Does the Leg really
care about public education?
The Texas Legislature (a.k.a. “The Leg”)
is still meeting? Say it ain’t so! Yes,
I’m afraid it’s so.
As I write this, our illustrious representatives
and senators are in the death throes of a second
special session called by Governor Rick Perry
who, much like Emperor Nero of Roman fame, fiddled
while public education burned.
This and the first special session were called
to solve the current crisis in public school financing
and taxation. They are no closer today than when
the regular session ended in late May. So, after
another 60 days and about $5 million dollars of
taxpayer money, the Leg is ready to go home.
But now there is a question of whether school
textbooks will be delivered before the school
year starts. If, in fact, the school year starts!
What a way to instill the importance of education
in our children. All this because the Leg can’t
agree on giving teachers a measly $1,000-ayear
raise and cut property taxes on the middle class
homeowner while raising business franchise taxes
which have been largely untaxed in Texas.
This Leg, like many before it in Texas, is beholden
to the large moneyed interests of the state. This
current group has been especially kind to huge
telecom interests, the oil and petrochemical industry,
and the insurance industry. That is why an across-the-board
business tax will not even be discussed, even
though it would be a boon to the state coffers
and give homeowners some tax relief.
The middle class and the poor of this state continue
to pay a very disproportionate share of taxes.
And if this Legislature has its way, that burden
will be even heavier for hard-working Texans.
Raising sales taxes is extremely regressive and
hits the poor and lower middle class especially
hard. These are the very people who send their
kids to public school in the hopes of a better
future in the first place. (I wonder how many
of our current group of legislator‘s sent
their kids to private schools).
In fact, that may be heart of the matter! Do
these leaders, Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst, Speaker
Craddick or any of the other 181 legislators and
senators care, really care, about public education
in Texas? I wish I could say without reservation
or hesitation: YES!!! But sadly, I cannot.
And that is what bothers me the most about this
whole sordid affair: is the current leadership
of this state trying to destroy public education?
Its actions throughout this entire mess have been
to put politics and greed above educating our
children. These kids are the future and we should
never shortchange them for lack of money or political
gain.
I sincerely hope that the courts will do a better
job at this than the Legislature. Well, to be
honest, it can’t get much worse.
Or can it?
— John Hitt is an NLC government instructor
and a co-sponsor of the Student Government Association.
|
