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Do you truly believe that outside of school your children as young adults, in college, etc will never run into bullies, others that taunt, and generally bad behavior?  Dealing with others, including the jerks is one of the social skills learned in an interactive environment.  At some point, all parents will die leaving their children and being able to socially interact with others outside of the family will be important.  I completely agree that family time is also extremely important in all phases of child development, but do not believe it is possible for a family to provide a complete social education.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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No, it's a tech company (but there is nothing wrong with fast food employment – in a state with over 10% unemployment right now I think a job is a good thing). Which is ironic, don't you think? We have S/W engineers that work from home, so I understand that side of the argument.  But bottom line is, even my developers that do work from home need to be on line and working by a specific time.  Certainly those here in the office are expected to work normal or near normal hours. However, in other professions being on time or early was even more important.  When I was in emergency medicine everyone shows up for shifts early, being late was not tolerated.  In all of these occupations, social skills learned by interacting with others outside family members are vital.

How do these virtual schools plan to deal with that? It is a valid question, and not at all about me, I don't need to get over myself, I am assessing what I heard from one child in a virtual school.  This doesn't mean it is reflective of all children in online education, or that my assessment of Buddy is completely accurate. It is what I heard in his responses.  He had a difficult time articulating his ideas, communicating with Emily, struggled to grasp the question she asked him (she rephrased it for him, meaning she also thought he wasn't getting her question), and yes, he does sound like a teenager, but certainly wasn't socially strong.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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:-) Why yes they are! That's what I get for my comments on others! Karma.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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I sense a trend. 

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Was spelling in your curriculum in your illegal home school? Your post strengthens those that argue against home schooling. 

For example: legal, parents, opportunities and her name was Anne Frank with an “e”

But of course, I misspelled a couple words in my own post - and in the issue of fairness thought I would point that out here as well. 

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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How do you address the social retartation Buddy is clearly displaynig in his responses? Every home schooled child I have ever met - including family members have struggled with the social aspects of life. How do online schools plan to deal with those issues?

Also, as a hiring manager I worry about students allowed to start their day at 10-11. I am also not a morning person and my personal lax attention to being on time has cost me employment twice, and now I am also careful when hiring candidates regarding punctuality.  How can online schools help develop the real world rythyms these kids will NEED?

How about we change taxing structure for education? How about people WITH kids (I am a parent) pays MORE rather than less than those without kids? Then those parents can put their kids where ever they want.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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yeah that worked real well for James Chasse. Or PDXlover, when your brother, sister, father or mother dies, let the cops surround your home with AR 15's and Remington 800's and see how well you do, on the DAY your family member passed. 

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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BS. When Australia tried this guess what happened? Yup, the criminals became even better armed and the murder rate went up significantly when only criminals had guns.  Think about this for just a second. There are already laws against drinking and driving. Tell me, do you think because it is against the law, there are 0 people in the state of Oregon who drive after having alcohol? So a law against firearms would be sucessful how? Not to mention then only the police (and criminals) will have firearms. After what you just heard on the radio, do you really want that!?

Never mind that the Supreme Court of the United States interpreted the Constitution of the USA to provide the right to keep and bear arms - even against it's own government and police force. Keep in mind, that is exactly how our country was born.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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this is the best idea I have heard in a long time. How do we get one started in Oregon?

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Amen. Come on TOL. You have been on a roll with great shows, don't back down. I know the PDX police will harass Emily and Dave if they ask the tough questions, but take one for the team!

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Dave Miller - come on man, ask the Chief some of the questions being asked on here. Don't chicken out, ask the tough questions. 

What is she doing about the overwhelming perception in the community that Portland Police are bullies and brutes and return them back to public servants rather than militaristic egomaniacs?

How does the Chief feel about officers need to be held to a HIGHER standard?

When will she stop denying and start addressing it isn't the bad apples, it is the majority of the force?

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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then clearly you need better statistics. Or better interpretation of your stats. Only a fool would blindly trust a stranger on a power trip with a gun.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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I do NOT trust the police, nor should you. EVER. They are not in the business of helping, or protecting or serving. They are in it for the adrenaline rush, the power and the fear they instill in the public. The Us vs. Them others have mentioned above is the mentality every officer I have ever met have.  As others have mentioned, no officer is ever held accountable for murdering people. I bet if Jeffrey Grahn hadn't killed himself after shooting his wife and two of her friends the cops would have found a way to get him off and he would have retired with public funded benefits. With the current economic climate, I think one of the best areas to cut is to completely disband SRT/SWAT teams. They are an unnecessary expense that also further militarizes the police force.  I believe anyone that has any common sense would realize the relationship between the police and the public (who they WORK for and pay for) has deteriorated to the point beyond repair. It has gotten so bad, I don't even care when someone does something terrible and shoots four officers in Washington, I just can no longer summon up sympathy - they sure don't have any for the people they kill, they joke about it on camera after.

Anyone who has the audacity to ever question cops always ends up harassed, arrested for false claims and no one ever stands up to them. Not the mayor, not the governor, no one. Ever wonder why?

 Who polices the police? No one.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Awesome TOL. Best in a long time, just riveting radio without the need for the usual controversial topic. Great guests. Nice work Emily and team.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Because unlike for using credit reports for hiring purposes (just saying it sounds stupid, it is called a credit report - for credit worthiness) there IS statistical proof that credit reports unfairly impact minorities and the disadvantaged. So a skewed system for credit is being misapplied as a supposed hiring tool.  This is a scheme from the credit bureaus and the companies that SELL credit reports to artificially inflate the presumed value of the product.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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I am a hiring manager that has hired well over 2500 employees in my career.  I have never used a credit report nor would I ever, and that includes hiring the controller and the CFO for various companies I have worked for.  Having access to credit reports is unnecessary and is discriminatory against minorities and disadvantaged. How someone has handled their personal credit has NO bearing on how a candidate would perform their job. It is MY job as a hiring manager to do my due diligence and conduct criminal background checks, verify prior employment and contact references.  It is much more important to ask the right questions – Cindy Roberts claims tools are removed and that companies like Intel can only verify employment.  This of course is COMPANY policy and if one asks the correct questions the answers are available. Emily asked about the legality – credit reports contain information that is considered illegal under Federal law for companies to ask during the hiring process. 

Cindy Roberts is plain wrong. Trying to spin the unnecessary invasion of privacy as a necessary tool is irresponsible and akin to a statement that only well off white candidates should be considered for hire in positions where financial responsibilities. 

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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JC - no it's not. The truth is that we all pay way too much in taxes for what we get because Government, be it state or federal, instead of using economies of scale, and leverage their universal buying power is exceedingly wasteful, corrupt and our current crisis is due to over dependency on income tax. But try and bring up a sales tax and the "us" in this conversation freak out and become truly selfish. 

JPratt, No, the State is NOT us. It isn't even representative anymore. When was the last time you spoke with your state representative? I would bet a large percentage of Oregonians don't even know WHO their representative is. They are not working for the people, as representatives.  State government has become a miniature Federal government, complete with partisan bickering to the level of ineptitude and incompetence.  We are NOT PERS, we are NOT taking vacations in Mexico and Hawaii on lobbyists’ dime (granted after decades of abuse when they got caught they had to pass new laws). If the State WAS us, wouldn’t you want US to do a better job with OUR money?

If we are ALL the state, and this line of thought is “selfish” then how about you all direct deposit your paycheck into one account, for the entire state as someone else suggested? The state takes the necessary amount for services and you can have what is left?

Don’t get me wrong, the current method of prediction of the revenue is ridiculous, but any attempt to fix that will also come with the price tag of giving back even more of the people’s money back to the inept legislature.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Emily just hit it on the head: this ISN'T the State's money, it IS OUR money. That's part of the problem with this State's legislature.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Bikes need to be licensed the same way cars and motorcycles are - with clearly visable license plates for the same reasons.  Accountability. Fees are just to help off set the cost of managing bike transit.

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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talk about a poor argument. This is the best you could come up with? How about you just don't want to be licensed and insured.  Licensing would mean accountability - which in the biking community is avoided like a plauge, instead prefering to blame others. Pay up or no more improvements. Insure like everyone else on the road.

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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