Carl J. Petersen
Bio
Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board and a longtime advocate for public education and special needs families. Now based in Washington State, he writes about politics, culture, and their intersections.
Stories (315)
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For Those Who Have Blocked Out The Memory Of Trump's Presidency
“There is no such thing as stupid questions, only stupid people.” – Mr. Garrison on South Park Any casual watcher of hurricane coverage can tell you that the greatest danger comes at high tide. As the water levels rise, the sea reclaims the land and devours oceanfront property. Unfortunately, former President Trump seems ignorant of this basic fact and, therefore, does not understand one of the most basic threats of global warming. While the one-two punch of rising oceans and more frequent extreme weather events, both caused by climate change, have wiped out island communities and threatened the existence of entire countries, Trump perceives a positive outcome. Ignoring the prediction that most of his Mar-a-Lago resort “could be underwater by 2100,” he often says that a rising sea level will somehow create “more oceanfront property.”
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
That Brand New Arena Smell
“What the f*ck is different?” – Slipknot, “Prosthetics” Outside of their appearance at the 2001 edition of Ozzfest, I had never had a chance to see Slipknot. A slot on a festival stage playing before Marilyn Manson and Black Sabbath gave a good indication of what the band sounded like live but did not allow me to see the full spectacle they are known for. I, therefore, jumped at the chance to see them during my birthday weekend for a stop on their tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled first album. The fact that they were playing at the recently opened Intuit Dome heightened my interest.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in Beat
Checking The Math
“Whoever is detected in a shameful fraud is ever after not believed even if they speak the truth.” – Phaedrus When appearing at the Northridge East Neighborhood Council’s candidate forum, LAUSD BD 3 candidate Dan Chang answered a question about the budget by citing his qualifications. “Having a math teacher,” he said, “and a budget expert and someone who really loves the numbers is just an important part of providing oversight in LA Unified.”
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
School Board Candidates Face The Voters
“My goodness, great question.” – Dan Chang On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council’s Education Committee hosted a forum for the two candidates in the November 5th runoff election. The videos posted below are the answers provided by Scott M. Schmerelson and Dan Chang broken down by question. While some banter between questions and housekeeping is not included, the candidates’ answers are presented in full.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Special Education in Los Angeles is in Crisis
“We have a parent who sits with her son every day because there is no one-on-one to safely transfer her son in and out of his walker. They haven’t even gotten a call back to hear what is going on with that.” – Parent/Teacher speaking at SpEd Committee meeting
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Not Fit To Serve
“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” – Donald Trump Governor Tim Walz's honorable service in the National Guard included a deployment to Europe, providing base security while the soldiers normally stationed there served in Iraq. There was once a time when Americans would look at 24 years in the military and reflectively say “Thank you for your service.” That would be before Trump transformed the American political landscape.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Proposed Resolution Seeks To Make Public School Students Whole
“To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.” – Magna Carta Last week the LAUSD Charter School Division finally provided an update on how much charter schools still owe the students of the District for past due overallocation fees. The Division’s chair, José Cole-Gutiérrez, refuses to keep his promise to provide up-to-date information; this data is almost two months old.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
