Private Donor Saves Fermilab 560
sciencehabit writes "In what has to be an embarrasment for the U.S. Department of Energy, an anonymous donor has ponied up $5 million to keep the country's only remaining particle physics laboratory operating efficiently."
Re:Why Is That Embarassing??!! (Score:5, Informative)
Next time you or someone you care for gets radiological treatment, think: accelerators make lots of things which are used to diagnose and treat cancers.
Re:Taxes (Score:5, Informative)
The administration asked for increased funding for the DOE Office of Science. Congress instead slashed its budget --- all while fully funding Bush's multi-trillion dollar war in Iraq.
When Congress cuts the budget, there's nothing the administration can do.
If the Democrats in Congress really wanted to end the war in Iraq, they could do it tomorrow by revoking its funding. But why would they end it, when it's their best polling issue?
Sometimes, Democracy just plain sucks.
Re:Taxes (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Umm. It's NOT the only remaining particle lab (Score:4, Informative)
SLAC will no longer be doing high energy experimental physics, and is being turned into a enormous synchrotron source. Whilst this will result in good science, I think it is somewhat sad that the once world leader of high energy physics is no more.
The US government decided not to support the international linear collider. That marked the end of high energy science in this country. Discovering the workings of the universe is just too expensive compared to spending our money fighting for part-ownership in some hydrocarbons buried under a far-off desert.
Not the first time this has happened. (Score:4, Informative)
How About No? (Score:2, Informative)
> it tomorrow by revoking its funding. But why would they end it, when it's their
> best polling issue?
Gas and food prices in addition to the current state of the struggling USA economy [cbsnews.com] has superseded the country's current involvment in Iraq.
Congress, Budgets, Continuing Resolutions. (Score:3, Informative)
Fermilab died a long time ago (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Not the first time this has happened. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Small government, private philanthropy (Score:2, Informative)
Re:The sad thing... (Score:1, Informative)
You want proof of their power?
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/19/pf/retirement/West_virginia_pensions.moneymag/?postversion=2008052014 [cnn.com]
Re:The sad thing... (Score:3, Informative)
You should also probably not generalize about what teachers unions do, and how they have an effect on the education that the children receive.
Teachers unions negotiate to retain the salaries, contracts, and benefits for teachers primarily. In many states people have the same misguided assumptions and opinions about education that you have, and teachers salaries and benefits are constantly under attack. The teachers tend to need their unions to negotiate for them so that there is some unified backing for their needs. Of course in some states this has been taken to an extreme, you have failed to provide any evidence that it is extreme in the majority of situations.
Teachers unions typically have little to no influence on things like curriculum, total number of hours spent on each subject, or classroom management. All of these things have much more of an effect on education than the amount of money teachers are paid. All of these things are decided by bureaucrat at the county, state, and federal levels. The state and federal levels of course have been given considerably more control over these aspects in large part due to the creation of the Department of Education and the passing of No Child Left Behind.
As far as the amount of money that teachers are paid, they tend to be compensated for the total amount of time worked. In some districts this is for twelve months, and in others it is for approximately nine to ten months. When adjusted appropriately starting salaries may be similar to other educated professionals starting salaries. However, the pay scales with additional experience and time tend to not scale with other professions. This is usually a point of contention when people talk about how teachers are underpaid. Teachers are required to continue their educations either via university programs that will end in an additional degree (master, and phd programs), trainings for their specific curriculum and materials, classroom management, special needs training, etc. When compared to many other professions you can find that teachers that have been in the profession for any length of time have educational backgrounds and degrees similar to doctors and lawyers. Compensation for teachers is not commensurate with the amount of education they are required to have.
Take a look at the payscale for teachers in most states and you will find that their pay caps out without additional education. Then take a look at the licensing requirements for teachers and you will find that they have to continue their education and meet certain requirements just to get their licenses renewed and keep their jobs. I think if you actually evaluate these areas you'll understand the complaints of many teachers.
I don't even want to get into the fact that teachers have to deal with parents. I can't begin to tell you the number of parents that treat their children's teacher like an idiot. That assume their child can do no wrong, and assume that the teacher is always to blame. If there was more co-operation between parents and teachers we might see more success in our public school systems. This of course ignores socio-economic factors that prevent some parents from being more involved with their children's education.
Of course now I'm just ranting, and really you should sit down with your teacher friends and discuss some of what they are required to do to maintain their jobs, be compliant with no child left behind, deal with parents, etc etc. You might find that you the issues are much more complicated than you understand.
Re:Small government, private philanthropy (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The sad thing... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:fundamentalists (Score:4, Informative)
16% of American biology teachers believe the earth was created within the last 10,000 years, as compared to 48% of the US population. That 16% is, of course, is not evenly allocated across the US. Entire generations within certain states are growing up scientifically illiterate.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/05/creationists_in_the_american_c.php [scienceblogs.com]
Congressional Funding Priorities (Score:3, Informative)
$7,556,660 for grape and wine research.
$22,716,664 for 18 projects by Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), including $1,574,400 for a cooperative agreement between the Department of Energy and Inyo County and $107,256 for long term sediment management at Humbolt Bay.
$787,200 by House appropriator Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) for advanced green design at the Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis.
$19,942,000 for four projects funding presidential libraries.
$50,000,000 for REAL ID grants.
$16,833,240 for eight projects by Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), including: $3,937,600 for the Tongass Timber Supply Pipeline; $3,937,600 for the United States Geological Survey Volcano Observatory; $2,953,200 for the Alaska Conveyance Program; and $492,200 for the Craig Recreation land transfer.
$5,906,400 by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) for Great Smokey National Park, North Shore Road Settlement.
$6,700,000 for two projects funding fitness centers at two military facilities.
$14,878,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).
$33,005,420 for 35 projects by Senate appropriator Christopher (Kit) Bond (R-Mo.), including: $1,470,000 for statewide bus and bus facilities; $551,250 for the Heart of America Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge; $367,500 for improvements to Downtown Square Street in Grant City; $367,500 for redevelopment of the 11th and Grand neighborhood in Kansas City; and $183,750 for restoration of the Poplar Bluff Historic Depot.
$18,071,200 for 17 projects by House appropriator John Olver (D-Mass.), including: $5,880,000 for development and construction of the MBTA Fitchburg to Boston Rail Corridor Project; $1,470,000 for downtown streetscape in Pittsfield; $784,000 for the Franklin Regional Transit Center; $735,000 for MART bus and commuter facilities; $269,500 for the Barrington Stage Company for the renovation and buildout of the Berkshire Music Hall and Octagon House in Pittsfield; and $196,000 for the Massachusetts Landscape Connectivity Study.
Others can be found at http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008 [cagw.org].
small aside ... (Score:2, Informative)