Contact the Governor NOW
I'm going to offer the simplest advice I can on the levy cliff. There is NO reason it has to happen.
I urge everyone to call 360-902-4111 or,
email https://fortress.wa.gov/es/governor/ or
tweet @GovInslee
and tell him to put pressure on the Legislature to have a one-day special session to extend the levy deadline from 2017 to 2018.
Remind him that until the Legislature completes McCleary work, districts should not suffer even more from a lack of fully funded schools.
Yes, contact your own legislator as well but I'm hoping that if the Governor feels the full force of citizens begging for this, he can make it clear that whatever the Legislature wants to get done when they do convene their regular session, nothing will get his signature.
Comments
Call today
He needs to hear this to give him the muscle to protect schools now.
https://fortress.wa.gov/es/governor/
However, because of the requirement for balanced budgets, districts everywhere are being forced to waste a tremendous amount of time, energy and money, to participate in this fire drill. Every day this artificial crisis continues, hundreds of projects are in limbo.
There is a very real cost to this nonsense and I concur with Melissa that the Governor needs to step in and resolve it, because the legislature is unlikely to do so.
The Governor, loudly and openly, pressures the Legislative leaders to have a one-day special session to extend the levy date to 2018.
If that call is not heeded (and I'll call that like Jan. 10th), then we turn to the Supreme Court, again, via emails, calls, etc.
Because it is one thing for the Legislature to drag their collective feet on McCleary and another to add more misery to an already bad situation for districts in this state.
I would hope the dire consequences for districts would move the SC to act against the Legislature and we see the hammer come down.
And you would suggest that citizens email, call, etc. the SC? Are you suggesting that citizens politicize court proceedings?
Personally, I think SPS should go through the budget exercise of assuming the levy cliff. A budget, among other things, is a statement of values. I would like to see what the administration and the board value. I disagree with Kellie that it is nonsense and a tremendous waste of time.
Clarence
I think offering an opinion to the Court doesn't "politicize" anything. It offers support to their ruling without saying what political party you are. Citizens are allowed to write to the Court but, of course, the Court will remain silent.
And fyi, the district does a budget every single year and we see those values in action. An "exercise" in cutting $70M+ seems folly.
The levy cliff is a different, though related matter.
When I say politicize the court, I didn't mean partisan. I meant trying to influence the court through political acts such as protest, letter writing, pressuring, etc. The court should act only through the constitutional boundaries and authority granted to it. To take action based on public sentiment undermines its authority and duty.
I know the district does a budget every year. I think this exercise under a potential (if manufactured) crisis would show how the district responds to such a crisis. We can agree to disagree.
Clarence
NW parent
In addition to the Governor and state representatives, I think it is a good idea to contact House leader Gael Tarleton (360-786-7860), Senate leader Sharon Nelson (360-786-7667) and Frank Chopp via his legislative assistant at Bre.Weider@leg.wa.gov
These individuals represent Seattle and hold leadership positions. This issue must be dealt with at the beginning of the legislative session. It is unreasonable to expect the district to go through the exercise of laying off 400 teachers.
Funding Now
As to the Supreme Court and the levy cliff - the Supreme Court declined to increase the sanctions on the legislature because they believed the legislature had made progress. But the levy cliff would be an example of the legislature regressing, and would trigger greater sanctions. Washington's Paramount Duty tried to make a motion on this to the Court but as WPD is not a party to the McCleary case, that wasn't possible. A district like SPS, however, might just be able to do it.
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-nc