Education Funding Plan from McKenna
Republican candidate for governor, Rob McKenna, put forward his plan for fully funding education.
You can read a Seattle Times news article about it and a Danny Westneat column about it.
It comes down to this: cap all other spending to inflation plus population growth and direct all of the savings to education. But how can he cap healthcare spending when the costs are rising so fast? I guess someone isn't going to get their healthcare.
You can read a Seattle Times news article about it and a Danny Westneat column about it.
It comes down to this: cap all other spending to inflation plus population growth and direct all of the savings to education. But how can he cap healthcare spending when the costs are rising so fast? I guess someone isn't going to get their healthcare.
Comments
Thankfully, in Washington, our state's paramount duty is education so we already know what should be cut.
But I have to wonder if the Legislature will go along with it. He can't get this by himself.
I will note that I have tried to talk with McKenna's campaign about education issues (with their encouragment), only to find that when I actually try to get info/make an appt, I get ignored. They are doing it to The Stranger as well so you get some tip-off of what kind of communications will go on if McKenna is governor.
I mean, sure, ignore me (although I probably could speak more knowledgeably to him on education than almost any other reporter) but The Stranger? Most politicians don't get to play favorites with reporters. Otherwise, you then get FOX news.
Their own members will suffer but it makes them look more "independent".
Give all savings to education? Really? I'd think we'd want any extra going to ensure our poor elderly, disabled and children are clothed, fed and sheltered and cared for before we put that extra into public education. That education became a priority over basic needs of survival for those less fortunate in this state is really pretty shameful. Education may be very important, but it is in no way THE most important, i.e. "paramount", thing.
Unfortunately, our state constitution has the "paramount" language in it. But I see this as much more of a "shrinking government" ploy -- if all the savings has to go to education (which as Techymom says -- sounds good), it will of necessity remove government's ability to help with health care, funding for the disabled, and other human services that far right conservatives want to discontinue. (Remember, these were the people shouting "Let them die" during one of the early presidential candidate debates -- I no longer remember which candidate).