Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.

A small, but important step toward equality

President Obama is finally doing the right thing on the Defense of Marriage Act, at least in part

After two-plus years of allowing his administration to defend the indefensible anti-civil rights law, he has ordered it to back away from its constitutional defense of Section 3 of the statute, “which limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex partners, precludes spouses in same-sex marriages from receiving certain federal benefits to which spouses in traditional marriages are entitled.”

While the president and Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced the decision, did not go so far as to call for DOMA’s full repeal or say that the administration would remove itself from all challenges,

Holder noted that Obama had “concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny.”

It is an issue of discrimination for the administration, which means that the debate has been altered. The administration very specifically backed away from conservative attempts to define this as a debate about traditional marriage. I wish he would have gone farther — to declare without reservation that DOMA should be repealed — but Obama’s decision is an important step forward for gay rights. 

  • Send me an e-mail.
  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

After picking schools’ pockets, governor gives districts some cheese

I’m wondering whether the governor has strained himself patting himself on the back for all the good work he’s doing on education aid and reform.

Here is the press release he issued today to announce local school aid figures:

Further demonstrating his firm commitment to strengthening and reforming education in New Jersey, Governor Christie is providing an additional $250 million for New Jersey schools in his fiscal year 2012 budget. Aid figures released today by the Department of Education show an increase for every school district in the state. In addition, public charter schools will receive $4.6 million in additional funds – an increase of over 50 percent — another indication of the Christie Administration’s commitment to expanding high-quality public charter schools for New Jersey children.

“Last year, our state faced severe fiscal challenges, and we had to make some very difficult choices. Reductions to education funding were among the most agonizing of those choices,” Governor Chris Christie said. “Because of the foundation we set in last year’s budget, and our responsible management of the state’s finances, New Jersey is on firmer footing and we are able to put more funding into classrooms throughout New Jersey.”

That’s a lot praise for himself for a paltry increase of $250 million. Yes, paltry — he cut more than $1.1 billion last year and the $250 million he’s increasing aid this year does not even come close to fully funding the state’s education formula.

But that’s not a surprise. The governor’s education priorities have never included the public schools, which he views as broken.

“(M)ore money on its own will not fix our education system. We must continue to vigorously pursue education reforms to fundamentally change public education, focused on achieving results for children, rewarding excellence in the classroom and demanding accountability throughout the system.”

His reforms? A “challenge (to) the status quo” that “move(s) toward a system that demands accountability, rewards highly effective teachers, utilizes performance measures and ensures each and every child receives the quality education they deserve.”

In English: testing, charters, vouchers and the breaking of the teachers union. The goal has nothing to do with improving the state’s schools and everything to do with longstanding conservative ideology. And that is jut not good for the students of the state.

  • Send me an e-mail.
  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
    Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

    Melo mania

    This certainly appears to be a blockbuster, and quite expensive for the Knicks, but if you break it down, what actually happened?

    If the reports are right, the Knicks gave up three of their top six, plus the big Russian who is just starting to look like he might have an NBA future.

    Contracts aside, this is probably more than Melo is worth. But contracts play into this and there was a good chance that Wilson Chandler was not going to be part of the Knicks’ longterm future, because he becomes a restricted free agent (read this over the weekend, but cannot remember where).

    Mozgov is nice, but nothing to block a trade. And Felton for Billups — well, Billups remains the better player in the short term, a champion with a proven track record. I like Felton — he is tough — but we may have seen his best ball already this season. And Billups’ contract expires in 2012, like Felton’s, so that is a wash.

    Looked at this way, removing Chandler, Billups and Felton, it comes down to Melo and spare parts for Danilo Gallinari, Mozgov, a first-rounder and Anthony Randolph. Who wouldn’t do that?

    • Send me an e-mail.
    • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
    • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
    • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
    Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

    On to chapter two, in which we wonder what the military will do

    Hosni Mubarak has been chased from power, with the military taking over for what is being termed a temporary transitional period. Egyptians are elated, but this is only the first step toward democracy and the citizenry that took to the streets will need to keep the pressure on to ensure that the military does not take advantage of the power vacuum to create a new authoritarian regime.

    It is something that at least some protesters are aware of:

    Abdel-Rahman Samir, a protest organizer, said the movement would open negotiations with the military, but said demonstrations should also continue to ensure changes are carried out.

    “We still don’t have any guarantees yet — if we end the whole situation now it’s like we haven’t done anything,” Mr. Samir told the Associated Press. “So we need to keep sitting in Tahrir until we get all our demands.” 

    So, a new chapter begins.

    • Send me an e-mail.
    • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
    • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
    • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
    Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.