Re: 2016 Election
 

Ask nine out of ten high school seniors in this country who Thurgood Marshall was and they wouldn't have a clue. On the other hand they'd all know where Homer Simpson lives

Re: 2016 Election
 

Sanders is doing as well as he is because Hillary is such a mediocre candidate

Re: 2016 Election
 

OK, I need to restate / clarify my position. I believe 'free tuition at all public colleges regardless of ability to pay' is not a good idea. I think such a benefit should at least be means-tested, so that we are are not giving money to people who can afford to pay for themselves, and I think any such benefit should be focused on 'practical' courses - STEM, basically. I don't think it makes sense to spend tax dollars sending some wealthy kid to study history of art for 4 years.

I think a fairly simple modification to the current loan system is all that is needed.

I also think we should phase out Social Security for high net-worth individuals. Why should someone who has millions in assets still receive social security?

Re: 2016 Election
 

Which tells us that we have a lousy education system, but has nothing to do with free college. High School is already free.

I would probably support another non-liberal position, while we are at it - make it a lot easier to fire teachers based on performance. The teachers unions are far too powerful and are protecting poor performing teachers at the expense of the students. ETA: I would also, however, at the same time find a way to vastly improve the pay that teachers get.

Re: 2016 Election
 

If the Republicans relied more on their version of superdelegates, then they wouldn't have given you Donald Trump to complain about.

In any case, Bernie Sanders isn't a Democrat. If he wanted to run as a Democrat, then it would have helped his credibility among committed Democrats if he had been an, er, Democrat.

Anyway, Sanders is coming in second place. It seems that Sanders fans aren't really interested in majority rule if it goes against them.

It's an arithmetic issue. I wouldn't say that 2+2 could equal 22 just because the idea of that appeals to some people.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Mediocre is a compliment.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Same here with doctors from what I can tell. Some areas have more domestic born doctors then others but higher education is an exapenaive experience here as well. A basic bachelors and your looking at 15k to 20k in debt at graduation.

Short term vocational can be just as bad but with far fewer options school wise.


A basic 1 year medical lab assistant course your looking at 10k unless you live in Vancouver where there is 1 public school that offers it. Around 4k there but a 2 to 3 year wait list.

BC where I am has started to recruit foreign nurses but from the US/UK/Ireland. We currently have a shortage of nurses especially in the specialty nursing where there just isnt enough so only option is overseas recruiting.

Re: 2016 Election
 

My daughter took a four year nursing course at a very good nursing school and got her Bachelor's. It takes perseverance and intense study. There was a high drop out rate during that time mostly because they couldn't hack it and some found that having to dissect parts of a corpse or when getting hands on at a hospital didn't realize how gruesome and unsettling such an environment could be at times and realized a bit late that they didn't have the vocation for it after all.

The Army offered her a commission after she graduated but while having an aptitude for the work she didn't think she had much of a one for military life with it.

She is one of the very few Caucasians amongst the nursing staff at her hospital. Most come from Mexico, South America, the Philipines or Asia and took their training there before arriving in the States

Re: 2016 Election
 

Canada makes it very difficult for foreign trained nurses to work here so we still dont have many. The govt of BC is looseing the requirements a bit but only for the UK/US/Ireland at the moment.

Not likely to see them making it easier for nurses trained in Phillipines or Mexico or such to come and work here.

The nurses union doesnt want an influx of nurses willing to work for less and weaking the unions power.

An RN ranges from low 30s to low 40s per hour, LPNs make a bit less.

Specialties can earn more.

Psychiatric nurses get different training then RNs but make roughly the same.

Nursing programs are ultra competive to get into and most will not get a seat in the program and there are a fair amount of drop outs as well.

RNs require 4 year bachelor of nursing here. LPN I think is a 2 year program.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Re: 2016 Election
 

Old "news". He's backed off from that position a little since then.

Re: 2016 Election
 

In a Democracy a rule which might serve to prevent a horror like Donald Trump from getting the nomination whilst, at the same time, subverting the will of the electorate - is no more desirable than one which might serve to prevent an act of terrorism by denying entry of Muslims to this country.

Both might prevent a nightmare; both are undemocratic.

And how would you have proposed he do that?

Sanders has spent his entire political life in Vermont, a State where party registration is non-existent!
Even if he'd wished to - there's no way to officially register in Vermont as a Democrat.

Despite that, he's caucused as a Democrat for 25 years (since 1991) - first as a Congressman and then a Senator.

The current Democratic Party Rules don't mandate Presidential candidates be registered party members.

When he declared his intention to run as a Democrat the DNC affirmed that his candidacy complied with their rules.

On the contrary - "It seems that Sanders' fans ARE(sic) interested in majority rule"

However, a so-called "majority rule" which is dependant upon Super Delegates in order to attain that majority - is un-democratic!

Super Delegate Power is antithetical to people power.
And by people power I simply mean: 1voice = 1 vote = 'majority rule'

As for 'arithmetic issues' - here's some 'arithmetic'......apparently in the '08 election one Super Delegate vote was equivalent to 10,000 voters individual votes. So yeah....with that scenario your "2+2" can equal 22,000.....

Re: 2016 Election
 

The party is a private organization. It is free to make its own rules. If you don't like the rules of that party, then find a different one that you prefer.

If Sanders wanted to be a Democrat, then he should have become one.

The point is that he's trying to leverage the benefits of a club to which he does not belong, so it is exceedingly naive at best and astoundingly arrogant at worst for anyone else to demand that everyone who has devoted themselves to that party to roll out the red carpet for Sanders when he spent decades avoiding membership.


Yet Patrick Leahy somehow manages to be the Democratic senator from Vermont. Go figure.

As for the math(s), Sanders is already in second place and there aren't enough opportunities left for that to change. The failure to recognize such lousy odds just reinforces the notion that Sanders' diehard supporters have a lot in common with the Tea Party, i.e. a lot of populist enthusiasm but little grasp of the realities of politics or the implications of being a minority faction within a broader political coalition.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Fascinating article by Trump's former communications director. Pretty much confirms that his whole campaign is all about his ego.

http://www.xojane.com/issues/stephan...paign-defector

Re: 2016 Election
 

I found no surprises in that article. :blink: