He has recommended a $4.8 billion cut for K-14 education, on top of a $400 million reduction for education in the current year. The net effect is about $750 less per student than K-12 education would normally receive or about $18,750 per classroom.
He is laying off teachers (while other states hire them away), increasing their workloads and closing libraries. In the meantime, he has not acted to close tax loopholes that allow for exotic luxury goods. Good governance? Here’s an ad that tries to put the situation in perspective:
Just one bottle of champagne to celebrate? That seems unusually stingy to me. An accountant at a boat show explained the loopholes and why they matter:
“I would imagine that most of the people with boats over 50 or 60 feet are probably working some kind of tax dodge,” agreed Jimmy James, a semiretired certified public accountant from Kingston who has advised many boat owners. “People with enough money to buy those boats got there by having tax dodges.” […] IRS officials said they don’t keep track of how much money the government could collect if these deductions were eliminated. Conservatively, the annual total could approach $1 billion.
Perpetual Kid has some funny stuff, including the infamous voodoo knife holder. I just noticed they have a pad for writing down all your “secret question/answer”. Note the disclaimer:
If a password corresponds to sensitive information, keep it to yourself – otherwise, write it down and free your brain for more useful things! Keep track of multiple internet identities without missing a keystroke!
The story about the virus at the Sun conference makes me think of one of Bruce Schneier’s “Movie-Plot Threat” competitions:
At the company’s JavaOne conference this week in San Francisco, more than 50 people came down with what officials believe is norovirus, a type of medical virus easily spread by touching dirty surfaces.
Wash your hands before and after discussing Java, just to be safe. And if you went to the conference, stay home for a few days.
I pointed out back then that Exxon killed 250 bald eagles in a single accident. The EPA estimate is 100 bald eagles, the NYT said 140, a legal case review says 151, while the International Bird Rescue Research Center reported 300 dead. I guess you can not argue the fact that it was more than one, and even killing one is a felony offense. Amazing to think, in terms of compliance, that the oil company was not charged with such a felony under the US Eagle Act.
The legal case review says the State of Alaska evidently charged Exxon with two felonies, but they were related to marine safety. Interesting.
a blog about the poetry of information security, since 1995