Time to Agitate

Remember Bake Sales Won't Do It, my screed against how governments put children last? I heard Sandra Tsing Loh's KPCC piece suggesting the Million Mom March on Sacramento to protest suggested school funding cuts (what's left to cut?). I had been in despair about the changes in California public schools between the time Mark and I had been students and the school system experienced by Iris today. When I heard Sandra, I got all fired up and shouted at the radio, "Sign me up!"

Our annual Lair of the Golden Bear trip to northern California coincides with the California Children's Rally. What better time to introduce Iris to activism? It is the UC Berkeley Alumni camp and there should be plenty of seasoned activists in attendance. I hope to round up more rally goers, even if that means leaving camp at 6:30 AM in the morning to get to the capitol steps in Sacramento by 10:00 AM.

Go read the California Children's Rally website, particularly the FAQ, to learn more.

NEWS ADVISORY -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT FOR MEDIA: Website: californiachildrensrally.com
Sandra Tsing Loh, (818) 426 1240 Youtube channel: RallyMoms

FIRST-EVER "CALIFORNIA CHILDREN’S RALLY"
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Sacramento Capitol (front)

SACRAMENTO - 2008 marks both the 30th anniversary of the passage of Howard Jarvis’ Proposition 13 (June) and the 160th anniversary of California public schools. On Tuesday, June 17, parental frustration over perennial public education budget cuts (California currently ranks 46th in the U.S.) will be transformed into a rally celebrating a group who has no lobbyists, California’s future, and the most important "special interest" in the world--our children. Also celebrated will be some extraordinary heroes of California public school culture whose hearts, despite many odds, beat strong.

Proposition 13 is especially contemptible because, as a CA initiative, it needed only more than 1/2 of the votes to pass. However, the proposition states that it cannot be repealed by less than 2/3 of the voters, forever making prop 13 supporters' votes worth double their opposition's. (It passed, but not with 2/3 of the votes.) Moreover, the people most harmed by the proposition, children, could not vote. Talk about cowards.

Thinking about Proposition 13 makes my blood pressure shoot up and I need to go relax (maybe knit some lace?) and get to sleep.