[Editor’s Note: As anticipated, the School Board voted unanimously last night to approve the proposed approximate 2 percent annual raises for all School District employees for each of the next three years, retroactive to last July 1.]
The latest information publicly presented to our School Board by Dr. Rania Sabty-Daily on health problems at El Marino Language School caused by the ultra-fine particles emanating from the 405 Freeway, should be embraced by our School District. We should thank her for bringing this new scientific evidence to light and support her efforts in taking the data to the state and County for action.
The District should give its full morale support and encourage Dr. Sabty-Daily to take her scientifically-based concerns about the air quality at El Marino to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Chicken or the Egg?
There is a broad-based, building consensus in the scientific community that there are significant health impacts on students attending schools built close to major roadways. Even the state Legislature acknowledged this concern in 2005 by passing a law forbidding school districts from building future school sites next to major thoroughfares.
What about the state locating major freeways next to an elementary school? Is that any different?
El Marino Was First
So there is a state-acknowledged, on-going air pollution problem at the El Marino school site. Who should pay for the cost to fix, not just mitigate, previous governmental errors in locating major roadways close to existing schools?
Culver City USD should not have to bear the full brunt of the cost in trying to fix this environmental health problem, a problem it did not cause in the first place?
Sins of the Father
[img]1896|right|Pat Brown||no_popup[/img]An old adage holds that the son should not have to pay for the sins of his father. In our case, though, it may be the right thing to do. For the son, Gov. Jerry Brown, needs to pay for the environmental sin of his late father, former Gov. Pat Brown; because during the elder Brown’s governorship, CalTrans built the 405 Freeway next to El Marino.
The Culver City USD and El Marino school and its students are the victims here, and they have been for most of the past 50 years!
The state of California should be made to pay for fixing, not just mitigating, the problem.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
