Editorials

There is no chief cause of failing schools; there are many reasons why teachers are not always teaching effectively and students are not always learning lessons well. The chief cause of failing schools is neither racism nor crumbling facilities nor incompetent teachers. We ought not to blame (very much) the government or educators or students.

Mid-term elections are approaching, and on November 2, 2010, many precincts will continue to use electronic voting machines. The notion that a technologically sophisticated country ought to use the most advanced technology for its voting system is attractive at the outset. Increased speed and efficiency are signs of progress. Certainly the machines are quicker than we are and are not prone to fatigue. But the use of electronic voting systems is risky: they can be every bit as corrupt as humans can be in the worst cases.

Voters in California will get to decide in November whether to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana in the state.

Putting fences on the borders between the United States and Mexico and between the United States and Canada to limit travel into the U. S. would be costly enough to warrant a careful analysis of the objectives and an unflinching look at the probable outcomes of the efforts. Most of the expenses come in four phases: design, construction, maintenance and surveillance. These costs would all be borne by taxpayers.

The design of the barriers involves coordinated research and planning by several consulting, engineering and construction firms.

The oil spill that began in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 prompted some supporters of offshore drilling to ponder the wisdom of the project. The consequences of the disaster include the cost of the cleanup, the damage to the environment, the impact on fishing, the likely increase in the cost of fuel, and not least, the decline in support for drilling in American waters.