7th grade has been up to their elbows in politics! Last week Congressman Barney Frank spoke at Temple Ohabei Shalom the same day he announced he would not be running for re-election. We learned a lot about politics on that day, but more importantly we learned the power of words and the damage of misinformation. This past Monday, we became politicians ourselves and had to work in groups and decide how to allocate funds. There were a lot of disagreements about how we should divide the money and who needed it most. Feel free to continue the conversation at home or ask your children how they chose to divide up the $500,000 they were given. (see below for exact handout) As our social action class continues, I want to remind you of a great community service opportunity. Temple Ohabei Shalom and ARS are having a toy drive. Toys will be donated to the Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center. Bring in unwrapped toys this Monday! We'll be bringing toys over to the Clinic the next day. This is a great opportunity for you and your children to give toys to those less fortunate during the holiday season.
Every day we start class by going around the room and talking about:
1. a good deed we did
2. a good deed we witnessed someone else do
3. or a moment when a good deed was in need.
Every week your children amaze me by the incredible giving actions they do, by the sensitivity they have, and the courage they have to make the world around them better.
Have a great week!
Gila
You are a Politician Lesson:
You are a political committee designed to work how to allocate funds:
You have $500,000 that can be spent in anyway.
Here are the following requests from your community and voters.
The home for elderly:
Each year you give them $56,000 to help with building maintenance and the cost of one resident to live there at lower cost. This year the home for the elderly’s roof got damaged in Hurricane Irene and their activity room is not usable. They are requesting $75,000 to repair their roof.
After school care:
Each you this committee puts aside money to give to each public school in the area to pay for free afterschool childcare for children in the public school. It costs $125,000 to run these programs: to pay for building maintenance, staff, and the extra supplies. Because of the economy and the need for more parents to work a second job, an increase in children at each location has risen by 53%. The after school programs are extremely short staffed and in need of extra supplies. This year they are requesting $253,000.
Street and building repairs:
Each year unexpected damage and upkeep lead to about $53,250 in expenses to maintain roads, schools, churches, government buildings, parks, and historic sites around Boston. These projects also help keep city employees with work and paid. This year there is a need for $70,000 worth of work to do. With the extra hours of work you will also have to pay employees extra. If you decide to use less than $53,250 you will be cutting jobs.
City festivities:
Each year the city puts on parade, carnivals, and holiday celebrations that are great for the community but cost about $250,000. Cities and towns love the extra tourism and therefore money they make during these celebrations. They are asking to continue having the $25,000 spent for these celebrations.
Art programs:
Boston is a city of culture and we have many artists, scholars, thinkers, and musicians in our midst. The arts in school are always the first to be cut when there is a budget crisis. Last year the committee choice not to pay the annual $23,000 for the arts programs. Teachers were out of jobs and kids were without art, music, and theatre programs in their schools and communities. The Coalition of Art Teachers has asked you rethink your decision and go back to paying the annual $23,000 so teachers can once again have jobs and kids can be artistically creative.
Soup Kitchens and Shelters for the Homeless
This committee saw the need for homeless shelters and soup kitchens before many other cities were taking on that responsibility. Your committee prides itself on how they take care of the homeless. While other cities “bus” their homeless to warmer states for the winter, Boston wants to create infrastructure to take care and protect the homeless population. In the beginning the committee paid for all of the soup kitchen and shelter expenses in the city. As demands grew, the city had to make staff of the kitchen and shelters more responsible for their own fundraising. Over the years the kitchens and shelters have been independent and able to raise their own money. Unfortunately, demand for shelters and soup kitchens is rising, with less people able to donate to help maintain them. The kitchen and shelter staff is asking for $175,000 paid in four parts to help pay for food and electricity and heat for buildings.
Assisted living for people with mental disabilities:
Each year the government helps support assisted living for people who have mental disabilities and job training programs. Last year they gave $300,000. This year these programs are requesting the same amount of money to be able to keep everyone in a home and working at minimum wage paying jobs.
Immigration services:
Boston is a port for people who come from other countries. Boston, through the generosity of this committee, provides lawyer services, English classes, and food stamps for people who first come to the United States. $120,000 used to be enough to provide these services. Because of inflation and the increase of people immigrating the program now needs $260,000 and it might even be $300,000 by the end of the year.
College scholarships and internship programs:
We understand the importance of competitiveness and having people who go to college here stay and work. This committee has often given money for local business to give benefits to their interns to entice college students to stay in Boston and to help local business stay competitive. President Obama’s Americorps programs help but local businesses are still asking for an additional $10,000.
What is your solution:
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