Comments on: House GOP “No New Earmarks” Pledge Nice, But Rings Hollow http://thehayride.com/2010/03/house-gop-no-new-earmarks-pledge-nice-but-rings-hollow/ News And Commentary On Louisiana And National Politics Sat, 26 May 2012 19:15:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: House GOP “No New Earmarks” Pledge Nice, But Rings Hollow | The Hayride « Cajun Conservatism http://thehayride.com/2010/03/house-gop-no-new-earmarks-pledge-nice-but-rings-hollow/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 House GOP “No New Earmarks” Pledge Nice, But Rings Hollow | The Hayride « Cajun Conservatism Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:12:39 +0000 http://thehayride.com/?p=1692#comment-1081 [...] But Rings Hollow | The Hayride March 11, 2010 cjgary71 Leave a comment Go to comments House GOP “No New Earmarks” Pledge Nice, But Rings Hollow | The Hayride. Categories: Uncategorized Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment [...] [...] But Rings Hollow | The Hayride March 11, 2010 cjgary71 Leave a comment Go to comments House GOP “No New Earmarks” Pledge Nice, But Rings Hollow | The Hayride. Categories: Uncategorized Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment [...]

]]> By: Ryan Booth http://thehayride.com/2010/03/house-gop-no-new-earmarks-pledge-nice-but-rings-hollow/comment-page-1/#comment-1055 Ryan Booth Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:08 +0000 http://thehayride.com/?p=1692#comment-1055 My high school had a culture of cheating. It was standard procedure for the better students to "help" the dumb and/or lazy on tests, copying homework, etc. Because the school was so very small (my graduating class was 22), the school nerds faced enormous peer pressure to "help" the others to pass -- everybody was doing it. Seven years later, I returned to the school in the middle of the school year to take over for a math teacher who had quit. Every Algebra II student was passing, but fewer than a third of them really knew any algebra. I had to make -- not two -- four versions of every test, and those kids still found ways to cheat. The situation in Washington is similar. The culture of spending is so deeply ingrained that a promise to stop has all the trustworthiness of a drug addict's pledge. It may be sincere, but it isn't worth much. Sending some good people to Washington doesn't solve the problem any more than sending some good students to my old school would have done. The culture is too powerful. On the other hand, the first step in overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. It's good to see that happen. My high school had a culture of cheating. It was standard procedure for the better students to "help" the dumb and/or lazy on tests, copying homework, etc. Because the school was so very small (my graduating class was 22), the school nerds faced enormous peer pressure to "help" the others to pass — everybody was doing it.

Seven years later, I returned to the school in the middle of the school year to take over for a math teacher who had quit. Every Algebra II student was passing, but fewer than a third of them really knew any algebra. I had to make — not two — four versions of every test, and those kids still found ways to cheat.

The situation in Washington is similar. The culture of spending is so deeply ingrained that a promise to stop has all the trustworthiness of a drug addict's pledge. It may be sincere, but it isn't worth much. Sending some good people to Washington doesn't solve the problem any more than sending some good students to my old school would have done. The culture is too powerful.

On the other hand, the first step in overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. It's good to see that happen.

]]> By: Ryan Booth http://thehayride.com/2010/03/house-gop-no-new-earmarks-pledge-nice-but-rings-hollow/comment-page-1/#comment-5878 Ryan Booth Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:00 +0000 http://thehayride.com/?p=1692#comment-5878 My high school had a culture of cheating. It was standard procedure for the better students to "help" the dumb and/or lazy on tests, copying homework, etc. Because the school was so very small (my graduating class was 22), the school nerds faced enormous peer pressure to "help" the others to pass -- everybody was doing it. Seven years later, I returned to the school in the middle of the school year to take over for a math teacher who had quit. Every Algebra II student was passing, but fewer than a third of them really knew any algebra. I had to make -- not two -- four versions of every test, and those kids still found ways to cheat. The situation in Washington is similar. The culture of spending is so deeply ingrained that a promise to stop has all the trustworthiness of a drug addict's pledge. It may be sincere, but it isn't worth much. Sending some good people to Washington doesn't solve the problem any more than sending some good students to my old school would have done. The culture is too powerful. On the other hand, the first step in overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. It's good to see that happen. My high school had a culture of cheating. It was standard procedure for the better students to "help" the dumb and/or lazy on tests, copying homework, etc. Because the school was so very small (my graduating class was 22), the school nerds faced enormous peer pressure to "help" the others to pass — everybody was doing it.

Seven years later, I returned to the school in the middle of the school year to take over for a math teacher who had quit. Every Algebra II student was passing, but fewer than a third of them really knew any algebra. I had to make — not two — four versions of every test, and those kids still found ways to cheat.

The situation in Washington is similar. The culture of spending is so deeply ingrained that a promise to stop has all the trustworthiness of a drug addict's pledge. It may be sincere, but it isn't worth much. Sending some good people to Washington doesn't solve the problem any more than sending some good students to my old school would have done. The culture is too powerful.

On the other hand, the first step in overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. It's good to see that happen.

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