Two weeks left.....The real crunch begins.

I am all done with finals the Monday of finals week, so I have two weeks left until summer.

Between now and then, I've got two 15 page papers, one five page paper, several miscellaneous assignments, three presentations, I'm organizing the research conference, an awards ceremony, three 6pm-12am tech rehearsals, three dance shows, and a mandatory party.

Let the fun begin! :)

Now, the CBL assignment is complete and it's time for an assessment. I would not say that weekly contact with the police department has enhanced my understanding of the operations of state and local government in any substantial way. I've learned how to come into a meeting and convey what I'm there to convey in 30 seconds or less, but again- I have not learned about the underpinnings of the system in any substantial way. It may be due to the nature of my interaction with the officers. I was looking to establish a directive for underage alcohol violations. With the exception of the few times I had to ask officers about the nature of certain relationship within state and local government: The mayor, the governor, other local governmental units- we were not discussing state and local government very often. We did; however, talk a bit of local politics.

I recall the second meeting I had with Halloran in which we spent 45 minutes talking about collective bargaining in Wisconsin and crappy school lunches in almost every district in California. Then there were the talks with tangents that turned into THE topic (Law, Morality, and Society) and things of the like. Above all, the CBL project has been enriching for me personally. I've learned how to be quick on my feet. I've learned that being shy is a waste of time.

Perhaps most supplemental to this enrichment has been reading David's blogs about cases and experiences in the juvenile hall system.

There is no question that there are gross injustices that go unatoned because of someone's ability to be diplomatic or political. Similarly, there is also no doubt in my mind that the justice system needs to be reformed.

I do not know if I would recommend my exact community partner project to another student.

As I've mentioned previously, I do not like the way the minds of police officers work. You say consequences and they think extreme punishment.

If the community partner assignment is going to be a requirement, it should be noted in the course description so that students are not scrambling around at the last minute looking for a community partner...and have to settle with a less than ideal one.

Study Questions:

1.) What important social apparatus does the property tax fund?

2.) How would you surmise the political economy of local governments?

3.) Who rates local government bonds?