All I hear from Republicans these days is how the State of Wisconsin is going to turn into a pumpkin if the Democrats in the Senate don't pass their K-12 funding bill, AB 506, by midnight on September 28. They, of course, are simply spinning the rhetoric of DPI Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, who says that DPI may be forced to use last year's budget numbers if new ones aren't authorized. This, of course, means no increase in equalization aids, which means locals could raise property taxes.
But let's note what we're saying here. DPI "may" be forced to use last year's numbers. Locals "could" raise property taxes. DPI is not saying that it "will" use last year's numbers. Just that it might.
For the sake of honesty, can everyone just stop with the B.S.?
If you are a K-12 administrator, and you are reading this blog, I can tell you exactly what you are getting. You are getting absolutely, positively, no less money than what would be given to you if AB 506 were to become law. Not a penny less. Guaranteed.
The question, of course, is how the Republicans are going to find a way to pay for all of the new K-12 spending they've agreed to in principle. But those details don't concern you. They won't go back on their word. Trust me - they're not stupid enough to yank a bunch of money away from K-12 after they've promised it publicly and voted for it. They do a lot of dumb things, but they're not that dumb.
So let's just stop pretending that there's some big, ominous, looming deadline. There's not, and anyone with a brain realizes that. Republicans are just playing the property tax card to gin up fear among the masses. Burmaster's just using some made-up date to try and leverage more school spending.
There should be no massive property tax hikes. Why? Because all these school districts already have the functional equivalent of a guaranteed minimum. They can go ahead and do all their planning and not have to worry about where the money is coming from. The money is as good as guaranteed and will be coming soon enough.
Burmaster doesn't need a budget by Friday. Hell, she doesn't even need AB 506 signed into law. She just needs the word of the Legislature that K-12 funding levels will be no less than what's in AB 506, and I think that's something both sides could give her in a heartbeat.
There are enough real problems to discuss in the budget without having to worry about all the fake, political ones that both sides are trying to conjure up. Less idiocy from DPI and less histrionics from the Brothers Fitz about this would do everyone some good. Stop trying to play gotcha and please, just do your damn jobs.
But let's note what we're saying here. DPI "may" be forced to use last year's numbers. Locals "could" raise property taxes. DPI is not saying that it "will" use last year's numbers. Just that it might.
For the sake of honesty, can everyone just stop with the B.S.?
If you are a K-12 administrator, and you are reading this blog, I can tell you exactly what you are getting. You are getting absolutely, positively, no less money than what would be given to you if AB 506 were to become law. Not a penny less. Guaranteed.
The question, of course, is how the Republicans are going to find a way to pay for all of the new K-12 spending they've agreed to in principle. But those details don't concern you. They won't go back on their word. Trust me - they're not stupid enough to yank a bunch of money away from K-12 after they've promised it publicly and voted for it. They do a lot of dumb things, but they're not that dumb.
So let's just stop pretending that there's some big, ominous, looming deadline. There's not, and anyone with a brain realizes that. Republicans are just playing the property tax card to gin up fear among the masses. Burmaster's just using some made-up date to try and leverage more school spending.
There should be no massive property tax hikes. Why? Because all these school districts already have the functional equivalent of a guaranteed minimum. They can go ahead and do all their planning and not have to worry about where the money is coming from. The money is as good as guaranteed and will be coming soon enough.
Burmaster doesn't need a budget by Friday. Hell, she doesn't even need AB 506 signed into law. She just needs the word of the Legislature that K-12 funding levels will be no less than what's in AB 506, and I think that's something both sides could give her in a heartbeat.
There are enough real problems to discuss in the budget without having to worry about all the fake, political ones that both sides are trying to conjure up. Less idiocy from DPI and less histrionics from the Brothers Fitz about this would do everyone some good. Stop trying to play gotcha and please, just do your damn jobs.
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