AnnotatedOpinions.com

PUTTING COLD hard cash in the hands of students as an incentive to stay in school could go a long way toward solving . . . chronic dropout problem. . .  

. . . many middle class youths already operate on a rewards system that is linked to school attendance and performance. It’s called allowance. And those young people who don’t receive a regular stipend at least have a decent chance of hitting up their parents for the price of a movie and McDonald’s. . .   

[AO: Although the Boston Globe makes a strong argument, there are two problems that it fails to address. The first problem is that often the reasons kids don’t stay in school are complex and go well beyond simply not wanting to be in the classroom. As long as those reasons exist, the program is unlikely to be successful.   

Secondly, even assuming providing financial payments to kids can make them stay in school, there are alternatives to just handing out checks. The globe identifies one: creation of after-school jobs that help potential dropouts to develop “self-awareness’’ and “aspirations.’’ However, the Globe suggests that this is not a viable alternative because Neil Sullivan and Boston Private Industry Council, the nonprofit that Sullivan heads, can only find jobs for about a quarter of the kids. But this is where the “alternatives” come in. At the very least, rather than paying kids to show up to class, why not partner with private companies who are willing to hire the kids with the agreement that communities will subsidize their employment. This will enable communities to help even more kids as the total amount available will be increased by the portion of their salaries contributed by employers. Employers will also be more interested in participating in such programs because they can hire employees at lower cost.  

These two issues should be considered seriously before major investment in the types of programs the Globe seem to endorse.]

Teaching in college, especially one with a large international student population, has given me a stark – and unwelcome – illustration of how Americans’ work ethic often pales in comparison with their peers from overseas.  

My “C,’’ “D,’’ and “F’’ students this semester are almost exclusively American, while my students from India, China, and Latin America have – despite language barriers – generally written solid papers, excelled on exams, and become valuable class participants. . .  

Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that all American students are the same. I’ve taught many who were hardworking, talented, and deeply impressive. They listened intently, enriched class discussions, and never shied away from rewrites. At their best, American students marry knowledge and innovation, resulting in some astoundingly creative work. . .    

[AO: The writer, Kara Miller, makes a common mistake that it worth addressing. She assumes her typical American student’s performance should be similar to her typical foreign student’s performance. This is not necessarily an appropriate assumption.  

Miller describes how her foreign students go to great lengths to ensure that they understand the material and are prepared for and engage in class discussions. On the other hand, it seems, her average American student puts forward much less effort. But there may be a flaw at the root of her comparison.   

The typical foreign student in one of her classes is someone, whatever their level of intelligence, who has already gone to great lengths to get to her classroom. In other words, unlike her American students, her foreign students are representative of individuals who are willing to and have done much to have the opportunity to sit in her class. The equivalent of her typical American students may be individuals back in her foreign students’ country of origin. If those students are compared to their American counterparts, it is quite possible that the American students will outshine their foreign counterparts.  

This is a common mistake that shows up often when foreigners, where students or non-students, are compared to Americans.]

Myths and mammograms: Why you don’t need to fear the new screening guidelines. [Washington Post]

Testing our patients: The aim of medicine is, above all else, to do no harm. But one must wonder if that will be the case with a new medical recommendation on the detection of breast cancer. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Breast cancer debate must strike a balance: My parents are complete opposites. My father is deeply rational, a chemist by trade and a man of science. My mother is more emotional, artistic and swayed by the power of one. She is whom advertisers had in mind when they invented the testimonial. [USA Today]

We can deliver health reform: The bills under discussion will put us on a path to a high-quality, low-cost system. [Washington Post]

Holder’s reasonable decision: Some of the prominent criticisms are exaggerated. [Washington Post]

Terrorism’s war of ideas: The concept of justice is a key battlefield and a way to show we practice what we preach. [Washington Post]

Iran’s iron fist [Chicago Tribune]

Cuba’s isolation begets abuses: Congress should heed those who have argued that free movement between the United States and Cuba offers the best chance of spreading democratic values and emboldening dissidents in the island nation. [Boston Globe]

Paper money that works for the blind [Chicago Tribune]

The end of sprawl: The phenomenon of sprawl has passed into history [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

GOP now the Party of `Noooooooooo!’ [Chicago Tribune]

Iraq’s Election Law Morass: American officials need to help resolve the impasse over election laws in Iraq, and Iraqis must learn how to forge reliable compromises. [New York Times]

Lipstick on a rogue: Even women who are profoundly tired of the fact that we have to be overqualified to win are turned off by a celebrity pol who still will not admit she was wildly underqualified. [Boston Globe]

Sarah Palin doesn’t fit the ‘Rogue’ title [USA Today]

Fixing the music royalties system: Songwriters get royalties but not recording artists. Bills now being considered should pay performers fairly, protect against abuses by powerful industry players and promote the availability of music. [LA Times]

A Gift to Credit Card Companies: A Senate bill to move up the effective date of the law protecting consumers from predatory actions by the credit card industry should have become law already. [New York Times]

Clipping Bernanke’s wings: Why the Fed needs its independence from Congress. [Washington Post]

Homophobia and AIDS funding can’t coexist: The U.S. sends millions of dollars in relief money to Uganda, which is considering a draconian law aimed at homosexuals. [LA Times]

Choosing the public they school: Charters exclude the unlucky students whose parents can’t be bothered. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

More than half the chocolate milk sold in America is packaged in those little half-pint containers that are a staple of the national school lunch program. Some parents and nutritionists think that’s unconscionable. An 8-ounce serving has the equivalent of three teaspoons of added sugar, or about 45 calories. (That’s half a banana for those of you on a restricted calorie diet; five minutes on the elliptical for you gym rats.)

Worse yet is the gateway effect: Kids who develop a taste for chocolate milk tend to lose interest in the plain stuff, progressing to harder drugs such as Yoo-hoo, Pepsi and Red Bull. As a result of these arguments, chocolate milk is being banned from a growing number of school cafeterias.  

This week the National Dairy Council struck back with a campaign . . .  

The cafeteria cops say kids would drink plain milk if not tempted by chocolate. Offer them french fries or applesauce to go with their sandwich and they’ll take fries every time, but offer them applesauce or applesauce and they’ll happily eat applesauce. Our experience suggests that if you offer them plain milk or plain milk, they’ll go for the water fountain — but that’s not scientifically valid. . .  

Thanks to [Haley Morris, Lizzy Hucker and Ivy Moore, fifth-graders at Roslyn Road School in Barrington Community Unit School District 220], the schools now serve chocolate (and strawberry) milk on Fridays. . . In January, administrators will tally the data and decide whether to serve flavored milks every day. . .

[AO: The Tribune makes light of an important issue. Having too much sugar in one’s diet, which can lead to obesity, is a problem that can have long term consequences, especially for child. Although the editorial makes this point jokingly, having too much sugar can lead to consumption of other unhealthy foods. 

Suggesting that five minutes on an elliptical at the gym is the equivalent of the calories children consume from drinking an eight ounce bottle of chocolate milk misses the fact that chocolate milk is not the only food consumed that requires exercise (meaning the five minutes will be above and beyond additional exercise one has to do).

Also, getting children hooked on sugary drinks can create long-term desire for unhealthy foods that is relevant for the greatest issue in our current national debate: healthcare. As most experts will argue, the cost of healthcare continues to increase mostly because Americans’ waistlines continue to increase. Starting kids off with sugary drinks plays a part in this growing national problem that costs us billions of dollars each year. The Tribune makes it seem as if the only consequence is five minutes at the gym when in fact long-term consumption of unhealthy foods can lead to obesity which causes serious health problems.

Moreover, the Tribune implies that the only choices are between sugary-flavored milk, which children will drink, and unflavored milk, which they will not drink. But there are alternatives. In addition to eliminating chocolate milk and replacing it with plain milk, schools can provide other healthier types of drinks that kids are willing to consume. In addition, children who refuse to drink plain milk can have their nutritional can be offered other types of food that provide the nutrients contained in milk.  

In the end, there are alternatives to supplying millions of barrels of sugary chocolate flavored milk to our children. These alternatives must be considered in light of the potential long term medical and financial harms that can result from consumption of unhealthy foods.]

CNN: Doubling down on straight news: Lou Dobbs’s departure from CNN is a welcome event, and the network deserves credit for replacing him with John King. [Boston Globe]

A Farewell to Lou: Lou Dobbs calls himself Mr. Independent, but he is closer in style and method to the right-wing ranters who mold the facts to shape the argument. [New York Times]

Calling the filibuster bluff: Democrats should force a real filibuster, make Joe Lieberman bring the business of the Senate to a screeching halt. [Boston Globe]

A false choice in health care battle: Where exactly do you draw a line when the opposition keeps moving it? [Boston Globe]

Close, but no cigar: The House’s health-care bill was put to the fiscal test, and it failed. [Washington Post]

Invisible wounds: Returning soldiers with mental health problems are ill-served by their country. [Houston Chronicle]

Vet Day memories: From heaven to hell. [USA Today]

Bring the troops home: Without clear goals, Obama shouldn’t be sending more soldiers to Afghanistan. [Washington Post]

Free to Lose: With long-term unemployment at its highest levels since the 1930s and on the rise, the U.S. should consider policies that address job growth directly. [New York Times]

No more ‘too big to fail’: The term must be excised from our vocabulary, says the chairman of J.P. Morgan Chase. [Washington Post]

Intel’s $1.25 Billion Settlement: Intel may have reached a deal withAdvanced Micro Devices, but that does little for consumers hurt by anticompetitive practices. [New York Times]

Sudan needs boldness: Will Obama insist on a policy that stops the rapes and the murders in Darfur? [Washington Post]

Saving the bluefin tuna: The industry may not want to hear it, but a complete ban on commercial fishing of the Atlantic bluefin tuna is called for. [LA Times]

Planetary heat and trade chill: How we can treat the problems together. [Washington Post]

The ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ Dodge: Recent decisions in Washington continue to allow poorer schools to be disproportionately staffed by unqualified teachers. [New York Times]

Bad examples: Selling grades. [USA Today]

Fidel Castro’s long goodbye: The ailing former leader of Cuba remains true to his word: ‘I am a revolutionary, and revolutionaries do not retire.’ [LA Times]

Recall the Marshall Plan: With creative adaptation, the aid program that worked in Europe can work in Pakistan. [Washington Post]

Of Fruit Flies and Drones: President Obama has shown a quiet predilection for drone warfare, but the U.S. should not be targeting people for killing without a public debate. [New York Times]

Soaring pay for coaches throws academics for a loss: Beyond the elite teams, football ‘arms race’ too often a futile game. [USA Today]

What’s ‘Good Hair’? Rock confronts taboo [USA Today]

A referendum on Obama? Not likely [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Getting a handle on elections [Chicago Tribune]

The Off-Off-Year Elections: If there were broad messages in the grab bag of contests, they were for both parties. [New York Times]

Voters send cautionary messages to both parties [USA Today]

Time for equal rights for gays is now: Progress is occurring, but Tuesday’s rejection of a same-sex marriage law in Maine shows there’s still a lot of work to be done. [LA Times]

Who ended the Cold War? The fall of the Berlin Wall is as much Gorbachev’s unheralded achievement as it is Reagan’s. [Boston Globe]

1989 was a very good year: The end of the Cold War brought change that sent ripples around the world. [LA Times]

Berlin Wall’s lessons for today: The oxygen of a free society is accurate and trustworthy information. Yet even today, regimes around the world are intent on cutting off the supply. [USA Today]

Deteriorating relationships? The United States only seems to be more polarized [Chicago Tribune]

Welcome sign: U.S. ends a misguided HIV policy [Houston Chronicle]

Women and health care [Washington Post]

Fixing healthcare: Primary care is job No. 1 – Effective reform requires spending for front-line doctors, those who screen for preventable diseases and are a patient’s advocate. [LA Times]

A Powerful Idea on Youth Violence: A Chicago plan that will put high-risk youth on the road to productive lives deserves full support. [New York Times]

Airline safety: I say Obama, you say O’Bama – New requirements by the Transportation Security Administration that names on plane boarding classes exactly match those on personal identifications could present major headaches. [Boston Globe]

Cyclists and motorists on collision course: A physician’s conviction in a bicycle crash case reveals a noxious form of road rage. [LA Times]

For university presidents, a pay cut is in order: Presidents at the top research universities should be embarrassed by 2008 average salary increases of more than 15 percent. [Boston Globe]

The Facebook grave site [Chicago Tribune]

Take the Shot: The most vulnerable people and those in critical jobs should take the swine flu vaccine. [New York Times]

One mom’s rapid conversion to swine flu vaccine believer [USA Today]

Obama must stand firm on Honduras crisis: A U.S.-brokered deal to return ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to office is unraveling, and the Obama administration seems to be wavering. [LA Times]

Iran’s abuse goes on: The problem is not limited to Tehran’s illicit nuclear activities. [Washington Post]

A good night for Reed, a better night for Republicans [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Don’t believe the hype: The election results won’t forecast much for anyone. [Washington Post]

Amid terrorism, Iraq matures: In an odd way, the response to recent bombings in Baghdad shows that the Iraqi political world is evolving in a healthy direction. [Boston Globe]

The Best Allies Money Can Buy: America has been able to fight two wars with few allies because we’ve hired the help. [New York Times]

Two bills, clear winner: Why the House’s health reform proposal is better public policy than the Senate’s. [Washington Post]

Health: Fighting flu with… corn syrup? Amid a swine flu scare, Kellogg’s puts forth Cocoa Krispies as a boost for children’s immune system. [Boston Globe]

Justice delayed: Hispanic farmers battle USDA practice Hispanic farmers battle USDA’s long-standing discriminatory loan practices. [Houston Chronicle]

Justice and truth take a back seat in Chicago [Chicago Tribune]

Justice restored: Finally, a court ruling that considers the impact on the Luzerne County kids whose lives have been upended. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Driving Without English: The abuses by Dallas police officers who fined drivers for not speaking English exemplify why cops should not be turned into immigration agents. [New York Times]

Cut off the gas [Chicago Tribune]

We need a Karzai strategy: In the wake of the Afghan leader’s odd victory, Obama must revamp his approach. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

‘Messy’ Afghan election deepens Obama’s dilemma [USA Today]

Reform or die: Now the U.S. confronts the hardest puzzle of all in Afghanistan: improving governance. [Washington Post]

Some Sense on Defense Spending: President Obama must work hard to make sure that his hard-won victories to reduce defense spending stay won. [New York Times]

Net revolution – and rerun: The emergence of cable and pay-TV programming marked an exciting and explosive stage in America’s communications history. [Boston Globe]

Racial hope fades despite Obama [Chicago Tribune]

Protection for Investors: The Investor Protection Act of 2009 should not exempt small public companies from the audit requirement. [New York Times]

Academic salaries: Paying the smart money: The salaries of college and university presidents have been going up, but savvy leadership has a price. [LA Times]

It’s been good year for charity bakery [Chicago Tribune] 

Privacy and the Patriot Act: In the aftermath of 9/11, legislators cut legal corners to protect the nation. Congress should amend that now by revising certain expiring provisions of the law. [LA Times]  

Government helps keep consumers safe [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]  

Cheney: Whatever possessed him? The former vice president’s comments only help Obama politically — so much so that one wonders what’s inside Cheney’s head. [Boston Globe]  

Smoking out e-cigarettes: Forget industry protests; the FDA should be regulating the new product. [LA Times]  

The Cover-Up Continues: To ensure that the abuses of the Bush years are never repeated, the Obama administration should stop covering up the painful truths. [New York Times]  

The ticking time bomb on warming: The blur of details and fog of ideological attacks can obscure the truly essential in the current congressional debate about legislation to confront global warming while building a green economy: the stark need for immediate action. [Boston Globe]  

Trading in ‘cap and trade’: Focusing on specific industries rather than capping overall emissions work better for modernizing nations, although it may result in higher greenhouse gas levels in developed countries. [LA Times]  

Any malpractice reforms should put patients first [USA Today]  

After Reform Passes: If the Massachusetts experience is any guide, health care reform will have broad public support once it’s in place. [New York Times]  

Public plan danger: Will Obama allow Congress to use it as an excuse to dodge harder reforms? [Washington Post]  

Hospitals wage war against patient falls: The effort is laudable, as increasing public awareness of these events — and denying payment of related care in some cases — will help reduce them. [Boston Globe]  

Torching the Big Tent: The division of party support for a moderate Republican candidate says much about the Republicans’ glaring misunderstanding of American voters. [New York Times]  

Obama outs Fox, but reveals a big flaw [Chicago Tribune]  

Oklahoma vs. Women: A restraining order granted by an Oklahoma judge that blocks a new flanking maneuver on abortion from going into effect is a victory for reproductive freedom. [New York Times]  

‘Baby Einstein’ flunks the test [USA Today]  

Give teenagers a second chance: A former U.S. Senator recounts his gun toting days and explains why kids are dumber than adults. [Washington Post] 

The Obama administration is using its competitive Race to the Top fund to push states to embrace real education reform. [New York Times]  

The injustice of Death Row [Chicago Tribune]  

Cameron Todd Willingham: executed but innocent? He died in Texas’ death chamber in 2001, even though the governor was aware of exculpatory evidence and is now apparently working to keep the truth from coming out. [LA  Times]  

Mr. Obama, be tough on climate change: Global warming is different from almost every other problem we face. [Boston Globe]  

Can we still afford to save the planet? An already heroic target turned mindboggling. [Washington Post]

Dollar’s daze: Weakened U.S. currency is confusing and worrying, especially as it relates to oil [Houston Chronicle]  

The Chinese Disconnect: Something should be done about China’s weak-currency policy, which poses a growing threat to the rest of the world economy. [New York Times]  

Sideshow on Wall Street: Capping salaries and bonuses is like arresting a jaywalker. [Washington Post]  

Compassion Deficit: As the recession swells the ranks of those in need of food and shelter, localities and states should opt for charity over criminalizing homelessness. [New York Times]  

Stop dawdling on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’: The president is the commander in chief. He shouldn’t count on Congress to take the lead on the issue, and he shouldn’t wait for broad consensus to emerge before taking action. [Boston Globe]  

Lost civil liberties oversight: Obama and Congress appear to have dropped the ball. [Washington Post]  

While Latinas gain, Latino boys languish [USA Today]  

Credit Card Chicanery: Credit card companies have intensified their exploitation of consumers, and Congress should respond by moving up the date when its credit card law becomes effective. [New York Times]  

Tainted games? Human rights abuses tied to the Olympics have gone unchecked for too long [Washington Post]  

TV loses its best World Series bet [USA Today]  

A Level Field: The Justice Department should take a hard look at potentially anticompetitive behavior in agriculture, starting with Monsanto. [New York Times]  

My name is not ‘Mom’ [Chicago Tribune]   

Counting Backward: Iraq’s political leaders need a strong shove ahead on elections if there is to be any hope of withdrawing American troops on time and ensuring the country doesn’t unravel. [New York Times]  

The Khalid Shaikh Mohammed case would put America on trial: If the alleged 9/11 planner faces a jury, it would test our judicial system, the media and the nation as a whole. [LA Times]  

Cameron

Miliband on Cameron: A rightward Tory lurch in Europe troubles David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, and President Obama. [New York Times]   

Left, right and wrong in Honduras: Thanks to both liberal and conservative interventionists, the Central American nation has again become a sore point in U.S. foreign policy. [LA Times]  

A labor of love – and low pay: The overwhelmingly female army of home care workers answers to a bewildering array of titles — home health aide, personal care attendant, homemaker, custodial care giver — with different regulations in each state. The one thing they have in common is their pay. [Boston Globe]  

A free, fair Afghan vote key to stability: What people are saying about Afghanistan [USA Today]   

Detainee-abuse photos and democracy: Pending legislation that allows the pictures to be kept secret would grant the government broad authority to evade accountability now and in the future. [LA Times]

How to Waste Money and Ruin the Census: To ensure an accurate count and avoid massive waste, the Senate must strike down  ttempts,
like those from Senators David Vitter and Orrin Hatch, to change the 2010 census. [New York Times]  

‘Balloon Boy’ our punishment [Chicago Tribune]  

Anything to be on TV: The Heenes are perfect for a reality show, assuming they don’t go to jail [Washington Post]  

Reality bites: The hoax about a boy carried off in a weather balloon shows what happens to some parents when the fame and cash of “reality” TV beckon. [Philadelphia Inquirer]  

Falcon and the showman: In incidents like last week’s ‘balloon boy’ caper, we all share some blame when those without shame chase their 15 minutes of fame. [LA Times]  

The Heenes as parents [Chicago Tribune]  

Prescription for pot: The easing of federal pressure on medical marijuana suppliers and users is welcome news. [LA Times]  

End Afghan election crisis first: The Obama Administration should wait until the Afghan election controversy is resolved before making a decision on a new strategy and US troop levels. [Boston Globe]  

The Afghanistan problem: The huge cultural misunderstandings between Western forces and the Afghan people make it unlikely any counterinsurgency mission in the countryside will succeed. [LA Times]  

What Afghan alliance? There is almost no sense anywhere that the war is an international operation. [Washington Post]  

Safety Nets for the Rich: We’ve shoveled money at the rich and given banks and megacorporations everything they’ve wanted for decades but it’s time to realize that trickle-down economics is a fairy tale. [New York Times]  

Copyright: Fairey’s unfair use: Shepard Fairey, the artist who created the Obama “Hope” poster, now admits to having lied about which AP photo he used to create his famous image. [Boston Globe]  

Fighting swine flu: Editorial: The disease strikes hardest at children and young adults, yet the county’s inoculation program mostly neglects schools. [LA Times]  

Debate Is Good for Your Health: After a false start, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and insurers have come to satisfactory middle ground on how beneficiaries can be legally contacted and mobilized. [New York Times]  

Are baby boomers turning into outsiders? [Chicago Tribune]  

Talking to Sudan: If the Obama administration must negotiate with Sudan, and it must, incentives should be granted only for measurable progress, and Khartoum must be held to account for its horrors. [New  York Times]  

An insurgency swells, but Pakistan focuses on India: While violence  rom Taliban and Islamic fundamentalists is on the upswing in  Pakistan, its government and military appear to be lining their defenses against an old foe, India. [Boston Globe]  

Where the Wild Things Are: Psychologists and philosophers tend to gravitate toward very different views of conduct and whether we can truly say that there is such a thing as character. [New York Times]

Grandma’s greener than you: For all the hype about being eco-conscious today, seniors could teach the young about walking the walk rather than just talking the talk. [USA Today]  

Home Alone: President Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Congress must acknowledge the value of after-school programs, and must work to help them thrive — even in hard times. [New York Times]  

Feed hungry, then help them feed themselves [USA Today]