In a letter to the editor to the Times Gazette, State Senator John Carey had this additional comment to say about the education association's support for this plan:

• You may ask the same question I asked, "Why are the education associations willing to let school districts be cut in some cases, when in the past, they have opposed other plans that would have pumped much more money into education?"

I met with representatives from these groups, and they were clear about their motive. They said they are willing to throw almost everything overboard and take the short-term cut, because in the next biennium, under the governor's plan, they would have a say about what would be funded and by how much, regardless of the cost to the state and Ohio taxpayers. I am not willing to delegate the authority of the Legislature to an association, which is unelected and has a narrow focus (85 percent of education spending is for salaries).

This may answer some questions about this poorly conceived plan. If history is any indication, this thing will probably be enacted and Ohio will fall further into the economic abyss.
RightRunner | Homepage | 06.09.09 - 8:02 pm | #