Save fuel, no school

Geez. And the South wonders why we gits no respeck' whare larnin' is concerned. Late Friday afternoon, Georgia's Governor Sonny Perdue (yes, all Southern guv'ners must be named Sonny, Joe Frank, and the like) declared that because of the impending fuel shortage due to Hurricane Rita all public schools would take a two-day "holiday" Monday and Tuesday. Say what?

I can't even get my head around this one. I've listened to the news reports and read the guv's statement, but I do not understand the simple-minded reasoning behind the decision. A few big points:

1. What does keeping school children home for two days have to do with an "impending" fuel shortage? The state is sidelining fleets of yellow school buses to conserve diesel fuel - OK. So the most fuel-efficient way to transport large numbers of children is being sidelined? Why don't you prohibit any cars on the road that don't get 30+ miles to the gallon for two days (unless they're transporting 4+ people)?

2. The LAST thing that should be done is to cancel school. What sort of message are we sending to the children of Georgia? Hey, when the going gets tough, NO SCHOOL! Oh, and did I mention that this lost time will be considered "snow days"? What happens later if we do have snow or ice (it only takes 1/500" of anything to close schools and bid-nesses here)? Why not give the state employees a 2-day holiday, or suspend all sporting/entertainment events for two days. (By the way, the Atlanta Braves are offering special "snow day" passes for their games Monday and Tuesday. No fuel will be used getting to and from those events, heat up the hot-dog cookers, keep the beer cool, I reckon.)

3. Parents are scrambling for day-care. This thing didn't come down the pike until late Friday afternoon, giving moms and dads no way to plan for what to do with the little darlings for a 4-day weekend. Parents, needless to say, are outraged. Will the State of Georgia pick up the day-care/babysitting/lost wages costs to the parents of Georgia?

4. Perdue's brilliant move caused yet another run on gas Friday. General thinking being: if he suspends school across the state for two days, there must be something he ain't tellin' us, right? So off everyone trotted to sit in long gas lines "just in case."

What a DUNCE! Somebody please put Sonny-boy in the corner for the remainder of his term.