THURSDAY'S HUM (1-24-08)

RIGHT CHURCH, WRONG PUGH
It's great that Rep. Ann Pugh (D-South Burlington) wants Vermont teachers to increase their multicultural awareness, but her bill H.640 borders on lunacy.

Introduced by Representative Pugh of S. Burlington H.640
Referred to Committee on
Date:
Subject: Education; professional educators; licensing; African American history
Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require each applicant seeking to obtain or renew a license to teach in a public elementary or secondary school in Vermont to have completed at least one three-credit course at an accredited college or university in African American history, covering the period from the European colonization of North America through the end of the twentieth century.

Vermont Tiger , and Vermont Hum, agree that African-American studies are important, but so are Hispanic-American studies, and Asian-American studies and so on. Please check this out. It's only a three minute read, and it's smart,topical stuff.


LETTER WRITER PENCILS OUT POLLINA
In a searing submission to the Burlington Free Press, Sam Osborne tells us why he thinks Anthony P should lower his expectations, maybe running for a school board somewhere instead of being a "roadblock." Here it is:

"Pollina should prove electability first. Everyone knows the story of Abraham Lincoln who lost more political races than he won. For the record he ran for political office eight times and lost five. He really personified never giving up, and we are all better for it. But when does a politician go from "fighting the good fight" to being a candidate who never wins? When does a politician in television parlance "jump the shark?" In running for governor I believe that Anthony Pollina has found a shark in land- locked Vermont and jumped it. In my opinion Mr. Pollina has officially moved beyond being a credible candidate who can win, to a road block to real change in Vermont. Candidate Pollina has run three times for public office and has never won. Before Mr. Pollina runs for governor, he should go back to square one and prove to Vermonters that he can be elected. If running for governor is important to him why doesn't he get elected to his local school board, or as a state representative or state senator first? There are a number of great people who are thinking about running for governor. They have proved more than once that they can be elected. Unlike Mr. Pollina they have written bills, stood up and advocated for them, voted and passed legislation. Mr. Pollina has many good ideas but lacks the key ingredient to seeing those ideas become legislation; Mr. Pollina has never been elected."
SAM OSBORNE Burlington

Wow. You think Ozzy's been reading the Hum?