[Vision2020] Effective v. ineffective idealism
Donovan Arnold
donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
Wed Mar 29 16:52:35 PST 2006
"Supporting good schools for all children is always morally superior to
preserving buildings, neighborhoods, and historical interest --
regardless of the particular option."--Keely Mix
Likewise it is morally superior to oppose bad schools and wasteful
spending of funds that could be better used to prepare children
for a better future.
I fail to see 2/3 of our community supporting any levy that
is offered by a group of people that just spit venom at everyone
that disagrees with them or has a question.
Try honey instead of vinegar once in a while, you might actually
get a bond passed.
Is there anyway I can get my tax dollars channeled directly to the students at West Park
Elementary? I think they would be nicer, more honest, and probably spend the
money more competently.
_DJA
More later,
keely
keely emerinemix <kjajmix1 at msn.com> wrote: I'll weigh in on this and answer Jack Porter and Debbie Gray when I have
more time this afternoon.
I will, however, reiterate that I would feel better about "pragmatic
choices," and not refer to them as vicious, if those who embraced them had
demonstrated by their willingness to compromise and see further than their
own neighborhoods that children are more important than buildings.
Supporting good schools for all children is always morally superior to
preserving buildings, neighborhoods, and historical interest -- regardless
of the particular option.
More later,
keely
From: Joan Opyr
To: Jack Porter
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Effective v. ineffective idealism
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:06:08 -0800
On Mar 28, 2006, at 8:25 PM, Jack Porter wrote:
>I resent the tone of moral superiority affected by Joan and Keely regarding
>the alternative high school. "Throw-away kids" is not a term, or a
>concept, used by anyone I know. Those of us who have advocated running a
>bond levy to rebuild West Park and Russell without the alternative high
>school thought that plan would get more votes, and it's too bad the school
>district didn't include that option on the survey so we could find out.
>
>Keely thinks that tactic would be "viciously pragmatic," but I ask, is it
>more harmful to kids to pass a levy that solves some problems, or to fail
>one levy after another and solve none?
>
>The list of desirable improvements in the schools is far too long for
>voters to be willing to fund them all right now. So should we prioritize
>and try to eke out a 2/3 majority for something, or refuse to support any
>proposal that doesn't include someone's favorite project?
>
>Jack Porter
>
As much as I don't want to play tit-for-tat with you, Jack, I don't care if
you resent my tone or not. Have at it! Resent away! I certainly don't
think that I'm morally superior to you -- you have the right to voice your
opinion. I don't happen to like your opinion, just as I don't like the way
you have, in the past, spoken about the alternative high school or its
students as if they were disposable. Yes, I recognize that the words
"disposable" and "throw-away" are not words that you have used. I also
don't claim that they accurately describe the way you feel about the
alternative high school or its students. However, I will stand by the
assertion that that is the impression I've gotten when you have spoken
publicly about your favored bond levy.
Moscow's school facilities are in dire straits; perhaps we can agree on
that. Where we will disagree is in my belief that under the present
circumstances, there is no levy of any kind that would pass Moscow with a
2/3 majority. I won't vote for a levy that pours money into expensive
renovations for Russell and West Park while ignoring (even if only for the
time being) the pressing needs of the high school and the alternative high
school. Others won't vote for a levy that includes anything other than
Russell and West Park. Another, sizable body (led by Jack Wenders and Dale
Courtney) won't vote for money for public schools, period, and they will
resort to their usual deceptive and nasty tactics to ensure any bond's
defeat.
Effective versus ineffective idealism? My Aunt Fanny. We either pony up
for the schools or we sit back and watch them disintegrate. Here's my sad
prediction: we will wait until Russell and West Park are beyond repair
(perhaps that day has already come for Russell); we'll wait until the high
school is falling down around our ears; we'll leave the alternative school
and its students in terrible limbo. Then, one day in the not too distant
future, we will gaze upon the ruins of what was once a fine school district
and wonder, "What the hell happened?"
Neighborhood schools are a good idea; I'm in favor of neighborhood schools.
But I think it's possible to let our vision of the glories of Russell
Elementary blind us to the equally pressing needs of McDonald, Lena
Whitmore, the high school, the junior high, and the alternative school. I
have absolutely no faith in the idea that once Russell and West Park have
been renovated, the same people who fought for that bond will leap forward
to support a second or a third or a fourth bond to fix the other schools in
the district. Call me a cynic, but I don't think it's wise for the entire
district to rely on the un-bonded promise of future altruism. Either we
give a damn about all of our students, or we don't give a damn about any.
Looks like we'll be voting for the latter.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com
PS: With me, it's all or nothing/Is it all or nothing with you?/It cain't be
in between/It cain't be now and then/No half and half romance will do . . .
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