Start up a conversation with your neighbor about your local government and it will quickly become a whine session about what the city isn't doing right. Right?

Do you really know how your city works? You may have a teenager who is required to perform a certain number of community service hours in order to graduate from school, but what have you done for your city lately? Dialogue is great, but I'm so sick of the whining.

Complaining is only worthwhile when it leads to action.

Despite the colorful pictures hanging on the walls, there is a bleak feeling in the front office of my son's elementary school these days. Teachers and staff, including the principal, received the dreaded pink slip two weeks ago. There is a feeling of uncertainty and frustration in the air. Easy smiles and laughter have been replaced by worried looks, anger and criticism. Approximately 188 Carlsbad Unified School District employees recently received their termination notice for the 2008-2009 school year due to our California budget crisis.

Governor Schwarzenegger has asked that Proposition 98 be suspended in order to cut $4.8 billion in education funding. If passed, class-size reduction could be eliminated in first through third grades and in the freshman year in math and English. Other proposed cuts include music, science, social science, art, theater, second language, librarians, nurses, and even full-time principals.

Voters passed Proposition 98 in 1988, which was supposed to prevent our government from cutting education during economically weak times and provide a minimum protection for education funding. In 2004, however, the legislature passed a suspension of Prop 98 for the first time by a 2/3 vote. This is what they're proposing to do again this year to solve the state deficit of over $15 billion.