Conduct Report aka Gabriel Dillinger

So I got home from work yesterday to discover that my son Gabriel got a write-up at school for punching another student in the stomach(causing a disturbance) and for stealing something from the teachers desk. My son is not a fighter, but we do often playfight. While trying to get to the bottom of this my wife discovered that he was talking to another boy on the playground who wanted to play fight with him. One thing you need to know about Gabe. He is the most shy 5 year old I have ever known, and he does not have many friends at school. So when a kid walks up and wants to play with him, what do you think he is going to do? That's right...play. Well, I don't know exactly what happened on that count until we speak to the teacher, but I do know that this tendancy to go after 5 year old children as if they were hardened criminals and sentence them to no recess when they are only playfighting(which even kittens do...) seems a little harsh. =)

It seems to me as if there is no such thing as individual attention anymore. If one child does something that fits into the guidelines set forth for said infraction, there they get shoved.

Then comes the stealing part. Admittedly Gabriel has recently learned that he can take something that catches his attention and put it in his pocket, and thus take it home without paying for it. I discovered this last week when he came to me with a pack of gum that I had certainly not paid for. Needless to say, we had a long talk with some crying somewhere in the middle. Kids aren't dumb. They are not born with the knowledge of knowing the difference between right and wrong, they just discover what works. When what works for them is wrong it is a parents job to step in and teach the child.

The accusation regarding "stealing" from the teachers desk is bogus. We were getting ready for school and I noticed he put this little notebook that he got from Grandma Reed in his pocket that morning. He had it out to play with it or write in it and his teacher took it away from him and placed it on her desk. Here is where another thing comes in about Gabe that you need to know to set the story properly. Gabriel has some OCD tendencies. When he gets his mind set on something, he is stubborn as a mule and doesn't stop until he succeeds. This will bode him well later in life, but tends to get him in trouble at this age. Stop right there. I know what you're thinking - and there is no way he gets it from me! =) He decided at some point in the day to go to the desk and get his pad of paper that he got from Grandma Reed back. When he did and the teacher discovered it, he was blamed for stealing something that was his to begin with!

When Gabriel began the school year my wife and I were a little worried that he was not going to be ready. He worked through some issues with the help of his teachers and his brother and has been doing very good in school. He loves to do his homework even though we are having issues getting him to turn it in, and is picking up his numbers and letters very easily. The Conduct Report that was sent home certainly alerted us to the fact that something happened yeserday, but it also rose my hackles in that there was absolutely zero common sense used or even the appearance of attempting to discover exactly what happened and why before sending it out.

What ever happened to "kids will be kids"?

Solutions not Talk

There is so much talk today and not enough actual work being done. At LEAST come to the table with some good ideas congressmen and congresswomen. Excuse me, congress people?

Just throwing some ideas out there:

A Federal Sales tax along with a flat Income tax could potentially be a solution to many of our problems. A flat income tax alone would eliminate the need for a major portion of the $11.52 Billion that was spent on the IRS budget in 2009 ALONE.

A federal sales tax would be beneficial to our country and makes real sense to me, and here is why. It is a participatory tax. If you want to spend, you pay the tax, if you don't want to spend, you don't. Simple. The MORE money you have typically, the more you spend, the more you pay in taxes. It is so amazingly simple that it boggles my mind. This could also be imposed on all Internet transactions within the United States.

The only thing standing in the way of real solutions like these - politics as usual.

To effect change, we have to change who we have working for us because they are doing a piss poor job of actually getting any work done. Send them a message that they are Fired! Get out and vote for anyone except the incumbent. Term limits should be in place to keep "politics as usual" from ever again becoming the norm.

Tax Time Quotes

Question: " I understand that Congress is considering a so-called 'flat' tax system. How would this work?" Answer: "If Congress were to pass a 'flat' tax, you'd simply pay a fixed percentage of your income, and you wouldn't have to fill out any complicated forms, and there would be no loopholes for politically connected groups, and normal people would actually understand the tax laws, and giant talking broccoli stalks would come around and mow your lawn for free, because Congress is NOT going to pass a flat tax, you pathetic fool."
-Dave Barry

America is a land of taxation that was founded to avoid taxation.
-Laurence J. Peter

There's nothing wrong with the younger generation that becoming taxpayers won't cure.
-Dan Bennett

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either.
-Gerald Barzan

The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. Even when you make a tax form out on the level, you don't know when it's through if you are a crook or a martyr.
-Will Rogers

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss.
-Robert Heinlein

It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.
-Dave Barry

The sales tax seems to be more politically acceptable than the income tax.
-Raymond C. Scheppach

The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation... For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.... We, therefore... solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.
-The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, 1776

Find these and more Tax quotes here: http://www.quotegarden.com/taxes.html

Living in a Socialist United States

Taxes and Welfare.

Earned Income Credit.

Child Tax Credit.

Making Work Pay Credit. All names of welfare credits.

A mother of three children making $20,000 a year, pays in to the federal government just social security and Medicare taxes totalling approximately $3,000, and let's assume $1,300 to the State in which she lives.

Come tax time, she gets everything ready and finds out that she is getting a $8,000 payday courtesy of Uncle Sam, and another $2,000 "refund" from the State in which she lives. This "refund" is not money she overpaid to the government. This is money that comes from other taxpayers.

Instead of getting refunded the money she paid in to all tax sources, she is being paid a stipend above and beyond because of tax "credits", making her yearly income including the tax "refund" - $5,700 more than her employer pays her. She not only does not pay ANY taxes, but she is among those using the services of the government more than average with Three children in the school system alone. This is not uncommon. Let's say that just 10,000 of these people each exist in every state in the union. That would be a $5,000,000,000 payroll in welfare "refunds" between the States and the Federal government.

The government takes from the rich and successful and gives to the poor. This makes them a hero, right?

The conservative rag is that our country is moving towards becoming more socialist. The sad thing is - we already live in a socialist country. It is a pity that not everyone has their eyes open to it yet.