Why Are You in Algebra 2?

The title is a thought I have had a number of times lately. I do some tutoring online, and the largest number of my sessions come from students who are seeking an Algebra 2 tutor. [I also tutor Algebra 1, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Statistics.] Sadly, many students' sessions begin with something like this:

Student: I need to solve this equation [student shares an equation containing a logarithm].
Me: Have you ever done an equation like this one before?
Student: No.
Me: OK...have you ever worked with logarithms before?
Student: What's a logarithm?

Although it's not the focus of my concern while I'm tutoring, there are several possible explanations for such ignorance:

• The student is goofing around, either presently, or in class earlier in the day(s).
  
• The student is taking an online course and has no teacher to whom to ask questions; consequently, the student is totally lost.
• The student has been passed from one math course to the next over time, has learned virtually nothing, and is now hopelessly puzzled.
• The student is actually at the college level and probably hasn't taken a math class in years, if not decades.

The last two options seem to be depressingly common. I am led to the following thesis:

Students should not be permitted to take Algebra 2 until they have demonstrated a firm level of competency in Algebra 1. This applies both in high school and at the college level (regardless of what these courses may be named in college).

This became a big issue in Michigan a couple years ago (see my thoughts here) when the legislature, in a perhaps-well-meaning-but-totally-void-of-reality move made Algebra 2 part of the general graduation requirements for all public school students. Among other problems, this pressures teachers in the earlier grades to pass students along so that they can "get to Algebra 2 and pass it" before completing high school. This is neither wise nor fair.

But that's not my main point here. Parents and teachers in the upper high school grades (and professors, academic advisers, and students in colleges) must recognize that if the student is not ready for Algebra 2, the student should not be taking Algebra 2. The student should instead be sent to Algebra 1 (or, if necessary, something more basic) in order to master the requisite skills needed.

Self-esteem is not an issue here, either. It is no more psychologically beneficial to struggle with, cheat through, or fail one course than it is to step back and take a remedial one that will, in the long run, help the student to succeed.

Furthermore, a competent teacher with a class full of competent Algebra 2 students will be able to make more progress than if that teacher has to try to get all the incompetent students caught up at the same time. In other words, those students who have succeeded up to this point won't be held back by all the students who (for whatever reason) have not.

Finally, let us note that the blame for this phenomenon can be shared all around. Sure, some kids are slackers and are lost in Algebra 2 for reasons of their own creation. Yes, some teachers are inept [they should be removed, but discussing teacher unions and their prerogatives is not the point of this post]. Certainly, some parents pay no attention to their children's educational progress. And, contemptibly, some school administrators don't really care.

If you are a parent of an Algebra 2 student (or one yourself, at whatever age or level), consider this: Make sure your student is ready to take that class. If not, get them ready...first.

Congratulations, Michigan!

Congratulations, Michigan. You were not so "blown away" that you couldn't get to the polls and vote for the "right" kind of change. You were not so foolish as to think that more years of democrat control in Lansing would somehow be helpful. You managed to exercise your vote well.

For your efforts, you now have a Republican (if not actually conservative) governor, a Republican House, and a two-thirds Republican majority in the Senate. You have installed a Republican Attorney General, Secretary of State, two Supreme Court justices, and members of higher education boards. You sent a couple new Republicans to Congress. You installed Republican officials at a variety of other levels of government.

You are off to a good start...but you aren't done. You need to pressure your elected officials to support (i.e., vote for) smaller government, lower taxes, fewer regulations on business, and the return of authority, where appropriate, to local units of government. You need to continue to keep local citizens informed and, like yourself, active. You need to consider who is going to run for office in 2011 and 2012, and start now to prepare for the election of additional, freedom-loving, conservatives in the days ahead.

Keep up the good work.

Rich Rodriguez: Republican vs. Democrat Perspectives

Rich Rodriguez is the third-year head football coach at the University of Michigan. He arrived as something of a foreigner, having left his previous job under a cloud of controversy. Nevertheless, when he arrived in Ann Arbor to take his job, he was greeted with much jubilation and high hopes for success.

The results: His football team, since 2008, has an overall record of 13-19. Big Ten Conference record: 4-16. He is 0-3 against Penn State and 0-2 against Ohio State; two of those four wins came against Indiana. He has lost home games to Toledo, Purdue, and Northwestern...but did get a 63-6 win over Delaware State last season. Furthermore, his mostly-ethics-free approach to the coaching profession has brought NCAA investigations to U of M. In short, his time as leader has been something like a train wreck.

Republican Perspective: Rich Rodriguez has had the opportunity to lead successfully and he has not. He has demonstrated poor ethics. He does not seem to grasp the magnitude of his, or his team's, failures. He has displeased his constituency. In short, he needs to be replaced at the next appropriate opportunity.

Democratic Perspective: He's beaten Indiana twice! And wasn't that a great game against Delaware State!?! Let's elect this guy as governor!

So given the liberal atmosphere in Ann Arbor, he might just be there for years and years to come, much to the delight of Nittany Lion and Buckeye fans.

South Carolina DMV, Part 2. And Part 3.

Last Saturday saw my wife and I spending about an hour and a half just getting our shiny new SC driver's licenses, good for ten years, at a cost of $25 each. One afternoon this week, on an extended lunch break, we headed back to Greenville to get our license plates.

The trek did not start with the DMV. No, our first destination was the county building, where we had to pay our taxes on our cars. In SC, taxes are assessed based on the value of the car—which, thankfully, meant we didn't have to pay too much. [Comparison note: What we ended up paying by the end of the day was comparable to what we paid for the same cars in Michigan each year. However, it appears new/newer cars are taxed more severely in South Carolina.] But even this stop was not singular: We first had to have a tax bill for each car generated by one clerk, who then sent us to another room where we paid the bills.

The DMV is across the street from the county building, so we headed over there and took a number...and waited...and after sitting for about a half hour finally got to the counter. We chose the "In God We Trust" license plates [Note to other states: No additional charge] because the Bob Jones University license plates cost an extra $70—each. This choice meant waiting for another clerk. After being separated from more of our money, we left with license plates in hand. The total time spent: About another hour and a half.

Some final comparisons:

1. When it comes to one-stop shopping, Michigan has South Carolina beat easily.
2. Our costs were comparable to what we paid before in Michigan, but the time factor is won by Michigan.
3. Michigan probably would win the cost comparison if we had a newer car(s).

Maybe next year I can re-register my cars by mail. I sure hope so.

MI Secretary of State Office: Something I Never Thought I Would Miss

This morning, a Saturday, I and my lovely wife went to the only South Carolina DMV office in the region that is open on Saturdays in order to get new driver's licenses. Once again we arrive from out of state, so a comparison is in order:

Michigan: Go to Secretary of State Office, with all appropriate documents in hand. When it's your turn, go to the counter and transact business to get MI driver's license, title, and car tags. Leave; put tags on car; wait for license to arrive in mail soon thereafter. Tags are renewed annually; driver's license is good for four years.

South Carolina: [Step 1] Go to SC DMV office with all appropriate documents in hand. Get in line in order to identify the type of business you have and get a number. Sit and wait (in our case, nearly an hour) while reading whatever literature you brought with you. When it's your turn, go to the counter and transact business to get your driver's license. Wait a few moments, claim your license, put it in your wallet, and depart. The driver's license is good for ten years.

[Step 2] Go to county office and pay taxes on your car (a task for next week).

[Step 3] Return to DMV with all appropriate documents in hand. Transact business to get SC titles and car tags (also a task for next week).

Now aside from the fact that my driver's license is good until 2020, I think I like the Michigan way better. Of course, I haven't learned how much $$ I will part with in Step 2 yet....

Who I'm Voting For, Part 2

80th House District: Aric Nesbitt

There are two candidates in this six-way race that stand out to me: Aric Nesbitt and Frank Thompson. I think that both of them can be fine representatives for the people of Van Buren County.

Frank's background is business-oriented. He has been a small-business owner in our county for a long time; he's a family man (married for 42 years); he takes a good stand on the issues. I certainly won't begrudge anyone who wants to vote for him.

Aric's background is somewhat different. He is much younger; I believe he is still single. He has spent most of his working life in the political world. He also takes a good stand on the issues and shares my values. His one liability, in my book, is that he has spent most of the past decade working outside of Michigan and in DC, which is not necessarily an asset.

But Aric has one big advantage in my book, too: He has demonstrated that he will reach out to others. He has both called me personally and visited my house last Saturday (disclaimer: I think he was just working his way through my neighborhood, as opposed to seeking me out individually) and discussed the issues with me. And if you know me, you probably realize I would ask him straight questions. I liked his answers, and I like his energy.

Governor: Pete Hoekstra

As in the state House race above, I see two candidates who stand out above the rest: Pete Hoekstra and Mike Bouchard. I think either one would make a good governor for Michigan. I give Hoekstra the nod in my book.

A word on the other candidates: I have not been pleased with Rick Snyder's avoidance of taking good positions on social conservative issues. His economic ideas seem sound (something that's true for all five GOP candidates), but I can't say too much else in his favor. Mike Cox has demonstrated a penchant for "being a politician" and has already behaved badly with some of his misleading advertisements against Hoekstra. Tom George, who is from Kalamazoo and whom I know personally, has not convinced me of his fiscal conservatism, demonstrated oh-so-terribly with his tax hike vote a few years ago--a vote that helped swing the critical Senate vote to the democrats.

Bouchard has a lot going for him. His stands on the issues are solid, and his experience in Oakland County will be valuable. Pete Hoekstra, however, has demonstrated a very strong friendship with pro-family and pro-life groups, including reaching out to homeschoolers and supporting local control of public education. He also has a long record in Congress; most of it is very good.

The other races in my precinct are uncontested. Make sure you vote on August 3!

Who I'm Voting For, Part 1

Very soon I will be voting, probably for the last time, in a Michigan election. There are several important primary races where I live:

U.S. Representative, 6th District
State Senate, 20th District
State Representative, 80th District
Governor

Here's who I am voting for, and why:

U.S. Representative: Jack Hoogendyk

Hoogendyk is looking to upset incumbent Fred Upton, and I hope he does. Hoogendyk has a record, from his six years in the Michigan House, of sound fiscal and social conservatism. He is a Christian man who has shown that he will vote as he speaks. He is predictable; he does not seek which way the wind blows before deciding how to cast a vote. You know what you are getting...and in his case, I like it. A lot.

Upton, on the other hand, has been a case study in political expediency. He is not reliably conservative. He has voted with the democrats too many times on issues that matter, such as the surge vote several years ago, the TARP bailout, and the Cash for Clunkers bill (a failure of which he was one of the leading cheerleaders).

Republicans have a clear choice, and they need to make the most of it.

State Senate, 20th District: Tonya Schuitmaker

Tonya is another politician who has put her votes where her mouth has been. She is consistently conservative, pro-life, and fiscally sound. She has done a great job, worked hard, and reached out to her constituents (including me) during the past six years she has served in the State House. In short, Michigan needs her and 147 similar people in the Legislature.

I have not been impressed with Lorence Wenke's credentials as a conservative, although he (or Larry DeShazor) both would be vastly superior to the candidate running on the other ticket. DeShazor seems like a good guy but for the most part his record is not as long as Tonya's.

Next post: Thoughts on the other two races

Greenville-area Highlights

There are advantages to living in Michigan, as I have the past six years (for instance, the relative lack of stifling heat in June and July), but there are advantages in South Carolina, too.

Today, I ate lunch at Chick-fil-A. The food was good, and the service was unusually good for a busy fast-food restaurant.

And there's Zaxby's, Sonny's, various other BBQ joints, fried chicken places, etc. There is no high-end BBQ in Michigan that I am aware of.

In general, there are more shopping options here than in the Kalamazoo area.

There are two banks and a credit union within one block of where I work. The elementary school for three of my children is, quite literally, next door.

I must see what else I can discover.

It's Time For Me To Leave Michigan, Part 2

As I wrote in my prior post, I am moving out of Michigan this month to take a position at Bob Jones University Press in Greenville, SC. While I believe this is the providential plan of God, and am therefore happy to go, there are some lessons here to be considered for the folks in Lansing.

1. The job environment, quite frankly, is poor. Those of us who want to live here—including people like me with multiple college degrees—are having a difficult time finding jobs that pay enough to support our families. Much of the blame for this belongs in Washington D.C., but the policies that flow out of Lansing have not helped much and have hurt plenty.

2. The job environment is poor because the business climate is poor—especially in comparison to other states. One thing I did some research on was starting my own business (a non-starter due to a lack of capital, especially after Fall, 2008); and even I, as a tax preparer, found much of the paperwork to be boggling.

3. With Granholm in office, there is simply no reason to be hopeful of improvement. Thankfully, she will be replaced with someone else in several months; but if that someone is another like-minded democrat, hope will again evaporate, and many others (like me) will head to greener pastures.

Perhaps I will add more thoughts on this later.

It's Time For Me To Leave Michigan

For those of you who don't know, I have lived in Michigan since 2004, when I came here to take a math teaching position at Heritage Christian Academy in Kalamazoo. I was laid off from that position in 2007, and for the past three years, have held an interesting array of part-time jobs. The most stable has been a case manager position at Youth Opportunities Unlimited, where I have been for nearly two years.

I have been offered, and will be accepting, a position at Bob Jones University Press in Greenville, South Carolina, in product development. My responsibilities will primarily include preparing digital media to accompany textbooks and teacher materials. (Apparently my job description is still being ironed out.)

We have enjoyed living in Michigan. We love our church, we have a nice home, and we are very content with this corner of the world. We have met new neighbors and gotten involved in the political scene. But God's good plan for us involves moving...again. We look forward to Greenville, a city with which we have familiarity and where we have family. Our four children will be able to attend one of the finest schools in America—one that will be literally walking distance from my office. We will again have health insurance and other job-related benefits.

My first day on the job is currently scheduled for June 29.

We ask your prayers for several things:

• The prompt sale of our home in Michigan.
• For our children, that they will make this transition well. Their comfortable little world was rocked by this news, and although we think they will do just fine in the long run, the short run may be a little tough.
• That everything which needs to be done this month will get done this month.
• That we will find a good church that God wants us to be a part of. There are many good churches in the Greenville area, so it's a bigger decision than you might think.

And pray for the BIG MOVING SALE, which will be on June 19. All are invited.

Why I Will Not Open a Business Venture in Kalamazoo

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

KALAMAZOO — Kalamazoo city voters decisively adopted an ordinance Tuesday that extends anti-discrimination protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals.

The ordinance passed 7,671 to 4,731, making Kalamazoo the 16th city in Michigan to adopt such a gay-rights ordinance that grants the protections in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.

As a Christian, I cannot give my approval in any way to that which God labels as sin. The ordinance that passed last evening would make it illegal for me to do any of several things, including:

• Not hiring a homosexual for a job involving contact with children
• Keeping a cross-dressing man from using the ladies' restroom in my business
• Renting a home or apartment to a pair of homosexuals

My conscience and my common sense would require me to do what the ordinance does not allow. Although I have no business, rental property, or any such thing in Kalamazoo—and never have—I have decided that I never will...unless this ordinance is removed.

Is McCotter Nuts?!?

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican from Michigan, is apparently seeking support in Congress for a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code....tell you what: I'll just quote from a letter he sent to his colleagues:

"Dear Colleague," the letter reads.

"According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of United States households own a pet. Indeed, the human-animal bond has been shown to have a positive effect upon people's emotional and physical well being. In families with children, pets help to create a nurturing environment and provide ample educational opportunities. For people in later stages of life, pets offer important companionship. No matter the age of the owner, pets have been shown to reduce stress, safeguard against depression, improve social skills, and even ease loss.

"In light of this, please join me in becoming a cosponsor to H.R. 3501, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act. If enacted, H.R. 3501 would amend the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an annual tax deduction of up to $3500 for qualified pet care expenses. Specifically, "qualified pet care expenses" would be defined as funds spent in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a legally owned, domesticated animal."

I first heard this on the radio driving home from work today (and in God's providence, I was stopped at a red light at that very moment, preventing me from driving my car off the road).

Sadly, liberals are having a field day with this—just as we Republicans often do with their loony ideas. Except this idea truly is loony! See examples here and here, if you care to do so.

Our tax code has more than its share of problems and certainly more than its share of illogical tax breaks for special-interest-related reasons. I'd rather see McCotter offer some sort of tax relief related to what I spend caring for the health care of the humans in my household. That would truly be a "HAPPY" day.

Tax breaks for pet care. Think about that.

Will Michigan Change its Graduation Requirements in Math?

In April of 2006, the all-wise legislature of Michigan passed, and the ever-more-all-wise governor signed, legislation that instituted a statewide set of public high school graduation requirements. These requirements meant that in every school district in Michigan,

Students must complete at least Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II, or an integrated sequence of this course content that consists of 3 credits, and an additional mathematics credit, such as Trigonometry, Statistics, Pre-calculus, Calculus, Applied Math, Accounting, Business Math, or a retake of Algebra II. Each pupil must successfully complete at least 1 mathematics course during his or her final year of high school enrollment. (See page 26 of this document)

This means that if you want a diploma (beginning, in general, with the Class of 2011), you have to earn four credits of math. Three of them must be in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. I also blogged extensively on this topic last August, saying the following [this is the slightly-abridged version]:

But the Biggest Problems lie here: The inevitable outcome of the MMC policy will be a combination of the following things:

• The dropout rates will soar. Already, it has been reported that 20-30% of freshmen students failed Algebra I last year—statewide. These students, plus many more who came close to failing, are already discouraged from taking Algebra II (not to mention the other newly-required courses) and will be more likely to choose dropping out than frustration. Dropout rates that were released this week are already dismal enough.
  
• The course known as Algebra II will be watered down...a lot. In order for many to pass, teachers and administrators will feel the pressure to make the class easier so that more kids will pass. This pressure will come from nearly every corner...and it will be effective in most places. Note: The "curriculum standards" will not change, just their application in the classroom. The test scores, on the other hand, will change.
  
• Social promotion will return with a vengeance. Yes, students will be passed along by teachers who, quite frankly, don't want them (and perhaps their ill-mannered, complaining parents) in their classrooms next year. It's already going on in public schools without the newly added pressure. Some teachers will face administrators administering that pressure.
• The disgraceful irony of this will be that the teachers/education system will be blamed. Teachers and schools who hold the line on not watering down the math courses and who do not practice social promotion will take heat for no other reason than a larger number of failing students—when they ought to be commended for encouraging quality work. Admittedly, there are teachers who aren't doing the job as well as they should (but is this not true in every vocation?). Yet I think that ignorant legislators, ambivalent parents, and apathetic students will all be getting less of the blame that will inevitably come when this MMC is shown to be unsuccessful.

In sum, I think the MMC is a bad idea. As a math teacher, I want every student to take as many math courses as they can. I want students to enjoy them and be successful—this is my passion. But not every student is capable of being equally successful, and it may be that other coursework is more appropriate for some students or more conducive to their long-term success. The MMC does not allow much liberty in this regard.

This will eventually become another example of a well-intentioned, poorly-thought-out, dictated-from-the-capital government policy that has the unintended consequence of failure. Significant decisions like these belong in the hands of local school leadership.

It turns out I was wrong on just one point: Before the Algebra II course, in particular, could be fully watered down, the legislature is moving to remove this requirement! According to articles in the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, the following legislation is on the move:

• The Michigan House has introduced a bill that "would allow students to bypass the tougher math requirement by taking three years of math, with the only mandated courses being algebra I and geometry. The third math credit could be in a course like financial literacy, which teaches students money management skills." (From the Free Press; emphasis mine)
• The Michigan Senate unanimously passed a bill to grant that "math-related career and technical education courses could fulfill the Algebra II graduation requirement for high school students." (From the Detroit News, emphasis mine)

Interestingly, the Michigan Department of Education opposes the House legislation but supports the Senate legislation. Still trying to figure that out....

Blogprof brought this to my attention earlier in the week; he is strongly opposed to the watering down of the standards. Read his comments here and here. I am also opposed. As a math teacher who works with public school students, I recognize that the standards are unrealistic based upon the reality in the classrooms. They cannot be realistic until all math teaching, from kindergarten on up, is both thorough and rigorous, free of the fluff that infests so much of the curriculum now.

Math educators disagree among themselves what will improve math education most successfully; but all of us believe it can and must be improved. Here are a few of my suggestions:

• Focus both on drill/practice and concepts. Students who drill and practice all the time have difficulty handling real-life problems; students who know how to solve the problems but can't compute accurately are not going to be successful, either.
• Keep calculators out of students' hands before high school, except for certain occasional things where their use is helpful. If you think they should never be used, just tell me what the square root of 11 is to six decimal places, and I'll agree with you. I wrote an entire blog post on this topic.
• Return the setting of curriculum standards to individual school districts. It makes them more accountable for success and failure...as it should be.
• Institute full school choice for all taxpayers. Are you not satisfied with your kids' progress at Lawton? Move them to Paw Paw. Displeased with Detroit Public Schools? [Who isn't?] You get the idea....
  

Most importantly, parents need to be involved—both in encouraging their children and making sure they are provided with a quality education, in math and every other subject. The work of the parents in a child's education is much more important than the work of the state.

Obama and Healthcare: Another Hit to the Michigan Economy!

My wife knows a few people who work at the Jasper Clinic in Kalamazoo, "an independent phase 1-2a clincal pharmacology service provider." [Essentially, they do drug tests on human subjects before those drugs reach the market. Fascinating stuff, really.] Conversing with one of them this week, she learned that about eleven people recently lost their jobs. Why? My wife said the explanation went something like this:

New president...drug companies don't know what he wants to do...drug companies are hesitant to put money into research

If I were the person in charge of Jasper Clinic, I would be cautious, too. The healthcare system overhaul the president proposes will almost certainly cause spending on R&D to diminish substantially. Here in the greater Kalamazoo area, unlike much of Michigan, the healthcare industry is a big deal: Pfizer, Stryker (yes, the stalwart supporter of democrat causes...but a lot of good people work there), and a host of smaller pharmacological companies call this their home. If R&D spending in the healthcare industry drops, as it almost certainly will if the President gets his way, the Kalamazoo area will feel the hits.

And if you're keeping track of the "jobs created or saved" that the President promised several months ago, that takes him to -11.

Michiganders (and certain others) About To Be Denied Proper Representation in Census

According to this wsj.com article, the upcoming 2010 Census will, like the three preceding it, be using a count of all persons physically present in the country to determine apportionment in Congress for the upcoming decade—including persons here illegally. The result of this will be to give disproportionately higher numbers of representatives to those states which have disproportionately higher numbers of illegal aliens.

Who wins and who loses under this scenario?

Winners: California is projected to have nine additional representatives in Congress, compared to the results if a count of only legal, permanent residents was done. Texas would get four additional representatives. Depending on the actual counts, several other states could pick up an additional seat, including Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New York, and New Jersey.

Losers: Several states right now are looking at the possibility of losing a Congressional seat regardless of this issue, but states at risk include Michigan, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Ohio could lose a second seat if illegal immigrants are counted. New York and New Jersey stand to lose a seat under a proper count, but could gain it back if illegal immigrants are counted.

What should we do?

For Michiganders, this is very much a bi-partisan issue. Our entire congressional delegation in D.C. should demand that the census only count legal, permanent residents of the country; legislation should be introduced to make this happen. Furthermore, co-sponsors should sprout up like weeds from such places as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and other states which either stand to lose a seat(s) or which will likely be unaffected regardless of the specific count.

We need to contact our representatives, regardless of their party, and demand action on this front. As Cameron Brown said in a MIRS interview recently, "If people can't have confidence in our election process, in our election system, they will not have confidence in government, period."

We have the greatest governmental system on the planet, and it is in the interests of all citizens to keep it healthy and honest. Eternal vigilance is required.

Sarah Palin: Come to Michigan!

Sarah Palin resigned from being governor of Alaska Sunday. You can view the video of her speech here. It has some similarities to the typical political sending-off speech, but still contains the uplifting strains that Sarah Palin is now well-known for.

If you feel like reminiscing, here are some clips from last year's election campaign:

Speech to the RNC (9/7/08): Text Video

Speech upon becoming McCain's running mate (8/29/08): Text Video


Now we have a mystery confronting us: What is Sarah Palin going to do next?

I have a suggestion. I'd beg, if necessary.

I think she needs to immediately move to Michigan. I'd imagine that she and her husband would likely find a nice spot up in the Upper Peninsula...probably feel "at home" up there. Once she establishes residency, she should run for governor. Or lieutenant governor. Or state legislature. Or county commissioner. Something.

Because we need people with the political philosophy of Sarah Palin to make Michigan a better place to live, work, prosper, and enjoy our freedoms. Remember that political philosophy in the next round of elections!

Michigan is 41st in "Top States for Business"...Why?

In a survey reported by NBC on its Nightly News broadcast this evening, and found here at the cnbc.com website, Virginia and Texas finished as the top two states in the nation for business, based on an analysis of the following ten factors (Michigan's 50-state rank in parentheses):

Cost of Doing Business (31)
Workforce (39)
Quality of Life (40)
Economy (45)
Transportation (20)
Technology & Innovation (7)
Education (34)
Business Friendliness (39)
Access to Capital (10)
Cost of Living (23)

I decided to order these categories in this manner: From those which the government is most obligated to have a role in, to those which the government should least be involved in. Here's what I got* (Michigan rankings still in parentheses):

Economy (45)
Business Friendliness (39)
Cost of Doing Business (31)
Transportation (20)
Education (34)
Workforce (39)
Cost of Living (23)
Quality of Life (40)
Access to Capital (10)
Technology & Innovation (7)

*The ranking is my own subjective interpretation, and I won't be at all offended if you would choose to engage in a little reordering of your own. The data sources are not explicitly noted and consequently, I'm not certain precisely how these rankings were obtained or what precisely they measure...although they seem reasonable.

Do you notice a trend here? If the categories were simply numbered from 1 to 10 (using my order) and a linear correlation were completed, it would be -0.67, implying that the more government involvement, in general, the lower the rating. [Disclaimer: Rigorous statistical analysis would demand more work on my part. This is only an estimate from an estimate.]

Observations, beginning at the top of my list:

The government is inescapably tied to the economy by its policies related to taxation, spending, and legal regulation of economic activity. This is clearly tied to business friendliness and the cost of doing business. Michigan is doing poorly in these categories.

Government—especially at the state level—has responsibilities for transportation (roads, airports, other infrastructure) and for public education. In this survey, however, I suspect that "education" measures the attainments of the populace, which is a collective measure of choices people make. That is why transportation comes ahead of education in my list.

The workforce metric is probably tied to the education metric to some degree, as the overall measure of a workforce is in a large degree tied to its level of education. A large manufacturing sector generally doesn't rate well in this kind of metric.

Cost of living is tied to a variety of factors beyond government, including such things as geography, natural resources, and whether an area is rural or urban.

Quality of life, in my book, is founded primarily on things spiritual and familial—areas which are properly outside the scope of government. Yet, economic issues impact quality of life, so the government has a tangential effect on this. (And if we get Obamacare, it will be a lot more than tangential!)

Access to capital and Technology & Innovation are free-market qualities which, aside from policing illegalities, are usually outside the proper realm of government. Michigan was a top-ten state in both of these areas...and only in these areas.

Notice, by the way, which two categories Michigan finished best in. There is still hope...if we get active and vote!

How did Ohio do? Some interesting observations here.

Michigan Unemployment Rises Again! Ugh!

15.2% is the new ugly number. Almost makes you wish for the "good old days" when it was only 8.1%...which it was, twelve months ago. Was this the "hope and change" we bargained for?

As I mentioned in my last post regarding Michigan unemployment statistics, we are moving toward the highest unemployment rate Michigan has had since 1976 (when the current statistics, in their current form, were first tracked), when it was 16.9% in November 1982. The only other state to have unemployment over 15% since 1976 was West Virginia, whose unemployment peaked at 18.2% in March 1983.

Many believe we will surpass that rate before the end of 2009. Ugh.

Detailed data regarding Michigan employment and unemployment:
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LASST26000003

Here are a couple of very telling graphs from that site...first, the number of unemployed in Michigan:

And the unemployment rate, expressed in terms of percents:

Perhaps Governor Granholm was wrong...maybe it will only be three years until we're blown away!

Michigan Blueberries

This morning I took my four children to our annual July extravaganza: Blueberry picking! The five of us picked nearly 31 pounds of blueberries, with most of those now resting comfortably in my freezer. My children think blueberry picking is fun; I enjoy it also.

Someone who lives in Florida questioned why I would go out into the heat to pick my own blueberries. That's a good question, and I have several good answers.

1. The weather is beautiful. It is July in Michigan—a far cry from the oppressive humidity of a July day in Florida—and this morning was a particularly beautiful day even by normal standards. Fresh air in the open fields is good for us, no?

2. It's a great activity for the kids. They enjoy it, and it gives them a pleasant taste of the work world. It is good for children to learn how to accomplish tasks and to enjoy the reward of their labor; if they can learn this in an enjoyable environment, so much the better.

3. It's a great activity with the kids. Parents, especially fathers, should spend time with their children. This is a super way to do it.

4. Fresh blueberries are, quite simply, awesome.

5. I'm supporting the local economy, and in Michigan, how can that not be a good thing?

Q&A with Sen. Tom George (R-20th District)

Sen. Tom George is currently serving his second term in the Michigan Senate and is a candidate for governor in next year's election. He is a medical doctor and a history buff. He recently and graciously agreed to answer some questions related to his campaign to become Michigan's next Republican governor.

1. Would you, during the campaign, be willing to sign a pledge indicating that you would not raise taxes? If not, are there specific taxes you would be willing to raise, under certain circumstances?

No, I will not sign a pledge to not raise taxes as I have always made it a policy and practice to not sign any kind of pledge. I believe it would be imprudent of a gubernatorial candidate to take such a pledge.

2. Being a doctor certainly gives you more insight into the healthcare industry than most of us have, and being a senator gives you more insight into the workings of government than most of us have. What other qualities do you think you have that prepare you to become Michigan's next governor?

Having maintained an active career outside of the legislature is an advantage that no other candidate can claim. I continue to work at the hospital, including some nights and weekends when the legislature is not in session. This puts me in touch with the many challenges that people are facing on a regular basis. It also gives me special insight into the strengths and weaknesses of our health care system.

Fixing health care is one of the keys to fixing Michigan’s economy and turning our state around. One of the lessons my medical practice has taught me is that the health of a population and subsequent health care costs largely reflect health behaviors. With health care costs now the single largest expense in the state budget, the state’s ability to lure jobs, fix its infrastructure, and provide tax cuts will in part depend on the next governor’s ability to improve the health behavior of our citizens.

Having legislative experience is also important as fixing Michigan will require using the legislative process. Governor Engler was a skilled legislator and this helped make him an effective governor. In contrast, Governor Granholm’s lack of legislative experience has at times been apparent.

Outside of the legislature, I have provided volunteer service to several organizations. These experiences enhance my credentials. For example, in 2008, I co-chaired MI-Cause, the statewide coalition which formed to oppose last fall’s embryo research ballot proposal. I have served as president of the Historical Society of Michigan, a statewide non-profit group founded in 1828 to promote and preserve the history of our state. In 1998 I chaired the Kalamazoo Coalition for Appropriate and Compassionate Care, a group which formed to oppose the assisted-suicide ballot proposal.

As a physician, I served as a medical volunteer in Tanzania, Africa, and on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia. For 24 years, I have been a member of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine’s volunteer faculty. I have also published articles in both medical journals and history magazines.

On a personal note, I have been married to my wife, Sandy for almost 30 years and we have three children.

Continuing to hold a part-time job while serving in the legislature, demonstrating leadership, serving as a volunteer, and maintaining one’s marriage vows are all important indicators of character which may be important to voters in the gubernatorial race.

3. You will no doubt be reminded during the campaign about your vote on the early morning of 10/1/07 to raise taxes. In retrospect, do you regret that vote, or do you feel that it was necessary? Why?

I do not regret my 2007 vote to raise the state income tax.

It should be noted that in 2007, I voted for a billion dollars in spending cuts as well as voting to raise the state income tax from 3.9 to 4.35%. Together this combination would have been sufficient to balance the budget. Unlike many of my colleagues, I actually voted for a package of bills that taken together would have produced a balanced budget without the need for the adoption of Governor Granholm’s service tax, which I opposed, and which was later converted, to the business tax surcharge.

My vote helped end a government shutdown, and create a balanced budget, which is one of my constitutional duties. Given the circumstances, it was the prudent action to take. (It also should be noted that during nine of the twelve years that Governor Engler was in office, the income tax was greater than its current rate of 4.35%.)

4. You are known to be a history buff. Can you think of any historical parallels in U.S. History to the current state of affairs in Michigan?

There have been several instances of economic crises in Michigan’s past. Boom and bust cycles have been caused by land speculation, canal building boondoggles, timber industry cycles, war, and the great depression. On more than one occasion economic turmoil has contributed to a call for a constitutional convention. The Constitutional Convention of 1961-2, in part, stemmed from state budget problems in the late 1950’s.

Applying the lessons of the past to today would suggest that though Republicans may not support the call for a constitutional convention which will appear on the 2010 ballot, we should be prepared in the event it is adopted.

5. Looking back over your time in the legislature, of what achievements are you the most pleased?

I represent a senate district that, like Michigan as a whole, is about 53% Democratic. My district has voted for Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Jennifer Granholm. Yet, I am a conservative, pro-life Republican and have managed to win elections repeatedly there. I am now serving in my ninth year in the legislature. I believe I have been able to represent my district ably because I am a good listener, and because I have found a way to apply Republican principles to the problems of the day in a constructive manner. In a similar fashion, for a Republican to win the governor’s race in 2010, we must have a candidate with the right temperament and skills -- a candidate who knows how to win; a candidate who knows how to use Republican solutions to fix our state.

Thank you, Senator George!