Opinion

The rural community has borne the brunt of California’s economic downturn, including high unemployment rates and a lingering recession. Now is not the time for the California Air Resources Board to increase the cost of gas and diesel by 16-76 cents per gallon as a part of cap-and-trade regulations. While the goal of improving California’s environment is important, targeting consumers by increasing fuel prices is the harshest, most vindictive way to do so.

I would like to take exception to this article which makes the closure of 18 holes at Ridgemark sound positive and progressive. This assertion is beyond reality. Let me tell you why.

This weekend we received two pamphlets regarding Measure J. It seems that “Yes on J” means no to fracking but it allows conventional oil drilling.

After reading your article “Students in class and behaving” I felt compelled to write you. I am not debating the wisdom of the board or superintendent or principal of the high school and their thoughts, but more the continued efforts of education in the state of California to keep trying to put the square peg into a round hole. There are three main points I want to make about trying to force kids to be A to G qualified in order to graduate from high school. First is a practical objection: There are simply not enough spots in the California State Universities and University of California schools to support 100% of every high school kid graduating A to G qualified. My oldest daughter recently started school at San Diego State University and was fortunate that out of 74,000 applicants she was one of 8,000 accepted. Your article stated 42% of the graduating class (roughly 700) were A to G qualified. Let's say for sake of argument that figure is about average for most public high schools, and let's say that the average graduating class is 500; that's 200 kids on average per public high school.  There are well over 1,000 high schools in California so that's 200,000 kids. If you were to up that to 60% as suggested you're talking around 350,000 kids which the state college system simply can't handle. Second, it never ceases to amaze me why people think that everyone can become A to G qualified. We have no problem acknowledging that athletic talent is not evenly distributed, musical talent, painting talent, mechanical ability, etc., but for some reason we keep insisting that academic talent is evenly distributed. The reality of the situation is that some kids achieve at a higher level than others, and will continue to do so throughout their lives. All kids can improve and as a school we should always strive to take each kid to a higher level than they came to us as. However, no matter how much intervention, money, and whatever type of solution we apply to the problem academic talent is not evenly distributed. There are geniuses, above average, average, below average, and way below average people of every race, color, religion, etc. It's not a racial issue, it's a human condition issue. Not every human being on the planet is capable of passing the AP calculus test. But my third reason and the one that I think is most important is the idea that by forcing kids to become A to G qualified the human race is missing out on some amazingly talented people. Why not start giving kids aptitude tests and interest tests at an early age. Why don't we have teachers start identifying strengths in kids at an early age, and then cultivate that talent, cultivate that passion. In essence make every kid A to G qualified in what they are good at and have a passion for. What statement do most great entrepenuers make, “Follow your passion and don't let anyone tell you that you can't”. There are a lot of kids who have a tremendous amount of intelligence, talent and passion that we are cheating by forcing them to become A to G qualified. I worry that my own children are being forced to be part of a system that may steer them into careers that pay good money, but may not be what their true talent and passion is. We continue to make kids and many successful adults feel that they are “losers” because they didn't go to a 4 year college, or that they are not “in the top tier”. Here are just a few of the good paying, important to society, and rewarding careers that don't require a 4 year college degree. Being an auto mechanic, being a policeman, fireman, paramedic, or other public safety officer. Being a cosmetologist, a medical or dental assistant, a skilled craftsman, a welder, electrician, pipe fitter, a soldier, day care provider, and the list goes on and on. But as educators we continue to keep trying to put that square peg into the round hole. We try shaving the edges, we trying hitting it with a bigger hammer, but maybe we should try what a good pipe fitter would and making an adapter so that the talents of the square peg, can be funneled into the round hole.

Once upon a time in the 20th century in San Benito County, farmers grew crops and ranchers raised livestock. And they drilled wells for water to irrigate the land and grew some of the best fruit, vegetables and hay in the world. And it came to pass that the water was pumped out of the ground faster than it was restored which created a supply problem. And so the good people of the county formed a special district to manage the water in the county which came to be known as the San Benito County Water District. The district went into partnerships with other special water districts, the state of California and the federal government. And through those partnerships, the district built pipelines to import water into the county to help the farmers grow crops through "blue valve water supply connections" which you can see to this very day.

I am writing to alert you to an error that occurred in your paper. It was part of a full page ad that was sponsored by a group called “San Benito United” and featured three local citizens purporting to “protect” the County. Unfortunately, the ad propagates a lie, mouthed by one of the hapless three that claims “Measure J bans all petroleum production in San Benito ...” As you know, that is a lie and has been flatly contradicted by county planner, Michael Kelly, and Assistant County Counsel Barbara Thompson. This lie of San Benito United, propagated by our three neighbors, should not be allowed to stand. To that end, what Measure J really says should be printed here. Measure J is an “Initiative to Ban Well Stimulation Treatments and Enhanced Recovery (such as Fracking and Steam Injection) throughout all Unincorporated Areas of San Benito County and to Ban All Petroleum Operations in Residential General Plan Designations in Unincorporated San Benito County and Make Related Zoning Changes.”