All news is bad news, or so it may seem to anyone who has picked up a newspaper or turned on a television recently.
The war in Iraq rages on, America’s economy is struggling through a recession and the dollar just keeps on plummeting. Gas prices are soaring, with new all-time highs being hit seemingly every other day – the average driver is spending about $65 every time they visit the pump.
Even the food industry is being hammered. Most of us think of the food industry as recession-proof; after all, everyone needs to eat, in good times and in bad. In the bad times, we just eat hamburger instead of steak, right?
Wrong. This country is contending with its worst bout of food inflation since the 1990s. The price of many foods, including beer, bread, coffee, pizza, beef, milk, eggs, and flour are skyrocketing. Even the price of rice has increased dramatically in the last month, causing chains such as Wal-Mart and Costco to limit the number of bags of rice a customer may purchase. This brings to mind the sugar-hoarding days of the 1970s, for those of us old enough to remember.
Locally, many of us are struggling as well, but maybe nowhere as publicly as school districts. Because districts are funded with taxpayer dollars, the budget process is a matter of public record. Meetings are conducted in front of the public so parents, and the community are generally aware when teacher lay-offs are being discussed, or when cuts to programs are proposed.
No one enjoys having to take money away from children, which is what cuts to the education budget boil down to. But districts rely on money from the state to fund programs, and when those funds are reduced, cuts have to be made.
What needs to happen now is discussion. Parents, educators and the community must come together and openly communicate their ideas on how best to handle this crisis. Speak passionately about your child’s favorite program. Talk about the importance of small class sizes. Come to school board meetings. Listen. Take part in the process. Help make any necessary cuts as painless as possible.
San Benito County is a wonderful place to raise children. We have beautiful scenery, rolling hills, green grasses. We have a caring community that bands together in good times and in bad. If we work together now, our children can only benefit.
