Apr. 29, 2004 - 21:12 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Geez

Article by John J. Sanko of the Rocky Mountain News in today's paper, in part.

Senate OKs personnel system overhaul

"A stalled effort to update Colorado's personnel system was moving again Wednesday after lawmakers reached a compromise over contracting for work outside the U.S."

"Action on the plan had been delayed because of a provision that would have made Colorado the first state to impose a ban on all such contracting -- a move opposed by Gov. Bill Owens."

"The compromise allows outsourcing, but protects personal information of Coloradoans involved in work performed under contracts overseas. That amendment was designed to protect them from identity theft and other problems."

+++++++++++++++

I guess I am really old fashioned and set in my ways, and look at this outsourcing much as I do at Vouchers in the educational system in our country.

I will be one of the first to admit our public education system is ailing. Mainly to my opinion it still is slanted toward people who are well enough off to see that the school their kid goes to has all the goodies possible, while other public schools in the state are dealing with the scraps. And where do the prime teachers go ? To those fancy pants schools of course.

Why not drastically see that the system is fairly used rather than spend public tax money to give vouchers to kids to go to private schools of their choice.

I am looking back to private and religious schools as they were when I was a kid. A kid was entitled to a public school education or their parents paid the tab (which was considerable) to send their kids to a private school. Seems to me that vouchers will kill the public school system rather than help it. I wonder if the people who support the voucher idea realize how expensive it truly is to give a child a private school education ? And how is this voucher system going to work ? Give a kid the entire amount of money to spend on a private school education, or will the so-called upper echelon twist the arms of private schools to give favored rates to low income children ? If they don't do that, how can a child possibly afford to go to private school ?

As far as outsourcing goes it is about the same thing in my mind. Work at the same company for years, until your job is outsourced and you are out. I haven't read of any corporation or state making sure the people who are put out of work are installed in jobs someplace they can make a living wage. Somewhere they have HMO with reasonable co-pays provided. Somewhere to live where they and their families have decent shelter, some adequate finances to buy a decent (low priced) car, income enough to afford groceries and necessary things. I don't mean live high on the hog but have the means for decent survival.

So outsourcing and vouchers seem to have us on a down hill slide. What are we going to do now ? Out source the kids, the sick and the old folks ? Geez . . . . . . . . . .

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