Walker, responding to a proptax question:
As I have shown by introducing eight consecutive budgets without a property tax increase from the previous year, we can control property taxes. We should restore the QEO (qualified economic offer) to allow school districts to control costs. We should allow local governments to enroll their employees in the state health plan, saving up to $300 million which can be used to reduce property taxes. Most importantly, I support a strong property tax freeze.
Nope.
The QEO and a "proptax freeze" are State-imposed mandates on LOCAL governments. In other words, Scott, you think that the State is far more wise than the local elected officials.
I doubt it, and there's plenty of evidence to back up my doubts. (I have my doubts about some locals, too--but that's OK. Let them cook in their own juices.)
Part of the proper solution is to eliminate the requirement that arbitrators consider "comparable" school-district salaries, and let school boards actually be responsible for compensation agreements. Another useful change would be to repeal the State law which mandates full-disability benefits for firefighters who have pulmonary problems.
We don't want to trade one Statist for another, Scott.
since the state government pays for 2/3rds or so of all the schools, shouldn't the governor have a say in how much they can increase their spending year by year? If you want true local control, how about the state government stop taking that money and have schools payed for only by the local governments?
ReplyDeleteWhy should Milwaukee be able to decide how much of my money should go for their schools. I don't live there or vote for their school board.
Fine by me.
ReplyDeleteHow's this grab you:
State caps school aids at current numbers (not even 67%), cuts back by 5% every year for the next 4 years, bringing it to ~50% by 2016. Proceeds go entirely to structural-deficit elimination.
Meantime, Walker cuts OTHER State expenditures by 10%/year, all financed 50/50 by income tax cuts.
School boards are warned. They get less every year and it's up to them to fix their budgets.
Somehow, the courts would see that as racist, call it unconstitutional, and charge Scott Walker with a hate crime!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen anything about the chances of the republicans gaining control of the state legislator. While it will be nice to have Walker as governor, without a compliant legislator, true cuts in government will be hard.