usvi-on-line
Taking Election Day OFF?
Ok, I give. I won't keep letting my facts get in the way of your ideologies. When in doubt change the subject. I suppose there are a lot of bones to pick and I just don't have the energy for a debate about education.
My point was simple. The schools in my particular county are very good. I would argue even great (for this country - I never compared them on an international level). Sure there is room for improvement in the US education system. But I am not concerned about my daughter missing 2 pre-scheduled days of 1st grade so that the citizens of Virginia can vote. No problem with that at all.
Funny how my sources are always bogus, but others are followed like the gospel.
My point was simple. The schools in my particular county are very good. I would argue even great (for this country - I never compared them on an international level). Sure there is room for improvement in the US education system. But I am not concerned about my daughter missing 2 pre-scheduled days of 1st grade so that the citizens of Virginia can vote. No problem with that at all.
Funny how my sources are always bogus, but others are followed like the gospel.
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cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
My only surprise in having a day off of school for election day is that it's NEVER happened here before. Many elementary schools are polling places and school has never been shut down for it. It's never been a problem. Most people I know are early voting anyway, so I doubt there will be a big problem with long lines.
I can't understand taking a day off to vote. There is plenty of opportunity to vote without loosing a whole day of production. I'm sure most employers would let their employees take a little time to vote if they work such long hours that the polls are closed. I don't think America has to call in sick to vote.
I can't understand taking a day off to vote. There is plenty of opportunity to vote without loosing a whole day of production. I'm sure most employers would let their employees take a little time to vote if they work such long hours that the polls are closed. I don't think America has to call in sick to vote.
Here in Tennessee, the polls aren't open as long as they were when I lived in Other places. But I can still get there after work.
The argument I have always heard for giving people the day off was to encourage people to get more involved in the process.
But, honestly, most of the people who work on election day (at least in my experience) have been senior citizens and other people who are retired. When I was in college, I usually did take the day from classes if I could, but I was a political science major so some of my professors cancelled anyhow because they knew we would all miss because we were doing internships with campaigns.
The argument I have always heard for giving people the day off was to encourage people to get more involved in the process.
But, honestly, most of the people who work on election day (at least in my experience) have been senior citizens and other people who are retired. When I was in college, I usually did take the day from classes if I could, but I was a political science major so some of my professors cancelled anyhow because they knew we would all miss because we were doing internships with campaigns.
Here, the school parking lots are over flowing everyday that schools are open. It would be a nightmare to have them open with thousands of voters coming and going. Plus as Flipper said, I wouldn't be real thrilled with the kids being in a caotic place with a zillion strangers coming through.
Y'awl in the south would be shocked with the holiday mentality of this area. If there's a chance of getting time off, everybody from the Execs to the janitors are going to take it. If they even predict snow the DC area shuts down. 1st the government, then the schools, and often even a lot of private retailers. DC has not only their own born and raised lousy drivers, but also diplomats from all over the world that have never even seen snow, much less driven in it. Driving in snow and ice, on the same roads with somebody new, from God only knows where, driving a rear wheel drive Mercedes is a frightening thing!
Jan and Mike, I agree with you. I ran a service oriented retail business for over 30 years. We never could afford to just give everybody a day off and close the business. We always opened on election day, and would be next week, too.
Y'awl in the south would be shocked with the holiday mentality of this area. If there's a chance of getting time off, everybody from the Execs to the janitors are going to take it. If they even predict snow the DC area shuts down. 1st the government, then the schools, and often even a lot of private retailers. DC has not only their own born and raised lousy drivers, but also diplomats from all over the world that have never even seen snow, much less driven in it. Driving in snow and ice, on the same roads with somebody new, from God only knows where, driving a rear wheel drive Mercedes is a frightening thing!
Jan and Mike, I agree with you. I ran a service oriented retail business for over 30 years. We never could afford to just give everybody a day off and close the business. We always opened on election day, and would be next week, too.
When you find yourself in a hole.... quit digging.
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
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David- n Hampton, VA
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:30 am
Got to love this dialog......
Two quick comments.
Jan and Mike (great to be from VA isn't) Having a day off to vote is stupid. Most hourly workers can't afford it and do not want to....Employers like you guys simply can’t afford the additional revenue loss at the moment....why would Obama call for a national day off? Didn’t Sox fan say all of his supporters are unemployed anyway?
Flip Flop....Fairfax may have great Schools....Hampton VA does not. We have used the ideology that students must be kept with their cohort (age group) for so long here that essentially functional illiterates were graduating from high school. I was an Army kind of guy and have lived in 25 different parts of the US. Most of them suffered the same sorts of problems with their K-12 systems. In fact, it is carried into the college environment as they are then forced into spending the first year (and in some case more) teaching freshmen what they should have learned in 9th and 10th grades….we have a huge problem that will take massive fixes. (and here I go making people irritated....) My issue with that is I do not believe it is the Federal Governments job to fix it.
Oh, and I think the guy that was talking about not giving students the day off for election day was right....even though he was really harsh and kind of rude in how he said it.
Two quick comments.
Jan and Mike (great to be from VA isn't) Having a day off to vote is stupid. Most hourly workers can't afford it and do not want to....Employers like you guys simply can’t afford the additional revenue loss at the moment....why would Obama call for a national day off? Didn’t Sox fan say all of his supporters are unemployed anyway?
Flip Flop....Fairfax may have great Schools....Hampton VA does not. We have used the ideology that students must be kept with their cohort (age group) for so long here that essentially functional illiterates were graduating from high school. I was an Army kind of guy and have lived in 25 different parts of the US. Most of them suffered the same sorts of problems with their K-12 systems. In fact, it is carried into the college environment as they are then forced into spending the first year (and in some case more) teaching freshmen what they should have learned in 9th and 10th grades….we have a huge problem that will take massive fixes. (and here I go making people irritated....) My issue with that is I do not believe it is the Federal Governments job to fix it.
Oh, and I think the guy that was talking about not giving students the day off for election day was right....even though he was really harsh and kind of rude in how he said it.
I am taking the day off! I will be scuba diving in STJ and then to the forum beach party. If anyone TRIES to talk politics to me, I will ignore you. Sorry, I am just sick of it. I already voted and you can't change my mind now. I am going on this trip to escape reality. The decision will probably be made while I am underwater anyway. 
David -n Hampton,
How correct you are about students wasting $$ taking Algebra I at a University, but it's happening everyday. We keep at this level of H.S. education and we will be a 3rd World Country before many more years. Bill Gates has some great subject matter on this if anyone cares to enduldge.
Back to closing on election day....sorry for the distraction.
How correct you are about students wasting $$ taking Algebra I at a University, but it's happening everyday. We keep at this level of H.S. education and we will be a 3rd World Country before many more years. Bill Gates has some great subject matter on this if anyone cares to enduldge.
Back to closing on election day....sorry for the distraction.
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California Girl
I hate to tell ya, but it's nothing new. I graduated high school in l966 with no algebra and no geometry. When I got to jr. college, I had to take "dumbell math" to satisfy all the requirements I needed to graduate. To this day, I still do not know algebra or geometry.Terry wrote:David -n Hampton,
How correct you are about students wasting $$ taking Algebra I at a University, but it's happening everyday. We keep at this level of H.S. education and we will be a 3rd World Country before many more years.
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David- n Hampton, VA
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:30 am
LOL CG, I have several Science Degrees....one with a very high concentration in Statistics......and if I ever do get through the Dissertation a doctorate as well....
Still can't do math. Struggle with English...and can't spell. Matter fact....they invented spellcheckers and calculators for me specifically I think.
Still can't do math. Struggle with English...and can't spell. Matter fact....they invented spellcheckers and calculators for me specifically I think.