"I am also a good study of what has happened in similar neighborhoods round
the country."
This is key.
As for underfunding schools, it's poor inner city kids and it's also
millions of poor rural kids abandoned. In the middle, there is a great deal
of middle class political power. The "moral value" is that they shouldn't
contribute to equal public education since they had the resources to live
with greater wealth. It will hinder their pathetic chances of clawing their
way to "real wealth."
I grew up, "white trash welfare scum" from central PA. I don't think very
highly of these American middle class "values" I feel much more bonded with
poor people from the city than to this superior middle class.
It's not a victory against institutional racism. However, the American
middle class declared war on "white trash" like my people just like they
declared war on poor inner city minorities. And they depend on keeping our
political power at odds!
As a world citizen, I believe it's time for all ethnic poor people in this
country to join together with the billions of people around the world whom
are oppressed. I think middle class values are among the biggest problem
for all of us.
Bob Marley sang: Who the cap fit, let them wear it
Sincerely,
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wilma de Soto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Anthony West"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "UnivCity listserv" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 6:47 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Uses of gentrification (Was: Re: Penn schools)
I am not even saying it is the starving and squeezing of funds from poor
areas.
In as far as Black people moving and disinvestment and stripping of funds
from inner cities, it was because Whites moved OUT this occurred.
Now we are seeing the reverse, Whites moving back IN and re-investment in
the afore bereft areas.
I witnessed it as a kid first-hand as a student in the Philadelphia Public
Schools, I have taught in the system a long time and paid a LOT of my own
money in order to be able to try to keep my students competitive and THEN
some.
I am also a good study of what has happened in similar neighborhoods round
the country.
On 4/6/08 3:57 PM, "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wilma de Soto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Anthony West" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "UnivCity listserv" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Uses of gentrification (Was: Re: Penn schools)
It would be my pleasure to address this point.
Adequate funding for this school system with many poor students was
gutted
when middle-class students started fleeing in the late 60's and early
70's.
Adequate funding for poor kids in a school district should NEVER depend
upon
the presence of middle-class students. That's the crux of the
educational
inequity that exist in our country's school district.
The poor kids should get what the middle-class kids get, whether they
attend
the same school buildings or not.
If the only way poor kids can get adequate funding is to be in close
proximity to middle-class kids, there's something wrong. If the
self-same
poor kids get displaced because the district wishes to restructure the
school in the name of attracting even more middle-class kids, that's a
large
part of gentrifying, whether it is done with Penn's backing or any other
well-heeled institution.
Well said.
The need for grand schemes is a grand lie. The undeniable root problem
has
been the starving and squeezing of funds for poor areas. It's a lie that
solutions to public school problems are illusory. Putting that spin out
helps to maintain the funding gap through deception. If a third of the
people want the unequal system and another third are deceived, that keeps
the unfair system in place. Periodically, we are offered some bandaid
schemes that I call smoke and mirrors.
Having a system in which teachers need to use their salaries for supplies
is
a good symbol of the depth of the real problem.
It seems we are often told that anything less than turning all control
over
to profiteers is stupid and impossible. This game is very reprehensible
with schools because its helpless kids we're talking about. It reminds
me
of managed healthcare. To lower health care costs we had to control
wasteful doctors and out of control patients.
But we were told that sending half of our healthcare resources to
insurance
companies was the only possible answer. Well it didn't work out very
well.
The idea that redrawing boundaries around wealthy areas to receive a
larger
share of resources while lowering resources and raisng barriers for
disadvantaged kids creating a trickle down effect is contemptuous.
The ten year tax abatement says it all. The claim supporting the
diversion
of resources to gentrification goals is that a benefit is coming from
giving
the supeior classes welfare. If we draw lines around the new condos for
good schools, funds have to be diverted. Since the middle class condo
families pay little into the system, the existing pot of money has to be
reallocated to do this.
If the system doesn't receive enough money now, how does diverting it to
wealthier new arrivals solve the problems for the poor kids?
These business schemes should be seen for the smoke and mirrors that they
really are. It does no good for us to throw the baby out with the bath
water. The promises we're fed don't come true and we don't learn the
cost
or the harm until it is far too late. Better to ask the questions and
keep
democratic principals intact.
Glenn
I have seen that and although I do not agree with it, I can accept that
would be the result. Can you?
On 4/6/08 10:21 AM, "Anthony West" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Wilma,
Can you please address one of my central points directly? It is that
adequate funding for a school system with many poor students needs many
middle-class students as well, in order to guarantee funding for the
needs of the poor. You've been around this block a few times; what do
you think?
My take on gentrification is that, just like public education, it is
complex. My gut tells me gentrification causes the most collateral
damage when it is fast and poorly planned; it is most beneficial when
it
is gradual and thoroughly chewed.
-- Tony West
Wilma de Soto wrote:
Gentrification in and of itself is not the problem in my opinion. My
issue
is that with gentrification the very people of which you speak are not
usually around to reap the benefits of same. They are usually
displaced.
This goes beyond West Philly or UC but other inner cities in the US.
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