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Previous edition   Edition # 45   San Francisco, 08-01-2003 Next edition

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Traffic lights in the space age    California Gun Laws    The translation of "Kalifornisches Kasperltheater" to English is    Topprodukt    How much longer?    The ailing pension system    The American school system    San Francisco Local: Subway to the Airport

Traffic lights in the space age

Michael Anyone who has been to America knows that the traffic lights work differently there than in Germany: Firstly, there is no yellow phase for drivers when the light changes from red to green. It just goes "bam!" and this is probably due to the many cars with automatic transmissions: No one needs to engage a gear to start driving.

Before the traffic light switches back to red at the end of the green phase, there is, of course, a second of yellow so that you can brake in time. This is crucial: as soon as the light in one direction turns red, the one in the cross direction is already green! There is no grace period like in Germany -- if you try to rush through on red, it's not uncommon for the first vehicle coming from the side to crash into your side door.

However, Americans are notoriously bad drivers, and many of them talk on the phone, fiddle with the car radio, or drink coffee, and you often see completely absent-minded ghost drivers rushing through red lights. We've really gotten into the habit of driving off very cautiously when the light turns green and peeking into the side street to see if approaching cars are actually stopping.

The lack of a grace period also affects pedestrians: They have to be extremely careful to make it to the other side before the pedestrian light switches from "Walk" to "Stop" -- because then the cars immediately (!) get a green light. To give an approximate estimate on time remaining, an electric hand typically starts blinking at a point when a sporty runner can just barely make it to the other side. Older people usually stop then, while we young folks switch to 100-meter sprint mode.

Of course, the blinking doesn't always help, because each intersection has different settings. You have to rely on the traffic light technician who measured it at some point. That's why now there's something new now: traffic lights with large digital displays that count down the number of seconds until "Stop" appears. Brilliant!

Not only pedestrians love the new technology, but also drivers speeding by in the same direction, who can now peek over and read the exact number of seconds before their traffic light turns "yellow"! This often makes decisions easier, such as "Should I quickly change lanes to overtake the slowpoke in front of me, or can I still make it through behind them?" A year ago, these super traffic lights were only found sporadically at very large intersections in San Francisco, but now they are popping up everywhere, and everyone is thrilled. Bravo, San Francisco!

California Gun Laws

Michael Contrary to the prevailing opinion in Germany, not all Americans walk around with a loaded revolver in their belt or shoot into the air from car windows after exciting sports events. No, gun ownership and use are strictly regulated. We have already touched on the theory of American gun laws (Rundbrief 01/2001). Today, let's go over what that looks like in everyday life in California.

This is by no means trivial, because gun regulations vary greatly from state to state, are subject to constant changes by the legislature, and are then interpreted very inconsistently by the courts. So: Don't sue the newsletter editorial team if something isn't exactly correct, but rather, in case of doubt, hire a legal bloodsucker of your choice and ask for professional advice!

California distinguishes between two gun regulations: One determines when a weapon can be carried concealed (Concealed Gun Law, CGL), and the other pertains to loaded weapons (Loaded Gun Law, LGL). The courts apply both laws strictly separately: For example, someone who walks into a government building with a loaded revolver in their coat will face penalties twice: once for carrying a conceiled weapon, and secondly for bringing a loaded gun. In the legal sense, "loaded" means that the ammunition is in the weapon: it is sufficient for the magazine to be inserted in the pistol; it does not matter whether the weapon is cocked or the safety is off.

TODO

Almost no one is allowed to walk around in a California city with a weapon concealed under their clothing -- not even if it is unloaded. Anyone caught doing so (and not falling under the exceptions described below) commits a crime that is punishable by a fine or imprisonment. Exception: A so-called CCW (Carry Concealed Weapons) permit, which is only issued by the sheriff of the respective county if someone proves that they need the weapon for professional reasons (for example, a bounty hunter chasing escaped criminals) or is otherwise seriously threatened. Typically, these CCWs are only issued in rural areas, and the cities almost always reject applications.

Another exception: In their own home, any ordinary citizen is allowed to hide a loaded firearm. However, this does not apply to those with a criminal record, illegal immigrants, those dishonorably discharged from the military, and the like. By the way, "home" also includes one's own garden, a rented motel room, or a campsite. Store owners (only the owners, not the employees) are also allowed to have a loaded weapon in their store. As a small legal peculiarity, one is not allowed to walk around with a weapon concealed under clothing in their own driveway. The weapon may be hidden in the "home," but not "on the person.

U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old are allowed to transport firearms in a car, provided they are unloaded and stored in a locked container (not in the glove compartment!). Those who reside in the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship may only transport firearms in a car on a direct route between locations with special exemptions (for example, from home to a shooting club where they are a member, or from the gun dealer where the firearm was purchased to the office they own).

Let's assume a store owner has a loaded gun in his drawer. If he drives home in the evening and wants to take the gun with him, he must remove the magazine with the bullets and place the gun in a portable, lockable box and lock it. When carrying both to the car, he must either carry the magazine with the bullets openly (otherwise it would be a violation of the "Concealed Gun Law," as the magazine is part of the weapon) or remove the bullets and lock the magazine in the box as well. Once home, the store owner is allowed to take the gun from the car into the house and load it there. However, he must ensure that his children cannot access it.

An unloaded firearm can, amusingly enough, be carried openly almost everywhere. One could easily march through downtown San Francisco with a Colt in an (open) cowboy holster--except in weapon-free zones like government buildings, schools, or airports. (Editor's note: This was the situation in 2003; since January 1, 2012, this is no longer the case. Governor Jerry Brown signed a law in October 2011 that equates carrying unloaded weapons with loaded ones.) However, if the weapon is loaded, you are not allowed to take it onto the street, even if you carry it openly. Rifles are not covered under the CGL, as they are very difficult to conceal under clothing, but they are covered under the LGL: No one is allowed to stand on the street with a loaded rifle.

Anyone openly carrying a weapon can be checked by the police at any time. This is usually prohibited for police officers in the USA -- if someone hasn't done anything wrong, no one is allowed to even ask for their ID. "Routine checks" like in Germany would be illegal. However, if a police officer sees someone carrying a weapon, they are allowed to check and ensure that it is not loaded.

What to do with the gun? You are allowed to defend your home, yourself, and other people against villains. It is important to note that there is no obligation to retreat if a confrontation could be avoided by doing so. However, you are only allowed to shoot if there is an immediate threat to the life and limb of individuals from the villain. If a thief is escaping through the window with a TV under their arm, it would be a crime to shoot after them. However, if the thief is attacking with a baseball bat, you are allowed to shoot.

The rules are very complicated and require precise legal abstraction to determine which regulation applies in which case. Hardly any resident of California (except perhaps the police and professional gun dealers) knows these rules exactly. I bought the now out-of-print book "How to Own a Gun in California and Stay Out of Jail" by John Machtinger, who compiled all the important facts back in 1999. Very nice!

For the pictures in the newsletter, I specifically bought two gun magazines from our local newsagent around the corner. To my astonishment, the tiny shop had a whopping ten different magazines. The seller said that he doesn't sell much in this neighborhood, and he always puts them on the top shelf so that small children can't reach them. He probably thinks I'm a gun enthusiast now, but I'll have to live with that.

The translation of "Kalifornisches Kasperltheater" to English is

"Californian Puppet Show.

Angelika After California struggled with various power outages due to the energy crisis (as we reported), the bursting of the internet bubble with company closures and rising unemployment, and now faces a budget deficit of 38 billion dollars, discontent is spreading among the population. Just as the Germans complain about Schröder and company, many Californians are angered by Gray Davis, the Democratic governor of California, who was re-elected at the end of 2002 (comparable to a prime minister).

Although the energy crisis is partly attributed to the Republican Governor Pete Wilson (who served before Gray Davis) and Davis did not cause the generally poor American economic situation, he serves as a scapegoat for most Californians. This may also be due to the fact that Davis appears rather colorless and stiff, and he fails to connect with the public. However, democracy means that once elected, a person serves for a full term, and those dissatisfied with Davis can express their discontent in the next election. Far from it: In California (and also in other American states), there is the possibility of a so-called recall: Voters can remove a politician from office before the end of their term. Originally included in the California constitution in 1911 to deal with corrupt politicians, the recall initiative is now causing a complete circus in California. In Germany, you are probably scratching your heads: "Recall - never heard of it!" Let me try to explain what it's all about.

To initiate a recall process, a certain number of signatures from California voters who support the recall must be collected. In California, this amounts to 12% of all votes cast in the last statewide election, which is 897,158 signatures. Compared to other states, this is extremely low; most other states that allow recall procedures require a hefty 25%.

So in the past months and weeks, we frequently encountered signature collectors on our way to the supermarket or the subway. In San Francisco, however, only a few support the recall initiative, as estimates suggest that the special election will cost the already struggling state a hefty 30 million dollars. As a result, other groups are simultaneously collecting signatures. für The signatures for and against the "recall" are not offset against each other. By a certain deadline, the signatures must be submitted for verification, which happened last week. Under the leadership of the Republican but considered untrustworthy politician Darrell Issa--who was arrested twice by the police some time ago on suspicion of car theft--far more than the necessary 1.3 million valid signatures were collected.

Issa financed the "recall" signature collection with 1.5 million dollars. Because in America, nothing happens without money. The election date has already been set. On October 7, voters will decide whether Davis stays or goes, and at the same time, they will choose their preferred new governor from a list of candidates. It seems somewhat crazy to me that a voter is allowed to vote for a candidate even if they are against Davis's recall.

Every Tom, Dick, and Harry, regardless of their party, can run for office. Only Gray Davis draws the short straw. He is not allowed to run. To participate in the governor's race, one only needs to be an American citizen, pay a $3,500 administrative fee, and present 65 valid signatures from supporters. If the candidate doesn't have the $3,500 on hand, the 65 signatures increase to 10,000. You can probably imagine that this means every fool wants to "join in." The danger of this special election is that, in addition to a likely low voter turnout, a completely inexperienced person could become governor, as a simple majority is enough to win, which in practice means that one can win with very few votes.

It currently seems certain that the aforementioned Darrell Issa wants to be involved. But the Republican businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in the last election, also senses his chance. And the rumor mill is buzzing that the film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, known as the muscleman, who is also a member of the Republican Party and a native Austrian with an American passport, might run. As absurd as that sounds, it is by no means far-fetched. In television news polls, perfectly normal-looking Californians admit they are willing to lend their vote to the "Terminator." Arnie is keeping a low profile at the moment, and the press speculates that his wife Maria Shriver, a Democrat who is also part of the Kennedy clan, is advising against it. I tell you, if I have to endure "I'll be back"-Arnold alongside Cowboy Bush, I'll go crazy.

Topprodukt

Michael Surely, you've also stared at a label in a piece of clothing before: "Ooh, Giorgio Armani...," wondering what it might have cost. "Ah, Prada!" The sweater may look like it's from a thrift store, but hey, it was surely expensive! Recently, in a magic shop in Las Vegas, I discovered something to put an end to this nonsense: sew-in labels with fabricated nonsense on them. One says "100% Pure Shit," another "100% Cow Dung." And I immediately sewed it by hand into the faux fur sweater that I've been wearing every day for years. It's just difficult to show the label to someone, but hey, humor comes from within...

How much longer?

Michael Over the years, I've often talked about my obsession with shopping at my favorite supermarket, "Costco." However, only long-time regular readers with an elephant's memory would know that six and a half years ago, one of my first actions in San Francisco was buying a 500-pack of trash bags there. Rundbrief 12/1996 The translation of "steht's beschrieben und auf diesem" to English is "it's described and on this. Foto Can you see it: In front of the Sharp TV set, which was also newly purchased at the time and has long since stopped working, and to the left of the Corona beer crate, which lasted even less time, you can see a pack of 500 garbage bags from the company Kirkland. Why am I writing this? A few days ago, we used the last one. However, this is not because we produced extremely little waste, but rather because in the USA, you always get inundated with plastic bags at the supermarket, which you then use for trash, so you hardly use any garbage bags you bought yourself. Now I'm faced with the question: Should I buy another 500-pack, will we stay another 6.5 years?

The ailing pension system

Michael In contrast to the Germans, who to my considerable surprise still like to dream of a state pension, the Americans have already grasped the truth, and no one under the age of 35 today, who earns decent money and is reasonably sane, expects any significant pension payments from the state.

I don't know exactly what kind of fantasy mathematics German politicians base their calculations on, but let's try a very simple calculation: While today in the USA, 15 workers pay for the pension of one retiree, in 40 years it will only be two. In Germany, the problem will be even more severe due to the much lower proportion of foreigners. This cannot work. Anyone who retires in 40 years will have to be able to support themselves with privately (!) saved funds. The brutal truth is that no one will give up 50% of their salary to us greedy retirees. The generational contract is dead, dead, dead.

the game show.>

In contrast to Germany, where the so-called Riester pension does not find much appeal, the American equivalent, the so-called 401(k) plan, is practically a given for anyone who does not intend to sleep in a cardboard box under a bridge in old age. The funny name is derived from tax code number 401, section (k).

Typically, employers offer a 401(k) plan for middle to higher-paying jobs. In this plan, the employee automatically deducts a certain amount from their gross salary (tax-free!) each month, which is then transferred to private investment companies like Fidelity (www.401k.com). The employee usually has the option to invest the money with varying levels of risk: money market funds (similar in safety to fixed deposits), bonds, or stock funds. However, sometimes only the employer's stocks are available for purchase, which isn't as ideal.

Even though the money is held by private companies like Fidelity, it is subject to the legal regulations for 401k plans. The money grows tax-free because any bond interest and stock fund gains are not taxed. You can manage the account as you wish and move the virtual money -- typically via the internet -- between different types of investments.

When you change employers, you set up a new 401k plan there and maintain it in addition to the old one. A maximum of $12,000 per year can be contributed to the 401k plan, and starting in 2006, this will increase to $15,000. When you are 59, you are allowed to start withdrawing money from your bundle -- however, every cent of it must then be taxed according to your income for that year.

Typically, as an elderly person, you need less money, which is why the tax rate is lower than during your working life. If you go to a financial advisor, they usually calculate how much money you need to deposit monthly and when you can stop working so that the money lasts until the average life expectancy, assuming a positive stock market development, say 10% per year. If you live longer or the stock market crashes, you might end up under a bridge.

Due to the stock market crash of 2000 and the ongoing poor investment climate, the 401k investments of many Americans went in the wrong direction: Instead of the required 10% growth per year, the retirement accounts of those who had invested their pensions in so-called "Aggressive Funds" particularly plummeted. At the same time, many also ran out of household money, which led quite a few to prematurely cash out their bundles, accepting the immediate taxation and a penalty fee.

A good employer supports the retirement provision of their employees with contributions of up to 50% on the payments, up to 6% of the salary -- that is free money, and on top of that, it is also tax-free, as the table in... Rundbrief 11/1999 The phrase "zeigt, ganz schön reinhaut" can be translated to English as "shows that it really packs a punch. 401k-Webseite branches out into all sorts of 401k intricacies

Apart from the 401k plan, there are other retirement options, such as the "Roth IRA," named after a senator named William V. Roth, who strongly advocated for this plan. The Roth IRA can indeed be maintained alongside the 401k. You can contribute up to $3,000 of already taxed money annually to the plan, but you won't have to pay any taxes on interest, stock gains, or withdrawals in retirement. However, high earners who make $110,000 individually or $160,000 as a couple per year are excluded from the Roth IRA. http://www.fairmark.com/rothira/roth101.htm The exact regulations are very complicated, and like all tax laws, can only be understood if you read thick tomes and regularly internalize the latest changes.

And, as always in the USA, there is no equality: Upper and middle-class individuals typically have a 401(k) plan and/or a Roth IRA, while those who earn less need everything for living expenses and cannot save for retirement. They rely on the government retirement safety net, "Social Security," into which both employers and employees contribute 6.2 percent of their gross salary, up to a maximum limit of $87,000 in annual salary (as of 2003). However, one can already calculate the insolvency date of this insurance: 2032.

An interesting twist arises from the population distribution in the age pyramid: In 30 years, it will mainly be foreign immigrants, especially from Latin American countries, who will contribute to the pension system and thus finance the pensions of a predominantly white population group -- racial conflicts are inevitable.

The American school system

Angelika Vacation time in Germany: How fitting to write something about the American school system. Everyone thinks they know it from American TV shows. But do you also believe that private schools dominate in America? Wrong, only 11% of American students attended a private school in 2002 - at least according to the statistics from the "National Center for Education Statistics.

Private schools charge tuition fees--between 200 and 1000 dollars per child per month. Public schools, on the other hand, are free of charge. Approximately 80% of private schools are run by churches and other religious organizations. While religious education is not allowed in the curriculum of public American schools (due to the separation of church and state), it is an integral part of religiously affiliated private schools.

The idea of free education for all is fundamentally American. The aim was to ensure that the still young nation with few commonalities would grow together more quickly, which especially benefited the immigrant children of the large waves of immigration between 1890 and 1930.

As in other areas in America, the government plays only a subordinate role in the education system. For example, there is no nationally standardized curriculum, which does not mean that every American school teaches in its own way. There are certain subjects that every American student struggles with to some extent, regardless of whether they live in Hawaii or Alaska: mathematics, English (writing, reading, grammar, literature), science, geography, history, social studies, art, and music.

On the other hand, learning a foreign language over a certain number of years, as it is known in Germany, nicht Obligation. Many American students only start learning a foreign language in high school (usually 9th to 12th grade). Interestingly, Americans often believe that learning a foreign language, such as German, for two years is sufficient to use it well. I frequently meet people who boast that they speak German because it was part of their "high school" curriculum for two years. However, you don't hear much more than phrases from them.

Even though the state does not take on a central role, it does not completely stay out of it. The legislative initiative "No Child Left Behind," which President Bush signed into law in early 2002, is a good example of this type of involvement. The law aims, broadly speaking, to achieve higher standards in public schools through increased student testing, hiring of qualified teachers, quality controls at individual schools, and so on.

In general, the authority over schools in America lies with the individual states (similar to the federal states in Germany). The states are divided into individual entities known as school districts. These school districts have significant influence because the control of public schools is intended to remain as local as possible. The school district is managed by the school board, which consists of elected citizens. Private schools must also follow certain guidelines set by the individual state, but they have more freedoms than public schools, for example, in their selection of students. In addition to private and public schools, there is the option to educate children at home, a method that is gaining popularity in America, known as "home schooling." Honestly, I'm not sure if that's really "the best thing since sliced bread.

The funding of public schools is provided through tax money, with the lion's share being contributed by the state, cities, and counties (about 90%), while the federal government only adds the remaining 10%. Generally, the property tax that Americans pay when they own a house goes directly to local schools. And this is where the problem begins: If you live in an upscale neighborhood where houses and properties are expensive, you pay a lot of taxes, and the schools in the area receive a lot of money. If you are unfortunate enough to grow up in a poorer area, the schools there are left with little funding. There is no talk of equal opportunities.

Now, you're probably eager to know how the American school system is structured. Typically, boys and girls attend school for 12 years, whether it's a public or private school, or even at home with "home schooling" by mom and dad. The compulsory schooling age varies slightly across different states: in 30 states, compulsory education ends at 16 years old, in nine states at 17 years old, and in the remaining 11 states at 18 years old. At six years old (with slight variations from state to state), an American child is enrolled in "Elementary School" (comparable to the German Grundschule).

In contrast to the German "Kindergarten," when an American speaks of "kindergarten," they mean the year. unmittelbar Before starting school. In most states, kindergarten is not yet mandatory, including in California. However, since kindergarten involves the initial learning of letters and numbers and is generally quite structured (there are homework assignments!), almost all children attend a "kindergarten." Kindergartens are usually located within the "Elementary School" building and are an integral part of the school (similar to the somewhat outdated school kindergartens in Germany).

Many children attend a so-called "Preschool" or "Nursery School" (Vorschule) before kindergarten. The "Elementary School" spans from the first to the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade ("8th Grade"), depending on the state or school district. After the fourth or fifth grade, a "Middle School" (Mittelschule) may follow up to the eighth grade. In San Francisco, public schools adhere to the following model: five years of "Elementary School," three years of "Middle School," and four years of "High School.

Please do not confuse the American "Middle School" with the German "Realschule." In the USA, there is no tripartite school system, only a comprehensive school system. The term "Middle School" refers solely to the period when children attend this school, namely between "Elementary School" and "High School.

Starting from the ninth grade, "High School" typically begins and ends with the 12th grade. In some school districts, there is also a distinction between "Junior High School" (often 7th - 9th grade) and "Senior High School" (10th - 12th grade). If a student successfully completes the 12th grade, they receive a "High School Diploma," which should not be confused with the Abitur.

However, if a student leaves school before completing the twelfth grade because they have fulfilled the compulsory education requirement, they receive nothing and are considered a dropout. Although there is the possibility of obtaining the diploma later in adult life, high school dropouts are not exactly at the top of the social ladder in America. The diploma obtained later also has its own name, namely "General Educational Development," commonly known as GED.

The American school is a full-day school and starts between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM and ends between 3 PM and 4 PM. As in Germany, there are different class periods (called "periods") and breaks ("recess"). American children also rest on Saturdays and Sundays. The school year usually lasts 9 months (or 180 school days per year) and runs from around the beginning of September to mid-June.

In contrast to Germany, the holidays are less spread out over the year. Most schools give their students a week of spring break and a few days around Christmas. However, the summer vacation lasts about 9 weeks. Not too long ago, American students used to get almost 3 months of summer vacation, a historical legacy from the times when children had to help in the fields during the summer, which is now recognized as outdated.

To prevent parents from going crazy during the long summer holidays and to allow them to continue working without having to take their children to the office, you can find summer programs everywhere, offered by organizations such as non-profit institutions. The famous American summer camp should not be forgotten either. Many schools offer what is called "Summer School," which means no vacation and lounging around: learning takes place. Since the concept of repeating a grade is hardly known in America, students here have the opportunity to catch up on gaps. There is also the possibility to retake subjects in which the student failed.

Older students often look for jobs over the summer or work as volunteers. In the Tenderloin, where I work as a substitute, there are currently a bunch of teenagers who are using their vacation to help us with the children. Our facility only closes for one week in the summer.

school. The students are enthusiastic about the teacher.>

But back to school: In elementary school, a teacher instructs the basic subjects and may be supported by some specialist teachers. In higher grades, students are taught by different teachers (depending on the subject) and move from classroom to classroom, because in America, it is not the teacher who moves from class to class, but rather stays in their own classroom. This is also because teachers often keep all their teaching materials at the school. Therefore, the teacher designs their own classroom.

In "high school" (usually starting from 9th grade), American students encounter a pure course system with a very broad range of subjects. The discussion continues in the USA about how much freedom should be given to individual students in choosing their subjects. Generally, however, every student must complete certain mandatory courses, which are supplemented by elective courses. The course system in the USA does not strongly commit students to a specific direction regarding their future career path. However, almost all high schools offer more academically oriented courses that better prepare students for attending college or university.

Grades and homework are common almost everywhere in the world, including in the USA. However, grades are not expressed numerically but with the help of letters: A, B, C, D, F. An A corresponds to the best grade, comparable to a grade of one, B is considered good, C is closest to a grade of 3, and D to a 4. If a student receives an F, it means they have not passed. However, in America, it is considered completely unacceptable to demotivate a poor student with bad grades. Therefore, hardly anyone receives anything other than an "A" or "B".

In America, teachers are considered regular employees and can be dismissed just as quickly as anyone else. Additionally, they earn relatively low salaries. In the 2001/2002 school year, the average annual salary of a teacher was $44,367, with the starting salary averaging only $30,719. For comparison, a bus or subway driver earns about the same. Salaries vary significantly from state to state. Teachers in the USA have a better reputation than in Germany. You often hear stories about particularly dedicated teachers who even sacrifice their own money to buy missing materials for their students. This must happen quite frequently, as since 2002, teachers have been able to deduct a certain portion of these "expenses" from their taxes.

In conclusion, I would like to report on a new American curiosity in the school system, the so-called "Charter Schools." Charter Schools are considered public schools and are therefore funded by tax dollars. However, in this case, the school district or the state transfers the educational mandate to the respective school through a contract. There are already 2,799 Charter Schools in the USA (428 in California), and during the 2002/2003 school year, they educated a total of 685,000 students nationwide. www.uscharterschools.org Zeigt Details" translates to "Show details" in English.

Charter schools generally have more freedom than traditional public schools. The idea is that this greater freedom leads to more creative teaching and better academic performance among individual students. In theory, parents or teachers can come together and establish their own charter school.

This doesn't sound bad in principle. However, since the early 1990s, there has been a trend in America for charter schools to be run by companies that not only aim to improve public schools but also want to make a profit from it.

One of the most well-known charter school companies is "Edison Schools Inc.," which now operates in 20 states. Typically, Edison takes over completely run-down public schools. To the company's credit, it should be mentioned that money is initially invested in the schools. The philosophy of the company's founder, Chris Whittle, is that the funds received by traditional public schools are consumed by existing bureaucracy, and he believes that through sensible management at his schools, he can not only prevent this but also turn it into profit.

The profit, however, is still a long time coming -- Edison Schools Inc. is facing significant financial difficulties. Critics argue that schools should not generate profit at all, as they are funded by public money. Many also characterize Edison Schools as a chain (essentially the Starbucks of schools), similar to what you would find in any American shopping mall, because Edison Schools operate with a standardized curriculum that is used in all their schools, regardless of regional differences. I personally believe that money cannot be made from education and healthcare. It simply doesn't work. There will be more on the topic of "school" in the next newsletter.

San Francisco Local: Subway to the Airport

to the airport.>

Angelika And here is the local news from San Francisco again. After 30 years of debating and planning, the first subway, popularly known as BART (Bay Area Rapid Transportation System), finally ran on a newly constructed route to San Francisco's airport, SFO, at the end of June. This may seem a bit backward to you Europeans. However, those who have traveled extensively in the USA know that even major airports often lack a subway connection to the city center, let alone cities having a reasonable public transportation system. Thus, the San Francisco model is considered groundbreaking. As in most American cities, the only options to reach the airport until now were by taxi, private car, or the so-called "Door-to-Door Shuttle.

Until recently, we always resorted to the latter option, because the "Door-to-Door Shuttle," as the name suggests, picks you up right at your doorstep. This is especially convenient when traveling with a lot of luggage. The "Door-to-Door Shuttle" is a minibus with a driver. Since a minibus can accommodate more people who share the ride, it makes the trip cheaper. There are several companies in San Francisco that offer this service. The whole experience costs between 12 and 17 dollars per person, depending on the provider, and some offer about a 50% discount for additional group travelers. Naturally, you also tip the driver. In comparison, a taxi from the airport to downtown costs about 37 dollars plus tip, while the subway ride from our station, 24th Street, costs 4.60 dollars.

"Airtrain" from the Bart to the departure hall>

We Old Europeans immediately tried out this new BART service when we set off for the Perl Conference in Portland. With the help of our rolling turbo luggage, the journey down the steep 24th Street to the subway station was a breeze, and indeed everything went like clockwork. The BART zoomed into the brand-new, ultra-modern SFO station, then it was up a few escalators to the AirTrain, the internal airport train that connects terminals, parking garages, etc. In the end, though, we felt a bit like we were in the provinces again, because passengers can only reach the terminal for domestic departures by passing through the parking garage. We had a good laugh about it.

Until next month! Your America Foxes:

The translation of "Michael und Angelika" to English is "Michael and Angelika.

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