By Tom Fakehany Santa Monica
“Santa Monica Daily Press” readers should not worry about their difficulties in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District budget. I can assure them mine is greater.
In grammar school, in the ‘50s, I was taught: A rancher sells a truckload of hay for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
In the ‘60s, I was examined in college: The same rancher sells a truckload of hay for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
New Math in the ‘70s taught my oldest son: A farmer exchanges a set “L” of carrots for a set “M” of money. The cardinality of set “M” is 100. Each element is worth $1. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set “M.” the set “C,” the cost of production contains 20 fewer points than set “M.” Represent the set “C” as a subset of set “M” and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set “P” of profits?
When my youngest son was educated in the ‘80s, his Santa Monica High School question read: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
In today’s math Santa Monica and Malibu property owners are quizzed: If the SMMUSD gets $62.9 million in revenues or $153,414 per classroom and spends 125 percent of their yearly budget, of which 86 percent is in administration, how is the school district ever going to operate in the black?
SMMUSD Assistant Superintendent Ken “I’ll Show You Accountability” Bailey needs to take mathematic classes at Arthur Andersen and Company. Even Arthur himself would report that the fact that the school budget is a boondoggle, although Anderson accountants may sign off on the budget report. The district doesn’t need Measure EE to balance its budget. The SMMUSD needs answerability.
And that is all I have to say.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 27, 2002. Read the original PDF.