While Santa Cruz County Schools wrestle with severe budget cuts, few have heard about a huge scandal in the state Department of Education that involved $20 million in fraud, $11 million of embezzled tax funds, harassment of whistle-blowers, and a court order for Superintendent of Public Instruction Delain Eastin to personally pay damages to the whistleblowers. This Stockton Record story by Steve Wampler exposes something that is potentially more troubling than having an education system that is mismanaged by corrupt administrators who absconded with millions in public funds for themselves and their friends: the media, particularly in Santa Cruz County, seems to have been an active participant in covering up for the Eastin administration. While the author calls his story "Shame o­n Eastin", it might be better called "Shame o­n us California voters" for failing to monitor fraudulent use of tax dollars meant for our children's classrooms.

The quote from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s statement introducing Country Reports on Human Rights sounds good but misses or distorts a major tenant of American culture. It is not democracy that insures unalienable rights to all individuals. Democracy does not protect the rights that are naturally ours. Either I misjudged in thinking that Hillary was alluding to our unalienable rights in the quote or Hillary wanted to give democracy far more credit than it deserves. 

October 24 was U.N. day, celebrated by many as the birthday of the United Nations. In its 63 years of operation, it has spent untold billions of dollars in its quest to create global governance. Its goal is almost in its grasp. European leaders are pushing for a summit meeting with President Bush to create a new global “central bank,” with the authority to control global monetary policy in much the same way U.S. monetary policy is controlled by the Federal Reserve.

The reaction of the Half Moon Bay City Council to the $36,795,000 judgment was a mixture of shock, mystification and dismay.  In addition to compensating Ms. Yamagiwa for the loss of private property, it is hoped that Chief Judge Walker’s opinion will remind all government decision makers to first ask the question:  “What about the Constitution?”