Why Good Programs Get Cut From Budget

 It comes as no surprise to me that cuts made by the Trump administration are upsetting many people on the left and the right. Why is it that some programs get cut from a budget and others do not? Why would a wonderful program which goes to such a great cause get defunded? How heartless can people be?

There are many programs out there and when it comes time to make the cut, nobody wants their group of people to suffer. So, let us assume that every single program is a good program, or else why in the world would it have ever gotten a green light to proceed, correct? But if we can agree that we need cuts, let's not decide based on who has the most heartwarming cause or helps the most likable people.

I don't want to throw money in a jar for a program that promises to feed the hungry year after year with literally no established results. So, if we can agree on this, let's look at why a great program might get cut before another program that doesn't sound AS great!

When program cuts are made, the first thing to look at are the goals and objectives of the program. Have they been met? Why make cuts in some programs and not in others? Because programs funded by the people (taxpayers) must perform toward their original promised goals and objectives and prove to be effective based on measurable data. To see what that looks like, note the following example:


Goal

The goal is a universal and idealistic vision. It is a promise to whomever is funding the campaign/project/journey (taxpayers), that it will increase or decrease X by some factor.

Our program goal is to increase productivity in the classroom by 25%. We will do this by implementing a regimented nutrition program in public schools. 

This means that showing a correlation between a regimented nutrition program and an increase in productivity is prudent, right? Fair enough.


Objectives

Objectives are those completed tasks which will impact, in a positive way, the goal. The objectives, once measured, will show the increase or decrease in X, which was the goal.

1. Establish a baseline classroom productivity scale. Word.
2. Make public schools decrease the amount of fatty foods served in their lunch programs. Nobody will complain about this one.
3. Public schools will remove vending machines from cafeterias. Meh, okay.
4. Provide public schools with wheat grass supplemental snacks during recess. OMG, please! But okay, let's see what you got.
5. Conduct an annual classroom productivity survey to measure against the established baseline. Duh!

Measurement of Success

Believe it or not, success doesn't just happen. Accomplishing goals and objectives isn't as straight forward as winning the Superbowl. It's not as concrete as winning a spelling bee.

When there are objectives to meet, those objectives must be measured to show success. Measurable data can either prove or disprove that the objectives had an impact on the goal. So, it is important to collect this data to determine the success of a program.

Are we able to produce the results that will show our program has been a success?

Oh, I'm sorry. Were we supposed to be measuring data somewhere?

CUT!

Don't blame Trump. Blame the program administrators for not producing measurable results!

Please read the following language pulled from the actual Trump budget cuts proposal:

Economic Development Administration ($221 million): The Trump budget says it has "limited measurable impacts and duplicates other federal programs."

Minority Business Development Agency ($32 million): The White House says this minority business incubator program is "duplicative" of other programs in the Small Business Administration.

McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program ($202 million): Trump's budget says the program — a sort of Third World school lunch project — "lacks evidence that it is being effectively implemented to reduce food insecurity."

21st Century Community Learning Centers program ($1.2 billion): The formula grants to states support before- and after-school and summer programs. "The programs lacks strong evidence of meeting its objectives, such as improving student achievement," the budget says.

Community Development Block Grant program ($3 billion): CDBG has been a bread-and-butter funding source for local communities for 42 years, totaling more than $150 billion in grants over its history. "The program is not well-targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results," Trump's budget says.

What cut programs have you puzzled and/or fuming?


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Goodbye Hollywood, I'm off to The Daytona 500!

I look so short without heels on!

Yes, I boycotted the Oscars. Just like I boycotted the NFL, the Grammys, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. I refuse to watch any show which chooses to use its platform for anything other than its intended purpose: entertain everyone while patting themselves on the back for a job well-done. They've all gone political.

Instead, I chose to spend some time with Charles at the Daytona 500 race. I had so much fun and I didn't have to sit around listening to a bunch of Hollywood elites bashing our country and our president. Thank goodness for NASCAR. :P

Unlike these awards shows, I've never even watched a NASCAR race on television, so this was a novelty for me to actually BE there in the stands, taking photos, filming flybys, and drinking beer. Talk about stress-free living and camaraderie. Quit whining and get out there and have some fun with your fellow Americans, and quit listening to this consistent message in the media that everything is going to hell.

You know what? The Daytona 500 sold out of seats this year. Can you say that about any NFL games, including the Super Bowl? I heard the Oscars had the lowest ratings since 2008. Ouch.

Enjoy the photos, and leave me some comments. All are welcome, just be kind to each other!

We had just got on the tractor trolley that took us to the buses.

I have a camera that likes to be creative and it spit this out. 

Outside the stadium before the race.

Getting ready to enter the Daytona International Speedway
stadium for the first time ever.

And here we are!

This is what sold out looks like. THIS is living life and not
whining about politics. Don't give yourself ulcers!

Creative Zoom this is called. Love it.

Waiting to see shit talking and fighting, but it never happened.

One of the better close up photos I took.

Excited crowd.

It was hard to capture photos this clear
when the cars were going so fast!

The side of the track where most of the crashes happened.

We had seats high enough, we could see the backside.

Pit stops were amazing!

My guy, Keselowski in the Miller Lite car! lol

Sun has gone done and we are in the shade....cool out.

The blimp is last because that's when it showed up! Last.

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Raising a Nation - The Working Class

Charles C. Camosy is an associate professor at Fordham University. He wrote an article at The Washington Post to which I responded with a comment that turned into my own article.

This was Professor Camosy’s headline and lead:

Trump won because college-educated Americans are out of touch

Higher education is isolated, insular and liberal. Average voters aren't.

My comment:

Hello Professor Camosy,

I am an educated U.S citizen and I consider myself in the working class, not an elite with an Us vs. Them stance on everything, including political views. During my undergraduate studies, I recall having to complete some rather diverse courses that clearly were designed to make my educational experience a well-rounded one. I'm not sure how Fordham University designs its programs, so I will just explain my experience and how I've managed to change my point of view on many different topics throughout my life, based on my experiences, and not on any prejudices.

From my undergrad studies, the courses that remained with me throughout the years were those which taught me the different world views of others: American Social Problems, Ethnic Literature, and Western Civilization. These courses taught us how to think about and rationalize other viewpoints which were vastly different from our own.

American Social Problems required the student to argue debate topics which went against their personal beliefs, and their grades depended upon thorough research on the pros or cons of whatever topic they were given in their assignments. We had to debate controversial subjects like affirmative action, welfare, abortion, capital punishment, the legalization of marijuana, and the legalization of prostitution.

It was not difficult to make arguments for abortion one week and then two weeks later argue against capital punishment. In this manner, students were encouraged to research the other side of every issue in order to prepare themselves for rebuttal.  It was not difficult to argue one side while my husband played "devil's advocate" to try and make me falter on my assigned position. In this manner, students were encouraged to argue productively and without feeling like they were being personally attacked. After all, it was the professor who made the assignments.

Ethnic Literature provided many articles and essays written by people of all different cultures, including ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. These stories were written by authors who tell of their own culture and from the perspective of one who experiences that culture on a daily basis. Through the lens of others, we as students could experience those same stories as we were encouraged to immerse ourselves in those roles.

I won't go into more, but my point is to share with you why I feel that my educational experience helped me to embrace differences of opinions and to respect those who do not experience the same as what I've had the privilege of learning - back before colleges became havens for sensitive elites. For this reason, when I see college protests such as those happening on campuses throughout our nation, where students are upset because of the outcome of our 2016 presidential election, it leaves me a bit concerned. Has academia been in such a decline that students have not been properly groomed to reason outside the boundaries of its institutions?

I’m not stating these things to be negative. It’s when I see news about students being given therapy dogs because they are so traumatized by this outcome, it does beg the question. Does it not?

Are institutions of higher learning seriously insulating our college students from the real world and are they not preparing them for the larger world view they will need for their future?



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A New Member of My Family - Welcome Macey!

Hello Blogosphere!

I'm so excited to introduce a new member of my family today. But first, I want to acknowledge the end of a very divisive and painful election season.

To some, today is a day of somberness, maybe even despair. To others, it's a day of reckoning and joy.  But either way, it is the first day of another chapter in America. The days leading up to my decision to find Macey were filled with the anxiety of possibly losing America in an election that would make history like no other event in the world. We had the option to choose someone who served 30 years in public office, leading a campaign on steadiness and unity. We also had the option to choose a business man who never held office a day in his life, leading a campaign on cleaning up Washington and rebuilding America. I so wanted change and I was afraid it would not happen. I did my part. I voted.

No matter who you voted for in this election, you remain and will always be my American partners. We are in this thing together, as we were with all Presidents of the past. We will see what unfolds in our future, but I have trust in our political system and I believe hope is around the corner.

With the looming election weighing heavy on my shoulders, I scoured the Internet in search of the one who could make me feel confident and content with my choice, no matter the outcome of the election. When I saw her, I knew she belonged to me.

We had a few names to consider. Those names were carefully bounced back and forth between me and Charles. In contention, Baxter, Dallas, Bella, and Stormy rolled off our tongues.

Looks like a Bella here.

Definitely Dallas.

Stormy is so contrasting to this level of calm.

Baxter is so noble!

In the end, and during the hours that unfolded on election day, I settled on Macey. From the baby names site, and I quote:

People with this name tend to be quiet, cooperative, considerate, sympathetic to others, adaptable, balanced and sometimes shy. They are trustworthy, respecting the confidences of others, and make excellent diplomats, mediators and partners. They are often very intuitive. They like detail and order, and often find change worrisome. They may sometimes feel insecure or restless.

I think in these tumultuous times, I need something like this in my life, and Macey appears in all instances capable of bringing a balance into this family and into my world. What do you think? Comment below!

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My First Ever Demolition Derby

You all know that I'm one to try new things, right? Get ready for this one!

Okay, so I wasn't sure what I was going to experience, but sitting in the stand and watching the showboating, careening of metal, and mudslinging of pure earthly product, was actually a lot of fun. It reminded me that not everything in life that you create must be kept hidden away and protected from damage. The things you create produce no glory if others cannot see it and challenge it with their own creations. 

Here's a 9-minute video of the last heat of the demolition derby. We were up high enough to avoid the assault of flying dirt and debris, but the air reeked of smoke and burning rubber. Somehow, it was nostalgic and comforting.

When was the last time you experienced something for the first time? I guess I need to get out more often.   :)



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A Movement Mainstream Media is Ignoring - Part 3

I checked the media online to try and get some crowd numbers and see if the momentum is still going for the Trump rallies after the WikiLeaks and mainstream media October surprises. Apparently, the people are starting to realize the one-sidedness of the media because the ground game seems to tell a different story.

The first three photos are of the live speech in Ocala, Florida. Ocala is a small town of roughly 57,000 people. At the live event, there were approximately 15,000 people. That means 26% of the Ocala residents showed up to watch the Donald in 85 degree weather!

Just watch the numbers jump on the bottom
right of the screen...

See that jump? Watch for the next one.

These are people watching at work!

26% of Ocala residents showed up at Trump rally.

However, let's look at Orlando, Florida, where the population is roughly 255,000 people. Hillary Clinton held a rally there in December of 2015. A bigger pool of people wouldn't you say? 

You can pack a room tight, but it's not going to
make the crowd bigger!

Look at them, packed in like sardines! 

This is another shot of the Ocala rally for Trump.
The other two thirds are to the right and not in the photo.

This is Mike Pence, and he's only the Vice Presidential
GOP nominee.

This is the Mike Pence crowd at Liberty University. 

The two photos below are other Hillary Clinton rallies with poor turn outs. I'm sorry, but it was really hard to find photos of Clinton's full audiences. 

Granted, she's not speaking yet, but look how
they have it roped off.

That's it, pack em all into a small room so that
we look crowded.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't like how the media tries to influence the public. Aren't they supposed to be unbiased and just report the numbers? Instead, we have to rely on these photographs to tell us what the ground game looks like. 

The polls that come out in the mainstream media show that Hillary Clinton is winning. With the exception of a poll that I took this afternoon. It was the first poll I took that I had to confirm my email address before I could see the results. I know, you're ready to see those results, right? They're at the bottom of this post. But first, some more Trump crowds.

This is what a winning ground game SHOULD look like. 

I know he's unrehearsed and a bit crude, but he's
for sure got a following.

This is a crowd of people who are fed up with the status quo.
Out with the politicians and let's rebuild America!

And now the latest poll results of those folks with confirmed email addresses (real people).

The Movement, Part I

The Movement, Part II

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A Movement Mainstream Media is Ignoring - Part 2

For those who enjoyed this first post on the #movement, I'm adding the crowds of both candidates from their respective rallies in Toledo, Ohio. Hillary Clinton chooses small buildings because she needs to fill to capacity to make a decent crowd. Likewise, Donald Trump must accommodate his larger crowds, so he opts for stadiums, auditoriums, airplane hangars, and runways. This is how the mainstream media keeps the candidates equal. But we know the truth, right? ;)

Trump's crowds are "yuge", believe me.

Don't let the size of the photo fool you. Small crowd.

Likewise, this small photo means nothing. Look at the crowd!!

Please share using the share buttons at the bottom of this post. Thank you all!

The Movement, part III.

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