There was an article recently in Mother Jones that listed teacher pay in 300 municipalities, including Olympia. For at least a couple of easily identified reasons, the article makes teacher pay seem higher than it is. Basically, they neglect to mention that our district, like most others I believe, has a disproportionate number of teacher at the maximum end of the pay scale because they are nearing retirement (many having delayed retirement because of the recession); also, they do not account for pay cuts that have occurred.

I'm glad to have had public school teachers who gave me the tools to see through skewed numbers to the real story, and am sorry they were not paid better for dealing with punks like me.

The full post, with links to the Mother Jones article and data, appears at Mojourner Truth.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qa-hg4Zpnc

The stock market continues to be on a roller coaster ride as it slides and then rebounds as traders engage in fishing the bottom and making trading commissions, sliding a few bucks out of the pockets of the marks. Prez Obama is on the road in his magic bus talking about jobs and job creation. The NY Post (bastion of responsible journalism!@!) is reporting the bus was built in Canada. Well, job creation somewhere on the continent, I guess that's good, but it might have been a nice touch to have had the thing built here in the USA to go on tour and talk about jobs. It's always easy on the ear to listen to Barack talk and sometimes inspiring, but it's a bit like holding a shell to your ear and enjoying the sound of the ocean. It's largely theater, the connections between the sounds and any reality are pretty slight.

 

In 1951 Capitol Lake was created and thereoff became an icon of Olympia Washington's society. It was a lake open to the public, allowing them to swim and race boats. As time has passed, the quality of the lake has no longer met Washington State Standards, and was shut off from public access.

It has become the time to realize that the lake we once had is almost unobtainable, and that we need to focus on the solution to the many problems of the lake, which I believe would be turning it into an estuary. To begin with, the lake is recieving sediment washed down from the Deshutes River. This has lowered the depth of the lake, increasing the temperature, and causing stress on aquatic plants. Also, the lake is infested with the New Zeland Mud Snail. This species has no natural predators. Making the lake into an estuary will allow for the flow of saltwater, which the snail cannot survive in, therefore making the population die out. In an estuary, aquatic life will also be in a healthier environment compared to a lake. Currently, there are low dissolved oxygen levels. With an estuary, the dissolved oxygen levels will grow, benefitting the aqautic life.

Costs for the lake should also be taken into consideration. An estuary could cost up to 90 million dollars, while keeping the lake including dredging could cost up to 154 million.

One could argue that the cost is worth the attraction and symbloism the lake provides for Olympia. However, I believe we want to promote the fact that we are doing what's right for the environment, not just what looks good.

 

This Thursday night will involve an interactive examination of the book of Daniel, chapter 2. This study will reveal how today's headlines have their parallel in an ancient past and offer hope for families and communities in the midst of ever increasing crises. DATE: Thursday, May 13 TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: Java Flow Coffee House 207 Washington Street NE Olympia, WA 98501 Sincerely, Scott Edwards Assistant Director Liberty of Conscience Preservation Council (360) 402-1154

Please join us Saturday afternoon, April 3, for a public disclosure of how the collapse of Communism in the East set the stage for a future financial scenario for capitalism in the West. You will learn how the current financial markets will be restructured, thus impacting your rights to international trade. DATE: Saturday, April 3 TIME: 2 p.m. LOCATION: Olympia Timberland Library 313 8th Avenue SE Olympia, WA 98501 CONTACT: Liberty of Conscience Preservation Council PHONE: (360) 402-1154 You will discover how this fiscal scenario will escalate to usher in the American Heritage Observance Act that will implicate every U.S. citizen, and consequentially, every citizen around the world. Yet, with such tumultuous forecasts looming, you will experience hope through these financial maelstroms in the follow up public presentations - EXPERIENCE HOPE - Thursday, April 8 at 6 p.m. in downtown Olympia.

Please come to the community discussion tonight on Regulating Wall Street. It's at Traditions Café, 300 5th Ave SE, 7—10 PM. Sharon Fasnacht will facilitate. So far Wall Street has been able to write its own regulations. If we citizens had a say, what regulations would we write? Could we leave the stock market in place and write the rules so that it benefits people in general, not just a few wealthy stockowners? We can deepen our understanding of our economy by looking very carefully at this small aspect of it. Thanks -- Janet Jordan 352-0779

Please join us for a public disclosure of how the collapse of Communism in the East set the stage for a future financial scenario for capitalism in the West. You will learn how the current financial markets will be restructured, thus impacting your rights to international trade. DATE: Tuesday, March 9 TIME: 12 to 1 p.m. LOCATION: State Capitol Columbia Room (seminar entrance is at the corner of Sid Snyder Avenue and Cherry Lane) CONTACT: Liberty of Conscience Preservation Council @ 360.402.1154 You will discover how this fiscal chain of events will escalate to usher in the American Heritage Observance Act that will implicate every U.S. citizen, and consequentially, every citizen around the world. Yet, with such tumultuous forecasts looming, you will experience hope through these financial maelstroms in the follow up seminar Saturday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Olympia Timberland Library.

Don't forget to come to this talk tonight, a presentation by Dr. Peter Dorman for anyone wanting to know more about our economy and how it works (or doesn't work). --- Our economic system assumes unlimited resources and unlimited economic “growth.” But the real world has limits. How does this contradiction play out, and how does public policy address the issue? --- The talk is at Lincoln Elementary School (cafeteria), 213 21st Ave SE just off Capitol Way, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Also showing the movie "Home." --- Event Number One in the GREEN ECONOMICS SERIES presented by the Green Party of South Puget Sound. All welcome.

Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010

Location: The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street

Economic Survival Fair: 10AM to 2PM

Help with taxes from 9AM to 3PM

original size photo: Volunteer Center Economic Survival Fair

More info at the Volunteer Center