I'm just sayin'...we should all probably read this Progressive Congress. Caucus Budget:

http://grijalva.house.gov/uploads/The%20CPC%20FY2012%20Budget.pdf

Keep talking about this Rachel. See if you can begin to get Michael Moore, Oprah or Jesse Jackson, among others, to take up the drum beat.

You go girl!

Repubs are liars and corrupt as can be. They "pretend" to be religious, but they are not. They are only using the religious people for thier benefit. They need to make people feel that they really are for them, but, of course, when they get into office they forget their promises to the people who voted for them and go their merry way destroying all those laws they do not like. They are using abortion, Planned Parenthood, etc., to sidetrack people. What they really want to do is hold down minorities from receiving an education because they are afraid of minorities. They are so afraid that they will abolish anything that will get in their way to accomplish their real goals -- the goals they do not talk about. They want a society that will serve them not a society that wants equality and a decent life. Education and unions are two things they dislike intensely, because education gives us intelligence and unions give us labor who demand fair wages for their hard labor. Fair is fair, however, repubs do not play fair. As I said earlier they are liars and corrupt. We do not need them to be our leaders.

The Catherine Ferguson Academy is a wonderful answer for these young women. They are working hard to become good citizens and what are they getting? A put-down by a group of people who do not follow what they preach. As I have said, the repubs in power now are liars and corrupt.

I am wondering if this school would be closed down if it was a school - with the same type of curriculum and expectations - where white males are educating themselves to take care of thier babies?

There is a struggle in this country, not just between the haves and the have-nots, but between the older, set in their ways, group and the young coming up in this country. The twenty somethings are more open, more tolerant, more willing to abandon the "old" way of doing things in this country and embrace new, world-friendly systems. The young have watched corporations eat and then spit out thier parents lives; they've watched them take away the enviroments of natives in other countries because it is more or less banned here; they've seen war, climate change, terrorism (economic, emotional, physical, eco-system, etc.). They are growing up with Michael Moore, James Cameron, Dali Lama and other thoughtful movers and shakers that are spreading the message that, we as a species "are ONE". This, I think, scares the @#@! out of those who think that we are seperate and that the only way to live is dog eat dog and win at any cost to self and others. So they are trying to stem the tide of the younger mindset by pulling out and stamping on anything & everything that empowers the "we are ONE" mindset. Since I am a firm thinker along the "we are One" lines, I will continue to do my part to see that the old regime fails and the new continues to grow.

On Wednesday, April 27th there will be a march/rally in Benton Harbor, Michigan in response to the usurping of the rights and democratic process of their city government and their citizens by empowering a non-elected Emergency Financial Manager to take over the day-to-day operations of Benton Harbor.

We will start at the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce located at 38 West Wall Street and then march to City Hall.

We need your help to get the word out to make this protest huge in numbers.

Thank you,
Heartland Revolution

The worrying part about all the closings, the EFM's and union busting action going on, is that it's going on ALL OVER THE NATION! Every republican governor is doing the same thing! They are all carrying out the take over and nobody is connecting this together as ONE ACTION, ONE AGENDA.

The Handmaids Tale reads like the script for 911 and afterward. It's so close to what actually is happening, it's eerie, very eerie!

I keep saying that we don't have to take it, just because they made a law doesn't mean we have to obey that law or any other unjust, biased, repressive law. They only can rule if we bend to their rules. And that is the rights biggest fear, that the people will rise up and fight back, refuse to be sheeple anymore! They haven't had a chance to put all the things together to control us, enslave us.

Every disaster we have had from the Northridge quake to Katrina and the gulf spill, the Feds have sat back and let the people suffer, struggle to recover and done nothing but watch. No matter how bad or desperately the people needed help of any kind, no help came. FEMA denied money and help until forced to do so, and still do very little and it wasn't by accident. It was to see just how much abuse we would take, how far they can push us before we demand help. This time they are taking over our states, busting unions, passing laws illegally, and doing things that 40 years ago they couldn't have suggested doing without causing a riot. They've worked hard these last 20 years to train us to be subservient and meek-minded. We must be civilized and passive and always, but always fearful of the imagined enemy of the week and terrified of breaking any laws. Every cop show, every law show makes the point we must be obedient or chaos will befall us. Most kids today don't even know what our government is allowed to do or not do, have heard of the bill of rights or understand what a revolution is or that a rebellion can be a good thing for the people. That the only good revolution was our first one and that our government is perfect as it is.

The truth is there is nothing, no cut, no tax increase that can fix our deficit. Even if they took the entire budget and used the money for the deficit it wouldn't make a dent in the trillions owed. If the budget only amounts to a 900 BILLION dollars how could it bring down the TRILLIONS owed on the deficit? IT'S ALL A HUGE, NASTY DECEITFUL LIE. A bone for the people to chew on to distract us from seeing what is really going on and how everybody in Washington is in on the game!

A great piece of journalism. This is a reply to the attacks on our public employees. When we can see the people that are being hurt, show the teachers that do the best they can, show the student struggling to rise above the situation that destroys many, suddenly it is not about union busting or some other political rhetoric.

When we are asked by the right if we want lower taxes remember that this is the cost. Real people in real situations who are being given maybe the last chance at the american dream. It might be food stamps or some other form of help but it makes real differences in all off our lives.

I found the federal budget and a very interesting thing popped up. The Feds are offering $490 million for starting NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS. So whoever opens a charter school gets money. if the money is divided evenly by states, it's a 10 million dollar bonus to the charter schools.
Since these are private owned and run, it makes sense for the governor to work hard to get his hands on this money. With the other money in the education part of the budget the schools should have no money problems this year, they ain't broke, but trying to make it look like they are broke.

In Michigan, the schools were supposed to get THE ENTIRE PROFITS FROM THE STATE LOTTERY. But by the time they nibble off that money the schools only get ONE THIRD OF THE PROFITS. The rest goes for administrative needs and costs! And oddly, even with half the schools in Detroit already closed, the school budget is still in the red. Despite promises that if they closed schools there would be more money. So now we pay for the upkeep of empty schools and kids no longer have schools close enough to walk to, class sizes of 40-60 and facing more closings. To add insult to injury, last week our school dictator sent out pink slips to EVERY TEACHER IN THE SYSTEM, effective in june. He fired all the teachers with no word of what his plan is from here. There are plans on the table to sell the closed schools to, CHARTER SCHOOL COMPANIES. Amazing isn't it? His plan to close all the schools and make them all charter schools will suddenly bring back all the missing money and make the world a better place for our kids to learn in. You gotta wonder who owns or has stock in these charter schools. Bad enough they closed the school cafeterias and got contracts with catering companies owned by the old school board. The food was so bad kids would go hungry rather than eat green hot dogs and slop. It was better when meals were actually cooked at the schools. Michigan has plenty of issues, many leftover from the last republican governor that tried to kill off the state, but nothing like what we have now. Engler ran off with the money for our schools, refused to release the funds and was sued by most of the states school districts to get the money. Snyder said nothing his whole campaign, had he said anything, he never would have won.

Engler was a bad, bad cold. Snyder is the Black Plague and he's only been in office 4 months.

Parents Across America posted a discussion of this school here:

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/04/closing-detroit-school-for-pregnant-teens-ground-zero-for-democracy/

Robert Bobb, the Detroit schools emergency manager, has decided to close 1/3 of the public schools or turn them over to charter operators; coincidentally or not, he receives 1/3 of his salary from pro-charter foundations, including the Broad foundation.

Readers should also sign our change.org petition about reforming NCLB and not closing schools like this one here: http://www.change.org/petitions/reform-nclb-now

It should be abundantly clear to all of us now, that there is a much larger picture nationally regarding the republican agenda. What is happening in Detroit, at this school, is just another example of what they have to offer. Close a school for young women with children with leadership that is trying to offer them options to cope with not only today(the garden), but tomorrow, and the future. How do they teach thier children that education is important, breaks the cycle of poverty and dependence, assumes that government oversight is a positive thing, and then closes the school? The Benton Harbor story is another example of, lets face it racial inequity, and lets put our collective heels on the backs that are the most vulnerable, needy, and ultimately in the game of polical power, defenseless. Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Tenneessee. Break the support, define and break the classes who labor, and struggle every day for something better for tomorrow. In Michigan and Florida, the other targets are the seniors. Fact is, from the republican perspective our past and our future are entirely too expensive to sustain, from not only cradle, but ultimately to grave. Ryan's budget does nothing but add money to the deficit, and add's insult to oversized, graphic, mathmatical, and vulnerable populations.

What possible hope will these young women have if this school closes, and thier children? What message will they recieve about the American dream, or any sense of a better future for anyone who is black, poor, white, poor, working class, immigrants, the insidious message is that no one cares......

If this Republican agenda succeeds, just once on any state level, those disenfranchised yet again will react, by NOT voting........cause the message is no one cares, and you really can't make a difference anyway. The scary part is, can you blame them?

Many of the German populace said, "We didn't know".......

CAN ANY OF US SAY THAT.....? We didn't see it coming??????????

Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, Tea Party,,,,,read the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, and look at the girls from this school. They are the new republic, trying to form a perfect union, against more immediate odds,,,,,if we let that school go, we have failed them, ourselves the state of Michigan, and our nation.

Not sure why you tweeted this with #Benton Harbor, as that city is on the OPPOSITE side of the state.

I hope someone realizes this and makes the correction; thanks.

I was watching Rachel Maddow when she discussed this. To say I was sick to the pit of my stomach is a gross understatement. For these people to close down this school that serves a critical nee in the community and then arrest the students for protesting it is about as un-American as un-American can get. I have been following the coverage on the situation in Benton Harbor and all I can say is that Michigan does not have a governor; the state has a dictator who basically designed an authoritarian regime with this emergency managemet thing. Rachel, thank you for reporting on this; keep it up.

This is the second time the DPS emergency manager has tried to close this school. For more information about Catherine Ferguson Academy check out:

http://storify.com/guymcox/catherine-ferguson-academy

And this time around the DPS emergency Manager has more power to shut down schools and make other changes because of the new laws giving emergency managers even more power.

Join FB Group "Keep Catherine Ferguson Academy Open" for updates and more info.

Call and Send Letters to:

Robert C. Bobb
Emergency Manager

robert.bobb@detroitk12.org

14th Floor, Fisher Building

3011 West Grand Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: (313) 870-3772
Fax: (313) 870-3726

Detroit Board of Education

7322 Second Avenue, Suite 485
Detroit, Michigan 48202-2711
Phone: (313) 873-7860

Ms. Maddow,

If you will report it, I can document endemic corruption at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and many other corrupt school districts around the country. I have published www.perdaily.com for about 1 1/2 years, where I deal with what is really going on in purposefully failed public education in furtherance of the neo-liberal agenda to privatize and monetize the somewhere between $250-$370 billion public education biz, where a hedge fund can double its money in 7 years while taking advantage of excellent state and federal tax benefits. Then, of course, they walk away from the debt loaded charter leaving the taxpayer and the state to foot the bill- think the latest scam in the spirit of credit default swaps and sub prime fraud. Professor Diane Ravitch lays this out in her book, when she says that NYC Public School District came into existence in 1906 to overcome the corruption of small charter-like school. Professor Charles Kerschner, who wrote a book about LAUSD, said the same thing happened in L.A. in 1903. Professor Lois Weiner of City University of N.J. lays this out as part of the neo-liberal agenda, which has already been tried out in Chile and elsewhere.

I will never ask you to trust me, if I cannot document everything I claim. LAUSD, NYC, D.C., Atlanta, and others have been fixing assessments and graduating students who read at a low elementary school level according to the STAR Reading scores that I have access to.

Contact me at 323.938.1258 and check out some of the 250+ posts at perdaily that talk about things that never seem to make it into the mainstream media- shades of Pravda, Isvestia, and Tass. Also check out Karen Horwitz out of Chicago who has a site called National Association to Prevent Teacher Abuse (NAPTA) where the 1400 members, some of whom were teachers of the year, tell how they were summarily removed from teaching- Karen herself spent $300,000 going all the way to the Supreme Court only to be denied certiorari by then Justice Stevens who said only, "I've got to believe that the people running our schools are good people" - end of story.

As a retired DPS secretary I have watched Robert Bobb systematically undermine what structure was left of the Detroit Public Schools. Throughout his whole campaign to "improve" the financial situation he has paid little attention to what is best for the schools and more importantly the children of the city of Detroit. Schools with excellent educational successes such as Catherine Ferguson and Communication and Media Arts High School have been rewarded by having their existence threatened. In Communication and Media Arts case they were rescued by a television reality show extreme makeover, as far as Catherine Ferguson goes I hope and pray that a lot of negative publicity aimed at our "executive financial manager" and positive publicity for Catherine Ferguson's great educational program will help preserve this Detroit educational jewel. What is going on in this city when the reward for a job more than well done is to have your school closed?

The horrible treatment of the protestors at Catherine Ferguson are a clear indication of the prevailing attitude towards students of the Detroit Public Schools. Why should these students have to fight and be abused in order to try to obtain a high school diploma and the opportunity to go to college. I am waiting to hear Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder speak up and decry the handling of this situation. If I don't it will erase any doubt in my mind that politicos in Lansing have a plan to remake Detroit, including attacking its schools, a plan that is being

put in place without any consideration for the rights of the citizens of the city.

I hate to admit it, but katy264 is at least partially right. On top of his government salary, Robert Bobb is paid $145,000 a year by the Broad Foundation, which is dedicated to pushing "school choice". This isn't some right-wing foundation, and Bobb was appointed by a Democratic governor. The truth is that this effort is being pushed by rightists and neoliberal Democrats, including the Secretary of the Department of Education, and yes...even the President. What do they have in common with people like Rick Snyder and the Walton Foundation? When it comes to education, they seem to have very anti-egalitarian and "free market" ideas in common. If anyone is puzzled why there is an effort to close a school with a 90% graduation rate, when you know who Bobb is, and who he's being paid by, you can see how it's especially imperative to close a public school with a 90% graduation rate.

I am really offended by the coarse tone Ms Maddow takes toward the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit. Are they making the best decisions? Absolutely not. But they are making decisions and trying to do something with a state and a city that NEED help from the rest of the country. How can anyone sit in their comfortable home watching this devastation on tv and then criticize the very people who are actually trying to make it better? Shame on you! And, I'm sorry to be so mean, but shame on Ms Maddow for ridiculing the state/city without actually doing something herself. If she were here, putting effort in, actively finding someone to take up the charter for the school, then and only then would she have the standing to flay the people who are doing something with the situation.

But she's not here, and neither are most of the rest of the people criticizing Detroit.

Michigan is THE classic example of why buying locally and supporting your community is so important! We have to support the people and businesses around us or we will fail from Main Street to Wall Street. It's happening already and until we all start putting our resources and energy back into what makes this country great, we will only fail.

If you want to do something, support your community. Support Detroit. Support the US. Don't criticize. Send money. Buy Michigan. Come visit us! It's actually a pretty cool state. And until you are willing to do any and all of this, stop talking about how terrible we are, because we can say the same thing about every other state in the Union.

Rachel & TRMS Co.,

Thanks for doing the update on the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit. I live in the larger Metro Detroit area. Lately, I have been doing sub work [usually for Detroit Charter Schools], and it is absolutely a shame and really unconscionable to close this school. The new Republican regime is NOT inclined or motivated to save a school for girls, especially unwed mothers, or those of a socioeconomic class that do not have any money to make contributions to their campaigns, or likely to vote for them in the future.

I wish to DO something to see if the school can either be saved, or bought & reopened, OR SOMETHING! Of course, funds are the biggest stumbling block. Do you or your show producers have any ideas of what could been done to help them raise funding? Apparently, according to dates reported on your show tonight, there are 10 days l [now 9- because my post wouldn't post last night] left before the school is slated to close. I'm currently not working full time, but I have a master's degree in Social Work and the credentials to work/or run the school along with a Board of Directors and other Administrators, and maybe it could be reorganized as a non-profit. [??] Funding is the biggest stumbling block- not sure about blocks with with the school district/Detroit Board of Education/& Detroit Schools Emergency Financial Manager - but I'm sure we could find out. Is your show able to set up any kind of fund for donations to benefit Sarah Ferguson Academy?

I also wonder if the nearby public university, Wayne State University, College of Education might be able to help in some manner [they currently have another parent-training program called P.A.C.T. (Parents and Children Together) in which student interns work with the inner-city parents and pre-school children for training and internship credit]. This is in conjunction with the Merrill-Palmer Institute and the Skillman Foundation [both also nearby]. The Wayne State, School of Social Work could perhaps get involved, also. [??] Do you have any inroads with the Gates Foundation or the Clinton Global Initiative?? How about Warren Buffett? If there was more time, grants could be applied for, but time is too short for this now.

Only these types of foundational grants have enough funds-on-hand to move so speedily, or an overwhelming outcry and support by the public can help at this juncture, like the donations that poured in, in response to Katrina or Lawrence O'Donnell's cry for desks for students. Do you have any way of setting up something similar? What do readers here think? Even if I'm not involved, the school needs saving, and perhaps we could persuade the principal to put off her retirement.

Rachel, what do you think?

Readers, what do you think?

Rachel,

I see there were only 2 posts after last night's update show on CFA. I'm wondering how many will see the posts & reader suggestions/ideas to maybe save the CFA School?

Do Readers read/see these posts inbetween the stories that you air? Or, is it more like- "Outta Sight--Outta Mind"?

Since time is soooo short for CFA, I'm wondering if you & TRMS can become &/or are willing to become DAILY CHEERLEADERS for CFA on your show nightly????? It seems an 'instigator & motivator' :o) is needed and necessary to prod people on....

Rachel--- "I Nominate You!" [since you have the platform...]

Thanks,

Kiwani.

Kiwani, there were a whole bunch of posts after last night's show, supporting CFA, that now seem to have been deleted, mine included!!  Rachel, What happened to the posts?!!!

It is often said that Catherine Ferguson Academy is the school for pregnant girls. This is not true, I wouldn’t even say that this is a school for teenaged mothers, it is much more than that. Catherine Ferguson is not only for the continuing education of young mothers, but for the beginning education of our children. We don’t have day care here, we have early education classrooms. We aren’t leaving our children with glorified babysitters, we are leaving them with teachers. It isn’t just that our children are learning educationally, they are also learning socially. By being in the classroom from such an early age, our children are learning how to interact. Whereas children that stay at home for three years then enter preschool don’t know what to do in a room full of children their age.

Catherine Ferguson isn’t telling girls that it’s ok to get pregnant. We are saying that if you do get pregnant, there are options. I say “we”, because Catherine Ferguson is a family. We all travel great distances to get here. Some of us take one bus, some of us three. Some of us live on this side of town, some of us live east. Then there are those, like me, that don’t live in Detroit at all, but in one of the outlying cities. There are even girls that have moved here from different states just to attend our school.

Why try to break up this school when it has everything that we need? We are learning, our children are learning, and should something happen, only a flight of stairs, or a short walk down the hallway, separates us. The nurses’ station is only feet away, and they are trained to handle many difficult situations.

By closing Catherine Ferguson, you are not only closing us out, but out children. It’s as if you’re saying that because we made a mistake, neither we nor our children deserve an education. Who is anyone to deny the children of teenaged mothers an education? Children are the future, so why send them into the world with anything less than the best?

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thanks Rachel for the one work! You really get to the heart of the republican sean! Loved your show on those lost ballots. It appeared that the clinton county lady was drunk or drugged, funny how lost ballots come up in such an important historical election, and the caller guy was Karl Rove, could that have been set up or what? Well thanks again for informing us all on Mr. Buddy, he is the real American pop corn and apple pie! Oh, please don't give up on Gov Huntsman, I think in time you would like this man, I think he is a huge plus for any election! This man is bursting at the seams with tallent, promise me you will not give up, remind him of the coverage he needs and what it will do for him with the younger people! lol. Keep up your precious work ok. Cameron. Can't figure out why my pic will not come up. Best.