I happen to love Fox News Sunday’s round table discussion because they have both Fox and NPR analysts who may disagree, but seem to get along personally. I love Mara Liasson because she comes across as fair not fearing to agree with conservatives or liberals. However Juan’s remarks about Michelle were quite off mark and it was O’Reilly who came to her defense. I don’t blame NPR for being upset with him over that. It was a personal attack.

This has been a power play from all sides. The bill should have come from the economic team not the political teams of both Repubs and Dems. School construction should have been a given!!! It creates jobs and is desperately needed.

Belinda, Please be fair. Check the time of your 2nd post. You “clarified” after I posted my comment. Do you have any facts that prove he personally did not believe in the Holocaust?? He made the decision to reinstate that bishop based upon the advice of his conservative advisers. This may be the best thing that has happened because it will open his eyes to those who wish to bring the church backwards instead of forward.

I think the Pope was ill-advised when he lifted the excommunication. And, this firestorm is probably the best thing that could have happened because it will once again put the spotlight on those Catholic clergies who should no longer be part of the church. Belinda, I am surprised by your assertion too.

Interesting to read some of these negative comments eg: Obama’s lack of experience…… This is new territory and not to have “hope” is really put forth the same negativity that people always had against Obama before he was elected. I agree that we can no longer think in terms of party loyalty or philosophy. The Conservatives and Liberals have both been wrong on the economy.

My maternal grandmother was the best!! And she got along so well with my dad that he considered her his mom too. My own mother could be difficult, but if she had her own quarters, it would be fine. She was a great at being a grandmother (not as judgmental) and my nieces and nephew miss her each and every day. The Obama girls I bet adore their grandmother too. Obama has a great relationship with her. And it gives Michelle a break to do the things she has to do without worrying about her kids.

Of course money is an issue as long as it’s spent correctly and without the red tape. We need new schools for many reasons—overcrowding being number one. What message does it send to students when their own classrooms are falling apart?? Congress has to allow for new school construction if we are to service the future of America.

Well too many people believe his PR about how he has improved schools. The truth is, it’s all test prep and little read education. His ultimate goal is to destroy public education and create more charters. Yet many charters are having difficulties. Teachers are leaving and KIPP now wants to unionize.

I received an email alert from you, so you obviously were directing your comment at me. Why should I now have to paste it?????

As of now it is under mayoral control. The system started to suffer back in the 70s after our first budget crisis. Schools were left in disrepair. And, when dealing with bureaucracies, there is always so much red tape before a simple repair can take place. Thankfully our union fought many of these dangers under the Safety provisions, so some repairs were made. But others were fought by the chancellor. Then overcrowding became an issue. There were not enough desks, chairs or textbooks for many students, and some schools couldn’t afford to buy new ones. So along came the “temporary” trailers. They took up space in the schoolyard making it impossible for kids to have a decent recess. There was a time when school budgets had to be agreed upon by a committee of parents, teachers and the principal. Some principals managed to co-opt these committees and now under the mayor, the rules for consensus were dropped. People like to put the blame on teachers yet they seem to forget that many unscrupulous principals play around with the budget to hire friends and pay for things teachers don’t find necessary. Yet they have no qualms about cutting out art and music programs. Bloomberg has spent major millions on technologies that do not work. Millions were also spent on consultants rather than students. Bloomberg wanted to build a sports stadium in Manhattan but the public outcry stopped that. He did however build 2 new baseball stadiums that may not see any tax revenue for many years to come. He called for a new school to be built on a toxic site siting that the levels were no longer dangerous. Yet he gave charter schools prime locations. http://www.nydailynews.com/nydn/form/searchResults.jsp?q=schools+with+dangerous+conditions&site=news|boroughs|sports|entertainment|latino|gossip|lifestyle|money|opinions|travel&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&output=xml_no_dtd&client=nydn&access=p&sort=date:D:L:d1&start=0&sa=N&filter=0

It was a very twisted comment to make especially when the subject is children.

Amazing how respectful I try to be in my comments only to be met with this sh*t.

These facts just get more disgusting each and every day.

So if not a year for a job, when?? Unemployment insurance only lasts so long. And what about health insurance. Individual cobra payments are more than $600 a month. My sister who was a receptionist and recently laid off can’t afford that. NYC schools are so run down that maintenance is no longer an issue. People who work in nice offices can’t imagine working in buildings where the ceilings are falling, walls are cracking, creatures are crawling and no soap or water in the washrooms. Every time I see a movie with 15 kids in a classroom still sitting in rows, I cringe. Hollywood, TV and commercials have it wrong unless it’s some very affluent school district. School libraries are being turned into classrooms. Teachers no longer have a lunchroom because all space including halls and closets (I kid you not) are being used for small group instruction. Health and school construction are issues Repubs should be supporting. I am not against a reduction in payroll tax or business tax (as long as no other loopholes exist). The truth is no one really knows the answer, but to hold this bill up is a crime. Let it run and give it a chance. Make it a living document that can be altered. Allow all homeowners including those who used the prime rate the opportunity to refinance under the new rates. I really think as more people are laid off with no way to afford medical insurance, Repubs will lose this battle.

Andrew Cuomo is seeing a great political opportunity and one that works for him and the public. I don’t buy the opinion that many talented people will leave if they don’t get their bonus. Where would they go?? Japan??? This is more about their not being able to make the payments for their fancy apartment, cars, private schools, and other perks. If they are in the business of making risky investments, then they have to accept the consequences when they don’t make the big bucks. Bonuses can be made a part of the stimulus package when these institutions actually help do something positive for the economy rather than their pocketbooks. The growth of the US economy should be the new incentive for these guys. Shouldn’t patriotism play a big part in this?