Someone should apologize! I will fight for you!

countryboy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 10, 2016 · 9:39 AM PDT

2016/04/10 · 09:39

Search google news for “should apologize” and you’ll find a raft of people owe apologies:

Bill Clinton
Bernie Sanders
Hillary Clinton
Ted Cruz
Vincent Fox
Rosario Dawson
Paula Abdul
John Gibbons, Blue Jays manager
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke men’s basketball coach
Drake
Apple

Do a similar search of “fight for you” and you’ll learn that a lot of folks that have your back:

Hillary Clinton
Bernie Sanders
Donald Trump
Ted Cruz
Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Prime Minister
Randy Forbes, representative for Virginia’s 4th Congressional district
Philip Eby, a Republican candidate for the Texas legislature
Joe Morrissey, candidate for mayor in Richmond, VA
Isaac Coleman, candidate for Buncombe County Commissioner, NC
David Madore, a Republican politician in Clark County, WA
Candidates for Valdosta State University and University of Florida student presidents

When I hear political candidates either demanding apologies or vowing to fight for me, I’m unmoved. Perhaps, I’ve just heard those two phrases too many times. I recall wincing when I heard Al Gore (for whom I gladly voted) say that he would fight for me. (In my mind’s eye, I still see him behind a podium, gesturing with a borrowed Clinton thumb.) And I stop reading or listening as soon as I learn that someone is demanding an apology from someone else. To me, that’s the weakest of teas.

I wish that Democratic candidates would find other, stronger ways to highlight an opponent’s distasteful words or to pledge support for the wishes of his or her constituents. Maybe “To me that statement is abhorrent.” And, “I’m a fighter. Together we will do X. We will do Y. We will do Z. We will not be stopped.” Not much better, huh? No one should hire me to write political speeches. But what about some of you folks who are more gifted with oratory? Would you be willing to share some phrases that Democrats might use in place of “So & So should apologize” and “I will fight for you?”

Help Wanted on Student Generation Rates (non-election issue)

countryboy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 06, 2004 · 6:00 AM PDT

2004/10/06 · 06:00

In Chatham County, NC, a San Digeo company, Newland Communities, has proposed building a 2400 home development. Chatham is a mostly rural county and Newland's new development will essentially become the county's largest town.

There's plenty of grounds on which to oppose this development: placed away from existing "urban" centers, spraying treated sewage (the most grevious, in my opinion), traffic concerns, etc. However, I think that the only argument our County Commissioners might heed is a fiscal argument.

To that end, I've been churning numbers, trying to prove that the development will cost the county money. I believe that I've done that and can make a convincing argument. But, my argument hinges on the number of students generated by each home in the new development.

So, my questions for you knowledgeable Kossaks are these:

What are some general guidelines for calculating student generation rates (SGRs)? I'd be especially interested in statutory law links or some expert explanations that I could quote.
When predicting future property tax revenues from this development, should I use the full market value tax rate? Or should I use the effective tax rate, which tends to decline between property reassessments?
Have any of you ever worked for or against Newland Communities? What kind of company are they?

Just asking. Thanks. (More info on my blog, if you're interested. The development in question is called Briar Chapel. Ignore the references to Booth Mountain; that development is not related to this diary's questions.)

RSS