible to serve in the military because they didn't graduate from high school, are obese, or have criminal records. "Among recent high school graduates who are eligible to apply, 30 percent score too low on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to be recruited."

At the Council on Foreign Relations event, Klein said that the country's fading education system is threatening America's identity. If the education system fails, there's no Plan B, he said.

"If people don't believe they can get a fair shake with education, then I think the [national] cohesion erodes," he added.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

OCCUPY EDUCATION!!!

Time is running out for REAL Education Reform in America or Europe & China will leave Our students in the dust!
EFFECTIVE EDUCATION REFORM IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF TEACHER UNIONS.


22 Steps to 21st Century Education Reform:


1) REPEAL No Child Left Behind! Please!

2) Enact REAL Educational Reform within the U.S. Dept of Education & the National Public School System. This includes the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Dept of Education.

3) Link the Montessori Pre-School Experience (4 year-olds) to Direct Student Achievement via Hiring Montessori Certified Teachers to teach in Pre-Schools housed on Public School & Charter School Campuses.

4) Eliminate the current Student Testing System & Focus on Subject Matter Content & Student Creativity to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills.

5) Increase Teacher Pay based on a combination of Qualifications, Job Performance, Merit & Student Achievement NOT just Student Test Scores.

6) Require Parents & Guardians to Partner with Teachers and Schools.

7) Bail Out the Federal Student Loan Program just like Congress Bailed Out Wall Street & STOP Funding For-Profit Schools & Colleges which are Nothing more than Student Loan Mills!

8) Allow More Charter Schools to Operate & Provide More Funding those Schools.

9) Ensure that EVERY Public School & Charter School is Asbestos-Free, Up to Date, has a 21st Century Technology Lab & a Community Garden. Especially Schools in Urban Communities. Offer FREE Technology lessons for Parents at School Technology Labs.

10) HIRE & Train Qualified People from Corporate America to Work as Teachers, using the "Teach For America" Business Model.

11) Focus More on Reading, Science, Math, Art and...... Music.

Art & Music Must remain a part of Student Achievement because Creativity helps Children to thrive Academically.

12) Don't Allow Teachers to Teach the SAME Grade Level past 3 Years as to prevent Stagnation & Complacency.
Don't Allow Principals to remain at the SAME Schools past 5 Years.

13) Allow BAD, Poor Performing, Complacent Teachers to be FIRED!

Recruit & HIRE More Part - time & Full -time Instructional Teacher Assistants for Grades: Kindergarten - 8th.

14) Encourage Local & Global Businesses to Form Partnerships with or Adopt EACH Public & Charter School in Every City & Community. Especially those located in Urban & Rural Communities.

15) Bail Out Student Loan Debt which has now reached $1 Trillion Dollars, just like the Bail Out Wall Street received.

16) Integrate Student Appropriate Entrepreneurship & Tech Start Up Programs into Student Curriculum beginning in the Kindergarten.

17) Make Student Attendance Mandatory. Hold Parents & Legal Guardians Accountable!

18) Focus on High School Graduation for EVERY Student! Start in Pre-School & Kindergarten.

19) Offer the Federal "Breakfast in the Classroom" Program in ALL Pre-School & Elementary Classrooms. Also Open Food Banks in ALL Public & Charter Schools.

20) "It Takes A Village!" Allow NO Student to FAIL! Drill Student Achievement into Every Teacher, Student, Principal, Parent & Legal Guardian.

21) Open Student Career/ Workforce Programs in ALL High Schools.

22) Help Students who want to enter the Teaching & Medical Profession to obtain College Scholarships & REAL Financial Aid prior to High School Graduation.
OCCUPY EDUCATION!!


Sources: Fox News, Mediaite.com, MSNBC, PBS News, US News, Youtube

Occupy Education Reform! 22 Steps To 21st Century Education Reform

Dr. Michelle Rhee was FIRED for standing up to Teachers' Unions & her strong opinions on 21st Century Education Reform.

While I do still support Labor Unions & Teachers' Unions, I have to side with Michelle Rhee.

She was Right & should NOT have been Fired.

Bad, Ineffective Teachers should NOT be placed on pedestals or lauded as Heroes!

They should be FIRED Quickly!

Especially if they don't want to Change or Improve in their Profession.

Dr. Rhee was NOT afraid to send those Bad, Ineffective Teachers within the District of Columbia Public School System along their lazy way.

Dr. Rhee should have been lauded for her Courage & Vision instead she was Fired from her job as Chancellor, after she Terminated Bad, Ineffective, Lazy Teachers.

Big Mistake!

Since leaving DC's Public School System Dr. Rhee founded "Students First", a Non-Profit organization promoting Teacher Effectiveness & High Student Achievement.

Thus Michelle Rhee's Termination is Washington, DC's Educational Loss.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

OCCUPY EDUCATION!!!

Time is running out for REAL Education Reform in America or Europe & China will leave Our students in the dust!
EFFECTIVE EDUCATION REFORM IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF TEACHER UNIONS.


22 Steps to 21st Century Education Reform:


1) REPEAL No Child Left Behind! Please!

2) Enact REAL Educational Reform within the U.S. Dept of Education & the National Public School System. This includes the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Dept of Education.

3) Link the Montessori Pre-School Experience (4 year-olds) to Direct Student Achievement via Hiring Montessori Certified Teachers to teach in Pre-Schools housed on Public School & Charter School Campuses.

4) Eliminate the current Student Testing System & Focus on Subject Matter Content & Student Creativity to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills.

5) Increase Teacher Pay based on a combination of Qualifications, Job Performance, Merit & Student Achievement NOT just Student Test Scores.

6) Require Parents & Guardians to Partner with Teachers and Schools.

7) Bail Out the Federal Student Loan Program just like Congress Bailed Out Wall Street & STOP Funding For-Profit Schools & Colleges which are Nothing more than Student Loan Mills!

8) Allow More Charter Schools to Operate & Provide More Funding those Schools.

9) Ensure that EVERY Public School & Charter School is Asbestos-Free, Up to Date, has a 21st Century Technology Lab & a Community Garden. Especially Schools in Urban Communities. Offer FREE Technology lessons for Parents at School Technology Labs.

10) HIRE & Train Qualified People from Corporate America to Work as Teachers, using the "Teach For America" Business Model.

11) Focus More on Reading, Science, Math, Art and...... Music.

I completely agree with Professor Melissa Harris-Perry. Funding for Art & Music Programs in Public Schools Must remain an important part of Student Achievement because the Arts enhance Creativity which helps Children to thrive Academically.

12) Don't Allow Teachers to Teach the SAME Grade Level past 3 Years as to prevent Stagnation & Complacency.
Don't Allow Principals to remain at the SAME Schools past 5 Years.

13) Allow BAD, Poor Performing, Complacent Teachers to be FIRED!

Recruit & HIRE More Part - time & Full -time Instructional Teacher Assistants for Grades: Kindergarten - 8th.

14) Encourage Local & Global Businesses to Form Partnerships with or Adopt EACH Public & Charter School in Every City & Community. Especially those located in Urban & Rural Communities.

15) Bail Out Student Loan Debt which has now reached $1 Trillion Dollars, just like the Bail Out Wall Street received.

16) Integrate Student Appropriate Entrepreneurship & Tech Start Up Programs into Student Curriculum beginning in the Kindergarten.

17) Make Student Attendance Mandatory. Hold Parents & Legal Guardians Accountable!

18) Focus on High School Graduation for EVERY Student! Start in Pre-School & Kindergarten.

19) Offer the Federal "Breakfast in the Classroom" Program in ALL Pre-School & Elementary Classrooms. Also Open Food Banks in ALL Public & Charter Schools.

20) "It Takes A Village!" Allow NO Student to FAIL! Drill Student Achievement into Every Teacher, Student, Principal, Parent & Legal Guardian.

21) Open Student Career/ Workforce Programs in ALL High Schools.

22) Help Students who want to enter the Teaching & Medical Profession to obtain College Scholarships & REAL Financial Aid prior to High School Graduation.
OCCUPY EDUCATION!!




Condoleezza Rice on Education: American Dream on Verge of Collapse


America's national security and the upward mobility the country was built upon could collapse if the education system isn't rapidly improved, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Tuesday.

"If you look at why [Americans] are here or why their parents are here or their grandparents are here, someone believed that in the United States of America, if you worked hard, you could have a better life. That's what set us apart," she told a group at the Council on Foreign Relations. "It's fragile, and we have to make sure that's [still] true. If it ever becomes not true because the education system can't deliver it, then there's no hope of rebuilding it."

Rice and former New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein co-chaired a task force that looked into the relationship between education reform and America's national security. American students have fallen into the second tier of achievement when compared to international competitors such as China, South Korea, and many European countries. That failure threatens America's economic future, its physical safety, ability to protect cyber assets, awareness of other cultures, and the country's sense of unity, the report warns.

The task force said America should throw its support behind and expand the Common Core State Standards—benchmarks in English and math that have been adopted by all but five states—to other subjects; provide more school choice to students, so they are not stuck in "dropout factories" that graduate a low percentage of students; and launch a "National Security Readiness Audit" that would determine whether students are learning national security skills such as foreign languages and computer programming.

According to the report, America's educational system is "not adequately preparing its citizens to protect America or its national interests." The Department of Defense estimates that 75 percent of young Americans are not eligible to serve in the military because they didn't graduate from high school, are obese, or have criminal records. "Among recent high school graduates who are eligible to apply, 30 percent score too low on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to be recruited."

At the Council on Foreign Relations event, Klein said that the country's fading education system is threatening America's identity. If the education system fails, there's no Plan B, he said.

"If people don't believe they can get a fair shake with education, then I think the [national] cohesion erodes," he added.


Sources: MSNBC, NY Daily News, PBS News, TIME, US News, Washington Post, Youtube

Pres. Obama Pledges He'll Return American Gov't To Voters...Weekly Address

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Youtube

Obama Talks Tough About Wall Street Reform..Weekly Address

Obama's Weekly Address: Holding Wall Street Accountable

The strongest Consumer Protections ever.

Bringing Transparency to financial dealings.

Closing loopholes to stop recklessness and irresponsibility.

Holding Wall Street accountable and giving shareholders new power in the financial system.

President Obama lays out what Wall Street Reform is about, and questions whether opposition from the Senate Republican Leader might have something to do with his recent meeting with Wall Street executives.



Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Youtube

Obama To Veto Any Wall Street Reform Bill Minus Derivatives Control

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Obama Threatens Regulatory Reform Veto


President Barack Obama on Friday threatened to Veto a Wall Street reform bill that fails to place tight controls on derivatives, the complex financial instruments that played a key role in the 2008 global meltdown.

But, setting up a showdown on the legislation, Senate Republicans lined up Friday in opposition to the Democratic financial overhaul plan — even as Senate Democratic leaders want to bring the bill to the floor next week.

Obama’s veto threat — a rare move from the president — came as Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) released a bill Friday that would force derivatives to be traded on exchanges and block major banks from trading directly in derivatives, stripping them of a key source of billions in income.

"I want to see what emerges, but I will veto legislation that does not bring the derivatives market under control," Obama told reporters before beginning a meeting with his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. He added that the legislation should ensure "that we don’t have the same sort of crisis.”

The Senate is preparing to open debate on a financial regulatory reform bill as early as next week, but one of the major outstanding issues is how to regulate the $450 trillion derivatives market. Lincoln would go further than the House and Senate Banking Committee approaches.

At the same time, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) released a letter signed by all 41 members of his conference saying they are “united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking Committee.”

“We encourage you to take a bipartisan and inclusive approach, rather than the partisan path you chose on health care,” the letter stated. “We urge you to support the bipartisan negotiations by the Banking and Agriculture Committees. We are confident that the Senate can overcome political tensions and provide a bipartisan path to financial reform this year.”

The letter, which lacked unanimous support until Friday while Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) hesitated in signing it, signals that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may lack the crucial 60th vote needed to bring the bill to the floor. It's not clear from the letter that all 41 Republicans would decide to filibuster the measure.

When asked if Collins would oppose the first crucial test vote called a motion to proceed, her spokesman said: "The letter reflects her opposition to the Banking Committee bill. Sen. Collins is hopeful that the Senate Majority Leader will decide not to bring a partisan bill to the Senate floor."

Obama would not specify which package of derivative reforms he favored but added that more "transparency and oversight" need to be brought to the market so that "everyone knows exactly what's going on."

Lincoln’s 336-page bill, which could be folded into the broader regulatory reform legislation, would increase transparency in the market, prohibit swaps dealers from receiving any federal assistance, and require derivatives trades to go through clearinghouses. Lincoln’s approach has been hailed by Wall Street critics who want to see tight controls, but it’s unclear how much support it will receive among her Senate colleagues.

White House economic adviser Larry Summers suggested Lincoln's approach was in line with what the White House wanted to see.

“We haven’t seen the language yet,” Summers said Friday on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital With Al Hunt." “What we do support is the principles that derivatives need to be traded in the sunshine, that there needs to be centralized clearing, and Sen. Lincoln appears to be moving very much in those directions.”

Obama also renewed his call on Congress to deliver an overall bill that would prevent another economic crisis.

"We can't allow history to repeat itself," he said, adding that taxpayers should not have to step in to prop up financial institutions again. "We can't leave in place a tattered set of rules that will allow another crisis to develop without the rules to deal with it."

The bill, Obama said, would force banks to "pay for bad decisions" they make. "That means no more bailouts," he said.

Focusing on derivatives, Obama said more "transparency and oversight" need to be brought to the market so that "everyone knows exactly what's going on."

Charging that "some in the industry are not happy with the prospect of these reforms," Obama said lobbyists have "found some willing allies on the other side of the aisle in Congress." Still, the president voiced his hopes for a "bipartisan bill" that stops firms from taking reckless risks.

"Every member of Congress is going to have make a decision," he said. "Are they going to side with the special interests and the status quo, or are they going to side with the American people?"

"It’s time that we demanded accountability on Wall Street," he said.


Sources: CNBC, MSNBC, Politico, Whitehouse.gov, Youtube

Eric Davis: CMS Board Chair Calls For Transparency, Public Input

CMS Board Chair: We Want More Transparency, Public Input


Eric Davis became a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Board Member and Board Chairman in December 2009.

He recently answered the Observer's Sunshine Week questions about public records by e-mail. (Questions and answers are edited.)

Q. In the past few years, CMS has been putting more information online for public review. What do you see as the best steps toward Public Access and Accountability?

In my opinion, we do a good job achieving the right degree of transparency. Obviously, we cannot communicate items such as individual personnel or student records because of privacy concerns. But we do want the public involved in our schools, and having access to information and having a voice in the direction of our schools is an important part of that process.

The fact that we've gone beyond what the law requires in many instances is evidence of our intent to be as transparent as possible.

In addition to online access, board members and the CMS Superintendent are engaged across our community in small group and town hall meetings, not to mention hundreds of e-mails and phone conversations. This extremely personal communication demonstrates our commitment to Public Access and Accountability.

Q. Until recently, you were outside the system trying to figure it out. Where do you see room for improving public access?

By virtue of being so large - 137,000 students, 176 schools - CMS can be overwhelming at times. So can our Web site. We are constantly working on improvements to the district's Web site that will make it more accessible and user-friendly. The district is also beginning to use some of the social media to connect with even more citizens.

In addition, I see an opportunity to improve public input to student-assignment planning. Last fall, many parents provided thoughtful, practical solutions that could be included in our planning process. We are working to provide clear, effective planning information and public engagement earlier in the process in order to benefit from the creativity of our fellow citizens.

Q. When Peter Gorman became superintendent, he notified the board - and by extension, reporters who had requested copies of correspondence -- about all sorts of incidents in schools, from fights and weapons to teachers disciplined for improper conduct. After about a year, he noted that this was generating bad publicity for CMS, and the reports tapered off.

Now "incident reports" generally go out only after reporters start asking about an episode. Do you think CMS has struck the right balance, or should the district volunteer more real-time information about problems in schools?

Incident reports are sent regardless of whether a reporter makes a request. The CMS communications department sends incident reports when the incident is determined to meet the standard for board notification, and when the facts have been verified.

We are very careful to verify our incident reports because we don't want to needlessly alarm families, or report erroneous information. Even in a 24-hour news cycle, an error that makes its way into the media is likely to stay there. We want media coverage of CMS to be accurate.

The district's management of incident reports strikes the right balance.

Q. Last year's layoffs generated intense interest, and intense difference of opinion over what should be released.

Some people were angry that CMS fulfilled media requests for payroll information and lists of people who lost jobs to the "reduction in force." Others wanted more information about who lost jobs and what cause was given. It looks like another round of layoffs is imminent. Do you foresee any changes in what information CMS will release?

No, I don't expect any changes there. We are required by law to provide the kind of payroll information and lists that were given the media last year because we're funded with tax dollars. The district follows the law, which balances employee privacy rights with the right of the public to know how its tax dollars are spent.

We will continue to provide the information that is required when employees are laid off while protecting our employees' privacy.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Charlotte Schools Block Black Kids From Attending AP Classes


Students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg's high-poverty schools face an "opportunity gap" in access to college-level classes, says a report from a citizen advisory panel being presented today.

Students at several low-poverty suburban schools can choose from more than 20 Advanced Placement subjects this school year, while students at four high-poverty schools have fewer than 10, the report says.

The Equity Committee, appointed by the school board, spent the past year looking at Advanced Placement along with services for students who don't speak English well. The recommendations, designed to boost equal opportunity, are likely to clash with budget-cutting plans.

For instance, the panel recommends that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools do more to increase AP offerings at the high-poverty schools, where most students are Black or Hispanic. The panel also calls for more minority enrollment in AP courses at all schools. But a consultant advising CMS on the likelihood of budget cuts for 2010-11 has suggested cutting some AP classes with low enrollment to focus on boosting basic skills.

"We're just in challenging times right now," said board Vice Chair Tom Tate. "I think that the board is going to have some pretty interesting debate on this."

AP Challenge

AP offerings range from 25 subjects at South Mecklenburg High to seven at Waddell, the report says. Even at schools such as Mallard Creek High and Northwest School of the Arts, which have large numbers of middle-class black students, AP classes are disproportionately white.

Taking AP classes can help students get into competitive universities, and students who earn high scores on the exams can get college credit. "The lack of a diverse range of core and elective AP courses at all schools raises serious equity concerns," the report says.

CMS offers other college-level options, including classes hosted by Central Piedmont Community College and advanced classes in International Baccalaureate magnets. The report did not look at those.

High-poverty high schools tend to have lower enrollments and more students struggling to meet graduation requirements, both of which can make it challenging to fill AP classes. For instance, Waddell offered 10 options on its "enrollment card" last winter but ended up only teaching seven, the report says.

But those schools also have successful college-bound students. The equity panel recommends offering a set number of AP courses at each school, even if enrollment is low, and urges schools to "actively recruit and place students in those courses."

The report says white students make up 37 percent of CMS's high-school students but account for 62 percent those taking of AP exams. Minority students may be hindered by home support, peer culture or low expectations in lower grades, the report says. Recommendations range from recruiting AP teachers "of various ethnic backgrounds" to "cluster(ing) students of racial groups in AP courses in order to provide peer support."

Language Barrier

On students with limited English skills, the report notes that some schools have so many that students may not be immersed in spoken English, while others have so few that it's tough to provide adequate staff support for kids and families.

CMS has eliminated jobs for bilingual parent advocates, even as the number of students whose families speak Spanish and other languages has grown. The committee recommends restoring those jobs at schools with large numbers of families who need translation, noting that parent involvement is essential to student success.

The report describes a visit to Merry Oaks Elementary, where 19 languages are spoken, most children come from low-income homes, and some students "not only don't speak English but may not have any experience with indoor bathrooms or electricity." Committee members saw a woman arrive to enroll a young child, who did most of the translating between his mother and the school secretary. Two hours later, the child and his mother "were still trying to navigate the enrollment process," it says.

The report urges CMS to make sure schools make better use of available translation services and make it easier for families without cars to get to the Family Application Center south of uptown, where international students must register. City buses used to run along that road, the report says, but no longer do.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, CMS, MSNBC, Google Maps

John McCain Says Henry Paulson Fooled Congress & Taxpayers

John McCain Feels Duped By Henry Paulson



As the Republican presidential candidate in the fall of 2008, no one had more power to upend the Wall Street rescue package than Arizona Sen. John McCain.

But McCain now feels duped by former Republican Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

“We were all misled," McCain said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "What did he do? He started pumping money into the financial institutions. Now the financial institutions are fine -- Wall Street’s doing great. Main Street is in deep trouble.”

Paulson and other former Bush administration officials told Congress at the time that the $700 billion lawmakers approved would be used to buy toxic debt from the real estate market. Instead, the former Treasury secretary made direct injections into some of the biggest banks in the country, and the Obama administration even used the money to prop up major U.S. companies, like General Motors.

"Whoever thought when we passed that we would own General Motors and Chrysler, GMAC," McCain said. "It's beyond what anyone had anticipated."







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Sources: Politico, AP, CBS News, Google Maps

Obama Unveils His Revised Health Care Proposal Online...$1 Trillion Dollars

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Pres. Obama's Revised Health Care Proposal


The President’s Proposal puts American families and small business owners in control of their own health care.

Over the past year the House and the Senate have been working on an effort to provide health insurance reform that lowers costs, guarantees choices, and enhances quality health care for all Americans. Building on that year-long effort, the President has now put forth a proposal that incorporates the work the House and the Senate have done and adds additional ideas from Republican members of Congress.

The President has long said he is open to any good ideas for reforming our health care system, and he looks forward to discussing ideas for further improvements from Republicans and Democrats at an open, bipartisan meeting on Thursday.

The proposal will make health care more affordable, make health insurers more accountable, expand health coverage to all Americans, and make the health system sustainable, stabilizing family budgets, the Federal budget, and the economy:

* It makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, reducing premium costs for tens of millions of families and small business owners who are priced out of coverage today. This helps over 31 million Americans afford health care who do not get it today – and makes coverage more affordable for many more.

* It sets up a new competitive health insurance market giving tens of millions of Americans the exact same insurance choices that members of Congress will have.

* It brings greater accountability to health care by laying out commonsense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.

* It will end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.

* It puts our budget and economy on a more stable path by reducing the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years – and about $1 trillion over the second decade – by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.


Key Provisions in the President’s Proposal:

The President’s Proposal builds off of the legislation that passed the Senate and improves on it by bridging key differences between the House and the Senate as well as by incorporating Republican provisions that strengthen the proposal.

One key improvement, for example, is eliminating the Nebraska FMAP provision and providing significant additional Federal financing to all States for the expansion of Medicaid. For America’s seniors, the proposal completely closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” coverage gap.

It strengthens the Senate bill’s provisions that make insurance affordable for individuals and families, while also strengthening the provisions to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid to save taxpayer dollars.

The threshold for the excise tax on the most expensive health plans will be raised from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500 and will start in 2018 for all such plans. And another important idea included is improving insurance protections for consumers and creating a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to review and rein in unreasonable rate increases and other unfair practices of insurance plans.

Download the full PDF of the President's key improvements.

* Read the Overview.

* Read the President’s Proposed Policies to Improve Affordability and Accountability.

* Read the President’s Policies to Crack Down on Waste, Fraud and Abuse.

* Read the President’s Policies to Contain Cost and Ensure Fiscal Sustainability.

* Read the President’s Other Proposed Policy Improvements.

Summaries of Key Elements of the President’s Proposal:

* Title I: Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans
* Title II: The Role of Public Programs
* Title III: Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Health Care
* Title IV: Prevention of Chronic Disease and Improving Public Health
* Title V: Health Care Workforce
* Title VI: Transparency and Program Integrity
* Title VII: Improving Access to Innovative Medical Therapies
* Title VIII: Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act)
* Title IX: Revenue Provisions
* Title X: Re-authorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act



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Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Google Maps

Anthony Foxx Questions Bonuses He Voted For... Smoke Screen For His Tricky Agenda

The effects of Public Corruption








Anthony Foxx: Bonuses need discussion



Charlotte Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx says the new City Council should discuss whether it should award bonuses next year to the city manager and city attorney, though Foxx declined to say his position on the issue.

In the last month, council members have voted to give Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley bonuses for work done in the past year, decisions made after Walton cut merit-based bonuses and raises for city employees due to the recession.Walton's decision affected bonus payments and raises for the current fiscal year, which started July 1.

Some council members have said Walton and McCarley are exempt from that decision because the bonuses they received were for work done in fiscal year 2008-09, which ended June 30. Their formal evaluations - which took place in the last month - were done several months late.

But a number of council members are undecided on whether Walton and McCarley should receive bonuses next year, or share the financial pain felt by other employees.

"I don't know yet," said Republican council member Warren Cooksey, who voted to give bonuses to Walton and McCarley. He said the council should decide quickly whether it will award bonuses next year.

Both Walton and McCarley did good work for the city, council members said.

Walton will receive a base salary of $200,312 in the current year, plus the $16,000 bonus for last fiscal year. McCarley will receive a salary of $175,781 for the current year and a $15,000 bonus for last fiscal year. Their total pay - salary and bonus - for 2008-09 was the same as it was for the previous fiscal year..

Foxx, a Democrat and currently a council member, will be sworn in as mayor Dec. 7. Democrat Patrick Cannon will also become a council member that day, replacing Republican John Lassiter.

Walton and McCarley have said it's too early to speculate on whether they would accept a bonus for 2009-2010.

The city's Human Resources director, Tim Mayes, for the fiscal year ending June 30 received a $14,955 bonus in addition to his salary of $149,555. He won't be receiving a raise or a bonus this year .

He said in an e-mail last week to the Observer that council members and the city manager and city attorney have had an informal agreement that the bonus payments are a "standard part" of their compensation package. Cutting the payments would be "inappropriate," he said.

Republican Mayor Pat McCrory and Democrat Michael Barnes voted against both packages. Democrats Foxx, James Mitchell and Warren Turner voted against McCarley's package Monday.

Turner was absent for the vote on Walton's compensation.

Foxx said he voted against McCarley's compensation package not because he objected in principle to awarding the bonus. He said instead he didn't feel McCarley had done as good of a job as Walton.

"It's my expectation that we will have some early dialogue with our management about bonuses," Foxx said. "I understand the perception issues and realities of the revenue issues."

Republican Edwin Peacock said he doesn't like that the council has made it appear as though the city manager and city attorney will almost automatically receive a bonus. Any bonus should be more discretionary, he said.

Peacock said he voted for the bonuses because "you can't give a guy high marks and take it away. What signal does that send?" When asked about other employees who likely received high marks but won't receive a bonus, Peacock said that was a difficult situation.

Cannon said the new council should talk soon about its pay plans for the city manager and city attorney for 2009-2010. He said the city "should be conscious that people are treated equally across the board."

Last year, about 2 percent of the city's 6,700 employees received one-time payments in addition to their salaries.

After debate, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones received a $38,400 bonus from county commissioners Nov. 4. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Supt. Peter Gorman turned down a pay raise this year due to the economy.








Charlotte City manager gets $16,000 bonus



Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton this summer cut pay raises and merit-based bonuses for city employees due to the recession.

On Monday night, the Charlotte City Council awarded Walton a $16,000 bonus, and the city manager accepted.

Council members said they were pleased with how Walton has navigated the city through the economic downturn. But Democrat Michael Barnes and Republican Mayor Pat McCrory voted against the pay package because of the bonus.

"I thought he did a very good job - I told him that," said Barnes. "But I didn't think it was right to pay out bonuses. My concern is that there are a lot of people struggling. It would be beneficial for us to show restraint."

McCrory, who is allowed to vote in personnel matters, said Walton did a good job.

"But I was opposed to the bonus because of the economic circumstances in the public and private sector," McCrory said.

Walton, whose evaluation was approved Monday for work in the previous 12 months, will see his total pay remain the same as a year ago. He will receive a salary of $200,312 and the $16,000 bonus, based on his 2008-09 performance.

But a number of city employees whose evaluations also came after July are seeing their pay decrease. The city awarded 314 bonuses, or merit payments, between July 2008 and May 2009 for a total of nearly $400,000. As the financial crisis deepened last year, the city froze positions and cut back on travel and other expenses. The city decided against stopping merit bonus payments in the middle of the fiscal year to avoid punishing employees who had later review dates.

Typically, most city employees can receive up to 8 percent of their salary as a merit-based raise, a bonus, or a combination of the two. When the new fiscal year began in July, Walton said he would recommend stopping the bonuses due to the downturn.

Human Resources Director Tim Mayes, for instance, was paid a salary of $149,555 for 2008-09 as well as a merit bonus of $14,955. For this fiscal year, Mayes will receive only his base salary.

He said Walton was given a bonus by council members because of an "understanding" that's been in place for five years.

"(Council members and the city manager) liken the one-time payment as the first cousin to base pay," Mayes said. "It's not contractually based, but there is a good faith understanding between them."

Mayes said in an e-mail that cutting the bonus would reduce the manager's pay, which would be "inappropriate."

Walton was out of town Tuesday and couldn't be reached for comment. A city spokesperson, Kim McMillan, said Walton declined to talk about his evaluation because state law allows those discussions to take place in private.

In a June Observer story, Walton said he wanted to cut all the city's bonuses temporarily except for a program that allows employees to share in savings when their department or division is a low bidder on a contract. The story didn't address whether Walton planned to not accept any bonus council members might approve.

City attorney Mac McCarley is also paid by the council and is eligible for a bonus.

Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, voted for Walton's pay package.

"There was a lot of discussion about that issue," Foxx said. "The decision was that as part of the package that the city manager has, if certain targets are met, that's part of the compensation. It wasn't done without debate."

Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones accepted a $38,400 bonus earlier this month. His total compensation of $254,055 remains the same as last year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman turned down his bonus this summer, and eliminated bonuses for principals and teachers. CMS said the reductions saved $1million.

Council member Patsy Kinsey, a Democrat who voted for Walton's bonus, said she believes Walton received it because it was based on his performance for fiscal year 2008-09 - making it unrelated, she believed, to one-time payments that have been "frozen" for the fiscal year 2009-2010.

That isn't correct, according to the timeline outlined by Mayes. All city employees whose evaluations fell after July 1 of this year are ineligible for pay increases except Walton and McCarley.






Harry Jones gets Bonus but total pay is same



Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones will receive a $38,400 performance bonus, but his total compensation remains the same as last year, under a deal unanimously approved Wednesday by county commissioners.

Commissioners praised Jones for, among other things, leading the county during a difficult economic time.

The "pay-at-risk" money - which commissioners have in previous years called a performance bonus - is part of an overall $302,854 compensation package. It also includes $215,655 in base salary.

The pay plan keeps Jones' compensation the same as in 2008-09, though a board committee determined he actually would have been due more money this year, said commissioner Dumont Clarke.

Jones, however, asked that his pay be kept level. "That was his request," said commissioners' Chairman Jennifer Roberts. He "wants to be treated like all the other county employees." The county didn't award any merit raises this year.

Jones' evaluation has been in the works for weeks, with talks largely being kept private initially as allowed by state law.

But some commissioners acknowledged last month that paying the money could raise questions in light of steep budget cuts across the county. Two other local public officials - Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman - declined merit raises or bonuses for themselves and staff to help save money.

Jones is eligible for a higher bonus than Gorman or Walton, up to 30 percent of his base salary.

Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said the board had a "difficult conversation" about the pay plan because of the economic conditions.

Still, commissioners also have said they wanted to reward Jones for meeting goals previously outlined by the board.

Clarke said Jones told commissioners earlier Tuesday evening that 2008-09 was both his most challenging and best year as manager.

Roberts said Jones "has done a very, very good job, an excellent job as manager in a very difficult year." She cited Jones' work addressing budget cuts because of falling tax revenues and his work on the Critical Needs Task Force to help address social services needs in the community.

But the county also faced questions about inadequate accounting at the Department of Social Services, including an investigation into possible misused money in a charity program for foster children. The county announced steps to help shore up practices within DSS, including putting its finances under control of the main county finance department.

Mecklenburg has offered bonuses to the manager for years, but decided five years ago to restructure the pay system to reflect a CEO-style package of a base salary with another piece of pay tied to performance.

Under the plan, Jones is eligible for a bonus of up to 30 percent of his annual salary based on a series of criteria, including how well the county performs on annual goals and a management plan approved by commissioners. Based on his current salary, he could have received a bonus up to about $65,000 this year.

Jones has not received the full bonus since commissioners approved the new pay structure in 2004.

Clarke said Jones' performance in the past year earned him more money. He said he's being paid about 10 percent less than what his performance score called for.

Cuts in Mental Health

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved about $2.76million worth of service cuts to the county's Area Mental Health department because of reduced money from the state. The state cuts were actually larger, but county staff has promised $3.7 million to help make up the gap.

Jones said he hasn't yet identified where the money would come from.






Fire Harry Jones, Tomorrow


Over the years I’ve defended County Manager Harry Jones in public and private as a competent manager who seems to have the right goals and standards in place for Mecklenburg County. But his handling of the DSS mess is a firing offense, specifically his move to quiet a critic of DSS by calling the man’s employer to silence him.

Jones has not said why he contacted Bank of America after a local BAC employee complained that he felt “duped” by giving money to DSS’ charitable efforts for kids. That is no doubt because the tone of the email exchange is unmistakable — and chilling.

“There seems to be a need for a wholesale cleanup of many county agencies, and I think that starts from the top down,” BofA employee Harry Lomax wrote to county officials. A week later, Jones sent the email on to a BofA VP with an ominous “Do you know Harry Lomax” addition.

The response was immediate from BofA government liaison Betty Turner. Lomax’s email was deemed “embarassing” and Jones was assured that BofA execs were on to Lomax: “I am tracking it down. I don’t know him – I have alerted charles. Will be back to you.” Question: Who the hell is “charles?” The Uptown paper of record account leaves this out.

Anyone with even a glancing understanding of Charlotte’s history is probably flashing back to the time when uppity mill hands who questioned local leaders were met with, “What’s your name again? I know your pastor.” The threat was clear — shut up and know your place.

Harry Jones clearly has no problem pulling the same power levers as boss men of years past. And no doubt Jones has done this sort of thing before to be so comfortable as to put such a smoking gun in email form, and on such a high profile matter as DSS’s continued money and management woes. For that reason, the “isolated incident” defense we are sure to get this week does not wash.

Harry Jones has proven he does not have the temperament required of highly compensated public employees, particularly at a time when revenues are tight and citizens are concerned about spending. Criticism from engaged citizens — Harry Lomax was concerned that a county Christmas charity was misusing funds — must be welcomed and encouraged, not kick off corporate retaliation efforts among the lock-step Uptown crowd.

A unanimous vote by the Mecklenburg County commission to remove Jones from his position is the only thing which can restore confidence in the notion that local government works for local citizens rather than actively conspires against them.

Update: Betty Turner is a registered lobbyist for BAC in both North Carolina and Virginia.





Harry Jones: No Thought of Resigning


Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones has faced intense criticism from some residents on a variety of issues this year, including reported accounting problems in the Department of Social Services and a $38,400 performance bonus given to him earlier this month. Some have even called for his job.

Jones addressed the issues in an interview Thursday on "Charlotte's Morning News with Al Gardner & Stacey Simms" on WBT-AM.

Here are some snippets from the interview:

Q. Have you thought about resigning?

Jones: "No, I have not given any thought to that Al. This has been a good year. You know along the way you are going to make some mistakes. I did make a mistake in forwarding an email. Harry Lomax and I have subsequently talked and I'm taking his position that it was blown way out of proportion. He and I have had lunch together with each other. No, I have not given any thought to it. But I will say, Al, it's been a tough year. It's been a really tough year. But I think it's also been my best year and I told the board of county commissioners that and I'm going to continue to stay where I am unless they decide they don't want me any longer."

Q. As Al was mentioning, though, other county employees didn't get bonuses at all. And it seems to me that with the email as you said you’ve apologized, you've had lunch with the gentleman, but (it was) big blow to public trust there, and with the DSS situation being what it is, why not say, well, I'll accept the bonus if such and so bears out, an ethics investigation, something like that? Because I think a lot of people would question whether this was the best year for county government.

Jones: "I’m going to say this: I earned that bonus. I think the other issues "My board of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners" factored all of those things in when they considered my compensation. And the position that I will take is that, yes, the email does raise some questions about people's confidence in government. But Al and Stacey, I will say to you that there was no malicious intent, as I have indicated publicly, on my forwarding that particular email. And in that there was no malicious intent, for those people who want to call for my scalp on that one particular action, (they) don’t know Harry Jones and don't know what Harry Jones has done through his career to try to open up government, to encourage more participation. If you want to judge me on this one action, then I would say you're judging me contrary to the real Harry Jones."





The Charlotte-Mecklenburg DSS Fraud mystery: Where did money go?


Internal e-mails reveal new allegations of misspending at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, raising more unanswered questions about what happened to money intended to help needy children.

Some of the more than 1,000 e-mails the Charlotte Observer obtained through a Public Records Request provide the most detailed account to date about the agency's accounting fiasco.

E-mails show:

Officials suspected an employee wrote $80,000 in checks to herself from donations.

An administrator questioned why other donations were used to buy $340 diamond earrings, leather coats and a $300 DVD player.

A top executive complained that a senior fiscal administrator frustrated co-workers with her "inability to explain the simplest concepts of revenue and expenses."

After nearly a year, officials have never said who was at fault for $162,000 that disappeared or whether anyone was disciplined.

No one has been charged in an ongoing police investigation and a county report says officials cannot be certain where the money went.

Meanwhile, donors are left to wonder whether their generosity ever helped buy Christmas gifts for those in need.

In one e-mail, a woman describes calling the county in 2007 to give $900 for single mothers at Christmas. The person who answered the phone told her to make a check payable to the worker's sister.

The donor said she grew suspicious and made the check out to the county, but the idea that it may still have been misused is "like a kick in the stomach."

In another e-mail, a founder of Second String Santa said he was concerned whether kids received the more than 50,000 toys his group had donated since 1989.

Will Miller said he believes some of the toys reached children, but he's not sure about the rest.

"Will we ever know? Probably not," he said.

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners said they have asked County Administrators for a full accounting of what went wrong at DSS but have yet to receive answers. County officials have never explained who was responsible, they said.

"To fix it, you have to admit all the stuff that is messed up," Commissioner Bill James said. "They don't want to do too much digging."

County administrators declined interview requests. Instead, a county spokesman released a prepared statement saying appropriate fiscal controls have been installed in response to an outside audit and an internal investigation.

"Our review of the e-mails we provided and your follow up questions did not reveal any new information that would suggest any change in the audit findings or in management's response to those findings," the statement said.

Some commissioners said they have been told that the employees involved have either left county government or been placed in new positions.

Unusual spending patterns

DSS spends $176 million annually and employs 1,200 workers to assist Mecklenburg's poor and neglected. The agency administers everything from food stamps to foster care and child protection services.

Last spring, DSS Director Mary Wilson ordered financial audits following reports of suspicious spending.

Auditors looked at multiple spending programs and financial practices in the agency. They found a $10,000 check made out to an employee, missing and altered receipts and money for kids spent on office supplies.

County leaders responded by suspending the programs, putting DSS finance under direct county control, training workers on accounting procedures and ordering a review of financial procedures in each county agency.

The Observer reviewed e-mails dating from December 2008 to July 2009 for seven current and former county administrators, including Wilson, County Manager Harry Jones, County Finance Director Dena Diorio and Internal Auditor Cornita Spears.

E-mails show county officials noticed unusual spending patterns as early as last December but did not disclose problems to the public until March.

On New Year's Eve, Wilson told staff she had suspended a voucher program the agency used to purchase clothes and other items for clients at local stores. She wrote that officials were worried about a lack of oversight and a spike in spending.

One monthly retail bill leapt from between $5,000 and $6,000 to more than $20,000 in October 2008, the e-mail says. Employees turned in receipts only 30 to 35 percent of the time, she wrote.

At one time or another, workers possessed or had access to numerous credit cards and gift cards, including some to Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Macy's, the Cheesecake Factory and Outback Steakhouse.

Outside auditors verified for county administrators that DSS workers possessed county-issued credit cards, including 10 credit cards for Sam's Club, three for Harris Teeter and an online charge account with Amazon.com

In February, county officials asked internal auditors to look into questionable spending, including purchases of diamond earrings, leather coats and a DVD player.

An e-mail to one of the auditors from a human resources consultant said the purchases raise "many questions and concerns."

According to the county's statement, most gifts were typical children's items such as toys, clothes and books. More expensive items such as diamond earrings and leather coats were approved purchases for foster children who reached special milestones like high school graduation, the statement says.

"Receiving a gift of some significant value was viewed as an incentive for other children who were in foster care to set goals and accomplish them," the statement said.

Commissioner Harold Cogdell said he spent part of his early childhood in foster care and believes the gifts are a good idea.

"It makes sense to me to show the kids some love," Cogdell said.

A new Accountant

DSS has endured multiple management shakeups in recent years. The latest came when Wilson reorganized the agency after she was hired in July 2008.

She laid out the reasons to hire a new finance director in a February e-mail.

Wilson wrote that the senior fiscal administrator who managed DSS finances failed to provide reports about oversight, alienated staff and lacked the ability to conduct productive discussions with senior county executives. The e-mail does not name the senior fiscal administrator.

DSS later hired accountant Angela Hurlburt to oversee its finances.

James, the commissioner, said he has asked for the names and background information on Hurlburt's predecessors. He wants them to answer questions from the Board of Commissioners' Audit Review Committee, which investigated accounting lapses at DSS.

He said administrators have failed to respond to his requests and complained that officials "keep us in the dark."

Other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Commissioners disagreed.

Chairman Jennifer Roberts and Commissioner Dumont Clarke said county leaders have already put in place reforms that will protect taxpayer and donor money.

"The highest priority" is implementing new financial controls, Clarke said.

Shifting the Finances

Auditors from Cherry, Bekaert & Holland reviewed DSS and found that Mecklenburg officials responded appropriately. The county's Audit Review Committee came to the same conclusion.

But DSS Director Wilson bristled at one of the major reforms.

Leaders put DSS finance under the direct control of the county's main finance department after allegations of misspending surfaced.

In April, Wilson sent an e-mail to County General Manager Michelle Lancaster to complain. Calling the decision "premature" and "shortsighted," Wilson said there are emergencies when DSS workers must write checks immediately, including occasions when the agency takes children in custody who need clothes, toiletries and school supplies.

"I understand the urgency at the time, but there was a reason DSS had check writing capability and I think we threw the baby out with the bathwater instead of fixing the underlying issue, which is documentation and accountability," Wilson wrote.

Donors left with questions

Past supporters of the DSS Christmas charity include Young Lawyers, employees of Wachovia and Bank of America, and Project Joy, the holiday fund drive initiated by Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson. The Christmas charity, known as the Giving Tree, is now run by the Salvation Army.

The donor who gave $900 e-mailed the county in July after learning about accounting failures from news accounts. She attached a picture of the check copy she made around Christmas in 2007.

She wrote that she did not remember the name of the woman she spoke with on the phone.

The donor said she and her family all pitched in to raise the money so she could assist women like her who had struggled as single mothers.

When she heard there were allegations of misspending in a DSS charity program, "It's like your stomach just drops."



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, WBT, The Meck Deck Blog, John Locke Foundation, Charmeck.org, Youtube, Amazon.com, Google Maps