Sunday, May 04, 2008

A FIFTH GRADER WRITES THE GOVERNOR

 


Fifth grade student Celina Martinez from Foothill Elementary in Corona

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

My name is Celina Martinez and I am a fifth grade student from Foothill Elementary in Corona. I wanted you to know that cutting 4.4 billion dollars to the education budget, as you proposed in January, will really hurt me and my school. Governor Schwarzenegger I know you have asked for a 10% budget cut to all state funded programs starting in July, but I don’t think you understand just how much that is going to hurt me and other children in California.

Everything from the GATE program, to music programs, to afterschool programs can be cut. Are you out to get me?! Do I have a target on my back? I am in all of the above programs and if you cut them; you are cutting a big part of what makes me LOVE school. I work hard to get good grades and to be part of these programs and when you suggest that they be cut, it makes me very disappointed in you.

I am too young to vote, but it wouldn’t matter if I was a Republican or a Democrat because the cuts being made to the schools hurt kids. Something everyone can agree on is that jeopardizing our schools is not the answer. I know you blame the slow economy, retail sales, and job losses but cutting the budget not only hurts California and it hurts my future too. Doing well in elementary school is a stepping stone in my educational career and will affect how I do in middle school, high school and college.

I promise when I graduate from college to spend money and help the economy, but I won’t be able to do that if you cut my programs. I will end up working at a minimum wage job and I won’t be able to spend much money and the economy will be hurting again. It’s better to help me now, so that I can grow up and help California later.

Sincerely,

Flunk the Budget Not Our Children

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