The Politics of Panic

This is mainly for the edification of our political leaders on the County Council. I read recently where $13 million or so was "found" to add to the teacher union budget for the next fiscal year. The report in the Kapital said the Council "scrounged" for the millions in reaction to "panicked teachers and parents."

Now as many of you know, I am a parent. I was not in a state of panic at the prospect of "losing" 100 union members. Nor was I concerned that the remaining rank and file might have to work harder as a result. In fact, I was positively cheered by the idea. But where is MY representation? Who speaks for those parents who are not panicked and who approve of their County Government's responsible handling of their taxes?

Who are these ready-made gaggle of panicked parents? Even if they do exist, tell me why, for the love of Pete, should I pay more so that their son's "favorite" teacher can be kept on the payroll? Again and again, it seems that a handful of residents whose interests seem to be lovingly tied to the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, hold sway over the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars. These must be powerful people. I should think that a real newspaper with real reporters would want to know more about such power-players among us.

So I will do the job that the Annapolis Union Press Release won't do: I will publish profiles from all the panicked parents who care to visit my blog at: http://mikenetherland.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment.