Segregation FTW?

We spent to much time trying to mix races together in school but it looks like we wanna split them up again. According to CNN the Omaha school district in Nebraska wants to split up the school to basically make them, well, racially seperated. One of the people behind this idea, Omaha Senetor Ernie Chambers, says this the end what racism is already there. He argues that this seperation would allow the minorities the comfort that they would not be getting the short end of the stick compared to other white students.


I'll add more later...and don't you dare try and steal it...unless you already did it...in which case, too bad.

The idealology used by Chambers is basically the same of those who supported segregation of schools in the earlier days. Although the fear back then was from whites who feared the idea of their children associating with blacks or other races. While I can't find an article now, you all remember such events as the first black people accepted to a white school, and the hardships that followed. Or even the story in Remember the Titans


Another interesting tidbit is found here in the Alabama state Constitution.

theres a reason for the soaring gas prices

So recently all I've been hearing about on the way to school in my mothers minivan is how rediculous gas is becming. It now costs $40.00 to fill up her gas tank, and she is less than thrilled about it. It just so happens that while reading the New York Times today, I may have learned why gas is becoming outrageously expensive. Recently, the chairman and cheif executive of Exxon, Lee R. Raymond, revealed his earnings from the past 13 years. $686 million, which is approximatley $144,573 a day. Now, I'm sure all $144,573 isnt going directly into Raymonds pockets, but it seems a little suspicious to me. Now, as a liscences driver, im very concious of gas prices, and now more than evern have noticed the 10-15 cents more per gallon at every Mobile station.

This is not the first time gas prices have soared this high though. began in earnest on October, 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Expoting Countries, announced that they would no longer ship oil to Israels supporters, as a result of the ongoing Yom Kippur War. As a result, the price of oil in the U.S. quadrupeled. The economic impact resulted quickly and harshly, with the entire economy suffering. The vaule of the dollar fell, adn daily oil consumption fell about 7% within about a year. Gas rationing, and restrictions on which days civillians were able to purchase gas were instilled. These laws were abolished in 1976. Starting in 1973, the U.S. has been looking for alternatives to oil. Electricity, and hydrogen have been two very respectable ideas, and we will undoubtedly see more investigation into this topic in the future.

Labor Unions get a break.

On Friday, striking bus drivers, train operators and mechanics in Denver approved a new contract with the city's mass transit agency. According to the Washington Post, the contract ended the area's first transit strike in 24 years. If the Regional Transportation District also approves the deal, transit workers will go back to work Monday. Under terms of the contract, workers would get a wage increase of $1.80 an hour over the course of 3 years, and also an increase in health insurance by an additional $20 a month. Nearly 1,750 members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001 walked off the job Monday. Thousands of commuters had to use alternate transportation to get around. Union officials said workers wanted more upfront money, and they have finally reached an agreement in which both parties are satisfied.

The National Labor Union, formed in 1866 in Baltimore, was the first national labor federation in the United States. The National Labor Union was created to pressure Congress to enact labor reforms. It was made up of skilled and unskilled workers, farmers and reformers. On August 20, 1866, the NLU called on Congress to pass an eight hour day for workers. Although the Union failed to persuade Congress to shorten the workday, its efforts heightened public awareness of labor issues and increased public support for labor reform in the 1870s and 1880s. Never very strong, the NLU was a casualty of the sweeping economic depression of 1873.

This week, a shippment of chinese immigrants was intercepted in Seattle, WA. The 22 chinese let themselves out of a cargo container which had been used to sumggle them into the United States. 18 men and 4 women were in their 20's and 30's and none seemed to be suffering from any ailments caused by their journey. It will take several days to determine the future, possible deportation, of the group. The comapny who shipped the cargo, wether known or not by them, would not respond for comment. This may seem somewhat racist, but the chinese thing got me thinking about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

On May 6, 1882, the Chinese Exculsion Act was signed, banning Chinese workers for the next ten years from entering the U.S. The law was apssed in response to the large influx of chinese moving to the midwest United States, looking for jobs on the railroads. It was the first immigration act banning a specific ethnic group. The law has since long been repealed. Today it is against United States foriegn policy for any ethnic group, wether racial of religious to be denied access to life in the United States (legally). The law however was in place for long enough, and so long ago that today it still remains in the U.S. Consitution, voided.

They terk r jerbs!

Yes yes, illegal immigrants are back in the news!

Congress was trying to pass a bill that would legalize many illegal immigrants (about 11 million) in the United States, but it was held back for obvious disagreements. It was endorsed last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee and backed by Senator John McCain and a few others from either predominate party. It would legalize all the illegal immigrants, if they pay fines and taxes. The heated debate included many senators who either felt that the bill should be passed immediately or that Senate could not pass this anytime soon because of all the other stuff they were already neck high in. The dispute also lies in how it should be handled. Since many Democrats want to help the immigrants become citizens and Republicans want them deported, a compromise was proposed, that says that it should only apply to those that have lived here for a certain amount of time, and those who have lived here less than that standard should register and get a job. They would then be allowed 6 years to work here and either become a citizen or leave.

If you guys remember the American Party aka, the Know-Nothing Party, it was pretty much the same thing. Immigration, legit or not, has always been a popular topic. These guys wanted to make it very hard for immigrants to make it to the United States, not so much for the job thing, but just because they were Protestant guys that didn't want the Pope to come busting in their house and telling them how to read the Bible like nobody's business. They demanded reform as well in laws, including a wait of 21 years before an immigrant could gain citizenship. w00t, they were harsh.

I know, it was a loose and crazy association. Just be proud I finally did one and I actually remembered the KNP.

Also, this site made me laugh, as well as think about how many people truly think like that. And, I got this video. I think it's relevant :)

For Kanye!

This has nothing to do with Kanye.

Looks as though MA is going to put itself on the map again as the first state to provide health care for all the citizens. The bill, which Gov. Mitt Romney said he would sign, requires all Massachusetts residents to obtain health coverage by July 1, 2007. It will make obtaining said coverage a lot easier for the economically-disabled people, as well as increase the number of children that can get free health care. And if you are a person who can afford health care coverage but don't get it, be prepared to get a bite in the butt on your income taxes. The plan hopes to drop the number of uncovered people in the state to less than 1% in just a few years. It's also a way for them to save the 385 million dollars they'd lose in government Medicare money if they didn't lessen the number of uncovered people. All of this would have been done earlier, but it was stuck in Congress, but it seems almost unanimous now that they all want it.

Similarly, as mentioned in the article, was Hawaii's standards for employee welfare. Enacted in 1974, the Prepaid Health Care (PHC) Act was a law that said "Employers must provide health care coverage to employees who work at least twenty (20) hours per week and earn 86.67 times the current Hawaii minimum wage a month ($6.75 x 86.67 = $585)." Hawaii was the first state to make such a law, however, many people still remain uncovered. While their standards for the law seem the be a lot more selective than the Massachusetts counterpart, it's very well possible that we will fall far short of our projected range of coverage throughout the state.


How will this work out? Who knows? I think I'm already covered by something....

17.5?!?!?!

As one of the most talked about stories in the Bay State, the Christian Science Monitor has published an article on the decision facing the Massachusetts government, should the driving age be increased with more requirements? The idea has created a stir among local teenagers. The theory is to increase the driving age to seventeen and a half while also requiring more testing and driving experience. Although this may seem like a reasonable situation, the question is the practicality. Not only could the new age postpone all young driver accidents, but it is also very inconvient for parents who must drive their high school students to school and extracurricular activities.
There is some argument that if you can delay licensure, you have a more mature kid, but the whole discussion about it nationally is really premature, says Barbara Harsha, of the Governors Highway Safety Association. It is nto somethign that should be discouraged either.