“We have come to the conclusion that the crisis Michigan faces is not a shortage of revenue, but an excess of idiocy. Facing a budget deficit that has passed the $1 billion mark, House Democrats Thursday offered a spending plan that would buy a MP3 player or iPod for every school child in Michigan,” The Detroit News editorializes. “No cost estimate was attached to their hare-brained idea to ‘invest’ in education. Details, we are promised, will follow.”
The Detroit News writes, “We wonder how financially strained Michigan residents will feel about paying higher taxes to buy someone else’s kid an iPod. That they would include such frivolity in a crisis budget plan indicates how tough it will be to bring real spending reform to Michigan.”
“The only responsible option is to bring spending in line with current revenues. The mission must be to expand the tax base, rather than to expand taxes, by crafting a budget that encourages growth,” The Detroit News writes. “We won’t get there by wasting money on early Christmas presents for Michigan kids.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: iPods and iTunes can be used effectively for education.
Related articles:
Top 10 uses of an Apple iPod you’d never expect – March 19, 2007
Stanford University puts hundreds of audio programs on Apple’s iTunes Music Store – October 20, 2005
Apple donates 50 iPods to Scotland’s Gracemount High School – October 06, 2005
Fort Gordon’s U.S. Navy contingent buys 700 Apple iPods – September 06, 2006
Pearson to acquire PowerSchool. develop educational iPod content – May 25, 2006
Ohio University chooses Apple’s iTunes U for students and faculty – May 11, 2006
University of California puts video lectures on Apple’s ‘iTunes U’ – April 25, 2006
Duke University to continue Apple iPod program – April 06, 2005
Apple announces two-year partnership with French university on iPod education technologies – March 23, 2006
Apple and Stanford University open ‘Stanford on iTunes’ to the public – January 25, 2006
Private school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side requires Apple iPod – December 08, 2004
Duke University’s iPod program revolutionizing students’ experiences with language studies – December 04, 2004
Duke students’ new 20GB iPods will do more than just play music – July 20, 2004
Duke University to give Apple iPods to all incoming freshman – July 19, 2004
Michigan Democrat: Crud, phase two was an Apple TV. Guess we might brace for some more opposition.
I do have to say that I don’t think that’s a good way to spend the education budget unless they can explain how they intend to use them for education.
Michigan schools have substantial problems. We need to feed our kids breakfast and get them in the classroom before giving them iPods. I agree that iPods could be used in education, but there are too many Michigan students who would ignore or misuse this resource.
Michigan politicians need to get their priorities straight.
Being from Michigan I agree with the Detroit News. The state budget can not cover this expense. They are already cutting local spending and per pupil expenditures so this new expense does not make sense.
What do you expect from TAX and SPEND Liberal Demoncrats?
The automakers are hurting and something like this only encourages them to consider shifting operations to a more tax friendly state or country. Everyone looses.
Kids drop things, the gangs will steal them for sale on eBay.
Stupid demoncrats, get a brain.
What? How?
I can not imagine how an ipod would help k-12 students in any way that could not be done with a nice folder and some paper and pencils.
Please elaborate MDN.
I’m all earbuds…
maybe they should just hire qualified teachers.. I know that sounds crazy.. but as much as I love apple.. iPods are good for teaching only in the correct environment/context.
To be perfectly honest, buying iPods for all those kids would be stupid.
Why are they planning to “improve” the education of their children with iPods, when the actual problem sounds to me like a case of budget problems on the administrative end? Giving the kids a “better” education is a different issue. The kids aren’t the ones spending State money.
More MDN flame bait…
I can not imagine how an ipod would help k-12 students in any way that could not be done with a nice folder and some paper and pencils.
Because it’s an Apple and Steve say it’s wonderful!!! Woooo Hooooo
Anybody that disagrees with Fanboys are “Windows Trolls” Same Apple Fanboy nonsense everyday….
Makes ya wonder what the average age is here at MDN…. I’m guessing 13.
Shut yer pie hole WiseGuy.
Right, it would be much better to borrow and spend like the current administration, and just run up a deficit.
And let’s not forget who gave tax incentives for said industries to relocate in the first place. What a tool you are.
“What do you expect from TAX and SPEND Liberal Demoncrats?”
yeah because the republicans certainly have NEVER wasted any taxpayer money…
All good fortune for AAPL aside, i do think this is a dumb idea. Kids arent’ going to use these for education.
“Right, it would be much better to borrow and spend like the current administration, and just run up a deficit.
Yes, we need liberals in Power!!!! Let’s TAX working people so unemployed crack dealers can have FREE Health Care and Low Cost Housing…..
WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO
I notice the dem’s commenting are nowhere to be found, but I expect a crack any moment now on Bush or something to change the subject away from this pathetic dem legislature in Michigan!!!
Right, it would be much better to borrow and spend like the current administration, and just run up a deficit.
If you know anything about macro-economics, you would soon see the follacy of that statement.
But in short, it’s smarter to capitalize on the available funds from all over the world, which you can pay back later in cheaper dollars because you control the currency. Than it is to rob the very people you support in order to advance your ideals of socialism.
Remember New Zealand which tried socialism? Yea, a short time later they realized their mistake and begged the world for capital to revitalize their economy because nobody worked.
Stupid demoncrats. Feed the kids and pay the bills before entertaining luxury items like iPods.
Stupid demoncrats/religious fanatics = lack of proper well rounded college education
FanBoy
why don’t you read the postings before making a stupid statement,
I did’nt see one posting that thought it was a good idea or made sense,
As far as using an iPod in education- my daughter in university use’s one with an attachment to record lectures, now she is in medical school, and we purchased it, not the taxpayers
The IRONY in most of these statements is that the only US administration to run a surplus over the past 20 years has been a Democratic one.
Other than that, I’d say the plan to buy iPods for schools is plain ridiculous.
“…but I expect a crack any moment now on Bush…”
Because that’s the only thing these uneducated, sheltered life welfare people can pick on.
Demoncrats have never won in a logical argument to support their hair brained therories.
Look at Heraldo Rivera saying the illegal alien who killed two people in a DUI traffic accident after just leaving the local jail shouldn’t have been immediatly deported beforehand.
I mean it’s absolutly stupid of these people to think otherwise.
It cost the lives of two people because the state failed to do it’s job and deport the illegal alien in the first place.
This, and the Michigan iPod thing, goes to show how stupid Liberal Demoncrats are.
Yes there are stupid Republicans too, the bible thumping jesus freaks.
It just seems there are more stupid Demoncrats with stupid policies and politics.
Damm we need a new party.
I assume you also thank Gingrich and the Republican Congress for that? No? Even though they rejected billions and billions of additional Clinton spending that would have kept us in deficit? Still no? Wow, what a surprise…
Kate
P.S. Ipods in schools are probably a waste, especially given MI’s disastrous fiscal condition.
MDN,
I’m a Kool-Aid drinker too… but you are wrong on this one. There has been literally no research on the use of Web 2.0 technologies to support learning. Especially in a K-12 environment.
The idea to purchase iPods or MP-3 players for every Michigan student, is simply nuts!
I’m not wearing any pants.
I can live with ‘Tax and Spend’. It’s just money and I can’t take it with me when I die.
It’s sending 20-year-old Americans into harm’s way for falsely justified reasons and habitually shouting down anyone who questions their bad policy and poor decision making. Their actions and policy are morally wrong and undemocratic. That is unacceptable.
I’d rather they spent $5,617 dollars on a hammer.
New Zealand was once a Socialist Country? I didn’t know that. Sounds like a good history lesson.
I think I’ll do some research on that subject.
Thx Wiseguy.
Also- no ipods till they set their financial house in order. They need to make some tough choices asap or that hole’s just gonna keep getting deeper.
I don’t get how we can get all these hi-tech things, and still our educational system sucks. Look at California. We spend millions on education, and we are down at the bottom in ratings.
We should require teachers to be evaluated every couple of years, and we need to keep the language ENGLISH.
“Stupid demoncrats, get a brain.”
“these uneducated, sheltered life welfare people”
“I mean it’s absolutly[sic] stupid of these people”
“how stupid Liberal Demoncrats are”
If these were attacks on Republicans, you’d be decrying ad hominem attacks, yet you claim that liberals are stupid!
“Everyone looses.” – No, that’s loses. Stupid WiseGuy.