Last week, I gave my official goodbye. I'm not going to take up a whole page again.
After all, I want to make sure a Dust Devil gets in this week. This issue, this is it. Having this week to let it officially sink in (thanks readers for the kind notes online and in my email box—much appreciated), is almost more difficult. There's more time to connect with the people at the office, and then I find myself talking to the kid on our morning drives to school about stories and memories. Dear lord, my poor kid.
Look, no memories here. Instead, to be honest, I feel a sense of urgency.
This past month was difficult watching teachers and others who came together in support of Proposition 123, horrified they'd been betrayed by our governor and elected officials as they prepared final funeral details for public education in our state.
The urgency: Don't let this go. Proposition 123 was Ducey and company's promise to improve schools. It's a broken promise now. It was a lie all along.
There are pockets of hope. Real coalition building: Educators and parents recently filed a $2 billion lawsuit against the state over infrastructure. The Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest says in the lawsuit that Gov. Flim Flam and his goons have failed their constitutional duty to support schools for capital funding needs. Ya think?
How much more is Arizona supposed to take? Does change come only when that last teacher turns out the light before they head into their U-Haul for better opportunities in another state?
Not to be too obnoxious here, or more than normal, but go to ywcatucson.org and join the efforts of the Stand Together Arizona Training & Advocacy Center. I'm lucky I get to join this amazing team ready to build a coalition to show our state's flim-flam goons the door.
Adelante!
P.S. Love you Brian, Jim, Chelo, Logan and Brad. Yes, I really do. I'll miss you.
— Mari Herreras, mari@tucsonlocalmedia.com
