It is LEGISLATIVE BLAST DAY!!! Today I request that you help target the School Aid Sub-Committee Members! We need to let them know that their plan to shift dollars from K-12 Education in favor of a $1.6 Billion TAX BREAK FOR BUSINESSES is unacceptable. If they get 800 emails in one day, I would hope they would pay attention!
Please use your home emails: Copy and paste the letter below (yes, it is long....you are more than welcome to modify or write your own!), and send it to the committee members I have listed at the bottom of this post!
Dear Michigan House Representative,
I have become aware of your position as a member of the Appropriations Committee sub-committee, School Aid.
One of my biggest concerns at this time is the proposed raid on the State School Aid Fund. There is sufficient money in the fund to give K-12 education adequate funding, if not even an increase in funding. To cut K-12 funding and to give it to community colleges and other schools of higher ed is draconian.
First, the colleges have the ability to raise revenue in other ways, while K-12 schools do not. Secondly, schools in the K-12 arena, especially Walled Lake (my local school), are down to their last dollar - literally. The cuts they will have to make will undo all of the fine programs we have in place; like interventions for students who need extra help and the exemplary curriculum work that happens here and makes our schools some of the best in the state. This is just the beginning! Between proposed loss of revenues and increased costs, Walled Lake is looking at $24 million in cuts before next year.
Even if the teachers took a 10% pay cut, it would only save a little over $7 million. This is less than a third of the money Walled Lake is looking to cut. You are literally creating a deficit district with your School Aid Fund policy if it is carried out.
Most disgusting to me is that the true reason for making these cuts to education is to free up General Fund dollars so our state government can give a $1.8 BILLION dollar tax break to businesses. This is unfathomable to me. How can a multi-billion dollar tax break for businesses be more important than a quality education for all children?
Most importantly, by making this cut in education by shifting funds out of the School Aid Fund, you are totally violating the wishes of those who voted for the initiation of Proposal A in the 1990’s. It was a decision of the electorate and should be respected as such. The most important function of a state government is to insure that schools are funded to do the best job possible.
I implore you to NOT shift funds for K-12 Education to the General Fund. Use the money in that fund in the way the electorate intended……funding K-12 Education.
Here are the addresses to use! Depending on your computer, you might be able to just click on the email address, or copy and paste the address to your email!
1) Rep. Bill Rogers (R) – Chair - Brighton
2) Rep. Phil Potvin (R) - Cadillac
3) Rep. Earl Poleski (R) - Jackson
4) Rep. Jon Bumstead (R)- Newago
5) Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton – Vice Chair – Huntington Woods
6) Rep. Jim Ananich – (D) – Flint
