Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Students want ban on banning students ... What are your favorite places to eat in Ashland? ... Medical examiner reports nothing suspicious in runner's death ... Students want ban on banning students ... What are your favorite places to eat in Ashland? ... Medical examiner reports nothing suspicious in runner's death ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: Depraved indifference in Michigan Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I look at the words “depraved indifference” and wonder if they are too harsh or even a bit hyperbolic. However, considering the two examples below, I’ve concluded that they best describe the chronic indifference shown not only to our nation’s infrastructure but also to the poor and the disenfranchised. Defining terms: In Michigan, should a city or school district find itself teetering on the brink of insolvency, the governor, in this case Republican Rick Snyder, can unilaterally appoint what is called an “emergency manager.” He or she replaces the local elected officials and is empowered to make policy and administrative decisions detached from the will of the people. The EM is answerable only to the governor, not to the electorate of, say, Detroit or Flint. It is a stunning rejection of democracy. First Detroit. Our public schools, from pre-K through high school, represent that singular institution that possesses the potential to level the playing field for our children. I use the word infrastructure to encompass not only the plants, but also the teachers and administrative staffs. The Detroit Public Schools (DPS) finds itself deeply in debt; its student population and property tax base have fallen off a cliff. Since 2009, the DPS has been under the direction of an appointed emergency manager and the result has been a disaster. Class sizes have ballooned to 50 and the buildings are crumbling — the air is fetid, roofs leak, mold grows under buckling tiles and walls, and cockroaches scuttle about. According to one fifth-grade teacher, “rodents are seen in the halls during the day, like they’re coming to class.” Meanwhile, academically, only 27 percent of fourth-graders are proficient in reading and 36 percent are proficient in math. The reality is that the children of DPS will not have an opportunity for a do-over. The years they spend in DPS will be the scaffolding of their futures. Theirs is a collective tragedy, for research shows that if students are not proficient in both subjects by the fourth grade they will spend years trying to catch up (if they ever do). Certainly a case could be made that the reality of DPS violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and should prompt Congress to reexamine how we finance our schools nationally. In protest, DPS teachers have organized sickouts to draw attention to the conditions, which are currently under the emergency management of Darnell Early, appointed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder. Prior to his recent installment as the EM of Detroit Schools, Mr. Early was the EM in Flint. Regarding Flint, where 40 percent of the residents live below the poverty line: As part of a cost-cutting campaign, Governor Snyder and the EM made the decision in 2014 to switch Flint’s drinking water from Lake Huron (where Detroit gets its water) to the questionable Flint River. Almost immediately, residents of Flint noticed that the color of the water was brown and smelled foul. People began complaining of rashes, hair falling out, and respiratory ailments. What occurred was that the river water, high in corrosive chloride, was leaching the lead out of the pipes and literally poisoning the 100,000 inhabitants of Flint. The most vulnerable, however, were the children 6 and under who today remain at risk of brain and developmental damage. Despite parents showing up at town hall meetings with bottles of brown, contaminated water, despite memos from the EPA, the EM and Snyder’s administration did nothing; they stonewalled the citizens, telling them to “relax. The water is fine.” The administration knew and did nothing for over a year. It was not until incontrovertible evidence was presented in the blood tests of children showing high levels of lead that the administration told Flint’s residents to stop using the water (Flint’s water had 13,200 parts per billion; 15 is the federal acceptable level). The problem for the residents of Flint is that it is too late. The unalterable damage has been done. Lead poisoning cannot be ameliorated. All Flint’s residents can do is wait and wonder what the impact will be for themselves and for their children. Imagine. As an aside: the majority of both Flint and Detroit are poor and black. Chris Honoré of Ashland is a Daily Tidings columnist. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501