Every state has it’s loud and mean “I got mine” Tea Party contingency, but it is prudent to look deeper into who has voted us to where we are today.
America’s aging population is retreating into retirement with its pensions and savings and leaving young families with failing schools, health systems, and communities.
The lack of financial or public support for day care, early childhood programs, schools & health care is being compounded by the increased political footballing of five year olds.
At Risk Children have been sold out to the pharmaceutical firms of our very young children as guinea pigs for Prozac, Ritalin, and other psychotropic medications (Ritalin was banned in Sweden in 1968 due to the increase in suicides).
Educators are expected to deal with the mental health issues of thousands of abused and neglected children in their classrooms each year & then be denigrated by political figures in election years.
At the same time, media & politicians are blaming the people working in the field instead of taking a constructive approach to understanding the issues and creating public policies that address the problems.
Building prisons has not worked (500M budget in MN this year), nor has under-serving abused and neglected children (double digit prison growth 4 of last 5 years).
There is nothing responsible or adult-like in accusing bad teachers for failed schools, or for blaming social workers when a baby is found in a dumpster. That is like blaming the police for the criminal in the squad car.
It is to our own best interest to approach these issues in a responsible fashion and make the investment in determining what needs to be done and then doing it.
We will continue to degrade our cities and spend far more money maintaining prisons, fighting crime, and paying for damage and insurance than we would if children received the attention they need to succeed in school and go on to lead productive lives.
The following are a few examples of the how various states are dealing with the current financial crisis and how it is impacting their public safety and children;
California Schools
Minnesota
North Carolina
http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2009/02/06/parents-and-youth-advocates-arms-over-budget-cuts
Data on Pre School Success in Florida
Good News In Early Childhood Care
Georgia
Georgia
Kansas
New York
Texas
Texas
Texas
Michigan
Illinois
Florida
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