Archives for category: Trump
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Trump’s Business Ventures: Hype, Spin, Lies

By dianeravitch
October 6, 2016 //
23

The New York Times reviewed Trump’s business ventures over the recent past. Each was announced as the biggest, the best, the greatest, the most.

https://www.google.com/amp/mobile.nytimes.com/2016/10/07/us/politics/donald-trump-business-deals.amp.html

Hype, spin, lies. Like his promises to being back jobs lost to automation or to countries where workers make a few dollars a day.

“When Donald J. Trump unveiled his new online travel booking venture, GoTrump.com, he said in a promotional video in 2006 that customers would “love everything I put on this site.” “There’s nobody better,” he added. “There’s nobody even close!”

“A few months later, ground was broken for Trump Tower Tampa, a project he said would “redefine both Tampa’s skyline and the market’s expectations of luxurious condominium living.”

“And when he signed a long-term deal with the fledgling U.S. Pro Golf Tour that summer to become a partner on a new championship series, he proclaimed that “there is no doubt the talent level is among the highest in the world.”

“The travel venture never took off. The tower in Tampa, Fla., was not built. And the golf championships? Mr. Trump withdrew as the tour fell apart.

“Moving past a disastrous period that led to a loss on paper of more than $900 million — possibly freeing him from federal income taxes for years — Mr. Trump became a one-man factory of big ideas, churning out a constant stream of projects and promises. Together they fed the image of Mr. Trump as an American Midas, the foundation of his argument for why he would make a great president.”

”

Categories Fraud, Trump

If you Live in New Hampshire, Don’t Vote for Kelly Ayotte

By dianeravitch
October 4, 2016 //
25

Senator Kelly Ayotte was asked whether Donald Trump was a role model. She replied, “Absolutely.”

How can anyone say yjis about a racist, a misogynist, a xenophobic, a bully, a braggart, a man who boasts that he doesn’t pay taxes?

Don’t vote for her.

Media Contact:
George Strout
Communications Director
603-224-7751 x308, 603-867-3104 Cell
gstrout@nhnea.org
http://www.neanh.org

New Hampshire Educators to Ayotte: Trump is No Role Model

During tonight’s U.S. Senate debate, Senator Kelly Ayotte was asked whether children should look up to Donald Trump as a role model.

“Absolutely,” Ayotte answered.

New Hampshire educators have a different response: ABSOLUTELY NOT.

“As educators, we teach our kids that kindness, collaboration, and cooperation are important in school and in life,” said Karen Ladd, Sanborn Regional High School Art Teacher. “Donald Trump is teaching our children the wrong lessons: he has consistently denigrated women, wants to ban Muslims from coming to the country, and mocks people with disabilities. His hate-filled rhetoric is setting a dangerous example for our children.”

Since Trump entered the race for president last year, educators have witnessed a steady increase in bullying and harassing behavior that mirrors his words and actions on the campaign trail. Ayotte’s supporting Trump as a role model shows a lack of judgement and should cause great concern for New Hampshire voters.

Anne McQuade, an ELL teacher in the city of Manchester, who has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels and works closely with refugee and immigrant students says that Trump’s rhetoric has caused her students great anxiety and fear.

“My students fear they will be deported, separated from family members, and sent back to the war torn countries they left because their loved ones were in danger,” said McQuade. “Students should not be thinking about being deported or discriminated against. They should be thinking about their math homework and science essays,”

When asked to recall specific conversations and questions her concerned students have asked, McQuade provided the following examples:

A student from Mexico stood in front of my desk with watery eyes and asked, “Miss, is it true if Donald Trump is elected President of the United States, my family will be kicked out of America?” and “Do you think they will take my Dad away? He brings food home and I don’t know what we will do without him.”

An Iraqi student, who is Muslim, told me that when she got off her bus, a man yelled, “Go home terrorist. You shouldn’t be in this country.”

A Somalian student said, “Why does Donald Trump hate all refugees and immigrants? Does he even know what is happening in my country right now?!”

A girl from the Dominican Republic and a girl from Mexico were talking in my class and the girl from the Dominican Republic said, “I wonder if Donald Trump will kick Dominicans out?” The young lady from Mexico replied, “No, you’re safe, he doesn’t want to build a wall in your country, only mine. My abuela (grandmother) won’t be able to visit me. I’m sad!”

“Throughout her time in office, Maggie Hassan has consistently stood up for students, educators, and their families,” said NEA-NH President Scott McGilvray. “Maggie Hassan understands we need a leader as a President, not someone whose words would land them in the principal’s office.”

About NEA-New Hampshire

NEA-New Hampshire is the largest union of public employees in the state. Founded in 1854, the New Hampshire State Teachers Association became one of the “founding ten” state education associations that formed the National Education Association in 1857. Known today as NEA-NH, and comprised of more than 17,000 members, our mission to advocate for the children of New Hampshire and public school employees, and to promote lifelong learning, remains true after more than 150 years. Our members are public school employees in all stages of their careers, including classroom teachers and other certified professionals, staff and instructors at public higher education institutions, students preparing for a teaching career, education support personnel and those retired from the profession.
George Strout | NEA-NH | 603-224-7751 | gstrout@nhnea.org |

NEA New Hampshire, 9 South Spring Street, Concord, NH
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Categories New Hampshire, Trump

When Was the Last Time Donald Trump Paid Federal Taxes?

By dianeravitch
October 2, 2016 //
23

The New York Times published a shocking story about Donald Trump’s legal evasion of federal taxes. Someone leaked portions of Trump’s tax returns to the Times. The paper checked with his accountant who confirmed that the returns were accurate.

His losses were so large on his failed business enterprises that Trump may not have paid federal taxes for 18 years.

He said at the first debate that not paying taxes shows how smart he is. If everyone could do what Trump does, how would the federal government function? Would veterans hospitals close? Would military spending end? Would funding for all federal programs collapse?

Categories Trump

NPE Action Fund Endorses Hillary Clinton for President

By dianeravitch
October 1, 2016 //
17

The Network for Public Education Action Fund was divided during the presidential primaries and made no endorsement. It is divided no more. In a contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, our choice is clear. We support Hillary Clinton.

http://npeaction.org/2016/10/01/npe-action-endorses-hillary-rodham-clinton-president/

The Network for Public Education Action (NPE Action) endorses Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States. NPE Action is not aligned with Ms. Clinton on all educational issues, however, all members of the NPE Action Board strongly agree that the election of Donald Trump would have disastrous consequences for public education.

“Although we did not endorse a candidate during the primary season, we are united in our belief that Ms. Clinton is a far better choice for President than Mr. Trump,” stated NPE Action Executive Director, Carol Burris. “By his choice of education advisors, as well as his continued reference to public schools as “government schools,” there is no doubt that Trump would attempt to privatize our nation’s public education system. Ms. Clinton, in contrast, speaks of the importance of a strong and vibrant public school system. While we may disagree with some of her positions on how to improve public schools, unlike Mr. Trump, the destruction of public education is not her objective.”

NPE Action President and co-founder, education historian, Diane Ravitch, agrees. “I enthusiastically support Hillary Clinton because she is the most experienced and most knowledgeable candidate; the alternative is unthinkable. Donald Trump would destroy public education, one of the essential institutions of our democracy. With Hillary as President, we can hope for the best; with Trump, we can expect the worst.“

Prior to the conventions, NPE Action submitted a position paper to both the Republican and Democratic platform committees. The Board of NPE Action was heartened to see many of those ideas incorporated into the final draft of the Democratic platform. If Ms. Clinton is elected, NPE Action will lobby for an end to high-stakes testing, a moratorium on new charters, and for regulations to end charter abuses and ensure transparency. We will also demand a commitment to community schools that are democratically governed so that parents—especially parents of color—have voice in how their children are educated.

Co-founder and treasurer of the organization, Anthony Cody, summed up NPE Action’s endorsement of Clinton this way. “Supporters of public education have a clear choice in November, between a candidate sworn to destroy it, and one whom we may pressure to do right by our schools. I hope others will join us in supporting Hillary Clinton. Just as important, we need to continue to build the grassroots movement for democratically controlled, equitable and excellent schools for all our children.”

Categories Clinton, Education Reform, Networkfor Public Education Action Fund, Privatization, Supporting public schools, Trump

Jane K. Marshall: Is Donald Trump Running for President of the Class?

By dianeravitch
September 30, 2016 //
19

The following comment reflects a teacher’s view of Donald Trump. She thinks he is running because he wants to be the most popular boy, the one who always wins. She thinks he is like a student in middle school or high school. Based on what he has said, I am inclined to think his behavior is more fitting for a six-year-old. In the primaries, he ran an ugly picture of Ted Cruz’s wife online, and when Cruz complained, Trump said to Anderson Cooper on CNN, “He did it first!” When asked about his odd admiration for Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “He praises me, and I praise him” (or words to that effect).

President of the Class

By Jane K. Marshall

I must admit that I once momentarily wondered if perhaps Trump’s candidacy was an incredible ruse to help Hillary win. I mean, it seemed so obvious that Donald wasn’t really interested in the job. He even seemed to not understand what the job entailed, nor did he do anything to educate or enlighten himself as to particulars. He just went about “being Trump” — albeit a cartoonish Trump. Was it all a joke? To what purpose?

I now believe that Donald is incapable of this sort of joke or an elaborate subterfuge. He is merely a high school (or junior high school) boy running for the president of his class. Like many boys in that position, he seeks not to actually do anything substantive to improve the well-being of his classmates. No. He is primarily engaging in a popularity contest. He wants to feel important. He needs to feel important. Or more to the point, he needs constant attention.

As a former teacher, I’ve seen like characters in action — the children who disrupt classes in order to call attention to themselves. I well remember a boy who valued such interaction above all else — craving positive or negative attention. It seemed not to matter which. Of course, there are usually background reasons for such behavior. Whenever possible, the empathetic teacher tries to encourage positive behavior and then reinforce such behavior with praise. Whenever possible, this same teacher tries to ignore the negative pleas to be noticed — occasionally a near impossible task.

Sometimes it is even necessary to remove a negative-attention-seeking student from class temporarily, so as to deny the response he seeks while at the same time ensuring the needs of his classmates. Frankly, such an emotionally needy child causes angst to himself, his peers and the adults in his sphere, for usually the attention-seeking scenario plays out on numerous occasions. However, with patience and empathy in play, more often than not, the child eventually learns to cope with the idea of appropriate connections with others. He grows up. He won’t be 13 forever.

Unfortunately, in Trump’s case, negative behavior has been rewarded with the constant notice of mass media. He has garnered millions of dollars of free advertising with obnoxious and puerile language. And while this was going on, the rest of the “class” was put on hold. (Would that a Bernie Sanders had been allowed such a platform.)

The teacher in me wishes to deal constructively with Donald Trump — saving him from himself while ensuring that those around him are saved from his singular dominance of the landscape. Let’s face it, Trump has managed to hold court — creating the tenor of this entire election cycle. So, while my empathetic side envisions treating Donald Trump humanely and without rancor, I do not condone ignoring the pressing problems that affect us all in so doing. Therefore, as insulting as it may seem, let me speak directly to Donald: “Grow up! If this doesn’t happen, you must leave the class.”

Having said all of that, this former teacher, of course, realizes that Donald Trump is not running for president of his class. He is running for the office of the President of the United States. He certainly must be denied the position. There can be no question about that.

Note: A friend, upon reading this piece, raised the question of stake-holders in the episode of an unruly student. “Where is the principal, guidance counselor? More important, why do other students leave it to the teacher rather than speaking up: ‘Hey, Trump kid, we want to learn. Stop your foolishness or get out!’?”

Why, indeed?!

Categories Trump

Garrison Keillor Reveals: Trump Was Not Born in America

By dianeravitch
September 26, 2016 //
43

Garrison Keillor just concluded an in-depth investigation, which revealed that Donald Trump was not born in America. It is behind a paywall nut if you google, you can get it.

He writes:


I know, it seems outrageous, But it’s getting a lot of attention on some very respectable Web pages – which mainstream media won’t mention:

Donald Trump was not born in Queens,

He was born in the Philippines,

In a hotel in downtown Manila.

Where his hair turned bright vanilla

Due to vitamin deficiencies.

His mom and dad were Celanese

And left him with Franciscan nuns

At the age of fourteen months.

Adopted on the 3rd of June

By a real estate tycoon

Who took the little boy away

To a mansion in the U.S.A.

Bestowing on him great largesse

And naturalized him more or less.

The record of his nativity

Is kept under lock and key

With his tax returns, the MRIs

Showing what’s behind his eyes

Including, according to rumor,

A diverticulated tumor.

I hope it isn’t true, although

It comes from folks who ought to

know.

A week ago, a panhandler in Times Square sat holding a sign, “Give me a dollar or I’ll vote for Trump,” and people laughed and reached into their pockets. His bucket overflowed. He stuffed the bills into his jacket and other panhandlers looked at him with admiration. The man could’ve sold franchises and retired to Palm Beach.

The panhandler knows what every New Yorker knows, which is that the biggest con job since the Trojan horse is taking place in our midst. Millions of Americans are planning to cast their votes for a man who has lived his life contrary to all of their most cherished values. They are respectful, honest, generous, loyal, modest, church-going people with no Mafia connections and good credit records who try not to spout off about things they know nothing about.

Categories Humor, Trump

Mike Klonsky’s Advice to His “Fellow Lefties”

By dianeravitch
September 24, 2016 //
37

Mike Klonsky has been a radical for many decades. Back in the 1960s, he was a key figure in the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

He offers sage advice to his fellow lefties on the current election:

http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2016/09/note-to-some-fellow-lefties.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+mikeklonsky+(SmallTalk)&m=1

He writes:

Students from Johnson C. Smith University at a rally for Hillary Clinton in Charlotte, North Carolina. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
Sorry to say, rapacious capitalism will still be here in November. Not only that, but I doubt it will ever be simply voted out. Even if a “socialist” like Bernie were to someday be elected (I wish). But maybe that’s just old-school me.

Whatever the case, come the first of the year, either Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump, will be our next president and Jill Stein and Gary Johnson will have taken their campaign funds and gone home, a la Ralph Nader and the rest of those perennial presidential spoiler candidates

That’s when the real movement for social justice, peace and racial equality needs to kick into gear again — after the election, no matter who is elected.

NYT columnist Charles Blow, speaking to Morgan State Univ. students, tries to break through the reported millennial political malaise and encourage a large youth turnout for Clinton.

“First — and this cannot be said enough — Clinton and Trump are not equally bad candidates. One is a conventional politician who has a long record of public service full of pros and cons. The other is a demagogic bigot with a puddle-deep understanding of national and international issues, who openly courts white nationalism, is hostile to women, Mexicans and Muslims, and is callously using black people as pawns in a Donnie-come-lately kinder-gentler campaign.”

As an educator, I would also include Trump’s pledge to do away with public education or what he calls, the “government monopoly” of public schools. And here I thought Trump loved to play Monopoly.

Blow continues…

“That person will appoint someone to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court (assuming that the Senate doesn’t find religion and move on Merrick Garland before the new president takes office) and that person will also appoint federal judges to fill the 88 district court and court of appeals vacancies that now exist (there are 51 nominees pending for these seats).”

And more…

“You can’t have taken part in a march for Eric Garner, chanting “I can’t breathe,” and risk the ascendance of a man who has as one of his chief advisers Rudy Giuliani, the grandfather of the very “broken windows” policing strategy that sent officers after low-level offenders like Garner.

“You can’t detest racial-dragnet-policy stop-and-frisk policing as not only morally abhorrent but thoroughly unconstitutional and risk the ascendance of a man who on Wednesday reportedly suggested that he would consider using stop-and-frisk more across the nation.
Makes sense. As Bernie Sanders himself said last week: “This is not the time for a protest vote.”

As one of the leaders of the “vote in the streets” 60’s youth revolt and someone who has often cast protest votes or gone fishing on meaningless election days, I couldn’t agree more.

Categories Clinton, Education Reform, Trump

Trump Campaign Lashes Out at Washington Post Reporter Who Revealed His Shady Dealings

By dianeravitch
September 21, 2016 //
21

David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post has written a series of stories about the Trump Foundation. He reported that Trump has put any money into his foundation since 2008; that he collects contributions from other people and then makes splashy donations, claiming credit even though the money did not come from him. Fahrenthold then learned that Trump owed some business debts and used the money in the foundation to pay them off, which lawyers may call “self-dealing.” The foundation is currently under investigation by the New York State Attorney General.

Today, the Washington Post excoriated Trump for the campaign’s response to Fahrenthold’s stories, which raise serious legal and ethical questions. The letter assailed the reporter for his “bias,” slammed his articles as full of factual errors and omissions, but did not bother to mention a single fact or omission in Fahrenthold’s reporting.

This seems to be Trump’s style. If you can’t answer the question, smear the person who raised it. You can anticipate that any question about his actions or words will be answered with an attack on Clinton or Obama or both. Watch him as he deflects and blames. The letter in this post is a good example of that strategy.

Categories Trump

Dana Milbank on Trump’s Love of Political Violence

By dianeravitch
September 20, 2016 //
70

Dana Milbank, who writes for the Washington Post, had a good column yesterday about Donald Trump’s incitement of political violence.

Perhaps you remember the crowds chanting “Lock her up!” at the GOP convention.

That’s the least of it.

His longtime confidant Roger Stone has talked about a “bloodbath” — rhetorical, he insists — if Trump loses, and Stone has suggested that Clinton should be “executed.” There have been a score of violent confrontations at Trump events, among supporters, opponents, journalists and staff. Shouts of “hang the bitch” are not uncommon at Trump rallies.

Trump has made a point of hinting, implying, and encouraging physical actions against demonstrators and against his opponent.

He has the mindset of a dictator, a strong man, a guy who must flaunt his testosterone. He is scary.

The smell of fascism is in the air.

Categories Trump

Jennifer Rubin: The GOP Died This Weekend

By dianeravitch
September 19, 2016 //
67

The Washington Post brought on Jennifer Rubin as its columnist to represent the conservative point of view. She has been a reliable voice from the right. But she cannot stomach Donald Trump’s lies or the party leaders who excuse him.

The last straw for her was Trump’s announcement that Barack Obama was born in the United States. He took credit for “ending” the birther movement that he had done so much to build over the past five years, and he (and his surrogates) immediately blamed Hillary Clinton for starting the birther movement. If that was true, why would President Obama have invited her to become Secretary of State?

If you read the excuses and defenses of his surrogate, you will recognize a familiar pattern of behavior: deflect, blame, deflect, blame.

When Trump doesn’t want to answer a question about a decision he made, an action he took, he attacks Hillary Clinton or Obama.

During the Commander-in-Chief Forum, Trump was asked about his admiration for Putin. Matt Lauer listed some of the egregious things that Putin has done, and Trump interjected, “Obama has done worse.” Lauer was not asking about Obama, he was asking Trump why he admired a man who murders journalists and political opponents and invades a neighbor state. Trump: “Obama has done worse.”

The party of Trump, Rubin argues, can never inherit the mantle of the party of Lincoln. Those who followed him meekly will be disgraced; those who said #neverTrump will rebuild the center-right party. Not liars. Not the alt-right. Not racists. Not misogynists.

She concludes:

As for the fate of the GOP, the evidence mounts that it cannot go merrily on its way after the election. A party that would sanction people who call out a racist deserves to go out of business. A party whose congressional leaders remain supportive of a nominee who incites violence, perpetuates racism, blatantly, and traffics in conspiracy theories loses the moral authority to govern.

Categories Trump
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