The parents of the 9th grade Opportunity Permit Students can breathe a sigh of relief as of last week. The Beverly Hills School District Board unanimously voted to allow our kids to complete their High School matriculation. I am grateful. I have to admit, I didn't go to the meeting. All sources agreed that the board had already made up their mind not to budge and I had no reason to doubt that. I took to my bed with a bowl of ice cream and watched re-runs of Law and Order. People on that show were always in more trouble that I could ever be in. Despite the strategy meetings before hand to try and keep our dignity, and despite every articulated description of obnoxious behavior we begged our members not to engage in, evidently, I heard there were some assholes that couldn't contain themselves.
But, I had to ask myself: "If I were actually at that meeting and my kid wasn't a 9th grader and I was listening to the same rhetoric, would I be able to keep it together?"
Today, on NPR there was a story on the repeal of the McCain-Feingold Act. The two people calling in, respectively represented corporate interest, and, well, although I came in on the story too late to identify the other person, let's just say she was the voice of reason.
A corporation by the name of Citizens United wanted to air a 90 minute documentary on Hilary Clinton's career, from a conservative perspective. They wanted the right to air this during the same month as the Democratic primaries in 2008 without being obligated to disclose who bankrolled the whole thing. Their defense was that the corporation, or corporations funding it, should be considered a person and entitled to the rights of an individual. The lawyer went on the say that organizations like the ACLU as well as Labor Unions had the same right.(Because we all know that they have the same monetary resources that corporations have.....not) The lawyer described the repeal of the McCain-Feingold Act (thanks to two Bush appointed 'justices' sitting on the Supreme court) as an end to the persecution of the role of "corporate political speech." While I was listening to this, I felt myself being jettisoned back to the early BHUSD board meetings.
The cavalier manner in which this guy suggests that labor unions and the ACLU have the same power ("you're welcome to move into Beverly HIlls), framing the corporation as a victim ("its time to take our school district back")
Its the same impression I had during the Republican primaries. When faced with an indefensible position: lie.
I attended my first PTSA meeting since the new decision on permits had been made. I came late and a woman sitting in front of me seemed to recognize me and insisted that I come sit next to her. During the meeting, the subject of permits came up. She raised her hand and with heat in her voice said "Why can't we demand that they (The permit families) pay a $1000 fee when they apply and be forced to volunteer and make donations throughout the year?" Alas, paying any money to the district is against the law. God knows, we would have been thrilled to do that. Some well meaning residents chimed in that the district is going to lose a considerable amount of money in donations because of the families they're losing. And that they volunteer all the time. It was then that I nervously rose from my seat to thank the President of the PTA who stood up in support of the Opportunity Permit kids at the school board meeting. The friendly woman next to me now regarded me as if I smelled like cooked cauliflower. After the meeting, some of the well meaning residents still insisted that the rents weren't that high. They didn't want to hear that it would amount to about the same as tuition for me and that I was struggling to pay for college for our other daughter. It was at that moment that Cauliflower woman said that she couldn't donate much because her mortgage was so high. So...her excuse is ok, but mine isn't.
Changing the rules to suit a dishonest agenda is the only explanation for not allowing the lower grades to go all the way through. If other cities in the state can afford it, why can't Beverly Hills?
