Sunday, December 6, 2009
Why Did Nofs and Kahn Vote Wrong on Education Reform Bill?
On December 3, the Senate moved a much needed common-sense education improvement bill, SB 638. Only two of the 22 GOP Senators, Mike Nofs and Roger Kahn, voted NO, along with ALL of the Democrats. I invite either of these Senators to submit an explanation for their votes to this blog site.
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13 comments:
It should be illegal to except money from any organization or PAC if you hold a government position. Or it should have to be made public so people can see and know who is influencing their elected officials.
Throw The Bums Out!
Please inform your readers about the content of the bill.
Who said, "You can't buy a politician?" Apparently, it wasn't the MEA!
I so agree with that, so much money is wasted this way anyway. There should be simply a limit for all election races - it should not be whoever raises more money wins and special interest groups should not be allowed to give.
Alice from Rochester Hills had the best idea of all...
Politicans should be forced to dress like Race Car drivers... complete with the logo patches showing their financial sponsors.
The real problem is political careerism: Individuals whose primary goal is the remain on the government payroll until they retire on a generous government pension. So of course they serve the system rather than the people. The education establishment including the MEA is perhaps the most powerful component of "the system," so very few Repubs stick their heads out very far to anger it. Some Repubs like these two go further, and actually cater to the edu blob.
BTW, the growing "economic development" bureaucratic empire with all its local kingdoms from TIFAs to community colleges is fast becoming one of the more dominant vehicles for political careerism - no wonder tax break, TIFA, subsidy and related bills and laws have multiplies so rapidly in recent years. They say "jobs," but they mean "my future jobs."
Nice job Jack H.
I worked hard for the 19th special election and Nofs. I guess the turning of the seat Republican didn't make a difference in this vote. At least Nofs will be more likely to back Republican things that Griffen would. I know it's a lame thing to say but what else can I?
BTW Jack McH. This whole job and stimulus thing too is about government jobs not private sector jobs. Another push against free markets, plain and simple.
Regards, Bob Carr. http://tinyurl.com/yzy8mgx
BTW still using your tool kit
If you look carefully, the contribution to Jelinek was made in 1998. Don't you think that money is long gone by now? I'd say it's more likely his background where he was a teacher for 30 years with some first hand knowledge of the situation.
Jelinek's MEA contribution may have been in 1998, but that doesn't mean he wasn't swayed by them. Take a look at his whole record first.
Nofs is more troubling as he JUST got into office after the MIGOP pumped everything they had into his race.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the bill was wrong and Nofs and Jelinek should be congratulated. However, that doesn't change the element of contribution-for-support, which, even if not applicable here, is certainly an overriding concern with government outright.
Campaign contributions are public record. You can find them on the Secretary of State's website. Even a donation of $50 has to be reported, complete with organization and/or employer.
(just keeping the record straight.
Perhaps I'm misreading it, but the Mackinaw Center page for SB638 [here] seems to say Jelinek supported the bill and that Kahb was the other Republican opponent (with Nofs).
The Bill itself is summarized as "[a bill] to revise the “teacher tenure” law to allow a teacher to be fired or demoted for consistent ineffectiveness, as defined by the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Under current law it is very difficult or impossible to fire a teacher." It would be interesting to know why Nofs and Kahn opposed this.
I have Emailed Senator Nofs with this exact question. As a Republican I know for a fact that many of my friends worked on Mr. Nofs campaign and we expected a solid conservative. I will withhold judgement until I find out the reason shy he voted the way he did, but I will expect an explanation, or I may urge my friends to reconsider their decision in NOv. 2010.
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