Thoughts, links & ideas from the 2008 National Teacher of the Year

Each time I've taken off in a plane since May (which is a lot), I've been writing in my journal, then adding these journal entries on this blog.

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(Note: the blue posted dates are actually the dates I wrote the journal entries, not when I posted them online.)

Monday, January 26, 2009

Loan Approval?

Redmond, OR

 

Imagine that your parents, in their later years, decide that they need to make a few upgrades to their home.  A new driveway, fencing, high-speed cable line, etc.  And imagine that they borrow it from you, even though the chances of them paying it back before they pass away are slim to none.  And what if you didn’t really have a say in it?

 

Now it’s true that without some key upgrades, your folks will have a hard time surviving at a comfortable level in their home.  And granted, you’ll probably inherit this home, whether upgraded or not.

 

But doesn’t it seem fair that if someone were borrowing money and it was going to significantly impact your future well being, that a good chunk of it should be invested in something that will impact you in a clear and positive way?

 

I would propose, in spite of some critics, that the economic stimulus package should include a significant investment in the citizens who will eventually be paying for it: today’s children.  Let’s stimulate the economy by investing in children’s health care, education, and social programs that truly look out for ‘the least of these.’

 

Interestingly enough, many people are complaining that the stimulus package is too much.  I agree that we are shelling out inordinate amounts of our children’s money, but for the past several years we’ve been spending unprecedented amounts on ‘neighborhood squabbles.’  One neighbor’s dog got loose and attacked us, so we sicked our pack of dogs on them.  We also attacked another neighbor that had nothing to do with it, erected tall fences around our property, and pissed off the whole neighborhood.  All this while incurring record amounts of debt to finance it.

 

Sorry, kids, for setting a poor example and then sticking you with the bill.  Hopefully, you’ll at least get something beneficial from the whole fiasco.

 


1 comment:

  1. chilling analogy. the money borrowed from the kids is money the kids don't even have. more debt + inflation = more work + more isolation. is there an escape other than collapse? yikes.

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