AZ: State Senator Linda Gray Uses Poor Writing in Slamming High School Student for Poor Writing

By Ray Stern
Thursday, Mar. 19 2009 @ 11:41AM
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/03/state_senator_linda_gray_uses.php

State Senator Linda Gray slams a high school student for poor writing and displaying "ignorance" in a biting letter that was first published in the Daily Kos today.

The worst part: Gray's own letter contains poor grammar and typos. What a friggin' hypocrite -- and she claims the student's the one who should be embarrassed.

We just got off the phone with Gray's secretary. She tells us that Gray, a Republican from District 10, can't take our call. We ask the secretary if this sentence of Gray's sounds grammatically correct:

K-12 education was cut the least 3.2% and only 1.9% of all monies that come to the school district.

"I can't answer that," the woman tells us.

A few minutes later, Gray calls us from the House floor, saying in a hushed tone on her cell phone that she can't talk right now. She says she'll send us the complete e-mail exchange, and we sure look forward to that. But that doesn't explain what you're about to read.

Scroll down to read Gray's remarkable screed, which was sent in answer to the questions of a 10th 9th grader:

Dear Ana,

1.why cut our budgets? All budgets were cut. K-12 education was cut the least 3.2% and only 1.9% of all monies that come to the school district. Education is 42% of the general fund budget, so we cut very little from education and a lot more from the other 58% of the budget.

2.how come you don't cut any money from your budget? I have not had a pay raise in 10 years so you could say I have had my budget cut every year. Three years ago the legislature gave education a 6% increase and 2% increase for the last 10 years. We keep trying to help. You could ask the Glendale Union High School District why they only spend 59.5% of the money they receive into the classroom and 40.5 to administrative costs. The national average is 61.2 into the classroom.

Ana, I have grave concerns on your ability to pass the AIMS language test. Why didn't you take to time to write an email with the proper punctuation? By your poorly written email, your example tells me that all the money we have spent on your education shows a lack of learning on your part. My son and daughter went through the Glendale UHSD and had a public school education. My daughter is a 6th grade teacher and she would be embarrassed if a student in her classroom sent such an email. You should be ashamed of displaying such ignorance in writing to a public servant. Perhaps you watch too much TV or don't know how to speak proper English.

Senator Linda Gray

1700 W Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007

602-926-3376


Did you catch Gray's screw-ups? Here's what we found:

"...cut the least 3.2% and only 1.9%..."

"... grave concerns on your ability..." (Should be "about" your ability).

"...your example tells me that all the money we have spent on your education shows a lack of learning..." (The money spent shows a lack of learning?)

"...gave education a 6% increase and 2% increase..." (Where's the second "a?")

And our personal favorite:

"Why didn't you take to time to write an email with the proper punctuation?"

We don't know why "Ana" didn't take the time to clean up her letter to Gray.

As for why Gray's letter was so crappily written -- well, by Gray's own mindset, it must be because she squandered the public funds spent on her education.



UPDATE: Gray apologizes for letter -- the student has special needs.