By Kristin
Think you could find a way to cut $4.6 billion from Washington State's budget? The League of Education Voters has a nifty interactive calculator that will put you in the power seat.
To fool around and see where you would save (or earn) the state $4.6 billion, click here.
I did it, and managed to cut nothing from early learning. I managed to save 4.6 billion dollars without making state employees take a 3% salary decrease. I did it without taking away food stamps, health care for poor children, or increasing class size.
I did cut the National Board Bonus, because I don't think times like these merit bonuses, and I think those who have claimed to be leaders need to step up and take a hit. I did suspend the teacher COLA, for about the same reason, but I kept our annual experience increase. I'd rather give up a bonus and a COLA than have class size go up, wouldn't you?
And I made up the most money by doing things like increasing ferry rates, taxing cigarettes, and ending the sales tax exclusion on business services and consumer services. Call me crazy, but I think cosmetic surgery should include sales tax.
To see my budget, you can click here.
I can't figure out why Gregoire – someone who really does value education – would take such a big bite out of programs that help kids and won't increase tax on things that grownups can choose to do without. Can you?
I prefer to think of the extra money we receive as NBCTs as a stipend. Bonuses are what bankers get. We earned our stipend, based on a promise from the state.
But if you want to save some real money, how about cutting the salary increases teachers get for having a Master’s degree? Bill Gates has clearly demonstrated that having a Master’s degree has no impact on classroom teaching.
Paul, you’re right that it would be one more revoked promise, but we were told from the beginning that the bonus depended on funding. I do remember that.
Tom, I came up short too, and panicked, thinking it could never be done, then I went back and taxed interstate commerce.
No one seems willing to raise taxes, because there’s a big threat of job loss. Even this morning there was some Hooey story in the Seattle Times (I think) about how if we cut funding for universities it will mean job loss. That’s the big bluffing threat of capitalism – raise taxes, expect health care, cut funding, and constiutents will lose their jobs, be unhappy, and won’t vote for you next time.
Well, people are losing their jobs anyway. Teachers are, architects are, city employees are, even librarians have to be willing to take a pay cut and lose work days every year if they want to keep their job.
So my vote is for increased taxes, job loss or no. I’m tired of employers holding the “but we’ll have to fire people!” threat over Olympia. They’re firing people anyway.
And that guy in the picture is smoking the world record of cigarettes. Can you imagine? I wonder if he died after inhaling once instead of (like my father) dying after inhaling one at a time for a few decades.
You’re right; it is fun. But I lost, so I’m bitter. I fell about $850 million short. So if I double the cigarette tax, triple the ferry fee…
By the way, what in the world is going on in that picture?
Of course it’s simplistic and phony! But it’s fun.
I’m a teacher. My wife’s a grade school office manager. My kids are in school and they both have a lot more school ahead of them. My life is pretty much focused on education. Therefore, I advocate for all things education, including the National Board bonus. I’ll do so unapologetically, knowing full well that if my life was centered on state parks, state prisons, low income health care or ferry boats, I would be an unapologetic advocate for those interests. I also fully expect that those who are interested in state programs other than education will advocate full-bore for their interests, regardless of their feelings for education. That’s how state governments work.
I also reject toys like the League of Education Voters’ on-line simulation. It’s simplistic and phony. It also absolves the politicians – the folks who begged us to give them this responsibility – from their duty to sift through the demands of every interest group in the state and decide how to spend or not spend money that we don’t seem to have.
I once opened a fortune cookie and received this gem…
“A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.”
I have no problem paying more taxes. I think everyone, ESPECIALLY those with the most, should pay more than they currently do. I’d be all for a state income tax, actually. But I completely disagree with eliminating the National Board bonus. The state promised that those who completed National Board Certification would be paid something for going through that horrific process. I wouldn’t even mind if they reduced the bonus. But eliminating it completely would be yet another promise from the state that was revoked ‘just because’. I’m tired of that, and especially in this instance when so much hard work and individual expense was spent by all NBPTS candidates to get this ‘training’ and a modest raise to a mediocre if not pathetic salary. I hate to be a bastard, but I believe that many other cuts need to be made before National Board bonuses are eliminated. I do want to keep class sizes down, but I also want to let people who REALLY want to be good teachers benefit.
I had waaaaayyyyy more fun clicking to tax than clicking to cut, for sure.
Maybe I should move to Sweden. Or Canada, Ay?
I did my best as well, and was able to preserve half of the NB bonus, but that meant a little more out of higher ed. I, too, preserved everything for the youngest. I agree with your increases in taxes, but then again, I’m okay with paying taxes.