Early this week, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue closed the Peach State's schools for two days in anticipation of an oil shortage caused by Hurricane Rita—a shortage that never happened. In Washington, President Bush praised the governor's decision, saying Perdue "showed some leadership" in "anticipating a problem." But parents around the state, forced to scramble over the weekend to find child care for Monday and Tuesday, disagreed. "It causes problems for these kids who need to be learning and not just hanging out," said Randy Faigin David, an Atlanta parent. Gadfly wonders if the Department of Homeland Security is preparing for a new threat on American soil—students sabotaging oil pipelines in the hopes of driving up gas prices and earning more "snow days" in September.
"Parents Protest Georgia School Closures," By Dick Pettys, Washington Post, September 26, 2005