For the sake of survival and for training children in academics, moral character, and the Word of God, Bible-based schools must try to reopen now.
Like in 1860, right before the Civil War, when there were official “slave” states versus “free” states, California, controlled by Democrat politicians, has made slaves out of its people, in contrast to numerous Republican states that are free from lockdowns and mask mandates.
On August 3, your California “slavemaster,” Gavin Newsom, controlled and spoke through his California Department of Public Health to issue this public statement:
Waiver Process for Elementary Schools to Resume In-Person Instruction On July 17, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom announced that schools in counties that have been on the County Data Monitoring list within the prior 14 days, are only allowed to conduct distance learning and that there would be a waiver process that could allow some elementary schools in those counties to conduct in-person learning if they could meet stringent health requirements. State health officials noted recent scientific data showing that young children were far less likely to shed and transmit the virus.
Today, the California Department of Public Health is releasing that waiver process. A district superintendent, private school principal or head of school, or executive director of a charter school may apply for a waiver from the local health officer to open an elementary school for in-person instruction in a county on the monitoring list. This waiver is applicable only for grades TK-6, even if the grade configuration at the school includes additional grades. The application for a waiver must include an attestation that the applicant consulted with parent, labor, and community organizations at each school site for which an application is being submitted.
This means religious schools may ask their county health officer for permission to reopen for in-person classroom instruction. Here’s the sample letter explaining how to make this happen (note that private schools only need to consult with school staff, not with “labor and community organizations.”) Here’s the full announcement with how-to links.
Even if you have to reopen in a slavish, limited, and politically-correct way, please reopen anyway. Your Bible-based school needs to survive and thrive, and so do the hearts, minds, and souls of the children you want to love and train.
Reopening, even under these oppressive regulations, would also help reopen California as whole. Church schools can lead the way to break the logjam of the Democrats’ destructive lockdown. Schools that stay closed will develop bad reputations when other schools successfully reopen to the joy of families. And if church schools discount their tuitions, they can attract more students. California Christian-format schools must try to reopen!
However, not all California counties will currently “permit” private schools to reopen. Note this from the Orange County Register: “But the waivers can only be considered in counties where coronavirus rates meet a certain threshold. And that means Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside county schools cannot apply under the current guidelines.”
Lastly, here’s documentation of the science that children aren’t threatened by, and don’t spread, COVID-19:
I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth. Protestant reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Monday, August 3, 2020, 10:10 am | Randy Thomasson
“Can’t you cut the waste instead?”
They’ve already hurt you, and intend to hurt you more.
You already know California state government has made you poorer. But did you know that the California Legislature has been virtually controlled by Democrats for the last 60 years? And that Democrats control three-quarters of both the State Assembly and State Senate?
This year, your Democrat-controlled state government is destroying small businesses and family livelihoods with their extremely harmful lockdown. And now, they’re coming in for the kill with AB 1253 to directly raise income taxes without a vote of the people.
As a native Californian, I can’t remember anything like this. But the over-confident, thieving Democrat politicians are drunk with power. That’s why they’re daring to massively raise taxes by government fiat, not letting the voters decide, and doing this damage the same year that state government has financially injured Californians, and in an election year too.
AB 1253 would massively raise taxes on the rich, as if California taxes punishing success weren’t already too high. As California Political Reviewexplains:
AB 1253 would add Revenue and Taxation Code Section 17044 to create three new tax rates for amounts of income above specified thresholds. As a tax levy, it would take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature and chaptering by the Secretary of State. The bill would apply retroactively to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020. As a tax increase measure, it would require a 2/3 vote of both houses of the Legislature pursuant to Article XIIIA, Section 3 of the California Constitution.
Specifically, AB 1253 would add a new section to the Revenue and Taxation Code to provide the following three higher tax rates (in addition to the existing ones):
A 1% tax on income above $1 million, but not over $2 million A 3% tax on income over $2 million, but not over $5 million A 3.5% tax on income over $5 million
This would make the state with the highest income taxes even more infamous about taking money from the responsible to give to the irresponsible.
Under AB 1253, the most successful earners would see their state income tax rate jump from 13.3% to 16.8%. Making things worse, this tax would be retroactive to January 2020!
Now before you breathe a sigh of relief and think, “I’m glad my taxes won’t go up — this is only a tax on the rich,” think again. Because the power to tax is the power to destroy. Taxing one group always has intended consequences, hurting other people too.
Here are four ways AB 1253’s huge new tax on the rich would hurt everybody:
Million-dollar earners will move out of state. We’ve seen this before and we’ll see it again. The wealthy already have the highest mobility in society with the greatest number of options of where to live. Expect to see an exodus of wealthy Californians, even if only to the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. That means the ruling Democrats will be more likely to raise taxes on lower earners instead. Because water always finds its way to the lowest level, doesn’t it?
In turn, you’ll experience inflation. Million-dollar earners that stay in California are smart enough not to lose money. So, because most of them own businesses, they’ll look for more ways to get more money from their customers. This means higher prices for us all. Ready to suffer more?
It’ll be easier for the ruling Democrats to directly raise taxes on you later. By accepting a huge tax hike on one “class” of Californians, then by reelecting the tax-hikers, we’re telling them we accept regular tax increases as “normal.” This will throw gasoline on the fire for more sales tax hikes, car tax hikes, and income tax hikes creeping into more tax brackets. Remember, to be a good Democrat politician today, you have to think other people’s money is yours. AB 1253 is training them to do that ever so much more so to you and your family.
AB 1253’s huge tax hike hides all the wasteful spending. Not once will the ruling Democrats say publicly there’s any waste to slash. They won’t admit there’s a mountain of waste, fraud, and abuse throughout California state government. Making it easy for them to deceive and hide waste is 60+ years of Democrats controlling the State Legislature, and no independent, out-of-state, Texas-style audit. And this year, in the midst of the destructive lockdown of Gavin Newsom and the Democrats, government workers continue to be paid, and government pensions continue to rise. AB 1253 is the equivalent of a bad employee — who’s been hurting your customers, wasting your resources, and not caring to do his job — coming to you and demanding a raise. Don’t give the ruling Democrats a raise — fire them!
TAKE ACTION NOW: Please contact your own state assemblymember and state senator, as well as Governor Gavin Newsom. Tell them, “Oppose AB 1253. No new taxes!” Enter your voter registration address here to reveal the websites of your state assemblymember and state senator. Click their links to see the telephone numbers and web contact forms for each. To contact Governor Newsom, click here.
Saturday, July 25, 2020, 12:05 pm | Randy Thomasson
Why are pastors closing up their congregation’s meeting place?
Every pastor in California or anywhere else where a Democrat governor’s administration has “ordered” a cancellation of congregational meetings needs to ask and answer these five questions:
Q: Is there a written law passed by the California State Legislature and signed by California’s governor? A: No, there isn’t. See Peggy Hall’s analysis
Q: Are police likely to barge in on a Sunday morning to warn or cite you? A: No, they’re not. Most California sheriffs and police chiefs didn’t bother churches earlier this year, and since then, several have announced they would not enforce the lockdown or masks or both.
Ultimately, the question is will pastors fear God or man. The recommended “considerations” (not a duly-approved statute) from the unelected state employees of the California Department of Public Health are easy to resist, since not many cops want to barge into a Sunday morning church service.
And what if they did? Is there no Biblical example of suffering for Jesus Christ and being loyal to Him — no matter what?
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Revelation 2:4