Donors Choice vs. Hobson's Choice

I had planned to participate in the DonorsChoose blogger's challenge, to help raise money "for the kids" and teachers.

This effort, in which many Scienceblogs.com bloggers are involved, is a worthy one, as far as I can see. And I have given this careful consideration. But I have decided, instead, to do something different. I am asking you to help me with this.

I want to say that I am very much in support of the bloggers challenge, and I urge you to go to your favorite blog and consider donating.

I'm remembering back to the 1992 presidential election. That is the year I got my PhD. Clinton, Bush and Perot were running. Bush was the incumbent, Perot was the spoiler, and Clinton was gaining momentum. Clinton won, of course. Late in that same year, it was time for me to receive the usual pile of grant proposals for a well known granting agency that funded primarily human evolution and related studies.

In prior years, I was typically informed that somewhere between half and three quarters of these proposals (already narrowed down to a short list) could be funded. But this year, in 1992, I was told that none were likely to be funded. I was to look for the one or two proposals that were so important that we would consider squeezing blood out of a stone to partially fund them.

"Why? Where did the money go this year, how come the lousy deal on funding?" I asked.

"Clinton," was the answer. "This year, everybody spent their money to get Clinton elected. Non-profits, charities, are getting squeezed everywhere."

"That's terrible," I said.

"No, young man, it is not terrible. It is the best possible solution. Four more years of Bush will do a lot more damage than a dry year for the research and a few charities."

Well, Clinton was elected and we lived happily ever after. For about eight years.

Now, we've had about eight years of Republican control. So at present, the Minnesota State Science Standards include at least one clause that cannot be changed by the standards committee because the Republican head of the Department of Education has so dictated, even though it is probably illegal and may incite and support efforts to force creationism in the classrooms over the next could of years.

I heard from a teacher recently who had an interesting story. He was not a science teacher but he eats lunch with the science teachers at a school out east. The other day, the federal safety inspectors showed up to inspect the science labs. The inspector did not ask any of the questions the inspector asked five years ago during the last surprise visit. The inspector did not look into any cabinets or inspect any chemical storage facilities, and in general, did not seem to have a clue what he was doing. This is apparently a pattern, or so I'm told. The legally mandated federal oversight of safety in science classrooms has evaporated as the Bush Administration implements de facto deregulation in all areas of the federal government. The "financial crisis" we are currently experiencing is not all about lack of regulatory structure. Well, there is that. But it is also about simple lack of enforcement.

The oceans are empty. Science in the schools is under threat. The economy is in shambles. Crazy people are running our country.

I am not going to send any money to any schools this year. I am curtailing my volunteer work in schools until after the election.

In the meantime I will send my meager reserves to support the election of politicians who will replace those allowing this general deterioration to happen, or who are participating in it. This inappropriate phraseology forced into our science standards would not exist if we did not have a governor who was openly creationist, and a secretary of education who has openly declared that Intelligent Design should be taught alongside Evolution if a local district decides to do so. The scales are tipped so much in the favor of religious conservatives that even the "center" is too far right for basic constitutional rights to be expected. There are still people here in the Twin Cities who are suffering charges of treason under the patriot act because they protested, or reported or filmed protestors, at the Republican National Convention.

No. I'm sending my meager reserves to help tip the balance the other way, to fight this festering infiltration, and my spare time will be spent engaged in the election in whatever way I can.

I'm asking you to consider this as well. I know you can afford $100. Please use it now. Visit a blog site that is managing a Donors Choice drive, and give some of the $100 to them, and also visit one of the sites I list below and give them the other part of the $100. Divide it up as you see fit, of course.

If you totally disagree with me and think it is a bad thing to give less than you otherwise might to DonorsChoose or any other worthy cause, then there is a simple thing you can do. This can be the year you come up with $200. Give $100 to your favorite non-political cause, and give $100 to one of the options listed below, or your favorite Democrat.

The Democratic Party

Al Franken, Minnesota Senate

running against Michelle Bachmann: El Tinklenberg, Minnesota Congress 6th District

Ashwin Madia for Congress, Minnesota third. If Madia wins this will turn a Republican seat being vacated by a retiring member. Ash's opponent has just started campaigning and is running an absolutely dirty campaign.

Feel free to suggest other candidates!