Top Comments: Messing with California's kids edition

I had another diary planned for tonight. (Don't I always?)

Then I checked my mail, and all thoughts of that diary went flying out the window. I know that parents across the great state of California are getting letters like the one I received today. I would imagine that most of them are as disgusted as I am.

More after the jump, but first - if you notice a comment on the site that you feel deserves a wider audience, please forward it along with your user name, to top comments at g mail dot com. We encourage and welcome submissions!

Here's a portion of the lovely missive that lay in wait in my mailbox to ruin my (and many others) day:

Dear Oceanside Families,

You are probably aware that the Oceanside Unified School District is facing a budget shortfall of $8.8 million for the 08-09 school year. This shortfall is a direct result of the state's fiscal crisis and a $16 billion deficit that is impacting schools statewide....

...The recommended cuts include closing two small schools and eliminating middle school bus transportation that was just restored this year...Finally, they include staffing reductions for teachers, counselors, assistant principals, and classified employees. Sadly, these proposed cuts will mean larger class sizes and decreased services to our students, parents and staff in our schools. There is nothing in these recommendations that I have had to make that are good for students, but they are necessary to cope with a state budget that has been placed upon us by the governor and the legislature. It is an extremely painful experience for those of us who believe in the importance of a quality public education for our children....

We understand that every position that may be eliminated has a name and a face, and affects the employee and his or her family, as well as a loss of services to our children.....

This is serious shit. They are CLOSING schools in my district because they can no longer fund them. Given that we're talking about a $16 billion deficit, I'm sure those aren't the only two schools, nor is mine the only district to face this fate.

The letter ends with the superintendent inviting all concerned parents to attend a meeting next week. I honestly feel sorry for the school board. They have to take the excrement that the state hands them and smile. Then they have to handle the parents who, like me, are horrified at the way public education in this state just constantly gets the shaft.

The most frustrating thing is that so many of these parents are vocal opponents of bond measures to improve the physical quality of the schools because they think their taxes are already too high.  So, yes, the governator sucks, and the legislature isn't much better (at least those that represent my district - stinking repugs that they are), but the root of much of this grief starts at the ballot box in so many ways.

In another local example of injustice for our kids, for several years now, there's been one bond measure or another on the ballot that would provide some desperately needed upgrades to our aging area hospital. This hospital  shuttered its emergency pediatric services a few years ago. This means that the closest pediatric ER is a 40 minute drive away (with no traffic). I've made that trip from our town to Children's, in the back of an ambulance with my very sick child. Every minute of it is terrifying agony. Passage of any of these bond measures stood to bring the Peds ER unit back, as well as providing critical updates to the hospital for minor things such as bringing the hospital up to current earthquake code standards.

It's not that the voters won't approve these measures. It's that bond measures have a higher hurdle to passage - 66% as opposed to a simple majority. The frustrating thing is that we got to 64% with the last try on the hospital issue. So in many cases, the people of this community are stuck with the whim of the few who don't want to pay more taxes. In the end, it hurts everyone. But in these two cases, it hurts the kids most - and that just infuriates me.

On to tonight's top comments:

From va dare:

On poaching delegates, Which is perfectly legal. by Greensooner is a good riff on what's wrong with the Dem. Party.

My thanks to gizmo59 for continuing to spread the word - For those who may not have seen it - about my diary last Saturday - this time, in DrSteveB's Demographic Tuesday diary: Also interesting: An impassioned rejection of the premise of DrSteveB's poll: Not answering your poll by felagund (and marksb's funny reply: Or Mudblood.) a gilas girl also pens an interesting comment about culture and ethnicity: Primary consideration for me.

Carolita's been busy, too!

If you just need a laugh, the comment section of Eric Schmeltzer's diary Sinbad Speaks! is your ticket. A sampling:

• ShadowSD starts an Alf thread that is as informative as it is hilarious. I never knew Alf was a god in Bulgaria and Germany.


• My favorite comment is by LisainNYC on the embarrassment of having to go on Geraldo to promo a book.


• Eric Schmeltzer shows he spent way too much time watching Alf.


• I'm not sure if that is what happened to alizard, but the apparent result is a blog of cat recipes and other "fun food."


• And then there is Eric's version of Timmeh interviewing Sinbad.


• And it wouldn't be complete with out a Fred Thompson snark thread, graciously started by pattyp.


• nisleib has the perfect campaign slogan for a McCain/Laura Bush ticket.

DemocraticLuntz was amused by

DHinMI's punnish take on a troll's true identity.

My picks:

history geek introduces us to a potential cost associated with potential dangers being too funny on this site.

webranding lifted my spirits with this post. Yeah, it's pooties. I needed it today.

trix almost made me christen the aforementioned letter with wine with this lovely phrase and the thread he started.

Crisis Corps Volunteer's post "Let me in" deserves to be seen! (Maybe kriser will post a link to its sister video.)

on a more serious note, bumblebums comment in clammyc's diary and the article linked to within said comment deserve notice.

The wonderful, intrepid BeninSC brings us top mojo!
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 Fcuk! by pastordan - 182
2 Yes he is right and lets give him a heads up, by Owllwoman - 152
3 There's more Geek by dansac - 148
4 You're assuming a lot by leevank - 105
5 Mississippi Voting by Jaspercat - 95
6 Hooray -- someone else thinking the same thing. by Larry Bailey - 92
7 Just returned from the polls! by missLotus - 90
8 Susan Rice Was on FIRE by serrano - 88
9 oh crap by clammyc - 88
10 But...but...but... by Mark Warner is God - 85
11 Turning off the youth and new voters... by Joe Archaeologist - 84
12 Martin Sheen by dark daze - 81
13 Why should we suspect? by deben - 79
14 black voters are angry by CocoaLove - 79
15 WOW! JUST... WOW! by Barcelona - 78
16 On second thought... by madame defarge - 76
17 I kind of like him. by Pager - 73
18 This Is Very Troubling by brentmack - 73
19 This is a funny story by DJShay - 72
20 He's just getting there, by pastordan - 72
21 Oh and Recs too please :) by dansac - 72
22 Paging Al Gore & John Edwards by raatz - 72
23 MTP by Eric Schmeltzer - 69
24 The House's USA civil case is germane here by Dallasdoc - 68
25 The hypocrisy is astounding by scimitar - 68
26 It's OK to be disappointed in him by eugene - 67
27 I'm up and by japeechen - 67
28 Smells like a Seigelman, doesn't it? by arthura - 67
29 Go home state!! by CocoaLove - 67
30 I agree. My kids, now in their early 20s, by blue jersey mom - 66

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 tip or rec jar! give me some recs! by slinkerwink - 559
2 Tip jar (n/t) by leevank - 470
3 I never thought I would type this but... by Loudoun County Dem - 437
4 wondering if this will break through by clammyc - 391
5 Tips by Eric Schmeltzer - 380
6 tips and recs by DrSteveB - 311
7 Tip Jar by PsiFighter37 - 293
8 Even though Spitzer admitted wrongdoing by eugene - 282
9 Tips for Mississippi, for Democracy, and... by dansac - 259
10 Tip jar by Brandon Friedman - 223
11 Tips for Sinbad! by billysumday - 222
12 Thank you Walter Mondale. eom by Geekesque - 216
13 tips/recs by PocketNines - 202
14 Fcuk! by pastordan - 182
15 Yes he is right and lets give him a heads up, by Owllwoman - 152
16 There's more Geek by dansac - 148
17 Do you want my vote? by icebergslim - 135
18 Tips?  Brickbats? by mayan - 123
19 Tips for Papi by Predictor - 121
20 I agree, this guy by Hawkjt - 121
21 Boutique Nation by DHinMI - 115
22 unbelievable.... thief! by kubrick2008 - 113
23 You're assuming a lot by leevank - 105
24 Mississippi Voting by Jaspercat - 95
25 Hooray -- someone else thinking the same thing. by Larry Bailey - 92
26 Just returned from the polls! by missLotus - 90
27 Susan Rice Was on FIRE by serrano - 88
28 oh crap by clammyc - 88
29 But...but...but... by Mark Warner is God - 85
30 Turning off the youth and new voters... by Joe Archaeologist - 84