Atomictumor

I’ve been keeping largely quiet about local stuff lately. Theres a plethora of stuff to bring up, the whole Target thing, the elections coming up, the school budget, and usually I’m all up ons, because I like being a gadfly.

This year, tho, I just don’t have much pump in my bump, or something. Last year, we started the Support Oak Ridge Schools campaign, and this year I find that I don’t even have the website up and working.

Some of it has to do with a bit of disillusionment I feel regarding the neverending nature of having to deal with the same old problems, no matter how much sense by stance seems to make (to me). I mean, dur, its a no-brainer, if you don’t pay teachers, they’ll split. Simple as that. Sure, they’ll want to be loyal to Oak Ridge, just like I do, but this year they’ll be lucky to get a 2% raise. Knox County, Blount County, the other schools in town, they’re all bound to give a bigger raise. I wouldn’t blame anybody for chasing the buck.

Which leaves us a bit screwed, because in Oak Ridge, when you boil it down, its still the education thats the calling card. I mean sure, everybody knows the place for the labs, and achievement scientifically, but that means squat if these things are in a town full of dumbasses. It particuarly means squat if the types of parents who care about their childs education (and, by extension, care about other things, like the civic nature of their town), pull up their stakes and move where the good teachers are. Hell, I wouldn’t blame them for that either.

Last year, when it became apparent that the city was going to choose hobbling the school system as opposed to making a change to the property tax rate to fully fund the budget (after it had been hacked to death in two school board meetings, trimming all the fat and an unhealthy chunk of meat), the issue became top priority for a lot of people. We ultimately failed, but brought enough heat on the city council so that they’d think twice about making decisions that’ll be detrimental to the school system.

This year, I’m hoping the heat is enough, because all the people that got all worked up about the schools are currently worked up about Crestpointe, and the prospect of fat times head when the massive sales tax dollars fill up the school board’s coffers. I sure hope thats the case, but, cynical as I am, I’m not too sure.

However, thats long term, at the least 2 years from now. This year, in order to fund the school board and just get more than a paltry 1% raise for teachers, we’re going to have to talk the city into dipping deeper and either shake a million bucks out of general funds, or raise property taxes for it.  Next year, gonna be the same talk.

How bad could it get?

I’m not really interested in answering that question.  I’m just too freakin tired.

October came home from her first day of intersession last week with a pet worm.

She is now spending a few days up at the in-laws, and has left Spotz in charge of Squirmy’s care:

Spotz is thrilled with the opportunity, though I’m pretty sure he forgot to sing the lullaby last night.

No.

No.

No.

I’m practicing for the next time someone asks me to volunteer for something.

I was going to write a post earlier this afternoon advertising Willow Brook’s Super Hoop Classic, held tonight. But then iTunes crashed, along with some other strange error messages, causing me to spend a good few hours backing things up and trying to fix the problem. Gotta keep my priorities straight.

So, we went to Super Hoops. There were hundreds of hyper kids, and way too many parents who didn’t clean up after themselves (a major pet peeve). There were marshmallows. It was a fun time, but the type of fun time that necessitates buying a 6-pack on the way home.

October & Spotz were (sometimes reluctant, but very talented) cheerleaders. Wingnut slept through a good 3/5 of the action. MastaG…well, I’m not sure, but we managed to find him at the end of the night, so that’s good. Lugnut opted out of the game and instead joined AT & Pigpen for a night of fun (thanks again, AT).

‘Night, folks.