The Legislature recently cut K-12 spending by nearly $200 million for the next fiscal year. It comes on top of a multi-year mugging of state support for public education. Five years ago, state K-12 funding was $650 million higher than it is this year.
Certainly, the recession diminished revenues and necessitated cuts. But the share of the burden expected of our public schools — and our children — is way beyond prudent public policy.
Meanwhile, the Republican-dominated Legislature increased by 50 percent the funding stream for private schools. Even after Gov. Brewer vetoed a bill to channel millions more into tax credits for donations to private schools, the Legislature snuck a new version into “omnibus” legislation passed in the all-night session just before adjournment.
Treatment of public education is just one example of how this Legislature is dangerously out of step with what Arizona citizens want. But Russell Pearce and his Republican super-majority get away with it, in part, because most of us remain silent.
It’s time to speak up for our priorities for state government. One opportunity comes Tuesday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m., when Legislative District 21 Democrats host a “Community Conversation” on state spending priorities. The meeting is in the old City Council chambers on the 2nd floor of Chandler’s downtown Public Library building.
Bill Gates
Sun Lakes
listenertoo posted at 9:31 pm on Tue, Apr 26, 2011.
Samkat, I'm calling for a truce. Actually, I bet you are a terrific friend for standing up for Leon. Yes, I shouldn't pick on him anymore. He is an easy target. I do disagree with your statisctics on illegals simply because no one really knows how many there are. The numbers vary widely depending on which source one uses. You don't know, neither do I as there is no one who can agree on of the verification of those numbers. In fact, the numbers might be even greater. There are illegals and legals who scam the system. There are poor and wealthy who scam the system, and little shame for those who do. We all suffer for that.
I think we can agree that our elected officials have let us down, and that goes for both Democrats and Republicans. We have a mess and, quite honestly if the whole illegal problem went away tomorrow, we would still have a mess. Do I think it can be fixed. Yes, I do, but it would take compromises on everyone's part, and again, our elected officials are setting good examples.
Lastly, I must take issue with your statement that I am "believing in segregation, racist and a host of other what I consider to be slurs was uncalled for." In calling me names, you are, of course, doing exactly what you accused me of doing. Are you aware that in psychology when one accuses someone else of being, for example, a segregationist and racist that that is called projection; you are calling me what you believe of your self. If you met me face to face you would never dream of saying that.
I agree to leave Leon alone. Are you willing to concede anything, Samkat? I bet you will. I think on many levels we might agree, and I think you suggestion of a civil discourse is a good one.
samkat posted at 6:14 pm on Tue, Apr 26, 2011.
Listner: I based my comments on your rant against Leon along with Geekete's comments towards Leon. Referring to him as AKA Russell Pearce, believing in segregation, racist and a host of other what I consider to be slurs was uncalled for. Disagree with him yes, but at least keep the discourse civil. Leon is not the only individual I observe who types in caps. Perhaps it bothers you but that is apparently the way he prefers to type. Not everyone is gifted to be the perfect professional letter writer. I have known Phd's who sucked at spelling and composition.
By the way, I share the same disagreement with the charter school mismanagement and also agree that we have probably more than one legislator shafting the taxpayer.
I do agree with Leon on the illegals. When we have more than 8 million of them employed and over 14.5 million legal Americans unemployed, it is criminal that this administration refuses to enforce E-Verify universally to protect our citizens. Furthermore, the DHS, IRS DHHS, and Social Security data bases need to be linked to weed out welfare and other socioeconomic services to illegals. We need to make it as difficult as possible for an employer to knowingly hire an illegal or for the illegals to use fraudulent or stolen identity for any purpose. I also disagree with any form of amnesty.
listenertoo posted at 7:01 am on Tue, Apr 26, 2011.
Samkat, being called a "true left wing liberal" is a first for me. In re-reading my own words I don't see anything that would make you say that. What am I missing? That people should be is honest is what a "true left wing liberal" would say? That money is being wasted is what a "true left wing liberal" would say? That people want to earn a living wage is what a "true left wing liberal" would say? That having overcrowded classes is not acceptable is what a "true left wing liberal" would say?
Thank you, Samket, and I mean that sincerely. I am sure that a lot of my views belong to a large spectrum of potical beliefs, and not just to "true left wing liberal [s]."
samkat posted at 9:06 pm on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
Listener: Somehow, you sound like a true left wing liberal.
DemocraticDad posted at 2:18 pm on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
Bill, you are 100% correct! Arizona have the lowest spending per pupil in the nation, and rather than trying to rectify the problem, the Republican dominated legeslature exacerbates it by cutting more and more from public education while filling the coffers of the private schools of the wealthy. It amounts to nothing less than a systmatic destruction of public education in Arizona with the final result being a total destruction of the economy of the state. I think Craig Barrett, Former Intel CEO, summed it up very well a few weeks ago when he said that due to the dismal state of public education in Arizona, along with the Republican dominated legislature's ongoing cuts, Intel would not move to Arizona today. Intel currently employs 10,000 people in Arizona, one of the top employers in the state. What would our economy be without them? It makes you wonder how many other major corporations are not relocating here because of our extremist Republican legislature and the wacko ideas and policies that they vote into law. It seems that this legislatue is so out of touch with mainstream Arizonans that they would rather approve Tea Party license plates and the Colt revolver as the state gun, rather than properly fund the public education system that educates 85% of Arizona's students and is the lifeline to our future economy.
We need the jobs, safe streets and excellent schools that our Democratic legislaters are fighting for. I will certainly be there on Tuesday evening!
Dale Whiting posted at 2:46 pm on Sun, Apr 24, 2011.
Looks like Tuesday's meeting will be interesting!
listenertoo posted at 10:15 am on Sun, Apr 24, 2011.
Geekette,
You are so right. Yarborough owns and operates Christian Charter schools. Seems to me like a major conflict of interest, but we know our legislators make the rules up as they go along to suit their own interests, and protect their own. Check Yarborough's tax records. His has profited, lterally, from his own legislation. Our state superintendent of public education, Huppenthal, never sent his own children to public schools.
Oh, and Geekette, Russell Pearce, aka Leon, believes he is very funny and witty. I guess back when he attended school here in AZ the schools were still segregated. Of course, Russell/Leon attended the white schools. His hate is a fire which will consume him, becuase that is what hate does.
Also, we know that Russell's last article was ghost written by Bindy. All which proves that Arizona schools, in which our legislature continues to make up goofy laws which only benefir themselves(Yarborough), or giving tax breaks to large corporations, have struggled for a very, very long time. Or maybe Russell/Leon ditched their English classes.
When teachers leave the profession through early retirement and /or quit the profession all together out of the burdensome new laws this state will struggle to find new teachers.
Mesa Public Schools is now planning to save money by putting MIMD (mildly retarded) students into the regular classrooms, in addition to having over 30 students in each class. So if you have a challeneged child they will be thrown into an environment where they no longer get the individalized attention of a trained special education teacher. This means even less time for the other students, and Russell/ Leon, getting rid of all the illegal alien kids won't make a lick of difference to the school districts because the large classroom will be the norm. The distrcits are not hiring any new teachers.
So Russell/Leon if you really want to help you should be putting your energy into doing whatever you can to public education in this state. If you did that you might be able to avoid that costly re-call election. Nah, you're ego syas you are perfect.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 5:04 pm on Sat, Apr 23, 2011.
LOL.....DON'CHA JUST LOVE IT WHEN YOUR HARD WORK IS RECOGNIZED.....PAT ON THE BACK............PAT ON THE BACK.....[beam]
AND HOW RIGHT THE PREVIOUS COMMENTER IS...........ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDENTS FROM MEXICO AND POINTS SOUTH ARE THE ONES WHO ARE STEALING YOUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION = 40,000 ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDENTS TIMES ....$7,716.00 PER ILLEGAL ALIEN...........PER YEAR.
HOW MANY OF THESE ...."PRIVATE SCHOOL...CHARTER SCHOOL...PAROCHIAL SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE THERE...........I DON'T THINK IT IS ......40,000.
AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH ....."AMERICAN" PARENTS WANTING THEIR CHILDREN TO GET AN........"AMERICAN" EDUCATION FROM...PRIVATE/CHARTER/PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS ????
WOULD YOUR RATHER THE ATTENDED ......U of A-TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS ...........LEARNING TO LOVE..........CHE GUEVERA...INSTEAD OF ......GEORGE WASHINTON ???
LEARNING TO LOVE........KARL MARX AND VLADIMIR LENIN..........INSTEAD OF ....THOMAS JEFFERSON AND JOHN ADAMS ???
AFRICAN-AMERICAN....NATIVE AMERICAN...AND LATINO STUDENTS LEARNING TO ............HATE AMERICA.........INSTEAD OF LOVING AMERICA...........IF YOU THINK I AM WRONG...GO "SEARCH" THE WEB........UNDER....TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ETHNIC STUDIES/LA RAZA.
OH AND DON'CHA JUST LOVE IT WHEN .....LIBERALS......TALK ABOUT ...POSTING THE FLAG AND THE CONSTITUTION..........THE DIRECTOR OF THE TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ETHNIC STUDIES/LA RAZA PROGRAM HAS A PORTRAIT OF ............YUP....YOU GUESSED IT....."CHE" GUEVARA (FIDEL CASTRO RIGHT HAND MAN)......ON HIS WALL IN A PLACE OF ...PROMINENCE.
geekette posted at 3:13 pm on Sat, Apr 23, 2011.
The Legislature has long been hostile to public schools; witness the constant cutting of funds and the double-standard in laws that concern schools. For example, private school students do not have to take the AIMS test, post the flag and the constitution on the walls, and can receive much more in donations than can public schools with more flexibility in how to use the money. Private and charter schools can limit the number of students that they take in and can expel or "counsel out" students who are too troublesome. And if a private school student needs some extra help, they can go to their local school district that must provide the remedial reading or other special ed help. Yet public school teachers are demonized by our lawmakers and public school funds are constantly being cut while their responsibilities are increased. If we want to show support for our schools, we must carefully choose pro-education lawmakers who see education as an investment and not an expense. It's our future and our children's future.
(Cue Leon's rant in CAPS agains illegal immigrants.)