2012 Presidential Election

[aka pumpmaster]

Merit Pay in many settings sounds like a great concept. A utopian concept. Capitalist idealism. In practice it can create as much bad as good. Widely applied it simply isn't the answer.

P.S. As a self-proclaimed Randian Objectivist and in rejecting the concelpt of the common good, then you reject the overall precept of the U.S. Constitution, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The alternative is a collectivist structure that rewards the most incompetant at the expense of the most productive and has been proven not to work.

Actually I don't reject the constitution at all and neither does Rand in fact since the US was a country formed by the rational thought of man, it fits with her philospophy perfectly. I should clarify..I support helping ones fellow man voluntarily, but not through the threat of force s most current welfare programs do (don't pay your taxes to support welfare, you go to jail).

[Koki Barrels]

ever hear of term limits. that goes a long way to fix the problem. Most pork is the result of the need to get re-elected, same with shilling for donations from special interests. Take away politics as a career and the problem is lessened.

I totally agree

[rodndtube]

The alternative is a collectivist structure that rewards the most incompetant at the expense of the most productive and has been proven not to work.

Actually I don't reject the constitution at all and neither does Rand in fact since the US was a country formed by the rational thought of man, it fits with her philospophy perfectly. I should clarify..I support helping ones fellow man voluntarily, but not through the threat of force s most current welfare programs do (don't pay your taxes to support welfare, you go to jail).

Too bad the government isn't a la carte! Now translate the collectivist/merit pay concepts and protocols to the Defense Budget and the great military socialist enterprise in the USA.

[yankee]

Just a bit skeptical of an author & 'philosopher' who was heavily & completely addicted to amphetamines & who was, without question, high off her arse when she wrote 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged.'

My 2 cents...

[whosthat]

surfrr............you are absolutely correct.............I meant blue.......I think the heat and flatness is rotting my brain.....I need surf bad......

[aka pumpmaster]

Too bad the government isn't a la carte! Now translate the collectivist/merit pay concepts and protocols to the Defense Budget and the great military socialist enterprise in the USA.

cant speak to that, BUT ON PAPER the military should be a great example of meritocracy. I suspect that the bureaucracy that invaded the DOD has perverted it.

Yankee, seriously learn how to debate correctly. If you can't, or are unwilling or are incapable of refuting an IDEA, don't resort to attacking the messenger. it's juvenile and reflects a diminished intelligence. You did a good job of it by stating why you don't like Ron Paul (his foreign policy positions) don't regress here.

[beachbreak]

i would love the rand theory to work,but it hasn't even started,so,can we fix the tax problem first?the 'education overhaul' would actually have the scared board/admin that's so politically corrected up firing dynamic effective real teachers,plus,how would you merit pay art and music and pe?governor christie the musician is going to give me a raise when i'm teaching general music or pe?where's the test scores for that,and who determines it?if someone who understands what a good teacher does is going to pay us accordingly,sign me up now,but,when has that ever happened in the field of public school education?do you want to try teaching general music in a middle school,governor,and are you as qualified as me?i think he should be a gym teacher;he's certainly a fine example of someone who takes really good care of himself,fitness,health,diet.i mean,look at this guy,how can he be telling everyone how to fix everything when he no way can get near touching his toes.i want to see a hp shortboard shaped for him!

[aka pumpmaster]

i would love the rand theory to work,but it hasn't even started,so,can we fix the tax problem first?the 'education overhaul' would actually have the scared board/admin that's so politically corrected up firing dynamic effective real teachers,plus,how would you merit pay art and music and pe?governor christie the musician is going to give me a raise when i'm teaching general music or pe?where's the test scores for that,and who determines it?if someone who understands what a good teacher does is going to pay us accordingly,sign me up now,but,when has that ever happened in the field of public school education?do you want to try teaching general music in a middle school,governor,and are you as qualified as me?i think he should be a gym teacher;he's certainly a fine example of someone who takes really good care of himself,fitness,health,diet.i mean,look at this guy,how can he be telling everyone how to fix everything when he no way can get near touching his toes.i want to see a hp shortboard shaped for him!

Like most of us, you would be evaluated by your boss based on performance criteria established by your district.

[beachbreak]

they already do that,but,they don't care at all about real performance criteria,no one does,including christie and obama,they only look at dollars and cents,so,back to an earlier post,they probably would outsource illegal alien mexicans like they did with the custodians in our now filthy,falling apart school.as if school districts aren't as awful as the government?christie is somehow an exception?i wouldn't bet on that,and over time he'll be exposed like the rest of them.he's right about the education system and the union,but,his solution is far worse.you'd have to tear it all down,get rid of everybody and start over,which ain't gonna happen.where are all the new,wonderfully awesome education people coming from,now that with 'pension/healthcare 'reform',pay freezes,etc.,why would anyone that great want to go into the field?christie is a jackass.open your eyes.

[jwj72]

they already do that,but,they don't care at all about real performance criteria,no one does,including christie and obama,they only look at dollars and cents,so,back to an earlier post,they probably would outsource illegal alien mexicans like they did with the custodians in our now filthy,falling apart school.as if school districts aren't as awful as the government?christie is somehow an exception?i wouldn't bet on that,and over time he'll be exposed like the rest of them.he's right about the education system and the union,but,his solution is far worse.you'd have to tear it all down,get rid of everybody and start over,which ain't gonna happen.where are all the new,wonderfully awesome education people coming from,now that with 'pension/healthcare 'reform',pay freezes,etc.,why would anyone that great want to go into the field?christie is a jackass.open your eyes.

What is so hard to understand about the lack of money to pay for everything everyone wants? Why are teachers (maybe I should say public sector union members) such a special class of people that they should be immune from the economy that everyone else has to deal with? If you don't like the pay and benefits they're giving you, find a different job. That's what the rest of us do. And as far as applying these principles to the Defense Dept., when was the last time the military protested their pay or went on strike? It's apples and orange, but even ignoring that, the comparison doesn't work.