By Kristin

This is what I'm talking about.  These excellent people, quaintly called "millionaires" in the Seattle Times article, as if a million will even buy you a house with a garage in some Seattle neighborhoods, these people who went to Olympia and heroically encouraged legislators to ask the rich to pay more in taxes.

The response from one conservative lobbyist?  "If you want to pay more, just write a check to the federal government."  I wonder what the millionaires thought about that.  Maybe something along the lines of, "Really?  How can you even find the brain cells to spare when tying your shoes in the morning?"  

One nameless millionaire told Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (read, "We don't want to pay taxes but want our 911 calls responded to promptly…") to "Renounce your American citizenship and move to Somalia where they don't collect any tax" if he didn't want to pay more taxes.

Hear hear.

We cannot continue to expect districts to rely on levies to adequately fund public education.  We cannot continue to expect bake sales and jogathons to put instructors with students and supplies in classrooms. We cannot continue to expect private foundations to provide every public service so that children arrive to school even partly ready to learn, because their families have basic services.

We are going to have to ask and expect those who have more than they need to help make our society a healthier, better-educated and safer place.