Letters to the Editor

'An Odd Ode' to budget mess

Absolute knowledge I have none,

But my aunt's washerwoman's sister's son,

Heard a policeman on his beat,

Say to the laborer on the street,

That he received a letter just last week,

Written in the finest of Greek

From a Chinese dentist in a Texas town,

Who got it straight from a circus clown,

That he knows exactly when

California will have a budget again.

(From memory during the 1930s)

– Emory Taylor, North Highlands

Education system overstretched

Re "Killing exit exam would hurt kids" (Editorial, June 19): The California exit exam should be postponed until adequate funding is once again available. California schools are plunging into the biggest crisis in memory. We are forcing many students and teachers to do the impossible.

When California's policymakers set a bold path to higher academic standards and a high school exit exam, there were promises and commitments to fund the extra efforts that would be necessary to succeed. Lower class sizes and support staff were made available. Summer schools would be more academic and target students who needed the extra help. After-school intervention resources were used to work with students who were not meeting grade-level standards and might be in danger of failing to graduate unless improvement was documented.

Many California schools have an enormous challenge educating limited, or non-English speaking, students, as well as students who are poor with undereducated parents. On paper we now have the strongest academic standards in history – politicians love this – but the weakest support system is the reality.

– Dan Rott, Woodland

Illiteracy breeds failure

Re "Killing exit exam would hurt kids" (Editorial, June 19): I agree fully with The Bee's editorial position on the Democrats wanting to eliminate the exit exam as a graduation requirement.

I work in a library adult literacy program and witness every day the difficulties people face because they have poor reading and writing skills. A great way to increase the number of dropouts, and the number graduating with low literacy skill levels, is to not hold them accountable. This will feed them right in to the already overflowing ranks of the unemployed, those in poverty and welfare, and those involved with criminal activity.

The general public and legislators are unaware of the millions of people in our society who read and write so poorly that it literally destroys their lives.

It is an invisible problem because those same people can talk to you, but can't read or write what they just said to you.

Reading is the single most important skill that we all need so we can absorb knowledge. These legislators should be embarrassed at taking such an irresponsible action.

– Alan Archer, Grass Valley

'Appalled' at UCD leader's pay

Re "UC president backs new UC Davis chief" (Page A1, June 18): After reading the recent articles on the incoming replacement chancellor at University of California, Davis, I am very dismayed and frankly appalled.

Are the UC president, the regents and trustees not aware of our current economic crisis? As they hand Linda Katehi this position with a 27 percent increase in pay, making $400,000 annually, they are also considering a faculty position for her husband.

Will he also get a $100,000 relocation allowance?

My wife and I are struggling to support two kids in college and one in high school as we absorb furloughs and pay cuts. The granting of these exorbitant salaries and extra benefits to these privileged positions in our public university system is coming as they say they have to raise tuitions to cover costs to educate the students. I guess now we know why.

How can these salaries and benefits be justified? This makes my blood boil.

– Gary S. Holm, Roseville

Don't punish special services

Re "Knock state's special funds down a peg or two" (Viewpoints, June 19): Michael Semler wants to lump all of the state's revenues together and then divvy it up according to the ideology of the day. The policy of "fee for service" and dedicated uses for those fees takes away control from bureaucrats and politicians (who have done such a fine job of managing finances so far).