Today's quiz question regarding Clark County Prop 12 and 13.

During a discussion I was involved in concerning these propositions, an idea was floated by someone smarter than I.

Why not ask the state to turn over Larch Mountain Correctional, apparently no longer in use, instead of requesting the already crushingly overtaxed people of Clark County to fork over even more of their hard-earned cash?

I don't know the current condition of Larch. But it would seem to me (and the person suggesting this alternative) that it would be a great deal cheaper to update a closed prison than it would to pay for the cost of massive new construction.

The reality? The jail expansion as envisioned will only result in an increase of 220 beds. And when this project goes way over budget (as the vast majority of government projects inevitably will) then what?

The idea that $366 million, before the inevitable cost overruns, will only result in an additional 220 beds?

That's $1.66 MILLION PER BED at current spending levels, a number bound to increase on a per-bed basis.

And that is insane.

An attempt to have the state donate Larch Mountain to Clark County would save most of the money the county is trying to get from an already over-burdened tax paying populace, a burden that will be substantially worse after the next democrat-controlled legislative session.

Thoughts?

This militant muslim invasion.

 As a country, there's a certain reality we must face... sooner rather than later.

Most sentient beings in our country see our future playing out in France right now.

France is the prototype for our country as the nazis of the left become islamist's useful tools.

Rioters burn down Limoge, France City Hall.

We've already seen what the islamist-terrorist sympathizers do in Congress. We've seen it in increasingly radical towns taken over by muslims sharing the Shia vision of militant domination; towns where they now view our Constitution and laws as just so much toilet paper.

The effort is to achieve conquest by using our own rules against us.

Corruption runs rampant. The burden on our society is horrific.

In watching all of this play out, I'm reminded of the Tarantula wasp (aka tarantula hawk (Pompilidae))

For those unfamiliar with this species, it's a type of wasp that has a paralytic sting. It's also known for having the second most painful sting to humans (tarantulas generally aren't available for comment) second only to something called the "bullet ant." (Yes, I was today years old before I'd heard of a "bullet ant.")

This wasp preys on tarantulas. They find their target, the crawl all over it, as the tarantula itself seems helpless to defend itself; sting it, drag it to a hole, lays a single egg on the spider's abdomen.

The egg pupates within a couple of days and proceeds to eat the tarantula, paralyzed but otherwise unaffected, alive. (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq8916ZbjfE)

The above scenario is what we see happening in Spain, the UK and certainly in France.

And it also appears to be what we're seeing here in our country.

We see the statement of the problem playing out in front of us today.

The questions? What are we going to do about the democrat-islamist partnership. Democrats have voted terrorist supporters into office repeatedly and now they may do it in the Senate.

And once the decision is made to resolve the question, will we have the will to carry it out?

Do they really want someone with ties to the muslim brotherhood in our government?

We see it happening right now, today. The past is prescient. And if we do not learn from it, I fear we'll relieve it and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing it to happen.

Because, you know.... diversity.

How's that working out for them in Europe?

Ending the problem of drinking and driving.

Each year, thousands of Americans (and others) are killed/maimed by drunk drivers. And yet, as a country, we do nothing about it that actually works.

Most recently here locally, this is one of the results of this nation's obvious indifference to our plight.

In this instance, according to the accompanying the article from the Vancouver, WA Police Department, one pedestrian died at the scene and another died a few days later.

The DUI driver was charged with DUI, Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, and Reckless Driving'

He'll get a few years and a fine, if that. Run someone over/hit another car and kill someone with your car? It's "vehicular manslaughter."

Pull up next to them and use a gun? It's murder.

The outcomes are the same.

To me, there's no difference. Also, to me, I support making it illegal to drive after you've drank ANY alcohol... and you should be tried for attempted murder if you do.

We message everyone: "Do not drink and drive," and then we make it legal to do the very thing we tell people NOT to do. And thousands die every year as victims of DUI drivers while we continue to do nothing about it.

Obviously the sentences are not nearly enough to provide a deterrent.

Make the BAC 0.00. ANYTHING over that level would be considered DUI.

1. ONE DUI without accident? Lose your driver's license for life. Confiscate and sell the driver's vehicle. Take proceeds and put them into a DUI victims fund. 364 days in jail.

2. DUI WITH accident? See above. Five years in prison, DUI driver must pay ALL costs, reimbursing insurance as well, even if that requires seizure and sale of all assets.

3. DUI WITH injury? Both 1 and 2, increase sentence to 20 years.

4. DUI WITH death(s)? Both 1 and 2 and life in prison.

As a country, we either want to END DUI or we don't.

At this point?

It's pretty clear we don't.

Upset about the public execution of Hasan? Why?

Wrong.                                                                                                                                        

For far too long, accountability on those rare occasions it has been applied, has lacked the impact of a video game reset.

There is no question of this traitor's guilt. He murdered 13 of us and wounded 33 others.

In one brief moment, he destroyed or permanently impacted 44 lives.

THAT is "sick and unacceptable."

Your response is similar to that of your typical leftists who want to confiscate our guns... because they declare WEAPONS are "sick and unacceptable."

The punishment for murder lacks the impact of reality. Non-televised executions have all reality of a video game war scene to the participants.

ALL executions should be televised. ALL of those convicted of Murder 1 should be executed.

There's nothing "sick" or "unacceptable" about it.

That reality hit home in Singapore, where the law is that if you use a firearm in the commission of ANY crime, whether you shoot it or not?

You're executed.

If you even CARRY a firearm during the commission of a crime? Without even showing it? You get a life sentence.

As a result, gun crime is essentially unheard of.

Why? Consequences.

No one will force anyone to watch this. I will be watching... I would volunteer to take him out myself. And I will be thinking about the lives this scumbag so admired by the left destroyed or permanently altered.

And there's nothing "sick" or "unacceptable" about it.

The message is clear: You don't want to pay for what you've done?

Then don't do it.

Fixing our public schools:

Under leftist control, public schools are a disaster. I don't know if Oregon has an equivalency to Washington State's OSPI report card, which details the academic outcomes of our schools.

But I'm sure it's a nightmare if such an online report exists.

This is the current copy of the latest reports on academic outcomes here in Washington.

You'd have to be insane or masochistic to send your kids to a state school system that has no requirements to get a worthless high school diploma in order to somehow protect the sensibilities of minorities who fail to perform.

Meanwhile, Oregon continues to punch out fringe-left programmed semi-literate cretins like movie tickets, just like Washington (which just fell behind MISSISSIPPI in academics - schools that spend roughly $6000 LESS per student than we do) and then, leftists ask for a "plan to fix it," as if 1. they were clueless that it's broken and 2. WHY it is broken.

Plan to fix all public schools:

1. End social programming.

Kids go to school for one reason only: academics. Social programing, insane gender issues, mainstreaming mental illness, teaching children to hate their country, hate law enforcement, hate the rich, hate internal combustion engines, hate immigration law enforcement, hate those advocating for actual biological science when it comes to being born male or born female while hating the police should ALL be prohibited.

2. Focus ENTIRELY on academics.

English. Math. Science. Government/Constitution. Shop. Music. Athletics. Home Economics.

This country ranks 31st in the world for academic outcomes. China spends $4200 per student. Our country averages $15,000 to $17,000 per student. "China generally achieves higher foundational test scores and STEM output." In Washington State, the number is $19,341 per student.

To call our academic outcomes here in the Washington Soviet “abysmal” is the understatement.

"China scores significantly higher in international metrics like PISA (Programme[sic] for International Student Assessment), particularly in mathematics, reading, and science within participating regions like Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. The system emphasizes rote memorization, repetition, and foundational mastery.

United States students typically rank lower on standardized international math and science benchmarks compared to top-performing international cohorts, focusing more on conceptual understanding and student-centered engagement."

We rank lower. You know, on the things that matter most?

There's zero excuses available for ANY country to do better for their students than THIS country... and the issue is NOT money or so-called "underpaid teachers."

3. Hold teachers accountable for their outcomes.

Teachers have been mailing it in for years... decades. Demand accountability for what they produce.

Nationwide, there's horror stories. Baltimore, for example, spends $23,147 per student. Academically, they are among THE worst schools not only in the country, but in the entire 1st world.

It begins and ends with the combination of curriculum and those teaching it.

Try and hold teachers accountable for their end-product (you know, like all the rest of us are held accountable for ours?)

End teacher strikes, which are illegal and extortion. If teachers go on strike, lock them up.

If teachers don't like the pay, benefits, retirement? Then quit and go pump gas. But acting like failed teachers who are far more concerned with offending the sensibilities of those who refuse to do the work over those who actually make an effort, is a nonstarter.

Your value as a teacher is in direct proportion to the product YOU produce.

4. Hold STUDENTS accountable.

END the insanity of providing worthless pieces of paper that many students did NOT work for.

Implement reasonable academic standards to not only graduate, but to pass on to the next grade.

If a student can't read, how does that get better by moving them to the next grade so they can fall behind even more?

Holding failing students back provides some incentive to do the work, an incentive completely absent today because there are no requirements needed to move on to the next grade or even to graduate.

5. Stop blaming parents.

That's the favorite past time of teachers and their fringe-left acolytes.

It's NEVER the teacher’s fault. It's ALWAYS the parent's fault.

To hear them tell it.

I had two high schooler's graduate from Hockinson High School, one with a 3.6 and the other with a 3.1.

They did the work. As parents, we WERE involved. We checked their homework. We helped them to study, gave them tricks and pointers. We were proud of their academic achievement.

And neither one of them could pass the Clark College math placement test. (one has a 4-year degree now from WSU-V. The other did 2 years in college)

Explain it to me like I'm a 6-year-old.

The responsibility for those outcomes rests ENTIRELY on those who taught the subjects and graded the papers.

Not the parents.
___________

There may be, and most likely are, other steps that can be taken. But what Oregon schools are doing now simply does not work. And it's insane to continue to do the same thing, over and over, while expecting a different outcome.

We can do better. Leftist intransigence while the sky actually IS falling is a critical element in the disaster that is not only Oregon’s educational outcomes but those of the entire United States.

We can fix it. But as always, it boils down to this single question: Do we have the will?