Really, Govenor Stickland? Really???

For those of you that are SNL fans you will notice I borrowed a tag line from one of their "Newscasts," but I just couldn't help my self it was so appropriate. I would like to call this blog segment...REALLY????

Governor Strickland announced as part of our cost cutting for the State of Ohio they would slash the funding for Libraries by 50% or close to $200 million. Really?

Education is a major issue in our State, with high numbers of students not graduating from high school, a declining job market , we need libraries to continue to support and foster education.

The State Horse Racing Commision will receive $22 million from Ohio this year and in 2010 to subsidize the declining horse gambling in Ohio (don't even get me started on Ohio waiting to long to pass a casino bill that will give money to the schools) yet they are going to take money away from the Libraries? Really!

For more fun facts of the wasted money in Ohio read the annual Piglet report (http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/2009_Piglet.pdf). REALLY!!!!

Then write the govenor. REALLY!

http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Assistance/ContacttheGovernor/tabid/150/Default.aspx

I wrote my letter and I offered to help identify other places to cut instead of our libraries. Will you help too?

Summer is here! Strap in and get ready for a whirlwind...

Summer has arrived and its time to start preparing for the fall school year. I know nobody wants to talk about school now, but if we don't get started then we won't be ready.

What are you doing to get ready for school? What could you be doing?

Be the Catalyst...

In my ongoing pursuit to personally solve the eduction issue in Cleveland, I found another website that I thought I would share. (Just kidding about solving the issue, I am not going to solve it alone and neither can anyone else, but I can certainly help by getting involved, educating myself, researching what other cities have done and spreading the word.)

Seems there are lots of people out there just like me that feel Cleveland and Ohio can improve their schools, and in doing so, can improve their futures! There is a site called Catalyst Ohio that provides independent reporting on school reform. They have many good articles and insights and discuss how the current political environment, and specifically the Obama administration, is helping to shape our schools right here in Ohio.

You can find the site at (http://www.catalyst-ohio.org/index.php) and if you go there you should check out the current Letter From the Editor, Keith Reed (http://www.catalyst-ohio.org/news/index.php?item=721&cat=19). He writes about a topic similar to one of my earlier discussions of whether it is the teachers job or the parents job to get involved and help the children. Its certainly a good read and for those looking for information on school aid and government programs he even shares a few good links...pass them along.

Its the beginning of the summer, now is the time to start gearing up for the new school year. Be the Catalyst...get involved!

It all starts with an idea

Today will only be a small posting, but I will make up for it with an extra posting later this week. I have come across a great new website that is looking for ideas. Looking for ways to make Cleveland and Northeast Ohio a better place to work and live. This is exactly what I have been talking about.

I would recommend not only checking this website out, but providing your ideas as well. What a great opportunity to get things rolling. This site seems to have ideas from the waterfront to millionaires row to a nude beach. Add your ideas and lets make Cleveland strong again. http://www.clevelandideas.com/

Here is the summary from the site on what it is all about:

What is all this?

Are you sick and tired of negativity? We are. And we’re looking to use the “Wisdom of Crowds” to generate good ideas that might be used to make Cleveland and the region stronger in the future.

Anyone can enter ideas, as long as they’re positive. Simple ideas. Complex ideas. Ideas about economic development. Ideas about developing ideas. Just positive ideas. Then we’ll work to take the best of them to our leaders at the local, regional and state level. Then, who knows?