Miami-Dade Schools

Miami-Dade Schools

The financial problems with the school system here in Miami-Dade county is bothering me more than I thought it would, ‘cause I don’t have school age kids and I am not a teacher; so why is it bothering me so much?

It would be a full time task to list all the wasteful spending done by our cities, county, state, and federal government, but we need to change the way our government is running and specially change the ones that run it.

We are the most powerful nation in the world militarily wise, but in education we probably rate somewhere in the middle by global standings and we are getting worse. Not only do we have incompetent teachers teaching our students, too many students per teacher, not enough schools for the amount of children, but we also have television (cable and satellite), video games, movie theaters, internet, cell phones, and a very high drop-out rate. That is not to mention all the other complexities of growing up, plus the gangs and drugs ready to take over the developing brains of our kids.

I live in Miami Beach, most people would consider this paradise, and I probably won’t be around to see the demise of our society, so I should not care, but I have grand kids, and whatever happens in the education of our young in Miami-Dade County is not exclusive to the area; the same is happening all over the country. I live here, so I will “talk” about here: I want to know where all the monies ear marked for education that was available in the 1950’s & 60’s went. I want the politicians (and I don’t care if you were not around then) to explain to me, what other “projects” took priority over the education of our kids? And if that is not the case, then: what politicians appropriated those funds into their pockets?

Here in Miami Beach and in Miami, there are all these beautification projects going on that cost millions of dollars, money that is beautifully booked by expert book keepers. When did beautifying the streets of a city take front seat to the education of the future of our country? I don’t know about you, but I buy new clothes when I have more than enough money to satisfy my bills and obligations. Why can’t government do the same? But not only are these beautification projects expensive, but who ever came up with these ideas, had crap in their brain and for sure did not care for the education of our kids, for not only needed money for the school was wasted, but infringed on the little parking space available, and more money has to be spent in the maintenance of these ugly looking islands on many of our corners and midway in some blocks.

Here is another waste of taxpayer money: Parks and beaches. Sure we need to have people to maintain our parks and beaches, those are necessary, but have you looked at how many employees there are in our parks and beaches? Way more than needed! How do I know? I live here and I see them. The work that can be done by one is being spread out between three or four guys that are doing the least possible in the most amount of time. Not to mention the transportation they employ, the fuel they use, and the benefits of working for the city government. I have actually watched for four hours pickup trucks that are supposed to be picking up trash, drive up and down the same stretch of beach girl watching and in one occasion the two guy were smoking pot (you could smell it as they went by)while cruising on the sand. Yes, getting paid with our tax money, money that could be better used in education.

What about street repairs? There’s another waste! Jobs that could be done in one or two days are milked for weeks, not only draining money from the system in made up time charges, but if you travel our streets you are inconvenienced and delayed, not only in your work commute, but even grocery shopping or just traveling for whatever your reason.

And if that is not enough, what about that street gang called the police? I have seen as many as five police cars in one traffic stop where the person received only a ticket, or the over the top police presence in all of the events here on the beach. Yes, ‘cause it’s not only the ones you see in uniform bunched up in a corner telling stories, but the ones in plain clothes that you can’t tell who they are or if they are there at all.

Maybe it’s time we hire out all the different aspects of running our cities and states. I assure you that at the very least, more will get done with less spending and there will be better results in the quality of our services.

Those are just a few examples of our wasteful spending’s and I am sure that if I worked for the government I could triple these examples tenfold.

Instead of being a guided sheep headed for the slaughter house, look at your surroundings and change what you don’t like. Dare to make a difference in your own life and as a side effect you might improve someone else’s.

Jorge