if you are still looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror

Perspective for your consideration … What does it look like when it’s fixed…?

Lead article headlines such as this one that appears in the Arizona Republic – 10/28/08 – cause me to ask … Who exactly was minding our public cash register during the last legislative budget session …

The principals – our Governor and the leadership of the State Legislature and Senate each point their finger at the other … it’s their fault …

It strikes me these types of articles make a mockery of our reputed commitment to education. This is not representative of providing “quality” education. Why is it that teachers and classroom sizes are almost always the first things government curtails or stomps on when they feel a “cash-pinch” of their own creation…?

I am always surprised that sports i.e. football and basketball, etc are not touched – they are the sacred-cows of our contemporary society.

Our Governor is a most intelligent individual and I know she is aware acts such as this have far reaching and lingering affects within the business and educational communities all over the world. Arizona can not be honestly seen as a place where its citizens and government are truly committed to providing quality education. No - we are committed to the path of least resistance.

Do you actually believe it is only the universities which will be required to lessen the number of their teachers and increase the size of their classes..? I suspect it will be all levels of education beginning in Kindergarten.

I find it laughable there is NEVER any mention on any level of reducing executive administration personnel or decreasing the salary of the college deans or provost or president…like “wall-street” they are exonerated their own golden parachutes still in tact.

Watching our Arizona political and business leader scurry into the back ground seeking the safety of the dark I am forcibly reminded of what leadership can be as portrayed by Michael Douglas in movie - The American President - in his speech to the “press” … We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections . We've got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I AM the President.” …

Sadly Arizona’s leaders choose a different course – that of the “ostrich” – and like them “we” too meekly bow our head and ask no questions of them and demand no answers from them. If you are still looking for someone to “blame” – look in the mirror.


… People should never be afraid of their government, government should always be afraid of the people …