Its good to know why people are here.
you guys - and gals - who read this do to an extent control it.
The readers control where the discussions go.
Maybe I shouldn't but I have tended to measure how much it is being read by how many comments there are. There may not be a relation there.
I see it as both the spreading of news and discussing of issues, which is opinion.
I dont really see it as the same thing as the newspaper. I do put a lot more opinion in here than I would in the newspaper. I still take the paper more seriously, or think of it as "real" journalism, while this is ... still something else.
There are more controversial issues coming up with the city. They are getting ready to discuss budget. This commission is still in the tax cutting mode - which means cutting expenses.
The philosophical issue is - are they there to save money or are they there to work on quality of life even if it means spending.
You can guess what most of the commission thinks.
Some feel that the city should only be involved in core services - streets, law enforcement, water and sewer.
This should heat up in the next couple weeks.
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24 comments:
while this is ... still something else. It's a blog... your blog and not the newspaper and you are entitled to your opinion. Something the radicals on here do not seem to understand. As for the sports discussions not having as many comments, it is obvious this group of people that come here don't care a lot for sports, or their is not much interest. I have said before that I don't care much for sports. I think one reason I feel that way is because sports always receive more funds and attention in most school districts then the music and arts program do. For instance, I was in Orchestra in high school and the teacher wanted the boys in suits and the girls in dresses that matched. Guess who paid for them? Our parents, not the school. Do the parents pay for the football and baseball uniforms?
But, this is only my opinion!
When I was in high school the sports department brought in enough money to pay for uniforms and other things. There was a fee to get into the games. Concessions sold at the games. Booster events. Other things. The school could afford to do more because the sports brought in enough to pay.
I was also in band. We had car washes, bake sales, chili feeds and other things to pay for our events and our marching uniforms. The concerts were free so we didn't bring in enough money to pay for it, though the school spent thousands of dollars on musical instruments. Band was also a class with other amenities and training. I'm sure that had a good expense as well.
Maybe it's your point of view, but I would say that most of the school groups pay for their own and the school system (our tax dollars) are distibuted evenly.
I guess the most important thing would be how well each is attended. The more popular the program the more contributors. Different towns and different schools each have their own forte whether it is Joplin and their marching band, a wrestling team, a football team, or even like Cowley's great baseball and volleyball teams. The more popular the program the more funds come in from the community to support those programs (without having to raise our tax dollars!)
At a lot of high schools the football program pays for all athletics and some other extracurricular activities.
It is especially true at the college level.
That's why someone like northwest louisiana tech is willing to go to Lawrence and get pasted by KU. They get enough money out of that game to fund the whole year of athletics.
At some schools basketball does that.
Some schools charge students to participate too.
what else is there to say the girls softball team is great and i hope we all agree on that, as for the fellow on the last post crying about no mention of the boys program , why cant the girls have there moment in the spotlight , THEY DESERVE IT
Why don't we concentrate on educating our children so that they actually have social and work skills when and if they graduate. Shouldn't it be more important for our children to be able to read,write and actually have some communication and life skills rather than concentrate on how well they play sports?
houldn't it be more important for our children to be able to read,write and actually have some communication and life skills rather than concentrate on how well they play sports?
Somehow i knew we would find a way to debate :)
having sports, and doing well at them, is not the same thing as concentrating on them.
but wouldn't it be interesting to write about a math competition ... he adds, he divides, mulitplies, scores,...
but really. sports as a great learning tool, and kids are in school to learn.
you learn a lot about life in sports, how to deal with others and all that. and about perseverance, discipline, and teamwork.
also, some "at risk" kids wouldnt even bother to stay in school if it were not for sports.
sports also helps a lot of "at risk" kids get out of their situation and find out how to be a success in the world, instead of perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
i agree that sports can be over emphasized, but it can be under emphasized too.
Actually, it seems that everything that used to be important at the high school both curricular and co-curricular is being deemphasised. Music concerts and plays are performed in front of very sparse crowds, sports crowds are spotty (at the girls basketball substate, there were only two ACHS students in attendance that were not on the team or cheering), students participating in the activities, arts, sports and clubs are at an all time low. Longtime traditions such as Sadie Hawkins assembly are slowly being taken away.
We want the students to really work to do well on national tests so we can hang banners on our walls, but at what price? Do the students have any ownership in the school or pride at being a Bulldog? If you ever attend a game, see how many of the crowd(students or graduates) stand for the alma mater.
That's a good point.
Part of this is due to kids having a lot more options now.
They can get part time jobs. They can play nintendo, or wii, or whatever. Maybe more of them have cars, maybe more money.
So the sports and other extra curriculars are not as appealing.
But I do remember being really surprised when I came to Kansas. I came from South Carolina. High school sports are much more important there.
I used to get to football games or even basketball games, half an hour early just to be sure i could get a good seat.
My first experience was with reading high school sports in the Eagle. Then with living in Winfield for a bit, and then in Arkansas City. I dont think Winfield has any more support than Ark City.
But the crowds here do seem small to me. I was pleasantly surprised at the softball game the other night. There was a good crowd there.
Just changing times I guess?
Kids are in school because the law requires them to be. Granted a large number of them actually want to attend but there is an increasing number of those who don't want to be there and show no effort to learn or want to learn but are passed over for whatever reason. It seems to me that it is more important to teach our children life skill and how to survive in the world than it is to throw a football or bounce a ball.
It seems to me that it is more important to teach our children life skill and how to survive in the world than it is to throw a football or bounce a ball.
Sports teach life skills.
Not to change the subject but I think I will, Gee! James one of the other blogs complained about the Travelers poor reporting skills, and I somewhat defended it. I may have to do a retraction since the article about Walgreens first day! If you have not read it, you should. It makes no sense what so ever. Who is the manager and who is the first customer? That is a perfect example of poor reporting. How do you expect us to believe anything we read? Should we be suspect of all the information printed? Does anyone read these articles to see if they atleast make sense, and somewhat correct?
Let's not get carried away with the sports issue at school. Sports are after school, not in place of. Kids still have to go through the paces of classes, though I'm not sure they have to meet any goals to pass. Kids used to have to meet certain requirements just to be involved in any extra-curricular activities. Is it the same now? Is it possible that the kids in the extra-curricular activities are the only ones (almost) that are learning at school?
There should be some way to find that information. The school must be something more than a babysitter. Our kids are there to learn and move forward both the basics of education and socialization to prepare them for becoming adults and joining the work force.
Schools used to have to issue report cards to explain to parents how their children are doing. Now reports card explain how the schools are passing the children. The schools must come up with a means of communication to show what they are doing to educate our children and what parents must do to help. Nobody should be let off the hook, and both the school and the parents should be held accountable.
Does sports teach them how to get a job, find or buy a house, how to file taxes, how to invest in the future. How to survive during hard times. I agree that sports does promote teamwork and some goal setting but isn't the primary goal to win. The days of just going out for a sport for fun no longer exists. If you are no good but enjoy the sport, you don't play on the team, you set on the bench or the sidelines.
Sports issue - Why are male atheletes going door to door raising money for the team? I was told the money was for their meals at out of town games. When I was in softball, we paid for our own food. What's up with that? Equipment and uniforms are one thing, but why are we supposed to feed them? Where are the parents?
Reporting - I was very confused about the school break in article. Jefferson got thrown in the middle of the story and left me wondering. I did not think this story was clear at all.
I think the government (national, state and local) has become over involved in our daily lives. From what I have seen, if you want to be successful you have to know how to get around them. In a recent family discussion, we noticed how there is a fine line between becoming financially set and ending up in prison. Government should not be so restrictive on those who wish to "get ahead".
This might be a poor example, but look at Sybrant's warehouse on Madison. I was told it is not annexed. I think he is a very successful man who has figured out how to work the system. Perhaps his business would not have survived if he hadn't.
Many times, people work for cash "under the table". This is not always to avoid the IRS. Many times, this is to avoid rules and regulations set forth by government. If a person is on the level and doing things "right", they have to charge much more for the same service or product. I believe this pushes their prices up higher than what corporate America charges and their businesses fail miserably. It's a shame our laws and codes do not help the little guy instead of holding him back.
absolute foolishness
Only the local government changes for business. Owners look to see where they can build or operate the mose efficiently. They might trade higher tax for other convenience like shipping ability or trained work force. Otherwise they look for a variety of things and compare for the best opportunity.
On the other hand, if you didn't have government you wouldn't have a minimum wage. You wouldn't have the other labor requirements. You wouldn't have a police and fire force to provide service.
If you didn't have government who would provide services like water, sewer and garbage? Who would determine where plants could be allowed. Imagine someone wanting to put in a noisy smelly plant right next to your neighborhood.
There are trade-offs, but even the business and manufacturing industries would not give up the benefits of good government.
Sports issue - Why are male atheletes going door to door raising money for the team? I was told the money was for their meals at out of town games. When I was in softball, we paid for our own food. What's up with that? Equipment and uniforms are one thing, but why are we supposed to feed them? Where are the parents?
These ypung people,(men & women)are going door to door, to raise money to help support the teams.
If you haven't raised a teen age athlete, you probably don't know how much they can eat, especialy after playing a double header.
They are offering you a product for your money. If you use the product, you will more than get your money's worth.
If you do not want to participate, politely tell them, "no,thank you.", and they will be on their way.
They are not asking for hand outs or charity.
Not all players have well to do parents who can foot the bills for large team outings, and dinners.
Never the less, these young people show a strong work ethic, they get up in the wee hours of the morning to attend position specific practice, go to school all day, then practice for 2-3 hours after school.
When was the last time you put in 2-5 hours a day in overtime without compensation, or any guarantee that your efforts would be rewarded?
When was the last time you went to a high school or college game that you children or some friend or relative wasn't involved?
They have them on a weekly basis the ball parks and gyms here in town as well as some others that are close by.
Don't complain about not having something to do here, because you have some of the best entertainment from some of the best local players.
They play because they love the sport, but stands full of supporters is their reward, because they sure won't get paid for it, and most won't see a college career, much less a major league career.
Where are their parnts?
Some are hauling these young players to practice, some host cook outs,but most everyone of them is supporting the team, and the players, buy going to games, both home and away.
These parents are fighting four dollar a gallon gas prices, and
taking vacation time, and personal time away from their jobs to support not only thier children, but all of the young people playing, the team.
For the majority,the parents know where their children are, and what they are doing, and if they are out late, it's probably becuse they are comming home from an away ball game that didn't get over till after 9 pm,plus two hours home.
These young people work hard to keep up their grades, so they spend hours at home working to keep up the grades that are necessary to play sports.
By the time they get through with their day, they don't have the time or the energy to get into trouble.
You can bet, I will buy another card,and keep on buying them as long as I can.
life sure is rough now. I wonder how they did it in the old days?
In the old days they had to go outside to go to the bathroom.
I'm trying to relate. In the mid 70's minimum wage was $2.00 per hour and gas went from 70 cents to $1.50 per gallon. Now minimum wage is almost or will be $7.00 per hour and gas is up to $3.70. Wages are 3.5 times higher but gas is only 2.5 times higher. I don't get it. I know you don't want to pay more, but if you earn more someone has to pay the wages.
Compared to the old days when students actually earned the money for their activities, we make more now and the cost of goods hasn't kept up with wages. Of course we are spending a lot on things we didn't have then, better TV's, microwaves, computers, MP3 players etc. So why don't the students still go out and earn it?
There has been a change in lifestyle. Nobody wants to earn anything. Give me, give me, give me. We used to call it begging, but now we call it charity. It's a donation. There were donations, but we didn't ask for them. If we had a car wash or some other event and someone gave us a little extra it was greatly appreciated, but never asked for.
Many things we had to pay for on our own. Our cleats, our meals on the road, insurance (I'm assuming it is still required for athletes), and a variety of other things.
Life has changed. We are a welfare society. What are they going to ask for next? And more importantly who is going to pay for it?
Anonymous said...
I'm trying to relate. In the mid 70's minimum wage was $2.00 per hour and gas went from 70 cents to $1.50 per gallon. Now minimum wage is almost or will be $7.00 per hour and gas is up to $3.70. Wages are 3.5 times higher but gas is only 2.5 times higher. I don't get it. I know you don't want to pay more, but if you earn more someone has to pay the wages.
I think you might have forgotten a few things those triple wages go for besides a gallon of gas.
How about a car that cost $7,000 in the mid 70's, but a comperable one now is in the mid20's.
Maybe you forgot about the house that cost mid to upper 20;s in the 70's, but a comperable home now is 100+.
Maybe gas prices haven't kept up with the wage increases, but everything else has, and if you take a close look, gas prices are catching up.
Remeber when you could send a post card for a penny, or a letter for a nickle? Probably not.
$2.00 in 1970 has the purchasing power of a little over $11.00 today but minimum wage wil only be $7.00.
You do have some great points. They are offering you something for your money (if you actually use them). Also, they do work hard at these sport programs and hopefully are too busy to get in trouble. I do believe sports are important and do teach kids great values they can use later in life. However, they are not a requirement. If a parent can not afford to keep their kids in sports, then perhaps they could take them fishing? It might be cheaper, and the one on one time is great! I honestly do not think the kid would be any worse off.
Are the atheletes not being bused to such events? I don't know as it has been some time since I was in school. Are the parents having to foot the bill to transport them to out of town games? That would get expensive in a big hurry!
When I bought my card, I asked the player what the money was for. They said for their food when traveling. Sorry, but I think that is crossing the line for me. Wouldn't they be eating at home or somewhere if they were not on the road playing sports. I would think this is an expense the parents would incur either way. I know that it is expensive to eat out, but perhaps they could pack a lunch?
You are right. I could just tell them "no thanks". However, it seems to be a hard thing for me to do, and I always seem to give them the money and then ask why.
It just seems that people are knocking on my door a lot more than usual. I guess I'm going to have to learn to say no, or I'll be out beating on doors to feed my own family. Just a few months ago, I had a young man come to my door trying to sell subscriptions for the Eagle. When I told him no, he asked me if I would like to make a cash contribution. I reached in my pocket (foolishly) and gave him a dollar. When I asked him what the contribution was going to, he said he was raising money to go to Six Flags and left.
Yes, I am a sucker.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I see that I'm not a good one to argue this point. Perhaps my situation was not the norm, so I see things differently. My parents never came to my out of town games (or my home games, either). When we went out of town, I either went without food or paid for it with my own money. It never occured to me that our team should be out raising money for such things. I had a job which I worked after practice until midnight. Then, I would go home and do my homework only to get up and be back in class by 8am. I made straight A's, was 2nd chair violin in the orchestra and was a starter on the Varsity softball team. I paid for my own vehicle, bought my own clothes, and went to prom on my own dime. Actually, I don't remember my parents giving me money for anything after I turned 16.
Oh, and just so you know... I still found time to get into trouble. He-he!
Do I think all kids should be raised like this? Probably not. I still haven't finished college and I'm in my mid 30's! I think my self-motivation ran out. Could have used a hand and maybe even a push, I suppose.
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