Monday
Sep262005
Mom's Manifesto to Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue
Monday, September 26, 2005 at 09:42AM
I’ve just become a Democrat in the State of Georgia--where do I sign up, by the way?--although it’s been a long time coming. I’ve been leaning strongly NOT-Republican since George W. Bush "won" the election in 2000. And thus began six years of personal and business hell for my family, financially, and even worse, on a much larger scale, way beyond financial, for our country. But that’s a whole ‘nother article, which I may get to today, but probably not, because I’ve got three kids out of school, and it’s tough to get anything done. Let’s address Republican Governor Sonny Perdue first:
As a working parent and mother of three, Governor Perdue, I’m sorry to say I’m disappointed in you. Very disappointed. Actually way beyond that: I am pissed off.
Without forethought and consideration, late on a Friday afternoon, you made a decision to close schools in our state for two days to conserve fuel--255,000 gallons of diesel fuel--in the face of impending crisis from further disruption to our energy supplies from Hurricane Rita.
There is a quote attributed to Governor Perdue in USA Today: "If Georgians stick together, work together and conserve together we can weather whatever problems Rita brings our way with the least possible inconvenience."
The problem is, by closing schools, we are not working together, we are not conserving together--you have placed the burden on our youngest citizens, showing an egregious disregard for our state’s children, families, and schools. Working parents will bear the cost of finding last-minute childcare arrangements or staying home from work. Our state’s largest employers have already responded in general that if parents stay home, they will be taking vacation days--Mom and Dad don’t get "snow days." In addition, you must realize families will be paying even more--in unexpected transportation, home energy, and entertainment expense. Unless we can bring all of these bored children to your office or the Governor’s Mansion for two full days?
How could any of this be considered "the least possible inconvenience"?
And let’s talk for a minute about the kids, who are, admittedly, celebrating your decision--too bad for you, none of them will be able to vote for you in 2006. I thought education was a high priority in the State of Georgia? What is the message here, when your first knee-jerk response to a POTENTIAL energy crisis is to shut down schools?
One thing we have learned after the devastation and massive displacement of Hurricane Katrina: children need stability and the comfort of routine as quickly as possible when their lives have been turned upside down. We have more than 7,000 displaced students in our schools, children who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and who have come to our state for refuge and a new life, in many cases. These children are now sitting out of school today and tomorrow, in shelters, motels, the homes of friends, family, strangers, and other temporary accommodations, set back even more from settling in and getting back to some sense of normal.
I have read again and again in various news stories and reports, the standard line of defense from Dan McLagen, our Governor’s spokesman: "If school buses had not been idled on purpose at the beginning of the week, they likely would have been shut down by empty tanks by the end of the week."
Was there ever any consideration of possibly suspending bus service for the two days, or even a week, but keeping schools open? As a parent, I would have gladly sacrificed and found a way to get my children the one-and-a-half miles each way to school, to have them in school and on a normal routine for the rest of the day. It might have been a hassle, a minor inconvenience, but we would have saved the 255,000 gallons of diesel fuel without all the collateral damage and expense. That, we would have applauded.
We are trying to make the best of a bad situation: My husband has taken our two sons to work with him this morning for a half-day at the office. He will take our daughter to work with him tomorrow. I am enjoying a Girl’s Morning with my daughter: We are staying in bed late on a rainy morning, reading, relaxing, talking, playing games. She is watching TV while I work for a bit to get this column written. I think we will go to the Zoo this afternoon after we pick up the boys (more than quadrupling our personal gas consumption than if I had driven them to school and back--actually, we would have walked), although it certainly seems like it might be the perfect day for a Civics lesson, a field trip to the State Capitol Building or the Governor’s Mansion, to visit Sonny Perdue. Maybe he can feed us lunch.
On a final note: I read a comment in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning from Phil Kent, "a Republican consultant" who "doesn’t think Perdue squandered any political capital" by closing schools:
"This gas thing is going to be pretty much forgotten," Kent said. "It’s still a lifetime--politically--until November 2006. I don’t think this a huge misstep."
I beg to disagree, Phil. While I worry that may happen on a national scale, with the Republican, Big Business, Karl-Rove-as-God, Good Old Boys Network in the White House, I can guarantee you Georgia’s working parents--and there are more than a few of us--will NOT forget Governor Perdue’s decision by November 2006. Not a chance--that’s one day We The Parents will definitely be at school to cast our vote.
Sherri Caldwell is a humor columnist and reviewer at www.RebelHousewife.com>, and the co-author of The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss! (Conari Press, 2004) She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.
As a working parent and mother of three, Governor Perdue, I’m sorry to say I’m disappointed in you. Very disappointed. Actually way beyond that: I am pissed off.
Without forethought and consideration, late on a Friday afternoon, you made a decision to close schools in our state for two days to conserve fuel--255,000 gallons of diesel fuel--in the face of impending crisis from further disruption to our energy supplies from Hurricane Rita.
There is a quote attributed to Governor Perdue in USA Today: "If Georgians stick together, work together and conserve together we can weather whatever problems Rita brings our way with the least possible inconvenience."
The problem is, by closing schools, we are not working together, we are not conserving together--you have placed the burden on our youngest citizens, showing an egregious disregard for our state’s children, families, and schools. Working parents will bear the cost of finding last-minute childcare arrangements or staying home from work. Our state’s largest employers have already responded in general that if parents stay home, they will be taking vacation days--Mom and Dad don’t get "snow days." In addition, you must realize families will be paying even more--in unexpected transportation, home energy, and entertainment expense. Unless we can bring all of these bored children to your office or the Governor’s Mansion for two full days?
How could any of this be considered "the least possible inconvenience"?
And let’s talk for a minute about the kids, who are, admittedly, celebrating your decision--too bad for you, none of them will be able to vote for you in 2006. I thought education was a high priority in the State of Georgia? What is the message here, when your first knee-jerk response to a POTENTIAL energy crisis is to shut down schools?
One thing we have learned after the devastation and massive displacement of Hurricane Katrina: children need stability and the comfort of routine as quickly as possible when their lives have been turned upside down. We have more than 7,000 displaced students in our schools, children who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and who have come to our state for refuge and a new life, in many cases. These children are now sitting out of school today and tomorrow, in shelters, motels, the homes of friends, family, strangers, and other temporary accommodations, set back even more from settling in and getting back to some sense of normal.
I have read again and again in various news stories and reports, the standard line of defense from Dan McLagen, our Governor’s spokesman: "If school buses had not been idled on purpose at the beginning of the week, they likely would have been shut down by empty tanks by the end of the week."
Was there ever any consideration of possibly suspending bus service for the two days, or even a week, but keeping schools open? As a parent, I would have gladly sacrificed and found a way to get my children the one-and-a-half miles each way to school, to have them in school and on a normal routine for the rest of the day. It might have been a hassle, a minor inconvenience, but we would have saved the 255,000 gallons of diesel fuel without all the collateral damage and expense. That, we would have applauded.
We are trying to make the best of a bad situation: My husband has taken our two sons to work with him this morning for a half-day at the office. He will take our daughter to work with him tomorrow. I am enjoying a Girl’s Morning with my daughter: We are staying in bed late on a rainy morning, reading, relaxing, talking, playing games. She is watching TV while I work for a bit to get this column written. I think we will go to the Zoo this afternoon after we pick up the boys (more than quadrupling our personal gas consumption than if I had driven them to school and back--actually, we would have walked), although it certainly seems like it might be the perfect day for a Civics lesson, a field trip to the State Capitol Building or the Governor’s Mansion, to visit Sonny Perdue. Maybe he can feed us lunch.
On a final note: I read a comment in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning from Phil Kent, "a Republican consultant" who "doesn’t think Perdue squandered any political capital" by closing schools:
"This gas thing is going to be pretty much forgotten," Kent said. "It’s still a lifetime--politically--until November 2006. I don’t think this a huge misstep."
I beg to disagree, Phil. While I worry that may happen on a national scale, with the Republican, Big Business, Karl-Rove-as-God, Good Old Boys Network in the White House, I can guarantee you Georgia’s working parents--and there are more than a few of us--will NOT forget Governor Perdue’s decision by November 2006. Not a chance--that’s one day We The Parents will definitely be at school to cast our vote.
Sherri Caldwell is a humor columnist and reviewer at www.RebelHousewife.com>, and the co-author of The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss! (Conari Press, 2004) She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.