This blog printed on 100% recycled electrons.
At the beginning of the 2008 school year, candidate Russell Olson paid a visit to the Madison Central School District. He received a free plug from Superintendent Vince Schaefer, who told all the district's teachers that Olson was a friend of education and deserved their consideration. Olson himself backed up that encouragement by bringing the teachers coffee and donuts.
But now that Olson has his Senate seat, will Olson back more than donuts for education? If you compare legislator comments on KJAM, it's freshman legislator Mitch Fargen who sounds like the real defender of education. Fargen tells KJAM straight up that Governor Rounds's proposed cuts are an attack on education. Fargen says he won't vote for any cuts to education.
And Senator Donut? Well, for some reason, Olson needs more time to study and review his old boss's budget proposal to figure out what to do.
Olson does like to brag about his low ACT scores; I guess he never was a quick study. Perhaps he'll be able to catch up with Fargen in time for this weekend's crackerbarrels in Flandreau and Madison.
But it shouldn't take much study and review to figure out that Governor Rounds continues to look at kids and education as an expense, while legislators young and old (Gerry Lange's been on this message from Day One of his public career) recognize that education is our best investment.
Teachers, next time Senator Olson drops by, tell him keep the donuts: education needs real dollars and defenders.
Hide Fido (by Andy Horowitz)
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I coined Noem as the ‘Palin of South Dakota’ when she ran for the state
house, seems I nailed it; America: meet your new Secretary of Homeland
Security. Sh...
1 day ago
Donuts make you fat. Coffee stains your teeth.
ReplyDeleteSimply giving education more money does not mean better education. Look at Washington DC among others. Smart use of dollars instead is the best answer. Schools will spend every dollar they get and ask for more. Yes, education is an investment. Everyone believes that. The best use of available dollars is what differentiates people. If there are only so many dollars available, then direct them to academics and the rest of the frills should take a back seat.
ReplyDeleteOlson is a pawn of the Republican governor who has NEVER been a supporter of education.
ReplyDeleteThe reality of Pierre is that with a Rep Governor, Rep majority in the Senate and House, we need to lobby Russ Olson very hard to support education. He has shown that he'll follow his constituents over party more than once. Call him, email him, write him. He was elected to represent all of us as our state senator.
ReplyDeleteI think you should get a 40 hour week job so you don't have so much time to cut other people down. Hell, maybe just get a job.
ReplyDeleteHey, Anon, watch your mouth. Run for Senate, say one thing, then do the opposite, and you've got it coming. It's not "cutting people down": it's holding politicans accountable.
ReplyDelete[off-topic: As for getting a job, well, let's see, I started working this morning at 9 a.m., took an hour break for lunch, an hour break for supper, and I should be done with this day's work in another half-hour. 11 or 12 hours of work... and how was your day?]
I heard one can work at Gehl and get to work 6 days per month and considered employed. What a joke of a company.
ReplyDelete