Arizona Prop 123 Second Step of Scam VOTE NO

If Proposition 123 passes this, then is the promised second step.

 A $21 million cut to public schools?

This, while offering up another $26 million in mostly corporate tax cuts?
For months, we’ve been listening to Governor Doug Ducey extol the benefits of Prop. 123, the proposal to push off some of the state’s obligation to fund K-12 schools onto the kids by siphoning more from the state land trust.
For months, Ducey has promised that it was only a “first step” toward improving the schools while refusing to say what that second step might be.

Well, now we know.

Under the proposed budget for next year, K-12 schools — schools that have endured some of the nation’s deepest cuts since the Great Recession — will actually get less money than they got this year, after inflation and student population growth are taken into account.

Let me say it again. OUR LEADERS ARE CUTTING FUNDS FROM SCHOOLS EVEN AS THEY ASK YOU FOR PERMISSION TO SIPHON MORE MONEY FROM OUR KIDS’ TRUST FUND TO PAY THE STATE’S OBLIGATIONS.

Meanwhile, the budget contains another $26 million in tax cuts. This to go along with the 2011 tax cuts that when fully implemented will cost the state $346 million a year – or roughly the amount the state should be paying (but have refused to pay) to cover inflation.

Outraged shouldn’t even begin to cover it.

Want more?

The budget contains just $13 million in ongoing new money for the state’s three universities. Of that, $5 million is earmarked for three “economic freedom” think tanks at ASU and UA — all of which were started with seed money from the Charles Koch Foundation. The founding director of one of those think tanks, ASU’s Center for the Study of Economic Liberty, has called to eliminating public schools.

Do you see what’s going on here?

Surely, voters see what’s going on here and are ready to demand better than this.

Something to think about as you watch the avalanche of TV commercials full of smiling kids over the next few weeks, part of a multi-million-dollar campaign to convince you to vote yes on Prop. 123 so they can get their hands on the kids’ trust fund to pay what should be the state’s obligation to educate them.

Should be, but only if voters demand it.*

You know that old saying about how you get the government you deserve? In just 19 days, I suppose we’ll find out just how gullible we really are.

Their scam having been exposed, our lawless Tea-Publican legislators met in the dark of night Thursday night beginning at 9:00 p.m. to try to reverse this public relations nightmare brought about by their own hubris and contempt for the intelligence of the voters of this state. State budget plan amended to boost school funding:

The Arizona House kicked off its only public hearing on the Republican budget proposal in the dark of night Thursday, with leaders announcing they had reached a compromise in the fight over school funding.

At the beginning of the hearing, House Appropriations Chairman Justin Olson, R-Mesa, announced they would be introducing amendments to the original $9.58 billion budget proposal. A coalition of Republican House members had been pushing for weeks to boost the plan’s education funding.

The amendments introduced in Appropriations Committee on Thursday appear to be a win for the lawmakers fighting to protect school funding. They include:

Giving schools another $15.5 million to fully cover the effect of the current-year funding shift.

Giving charter schools an additional $5.3 million to offset the small-school cuts.
Increase the amount given to district-sponsored charter schools to fully hold them harmless.

Add $23 million to the School Facilities board for construction in the Agua Fria and Chandler districts.

All of the money added to the budget will be one-time money.

The increase will be covered with cuts to several areas, including a $9.5 million decrease in the amount the state will get for roads, a $5.2 million cut in the amount counties and cities will get for roads, and a $21 million transfer from the Health Insurance Trust Fund.

What our lawless Tea-Publican legislators giveth, they taketh away from someone else, because the GOP First Commandment is “Thou shalt never raise taxes” (even though the Arizona Constitution commands that they do so). Source