Comments for East Bay Conservative

Comment on Why Can’t Oakland Compete With San Francisco’s Lowell High? by len raphael

len raphael — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:31:08 +0000

a selective Lowell/Stuyvesant type high school would cost way more in the short and mid run, and maybe long term, than it would add to overall city revenue. Labs, math and science teachers, history/language teachers with advanced degrees are big bucks. The state per capita reimbursement rate to ousd wouldn’t cover it.

Perceptions of parents who have used private schools for pre high school years, are not good guide for high school performance for top performing students. Tech and Skyline and possibly OH, actually take very good care of their top students. They don’t do well for the many students below that narrow top tier. If those programs for top tier students are cut, yes, you would see a white, asian, indian, ethiopian fire drill to the doors of the ousd high schools, and that many more more families moving out of oakland.

Would expect that if OUSD schools at the bottom and the top were raised to just state average, residential property tax revenues would increase. could take years for that effect. How much so, without dramatic sustained drop in crime also is hard to say.

-len raphael
temescal

Comment on Why Can’t Oakland Compete With San Francisco’s Lowell High? by Brad

Brad — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:46:37 +0000

I think a lot of people over on Katy’s blog are of the opinion that OUSD and/or the union are against a magnet school because a) it goes against a perceived belief that all students are equally able and therefore should receive an equal education, and b) there is a perceived worry that a magnet school would be predominated by certain racial and/or class groups. When I say “perceived” I mean that the posters on Katy’s blog perceive that OUSD and/or the union have that belief and worry. They don’t actually know if it’s true. But they do regularly skewer OUSD’s “one size fits all” education. And they also pillory the perceived beliefs as being based on ideology rather than fact.

Whatever the case may be, and despite what the cheerleaders over at OUSD might try to convince the public of, the only thing I can actually make heads or tails of is the fact that OUSD has terrible schools. High performing, low performing, rich or poor, Oakland parents try to claw their way out of OUSD with interdistrict transfers, charter schools, Catholic schools, or private schools.

Comment on At Berkeley, Leftists And Unions Unwittingly Face Off by MacMarion

MacMarion — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:39:42 +0000

Again, James you just read the blog and you still don’t get it. Taxation is theft. The government steals from the rich (40% of taxes come from the richest 1% of our population) and gives to the undeserving. Our society can’t afford to pay for everything everyone wants. That’s why capitalism works and socialism doesn’t. We each need to pay our own way.

Comment on Oakland Ad Valorem Tax Rate Now 1.41% – Are You Kidding Me? by Anthony Sweeney

Anthony Sweeney — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:37:45 +0000

I am confused I thought PROP 13 was created to stop officials from increasing tax rates.

My wife and I were looking in Okaland Hills but this changes everything.

Its quite scary that PROP 13 can be overridded by a local city council.

Can someone please explain this?

Comment on Bart: We Need To Charge More To Reduce Ridership by Why are developers split over the Oakland City Council candidates? – FutureOakland

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:58:30 +0000

[...] look to her transit leadership to advocate on their behalf on the Council. Ms. Hamill’s BART, as we recently learned, has no capacity to expand service, and is far from much of Oakland anyhow. Bus service is simply [...]

Comment on Oakland Fire Prevention + Certified Mail = Money Down Toilet by envelopes paper

envelopes paper — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:24:36 +0000

I would like to say that this post really forced me to do so! I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.

Comment on For Berkeley Liberals, Political Correctness Trumps Competitiveness by thighmaster

thighmaster — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:29:42 +0000

Brains & know-how does it. Not throwing trillions of dollars at no-account deadbeats.

Comment on For Berkeley Liberals, Political Correctness Trumps Competitiveness by TheBoss

TheBoss — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:53:38 +0000

This link is a case in point. Our country is already falling behind.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec09/yearinscience_12-31.html

Comment on Oakland Ad Valorem Tax Rate Now 1.41% – Are You Kidding Me? by Joyce

Joyce — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:18:40 +0000

Thank you very much for the information and forum you provide here. This information is very disturbing to me and is seriously making me reconsider the offer my husband and I are planning to submit on an Oakland Hills home tomorrow. I figured I’d be annoyed by all the obnoxiously liberal (redundant, I know) neighbors but for some reason it didn’t occur to me that the property tax policies would be so out of line with what we have here in SF (approx 1.1%). You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about tonight.

Comment on The Next Reichstag Fire by Immigration Lawyer

Immigration Lawyer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:30:54 +0000

As we have been discussing the subject as lot as of lately, I felt this was a great follow-up