by Mike Killalea, NSD president
The GOP doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t cut your way to success. Yet this has been a hallmark of the party since Ronnie Ray-gun. Cut the meat to the bone, then criticize failed government.
So when the Travis County GOP recommends “NO" votes on VATRE proposals, its solution is — unimaginatively — to make “better use of existing revenues, which regularly increase.”
Do they? Through increasing student head count? And that won't incrementally increase costs. And expenses don't exactly remain flat.
Voters ignored the GOP, and overwhelmingly approved VATRE for LVISD and two other Travis County ISDs — Pflugerville and Round Rock. VATRE will generate roughly an additional $800,000 for Lago schools. This increased revenue can and will be used for employee compensation (not just teachers), safety and security, and general daily operations, according to Darren Webb, LV ISD superintendent. The money will also be exempt from “Robin Hood” payback to the state.
The Travis County GOP opposed all three VATREs. (Oh, and Round Rock ISD comes in for criticism for its alleged “serious parental rights and governance issues that need to be addressed prior to requesting additional money from the public.”)
It’s no surprise. The GOP is known for “poor boy-ing” education, as state Sen Roland Guitierrez said at state Rep Vikki Goodwin’s recent reelection kickoff.
The GOP’s magical thinking
The TCGOP must live in a different Texas from the one we know and love. In the TCGOP sphere, it’s apparently easy to “fund any needed salary increases by reducing administration and overhead and re-prioritizing funding into the classroom and not by raising taxes.” Incoherent much?
I’m glad the TCGOP has solved the mystery of achieving growth through cuts. Because, apparently, our state’s highly educated and experienced administrators and teachers haven’t.
Harry Potter-like, Republicans have mastered the arts of wizardry, potions, and magic wands. Magical thinking at its finest.
Get real: Schools need more money, not less
Time for a reality check. Despite GOP magical thinking, money does not grow on trees. Cutting funds for one necessary expense and using the funds for others is hardly a sustainable course. Robbing Peter to pay Paul. A zero-sum game. No growth there.
Democrats strongly support our public schools, and in particular raising teacher pay. That’s why the North Shore Democrats of Travis County urged our fellow citizens to learn about and vote for Lago Vista ISD VATRE (Proposition A). The proposition passed by a landslide on the November ballot.
While the district has previously passed bonds, those funds can only be used for capital projects. Bonds cannot by law be used for operating expenses and salaries.
It’s clear that the GOP wishes to destroy public education. All the better to control the citizenry.
These are our kids we’re talking about. Don’t let the GOP succeed.
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This is their game plan. Starve public education and then declare it underperforming and institute voucher program so parents can send their kids to private schools. But, based on Arizona, MI, and WI, the majority families using the vouchers for private education, were already in private education. So… Arizonians, etcs are on the hook for millions of dollars while the rich get richer!