1) The Dumbest Argument Ever Against a Government Shutdown
We are NOT for a government shutdown, and we support the common-sense policy endorsed by Senator Lankford of Oklahoma that would fund all programs at last year’s level until a budget is passed.
But it’s fun to listen to the usual hysteria of the media warning against the reign of terror to our country if there were to be a short-term shutdown of non-essential services. An article yesterday in the usually sensible Wall Street Journal warns:
“A shutdown that lasts more than two weeks could deprive Fed officials of information they would use to decide whether to raise interest rates at their next meeting.”
REALLY? The Fed won’t know if there is inflation going on without government reports? Hey, we have an idea: why don’t they just take a trip to the grocery store or the gas pump? What makes this argument even more foolish is that Jerome Powell has had ALL the data on inflation over the last two years, and that didn’t stop the Fed from letting inflation soar to 9.2% last summer. Remember, the Fed said they thought inflation would be “transitory.” Seems to us they are blindfolded already.
2) Here’s a Good Way To Lower College Tuition: Get Rid of “Diversity Officers”
Our friends Mike Gonzalez and Jay Greene of The Heritage Foundation have just published an astonishing study measuring how many Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) “instructors” there are at major public state universities.
The worst state was Virginia with 6.5 DEI personnel for every 100 faculty members. The University of Virginia has 94(!) diversity officers on the payroll that the researchers could identify. There are probably many more than that.
George Mason University with almost eight diversity personnel for every 100 teachers is the grand champion of wasting money on DEI.
Other states with major DEI programs are shown below:
Rather than raise tuition next year, why don’t these states get rid of the DEI programs that drain resources from classrooms and instructions?
The latest round of state test results is raising alarm in Baltimore City Schools. Project Baltimore found that 40% of Baltimore City high schools, where the state exam was given, did not have any students score proficient in math. Not one student.
“This is educational homicide,” said Jason Rodriguez, deputy director of People Empowered by the Struggle, a Baltimore-based nonprofit...
Last school year, Baltimore City Schools received $1.6 billion from taxpayers, the most ever. The district also received $799 million in Covid relief funding from the federal government. And still, not a single student tested at 13 City high schools scored proficient on the state math test.
“So, it's not a funding issue. We're getting plenty of funding,” said Rodriguez. “I don't think money is the issue. I think accountability is the issue.”
Previous reporting by the same station found that the CEO of Baltimore City Schools is pulling down a cool $444,875 in total compensation. Talk about rewarding failure.
The teachers unions keep arguing that the schools just need more money. But Baltimore is proof that no amount of taxpayer dollars can fix monopoly public school systems. We need school choice, everywhere.
Well, it looks like Chucky Schumer is reading the Hotline.
We fumed last week that John Fetterman brought dishonor to the United States Congress by walking onto the Senate floor twice last week in a short short-sleeve shirt and shorts. The PA senator has a lot of class – with a capital A.
We are happy to report that by unanimous consent the Senate adopted the Manchin-Romney Show Our Respect To the Senate (SHORTS) Resolution, S. Res. 376, to reinstate a coat and tie requirement on the Senate floor.
Fetterman says he'll comply on those rare occasions when he's in the presiding officer's chair, but otherwise, he'll continue his unique style of dress and shout his votes from the cloakroom door.
ERRATUM: Transit subsidies are extravagant but not $21 Trillion, as we erroneously headlined yesterday. We meant $21 Billion with a B. We regret the error.
