I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Monday, January 2, 2012

Powerball Charter Schools

Here's my awesome plan to fix America's retirement system:

More retirees should play the lottery!

See, there are lots of people who've won the lottery, right? Thousands and thousands! So you can't say there's proof that playing the lottery doesn't work. We just need to make sure that everyone picks the right numbers, and get rid of the tickets that have the wrong numbers.

I'll bet some of you naysayers are thinking: "There's no evidence that the lottery is a good replacement for saving and investing for retirement." Well, by your logic, there's no evidence that saving and investing is a good plan either. I mean, lots of people lose their retirement savings; look at MF Global, or Bear Stearns.

We have a retirement crisis in America, and old people in poverty can't wait. Some can't afford to play the lottery; we need to subsidize them to give them the same choices that wealthy elderly people have. Sure, we should address poverty in the elderly - eventually. But while we gear up to do that, let's invest in lottery tickets so we can save the few winners we can have right now.

It just plain old makes sense, right?

* * *


Here's my awesome plan to fix America's education system:

More students should attend charter schools!

See, there are lots of students who go to good charters, right? Thousands and thousands! So you can't say there's proof that charters don't work. We just need to make sure that everyone picks the right charters, and get rid of the charters that don't do a good job.

I'll bet some of you naysayers are thinking: "There's no evidence that charters are a good replacement for well-funded public schools." Well, by your logic, there's no evidence that well-funded public schools are good for kids either. I mean, lots of kids go to "bad" public schools; look at Trenton, or Newark. 

We have an education crisis in America, and children in poverty can't wait. Some can't afford to go to private schools; we need to subsidize them to give them the same choices that wealthy children have.  Sure, we should address poverty among our young - eventually. But while we gear up to do that, let's invest in charters so we can save the few winners we can have right now.

It just plain old makes sense, right?


Let me show you my diploma...

4 comments:

Teacher Mom said...

Jazzman, you are so Jersey.

Duke said...

Gonna take that as a compliment, TM! ;-)

Teacher Mom said...

It was meant as one. You say so much in so few words. I feel like I ramble on, and say nothing. I love reading your blog.
It also reminded me of the old Jeff Foxworthy joke; "Sophisticated people have investment portfolios. Rednecks play the lottery."

Save Our Schools NJ said...

Duke,

Can you come up with a charter school selection process worse than this one? http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org/2012/01/03/four-glaring-problems-with-new-jerseys-charter-school-approval-process/