Friday, February 20, 2009

life isn't always fair

Dear Mr. I'll drive my hummer through your loop holes,

You've been the Goven-a-tor of Calie-fornie-a since 2003. You ran on the promise to "invest in high-quality teachers" and "build more schools." Actually you specifically said, "We need to stop hiring people to work in the central office and start investing in the men and women who work with our children." I have but one question for you to answer:

Do you think you are investing in men and women who work with "our" children when you lay of school counselors like my mom?

For over 20 years my mom has worked for one school, sacrificing her time, her efforts, her energy, and most importantly her heart. She has spent countless hours working with 'high-risk' students - fifth grade girls who are being molested by their step-dad, third grade boys who have cigarettes put out on their tiny arms, first graders who are homeless and fall asleep at night behind the Safeway.

The one person who believes in the children, encourages them, listens to them, and fights for them hasn't been you, Mr. Goven-a-tor. You've been busy driving around in your hummer, giving lame speeches, making terminator jokes, and failing to complete the task you some how were elected to do.

You spoke today about how great it is you finally passed a budget. "The perfect medicine for our ailing economy," you say. You tout your accomplishment as if finding a half-ass solution to a $42 billion dollar short fall is something to be proud off. A budget that cuts education spending, that has led to 20,000 people being laid off, 20,000 hard working Americans like my mom who make more of a difference in this world then you ever will.

I could use a variety of harsh words to describe my feelings toward the situation, trust me the thoughts have passed through my mind. And yet none of them mean a thing to me. What matters most is not your fuck-ups, but more so the effects of your mistakes. It the fact that my mom called crying today because she's getting laid off. My mom who is more qualified, more talented, has worked harder, longer, and given more of herself, my mom who has spent 20 + years working in education, who is qualified with her Master's degree, who is 60 years old, who is raising her grandson (my nephew), and yet she won't find peace tonight. She is the one who will be lying awake, starring at the ceiling, trying to find a place to put all the fear she now carries.

And you Arnold, with your $42 billion dollar fuck-up, will sleep soundly in your expensive sheets, in your silk pajama, with fresh cut flowers by your bed.

Until Monday...

9 comments:

Apt. #34 said...

oh my dear, that's just awful, sick and wrong. My mom has been an elementary school teacher at the same school for 20+ years too - its bad up here but at least her job is safe.

mich said...

Nobody's job is safe. I'm sorry about what happened to your mom. To find out more about what the real agenda is for our government go to infowars.com or prisonplanet.com. There's even information on Arnold on those sites, scary stuff. I couldn't sleep for a week when I found out what's really going on. But it's better to know than not, and the best thing we can do is talk about it. Give your mom a hug for me. xo

diane said...

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, I swear. Mich's comment, that's me. No, really. I've left a few comments on other blogs, but when I left this one, it came up on my husband's account, I don't know why. And this is where it gets really weird: he's the one who started teaching me about what's really going on. Bizarre.

Anonymous said...

Scary isn't it? That is what happens when Republicans are in office. Sorry to hear about your Mom.

Kathy in Sacramento

cassandra said...

oh, honey, this makes me so so sad. and it's happening everywhere. it continuously amazes me how little regard and importance is placed on the people who truly build this country - teachers and administrators within the public schools. how can they be treated with so little importance, when we would be nowhere without their guidance, support, and constant energy? your mom will be in my thoughts and i hope she'll find somewhere else to be able to lend her love and talents.

Khaled KEM said...

It is really heart breaking. People should not be compensated for their effort and sacrifice like that. It is not what you need after all these years.
I wish your mom the best and hopefully she would get something better than that.

T said...

I'm sorry about what happened to your mom. A lot of employees are being laid off now and it's depressing -- especially educators and teachers like your mom. I'm mad that bad things happen to good people, but I guess "life isn't fair" -- but that excuse just isn't good enough. Good luck with everything.

Sarah said...

oh dear!

stories like yours make me angry! Again, those who take the time and effort to teach those kids are taken for granted. The government had turned his back on us in providing proper education, proper teachers and proper tools. Cutting jobs to reduce budgets? People like your mom should be truly honored for doing her good deeds for the past 20 years instead being let go.

What has this world turned into?

Please give your mom well wishes! Justice will be served one day.

Desi McKinnon said...

I'm so sorry to hear that. The people that listen to children are a key component in their education.