Los Angeles school named after Al Gore

[mike r]

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/05/local/la-me-gore-school-20100906

Los Angeles school named after Al Gore
He's the first vice president to have an L.A. school named after him, sharing the honor with author Rachel Carson. Fittingly, the campus will be devoted to environmental themes. But there's a catch.
By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

Al Gore has had some tough breaks — like losing the presidency after getting more votes than the other guy — but the noted environmentalist achieved a singular honor last week, becoming the first vice president to have a Los Angeles school named after him. And, fittingly, the school will be devoted to environmental themes.

But as in the 2000 election, there's a catch. Critics say the campus' location poses a long-term health risk to students and staff. School district officials insist that the Arlington Heights property is clean and safe. And they've pledged to check vapor monitors and groundwater wells to make sure.

The $75.5-million Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Sciences will open Sept. 13 for about 675 students. As he was with Bill Clinton (who has an L.A. middle school named after him), Gore is second on the ticket to Rachel Carson, the late author credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement.

"Renaming this terribly contaminated school after famous environmental advocates is an affront to the great work that these individuals have done to protect the public's health from harm," an environmental coalition wrote in a letter to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Making sure the school is safe "would be an even better way to honor their contribution to society."...

[ProfessionalLeftist]

1. The LAUSD and Raymond Cortines

are a bunch of morons.

I have no issue with naming a school after Gore, but why THIS school?

In other words I agree with the environmental coalition - it does a disservice to Carson and Gore to name this particular one, which has problematic environmental issues. I have to wonder if it's deliberate, knowing the attitudes of this particular district on other issues.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. hard to believe it was not done with some deliberate forethought.