by Pamela Powers Hannley
I guess stingy Republicans come in all colors.
Tucson's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has voted to oppose the Quality Education and Jobs initiative (Prop 204) on the November ballot. In their opposition, they proudly join the Goldwater Institute, Governor Jan "Mother-of-SB1070" Brewer, former State Senate President Russell "Father-of-SB1070" Pearce, State Representative Debbie "Let-your-employer-control-your-birth-control" Lesko, and others who regularly stand up for Latinos. (Sarcasm alert.)
It's another example of a group voting its class interest over other considerations. Who needs those guvmint schools anyway?
[P.S. Yes, I know that the BfAZ bloggers are split on Prop 204.]
Those who don’t support Prop 204 based on legitimate concerns about regressive taxation and its negative consequences to poor families are not thinking of a few details. First, while sales tax affects the poor more than the rich, who is affected more by the gutting of TUSD’s funding than those same poor? Second, when your car overheats, you fill it with water to get it to the mechanic. You don’t say “bummer man, Its broken. Think I’ll wait on being able to get a water pump (or whatever) here by the side of the road, to fix it”. In other words, Prop 204 is a stopgap measure. Of course we all know that this is not the way to fix the system. But why should the kids currently in the pipeline suffer because the adults that make decisions for their lives can’t get their act together politically and throw out the ledge and the Guv? Obvio, you can tell where I fall in the discussion about 204. And I think it is no question mark why the panel of TUSD Board Candidates was unanimously in favor of it, either. My guess is that one sees more support of Prop 204 the closer you get to education and educators, who actually SEE what it looks like to run a classroom or a school site on the current amount of funds and with the current amount of fiscal insecurity .
Anyone against Prop 204 needs to realize what will happen to schools when the 1 cent sales tax expires in June. That penny tax goes to the general fund right now, so schools receive about $400,000,0000 from it (as K-12 is usually said to be 42% of the general fund). If Prop 204 fails, that 1 cent sales tax expires… and the $400,000,000 goes away with it. That is about $400 per student lost.
Let me restate that. If Prop 204 passes, the funding is protected from the legislature, and the 1 cent will add about $625 per student to our schools.
If Prop 204 fails, the legislature can continue to cut funding, the 1 cent tax expires, and schools will lose about $400 per student.
It’s a net $1000 difference per student.
Well, there are a number of issues that the BfAZ bloggers disagree on, but we enjoy the debates, I guess.
Mike is against 204. Dave is for 204. I don’t like funding education with sales tax, but I will probably vote for it. Not sure about the others.
BfA is split? What’s the controversy?