Dallas daytime curfew: just say no

Pavel Lishin, says:

<img src="http://uploads.postfarm.net/public/postfarm/uploads-2.0/m/maude_think_of_the_children.jpg">

Seriously, though, excellent points. Can't imagine who would be for this measure except a) people who don't have children and know nothing about children or b) politicians looking to placate the Maudes of the world.

Tracy Yost, says:

It's the low-hanging fruit this month, kind of like "let's ban smoking in bars" was last month.

Scott Doyle, says:

Wonder how long this bitterness will last...

Doyle hears ya, Doyle don't care about the curfew.

Chris Kidd, says:

I said it best earlier on another blog:

Its another money-making scheme from our friends downtown. Seeing Mayor Tom, like every other self-righteous republican, doesnt want to raise property or business taxes to benefit the city coffers like other responsible major cities do. He instead hatches schemes like a tax-payer funded hotel and the latest attempt, which is to extort parents 500 bucks if their kids are off school campus or daylight in general between the hours of 9a-2p during the school year.

The real issue is the fact we have a school district that only teaches state ranking exams to the low-hanging, mis-shapen, retarted fruits these days. The real enemy is the DISD, not these kids. I feel for the intelligent young people in the DISD "prison system" who have to put up w/ the proginy of fatherless hoodrat homes who can barely communicate in a gutteral form of north american english and will probably end up in a career path asking "would you like fries with that", not to mention a good number of apathetic teachers and supervisory staff all the way up to the school board, who dont even attempt to make a better district for these kids.

If we're going to make laws and fine parties, maybe its time the state starts imposing heavy penalties for school districts who show incompitence in their leadership and handling of childrens education, plain and simple.

Jason Rice, says:

::holding parents accountable

How heartless Tumbles. You know that it takes a village to raise an idiot.

Rawlins Gilliland, says:

<b>FYI</b>,,,,

The parental 'penalties' of $500, initially part of this proposal, were essentially waived at voting end. Fines will be largely issued only after a couple of 'warnings' and probably community service will be the 'fine'. Which is fine with me. So the expense-to-the-financial-underdog 'argument' lost more hot air than a punctured clown Macys Day balloon.

*<u>PS Report From Your Friendly Dallas Reporter-on-the-beaten-path PS:</u>

There was not one (i.e. 13-16 yrs.) early teen in the park today. Routinely over the last year, there have been several-to-many. Daily. Where for years there had been none. Indicating the 'issue', while out of sight in the minds of others, was a real sea change in my 30% of the Dallas city seascape.

Pavel Lishin, says:

To what degree can we hold parents accountable? They can't literally follow their children everywhere we go, and while parents can try to instill some good values into their kids, sometimes it just doesn't work.

Plus, I'm betting that the kind of kids that are skipping class probably have parents for whom a $500 fine would mean missing a rent payment, having the electricity shut off, or having to get a second or third job to pay for it.

Chris Kidd, says:

I dont have an issue holding parents accountable, we already have laws on the books that accomplish those tasks quite well. What I see the real issue being is that we're engaging in a feel-good "sin tax" against young people and their parents.

If you want to make sure kids stay in school, be a parent first and foremost. Drive them to school daily and quit making excuses about being late for your job, the #62 bus, hair appointment, ect. When they get home on a daily basis, be there to help them with their homework or ask them how their day was. Lastly, make the parent/teacher conferences and try at least to volunteer at a school event. Those things can and usually do make the difference...

Rawlins Gilliland, says:

There is no $500 fine. *That is day-before-yesterday's 'news' but not today's curfew that passed yesterday. The pros and cons cannot be argued using expired 'information'. *

Meanwhile I am amused that, as I posted on Trey's blog; I, as a school tax paying Dallas property owner, have paid more into funding schools in my adult life in Dallas than it cost me to attend college 6 years. So you bet I've paid to educate other people's kids...and no problem doing it. But when I am told by parents who have kids in those public schools that I have no right to demand they go to school and attend classes where they were enrolled...I make note.

Meanwhile I have read on many blogs the strong 'opinions' on this. And ironically noted than no few 1) Live in Dallas but are not Dallas property owners paying school taxes 2) have kids in public schools but not in Dallas 3) live in Dallas but have their kids in private schools 4) live in parts of the city where this is a non-issue(?) 5) home-school their kids. *In which case it's simple to have some form of waiver if indeed the 9-2 time frame of the curfew restricts little Scarlet or Austen.*

In other words the lion's share of the most vocal have the fewest dogs in this Dallas hunt. But that's becoming the new norm.

Over and out. To the park............

alexander troup, says:

I do recall they did do a lock down while I was living the life of a teen around 1973/ to 75,,...this Cop came after me like I was fresh meat..and I told him what I was doing..digging for old bottles and he looked at me like I was nuts..because I did not conform to the lable he was to arrest and have a Spanish Inqusition with...and left me alone.....A/T, Got a light bub for a growing up teen...