Comments on: In the news: fire safety

By: Steve Rawley

Steve Rawley — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:50:49 +0000

I just put up a new post about Nike spending money to oppose 66 & 67. How about we discuss philanthropy vs. taxation over there. I'm closing comments here.

By: Carrie Adams

Carrie Adams — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:14:16 +0000

Guess who makes the list of donors contributing to the defeat of the January tax measures?

http://wweek.com/editorial/3603/13394/

By: Miss Merry Sunshine

Miss Merry Sunshine — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:36:20 +0000

Regarding PGE and how they are supposedly so tightly controlled—didn’t Peggy Fowler walk away with a huge payout? If these corporations are so benign, and such, why the big payouts to those at the top–there are others, can’t draw the names off the top o’ my head, but don’t tell me how some of these corporations are “struggling”—please!!!!!

The corporate minimum tax–well, c’mon now…that is a pathetic joke when someone like me pays in the thousands, and PGE pays $10 a year?

Ran into a group of Marysville teachers today at Starbucks (on break from conferences). Sure enough, there was that ’swoosh’ and they all just rolled their eyes to the heavens when I commented on it! Oh, well, take the freebies and grin, ya, thanks for the ’support’, NIke!!! Ha!

By: Super Teach

Super Teach — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:49:09 +0000

Ok, so conferences are over (for those of you who believe me when I say I’m a teacher).

Thanks to Ken and Justa Guy for a little bit of understanding even though we might have differences. I am too fried from back-to-back-to-back-to-back….conferences to post something meaningful at this point.

Ok, I’ll try: I know firsthand that the Nike banners were hung to let parents know the Summer Academy is funded by the very generous donation of the Nike School Innovation Fund. Propaganda or not, those banner and incentives provided by Nike were a really exciting prize for learners to receive after a hard week’s work in the summer. There were only 6 sites for Summer Academy, so it was really no major investment of time to hang a sign of appreciation. I do think the fire issue is a critical one and think it should be addressed, but the facilities folks didn’t ask me! -)

On the Marysville/Nike swoosh issue, Nike made a pretty generous (albeit small for them on a grander scale) donation to that community. The swoosh just goes on everything. If the swoosh is the worst thing they do, so be it. Just say thanks for the support.

By: JustaGuy

JustaGuy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:40:19 +0000

Come on folks. You might recall that I commented a few weeks ago on the tone and tenor of the PAT leadership. I know you can’t all be this bitter in real life. Lets take Nike, which don’t fit me (shoes) so I don’t wear the gear. Philanthropy is defined as altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons. Carnegie built libraries, some businesses donate to the food bank, and Nike has taken an interest in PPS. Just say thanks.
I can explain the minimum tax, but I do so without endorsing or hating on it. Remember it is a minimum tax, not a maximum, and most corporations in Oregon are quite small, not multi nationals like Nike. Even Intel is not an Oregon Corporation. PGE is onerous, but utilities are highly regulated by a panoply of commissions at the state and federal level, and taxation of utilities is a different animal altogether. Many of Oregon corporations simply do not turn a profit and even under federal tax law a business or individual only pays taxes on income earned or net profits, not gross receipts. The last stats I saw, and I do not hace a citation show that the average corporartion nationwide employees less than 20 people. I admit that is not what we think of when we think corporation. On a separate note, I do believe that SuperTeach is a teacher. If you think about it, the comments Super Teach adds stimulate conversation and in no way threaten anyone, though apparently they cause some of the wits posting here to go back in time to playground insults (mole). The name calling, at least to this tax payer seems silly. As educators, you all must have taken statistics; there has to be an outlier in the data set of teachers in PPS, or in this case, a conservative teacher in PPS. I say welcome to the marketplace of ideas. I would encourage all of us to reinforce our arguments, not raise our cyber voices in shouting down a differing opinion. Type at you later.

By: marcia

marcia — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:17:20 +0000

Nike also had a program that provided P.E. for the upper grades at our school for several years, when we had no P.E. teacher. This was fine, except for that fact that it was basically replacing a position that should have gone to a certified teacher, to serve all kids in the school…Now if Nike had been paying taxes at an equitable rate, maybe we could have afforded to pay a real P.E. teacher, not just be served by volunteers from Nike.???

By: Carrie Adams

Carrie Adams — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:38:55 +0000

Ken-the Oregonian story didn’t go into detail. The Nike banners were mentioned to make the point that important maintenance was being deferred while maintenance staff spent their time on nonessential projects.

Here’s the link to the story:

http://www.oregonlive.com/spec.....nance.html

By: Miss Merry Sunshine

Miss Merry Sunshine — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:49:54 +0000

Regarding that last comment from Ken—-ommigosh, I’m gonna be sick. The ’swoosh’ on Marysville t-shirts? Free advertising….eyuck. Of course the Trailblazers have their emblem on the refinished gym floors a couple years ago, and Madison HS about 10 years ago collected needed big money by going with Coke-only contracts in vending machines—corporate buyout and influence in education was a concern over a decade ago! Schools are desperate and will take it any way we can (oh, but maybe we should cut government spending??? ha!)

Oh, boy, now I’m steemed up and gonna go Google “Corporate influence in public education”…..SORRY to be so far off fire safety as a topic here, but maybe we could get a corporation to ante-up for fire-safe upgrades in our skools? We could name the schools after the companies or maybe a corporation could sponsor a classroom and name the classroom and give the teacher a year end bonus, a car, and an IRA or 401 k….hmmmmm…

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:16:26 +0000

Carrie,
Could you provide more details about PPS employees hanging Nike banners?
I’m glad Nike’s summer school is beneficial. That being said, the best research says closing the achievent gap requires more than little programs like Nike’s summer program. I’m skeptical of Nike’s corporate philanthropy, bit that’s just the critic in me.
At last night’s meeting, the PPS board all wore t-shirts with a good-sized Nike swoosh printed below the word “Marysville.” Is this appropriate? Nike seems interested in helping out – particularly when they can slap their swoosh all over the place.

By: Carrie Adams

Carrie Adams — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:45:35 +0000

The Nike conversation is relevant to the fire safety issue. One small example of that was pointed out in the Oregonian’s “Portland lets school building maintenance slide” article on 5/11/08.

At a time when fire alarm systems languished, maintenance crews spent 13 hours hanging Nike banners at various schools.

Never fear…Carole Smith was unaware of disparities in maintenance at the time (over a year ago) and she said “It’s one of our most significant issues now.”

Well maybe not “now” but right after the BESC finishes their latest remodel.