Low Turnout for School Cut Protests--Why?

Got an e-mail from the Berkeley High PTA that only 5 people had signed up to ride a bus to Sacramento on April 24 to protest education budget cuts. Five? From Berkeley High? If BHS can't turn out protesters, maybe nobody can. The body politic seems to be in a state of denial on the huge proposed budget cuts--heck, how can they cut any more from California's education budget?

Are they going to have classes of 50 in Oakland schools? No sports programs in the Central Valley? Such cuts don't seem possible--do we really care so little about our children, the state's future and keeping a few extra bucks in our bank accounts and away from the state?

The answer is obviously YES to all three.

A recent study showed that unlike prior immigrant groups, Hispanic families were not climbing the economic ladder as time passed. The primary cause: the public schools were failing them. How can you escape poverty if you don't have a good education.

I have no doubt conservative proponents of no taxes will blame the immigrants' lack of resolve and culture for the lack of progress, and note that some other groups do escape poverty, but they are only rationalizing their own selfishness.

Every young person in California deserves a safe and clean learning environment with adequate attention from well-trained and motivated teachers. The opportunities created by a good public education should not only be given to affluent suburbanites who live in communities with considerable tax revenues.

Republicans devoted to keeping the poor poor

With Governer S. proposing huge education cuts and Republicans vowing not to raise taxes, the depressing result is that there may be dramatic cuts at schools across the state. California is 42nd in per pupil spending--which is particularly shameful when one considers the richness of our state and the high cost of living.

Here is a thoughtful analysis of the situation:

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/01/arnolds_year_of.html

Even more shameful are the funding disparities between urban schools (Berkeley is somewhere betwee urban and suburban) and affluent suburban schools. Of course, families with money in urban environments send their kids to pricey private schools and their influential voices and activism are lost to the community.

Does any reasonable person not understand that cutting school funding leads to eventual increasing funding for prisons.

Code Pink Protesters are Cartoon Protesters

Code Pink (and the Tree-Sitters) are caricatures of the protest movements that made Berkeley famous around the world for championing change. Both groups protest symbols of issues (a few trees in the middle of campus and marine recruiting of college students) in locations that are convenient for them and maximize media coverage.

In order to follow the spirit of the Free Speech Movement, Code Pink should provide perspective and wisdom to the young men and women who think of the Marines as a legitimate and patriotic career choice. How do they think harassing a marine recruiter, who works with college students and recent graduates, aids in getting our troops out of Iraq? It doesn't. In fact, their matriarchal attitude is arrogant and condescending.

Code Pink shouting that the Marines kill babies only makes them look foolish—they remind me of the man who used to walk downtown SF and Berkeley with a picture of an aborted fetus to protest abortion. They inflame passions but don't address the legitimate concerns of persons effected by the issue.

At the end of the day, Code Pink (and the tree sitters) are simply public performers trying to inject some meaning into their lives. I hope it works for them, becuase I don't think it is working for most Berkeleyans.