---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
# Hubris of the Hoch-Tech
July 21 2014
Written by Sara Roos.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
***MAKING POINTS***-What is it with high tech entrepreneurs and the hubris of their bastardized version of [noblesse oblige](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noblesse_oblige)?
First came [Bill Gates](http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520#philanthropic-efforts) with his “[philanthrocapitalism](http://pando.com/2014/06/05/revealed-gates-foundation-financed-pbs-education-programming-which-promoted-microsofts-interests/)” and in particular his focus on education philanthropy. The effort to overlay pedagogy with business practice have been problematic, to say the least, from his [aborted small schools project](http://www.publicschoolshakedown.org/node/145) to the current [crusade for the common core](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bill-gates-pulled-off-the-swift-common-core-revolution/2014/06/07/a830e32e-ec34-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html).
This brand of libertarianism that insists corporations are entitled to eclipse the public sector while [self-righteously claiming disinterest in politics](http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/bill-gates-testy-about-his-financial-interests-common-core-video) is hardly unique.
Think, for example, of **[David Welch](http://www.fastcompany.com/1715434/going-public-vs-prublic)** and his privately bankrolled [assault on public education teachers](http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25943802/dave-welch-silicon-valley-entrepreneur-leads-fight-against).
His skirmish neatly dovetails with a long list of [other such offensives](http://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_38,_School_Vouchers_%282000%29) led by one curiously removed “ideologue” after another. Consider, then, as an archetype the non-educator, non-public school parent **Bill Gates’** [“non-political” assault on teachers](http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/bill-gates-testy-about-his-financial-interests-common-core-video), their competency that his empire conveniently wishes to measure, and the propensity for poor children to disproportionately receive the short end of the “good-teacher” stick.
These investors cry “foul” all the way to the bank, expressing authentic [concern for the welfare of the needy](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/27/opinion/the-charitable-industrial-complex.html?_r=1&) through solutions that coincidentally enrich them materially; often [denying the constitutional handicap of their circumstances](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-bottom-line-on-no-excuses-and-poverty-in-school-reform/2012/09/29/813683bc-08c1-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_blog.html).
The latest folderol [foisted by the overly-rich](http://crooksandliars.com/2014/03/meet-silicon-valley-millionaires-funding) on the rest of us (the[ 2000 state proposition](http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2000-11-05/tim-drapers-voucher-crusade) mentioned above) is [this scheme of **Tim Draper’s**](http://crooksandliars.com/2014/02/billionaire-tim-drapers-plan-california) (photo above) to isolate the richest zip codes in America from the rest of the state [to which they owe fealty](http://www.citywatchla.com/lead-stories-hidden/7222-the-draper-dream-would-be-our-nightmare).
It’s the same privatizing capitalists foisting self-serving schemes upon the rest of us, cloaked in altruistic-sounding capsules. Why doesn’t this ever stop? Why do the rest of us fail to notice these emperor’s clothes are visible only to themselves?
Depriving our school children of well-funded, functional, diverse schools led by well-trained, dedicated pedagogues is not a boon to anyone but those who would institute a paradigm of teacher-less, computer-driven vocational training. [This is the vision](http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/09/keen-on-draper-university-of-heroes-tim-draper-is-looking-for-the-best-and-the-brightest-is-that-you/) foisted by a small clique of über-rich who would hug all their wealth to themselves and establish [a vortex to map ever more of it](http://www.laprogressive.com/dividing-california/) into their gerrymandered partition.
---
{module \[862\]} {module \[662\]}
---
On the face of it, Draper’s Six Californias is a foolish conceit doomed simply to highlight the folly of isolationism, fated for a pricey demise. As a balIot measure its complex absurdity furnishes yet more justification for my own personal “executive decision” to refrain from signing any ballot petitions on the grounds that they are all, essentially, Orwellian.
But as one of a set of coordinated — or even just coincidental — feints focused squarely on extracting as much as possible from Education and/or the public sector, it is yet another initiative to keep a wary eye on, the collective lot not to lose sight of.
It is exhausting to face one sortie after another led by business entrepreneurs keen on legislating politically from behind the scenes. Their private and privatizing politics is not tendered in the interest of the public.
***(Sara Roos is a politically active resident of Mar Vista, a biostatistician, the parent of two teenaged LAUSD students and a CityWatch contributor, who blogs at[ redqueeninla.com](http://redqueeninla.com/))***
***-cw***
**CityWatch**
**Vol 12 Issue 59**
**Pub: Jul 22, 2014**
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/115 "Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/114 "McKinney Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Message
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
### [Prosecutor, Democrat, City Attorney? McKinney Makes His Case to Los Angeles Voters](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
ELECTION 2026 - The race for LA City Attorney has been laced with political accusations and allegations that when close…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
### [The LA Watchdog’s 2026 Voter Guide](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
LA WATCHDOG - My recommendations are influenced by the need for truly balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, long ter…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
### [The Fools’ Blame Game](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
THE VIEW FROM HERE - Angelenos do not use elections to plot a wiser course of conduct for Los Angeles, but rather they…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
### [California Film Tax Credits Aren’t Enough. The Guilds Need to Change Too.](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
LONNIE’S VIEW - California used to be the center of the movie and television universe. If you wanted to make movies, yo…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
### [Here’s What Zionism’s Got To Do With It](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
ICAN - The anonymous website “BHUSD Watch” recently published a long, detailed article about the current BHUSD board an…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)