Comments on Advance Indiana™: Star Continues Pre-K Propaganda

Bottom Line: Education is a STATE ISSUE to be pai...

2014-08-29T00:40:39.173-05:00

Bottom Line: Education is a STATE ISSUE to be paid for by The State of Indiana.

(See The State Constitution)

Why Ballard is pushing for this is obvious...it's not for education, but for his self-serving interests. He says it's for pre-K but it's really to divert to more BIKE LANES IN BROAD RIPPLE and CRICKET FIELDS! It's an obscene abomination!

I'm not sure that I follow your reasoning. Pay...

2014-08-27T15:24:25.520-05:00

I'm not sure that I follow your reasoning. PayPal contributions are no more public than a list of the Star's paid subscribers, or probably less so since Gannett likely sells information about its subscribers to bulk information gathering companies.

The problem with giving you money is that your Pay...

2014-08-27T14:04:53.731-05:00

The problem with giving you money is that your PayPal contributors list becomes an enemies list and an easy blacklist.

Freedom of the press doesn't count for much in Indiana.

You might consider adding staff or opening the page to contributors, in a local version of HuffPo.

There you go, Pete. I would settle for PayPal. don...

2014-08-27T13:36:28.082-05:00

There you go, Pete. I would settle for PayPal. donations from time to time.

Let's pool those saved subscription dollars fo...

2014-08-27T12:43:33.187-05:00

Let's pool those saved subscription dollars for an Advance Indiana billboard campaign; something like

AdvanceIndiana.com

"Journalism reborn, in the vacuum of a dying Star."

or

"Oh the inanity!"

I cancelled my subscription to the Star when the p...

2014-08-27T09:35:44.046-05:00

I cancelled my subscription to the Star when the paper started requiring Facebook registration for commenting. The comments from the public died, which was Gannett’s plan, but I found them the most interesting part of the newspaper experience. I would read the print version of the paper over coffee. Then during the course of the day I would return to the online version and read the comments to gauge public opinion on the issues of the day. When they required Facebook registration to post comments the comments mostly died off. I remember when a Tully editorial would get more than a hundred comments. Now, just a couple. Sad. No more tips. No more public sentiment. No more righteous indignation. The paper’s most interesting feature died for me. I understand the argument that the newspaper is a business with the right to have comments or not. But for me freedom of speech in the internet age means a big daily print newspaper with an online edition that includes anonymous public comments. Gannett management just felt out of control with the inability to stop the trolls, but regular readers skimmed over all that anyway. Now its hard to gauge public reaction in real time. Personally I think the city has no business funding pre-k education when it can’t afford to hire police or fix potholes or tear down blight. We already pay enough taxes for education. This mayor has been making missteps everywhere. Why trust him on this pre-k business? I want him to cancel the new justice center. That’s completely out of control. And Tully is entertaining, but I remember him swearing that downtown was safe then getting mugged right off the circle. He’s often wrong on things that matter. The city needs to fix the ROC and Washington Square debacles before it tackles the stamping plant.

Kindergarten and especially pre-kindergarten are j...

2014-08-27T08:34:42.276-05:00

Kindergarten and especially pre-kindergarten are just state-run daycares. The only reason a government would ever intrude on something so costly, demanding and expensive is to create cradle-to-grave brainwashed citizens.

Quick side bar on the declining readership of The ...

2014-08-27T08:18:04.053-05:00

Quick side bar on the declining readership of The Star. I cancelled my two day a week subscription right after The Star had a big front page article on Exorcism earlier this year. I received phone calls and letters asking me to reconsider my cancellation. The main selling point - I would miss the advertisement deals.

The Pre-K Propaganda follows a well known template for The Star Readers.

The Shadow Government made up of Politicians, elected and appointed and the Crony-Capitalists make a behind closed doors decision to pursue some Scheme. The Scheme could be a new Stadium, or some other some other subsidy - Direct or Indirect- for the Corporate Chosen Ones.

The Star will float the Ideas surrounding the New Scheme. The Star Columnists will then print their own favorable Reviews of the Scheme.

Next "Guest Columnists" will have printed in The Star their own favorable Reviews of the Scheme.

More Columns will follow and "News Articles" that favor the New Scheme. Repeat- Repeat-Repeat.

Those who oppose the Scheme will not be given a voice. Opposition is dismissed or vilified.

Then we will have the Editorial in favor the New Scheme. The Editorial will try to convince you that all the Smart People or Important People are Gung Ho on the New Scheme.

Just as The Star Editorial says: "A broad coalition of leaders in the business, nonprofit and academic sectors has already embraced the mayor’s proposal."

Where are the Tullys enrolled in daycare?

2014-08-27T08:00:36.913-05:00

Where are the Tullys enrolled in daycare?

I assume you are trying to be facetious, anon. 7:0...

2014-08-27T07:49:43.333-05:00

I assume you are trying to be facetious, anon. 7:08. Nobody is questioning Lilly's value as a corporate citizen. It's not their role, however, to dictate how our city tax dollars are spent, particularly when it's something that isn't even the responsibility of city government. If they want to use their State House lobbyists to lobby for more education dollars for pre-K education, have at it but don't be trying to redirect our limited local revenue resources when city government is already failing at tending to basic city services.

yup, the sooner we tell Lilly to pack up and get o...

2014-08-27T07:08:49.050-05:00

yup, the sooner we tell Lilly to pack up and get out of Dodge, the better off we'll be - what have they ever done for us anyway?

Gary is RIGHT-ON! The City-County Councilors in...

2014-08-27T06:48:43.288-05:00

Gary is RIGHT-ON!

The City-County Councilors in favor of this propaganda have been trying to schmooze the police by attending their work meetings. Why has City email, now city employee mandatory meetings had MANDATORY INDOCTRINATION SESSIONS by The Mayor's supporters???? Is that legal?

Bottom line: Education is a State issue, not for local funding.

The proposal does not provide sustained funding, which means any police hired would likely lose their job after 5 years....and the school districts would not be able to have funding.

Want to see our farm kids in Franklin & Decatur Township not get education because their districts eliminate transportation???