Ridiculous bunker

AC Kleinheider points us to the Governor's inaugural "New Media Hot Sheet" which presents a rundown of the chatter on blogs. Top of the fold, as it were, is discussion of the Governor's party bunker...actually named by his staffer as 'this ridiculous bunker'. Precisely. Legitimate criticism is dismissed as a GOP fund raising stunt and then asks if bloggers don't have any more important issues to worry about. Well, I consider the spending of $12.8 million of family budgets as very important. As the staffer writes there are other more pressing issues. I agree that taxpayer money and the Governor's time should be focused on other much more important items. What's ridiculous is the insistence that this effort to provide an entertainment space continue.

According to the most recent NEA statistics $12.8 million equates to funding for

1834 public school students
or
304 public school teachers
or
the per capita income of 429 constituents

and from Books From birth
participation for 426,666 children...

...all so the adults can meet, greet, schmooze and donate?

I don't care if anyone donates to the GOP. What I do care about are those students, teachers and constituents. I hope the Governor and Mrs. Bredesen do too and allow this $12.8 million (and future untold maintenance funds) to be used in ways that will more practically benefit the citizens of Tennessee.