Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "May God have mercy on us..."

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "May God have mercy on us...":

"May God have mercy on us..."

by Mike Klonsky

Lake Board votes on cuts

I'm heading back to Ohio this week to speak at Kenyon College and then on to D.C. to speak at Occupy the DOE. While at Bowling Green last Thursday, I picked up a copy of the local Sentinel-Tribune. The lead storyabout the devastating cuts being made in nearby Lake Township schools has stayed with me all the way back to Chicago.

It starts with the Lake Board's ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of its students.

There was a parade of outstanding basketball players, superior-rated music students and the top speller at Lake Elementary. The middle school quiz bowl team got kudos for being tops in the county.

Then the other shoe drops. The Board votes to strip $1.15 million from the district's budget. That's 43 positions, 

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

President Obama

"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon. I can only imagine what his parents are going through. When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids." -- AP Wire

Jesse Jackson

 "Why isn't America outraged, that far more people die of gun violence in one year in America than the number of soldiers killed in the wars waged in Iraq and Afghanistan?" -- L.A. Times

Rahm Emanuel

“Taking the politics out of politics is like taking the money out of capitalism.” -- Meet the New