Independent Women's Forum - Allison Kasic

Hypocrite Alert

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:49:00 EST

The CEOs of the big three automakers flew to the nation's capital yesterday in private luxurious jets to make their case to Washington that the auto industry is running out of cash and needs $25 billion in taxpayer money to avoid bankruptcy.

Give Single-Sex Education a Chance

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:27:00 EST

Kudos to the Boston Globe for their recent article in support of single-sex educational opportunities. There is currently a proposal for single-sex schools in Boston, but two state laws stand in the way. The Globe calls on the state legislature to repeal those laws and allow school districts in Massachusetts to see is single-sex education will work. As the Globe points out, single-sex education is nothing new:

The notion is far from revolutionary. Private all-boys and all-girls schools have long praised the single-sex environment as beneficial for many students. Girls feel safer and get a chance to shine in leadership roles that boys often monopolize in coed schools; boys are less tempted to engage in attention-getting, disruptive behavior.

More here. IWF on the subject here.

New Blog Alert

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:25:00 EST

Inkwell readers might be interested in Ladyblog, a new project of Culture11 (which is a site worth checking out in its own right). Ladyblog features some fab conservative and libertarian writers --such as Katherine Mangu-Ward, Jillian Bandes, and Mollie Hemingway, among many more.

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:08:00 EST

Thomas Sowell examines the hidden costs of mandates on business:

Employers are ideal targets for such mandates, since there are always more employees than employers, and that is what counts on election day. Whether it is health insurance, time off with pay or whatever, these mandates on employers can be washed down with a little rhetoric about business' "social responsibilities."

Where those "social responsibilities" come from is not a problem. It sounds good, and that is good enough for politics.

Some people may go away mad if they are ignored. Costs are not like that. You can ignore them all you want and they still won't go away.

While you are enjoying all the goodies that politicians are sending your way, you may notice that your taxes are going up or that the money you earn or the money you have saved won't buy as much as it used to.
Costs that are passed on to businesses can get passed on again to their customers in higher prices. Money that the government prints to spend itself reduces the value of the money in your wallet or in your bank account.
If you are someone looking for a job-- maybe a young person entering the labor force or a woman coming back into the labor force after spending a few years taking care of a small child--- you may find that there aren't as many jobs available as there used to be before employers had to pay for "social responsibilities," in addition to paying for the value of an employee's work.

More here. IWF on the subject here.

New Bill Would Restrict Energy Exploration

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST

Nick Loris has the scoop on the new omnibus lands package that Harry Reid is trying to push through Congress:

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 would result in a huge expansion in government ownership of land in the United States. This increase would restrict access to energy and limit economic opportunity at a time when the nation should be increasing domestic supply. Moreover, this bill would restrict other commercial activities such as mining, timber harvesting, and recreational activities, and it would continue the federal assault on private property rights.

More here.

File Under: WHAT?!?!

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:52:00 EST

From the Dallas Morning News:

Years after being advised by a state agency to stop, the Dallas Independent School District continued to provide foreign citizens with fake Social Security numbers to get them on the payroll quickly.

Some of the numbers were real Social Security numbers already assigned to people elsewhere. And in some cases, the state's educator certification office unknowingly used the bogus numbers to run criminal background checks on the new hires, most of whom were brought in to teach bilingual classes.

The practice was described in an internal report issued in September by the district's investigative office, which looked into the matter after receiving a tip. The report said the Texas Education Agency learned of the fake numbers in 2004 and told DISD then that the practice "was illegal."

It's unclear how long DISD had been issuing the phony numbers, and district officials didn't know Thursday how many had been given out. But the investigative report and interviews with DISD employees indicate the practice went on for several years before it was discontinued this past summer.

More here.

Making History

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:51:00 EST

Meet the first female four-star general in U.S. military history.

Podcast Alert: Political Indoctrination

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:31:00 EST

Check out the latest IWF podcast on political indoctrination in the classroom.

Free Trade is a Win/Win Solution

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:19:00 EST

Or, as Michael Scott would say, "win/win/win."

The Los Angeles Times had a good editorial this week about the Columbia Free Trade Agreement. As the Times points out, the agreement has myriad benefits to both countries:

The pact would balance and normalize a trade relationship that is now one-way. Colombia has almost unfettered access to U.S. markets -- 91% of its goods enter duty free -- but U.S. products face tariffs of up to 35%. Each Caterpillar truck sold in Colombia, for example, is taxed more than $200,000. This is a hindrance to prosperity for both countries. Currently, about 9,000 U.S. businesses export to Colombia, and were this deal passed, that number would skyrocket.

For Colombia, our closest ally in South America, the agreement not only has clear economic benefits but also powerful political ramifications. President Alvaro Uribe enjoys enormous popular approval at home for his successful offensive against drug-trafficking rebels. But he has staked a measure of his political capital on his relationship with the United States, which is viewed with distrust and even animosity in parts of the Andean region. Ratifying the pact would demonstrate to neighboring countries that alliance with the U.S. means more than just carrying out U.S. drug policy.

More here.

IWF Podcast: Political Indoctrination

info@iwf.org (Amy Watson) info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST

Allison Kasic and Amy Watson discuss the disturbing trend of political indoctrination in the classrooms.

Taking on Tenure

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:24:00 EST

The New York Times provides an update on Michelle Rhee's bold quest to improve the D.C. school system. Rhee has brought a much needed reform mindset to the nation's capital. One of her top priorities has been to reform tenure for teachers, as tenure makes it very difficult to fire bad teachers:

"Tenure is the holy grail of teacher unions," she said, "but has no educational value for kids; it only benefits adults. If we can put veteran teachers who have tenure in a position where they don't have it, that would help us to radically increase our teacher quality. And maybe other districts would try it, too."

More here.

Not Shocking News Story of the Day

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:26:00 EST

The "Sarah Palin doesn't know that Africa is a continent" news story was a total hoax.

New at IWF

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:49:00 EST

Don't miss Michelle Bernard on Sarah Palin and Halima Karzai on FGM.

Origins of our Financial Mess

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:27:00 EST

You can't form a good solution without properly understanding the problem. So if you're looking for some insight into the current financial mess, I recommend checking out this article by Iain Murray which chronicles how we got to where we are.

The Private Sector to the Rescue

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:02:00 EST

In an emergency situation, who do you want on your side -- Wal-Mart or the Federal government? I'll stick with the private sector. Don't agree? Maybe this John Stossel web exclusive clip will change your mind.

A Word to the Wise

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

If you ever encounter a Title IX consultant, run in the other direction. They will inevitably recommend that a school cut men's programs to meet Title IX's proportionality clause. Just once, I'd like to see a consultant recommend that a comply via interest surveys.

Looking at the Next Senate

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST

In today's Wall Street Journal, IWF essay contest judge Kim Strassel takes a closer look at where the most interesting political battles are likely to take place in the coming years: the U.S. Senate.

New Deal or Raw Deal?

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:49:00 EST

Over at NRO's Between the Covers, John Miller interviews Burt Folsom about his new book New Deal or Raw Deal? As the adage goes, if you don't learn about history, you are doomed to repeat it. So scoot on over to NRO and get the scoop on how FDR's tax hikes prolonged our nation's economic suffering in the depression.

Swing Voters Don't Want Big Government

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:02:00 EST

In today's Wall Street Journal Pat Toomey points to some interesting poll data that suggests key swing demographics remain center-right, despite their shift from R to D in this election cycle:

A poll commissioned by the Club for Growth in 12 swing congressional districts over the past weekend shows that the voters who made the difference in this election still prefer less government -- lower taxes, less spending and less regulation -- to Sen. Obama's economic liberalism. Turns out, Americans didn't vote for Mr. Obama and Democratic congressional candidates because they support their redistributionist agenda, but because they are fed up with the Republican politicians in office. This was a classic "throw the bums out" election, rather than an embrace of the policy views of those who will replace them.

Although currently held by Republican congressmen, all but one of these 12 districts we surveyed flipped to Democratic control Tuesday night. Collectively, President Bush carried these districts in 2004 with 53%. They are nearly evenly split in party affiliation: 40% Democratic, 37% Republican and 19% Independent. The poll surveyed 800 voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percentage points.

Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district will always support universal health care, and Jeff Flake's Arizona district will always support less government. But the 12 districts we surveyed represent the political middle of the country, and in this cycle their partisan allegiances changed. The question is, have their opinions on the issues changed as well? The answer is emphatically no.

More here.

Election 2008

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:05:00 EST

Here's a closer look at the numbers.

Hat tip: Marginal Revolution

Moving Forward

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:12:00 EST

In today's Washington Post, Rep. Jeff Flake offers a way forward for the Republican party following last night's defeat.

R.I.P. Duck Wrestling

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:13:00 EST

The lawsuit attempting to save wrestling at the University of Oregon has been thrown out. Charlotte Allen has the scoop over at Minding the Campus.

Card Check: It's Not Even Good for Union

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:08:00 EST

An anonymous employee of the National Education Association explains over at NRO:

Unions function effectively when they can build a mandate of support from their members. [The Employee Free Choice Act] would make it possible to organize unions without such a mandate, and thereby destroy the basic legitimacy of a union's claim to represent a majority.

More here.

An Ode to Free Markets

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:26:00 EST

Over in the Examiner, IWF's Michelle Bernard has a fabulous ode to free markets.

Finally, A School Uses a Title IX Interest Survey

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:31:00 EST

Our friends over at Saving Sports point to some good news about Title IX. Western Illinois University is working with the Office of Civil Rights to comply with Title IX via interest survey data. IWF has long been a supporter of interest surveys -- it allows student interest to be factored into the equation (and as common sense as that sounds -- it usually isn't).