Tim Hunt Reveals a greater problem than a nanny state Schools & Kids, posted by Really?, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I posted the following in response to about 30 posts complaining about the school lunches. As expected, the response I received was exactly as I stated, denial, blame, and complaint. As if the community wasn't negative enough, now we have a reporter adding to it. I guess Tim Hunt fits in well.
"What a state we have come to, where we dont want to be told what we can eat, but we want to tell the schools what they should have. Where we no longer trust our children to eat the multiple healthy options when away from home, yet we complain if we are told we cant have them in our cities. We cant even have children drinking out of water faucets, it's not good enough for them, yet packing a water container is too complicated? You don't want to pay for services at school, yet when the option for buying is taken away, it's a problem.
Tim Hunt, I think what you have helped exemplify is a greater problem than a nanny state. And the posts on the PW site just further reveal this new state, of denial, blame, complaint, and negativity.
It's no longer ok to say something is going well. Anyone who tries, is bullied. This is the real problem."
Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 9:57 pm Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
And what do you do to make the PW community more positive?
Posted by Earth to Really, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 9:58 pm
"You don't want to pay for services at school..."
Really, I realize you may be new to America, but in this country, public schools are public. This means that the government taxes the citizenry and then in turn, this funds the schools. Funding for schools come from the Federal government, State government and Local government (there are three levels of government in the America). California has one of the highest State taxes in America. Maybe in the country you came from, all schools were private which means people had to pay for sending their children to a private school. Private schools don't generally hire PR people to write puff pieces of 'good news' nor do they have the funds to have their own TV shows like "Your Schools." Private schools spend far more funds on direct teaching rather than public schools like Pleasanton who hire PIOs and other positions that do not contribute directly to teaching.
If the public schools operated more like private schools and did not have an adversarial relationship with the larger community and its customers and the press, perhaps there would be fewer complaints.
Luckily in this country as well there is this thing called "Freedom of Speech" and "Freedom of the Press." Also, Really, there is a concept of Letters to the Editor. You can write a letter to the editor and complain about how unfair Tim Hunt's editorial was. I actually appreciated his editorial.
Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 10:04 pm Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
I posted this on a different topic--works for Really? as well: It's frustrating for taxpayers to hear about the value of education and then those same people are mocked for being educated about the looming unfunded liability. Parents are told they need to be more involved in their child's education and are then dinged for not liking split reading, no bottled water, and meatless Mondays. It's difficult not to feel like we're being told to "sit quietly and pass your paper(dollar)s to the front of the class."
Posted by john, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 10:47 pm
I have to agree that I can't believe people are wasting time complaining about "meatless Mondays". Unfunded pension liabilities, sure. Staggered start, sure. "Meatless Mondays"? Is it worth the trouble?
Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2012 at 11:07 pm Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
More of a lack of communication thing really, but the "nutrition" is lacking.
Posted by Earth to Really, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 12:35 am
I just read the posts that Really is referring to. If the Pleasanton USD is going to declare Monday Meatless, why not serve something healthy like Vegetable Soup? And is having a chilled water pitcher at each table in the cafeteria so complicated that Pleasanton USD can't even manage to do that?
Replacing an entree meal that has meat with a Nachos w/Liquid Cheese snack is unacceptable. If I had a nanny that did that, they wouldn't be a nanny too long. I'd find another nanny.
Posted by Nancy s, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 7:58 am
How about pusd gets out of food service and parents supply their kids with a lunch like I did everyday for my two children throughout their pusd tenure?
Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 8:30 am Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
Nancy, Only caveat (and I don't disagree with packing lunches to know what your child is getting) is the district has a percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced meals. The district can't get out of the food business entirely. They should, however, be expected to run even or in the black.
Posted by Had enough !, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Righto, Kathleen. Everything, everything today, from costly, everybody forced HealthCareACT (real purpose to insure inner-city uninsured), to (double) Pell Grants for inner-city (but not middle-class temp unemployed families), illegals getting university seats ahead of our locally born, on and on.
The whole costly lunch program purpose (altho our kids would rather not) is about getting those free lunches to those who breed kids they can't or won't feed. We in a snap drop everything in our lives, to provide for many who could and would, if government wasn't there to jump in to do and provide everything, when not always necessary, and rarely temporary...just a new dependent way of life. Aren't American taxpayers wonderful ! ! The well is running dry !
Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 1:24 pm Kathleen Ruegsegger is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
Had enough, I mostly stay out of the health care debate. Pell Grants help people help themselves. And I can't say I would ever turn away a hungry child, whether it's a family down on their luck or a kid who ran across a border. You can't blame the children for their circumstances. I would agree that the well is running dry though. Correcting many inefficiencies and bloated government would help.
Posted by Earth to Really, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Regardless of whether the parents pay or the government pays, feeding the kids cheap chips and salsa (stuff that you can get for FREE at Fiesta Taco) is disgusting considering the former superintendent wiled away the hours eating and drinking at Mexico Lindo next to Bernal Corporate Park.
Guess who paid for all those Mexico Lindo meals? The taxpayers. You would think with a salary of about $200,000, Casey could afford to pay for his own lunch. Nope. We did. Ask for a FOIA request to see the reams of paper for meals expensed by Casey.
Posted by Jimfol, a resident of another community, on Sep 18, 2012 at 12:27 am
Its about what you'd expect from socialist schools during this time of Marxist Obamaism. Meanwhile the schools and administration are bloated, bloated, bloated. That's why the well is running dry. All the socialist teachers and administrators are drinking from the well at Mexico Lindo with straws supplied by overtaxed citizens. Look at Chicago. That's the future. With 47% of all citizens not paying taxes and all voting for the Holy One, Obama, it's no wonder we're on our way to Greeceland. Make the poor kids who sponge off the state because there parents are too lazy to work earn there lunches. Have them pick up garbage off the playground or clean the toilets. Let them know life isn't a free ride on the Obama welfare express. Once socialism is allowed to flourish, we're all finished. The Founding Fathers clearly stated there should be no socialism and no Big Brother. Oh, the desperate state we are in because of the deseased liberals.
Posted by Life isn't a free ride on the Obama welfare express., a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 19, 2012 at 1:34 pm
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