A year ago, Press Democrat letter writers were voicing outrage over a Schwarzenegger proposal to close 48 state parks including Armstrong Woods and Austin Creek state parks near Guerneville.|
At the time the state's budget problem looked pretty grim - $14.4 billion over 18 months.

Well, that problem has now swollen to $41.5 billion over 18 months, and the governor, is desperately trying to get the Legislature to agree on a number of budget-balancing steps, most of them more dramatic than closing state parks.

One is to shut down schools at least five days early with the next school year.

How would just a plan impact you?

For example, for my children's school in Rincon Valley, if they lost five days of instruction this year, they would be getting out on Thursday, May 28. For students in Santa Rosa City Schools, it would mean getting out on Thursday, May 21, four days before Memorial Day.

I'm still getting used to starting the school year in August. Don't ask me to get used to ending barely a month after Easter.

- Paul Gullixson