I would happily pay higher taxes to avoid seeing more fat kids in Portland.
That might sound crass or shallow, but this is not a question of aesthetics. Gym class seems like kids’ stuff, but our children need it and we should find a way to provide it, maybe even use this latest crisis as an opportunity.
Portland Public School leaders are considering slashing elementary and middle school PE teachers in response to apocalyptic budget news from Salem. Let’s assume that this isn’t just a negotiating ploy to force the teachers’ union to accept pay freezes.
A coalition of parents, health care providers and corporations wants the school board to find other cuts or preserve Phys Ed next fall by dipping into $33 million in reserves. Great: Childhood obesity is a genuine problem that will cost us more down the line as pudgy young people grow into illness-prone adults. Schools can’t replace good parenting — more veggies, less TV — but can teach kids the habit of regular exercise.
Except preserving PE doesn’t solve the problem.
Oregon needs a serious, comprehensive conversation about the role of government, about which services taxpayers should support and what tax structure best does that.
