Subscriber Comments for
School Cuts Coming

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 151622	2011-03-07 01:29 PM
Far better to contact the Democrat legislators and tell them to stop spending our future on bloated pensions and perks for their union cronies. Republicans want present money spent on the here and now. Don't blame them one bit holding out until Democrats prove they can stop raiding the public trough for their own benefit.
COMMENT 151622	2011-03-07 02:28 PM
Don't forget the $27 billion dollar state deficit has to be paid off first before the state has any extra money to dole out for non-core services. How about instead of kids going out and robbing banks and knocking over old people on the streets if they don't get school band, that they use their imaginations and form their own after school music and activity groups? We used to play kick the can and ride our bikes. I don't ever remember feeling so frustrated we would decide to rob banks instead of playing Monopoly or Clue with some friends after school. Gosh, I guess times have changed.
COMMENT 151659	2011-03-07 02:31 PM
Not to mention the fire/police chief's $80k pension liability.
COMMENT 151663P	2011-03-07 02:40 PM
Typical smearing of the wrong people. The financial institutions were bailed out with tax-payer-money to the tune of billions of dollars. Although they failed miserably at their jobs by causing the crash, they are rewarding themselves with billion dollar bonuses. And not one peep. Not one smear of the real culprits. If you missed the video of the "400 little Mubaraks", then it is a must see. Talk about nailing it with facts instead of BS from the media and those who swallow it hook, line and sinker. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgNuSEZ8CDw
COMMENT 151669	2011-03-07 03:01 PM
As far as teachers go, the school district is going to give out "pink slips" to at least 20 teachers at all 3 high schools. This doesn't even count for all the temporary teachers that obviously aren't going to be asked back! I agree with comment 151659. Fire and police chiefs have very high salaries, and are not expecting budget cuts like education is. But we don't have to make as large of budget cuts as some school districts. San Diego City school district has to cut something ridiculous, over 100 million. However, it is a larger district.
COMMENT 151671	2011-03-07 03:06 PM
In my opinion public school should primarily teach core subjects. Learn and practice your instruments at home. Learn to read first. Learn to read music second. With that said, the fat to cut is not at the classroom level-it is at the administration level. If you haven't already, go watch Waiting for Superman.
COMMENT 151674	2011-03-07 03:22 PM
sorry, but the America of today is not the America we grew up with. there is no money left. we are no longer the greatest country in the world. education is only going to see deeper cuts every year. the new reality is that parents are going to need to get off their butts and organize music and sports activities for their own children. i wish it was not the case but we are now reaping what has been sown for the last few decades and it is not pretty. i repeat THERE IS NO MONEY.
COMMENT 151675	2011-03-07 03:26 PM
I agree that only the core subjects should be provided. Music, sports can be practiced at home... The same goes for breakfast and lunch... Have breakfast at home and bring a sandwich for lunch.
COMMENT 151678	2011-03-07 03:30 PM
Legalize marijuana...tax it heavily...money for education...no more budget crisis...seems pretty easy to me.
COMMENT 151680	2011-03-07 03:39 PM
It is not a tax or funding problem. It is a spending and lack of accountability problem.
COMMENT 151688	2011-03-07 04:02 PM
But the children will have a safer public library since they are spending two million there and keeping redevelopment funds local rather than return them to the state for umm...
COMMENT 151702	2011-03-07 04:48 PM
Typical "it's for the kids...pleeeaaassse vote fot it." BS! Precisely why dems and unions want the measures on the ballot. The voting publuc will fall for it once again.
COMMENT 151710	2011-03-07 05:15 PM
Google "TED Talks Bill Gates Education" and watch. State budgets are being broken by pension costs and faulty accounting.
COMMENT 151718	2011-03-07 05:42 PM
THERE IS NO MONEY for schools because it all went to bail out Wall Street and provide $10 million bonuses to tens of thousands of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, etc, bankers, who definitely say their contracts make them deserve it.
COMMENT 151659	2011-03-07 05:51 PM
663P & 718, your assertions are misguided. The bankers had a part sure, but so did you, and your mortgage broker and your real estate agent. The bankers alone are not responsible for the financial crises. We are. On the other hand. The government is absolutely responsible for a compensation system that is unsupportable.
COMMENT 151738P	2011-03-07 06:28 PM
Close down the RDA and let the money go to schools. Sure the schools need to reform spending but better to spend on education that remodeling park areas. Why are we the 'voters' not allowed to vote on RDA spendings?
PATRICK	2011-03-07 06:57 PM
678 got it right. Legalize it, tax it, smoke it, and no one will care that we are going down the tubes. Pot is the answer to every question. :)
COMMENT 151718	2011-03-07 07:07 PM
Sorry 720, I paid off my house in 2001 for a loan from 1988. Never took out a home-equity loan. Everyone in my neighborhood is the similar. Most of the US did *not* participate in the subprime-driven financial crisis. We get to pay our taxes to pay for the $10 million bonuses to the big bankers, and meanwhile our kids get rotten schools because THERE IS NO LONGER ANY MONEY.
COMMENT 151753	2011-03-07 07:27 PM
Where's the lottery money? Maybe they can give larger portion to the schools and less to the company that runs it and a bit smaller jackpots. really, who needs $120 million. Won't $50 million suffice?
COMMENT 151688	2011-03-07 08:32 PM
The marijuana tax sounds interesting why not add a 25% sales tax on it with money to go to police and schools only. We do it on cigarettes why not pot?
COMMENT 151780	2011-03-08 01:12 AM
Fun statistic: The top 400 wealthiest Americans hold roughly 50% of this country's wealth. The money is there, it's just caught up in the hands of greedy plutocrats. Republicans, Democrats, everyone's at fault because our system is fundamentally broken.
COMMENT 151659	2011-03-08 08:21 AM
SY: if not capitalism, then what? Sure, tax the rich folks more but know that the government doesn't invest as efficiently or effectively as the private sector. Grow the gov, shrink the private sector, and our productivity will fall relative to other countries. The government has grown much faster than the population (as have social services, which is good) over the last 100 years. Might be time for a breather. There is a balance to be struck, for sure.
SBJULES	2011-03-08 08:47 AM
I'm certainly glad many of these posters were not running public schools when I attended. The cuts are terribly short sighted.
LOLA	2011-03-08 08:50 AM
We are home growing an uncultured society. The arts are diminishing because we are not putting it as a priority as part of every child's experience. Soon we'll lose the opera, ballet and symphony because not enough people will care. California should take this opportunity to focus on the arts and creativity in education. It opens the mind to new possibilities and enhances divergent thinking skills. Creativity is the single most needed element in business, education, non-profits and government today. It's an investment in our state and our future to make it number one in monies spent on education and the arts. There have been on-going cuts in these areas for 30 years now. We have already created adults who don't care and the arts ARE struggling. If that gets worse they will have no choice but to close down operations. Imagine that. The majority of all parents don't have the extra money for private lessons, many are attending private programs on scholarships monies that are becoming increasingly harder to raise. Yes, arts programs are popping up in our community but they all compete for funding from the same sources and the "haves" only have so much to give, (their portfolios are all down). So you see it's all connected. The arts are taking a big hit at the Federal level. What will happen if it just stops getting funded at every level? Imagine that world. Kids won’t even be able to because they won’t know how to imagine. Imagine that. Just remember, we will reap what we sow. Indeed, we already are. I vote for more, superior, over the friking top arts education! Let IT set us apart!
COMMENT 151896P	2011-03-08 09:39 AM
Don’t' blame Wall Street for this. The Unions are the other side of the same coin. The benefits enjoyed by public employees are far beyond what most companies can afford to give their employees. I'm tired of hearing about the poor teachers and their "low pay." Well...do they work an entire year? NO! They have the summer off. Oh, but they do get paid for a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, and they have more paid holidays than the private sector. Plus sick days and even "sick family" days so they can stay home if the spouse, kids or dog is sick. I hate to see these programs cut, but it is pure politics. The state is leading with the heart-tugging cuts in school programs when there are a lot of other areas where cuts should be made. Ever see how much our state legislature pays their office staff (plus of course all the benefits). The problem is a real company whose employees could enjoy the benefits given to state workers would have to produce a product with a price that would be unaffordable. But the taxpayers have been seen by our union-owned politicians as an endless source of revenue to keep the unions happy so they get money to get re-elected. Hate lobbyists? Check how much the teacher unions spend on political contributions. How about the unions taking all that dues money and creating a health care plan for its members instead of the taxpayers being hosed for this? Finally, when you get right down to it, teachers, police, firemen etc. do not “pay taxes.” Their entire existence is paid for by the private sector. So basically, we gave them the money to pay their taxes.
COMMENT 151916P	2011-03-08 10:11 AM
To those who think that the schools should only teach core subjects - we will become a nation of fact spewing robots. Sports teams, debate teams and mock trial all serve to create a sense of community. Maybe some will need to be cut but I think we should still view this as a tragedy. Just maybe less tragic than eliminating math and English classes. The issue is complex. I agree that political leaders threaten to cut funds from the areas that create the most emotion. Parks, Schools, etc. I believe that teachers were once underpaid but not now if you look at their total compensation compared to other occupations ad considering how many hours they work. Yes, they may need to put in some extra time but so do I. I work late and weekends with no extra pay so find it hard to sympathize with that complaint on its own.
COMMENT 151932P	2011-03-08 10:42 AM
If they cut music programs they should also cut sports programs. Plain and simple. For the people saying parents should take care of their kid's sports and music training - so the kid can belong to the Puente St marching band? The Westside football team? Part of going to school is being a part of large groups like this and fostering school pride. It's teaching kids how go work as a team and teaches them to be a part of society. I'm saddened to hear that the school budget is in such a sorry state. I'm bummed to hear their solution is "give us more money" when it seems to me that a poorly run administration is mostly to blame. The money is tapped out. Unfortunately it's time to start thinking of a new solution.
COMMENT 151947	2011-03-08 11:18 AM
It is hard to justify giving more money to a school system after the GATE fiasco. We had some school teachers criticizing parents and students as "entitled" because they wanted a curriculum that emphasized academic rigor. The anti-white racism from what I hope is a minority of teachers was inexcusable, and rather telling since many of the GATE students were of Asian descent. The disastrous board election which saw the anti-GATE hard-left Monique Limon as highest vote getter will make many taxpayers even more reluctant to support the schools.
COMMENT 151950	2011-03-08 11:30 AM
@151847 I don't disagree with you that there is definitely a balance that needs to be struck, I simply don't see how. Politicians are corrupt, bought and paid for with corporate money. The media is complicit (on both left and right) with spreading misinformation. Our public is, frankly, too ignorant to know the difference. So what do we do? Everyone's so partisan anymore; there's no more moderates or centrists, just extreme leftists/liberals and extreme conservatives. At least insofar as politics are concerned, anyways.
COMMENT 151674	2011-03-08 11:42 AM
Public education as we have come to know it is over. The economy is never recovering to where it was before the collapse. The sooner people face reality the better. To whine and complain about where we are does no good. The political system has been broken for so long that there is no way to recover from the problems the politicians have created. Sorry. It is and every man for himself world now. Time to get a second job and send your kids to private school. The American Dream is dead. F'real.
COMMENT 151984	2011-03-08 01:16 PM
Maybe Santa Barbara shouldn't have allowed Hope Ranch and Montecito to form three additional elementary school districts that do not allow for transfers. Basically the Hope Ranch, Montecito Union and Cold Springs districts keep all their property taxes and fund raising exactly where they want it, and do not face many of the budget problems that the Santa Barbara Elementary School District faces. They've created their own "private" schools within the public sector. The wealth of this town is clearly not equally distributed amongst the elementary schools, which is how it should be. It's a shame that they placed their property values above the education of our youth.
SANYSIDRO	2011-03-08 02:21 PM
I agree with 151984... my son is at MUS only because we rent from our employer at a reduced rate. While I am overjoyed with what he's been able to experience there so far, it was literally heartbreaking to sit in on the parent meeting at the beginning of the year. Because I am an arts teacher who has been at schools all over Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. And my students, despite my own best efforts and the efforts of many like me, are NOT getting the same public school education. I can't complain... I really can't. But I feel like I am cheating the hundreds and hundreds of students who can't afford private music lessons and classes, and apparently should be grateful they get anything outside of math, science, and English at all. On a different topic, about six years ago, people who I believed wore tinfoil hats said that the private sector would be paying our government big money to attack and take down the public school system. *shudder* It may be time to put on my own tinfoil hat and be ready to accept the possibility that once schooling has been privatized there will be no stopping the giant black hole forming between the truly wealthy, powerful rulers of our country and the rest of us who've realized we voted out the future of our own children in favor of theirs.
COMMENT 152050	2011-03-08 04:56 PM
The bottom line for me is that there IS enough money to provide an extremely high level and varied education if pensions are right-sized and union contracts are renegotiated to allow real accountability for teachers and administrators. If those two things do not happen, it will only get worse.
COMMENT 152071	2011-03-08 06:07 PM
@SBB5S4 Yes, that's part of it. Our system of tax revenue is also hilariously broken and needs reformation, though. There isn't enough money just in pensions and union contracts, though.
COMMENT 152108	2011-03-09 06:19 AM
The School District Board is asking for work furloughs also to help save money. Furloughs for teachers and classified staff have to be negotiated with their unions, so the school district will need their partnership in making the budget work.
COMMENT 152532	2011-03-10 11:00 AM
Santa Barbara County Residents, Contact “Katcho Achadjian”, California Republican Assembly Member Santa Barbara North County Ask him to put the Budget and Tax Extensions Up for a Vote this June. Let the people of California decide. (805) 549-3381 phone (805) 549-3400 fax Contact thru website: link Contact by email: Assemblymember.achadjian@assembly.ca.gov
COMMENT 151718	2011-03-10 11:29 AM
Well, Wall Street bankers got $24 trillion from the bailout, which is $80,000 for every man, woman, and child in the US. Those $80,000 per person would easily solve our local education problems! Anyone who says don't blame Wall Street is sidestepping the facts.
COMMENT 152553	2011-03-10 11:33 AM
@152552 Be prepared for an avalanche of people telling you how much of a socialist you are that you think that people who make more money than they or their descendants could ever hope to use should be taxed more or have limitations on how much they can earn (this goes for corporations too.)
COMMENT 151718	2011-03-10 01:11 PM
But we were all taxed $80,000 a piece in less than 1 year to bail out Wall Street. I'd have rather given that money to schools.
COMMENT 151663P	2011-03-10 01:30 PM
152598: Taxes did not go up to pay for the bailout. In fact about 40% of the Recovery Act (Stimulus) consisted of tax cuts for 98% of the population - the tax rate is the lowest it has been in decades. And most of the bail-out has been recovered; it is at about 70%. link Please also remember that the TARP (not Stimulus) happened at the end of 2008, i.e. the previous admin.
COMMENT 151718	2011-03-10 05:21 PM
Well, look up Barofsky and TARP... most of the costs of the bailout have been hidden. I wish that sort of bailout could help our schools.

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