dear obama: on education.

Dear President Obama,

First, I would like to commend you on announcing the American Graduation Initiative and acknowledging the importance of community colleges. While interning for Women Employed, a Chicago-based social advocacy organization, I gained first-hand knowledge of the many difficulties that today’s community college students face. The interviews I had with single mothers attending Olive Harvey College allowed me to apply their individual stories to the bigger picture.

Work-study is hardly given to students who actually need it. Childcare is either limited to a small age window or not provided at all. Most importantly, too many community college students aren’t provided with the academic, financial, and guidance counseling that is vital to any student’s education. If these are the problems that students face now, can you envision what their situations will be like after the budget cuts have surfaced?

The goal of social mobility through higher education must remain tangible to anyone. It is hence crucial that work-study, grants, and loans are more properly allocated to low-income students who are having difficulties finding a job during this recession. On-campus housing shouldn’t be limited to students who don’t have children. Colleges need to have support systems that will guide their students through the difficulties of juggling school, family, and work. Finally, community college students should never resort to throwing in the towel, whether it is because of lack of financial aid or lack of affordable childcare.

WE’s Clear Connections Project has successfully linked a coalition of community colleges to lawmakers in Illinois, so that colleges can effectively communicate what is working and what isn’t. This program should likewise be found across the nation so that any and all barriers to higher education are acknowledged and stopped. If more lawmakers gain the first-hand knowledge that I did, the American Graduation Initiative will really make a difference.

First, I would like to commend you on announcing the American Graduation Initiative and acknowledging the importance of community colleges. While interning for Women Employed, a Chicago-based social advocacy organization, I gained first-hand knowledge of the many difficulties that today’s community college students face. The interviews I had with single mothers attending Olive Harvey College allowed me to apply their individual stories to the bigger picture.

Work-study is hardly given to students who actually need it. Childcare is either limited to a small age window or not provided at all. Most importantly, too many community college students aren’t provided with the academic, financial, and guidance counseling that is vital to any student’s education. If these are the problems that students face now, can you envision what their situations will be like after the budget cuts have surfaced?

The goal of social mobility through higher education must remain tangible to anyone. It is hence crucial that work-study, grants, and loans are more properly allocated to low-income students who are having difficulties finding a job during this recession. On-campus housing shouldn’t be limited to students who don’t have children. Colleges need to have support systems that will guide their students through the difficulties of juggling school, family, and work. Finally, community college students should never resort to throwing in the towel, whether it is because of lack of financial aid or lack of affordable childcare.

WE’s Clear Connections Program has successfully linked a coalition of community colleges to lawmakers in Illinois, so that colleges can effectively communicate what is working and what isn’t. This program should likewise be found across the nation so that any and all barriers to higher education are acknowledged and stopped. If more lawmakers gain the first-hand knowledge that I did, the American Graduation Initiative will really make a difference.

More Advice to Obama: Get Out Of Vacation Mode

The Obamas kept a low profile while vacationing on the island of Oahu. Aside from daily trips to the gym and golf courses, the president-elect seldom left his vacation retreat, a rented $9 million home near Honolulu. When he did venture out, it usually was to grab some shave ice, a local treat, look at baby tigers at the zoo or take some other child-friendly excursion.

While on vacation, Obama did his best to stay out of the discussion over the escalating violence in the Middle East, where Israeli troops launched an offensive against Hamas leaders who had fired rockets from Gaza. … Pro-Palestinian activists protested outside Obama’s vacation home on Tuesday and urged a new approach to the Middle East. Obama did not acknowledge them.

{Source: AP via Yahoo! News}

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Dear Obama,
Vacation is over. Now is the time to at least pretend like you care about Gaza.

See also: Nowhere to Run [AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube]

Advice to Obama: Less Generalizations, More Specifics

Alright, I’m gonna switch gears a little bit, because I’ve had this on my mind for a while now.

I think we can all agree that Barack Obama is finally attacking McCain in an effective and honest way that informs voters of his faults. Throughout this and the past two presidential elections, the Republican smear-laden campaigns have too often overpowered the other side’s voice, resulting in eight years of the Bush administration. And now, it’s good to see Obama finally fight back in a way that will actually wake some people up.

However, something is still missing. Barack Obama hasn’t really given specific evidence of the who, what, when, where, and why that is found in his ads and speeches. He frequently speaks of the lobbyists in McCain’s campaign, not to mention the “voting with Bush 90% of the time” stuff. But if this is constantly said and not backed up (and it can be backed up), some people are left questioning the truth of what’s being said. Politicians don’t have the best track record of telling the truth, for good reason. Therefore, Obama needs to dig deeper, in a way that reveals the flaws of his opponent without compromising his own integrity. And trust me, it’s not that difficult.

Who are the lobbyists? What are their names? How are they affiliated with the failed policies of the Republican party?

What are specific incidents of John McCain voting with Bush? What unpopular policies are McCain for that will make the next four years like the last eight if he’s elected? How does his position on the economy, abortion, the war in Iraq, etc contradict his newer promise of “change”?

While these questions have been answered in some ads, Obama is found many times speaking too generally. He needs to give names, dates and specific policies, so that voters don’t doubt what he’s saying. There are too many people who are on the fence right now, and in order to really convince them, they need cold hard evidence. Keep playing videos of McCain boasting that he voted with Bush. Use his quotes of promising change against him by showing how much John McCain has changed: from someone who could have been considered a maverick, to a George W. Bush clone. His inconsistencies are crucial right now, and this is Obama’s opportunity to take advantage of them.

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ETA: Just one of the many, many people who attended a rally in Alaska.

Nice. (Thanks, mudflats.)

Stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008.

do you own a small business that manufactures hand-crafted personal care products? do you buy from one of these companies? a few examples are oyin, qhemet, nasabb, sher essence, and blended beauty.

what would you say if congress passed a law that forced these small businesses to pay outrageous prices that would drive most of them out of business? what would you do if you were forced to purchase from mass-market products, because your favorite all-natural moisturizer was no longer available?

our government is trying to make these possibilities a reality, and it needs to be stopped. regardless of whether you produce or purchase anything from small businesses like the ones listed above (or if you do neither), i think we can all agree that it is necessary to have a variety of choices in our daily lives. the FDA wants to limit our choices of products, along with our abilities to start up businesses that provide alternatives to pantene pro-v, garnier fructis, and frizz ease.

don’t let this happen. follow these steps so as to stop the FDA globalization act of 2008:

• click here for more information on the act and why it is problematic.
• contact your local members of congress by visiting their homepages and clicking on the “contact” link provided.
  {you can find your senators’ contact information at www.senate.gov, along with your representatives’ information at www.house.gov}
• send them the petition message provided in the indie business blog, or put it in your own words.
• contact virgil miller, a professional staff member with the house energy & commerce committee, and tell him the same thing.
  
• spread the word!

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proponents of capitalism are quick to mention the fact that a capitalistic environment gives consumers more choices in the marketplace. don’t let this law contradict their claim, and don’t let our government dictate what you purchase.