[Vision2020] Stop Misleading Electorate

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the "Letters" section of today's (May 21, 2010) Moscow-Pullman
Daily News with a VERY special thanks to Tom Brandt.

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Stop misleading electorate

By golly, it must be campaign time again. The old whipping boy has been
trotted out into public square for his bi-annual flogging. That's right,
it's those evil public schools ruining our country once again.

Of course, our new local political wannabes have jumped up on the
bandwagon. "We are spending a lot on education, but we're not getting much
as a return," said David Klingenberg in his candidate bio. Ike Young
one-upped Klingenberg by stating "There (are) vast amounts of money wasted
in our public schools."

Really? When was the last time either of you spent any amount of quality
time in any school? I teach at Moscow High School, and I would love to
have you come into my room and show me some of the "vast amounts of money"
I'm wasting.

It certainly can't be our building. The main part was built in the 1930s.
How about our books? Nope. I don't even have enough books (which are six
years old) for all of my students in one course. I have barely enough
books for the second course (also six years old), and my statistics books
are copyrighted 1999, many of them having lost their covers some time ago.

How about the furniture? I've got a random assortment of three different
styles of desks. Don't know how old they are, but they are functional.
Incidentally, there was no furniture budget last year and there won't be
one next year.

We turn off our computers and peripherals at night to save electricity,
and I even use chalk, partly because I like it, but also because it's a
lot cheaper than markers.

So, Klingenberg and Young, show me where my waste is. If you don't have
any specific suggestions, stop misleading the electorate and find out what
is really going on.

Tom Brandt, Moscow

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If anybody knows Mr. Brandt's email address, please pass it on to me, ok? 
I'd like to buy him a beer.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown