With government adding 80,000 pages of rules and regulations every year, it’s no surprise that regular people break laws without even trying.
Kids who open lemonade stands are now shut down by police. John Stossel tried to open a lemonade stand legally in NYC. That was quite an adventure. It took 65 days to get permission from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
A family in Idaho can’t build a home on their land because the EPA says it’s a wetland—but it only resembles a wetland because a government drain malfunctioned and flooded it.
If this is of interest to you, tune in and listen as John Stossel argues that America has become a country where no one can know what is legal. The show airs tonight, Friday, February 24th at 9pm EST, Saturday at 10pm, and Sunday at 3pm. In this one-hour special John asks, "Is everything illegal???"
He looks at the following areas:
TAXI TROUBLE: Want to start a taxi business? Too bad – it’s illegal. Illegal, that is, unless you buy a government-issued “taxi medallion” that can cost as much as a million dollars. One city has a free market for cabs – Washington, DC – but lobbyists there are pushing to regulate.
ILLEGAL FOOD: Increasingly, government tells us what we can and can’t eat – bans on trans-fat, happy meals, “raw” foods. California officials raided a raw food club, and arrested clerks for selling unpasteurized milk. Farmer Joel Salatin, author of “Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal,” explains why Americans DON’T have the freedom to choose the food they eat.
ILLEGAL DRUGS: Drug use is illegal – but should it be? Where drugs are legal, businessmen replace gangs as the dealers and pay taxes. Portugal decriminalized all drugs 10 years ago—including crack, ecstasy, and heroin. What has happened since then? We go to Portugal and get the facts from police, politicians, and drug addicts.
ILLEGAL SEX: Our government bans prostitution because people think it’s a dirty, dangerous business. But in brothels where prostitution is legal there is no crime or disease. On this show, three sex workers confront a prosecutor.
One bit of good news is that while there may be so many laws that no one knows if he's a lawbreaker, it has never been easier to "watch the watchmen." Tiny cameras in our iPods and cell phones allow citizens to film law enforcement and hold our government accountable. But in the last few years, cops have arrested and jailed people for taping in public. The arrests are not legal, but they happen anyway. Fortunately, arrests are caught on tape.
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Editor's note: Some teachers may recall John Stossel's Stupid in America broadcast bashing NYC schools and unions back in 2006. This time around he has a different story to tell which you can watch this weekend.
Guest post from John Stossel
Exciting things are suddenly happening in education. Inner-city kids do well on benchmark tests and are excited about learning. I tell fourth graders that school is boring, they yell at me, “No, it’s not!” One boy said: “Reading is rockin’ awesome!”
I’ll report on innovations at the Success Charter Network and Harlem Village Academy in New York, and at the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, California. “Let’s destroy the system… create a system that serves kids,” says charter school director Deborah Kenny.
Hurricane Katrina made that experiment possible by destroying much of New Orleans. Now 70% of New Orleans students attend charters, and they learn more.
Aside from such bright spots, most of education in America is still a mess. The cost has skyrocketed, but performance is flat.
Why? One big reason is that the government monopoly—the “BLOB”— makes it nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher. Former Washington DC school chancellor Michelle Rhee talks about her attempt to change that, including firing her own daughters’ principal, and the backlash that led to her losing her job.
I’ll confront union leaders, like DC union boss Nathan Saunders, who opposes judging teachers by student test results. “I know my kids are learning when I look in their eyes,” says Saunders. New Jersey union leader Joseph Del Grosso opposes charter schools: “Over my dead body, they’re gonna come here.”
Virtual education innovator Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, is on the right track. He’s a great teacher who now reaches millions of kids via the internet. Some fifth graders who watch his videos do high school level math. Before radio and TV, every big town had a best teacher and a best singer. Mass media changed that, so now Lady Gaga sings to the whole world. But education has stayed local and stagnant-- until now, when the web allows the world’s best teachers to reach into every classroom.
Why don’t we have more innovation? Why don’t we have a vibrant market in education? Are we still Stupid in America?
To find out, watch Stupid in America this weekend on Fox News. Tune in on Saturday at 10PM EDT / PDT, repeats on Sunday.
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Below is a great Facebook convo around John Stossel’s Universal Pre K report on 20/20. What’s better than watching a show on TV, debating/discussing the ideas with your colleagues, and then getting feedback from the reporter on the story??? I don’t think our parents (mine who used to scream at political reporters on television) could have imagined such a world. I love the interactivity and blending of media’s today.
If Universal Pre K is of interest to you, read the thread below and comment here on my blog to share your thoughts or Facebook me!to join or follow the conversation at the original thread.
Lisa Velmer Nielsen watching John Stossel-ABC report against Universal Pre K. Research says that it's effects wear off by 4th grade. Sez it's not worth the $$.
10:32pm · Comment · LikeUnlike · Show Feedback (16)Hide Feedback (16) · via Twitter
I think John is right. It is a waste of money and those in need can do head start. Since there are no benefits by 4th grade, why spend the money? I told him to speak to Geoffrey Canada though of Harlem Children's Zone. He can show gains because he keeps his kids ALL THE WAY TO COLLEGE GRADS!!! Crazy. But, that may be the key.
@Julet, Yeah, John collected a lot of research showing there are no gains by fourth grade and shared some in the report. Not too hard to find. I was surprised, but tis true. But not in Geoffrey Canada's kid's cases because he has a different model.
I really wished I had seen it because all the data I'm familiar with point the other way. I am curious to know what was cited as the reason for it wearing off by 4th grade. I am going to look online for his report.
Well, I have not researched this personally, I'm sure Stossel was skewing the info a bit to make his point. Perhaps I can ask him to share the reports. Keep in mind, that he is not focusing on low income or disputing head start. He's saying Universal for all is not necessary and focusing on the middle - upper class.
Don't you think that would just reward the schools that don't need the money? I think my school probably sees 1 out of 25 graduates actually graduate from college. Plus, what if you go to two different high schools? Would the money trickle down to middle schools?
I've always thought that merit pay would be a good idea if it was tied to what the teacher did in the classroom, not how students do. For example, you get money if you take college classes, get money if you mentor, maintain a portfolio throughout the year that demonstrates the type of teaching you and I advocate.
@Mike, Yes...Good point. To elaborate, it would have to have the caveat of the increase in graduation from the base over the past maybe five years. What do you think of that? Also, if you school hopped, that could still work. Each school would get a percentage. I think they could make an algorithm.
you know, I just thought. Wasn't the idea of Head Start to get the kids even with other kids? That w/o Head Start, they'd be behind. So what Stossel found out probably means Head Start did what it was supposed to do? I'm not well versed in Head Start, but I doubt it would have promised to make kids smarter than non-Head Start kids. But, even still, I don't like the idea of voluntary, universal pre-k.
What Stossel said (and had others back) was that when tested you could not tell the difference btwn the HS kids and the ones who hadn't attended. Even kids of the same SES.
I just read his report online. He cites one report (Perry) which was done sometime ago. He also refers to the Multistate (not by name)which was done a few years ago, however he seems to only point out the negative (aggressive disruptive behavior) which were few compared to the benefits. I am not sure if he had more hard data on the show but I found no real reference online.
@Ron, agree about that, but what Stossel is saying is the government doesn't need to be involved. He says they already do a crappy job in general with ed and PK in particular. Keep PK where it is...in the individually run centers and then consider a subsidy package for those who need it. He didn't seem to really be touching headstart.
From: Stossel, John F
Sent: Sat 3/14/2009 10:33 AM
To:Nielsen Lisa
Subject: Show
Thanks for watching.
I know Geoffrey, and we have talked to him, and we would interview him for
our next show on education. Trouble is, my boss doesn't want one.
On the other hand, if last night's show gets good ratings, I'll probably get
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