This Summer: Don’t Let Republicans Devastate Our Public Schools

Posted on Jun 26, 2010 in Uncategorized

Now is the time for Democrats all over Idaho to seize the day and work to elect Democrats in Idaho. More and more voters are demanding answers to the crisis facing our schools. Community leaders have stepped forward to provide those answers and they are doing it by running for public office in Idaho as Democrats.

Democratic candidates have refused to remain silent while teachers are fired, opportunities for our children are eliminated by program cuts and crowded classes, and the jobs we need for a strong economy are forced to leave the state.

Our Democratic candidates are willing to hold Republicans accountable and offer a positive alternative. But, they cannot do it alone. Are you willing to help them?

Are you willing to carve out a day or a couple evenings every week and make a commitment to help Democratic candidates contact voters? Don’t wait to be asked. Contact your state, federal and local candidates NOW and offer your time and talents.

Plan your summer so that these dedicated candidates can count on you.

This is no ordinary election year. The crisis is real:

  • This summer, teachers who have inspired students to learn and become good citizens are being fired – they are forced to look for another job before school starts in the fall;
  • Families are anticipating that next fall their children will be piled into larger classes;
  • More of Idaho’s future scientists, musicians, writers and leaders will not find their talents as programs are being eliminated;
  • Families and businesses will be forced to pick up more costs as school days, school weeks and transportation systems are changed to cover for Republican cuts;
  • People all over Idaho have voted (or soon will vote) to increase the only tax available to them – the property tax – to try to avoid even more devastation to their schools
  • The list goes on and on…

Republicans rejected solid options to avoid these. They have been in power in Idaho for 16 years and made the crisis worse when they enacted the great Republican tax shift of 2006 which destabilized public school funding. That shift – pushed through with only Republican votes – placed our schools’ economic future on an increasingly volatile sales tax filled with huge exemptions. Republicans knew their actions would mean our school budgets could not weather an economic downturn. Instead, they placed their ideology ahead of Idaho’s children, families and businesses.

Republicans leaders in the legislature informed our schools districts that they are not finished cutting public schools. They fully expect to be re-elected and use that as a mandate for more cuts.