Companies that prey upon international students

I have been working with international students at higher education institutions now for several years. Having an international background myself, it is always interesting and fun to see the new crop of students learn to navigate their way through everything and ultimately add some much needed diversity to a school.

Some of the students come for the education and with immediate plans to go back to their country and apply what they have learned, some come with no idea and just want a new adventure, and some come with the dream of never leaving. It is the last category that often tends to be the most vulnerable to certain scams and fraud.

While this fraud comes in many forms, the one I will focus on is the “we have a job for you” fraud.

International students are limited to what kind of jobs they can do while here since school is supposed to be the priority. Part-time on campus jobs are the usual, but paid internships and jobs that sponsor their visas are allowed under certain circumstances.

I recently came across a California company that made international students sign a contract that would have essentially made them indentured servants, and it contained the threat of deportment and heavy fines if they disclosed anything about the contract. I was able to stop a student from signing one of those recently by pointing out all the clauses (thank heavens); but how many other students have fallen prey?

 

Fraud always targets the most vulnerable in society, so schools please pay attention to your international students because they are more than just cash cows. To some, they are prey.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Why do scams get a minor tag line?

The first article I am sharing might sound familiar to some of you because it is not a new scam:

“New Scam Targets Scholars”

“A new scam is tricking academics into thinking their research has been accepted for publication in a scholarly journal, the American Historical Association warned on Tuesday. Scholars will initially receive an email with "grammatical errors and unprofessional language" with an offer to publish a conference paper, and after submitting one, the scammer will ask the author to pay a "service charge" of several hundred dollars to review, edit and print the piece. The scam is targeting scholars in a "variety of disciplines," the AHA noted”.

Read here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/30/new-scam-targets-scholars

I would wager if you survey newly minted PhDs and EdDs, you will find they have seen shameful fraud before and perhaps have fallen victim to it.

This next one article is interesting because it talks about the brevity certain important issues get in the news. Actually, I find that quite a few truly important issues in education often take a backseat to the juicy headline grabbers.

“Defrauded Colleges Vary in How Much They Disclose”

“A recent investigation by The Washington Post found that nonprofit organizations have responded to a new requirement to disclose significant financial losses on the Internal Revenue Service’s Form 990 often by providing little detail about cases of fraud or embezzlement. A Chronicle analysis shows that colleges are no exception”.

 

“For example, on its 2011 tax form, Vassar College described a multiyear $2.5-million fraud in five sentences. Several other colleges and universities responded with similar brevity, while others described cases at great length”.

 

“Sue Menditto, director of accounting policy at the National Association of College and University Business Officers, said colleges often provide limited detail surrounding cases of fraud for good reason. A college may be “in the middle of an investigation, and for reasons of legal-counsel advice or advice of trustees at the time, the details could not be released because it could compromise the investigation,” Ms. Menditto said”.

“Two of the frauds listed among the documents examined by the Post stemmed from a common source: the Ponzi scheme masterminded by Bernard L. Madoff”.

 

Read the rest here: http://chronicle.com/blogs/bottomline/defrauded-colleges-vary-in-how-much-they-disclose/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

 

Hearing the details about money getting stolen seems pretty important to me, especially since money is tight in higher education...

 

Thoughts?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing some good job search advice

In this day of electronic information transfer and social media, it is more important than ever to pay attention to things like the following article:

“Who Are You, Really?”

“Employment-related screening tools were the focus of conversation last week in the human-resources class I teach. As I expected, there were plenty of questions about how employers use Internet searches to make decisions about applicant suitability and a fair amount of outrage about how completely unfair employers are when it comes to using digital content to make hiring decisions”.

“While employers may deny they are using Google and other tools to evaluate your employment suitability, trust me, they are. In fact, they are typing your name into search engines early and often. Given that, it is up to you to be savvy about how to make a positive impression and reveal your true persona”.

“When it comes to determining who you really are, hiring authorities want to answer five key questions:”

Read the rest here: https://chroniclevitae.com/news/102-who-are-you-really?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

 

Mind-boggling is it not?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

FAFSA Being used in a strange ways?

Anyone who has had to fill out a FAFSA form understands the feeling of dread, anxiety, frustration, and all the other things that go with filling out that long form.

When I read this article today, I was a little shocked and hoped it was not true because students have enough to worry about as it is.

“Using FAFSA Against Students”

“Some colleges are denying admission and perhaps reducing financial aid to students based on a single, non-financial, non-academic question that students submit to the federal government on their applications for student aid”.

“Millions of high school students and their parents probably have no idea this happens after they fill out the ubiquitous Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The form, known as the FAFSA, is used by nearly every American who needs help paying for college”.

“It turns out students’ pleas for help are now being systematically used against them by some colleges”.

Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/28/colleges-use-fafsa-information-reject-students-and-potentially-lower-financial-aid

 

What are your thoughts on this?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing an article 10/25/13

“There Have Been a Lot of Shootings This Year. Children Seem to Have Noticed”

“A new survey by the children's magazine Highlights digs into the hopes, dreams, and psychology of America's children, and suggests that they're picking up on stories of violence nationwide”.

“Here was a particularly interesting one: "If you could make one new law for our country, what would it be?"”

“Given this wide range of latitude, children called for laws to eliminate homework and strengthen universal education, among many others. But when kids' thoughts turned to safety, something jumped out to report analysts: Children don't focus on bullying--they focus on violence. Six percent of children thought their should be weapons laws, but only two percent mentioned bullying”.

Read the whole thing here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2013/10/children_have_noticed_gun_violence.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

 

Children always have interesting things to say about what we adults find important; it makes you think…

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing and article on public schools 10/24/13

“Some Good News About Public Schools”

“When I hear someone complain about the public school system, I feel like a parent listening to a rant by a 15-year-old. They tell me that I am terrible at my job and that I don't listen. In angry frustration, they tell me that I don't understand the problems, and that I care about the wrong things and should be doing more”.

“As a parent and as a teacher, I sit and listen, trying not to provoke. These rebukes are not news, and they are not right, but they do offend”.

“I don't really understand the psychology that makes teachers and parents the scapegoats for so many problems, but in both cases I know the truth: We stand and face the challenges daily. We have become the faces associated with the struggle”.

“I am not a perfect parent; far from it. But my kids are happy and successful. I see evidence of their growth constantly, even when they are blind to it”.

“The public education system is also far from perfect. But our kids are doing better every year. I see evidence of that too, even when those complaining don't”.

“• About 90 percent of the kids in the United States go through the public school system.”

“Famous Public School Alumni”

“From top: Carlos Santana, Mustafa Quraishi/AP; Annie Leibovitz, Charles Dharapak/AP; Alvin Roth, Darryl Bush/AP; Alvin Ailey, Paul Burnett/AP; Stephen Spielberg, Francois Mori/AP; Ronald Reagan, Dennis Cook/AP; David J. Wineland, Ed Andrieski/AP; Jimmy Carter, Paul Sancya/AP; Maya Angelou, Gerald Herbert/AP.”

“• The dropout rate has fallen consistently over the past 40 years.”

“• The literacy rate in the United States is 99 percent for those age 15 and older.”

“• Most of our recent presidents—from both parties—were largely products of public education, including Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon.”

“• Four of the five Americans who won a Nobel Prize last year attended public schools. Those winners are David J. Wineland (physics), Robert K. Lefkowitz (chemistry), Brian Kobilka (chemistry), and Alvin Roth (economics). Roth attended a New York City high school, but went to college without graduating from high school.”

Read the rest here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/10/23/09cleary.h33.html?tkn=YWUFC7TsefWVbdutckyXeHVV3zRjSBIY8crF&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1

 

Food for thought?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

There are still some bad apples out there…

There is not much that needs to be said about this because it speaks for itself:

 

“American University of London sells study-free MBA”

 

“A so-called university sold an MBA degree for thousands of pounds with no academic work required, a BBC Newsnight investigation has revealed”.

 

“The American University of London (AUOL) awarded a fictitious person created by the programme a Master's in Business in exchange for a £4,500 fee”.

 

“AUOL has insisted it is "not a bogus university" and defended the robustness of the qualifications it offers”.

 

“Newsnight has found hundreds of senior executives listing AUOL qualifications”.

 

Read the rest: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24618786

 

Another version of the article:

 

“How the BBC Helped a Dog Earn an MBA”

 

“The BBC decided to investigate the M.B.A. program offered by American University of London, and so enrolled a dog named Pete, giving him the fake name Peter Smith and a fake biography with various job titles. The university requires that students submit photographs, but the BBC opted not to send one, since the picture would have shown a dog. No problem. The university offered Pete an M.B.A., with no academic work, for $7,300”.

 

Read all here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/23/how-bbc-helped-dog-earn-mba

Let us be clear, this is not an accredited university and has no affiliation with anything in America. However, bad apples like this give all universities a bad name so be vigilant.

 

 

Students please do your research.

 

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

This higher education issue never goes out of season…

From time to time, I need to remind everyone about the ongoing issue of sexual assault on college campuses, and more importantly the culture that allows it to thrive.

Changing a culture is not easy, and it cannot be done without absolute buy in from the top all the way down. Administration often talks the talk, but does not walk the walk when it comes to tackling this issue. Many institutions are still showing the warning signs that this problem does and will persist.

“Amherst Warns Students About Advances From Alumni”

“In preparation for homecoming weekend, Amherst College sent resident counselors an advisory e-mail that included a warning to watch out for alumni. “Keep an eye out for unwanted sexual advances,” the e-mail said, according to Newsweek. “A lot of alums come back for Homecoming pretty jaded with the bar scene and blind dating of the real world and are eager to take advantage of what they now perceive to be an ‘easy’ hook-up scene back at Amherst. Also, many alums tend to be pretty drunk all weekend long.””

Read all here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/22/amherst-warns-students-about-advances-alumni

Really?

 

“7 Women File Complaint Saying UConn Failed to Protect Them Against Assaults”

“Seven students and former students at the University of Connecticut filed a federal discrimination complaint on Monday, alleging that the university had failed to protect them from sexual assault on the campus and to respond adequately after they reported the assaults, The Courant, a newspaper in Hartford, Conn., reported”

Read all here: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/7-women-file-complaint-saying-uconn-failed-to-protect-them-against-assaults/68047?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Schools, please learn and fix this now because it is not going away on its own. I would like my daughter to have a safe environment when her time comes around, and I would like my son to have good examples of how men should behave (not sexist, just reality).

 

Keep our students safe!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

 

Disruptive technology while teaching

Do you remember a time before texting, Facebook, and twitter? Do you remember payphones and pagers? It seems like simpler times, and I say simpler not perfect. Technology has made life convenient; technology has a definite place in our world.

However, in terms of the classroom, when does technology become too disruptive? At the K12 level, there are rules in place that teachers can enforce (although those get broken regularly), at the college level it becomes harder, especially if you are teaching non-traditional students.

As educators, we certainly do set expectations about how we would like things to go in class; it is in the syllabus, we talk with students, and remind them regularly. There however, seems to be a growing crop of students who feel that the rules do not apply to them, and that “they are paying your salary therefore…”.

“Texting in Class”

“If you are leading a class and imagine that students seem more distracted than ever by their digital devices, it's not your imagination. And they aren't just checking their e-mail a single time”.

“A new study has found that more than 90 percent of students admit to using their devices for non-class activities during class times. Less than 8 percent said that they never do so”.

“Asked why they were using their devices in class, the top answer was texting (86 percent), followed by checking the time (79 percent). e-mail (68 percent), social networking (66 percent), web surfing (38 percent) and games (8 percent)”.

Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/21/study-documents-how-much-students-text-during-class

Personally, I encourage the use of some types of technology in the classroom such as Evernote, Freemind, Mendeley, and LinkedIn. Technology can help students become more organized, save their notes, and help them network in the professional world they are trying to enter. There are students who truly do take notes on their laptops because they type so darn fast!

 

Let me close with this thought: sometimes it is ok to unplug from the information super highway, sometimes it is peaceful, and sometimes you might be surprised at how enjoyable a class can be without distractions.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing a nice thought today 10/18/13

Sometimes it is good to just end the week on a positive note, no matter what is glaring at you. I enjoyed this article, so it is time to share!

“Teachers, Don't Forget Joy”

“As another school year moves into high gear, I would like to offer a few thoughts”.

“Not long ago, the room where classmates and I met for our 50th high school reunion buzzed with all the conversations you'd expect: children, grandchildren, retirement, travels, and where we lived. But there was also another equally important conversation—about our teachers and why we remembered them. "She told me I was a writer," one former classmate said. "I loved math because of him." "I wish he'd only lived a little longer; I had so hoped to tell him of the impact he had on my life." "I became a teacher because of her." I wondered as I listened and shared similar musings what my former students might say about me when they think of our time together. Would joy come to their minds?”

“Shortly after the reunion, a group of colleagues gathered in my den to spend a day with a noted literacy expert. We talked of all the rich research we have to help our students grow smarter as readers, writers, and thinkers. We talked of programs and the promises they make, and what they can't and don't deliver. We lamented the squeeze on educational funding. And we pondered the role that poverty and the absence of books in homes plays in children's lives. As I sat with some of the smartest and most dedicated educators I know, I couldn't help but sense that we had overlooked something in our discussion”.

“And then suddenly it hit me as I was sitting there, learning among my friends and colleagues. It was joy. A simple, three-letter word we take for granted. Struck by its simplicity, I wondered if joy is what we've been missing in the recent conversations about education that we've been having as a country”.

Read the whole thing here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/10/16/08wallis.h33.html?tkn=ZMQFmJDCivafjXJz2uXHv%2BMFC2byLnbe4PmS&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1

 

Have a joyous weekend

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Lavish Spending in Higher Education

If you have ever had to manage a budget in education, you know that there is never enough money to do the job you were initially (things always are added) hired to do without overstressing yourself, and there are never enough staff members to accomplish the task quickly and efficiently. The reward for getting the job done is more work and a smaller budget.

Your average frontline employee in most universities are underpaid (I did not say poverty, just underpaid), but they accept that because there are benefits and perks with working in higher education, not to mention you are helping people.

When I hear of situations like the article I am about to share, I shake my head in disgust because this is not the kind of behavior we expect to see in education. I have previously blogged about this individual as well so this is no surprise.

 

“Dobelle Placed on Leave”

“Five-time college president Evan Dobelle's job hangs in the balance after he was placed on paid leave early this morning by the Westfield State University board”.

“Dobelle, the local news media reported, is on paid leave until Nov. 25, pending the outcome of the investigation, which is only the latest in a series of examinations of the president's spending. Dobelle's use of university funds has been described by Massachusetts state officials as unbridled, excessive, lavish and in violation of policies at the 6,000-student public university. For instance, a top state education official said Dobelle had not explained $14,000 in undocumented wire transfers to China and Vietnam and a $350 lunch and a $1,142 dinner, among other expenses”.

“The board's suspension and the faculty's no confidence vote cap weeks of mounting pressures on Dobelle. The president has been increasingly embattled after August revelations in The Boston Globe that he spent the public university's money extravagantly and, at times, on himself and his family”.

“The Westfield contretemps is not Dobelle's first at the helm of a public institution. Less than a decade ago, he departed the University of Hawaii System presidency amid accusations he had misspent money, lied and been unfit to lead. Westfield hired him anyway, a decision that raises questions about board-level decision making”.

Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/17/five-time-president-hot-water-again-suspended-board-following-accusations-lavish

Even if only a portion of this is true, it is still a lot of money. A university president should not be living the life of a Wall Street executive, lunch or dinner at Applebees or Outback should be fine (on the universities money at least).

 

Perception is everything, and right now the perception seems to be matching reality and that is a shame. The people who suffer in the end are students, and we are supposed to be there for the student.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

More on City College San Francisco saga…

The latest on the countdown to doom for City College San Francisco is that they are trying to put a leader in who will lead them to the promised land.

“New Chancellor for Embattled City College of San Francisco”

“City College of San Francisco, fighting for its life amid an accreditor's call to shut it down, will announced today the hiring of an experienced administrator and antiterrorism expert as its first permanent chancellor in 18 months, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The hiring of Arthur Q. Tyler, former president of Sacramento City College and a former state-appointed trustee at another California community college, Compton College, comes at a time when the 80,000-student San Francisco institution is reporting to a special trustee as it challenges a decision by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to strip its accreditation, citing significant financial and management problems”.

“Today's announcement of a new chancellor is another step cited by state community college leaders as evidence -- marshaled to try to make the case to the accrediting agency -- that the institution has made significant progress in responding to the many issues it cited”.

Read here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/16/new-chancellor-embattled-city-college-san-francisco

 

Why pay attention to this issue you ask? Because this is landmark issue that could have resounding effects throughout California and then ultimately the rest of the country. This is one of the “traditional schools” being told to shut down remember?

 

 

When 80,000 public college students are being told they have to find another home quickly, we should be paying attention.

 

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Why are we expected to do everything for free?

For many of us in education, whether you are K12 or Higher Education, our chosen career path is often described as a “calling”. To me personally, that means that we love what we do, and that is great, but it does not mean we want to do it all for free (studies show that “70% job satisfaction” is considered very good, and I have yet to hear of the ‘perfect job’).

It was a recent article I just read got me thinking about today’s topic not so much because the editor in question was rude to the scholar (people are often rude to educators), but because the editor seemed outraged that the scholar wanted to get paid for doing some work.

 

“An employee known only as Ofek recruited Danielle Lee, a postdoctoral fellow at Oklahoma State University, and author of a blog called "The Urban Scientist" to write for Biology-Online. When she turned him down, after being told that Biology-Online did not intend to pay her, Ofek responded: "Because we don't pay for blog entries? Are you an urban scientist or an urban whore?"”

 

Read the whole thing here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/15/web-editor-who-treated-scholar-rudely-fired (or here: http://chronicle.com/article/Scientist-or-Whore-Incident/142325/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en)

 

Why is it educators are portrayed as mercenaries when they request compensation for doing extra work?

 

We serve on committees, volunteer in after-school programs, present papers at conferences, blog about important events daily, and our advice is often solicited; almost all for free. Can you imagine this happening in other professions?

 

I love writing my blog, I love doing extra presentations that benefit the students I teach, and I am sure many educators feel similarly. However, it is ok to ask for compensation for your work from time to time because that is the norm in most other professions, and there are only so many hours in the day.

 

 

Sometimes, you need to get paid for your work

 

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Things that make you go hmm,,, in higher education

I have been lucky to have experiences with both for-profits and non-profits, both as an administrator and student. While there might be some slight differences, the one thing that unites them all is that they want to keep their students and recruit more students.

I have been saying for years now that there should be more collaboration between for-profits and the traditional sector because they both have different strengths that could complement the respective weaknesses. However, higher education being what it is, it it will be a while before that chasm is significantly crossed and the various institutions are truly talking about helping students together.

That being said, and article I was reading this morning bothered me a great deal because it seems like an unfair double standard.

“Differentiation vs. Discrimination”

“The Obama administration is toughening its regulation of for-profit colleges in numerous straightforward ways, most notably and publicly by taking another shot (after a federal judge blocked the last one) at drafting rules requiring vocational programs to prove that they are preparing students for "gainful employment."”

“But advocates for the colleges and other, more independent observers accuse administration officials of discriminating against for-profit institutions in a less-visible way, too -- and twisting federal statutes to do so”.

“Specifically, they say, the U.S. Education Department is differentially applying rules governing state authorization of higher education programs, requiring for-profit institutions in California that are regionally accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and School to go through a rigorous state approval process from which the department has agreed to exempt nonprofit colleges that are accredited by WASC”.

Read the rest here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/14/profit-colleges-say-us-discriminates-against-them-state-authorization

 

I will let you decide for yourselves, but just think about it, because in the end it is about helping students.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele

The ETeam

Schools are you standing by your students?

We know military TA is on hold; so the question is what are schools doing to make sure their military students are not being punished for something beyond their country?

“Military Tuition On Hold”

“The U.S. military’s decision to stop paying financial aid for active-duty service members during the shutdown is jeopardizing their academic progress and forcing some to withdraw from classes, according to officials at colleges with large military populations”.

Read the rest: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/11/suspension-military-education-benefits-forces-some-students-drop-out

 

Schools, I hope you are working with your students to make sure they are able to finish their education. Now that would be some student service!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Whining about grades

Every so often, this subject reappears, usually around the beginning of the new school year: students whining about grades.

Sometimes it seems it has become more about the letter grade rather than what it should be, and that is the learning.

Student 1: “I am an A student, I always get As”

Student 2: “I worked so hard I deserved an A”

Student 3: “You suck as a teacher because I failed”

Student 4: “You are the only teacher I know who does not accept late work”

I could go on…

Answer 1: “There is a first time for everything”

Answer 2: “Working hard is important, and I hope you gained some knowledge from your hard work. However, it does not guarantee an A”

Answer 3: “Perhaps if you had shown up to class and handed in some assignments…”

Answer 4: “Late work is accepted up to 48 hours after the assignment is due. You are trying hand in your work 8 weeks after it was due and I have been reminding you for a long time now”

Every professor I know has stories like this, and it is not slowing down. What are your thoughts on this subject? How can we get students to concentrate on the learning more than the grade?

 

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing an article 10/9/2013

"The Cost of Prison Reform"

 

"In today’s Academic Minute, Rice University's Richard Boylan explains the connection between prison reform and a reduction in social aid programs. Boylan is a professor of economics at Rice. Find out more about him here. A transcript of this podcast can be found here".

Read here: http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2013/10/09/cost-prison-reform#ixzz2hFGBrQ00
Inside Higher Ed

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III
The ETeam

Interesting San Diego News…

“National University Becomes Latest to Sponsor a Bowl Game”

“First the University of Phoenix paid millions of dollars to plaster its name on the stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play their games. Then Bridgepoint Education, a fast-growing for-profit education company, sponsored the Holiday Bowl college football game in San Diego, where its corporate headquarters are located. But with Bridgepoint's primary institution, Ashford University, facing significant scrutiny from Congress and challenges (now mostly resolved) in retaining its accreditation, the company opted to let its sponsorship expire this year”.

“Now another university -- a nonprofit one -- is stepping in. National University, a professionally focused institution that is part of a growing system of similar colleges, will become the title sponsor of the Holiday Bowl this year, the Union-Tribune of San Diego reported. National does not have any sports teams itself”.

Read here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/08/national-university-becomes-latest-sponsor-bowl-game

I have no opinion here except to say, I hope with this found money, NU has given their frontline employees (the ones who really help students day-today) a raise…

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Let history decide not egos

Here is a little history lesson about some of our current entitlement programs: social security and Medicare. Fears about Social Security and Medicare are surprisingly similar to the ones critics have raised about the Affordable Care Act today.

“The Social Security Act, which in 1935 introduced old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and other social welfare programs, faced critics who worried it would threaten democracy itself”.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/obamacare-fight-vs-birth-social-security-which-was-uglier-4B11241122

"Isn’t this socialism?” one senator, Thomas Pryor Gore, asked.

A major critic of Medicare was Ronald Reagan. In 1961, the future president recorded a speech in which painted a dark picture of a time in which doctors would be told by the government which patients they could see, and where. He used the term socialism quite strongly.

Listen to the speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bejdhs3jGyw

Like it or hate, “the Affordable Health Care Act”, “Obamacare”, (or whatever you want to call it) is the law of the land. Holding “we the people” hostage because of sour grapes and egos is not the way to govern, and is probably a career limiting move.

 

Let history decide this fight.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Government Shutdown Stalls Military Education Benefits

In today’s news…

“The Department of Defense has suspended a program that provides members of the military with money to attend college because of the federal government shutdown. Branches of the armed forces will not authorize tuition assistance for new classes during a government shutdown, a Pentagon official wrote in a blog post this week”.

“In addition to rejecting new requests for the benefits, the Army said in a statement that it could not process some existing requests that were received before the shutdown began on October 1”.

“The Department of Veterans Affairs, meanwhile, said it is continuing to process veterans’ education benefits, but that could stop if the shutdown drags on longer than several weeks. The agency has already closed its education call center because of the shutdown”. 

Read here: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/04/government-shutdown-stalls-military-education-benefits

Imagine this: ‘good morning even though you have the money we are not going to let you finish school because we do not feel like it’!

 

Remember we the people?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam