Bob Dunning: All students are gifted and talented

GIFTS AND TALENTS … before our school board reaches any conclusions about the Gifted and Talented (GATE) program in the district — and trust me, there are as many opinions about GATE as there are parents of schoolchildren in this town — it would be nice to have some clear statement of purpose … specifically, I’d like to see the board declare, directly and as a matter of district policy, that “All students enrolled in any of our schools are deemed to be gifted and talented and it is the expressed goal of the Davis Joint Unified School District to bring out the gifts and talents of every student in our care.” … just in case anyone wonders if some kids are officially considered to be “special” and some kids aren’t …

WISDOM FROM WOODLAND … I really hate it when I have to admit that someone from Woodland got something right and someone from Davis got it wrong … unfortunately, that was the case recently when the Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of a resolution urging that the Sacramento Kings remain in the city of Sacramento … Davis’ own Don Saylor and Jim Provenza voted with the majority, along with Mike McGowan of West Sacramento … voting against were Matt Rexroad of Woodland along with Duane Chamberlain, who represents the rural 5th District …

Now, this was only a resolution of support for the Kings, and no one knows for sure if it has reached the desk of NBA Commissioner David Stern or the various NBA owners who ultimately will decide the fate of the Kings next month … but there’s no question the next resolution will be for the county to toss some money into the pot to keep the Kings nearby … at least that’s what Rexroad thinks …

Said the Woodland supervisor: “We have priorities in Yolo County that are much greater than keeping the Sacramento Kings. It’s not an appropriate use of public dollars.” … well said, my friend … for his part, McGowan said “We don’t have to put money into this deal,” which calls the resolution into question in the first place … if this were just a resolution of “support” for the Kings, why not include language requesting an NBA title while we’re at it?” …

RATE RELIEF … while it’s not much, the Davis City Council has directed staff to come back with a proposed ordinance to provide low-income relief to those ratepayers who are simply not going to be able to pay the much higher water bills heading their way … specifically, the council is asking for assistance of $120 per year per eligible customer and hopes to tie program eligibility to the PG&E CARE program …

Because Prop. 218’s proportionality requirement forbids any sort of low-income assistance coming out of water-related payments, these funds will have to come from other city sources, all of which are thin at this point … and while $10 a month is a start, it’s still not nearly enough to help those truly in need as higher rates kick in …

I still hope the city will consider a voluntary utility bill check-off program where Davis citizens can contribute on their own to a low-income fund as they pay their monthly water bills … I’m certain many folks, whether they voted “yes” or “no” in the last election, would step forward to help those citizens who are significantly impacted by higher water rates …

Put simply, $10 a month will not be nearly enough to provide relief to those in need … the city clearly can’t afford more than that at this point, which means it’s up to the rest of us to step up to the plate …

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net