Why is New York State Public Education continuing to neglect the American Consumer? The growth of the American Economy depends upon the American Consumer. The recovery from our current financial crisis depends upon the American Consumer. Poor decisions by the American Consumers
were the major cause of the current financial crisis. Why then do the New York State Public Schools refuse to teach consumer education to students who will become American Consumers?
This neglect is simply the unintentional consequence of a well intended tunnel focus on math and science. The New York State Education Department had a Bureau of Business and
Distrubutive Education dedicated to the improvement and promotion of
industry and personal use business programs in the public schools
throughout the State. Popular courses like Business Law and
Typewriting were taken by many college entrance students as well as
those planning to enter the work force upon graduation.
In 1980, funding emphasis was placed on Math and Science neglecting
Business Education until shortly after the 21st Cenury when the Bureau
of Business Education was completely eliminated; the Bookkeeping,
Business Law and Secretarial courses were moved up to the Community
College Programs; and Consumer Education couses became almost non
existent in the Public Schools Curriculums. The unintentional
consequence is the sad fact that the nearly 40% of the students that do
not go on to college have no basic training in business skills for
entry level jobs or to cope with the challenges they must face to
survive as consumers. Another unintentional consequence is that those
going on to college that do not take business courses must also face
the survival challenges of a consumer without the necessary business
skills; especially the knowledge of vital consumer laws.
Consumer law is essential for every consumer to successfully, manage their personal business affairs. Even at the minimum salary range, the average consumer makes over a million dollars in a lifetime which they must manage to survive. One of the major causes of the current credit crisis was the lack of consumer business skills resulting in failure to honor binding contracts that the consumer could not afford. An educated consumer is not only good for the consumer, it is good for the country.
It is the responsibility of public school education to prepare students with the basic skills to manage their personal business affairs as well as become a productive part of the national economy. Over emphasis on one aspect of society creates an imbalance that is harmful to all of society. We don't have to rebuild the "teter toter" to correct the situation, we simply have to move some weights. One very simple but most helpful move might be to add Consumer Law to the mandated curriculum for all high school students.
(Perhaps advanced placement courses for college credit could be more properly postponed until college as these courses might only be useful and helpful to those going on to college, allowing colleges to fulfill their responsibility and the high schools to fulfill their responsibility)
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
REALITY CHECK FOR NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
In the 1960's and 70's, the New York State Public Schools Programs met the needs of the times. Grade school programs helped students to develope skills in the "3 R's" and prepared students for high school. High school programs further developed the "3 R's" and further prepared students for college;, as well as addressing the then critical needs of the time, preparing students for entry level jobs in business, and personal use business skills to help all students to survive in our economically oriented society.
The New York State Education Department had a Bureau of Business and Distrubutive Education dedicated to the improvement and promotion of industry and personal use business programs in the public schools throughout the State. Popular courses like Business Law and Typewriting were taken by many college entrance students as well as those planning to enter the work force upon graduation.
In 1980, funding emphasis was placed on Math and Science neglecting Business Education until shortly after the 21st Cenury when the Bureau of Business Education was completely eliminated, the Bookkeeping, Business Law and Secretarial courses were moved up to the Community College Programs, and Consumer Education couses became almost non existent in the Public Schools Curriculums. The unintentional consequence is the sad fact that the nearly 40% of the students that do not go on to college have no basic training in business skills for entry level jobs or to cope with the challenges they must face to survive as consumers. Another unintentional consequence is that those going on to college that do not take business courses must also face the survival challenges of a consumer without the necessary business skills; especially the knowledge of vital consumer laws.
The noble goal to prepare all students for college is unquestionably wise but also unquesionably short sighted. New York State Public School Education is neglecting nearly 40% of the New York State Public School Students. BOCES, the extremely expensive attempt to provide vocational education does nothing to counter the consumer education problem and falls far short of meeting the needs of the great number of students that do not go on to college.
New York State is not alone in this neglect of Consumer Education. It was federal funding that promoted the sole emphasis on Math and Science thus causing the neglect of Consumer Education as an unintentional consequence. Some educators believe that this unintentional consequence was one of the root causes of the current credit crisis.
A simple solution to help solve one of these problems would be to include a course in Consumer Law and possibly another in Consumer Economics in the Public Schools Curiculums for 15 and 16 year olds, reaching the dropouts and also the graduates that do not go on to college as well as the college entrance majors for they will become consumers too. This will not solve all of the problems in education, but to do less would be to continue criminal neglect.
The New York State Education Department had a Bureau of Business and Distrubutive Education dedicated to the improvement and promotion of industry and personal use business programs in the public schools throughout the State. Popular courses like Business Law and Typewriting were taken by many college entrance students as well as those planning to enter the work force upon graduation.
In 1980, funding emphasis was placed on Math and Science neglecting Business Education until shortly after the 21st Cenury when the Bureau of Business Education was completely eliminated, the Bookkeeping, Business Law and Secretarial courses were moved up to the Community College Programs, and Consumer Education couses became almost non existent in the Public Schools Curriculums. The unintentional consequence is the sad fact that the nearly 40% of the students that do not go on to college have no basic training in business skills for entry level jobs or to cope with the challenges they must face to survive as consumers. Another unintentional consequence is that those going on to college that do not take business courses must also face the survival challenges of a consumer without the necessary business skills; especially the knowledge of vital consumer laws.
The noble goal to prepare all students for college is unquestionably wise but also unquesionably short sighted. New York State Public School Education is neglecting nearly 40% of the New York State Public School Students. BOCES, the extremely expensive attempt to provide vocational education does nothing to counter the consumer education problem and falls far short of meeting the needs of the great number of students that do not go on to college.
New York State is not alone in this neglect of Consumer Education. It was federal funding that promoted the sole emphasis on Math and Science thus causing the neglect of Consumer Education as an unintentional consequence. Some educators believe that this unintentional consequence was one of the root causes of the current credit crisis.
A simple solution to help solve one of these problems would be to include a course in Consumer Law and possibly another in Consumer Economics in the Public Schools Curiculums for 15 and 16 year olds, reaching the dropouts and also the graduates that do not go on to college as well as the college entrance majors for they will become consumers too. This will not solve all of the problems in education, but to do less would be to continue criminal neglect.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
THE CORPORATIONS AND THE NATIONAL DEBT
The Supreme Court determined the Corporation to be an "artifical person declared by law." subjecting it to personal income tax which obviously was of great benefit to the Government, but the unintentional consequence of this act may have caused the creation of an artificial economy based upon an artificial certificate of wealth called money that may be one of the causes for the current financial crisis.
The very first economy was a consumer economy supported by the supply of natural bounty from the earth. As civilization advanced, humans took private ownership over the products of the earth and a Supply Side of the economy rose up to satisfy the needs and wants of the consumers. The producers were also consumers and the consumers had to be producers or producer support as well. The more one produced, the more one could consume. A medium of exchange was established to facilitate this exchange and keep track of individual production and consumption.This medium of exchange (money) became the standard of value.
The idea was to produce as much as you needed and wanted to survive. Free business enterprise came into the picture with the profit motive and gave the incentive to produce more and more. Some areas of civilization became more prosperous than others and some individuals became more prosperous than others within the areas. Individual and group competition became the way of life.
The system was ideal, giving individuals wealth to consume in proportion to ones production. In a free society, individuals could choose what and how they wished to produce and what and how much they could consume based upon their contriubution to the society. On a "cash basis" this system appeared to be as perfect as a system could be. However, with credit, consumers could consume more than they could pay for and the imbalance of production and consumption caused problems. The result was an over supply which caused the system to bog down.
The artificial persons (the corporations) had expanded to the point where they became mini-economies in themselves, supporting large numbers of consumers, and their "bog down" with over production also cut back on the consumer action, adding to the imbalance thus accerbating the problem.
Powerful supply side advocates pushed for more production with the notion that more production would result in more tax revenue to revive the economy. This would of course help unproductive consumers with basic needs through government aid but would also add to the over productive imbalance and postpone any recovery.
The mass production frenzy also brought with it mass corruption and mass waste. The artificial person was out of control. This senario was duplicated in various segments of the sociaty in various ways. Some lending institutions gave out money that borrowers could not pay back. Some insurance institutions insured for losses that they were unable to cover. Some individuals spent money that they did not have and could not afford.
The answer is very simple; it is the same for the Government, for Business and for the Individual. A Balanced Budget! This is accomplished simply by "living withing one's means," or only spending money that you have and can afford. (Refer to the American College Press publication, "Blue Print for Success in Business") The problem is How to Balance the Budget with an enormous debt. Here are some suggestions to consider:
Focus on corrption and waist. Give bonuses to whistle blowers and suggestions for savings and elimination of waste.
Eliminate unnecessary services. Encarceration only for those that are a threat to society. Fines for convictions.
Review compensation for public employees (including elected officials) receiving perks and amounts over basic pay scale.
Make necessary changes to eliminate padding of retirement benefits and overtime pay.
Review all costs that do not reduce tax paying personnel for reduction or elimination. Review entitlements for possible reduction of higher end payments.
Increase taxes on income above 250,000 with graduated rates.
Print money to pay on debt. This will cause some inflation and raise in prices but raise of minimum wage would ease the burden on the lower
income bracket.
As a last resort, enact a temporary federal luxury sales tax to be used only for the debt reduction
The very first economy was a consumer economy supported by the supply of natural bounty from the earth. As civilization advanced, humans took private ownership over the products of the earth and a Supply Side of the economy rose up to satisfy the needs and wants of the consumers. The producers were also consumers and the consumers had to be producers or producer support as well. The more one produced, the more one could consume. A medium of exchange was established to facilitate this exchange and keep track of individual production and consumption.This medium of exchange (money) became the standard of value.
The idea was to produce as much as you needed and wanted to survive. Free business enterprise came into the picture with the profit motive and gave the incentive to produce more and more. Some areas of civilization became more prosperous than others and some individuals became more prosperous than others within the areas. Individual and group competition became the way of life.
The system was ideal, giving individuals wealth to consume in proportion to ones production. In a free society, individuals could choose what and how they wished to produce and what and how much they could consume based upon their contriubution to the society. On a "cash basis" this system appeared to be as perfect as a system could be. However, with credit, consumers could consume more than they could pay for and the imbalance of production and consumption caused problems. The result was an over supply which caused the system to bog down.
The artificial persons (the corporations) had expanded to the point where they became mini-economies in themselves, supporting large numbers of consumers, and their "bog down" with over production also cut back on the consumer action, adding to the imbalance thus accerbating the problem.
Powerful supply side advocates pushed for more production with the notion that more production would result in more tax revenue to revive the economy. This would of course help unproductive consumers with basic needs through government aid but would also add to the over productive imbalance and postpone any recovery.
The mass production frenzy also brought with it mass corruption and mass waste. The artificial person was out of control. This senario was duplicated in various segments of the sociaty in various ways. Some lending institutions gave out money that borrowers could not pay back. Some insurance institutions insured for losses that they were unable to cover. Some individuals spent money that they did not have and could not afford.
The answer is very simple; it is the same for the Government, for Business and for the Individual. A Balanced Budget! This is accomplished simply by "living withing one's means," or only spending money that you have and can afford. (Refer to the American College Press publication, "Blue Print for Success in Business") The problem is How to Balance the Budget with an enormous debt. Here are some suggestions to consider:
Focus on corrption and waist. Give bonuses to whistle blowers and suggestions for savings and elimination of waste.
Eliminate unnecessary services. Encarceration only for those that are a threat to society. Fines for convictions.
Review compensation for public employees (including elected officials) receiving perks and amounts over basic pay scale.
Make necessary changes to eliminate padding of retirement benefits and overtime pay.
Review all costs that do not reduce tax paying personnel for reduction or elimination. Review entitlements for possible reduction of higher end payments.
Increase taxes on income above 250,000 with graduated rates.
Print money to pay on debt. This will cause some inflation and raise in prices but raise of minimum wage would ease the burden on the lower
income bracket.
As a last resort, enact a temporary federal luxury sales tax to be used only for the debt reduction
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