Arizona's Public Education in Trouble-BIG TIME!

Nothing New!

Every since a Republican moved into the Governor's Office again, Public Education in the form of "District Schools" have suffered one cutback after another.  Underfunded, unappreciated and under constant attack by ideologues and for profit private charter schools parading as extensions of public schools, funding has dwindled.

The voters of Arizona mandated funding for public education, however the Legislature has cut and short-changed District Schools.  Now the Court has ordered the voter approved public education funding be fulfilled and the Legislature has been ordered to pay up that obligation.  Now it is time to live up to the Constitution and voter approved Law.  Taken to Court a  ruling has been given, "Money is owed public schools".

It's high time we move into gear and demand the Governor call a Special Session of the Legislature and pay our public schools the money they are owed.  

http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/judge-arizona-owes-public-schools-more-than-m-now/article_9f33cd77-aa09-512e-88c5-38962d9ed4a2.html

Not one voice but thousands of voices.  Members of the Legislature, all candidates, political leaders, school board members, teachers and all teachers groups should be making news letting the Governor know they want action now.

Letters to the editor, social and business networking sites, students starting back to school writing to blogs, picketing and letting their friends and fellow students know that they have been cheated by past legislatures.  Better education choices, teachers, schools and students have waited long enough, it's the Law, the Constitution of Arizona requires it.

The Governor should have shown leadership on this issue and she has let us down.  At the minimum she should have vetoed the theft, now she needs to call the Legislature into session and request they do the right thing.  Start paying the students of this state the funds for their education that the Courts have ordered them to pay starting immediately with 300 Million.

The Court can order, but the Legislature has control of the state budget process.  The Legislature needs to be called into Special Session to do their Constitutional duties.

Waiting for the regular session of the Legislature with the political charades the leadership demonstrates and the dysfunctional members display will result in no solid accomplishment.   Sneaky, tricky sweeps of funds from dedicated (or what should be dedicated funds) is fraudulent budget balancing. 
 
A special session with a narrow objective will cut down on the smoke and mirror distractions the few in control use to promote a few profiteers and payback special interests who furnish campaign funds.  

Let's see who really believes in the Law, the Court has ruled. Time for action!  Time to demand payment!

I have full confidence in FRED DuVAL if he is elected Governor education at all levels will be a top priority of his administration.  The problem is IF!   The voters in Arizona have been so distracted by other issues election of any Democrat statewide especially in an off-year election is problematic. Great candidates, better qualified are not always elected.  

BUT, Pro-Public Education candidates have a good opportunity to pick up three additional State Senate seats giving a new look and more friendly outlook for proper funding coming out of the State Legislature for public education.  People like State Senator Steve Farley, Legislative District 9, are working tirelessly to elect more Democrat candidates to the State Legislature, however, that's a battle royal and the Republican machine in this state is well aware of those efforts.

Dr. Randy Friese a candidate for the Legislature in the same LD 9 puts education high on his "to do list" in the Legislature.   Dr. Friese states, "Public investment in our public education infrastructure equalizes opportunities."  Friese knows the difficulties providing solid education and pledges top priority for proper funding.  In order to have a high performing economy investment in education and skill training are building blocks to accomplish our goal of more good paying jobs.

Out of Arizona's thirty legislative districts, the candidates for the election in LD 9 this November you couldn't find more dedicated proponents of public education than State Senator Steve Farley, State Representative Victoria Steele and State House candidate Dr. Randy Friese.

Narrow business special interests have stakes in keeping anti-environment, anti-tax tea party types in full control of the Legislature.  Private prisons, Charter Schools and "Special Favor Tax" benefits get involved in campaign finances with dark money flowing into crucial campaigns of their legislative supporters.

Elections matter, and this election is critical for Education, Jobs and the Economy for Arizona.  People are moving to Arizona and will continue,  The difference is are we moving forward with a solid base of better paid working people as well as the seniors and retired folks who for the most part support lower paying jobs or not? 

School Vouchers are another red herring.  Take your eye off the ball and switch, more of the same deceptive transferring state revenue from public education. 

More discussion on education vouchers, click here 

The discussion if the Governor called a Special Legislative Session where would the money come from to repay the schools the Court Order requires.   One suggestion has been taking money from the "State Rainy Day Funds".

Another person wrote recently in the Tucson Weekly:

...call a special session and repeal the vouchers and tax credits for private schools that are sucking money out of the general fund into religious education. After that, raise the revenue that voters have demanded and that is the legislators' obligation. Finally, publicize the name of every legislator who voted for the cuts, vouchers and tax credits and make this an election issue. 

Whatever we do, speaking out for a Special Legislative Session seems like the best course of action.

Let's make this November a referendum on public education.

During last century’s Cold War, Great Britain’s Winston Churchill said: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of wealth; the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”

Let's take a spin off those words, and compare the equal sharing of ignorance, lack of education, void of job skills and the current state of opportunity for young people and working age people in Arizona and consider what can be done.

It doesn't have to be that way!  We can change things and bring jobs, opportunity and brighter futures for everyone by determined effort to change course and set a new direction for everyone by making the November General Election a referendum on candidates holding positive attitudes and sincere principles in public education for all.

Candidates for public office must be masters of words, they are coached and practice sure-fire buzz phases designed to win favorable impressions from voters.  "School choice", and similar statements of support for educational opportunity are easy to express,  but what is the real meaning of their words?  

Education vouchers, privately owned charter schools sucking up public funds under the guise of being public schools need close review as alternatives to "district schools" which are  operated by locally elected boards of education.  Open meetings with time and place for public participation leading to real give and take on local school decisions. 

What is the real public input into these for profit education facilities called Charter Schools?  Do they really have "open enrollments"?   Do they offer special educational opportunities for handicap and students with special needs or disabilities?  The Charter Schools seek equal public funding, trust us finances with no public recourse on how or where the money is spent.

Starting with the "troubled" Pima Community College do we have candidates seeking election prepared to turn the direction around and bring quality back and solve the issue of accreditation?

Worth investigation seeking election to an open position on the board is Mark Hanna.  Is he for real or just a good song and dance candidate?  Sounds worth a second look.  Quoting from public material:

The best way to ensure a prosperous future for Tucson is through education. For 40 years the Pima Community College has been providing this education to our youth who are the leaders of tomorrow. By voting for Mark Hanna, you are helping to ensure that the Pima Community College continues as a leader in education for the next 40 years and beyond.

Pima Community College has such an important roll as a first stop for education after high school we need to elect new leadership committed to providing the community a learning center with skill building programs to ensure employment quality graduates.  

The success of Pima Community College is paramount as a resource for education in our  community, we must not put it on a back burner to just do the best it can.  Top priority to its governance and public support and financing needs our full attention.

This November election are we watch dogs of the candidates from both parties and their proven records of support for education.  

The candidates know the words, but what are their records?  Not the campaign blowing smoke, "protect the border", "bring jobs", "save the environment", "cut taxes", "balance the budget stuff" but the real issues like money for education, replacing lost gas tax revenue for transportation.

We need to hear where the candidates plan on getting funds for transportation projects, maintaining our streets and highway.  Where are local governments are to find money for the programs mandated by the state for their operations?   

Do we have a sluggish job market, stagnant wages, lazy people looking for welfare subsidies?  Across the country the employment picture has shown some improvement, more people are finding jobs but problems still exist.  Arizona is no exception, but reaching out and ready to lead is a fresh change in the climate of politics old school.  

Arizona has a very unique opportunity to elect a real in your face a savvy educator that is making his way as a good politician.  Without any doubt, with no reservations our chance of an election cycle to put education back on the front burner where it belongs. Show all ninty legislators, the to be elected governor we care about our kids, we care about jobs, we are tired of educating our children to move to other states for decent jobs, we want education improved.

Our vote for one of the most important posts in state government, a leader who not only knows but cares about education, a new Superintendent of Public Instruction with a 4th generation Arizonan who knows the state, ready and prepared to move us ahead, DAVID GARCIA

DAVID GARCIA  Experienced with Vision who knows the classroom, our children and someone we all can be proud to follow, for our future education systems and strong public schools.  

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country

Now is time to resist fear, prejudice, stand tall for Progressive Ideals, Values that all Liberal-Progressives believe and carry forward into the fray we call an election.

Certain things are evident, President Obama is our first Black President.  He has more than proven his leadership and reaffirmed our trust in him for his second term as our President.

All across this country North, South, West and East there are people who have a reservoir of prejudice and will not be willing to accept his leadership in these times.  Any person of color would have that problem.  People really like President Obama and his family, but are not willing to accept him as the elected leader of our country.  

Someone said, Money is made round to roll around.  Greed and the seeking of financial benefit is a fact of life.  [**Corporate Greed]  People of great wealth never seem to have enough.  There are people willing to exploit that seeking to fill their own wallets.  Just a fact of life we cannot take money out of politics--this year!

The real patriots are those folks against some odds who are willing to become summer soldiers and march forward gathering as many as we can to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and elect those candidates willing to support President Obama and his last two years as our leader.

I firmly believe President Obama fully deserves to be placed in history along side the great Presidents not limited to but in my lifetime, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, yep, Jimmy Carter the under-credited humanitarian of our time.

President Obama is leading the United State in the worst set of global turmoil, no leader outside actual war has faced such world conditions.  Coming out a Great Recession, standing firm with responsible advisers President Obama has been a steady force at the wheel moving forward to renewed prosperity for our country.

Coming off the Great Recession who is the steady hand?

Put this is your book of the world today, Europe is still suffering from recession, China the second biggest economy in the world is in a worse struggle.  Japan and Germany's economies are shrinking, Italy's economic and political structure is in full decline, most of economies of the world are basket cases of financial ruin.  

Russian troops on Ukraine's border feeding rebels trying to topple Ukraine's government after having moved into part of Ukraine declaring it part of Russia.  Islamic militants seized Iraqi territory, attempting to create its own state out of Syria and Iraqi.  In punishment of Russian expansionism US sanctions are disrupting trade and creating problems for our European allies.

Ebola outbreak spreading fear and death over Africa.   World poverty, pitting nation against nation, Israel's war in Gaza upsetting the simmering powder keg of the Middle East.  No peace there for another piece of time.

Constant political harping against President Obama, if it rains too much on the East Coast and fires rage on the draught ridden West Coast, it was the lightening caused by President Obama visiting the West Coast to possibly do a little political fund raising to help Democrat candidates who are being buried by dark money political action packs. 

President Obama remains a steady hand at the wheel of state, and I am darn happy he is!  Progressives it is our assignment to become the soldiers, electioneers for this fall's elections. This mission and the short time we have to turn things around means, all hands on deck!

Give Up and Give Credit - President Obama is a success!

Our  future Health Care with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act another of the great achievements of the President Obama needs to be added.  Open enrollment for this year with nearly 14 Million more Americans under some Health Care program is a reality.  

Another 5 million plus denied health care coverage because the politicians in Republican controlled states refused to expand the Medicaid programs offered with Federal funds.  The citizens of those states are cheated the basic need of health care because for political reasons their elected representatives would rather make them suffer than see another crowning success given to President Obama.

The pressure is building as more and more citizens realize just across the border in another state with more progressive government leaderships health care is offered and more folks are now under a health care program.  How long before those Republican politicians can no longer withhold Medicaid expansion and by popular demand join the ranks of millions of other Americans offered health care?

How much longer before the medical professionals, hospitals, insurance companies and employers revolt against picking up the tab for emergency and other medical treatment for the uninsured? 

Update on Affordable Care Act (OBAMACARE) More Success

UPDATE
Time is working for providing Health Care to yet more millions of Americans.  States led by Republican Governors and Legislatures are feeling the heat for turning down expansion in their states of Federal Funding offered by the Affordable Care Act through Medicaid.

Millions of citizens in progressive states have been able to join state programs for health care at NO COST to them or their state governments.  Tax dollars returned in the form of federal payments for individual Medicaid health programs.

Millions of people eligible for health care still not covered.  Low income people in some states are signed up for health care using the tax dollars of their neighbors across the nation in states not accepting the Medicare expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act.

The elections in many states in November may switch power to adovates of expanded health care providing even more millions of people covered by some form of health insurance.  With the election and many candidates pledging to expand Medicaid in their states another rush of new enrollments looks highly likely.

Massive numbers of people will find additional programs and more health care options when the program opens for a new enrollment year this fall.

In a sign of the growing potential under the federal health care law, several insurers (Insurance Companies) that have been sitting on the sidelines say they will sell policies on the new exchanges in the coming year, and others plan to expand their offerings to more states.

“Insurers continue to see this as a good business opportunity,” said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “They see it as an attractive market, with enrollment expected to ramp up in the second year.” 

Eight million people have signed up for coverage in 2014, and estimates put next year’s enrollment around 13 million.  With more options, more health insurer competition and broader competition in insurance exchanges the growing acceptance of "Obamacare" continues to march forward.

The Affordable Care Act did deliver to seniors giving them solid benefits not commonly recognized.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare outlines benefits made available to seniors.
Read More-Click Here

Call it by it's real name, "Earned Benefits Program"

Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits, paid for with our payroll taxes.  We paid for them at the same time we got our pay checks.  Don't be mislead or felt to think it is welfare or some kind of government giveaway.  

This constant push to "privatize" or "voucher" the system and change benefit ages, do away with cost of living adjustments or otherwise pull off some way to restrict corporate contributions just doesn't wash.  Of course big money donations from secret contributors to the GOP are looking for ways to make more money, fatten their "bottom line".  One of those would be making changes to Social Security and Medicare employer payroll taxes.

A wedge is attempting to be built pitting older generations against younger ones and trying to convince our grand kids to settle for less than what they deserve, which is a secure retirement that they earn through their work.

Every effort to curtail the onward existence of Social Security comes with the pitch to younger people, "it won't be there when you are ready to retire".   AND they are absolutely right if the Republicans in Congress have their way with their proposed changes.  The Republicans have been at it so long very few working people believe them.  Just ask any person on wages, when was the last time the GOP proposed enhancements to Social Security or Medicare?  When was the last time Republicans voted to increase the minimum wage?

The question, if so many people recognize and understand that by not increasing the minimum wage (most propose to $10.10 an hour) it is draining state and federal poverty programs keeping full time workers incomes so low they can't even support themselves let alone a child or a family, why is the Republican opposition so furious?  Do the Republicans really want people on "the dole" instead of working for wages not receiving government assistance?

The key, the GOP money backers don't like the matching payroll taxes associated with higher wages. 

Originally "the dole" was considered a government program for the unemployed, today the Republicans think any government program directed to combat poverty levels and help feed poor people such as food stamps or school free lunch programs are being wasted on people lacking initiative and just plain lazy "folk".

Of course government corporate assistance, special tax breaks, government subsidies, farm programs for corporate farms are not the dole!  Money directed to private businesses and corporate, even foreign corporations, represented by millions of dollars paid to unregulated lobbyists and front groups is not government welfare.

So what does the minimum wage have to do with Social Security and the Republican opposition?  The GOP dependence on the financial favors of a few huge campaign money machines and shadow "unconnected not for profit advocate groups" may have a little bit to do with their opposition.  How many elections would the GOP win without the dark money blasting and distorting Democrat policies and values? 

Time after time every poll and expression of public opinion supports and favors Democrat ideals and positions of issues.  Yet the confusion, and constant negative rhetoric has taken a toll on election results as in Statehouses, State Legislatures and the Halls of Congress itself. 

Changes advocated for Social Security, Medicare and opposition to lifting the minimum was all have to do with profits, the amount of money the fat cats get to keep.  Payroll taxes in the percentage of paid wages are lower with lower minimum wages, increase the minimum wage more taxes would be collected for the Social Security Trust Fund for Medicare, and maybe extending the life of the Trust Funds. 

It's the payroll taxes!  Think about it, higher pay, less people on the government dole, cut spending on government assistance programs, more chance to balance the federal budget, bring down the deficit, more money for the expanding Medicare rolls,  and protecting the earned benefits of Social Security.

Voucher out Medicare, or adopt snake oil solutions for future Social Security benefits and maintaining high corporate profits all the while pointing, yes, giving the finger to the working poor!  No solution to immigration without allowing low wage guest workers, no path to citizenship for millions living under the cover of darkness, and absolutely blocking every effort to empower people's right to vote.

All of those ideas might increase the Democrats numbers in Congress to hold back the Republican Budget offers that would revamp our Earned Benefits.

OPEN LETTER to my fellow Arizona Progressives and Liberals

Originally Published in March--Worth Repeating Again

What are you doing getting ready to throw another Democrat under the bus, found a Democrat not pure enough?   Can we afford the luxury tossing away a Congressional seat so we can demonstrate the power we exercise in the Democrat party?  Do you really think acting like the obstructionist Tea Party members of the GOP is the way to go?

Let's stop taking Congressman Barber to the woodshed every time we don't agree with him 100%.  The most powerful way to build or tear something apart is word of mouth.  You like something, tell your neighbors, your recommendation has meaning.  

When you are unhappy, even just a little bit and you go around with stinging questions and making qualified statements of support, your words will be ringing bells long after you come back into the fold.  Careful all of a sudden what you have is better than the alternative, how do you undo the damage?   Can you put your words back in the bottle?

I hear some of my friends words and they hurt deep down just as much as GOP rocker Ted Nugent calling our President Obama a "subhuman mongrel".  Words can hurt and to the casual non political observer stick in their mind.   Coming from you, your words have more meaning after all you are the main stay of the Democratic party to your friends and family.  You are sowing seeds creating destroying results that you never intended.

Talk is cheap, but to put something behind it, you need to walk the walk too. Take the Republican National Committee and their big talk about diversity, inclusion, reasonable and mainstream forms of gun regulation, sensible immigration reform. What spin, what nonsense.  Republicans have learned talk a good line, sell a bill of goods after all snake oil salesmen got away with it, why not them?

I am worried that we are failing ourselves and have become a Presidential year party.  Every four years we wake up with the political itch, fight a good fight maybe even make a few worthy gains then go into hiding not to wake up for another four years.  Our voters only see the importance of voting in Presidential years, too often they ignore the bottom of the ballot and concede many elections.  Know what, it is not enough just to win the top of the ticket.

All we have to do to see the errors in that is follow the Koch brothers around the country as they buy one election after another.  We might win the Presidential election, but who is enacting the laws, who is winning one legislative battle after another?  Don't just look at Congress, the action is taking place in state legislatures, city halls, school boards all across the country.  

The Kochs are spreading their money around in places giving them the most results for their dollars.  Look at another Congressional race in Arizona.  The talk is $963,000 against Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick in District 1.  Step back a minute, almost one million dollars in one Congressional race and the primary for the Republican nomination is months off.  That's planting a lot of crops before the neighbors even started plowing.

While lots of big money flows into Presidential campaigns, the Koch brothers are counting on making money talk in local and district races all around the country.  Governorships, Legislatures, County Commissions that's where Presidents come from.  Building up their triple AAA farm clubs, the Koch's are going to own the President's office when the likes of Governor Scott Walker move to the White House.

Progressives the question, who are we warming up in the bull pen?  You can't do it with the once every four year attitude and appearance.  

Face it the big political money is looking at the nettlesome regulations, control over state legislatures, having favors from county supervisors that are the targets of their money. Progressives we are letting them win by neglect and our involvement with pet causes losing sight of the real control and power.

Progressives we need political minor leagues, training ground for fresh new candidates, we need more action in the bull pens.  Let's work on preparations of candidates holding solid progressive values and build up for future elections.  Go a bit slower, build up more and tear down less.