Washington State Reps Need a Visit to Starbucks
These people need to get to Starbucks and stat! so they can wake up and smell the coffee.
From the NW Progressive:
Proving once again that their Fund education first rhetoric is nothing but a false front, Republicans today pushed a bill through the Washington State Senate that transfers sales tax revenue collected on transportation projects out of the state’s general fund and into its highway fund. Since the general fund principally pays for our schools and universities, the bill would effectively take money away from education and put it towards laying asphalt instead.
The vote was directly along party lines.
The final vote on SSB 5990 was twenty-six to twenty-three, with all Republicans voting aye and all Democrats voting nay.
Prior to the vote on final passage, Senate Democrats tried to get the bill amended to prohibit it from taking effect until after the McCleary case has been fully resolved.
The Senate Republicans voted the amendment down, drawing a pointed rejoinder from Democratic Senator Pramila Jayapal of Seattle.
“How can the Republican majority claim education funding is their top priority, and yet blow a billion dollar hole in already limited resources?” said Jayapal, who offered the amendment with fellow Democrat Rosemary McAuliffe. “This is bad for our kids, bad for our infrastructure, and it is simply irresponsible governing.”
So let's review here. The Supreme Court has repeatedly told the Legislature to enforce/pay for McCleary. The talk from the Legislature has been non-stop about this issue and yet the Republicans are taking tax revenue out the General Fund for transportation over education.
If there is another explanation, I'd like to hear it because that's EXACTLY what it looks like. If the number one priority is public education, then why are these dollars going FIRST to transportation?
It's fairly confusing because many legislators - especially ed reform DFERers - say that they want to include early learning and higher ed in public education spending.
Where will all this money come from? New taxes? Or at slash and burn of every social service to the ground.
Honestly, what is the Supreme Court to think when they see a vote like this? I hope the House makes sure this one is DOA.
From the NW Progressive:
Proving once again that their Fund education first rhetoric is nothing but a false front, Republicans today pushed a bill through the Washington State Senate that transfers sales tax revenue collected on transportation projects out of the state’s general fund and into its highway fund. Since the general fund principally pays for our schools and universities, the bill would effectively take money away from education and put it towards laying asphalt instead.
The vote was directly along party lines.
The final vote on SSB 5990 was twenty-six to twenty-three, with all Republicans voting aye and all Democrats voting nay.
Prior to the vote on final passage, Senate Democrats tried to get the bill amended to prohibit it from taking effect until after the McCleary case has been fully resolved.
The Senate Republicans voted the amendment down, drawing a pointed rejoinder from Democratic Senator Pramila Jayapal of Seattle.
“How can the Republican majority claim education funding is their top priority, and yet blow a billion dollar hole in already limited resources?” said Jayapal, who offered the amendment with fellow Democrat Rosemary McAuliffe. “This is bad for our kids, bad for our infrastructure, and it is simply irresponsible governing.”
So let's review here. The Supreme Court has repeatedly told the Legislature to enforce/pay for McCleary. The talk from the Legislature has been non-stop about this issue and yet the Republicans are taking tax revenue out the General Fund for transportation over education.
If there is another explanation, I'd like to hear it because that's EXACTLY what it looks like. If the number one priority is public education, then why are these dollars going FIRST to transportation?
It's fairly confusing because many legislators - especially ed reform DFERers - say that they want to include early learning and higher ed in public education spending.
Where will all this money come from? New taxes? Or at slash and burn of every social service to the ground.
Honestly, what is the Supreme Court to think when they see a vote like this? I hope the House makes sure this one is DOA.
Comments
Roosevelt Mom
One, "Supreme Court, you can't tell us what to do."
Two, "You want public education dollars? We want to cut, cut, cut and NO new taxes."
Something has got to give and I have to wonder who will blink first.
Even without 1351, I don't know how they will pay for McCleary without new revenues.
http://www.northkitsapherald.com/news/288339811.html
Testing and the cost of testing should be required to be isolated for the taxpayers' and legislatures' approval.
-NNNCr
Get real
This budget, however, would not account for technology costs at the local level or really any costs at the local level.
--- swk