Pardon me while I rant about our schools

Yet another battle for Pasadena Schools.  Call it Measure CC, or the Pasadena Unified School District Parcel Tax, this is about more than just education or taxes or how wasteful or stingy our school administrators are.  Detractors make it sound like the argument is all about waste (although that waste was not apparent to the outside management audit commissioned by the cities of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre). And if it were all about waste, certainly these concerned citizens would roll up their sleeves, volunteer in the district and eliminate that waste.  But it’s not; they won’t, and I don’t want to waste ink.

No, measure CC is about community, and this community in particular.  Pasadena has a long history of doing things our way.  Making our own goals, raising our own funds and yes, rolling up our own sleeves to get things done.  Even Measure CC’s most ardent detractors have to admit our schools are improving. They say it’s because we’re following the State’s lead, which is laughable on so many different levels. It’s because Pasadena parents fought long and hard to make them better!

Pasadenans won’t be told what we can and can’t do. When there’s an emergency we respond. When we’re told something is impossible, we do it anyway. In the ‘90’s when our libraries were in jeopardy, and in danger of closing, we rose up, taxed ourselves and kept them open.  When Old Pasadena had fallen into decay so dire that you couldn’t walk down the street alone. Recovery was “impossible,” so we cantankerous band of business people got together and, yes, taxed ourselves to make things better. Anybody been to Old Pasadena lately?  Even in this economy, the shops are lively; the streets and alleyways are clean and safe, and family fun can be found around every corner within our twenty-two block district.

If the whiners about waste really want to help, come on down.  Everyone willing to roll up their sleeves and fix what’s broken is always welcome. However, until that unlikely day, here’s a reality check.  Some things are worth working for.  Some things are worth paying for. And our children and our future? There are two of them.