Blasting Faxers and 1+1=?

August 27, 2002

Dear Editor,

Bravo! Go get em! I can't tell you how angry these junk faxers make me. ("Blast Faxers Attacked on Two Fronts," August 26)

I have an unlisted phone number and they have somehow gotten hold of it. Calling them to have your name taken off their list does no good. I get several calls a day from them and have had to keep my fax machine turned off to keep from getting their junk. Many times I'll be in the middle of doing something and drop everything to run to the phone only to get their stupid beeeeep.

I hope they get locked up, busted financially, anything you can do to put them out of operation.

Tom Peterson
Santa Monica

August 23, 2002

Dear Editor

"Surf Santa Monica" readers should not worry about their difficulties in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Budget. I can assure them mine is greater.

In grammar school, in the '50s, I was taught: A rancher sells a truckload of hay for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

In the '60s, I was examined in college: The same rancher sells a truckload of hay for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

New Math in the '70s taught my oldest son: A farmer exchanges a set "L" of carrots for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth $1. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C," the cost of production contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?

When my youngest son was educated in the '80s, his Santa Monica High School question read: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

In today's math Santa Monica and Malibu property owners are quizzed: If the SMMUSD gets $62.9 million in revenues or $153,414 per classroom and spends 125 percent of their yearly budget, of which 86 percent is in administration, how is the school district ever going to operate in the black?

SMMUSD Assistant Superintendent Ken "I'll Show You Accountability" Bailey needs to take mathematics classes at Arthur Andersen and Company. Even Arthur himself would report that the fact that the school budget is a boondoggle. The District doesn't need Measure EE to balance its budget. The SMMUSD need Accountability.

And that is all I have to say.

Tom Fakehany