George,

I fully appreciate the thoughts of Kay Peaslee and Helen Reynolds on Jefferson School. Last week, at the School Board meeting, it was the Superintendent's recommendation that Adult Ed be cut by $34,000, necessitating the cancellation of its Advanced English class. At the City Council's Budget Forum this week, a speaker asked Council to make the important distinction between needs and wants.

With 6,400 adults in the City of Charlottesville without a high school diploma or a G.E.D., we NEED to fund Adult Ed in its entirety. We do not need to fund more brick on the side streets of downtown, brick pavement around Court Square, a walk way to the old Ix building, a walk way to Garrett Square, or an extension of the downtown mall to the east to accommodate a chalkboard that was not to cost the taxpayer any money when it was originally proposed. Adequately funding the educational needs of all of our citizens to provide for an educated workforce is the best tool for local economic development.

Kenneth Martin (electronic mail, January 24, 2002)