Instant Message to Marty Griffin

Yesterday, as Marty Griffin of KDKA Radio, AM 1020, was talking on the air with Pgh Public Schools Superintendent, Mark Roosevelt, I sent in a message that he read on the air with some kind remarks. They were talking about the 50-percent grade policy where no assignment can score ZERO. No matter what, 50% is a guarantee. So, the students are getting half credit for nothing.

On the air, Mr. Roosevelt said that there have been some "unintended consequences" of the policy. Some teachers are upset about the allowance of total slackers in the classroom and throughout the semesters.

So, in response, a new committee is being formed to study the situation. It will be made up of teachers and administrators, so reported Mr. Roosevelt.

My comment was that we need to insist that parents be put onto the committee. The parents were left off of the solution according to Mr. Roosevelt's words. These are our kids. These are our schools. Parents need to have input into the operation of the schools.

Today I take the other side of discussion with Marty. I posted to him as he is cring about the failed bailout vote by the US Senate.

Makers of buggy whips and horse-drawn carriages would have been happy to have you (Marty Griffin) pimping for their clutch on the past.

First, they'll still pull off a bailout even without the vote of the Senators. Bailout version 3.0 is sure to come.

Second, new opportunities will spring to life, for sure.

Change is a life fact. Guarantee.

Car dealers will all be gone. So what! Buggy whip dealers are all gone too. Horse stables do not exist in the city any more. There used to be one in our garage on the South Side. No hay sales for feeding the horse drawn carriages while stabled in the city to pull goods around town.

Cars were not part of the landscape in the time of Ben Franklin. But, freedom was. And we want to keep freedom and let the car industry/customers fend for themselves.

What would you have them do? -- asks Griffin.

I'd have the US Senators worry most about freedom and worry less about props to any one industry.

Let's talk about fairness, says Griffin. It isn't fair to have equity -- unless you go to the roots of principles. Don't give to Peter and rob from Paul.