To the Editor:
[In response to May 5, 2011 Letter to the Editor Re: Target Sacramento Rally for Education Committee]
The local teacher’s union and Fillmore School District administration are working together to “target Sacramento” with a “protest march” and “Rally for Education.” This, they feel, will help express our “outrage and frustration” as educators. Instead of focusing on ourselves, it might be novel to consider the parents we serve –parents who pay the salaries we constantly whine about, who are our bosses, who struggle with the same dread of layoffs – but don’t have time or energy to protest while continuing to support their families… and ours. Instead of yelling at Sacramento, why don’t we hold protest rallies outside some local parent’s house? We could demand they pay even more in taxes so we don’t have to worry about our own finances. That would be more honest, and no less ridiculous.
While the poster for the rally is characterized by a “target” symbolizing Sacramento as ground zero, it might strike some as ironic that the same mindset that runs teacher unions, which are bent on indoctrinating students to their far-left ideology, has fits when conservative Americans use the same graphics. Did someone say hypocritical? Maybe we should change the target graphic now that the hypocrisy has been pointed out, and so appear less radical.
The organizers of this “rally-to-embarrass-us-in-front-of-our-bosses-the-parents” are blaming the California Legislature – they are the current “boogey man.” Evidently we have to blame someone other than ourselves for our choices. But guess what? – the legislature is a wholly owned subsidiary of the teachers unions. California Teachers Association campaigns for the law makers who will support union salaries and state worker’s pensions. The unions got the budgets and pensions they wanted, but because members have been so mis-educated by the totalitarian left, the inevitable realities of hating our own American capitalist system, and therefore being ignorant of profit and loss, are coming home to roost. Now that we have helped bankrupt the state, we evidently feel it is ethical to shakedown the taxpayers, as the world evidently owes us a living. But should we hold our breath and stomp our feet if we don’t get a raise in our allowance?
Despite all the tax dollars poured into education, test scores continue to drop. Our solution? : More money for salaries, and higher taxes. After WWII, natives in the south pacific would make runways in the hope that American cargo planes would continue landing. We are a “cargo cult”, going through the motions of protest, although those goody-carrying cargo planes will no longer be landing. There’s no more money, okay? It’s over. We helped cause it. We should deal with it like adults. Or, apparently there are those who feel we should threaten or blackmail the public as is happening elsewhere with self-serving unions.
Question: How much money would be enough for teachers? Answer: Just a little more...always just a little more. Has a district ever seen a bond measure it didn’t like? The ridiculous belief that continuing and increasing the very spending and subsequent debt that has caused our financial crisis will be the solution to it is so mind-boggling juvenile, that it should disqualify those who hold it from the responsibility of being in charge of any budget except their own. That way, their own personal bankruptcy can serve as a warning to others.
Strangely, I still have not heard from either the teacher’s union or the administration regarding my multiple offers to save the district money and the union jobs by teaching an extra period for free. Not one word of support from any other teacher, or any administrator. No response. Other teachers could make the same offer, but instead we have decided to hold a “Rally for Increased Taxes.” Wouldn’t a better “target” for our “frustration and outrage” be in making sure the dropout rate is decreased by preventing students from leaving the eighth grade with third grade reading and math levels? What we hear is “kids come first” but what kids see from us is “we get ours first.”
I was taught monopolies were wrong, America-harming, self-protection devices used to discourage competition and would therefore thwart progress. If we want our students to succeed, why then do we fight every attempt by parents to break our educational monopoly, and allow parents some choice instead? Well, you know what they say… that it’s hard to make a person see the truth when their paycheck is dependent on their not seeing it.
Richard Hood

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To the Editor:
The Seniors that did not participate in our fund raisers will have to pay $100 for their Harbor Boat Cruise and Bus ticket this year. The seniors knew at the beginning of the school year and again it was noted in the Senior Packet that the seniors were expected to help in the fund raisers by selling pies, sandwich meals, See’s candy, suckers, spa (massage/facials) and working the yard sale (parents also) for Grad Nite Live or pay $100. We have a record of the names of students that did work, so we know who is going to pay if they want to go on the Cruise. The money/check is to be stapled to the permission slip signed by the senior and their parent even if the student is 18. Part of it is a medical release so a parent has to give consent. They are to give the permission slip to Jaci in the attendance office and receive a receipt for their money or check. Even though Grad Nite Live had many fund raisers this year and many of the seniors and their families helped, we find ourselves a bit short of the mark of $21,500.
At this time we are $600 short of the boat balance due 5/13/11, $600 for the Magician (has not raised his fee in 20 years), $400 for breakfast, buses (are $1300 each) we need 2 buses for the 100 seniors that are eligible to go now. $2600. The students that pay $100 will be paying for the next buses. So right now we “need” $4200. Thank you to Fillmore Sunrise Rotary for your donation of $750!
Money is tight as we all are experiencing just for the necessary things, I understand that and these so called ‘extra’ things are really hard to come up with, but think of this organization as not just giving a party but a life saving .party - the graduated seniors of 2011 are not only safe from drugs, alcohol and accidents, but they have parents and extended family that are sleeping better knowing their senior is safe.
Thank you for all that you have done and will do for us.
Mrs. Chaney 407-5759 or 525-4909.

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To the Editor:
The Relay for Life of Fillmore-Piru Kick-Off Rally All Aboard for a Cure on April 27, 2011 gained momentum when at the end of the event 26 teams had signed up. The 70 plus guests enjoyed treats and finger foods donated by Bella’s Teas & Treats, El Pescador and Cookie Lee (Ari Larson). Everyone enjoyed listening to information about the Relay in the three train cars provided by Fillmore & Western Railway. Josie Real chairman of the Relay for Life of Fillmore-Piru reminded everyone to participate in the 1rst Annual Relay Idol! Auditions will be held at the Fillmore May Festival on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 3:00pm (V.C Trade School Stage-Central Park). Please RSVP/Sign-Up by e-mail: to fillmorepirurelay@yahoo.com or leave a message at 805.524.0149 with your name, phone number, e-mail and audition song request. The winner of the competition will perform at the Relay for Life event in September. “Relay for Life of Fillmore-Piru,” says Josie “will also have a booth at the Fillmore May Festival so if you haven’t signed up yet, please stop on by!”
Submitted by Ari Larson