I didn’t watch the SOTU last night. But I guess the President posited a bunch of propositions that of course will never happen. Like a millionaire tax rate of 30%. And free ice cream for everybody. The Republicans, predictably, think free ice cream for poor people is a bad idea, though rich people who get free ice cream tend to create more jobs, so that’s cool. Mostly, the Republicans in the audience all looked as if somebody was holding a turd under their collective noses. Which is to say, they looked the same as they always do.

What with all the cuts in State school funding here in NYS and the 2% property tax hike, parents are irate – absolutely freakin’ irate – at any proposal to close budget gaps. For instance, half-day kindergarten is definitely out (one parent lamented the idea of having to pay for day care just before complaining about paying taxes; I’m not sure where he thinks the money to keep the schools open comes from. I would tell him that, from my perspective, it would be cheaper for me if he had to pay for day care than if I have to pay to keep his kids in school, but this would probably be too difficult a concept for him to grasp, much like those who want the government to stay away from their Social Security). Also out is a proposal to close a middle school and combine grades 5-12. Another parent said she was horrified – absolutely horrified at the thought of her little girl going from K-4 to 5-12. Another woman said this was just gonna tear the community apart (very sad – nearly made me cry in my coffee).

Back in the olden days, there was such a thing a “junior high,” which (in my school district) was actually grades 7-12, and Elementary School was K-6. They did away with that just before I hit fifth grade, but my sister seems to have survived the experience.

Well, whatever. Thing is, if you want to have schools (and roads and cops and firefighters and parks and…), somebody’s gotta pay taxes. And it aint gonna be Mitt Romney (whose effective tax rate is actually about 9% lower than the average one-percenter).

So that leaves you, Mr and Mrs Teabagger. And me, too, of course.

Today is stupid meeting day. Always a thrill. I mean, even more thrilling than a normal work day. I can’t wait to get started.