Dana Silvernale's ◼ Letter to the Editor in the Arcata Eye spouts all the latest radical talking points - with Bank Of America as the hated target du jour. Wittingly or unwittingly, Ms. Silvernale is participating in a plan of attack designed to 'bring down the system.'
Whether she is just parroting words and phrases, or if that is indeed her intent, perhaps she should resign from the school board. Our schools have some issues - injecting poisonous extremist politics into the mix is not going to help solve the problem. And, if her basic understanding of finances is this shallow, perhaps she is not the best person to be involved in making decisions relating to our school's budget.
The PROBLEM, Ms. Silvernale, is the legislators who have spent the state into oblivion, and who show no signs of stopping their spendthrift ways.
Blaming Bank of America is simply a diversion, and one that we cannot afford. A lot of money and effort is going into making sure you get those DUHC talking points you spout - in case you didn't know, here's where it is coming from:
◼ Dana Silvernale's Page - Democracy Unlimited
You have every right to your personal opinion, and your personal activism. You do not have the right to speak for the District without authorization.
I am very concerned. Do you endorse bringing down JP Morgan Chase, as is mentioned in that audio? (or Bank of America, which has been substituted as the boogeyman since that caught-on-tape audio was released?) Do you endorse bringing down the financial system? What effect do you think that is going to have on our kid's education? What effect do you think throwing the nation into chaos is going to have on our kid's education? Do you endorse duping kids into not paying their student loans in order to accomplish this?
Do you advocate using students (our children) as your political pawns? Drawing them into Union protests? Using parent conferences to lobby on these political matters?
I demand that you retract your use of the School District in this matter. And I hope the District issues a formal condemnation of this letter of yours.
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Ms. Silvernale's letter:
I just deposited $1,100,000 in the Bank of America. That was money that California taxpayers intended for Northern Humboldt High Schools in 2011-2012. It is going to Bank of America in tax subsidies, instead.
$1,100,000 translates into 20 full-time teaching positions, positions the Board has been forced to cut. But that's not all. This year, the State deferred 25 percent of its funding to our schools. That's $800,000. That so-called deferral is now permanent. Next year's deferrals are twice that - 45 percent - bringing the total in cuts and deferments for 2011-2012 to $2.7 million!
Northern Humboldt Union High School District has been drawing on reserves to cover these deferrals, but at the current rate, our reserves will be completely depleted by 2014. And no telling how many more teachers will be laid off.
By not paying their fair share of taxes, wealthy corporations are bankrupting our schools. Bank of America, one of the worst offenders, paid no taxes in 2009.
And if that weren't enough, there's more: The Humboldt County Consortium of Schools banks at Bank of America. they have considered moving to a local bank, but are too short staffed by the budget cuts to manage the transition.
The ultimate irony: Bank of America is profiting from the public schools that it is bankrupting.
Dana Silvernale, Boardmember Northern Humboldt Union High School District
(Note: I don't think Ms. Silvernale actually DEPOSITED any cash in BofA on behalf of the School District. Perhaps she can clarify.)
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Related:
◼ REVEALED — THE LEFT’S ECONOMIC TERRORISM PLAYBOOK: THE CHASE CAMPAIGN BY A COALITION OF UNIONS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, LAWMAKERS AND STUDENTS TO TAKE DOWN US CAPITALISM AND REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH & POWER
The game is in full play - ◼ CALIF. TEACHERS UNION GIVES SHOCKING PROTEST INSTRUCTIONS: HARASS LEGISLATORS, SHUT DOWN ROADS, CO-OPT FIRE DRILLS in their own words.
LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE.
UPDATE: Dana Silvernale responds to criticism in this week's McKinleyville Press. Claims that her "deposit" was symbolic. Continues her harp on "corporations" and again uses her title.
She is a lunatic.
ReplyDeleteShe may actually challenge you Rose, the ultimate Mackville lunatic
ReplyDeleteAll she has to do is retract the use of her school board title. She is not authorized to use it as if she is speaking for the District. Period.
ReplyDeleteShe could learn a thing or two from John Ensign
ReplyDeleteYou mean this John Ensign?
ReplyDelete"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
ReplyDelete— Benjamin Franklin
As an elected official, why should they not use their title when talking about the entity they were elected to represent?
ReplyDeleteIf she didn’t give the disclosure that she was on the board you would be calling her out for not disclosing that she is an elected representative.
Am I wrong?
You don't get it? You don't? She could mention her position but state specifically that she is speaking on her OWN behalf - the way she did it implies that she is banking for the District and that the rest of the Board agrees with her. In effect she implies that her lunacy is the Board's position. C'mon, Tom, this is why organization have spokespeople - so they don't have some deranged lunatic popping off like this.
ReplyDeleteIf in fact she really is this deluded - do you really want her in a position to be materially involved in administrating the District?
How long has Bank of America been in business, Tom?
WHY NOW?
Why ALL OF A SUDDEN? The answer is because the talking points have been disseminated to those with minds made of mush who will go out as loyal little parrots. The great exhortation - and next week it will be something else. For God's sake this sheep mentality is really disturbing.
She should RETRACT her use of that title implying that she was speaking for the Board and the District, make it clear that she was speaking of her own political bent. And the Board should issue a condemnation of her letter.
And btw - where IS the money that Demockery Unlimited solicited, raised and claimed they had to pay the County back for the Measure T expenses? They kept it evidently - or they never had it - which is it? This discussion has come up recently - what's the answer?
Although Rose Welsh and I hail from markedly different political perspectives, we can certainly agree that Dana Silvernale, who reigned (as David Cobb's frontwoman) over the complete collapse of the Green Party of Humboldt County, is misusing her position on the Northern Humboldt High School Board to peddle the agenda of Democracy Unlimited.
ReplyDeleteCharles Douglas
P.S. I don't like Bank of America either. But at least in the case of MoveOn.org's local action on Monday, there wasn't the stench of hypocrisy regarding a group who've taken local taxpayers to the cleaners.
She may actually challenge you Rose
ReplyDeleteOn what grounds? That she was authorized to speak for the Board in this matter? She was not.
That she has a right to use the title this way? She does not.
That she miraculously came up with those exact same talking points, that exact same target, at this exact point in time all by her lonesome? Get real.
Rose, you had me on the " she could have spoken on her own behalf" and made that part clear. I have had to figure that out when talking politics during elections, which is why I don't usually say that much.
ReplyDeleteOn the B of A thing, I told you Rose, I quit that bank for screwing with my account 35 years ago. I have never heard a reason from any single person in 35 years for me to go back.
I encourage everyone to move their banking away from the big banks, B of A is just the one kicking everyone out of their houses and is therefore receiving all of the attention. Everyone should do their banking through local credit unions or local banks that invest in their local communities.
And I have tried to tell you, Tom, i am not a fan of BofA. Maybe some day when we are talking in person, i can tell you why.
ReplyDeleteBUT - the campaign that has been launched, with them as the target, a campaign designed to stir up the class warfare rage, and get people all upset - classic agitate to motivate - is wrong. It's motives have to do with accruing power by destroying the target, and throwing the whole of society into chaos. And people like this Dana Silvernale and the whole Demockery Unlimited crew are just the willing pawns.
Like I said - she has a right to her delusions, her opinions, her politics. She does NOT have a right to inject that poisonous extremist crap into my kid's school. Leave the kids alone.
At this point - I believe she should resign immediately. Or recant the use of her title and pledge to keep the activist crap out of her mindset when conducting District business.
What a great thread -- three people from vastly separate points of view have all made real points.
ReplyDeleteNone of us like the mafia-connected Bank of Italy (America) and their tax dodging ways. All of us want the fair share paid for.
Charles makes the point how BofA behavior does not excuse DUHC behavior.
Rose makes the point how BofA is a crash test dummy for this larger agenda.
Tom makes the point how we ought to be moving away our money from the big banks to support our local institutions.
Thank you all for your thoughtful analysis.