THE HEADLINES

Alan Diaz/AP (Courtesy Miami Herald)

WAITING FOR MICHELLE RHEE: FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THAT TIME IS OVER FOR FLORIDIANS.

(Miami Herald)

The “celebrity” former Chancellor of schools for Washington D.C., glamorized by such appearances as the Oprah Winfrey show and in the anti-public school film Waiting for Superman, was the leader of incoming Governor Scott’s transition education team. Now, with Scott in office, she tours with him to south Florida schools where together they plot out a plan to implement federal education policy focus on “reforming” public schools by getting rid of “ineffective teachers.” As Rhee says, in this regard this is still “so much to do.”

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CELEBRATE THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION? OF COURSE, BUT REMEMBER THE REACTIONARY FORCES THAT HAVE SUBVERTED EARLIER REVOLUTIONS.

(Global Research)

John Kozy directs attention back to earlier revolutions such as the heady days that followed the French revolution and that of many European countries in 1848. A successful revolution is not one quick strike against a despotic authority, but the building of a humane government in the face of powerful forces of reaction that have so often subverted revolutionary movements.

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WINNERS AND BIG LOSERS IDENTIFIED IN NEW FEDERAL BUDGET UNVEILED BY OBAMA.

(New York Times)

In what the New York Times described as a midterm pivot in federal expenditures from “economic stimulus” to “cut and invest” policy, there could be a sea change in economic policy. To balance the budget—or at least decrease the ever-growing rate of deficit accumulation—programs like aid to parents seeking affordable higher education for their children, poor people needing assistance to pay their mounting fuel bills, or localities seeking federal assistance to complete infrastructure construction projects will go begging. On the other hand, if you are in a green energy producing business or thinking of starting a charter school, prosperity may be looming just around the corner.

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IN STATE AFTER U.S. STATE, GOVERNORS ARE TRYING TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGETS BY ASSAULTS ON THEIR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

(World Socialist)

Article on World Socialist Web Site highlights such assaults in the three “heartland states” of Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois. Pending legislation in these and other states is requiring new worker contributions to pension and health care funds and is attempting to place severe restrictions on the right of public employees to strike or even to collectively negotiate labor contracts, and their own public service employee unions are doing precious little in their defense.

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WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS? THE TRANS CANADA PIPELINE THAT RUNS THROUGH IT, IN THE VIEW OF MANY RESIDENTS.

(McClatchy)

The Canadian company obtained from the state government a “deal” to place the line across Kansas on its way to Texas that was too costly, in their view. A 10-year moratorium on the company having to pay property taxes on land taken by eminent domain in rural areas leaves county governments with heavy costs for roadways, including those necessary to access the pipe line, and no tax base from which to cover those costs

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Quote of the day…

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santaya (1905), a warning relevant to the possible “forgetting” of how past revolutions like those in the Arab world today that have been subverted by reactionary forces.

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