I’ve been looking at the Interactive Illinois Report Card for District 150. Here are the total expenditures of District 150 for a period of eleven years, 1997-2008; in the last column, I converted all the amounts into constant 2008 dollars to make it easier to compare apples to apples:
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Looking at the inflation-adjusted dollars, and acknowledging that it does appear to have started a downward trend, you’ll nevertheless notice that from 1997 to 2008, operational expense per student has increased over 17%. However, if you look at enrollment over roughly the same period (1998-2009), the trend is different:
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I wanted to include the 2008-2009 data so you could see that enrollment did go up slightly that year. Nevertheless, enrollment from 1998 through 2009 fell by 9.4%. As a result, operating expense per student has increased over 24% — from $9,184 in 1997 (in inflation-adjusted dollars) to $11,398 in 2008.
Questions: Why have operational expenses continued to climb while enrollment has been decreasing? Why are expenses $25.4 million more in 2008 than in 1997 (in inflation-adjusted dollars) when enrollment fell by over 1,400 students? Where is the money going?
Johnnie, don’t doubt it at all–I have spent my whole adult life listening to opinions such as yours. At first, those opinions stupidly caused me to walk away from church and my faith. Then I realized that my faith was very important to me, so I have spent the rest of my life praying that God would soften the hearts of those who hold your views. Sometimes He has done that. If for no other reason, such hatred truly eats away at your soul–it just isn’t good for you spiritually or physically.
Sharon and Charlie as much as you two would like to think that I am filled with hatred, I am going to have to burst your bubble because I am not. I am just living in the real world and not the world that you two live in where everything can be made right by imposing hardships on “the other people”. You two are the only ones that have spun this into a discussion about race.
Charlie, I really don’t know what to say about you because you are real piece of work!! LOL There are many ways you could give back some those perks that you have received just because you are white. You could move into a troubled neighborhood to try and help it recover. You could donate money to a needy family etc. When someone gets an unjust traffic ticket then you could offer to pay it for them. So you see Charlie those are just a few ideas of where you could help get that white privilege burden off of your back.
Of course I am thinking that Charlie is one of those people that you couldn’t pay to even visit a troubled neighborhood let alone actually live there. He sounds like one of those people who constantly fail to practice what they preach, right Charlie? 😉
How does Charlies’ white privilege theory work when you look back at how the Irish were treated when they came to America? They got the royal white privilege treatment, didn’t they?
There is not one single ethnic group in the United States that hasn’t suffered some form of unjust treatment, so to all of the whiners…..climb down off of your cross and use the wood to build a bridge to get over it!!!
Johnnie, Charlie and I live in the same neighborhood. Blogger called Really, Charlie–tell me where you are building the bridge and I’ll try to help. Your argument about all those who have suffered unjust treatment is such a cop out. To my knowledge, institutional slavery in this country involved only one group. You are right though about one thing; in my youth most of the hatred that surrounded me was against Roman Catholics, then it switched to blacks, and now Muslims have been added.
Johnnie, please, please don’t tell me that you didn’t start the discussion about race–it was through innuendo, but you did start it. I would have left it alone (maybe) except that you were agreeing with me early on about District 150’s problems and solutions. I just didn’t want to leave the impression that I was agreeing when I realized where you were going and from where you were coming. Your “collective salvation” remark connecting Obama and Dr. Lathan was my final hint.
I have lived in the “real” world throughout my career and loved every minute of that time I spent with the young people of Peoria’s south side. The bridges were so easy to build because the kids and their parents helped me build them.
Sharon I didn’t give any innuendos about race. You automatically assumed that is what I meant.
I also wanted to ask some questions to the people who believe the “get even with them” theory will work.
Who will ultimately decide that the “score” has been settled?
Since slavery ended in 1865 does that mean in 2165 things will be even?
Is there a certain dollar amount that will make this “even”?
So how will we know when the “score” has been settled?
Johnnie, at no point did I talk about a “money” settlement of any kind. I believe in Biblical concepts about how we are asked to treat others–following Christ’s example of the ultimate sacrifice. Personally, if I believe in what is right for me, I don’t expect any 50-50 arrangements; I am willing to give 100%. In other words, I don’t have to wait to see how someone is going to treat me before I give of myself–at least, that’s my aim; I often miss the mark. You, in no way, are obligated to justify yourself to me–sorry if I gave that impression. I am most curious as to how you came to choose the blogger name Johnnie Mack. 🙂
Sharon I am not so much directing my questions to you as I am Charlie. I know that you have spent your time in the “combat zone”. I don’t agree with some of your beliefs and I am sure that you don’t agree with some of mine either. I do believe that you are a good person who is trying to do what you believe is right.
The questions that I asked in my previous post are legitimate questions to ask. I already think that I know the answer and it is, things will never be thought to be “even” with certain groups of people. It will always be wrong no matter what you do.
People like Charlie sling insults and false accusations around but when it comes time to back up their claims with facts, they disappear.
Sharon, why do you think Johnnie Mack is a pseudonym? You’ve never seen the name Johnny spelled with an ie or anyone with the last name Mack?