Oakland School Funds

“Oakland Seeks Record Bailout for Schools” (Jan. 9), on the collapse of the Oakland school district, doesn’t come as a surprise. State Sen. Don Perata (D-Alameda), who is now begging for money for the school district, is the same Don Perata who engineered the lavish payoff to the Raiders in 1994, with the approval of the NFL offices.

With the money that Oakland and Alameda County have to pay the Raiders for nonsellouts and other perks, they could probably fund the school district. Maybe Perata ought to ask NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to fund the school district, rather than state taxpayers.

Larry Schwartz

Palm Desert