Kevin Gaughan is certainly to be applauded for his efforts to improve local government. But as I wrote below in the “GOVERNMENT SIZE” piece, the problem is not merely and simply quantitative. It’s not just a matter of how big in number government is. At least if there was some convincing argument that less government officials is qualitatively better government process, then Gaughan’s efforts may be more justifiable. If this is just about saving money, I don’t feel this is a sufficiently strong reason for “downsizing.” It simply plays into the ideological hands of the power elite who want to reduce all measures of value and reasonableness to the bottom line and all discussion to the mystifying language of economics.
Also, obviously I think, in Niagara’s situation it is generally a good idea to consider tax reduction across the board. But that’s just the beginning of understanding what’s going on. I don’t pretend to understand all that’s going on in the County let alone the Country, but certainly oversimplifying doesn’t help the situation. As Einstein once said: “Everything should be understood as simple as it is but no simpler.”
Gaughan is wise to resist the attempts of the Golisano money-machine to instrumentalize his grass-roots efforts misguided though it may be. Gaughan seems to be nobody’s tool. Of course that may not stop Golisano from turning the issue into his tool if not Gaughan himself. And it would be a waste of anybody’s time to try to stop him. All we need to do is see through such transparently parasitic efforts.
I still feel that, on the positive side, the unconscious tendency to move toward increasing the size of government is a distorted effort to acquire authentic and empowered representation. The logic of progressive increase in the size of government could be driven by the desire to move toward that kind of populist communitarian self-representation in which pure democracy becomes possible. This would empower us locally and make it possible to raise the issue of re-federalizing the country.
At least in our mass democracy, pure democracy is not possible. Pure democracy may be possible in a mass democracy. I just can’t imagine what such a mass democracy would look like, at least one that worked.
So this whole “downsizing” craze is pennywise in that it may save some tax money but pound foolish in that it distorts the issue and prevents a meaningful discussion and real solution to the degradation of democracy in America.
Larry, nice piece. But we need to start cutting back somewhere. Maybe not in numbers but how about perks, do they need cars, phones, etc. The all time worse things are all the law suits, lawyers, conflict lawyers, you can't blow your nose with out being sued. Contract fixes because of leaked information from friends in high places.
ReplyDeleteCan you answer one question? I thought Gerrymandering was against the law, is it now legal?
Hey Joe,
ReplyDeleteYeh, I agree that there is a need for cutbacks. I agree about the perks, lawyers, especially conflict attorneys. In the past I’ve suggested cuts in administrators in the schools, most of which are managers trying to engineer ‘success’ in an educational system in deep, deep crisis. NCCC administrators are somewhat similar. They end up being business managers when they should be educational leaders and innovators. The present administration at N-trip is also a hitman for the Board of Trustees trying to destroy the faculty union and eliminate full-time faculty. This is a perfect example of penny wise/pound foolish. You can’t run a college on part-time faculty. I personally would be willing to increase my administrative work load if they got rid of full-time administration. They are pariahs on authentic education. And the present administration is in the process of destroying all sense of collegiality and morale at the college. Fools one and all.
I’m not really sure about the answer to the gerrymandering question. It certainly seems that it’s an illegal and unjust practice in the strict sense. I fear there are ways around the letter of the law such that redistricting can occur to achieve power gains while not technically being gerrymandering. And as far as the spirit of the law goes we can't kid ourselves that anyone has any concern for that anymore.
While don't you just say it – you’re for bigger establishment.
ReplyDeleteI know you’ve love to cut some of the GOP out of the County but that where it ends.
Keep our unions!
Don’t touch tenure!
And best yet, let’s have the professors run the college - I’m sure that will be a success.
Part-time teachers are nothing new – I saw this when I was an undergrad. It easier to normalize your human resources; this allows for flexibility – you can meet a short term demand spike while ensure fiscal responsibility down the line.
Getting back to your idea of having the professors run the college. Please put a white paper together, you may be on to something here. Hey when’s the last time you published anything?
This could sweep the academia.
We could safe money if we introduced more computer based learning. I know this would not work for everyone or for every subject but I believe that some classes could be self-pace software based. Technology is our friend lets use it.
ReplyDeleteHow about "distance learning".
ReplyDeleteProfessors from say India can lead a class real time through a telecom link up.
I heard these folks are 1/3 the cost and these savings can be passed down to the student.
Don't force the student into the distance learning class just adjust the costs appropriately and allow the consumer to decide.
I do teach 3 of my courses online, that is, as so-called distance learning courses. I wouldn't want to try to replace face to face learning with distance learning however. I don't believe it can be done. It has it's place but isn't comparable to face to face or in-class learning.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you mean, Anon, when you say I'm for a bigger establishment. Just because I favor tenure to protect freedom of speech in education doesn't mean I'm pro status quo.
I'll say it again: I'm not pro Democrat nor anti-GOP. I consider myself a Populist or sorts. I am pro-union although I think that the larger unions have been coopted by a much too comfortable relationship with transnational capital. And they probably have compromised the quality of labor.
Probably institutionalized tenure in the high schools has been counterproductive. I don't believe that's the case at the college level. Most college professors believe in what they are doing. It's not just a job.
Unfortunately part-time faculty are not used to meet short-term demands. They are used to replace full-time faculty. Part-timers are themselves mercilessly exploited by administration. Using them is unfair to them, to the college community and to the students. Again this is the same problem as in "downsizing government:" dealing with qualitative issues, namely the quality of education, in terms of purely quantitative measures. It's stupidly one-dimensional, abstract il-logic.
When are you going to start thinking about what is really valuable qualitatively and how we can and should "measure" the quality of our lives by something other than how much money is saved.
The capitalists have you by the balls and you think when they ease they pressure that life is good.
Strange logic!
Who's going to pay for it all?
ReplyDeleteYou should move to France – your public sector mentality would fit in well there.
How will your collage compete if they price themselves out of the market to accommodate your lifestyle?
Last I check NCCC was getting monies from the County – maybe you and your professor friends can develop a plan to spin NCCC off and maintain solvency.
Maybe NCCC will be in the same boat as Delphi or the nursing home in a few years time.
Look at what the Tier I pensioners are doing to the state– they are raping the system and laughing about it.
The time has passed for Tenure and unions in Today’s America. They should pack up their bags and roll up their sleeves to bring the fight to the Eastern Europe and Asia. That’s where the new frontier is, but I’m afraid that the “fat cat” union bosses are not up to the task because of the bloodshed that would be involved.
Let me know when you’re done with your study on revamping the collage’s administration team.
Here a title “Less administration overhead – an alternative to part-time personnel"
Out
Anon.,
ReplyDeleteIf you really believe in the myth that the market and the “private sector” is going to take care of it all, then you remain blind to a “market” that functions to keep the mass of the people, second class citizens and other countries third world countries.
If the “market” is your God as it seems to be, there’s not much anybody can say to convince you otherwise. But why hasn’t the private sector or “market” taken care of the 40 million people without health care insurance 1/3 of whom are people under the age of 65 who have at least one chronic illness. This is pathetic human indifference and really a violation of human rights. Or don’t we have the right to be healthy?
Why does education in this country still remain so obviously unequal. There is a place for the public sphere and public education. It preserves a domain of common concern and discourse. A domain of truth. But to the transnational capitalist New Class, such “truth” is a truth they don’t want us to have a place to discuss and learn about. And you seem to want to support them. What have Bush and Cheney and the war mongering elitists done for you lately.
We will spend 3.2 trillion on a meaningless, incomprehensible, absolutely unjustifiable war with tax money of which a significant amount will come from impoverished Niagara County, and you’re worried about supporting quality education for our own people.
Strange values. I think you’ve been duped by the capitalist ideology of free market salvation.
Larry,
ReplyDeleteStay on the subject - leave the war asside for now.
And thank you for making my point for me.
Specifically, you ask the question, “Why does education in this country still remain so obviously unequal.”
That’s easy, its the cost, and part of the problem is your unwilling to use part timers, offshore resources and/or other technology to make education more affordable to the masses.
You complain about the bigger picture – but you overlook your role in the mess, so you sir are a big fat hypocrite.
out
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"That’s easy, its the cost, and part of the problem is your unwilling to use part timers, offshore resources and/or other technology to make education more affordable to the masses."
Anonymous,
Exactly what offshore resources are you talking about when it comes to education? Technology? What kind are you talking about?
Do you work for a technology co and want to promote your business? I don't understand your point.
Today in the news there is an article on how many kids actually graduate in 4 years v.s. 5 or 6 years. Look at the demographics of the areas with the 80+ graduating in 4 years. You see the $$$ sign? You see the demographics?
I suggest you consider the REAL problem with poverty and lack of jobs instead of blaming teachers who in most part are doing their job on a shoe-string budget. Many of them use their own money for the kids on various projects, etc.
By the way, I'm not a teacher.
Why don't you fight for 50% of the revenue from the casino slots for WNY instead of beating up the hard working teachers and the union.
Anon.,
ReplyDeleteActually, you are the one off the subject. The original subject of this piece was “reducing the size of local government.”
But if you want to talk education, fine. But your explanation for inequality in education is absurd. As I’ve pointed out before, everything problematic for you is because of cost and the solution is reducing cost. I’m not even sure you are serious.
But your logic doesn’t explain anything. It’s like saying the Devil is responsible for all evil in the world.
It seems your only agenda is some sort of Republican inpired cost-cutting crusade, a one-dimensional political panacea.
Your only other agenda seems to be an attack on any vision of culture inspired by anything besides commercialism and consumerism.
Reducing the standard of living to virtual poverty for the middle class teachers of America is not part of the solution to the big picture. And expecting a good salary is not part of the problem. What is hypocritical about expecting a good standard of living? Mother Teresa’s lifestyle is not my standard nor vision of contribution to society. I don’t buy into the stupid starving artist vision of creative contribution to my community. That is purely capitalist-christian propaganda to keep people believing it is virtuous to be poor. Bullshit.
The war in Iraq is directly and immediately relevant to inequality in education. It’s so obvious and simple. Let’s take several billion if not a trillion of that war wastage and train and hire teachers. There’s you solution, my anonymous critic. If you were not blindly committed to our very vicious American anti-intellectualism, you could see that.
Larry you should move to France - you would be happier there
ReplyDeleteJudith,
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you are talking about - whats your point, you are all over the place.
I don't hate teachers - I just believe that the cost of higher education is too expensive.
Why should the Casino be resposible for funding education?
I bet you believe the oil companies should make no profit as well.
You are lucky to be living in NY state - I don't think you could cut it in Ohio.
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