AUSTIN, Texas -- Day Three of the Bush Restoration, and the lights are going out in California. Naturally, the Blame Game is afoot, and many and varied are those who are getting the blame dumped on them for this lollapalooza of a mess. "A stupid bureaucratic decision," one Californian told The New York Times, which is really unfair.

"The idiots in the legislature," said another, which is only partly true.

The right wing already has a nominee for blame: the NIMBY forces -- folks who say "not in my backyard" when their friendly neighborhood power company wants to put a new plant next door. Of course, right-wingers don't like power plants in their neighborhoods either, so this is weak stuff. Their alternative is to blame "the environmentalists," apparently for having opposed building a nuclear power plant on the San Andreas Fault.

Actually, if you would like to get a firm grip on this issue, notice who spent millions and millions of dollars to lobby for utilities deregulation, not only through the California Legislature but around the country. It was -- tah-dah! -- the utilities themselves, of course.

To ring in the new year on Tuesday, January 2, five members of the Columbus School Board passed a New Year’s resolution: to destroy the tradition of free speech at school board meetings. The long-standing practice of open public comments at the board meeting is gone; equally shameful is moving the starting time of the meeting from the traditional 5pm to 3pm to block access by working parents. This same board majority ended the practice of weekly board meetings last year at the insistence of the malevolent and wholly unqualified ex-jock new board member Stephanie Hightower. After $130,000 poured into her school board campaign from Chamber of Commerce types, she’s now assumed the board presidency in her second year.

As we were laying out the Free Press this holiday season, we were shocked by the sudden and untimely death of one-time Free Press writer, advertiser and friend, Joanna Demas-Way. Our condolences go to her husband, UFO bassist Pete Way, a staunch Free Press supporter who headlined our recent 30th Anniversary bash.

Dr. Demas-Way, a graduate of University of Miami Medical School was one of the few doctors willing to write about the medical use of marijuana (see our Winter 2000 issue, “Relief in a Leaf”).

Joanna was not only a gifted writer, but a kind and caring physician. She often volunteered her medical services to poor and underserved patients. She prided herself on spending time with getting to know each patient’s needs. Her compassion extended to all of Earth’s creatures, great and small. One of our fondest memories of Joanna is when the Free Press editor found an abandoned newborn baby possum, which Joanna insisted on nurturing, hand-feeding and loving for a few weeks before its inevitable death.

When it comes to proficiency tests, nothing is real. According to just some of the propaganda: schools are “failing”; we have (and need) these tests to “improve” education; the tests were created by educators; the tests are on the 4th, 6th, and 8th grade “levels”; if teachers and schools did things properly, every kid would pass every test; and over time the tests will make our schools “successful.” It’s all malarkey!

Schools are not “failing.” Schools are doing a better job than ever before, helping more kids with more problems. Over the years schools have gotten better and better. That is not to say that schools are perfect, that they provide everything certain interest groups demand, that they provide enough of what actually is needed, or that they shouldn’t be asked to do even more. Still, schools are not failing.

The State of Ohio has agreed to give free health coverage to 160,000 Ohioans who lost Medicaid since welfare reform began. This move is an important opportunity for many low-income working people to receive needed health care. The reinstatement will provide Medicaid cards that are good from January 1, 2001 to March 31, 2001. These cards have no strings attached – in other words, recipients will not have to pay for services, even if they are found ineligible for continuing benefits. The cards are good for all services covered by Medicaid. That includes doctors’ visits, hospital care, dental, vision, and most health care needs.

People will also receive a simple, mail-in application to apply for continuing coverage. This is important because eligibility limits for both parents and kids went up on July 1, 2000. Many working parents and their children may be eligible. Also, you can apply by mail, with no office visits, and the paperwork is much simpler.