High school students in Newark are having a hard time getting the education they deserve. The Newark Teachers Union placed billboards in northern NJ calling for action against the large number of recent murders within the city. The billboards state that many teachers do not want to work in Newark schools because of this violence. Shortly after this, a group called Teacher’s Union Exposed put up billboards blaming the unions of protecting Newark teachers who are not fit to work in the schools. Both groups say that giving more money to Newark schools than other New Jersey schools isn’t helping students do better.

Do you think the government should fire bad teachers when there might not be good teachers to replace them? Would decreasing violence in the city open the doors to more good teachers? How can we decrease violence when it is so hard to graduate high school and get a good job? What can the government of Newark do?

Inner city air pollution is causing an epidemic of asthma in city youth. This outbreak affects minority children in poor areas more than any other group. Mold species related to higher temperatures due to global warming and vehicle exhaust are two major causes that are to blame for this increase in asthma.

Laws such as the Clean Air Act have been passed to require reduced pollution from power plants and cars, but they are often ignored. Laws such as the Clear Skies Initiative allow one area to buy the rights to make more pollution from another area. This has lead to some areas paying to be allowed to pollute more because they can’t afford to buy more pollution friendly cars and power plants. In the end, kids are still getting sick.

What can citizens do? How can we reduce the pollution? How can we help the sick kids? What should the government do?

Made to represent the interests of major record labels, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been suing computer users for using the internet to download music. While the RIAA says they only target the worst downloaders, their list of lawsuit targets includes a 12 year old girl, a dead man and a disabled single mother. The RIAA says they do this because downloaded music keeps the record labels from making the money they could get by selling albums.

Opponents of the RIAA say that downloading music doesn’t stop people from buying more music, and downloaders are more afraid of viruses than being sued. They also say that RIAA costs built in to CD prices take money away from the artists.

Do you consider downloading music stealing or sharing? Does the music industry have the right to prevent downloading or do consumers have the right to exchange copyrighted materials? Do you think downloads are cutting into the music industry’s profits?