Proposal 5 = Union money-grab
Proposal 5 is simply a money-grab by the unions driven to maintain excessively high levels of retirement and health benefits. According to a recent Mackinac Center study, education spending in Michigan rose 40 percent from 1995 to 2005, providing our public schools with $1 billion above and beyond the rate of inflation. If passed, an additional $500 million will be taken from the state’s depleted general fund and sunk into the schools in the first year alone. Besides flat MEAP scores, illegal strikes and soaring tuition bills, what did the first billion buy?
[Letter to the Editor - The Detroit News. Published 10/19/2006.]
1 comment:
You are incorrect about Proposal 5!
This is incorrect. School employee pensions are controlled by the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System, a state system. Employees pay a portion, local districts pay a portion and the state pays a portion. Pensions are being paid now and will be paid whether Prop 5 passes or fails. Pension and benefit levels will NOT be changed with passage of Prop 5. Pension and benefits will NOT be increased and NOT be decreased with the passage of Prop 5.
Proposal 5 is good for Michigan.
Michigan’s future depends on changing our culture from one of “it’s good enough” to one of high expectations and demands for education attainment and results. We can invest in our public education systems now – or pay much more later with a dwindling economy, low-paying jobs, declining state services and infrastructure, and a continuing downward spiral. K-16 public education is the key to Michigan’s future success.
Money will be spent on the children.With all the accountability measures in place, with a more rigorous high school academic curriculum already mandated and colleges and universities restructuring to educate for 21st century opportunities, our education systems can plan and improve. One proven method of improving instruction is to reduce class size so teachers can spend additional time and individual attention to students. This approach cannot be used without additional, stable funding.
Another faulty claim is that we cannot afford Proposal 5 because it would cut into other services needed and taxes would be raised. Here is the truth of the matter.
The legislature CAN afford it and should fund it as promised.It is the responsibility of the Legislature to find the revenue to fund essential services and make education a priority. There are billions of dollars in special tax breaks, loopholes and other tax expenditures readily available to the Legislature to help them do their job and pay for priorities like education and other vital services provided by the state.
So, perhaps you should study the Proposal yourself, rather than watch so many faulty tv ads. The one organization that you speak of (The Mackinac Center)is a big proponent of privitizing education. Would you rather have your taxes raised to send your neighbor's kids to a private school? Let's give public schools a fair chance. They have not been given many mandates from the government but have not been adequately funded for many years to carry out those mandates.
Perhaps if Proposal 5 were passed you may see a change in the problems you addressed. Perhaps if we decrease the inequality in fees per pupil between rich and poor districts all schools would be given a fair chance to succeed because they would all be able to afford the proper tools. Maybe then they would have a chance to create better MEAP scores, fewer strikes and more affordable tuition and not burden tax-payers with the responsibility to do what the state has within its own powers to do but doesn't. In this state, we always seem to want to hold the teachers accountable, and the kids, but why not hold the state accountable? Make them do what they said they would do, fund our schools.
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