Prop. 123 is the last time Arizona voters will fall for ‘it’s all about the kids’
May 24, 2016, 3:50 PM | Updated: May 25, 2016, 11:37 am
(AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)
Great news, Arizona! You were duped, AGAIN!
After Proposition 123 squeaked to a passing vote count, the educators of our state are dancing in the streets as billions will begin flowing to classrooms.
Wait, they aren’t dancing in the streets. What gives?
Oh. They are asking for MORE money. Yes, you read that correctly: more money.
The Arizona Schools Now Coalition — consisting of members from the Arizona Business Coalition, the Children’s Action Network and others — have announced that they will be pressuring our state legislators to fund higher teacher compensation, classroom supplies and building repairs.
Building repairs I get. But weren’t we just promised that Prop. 123 would give teachers an immediate pay raise? Maybe I’m just a simple man, but aren’t the terms “pay raise” and “higher compensation” synonymous?
They are claiming that ALL supporters of Prop. 123 have ALWAYS stated that Prop. 123 was merely a good first step.
Interesting that the commercials that ran in favor of Prop. 123 — that falsely claimed that teachers would get a raise when that wasn’t part of the proposition — failed to mention anything about it being only a first step.
Why? Because you wouldn’t have voted for it! That’s why!
Here’s what happened:
The state knew that it had the funds that were needed to pay out the education lawsuit.
Legislators also had a very strong desire to hang on to that money to pad the tax cuts being offered to corporations as an incentive to move to the Valley.
They knew that if they asked for your vote to raid our state land trust to fund corporate tax breaks, we wouldn’t have voted for it!
So they went to the “It’s all about the kids” argument again. They rallied the teachers, promising them a raise and telling them not to worry. Prop. 123 was just a first step.
With your kid’s teachers singing its praises, we passed it.
They also knew that, when the educating coalitions of the state began to rally for the next steps that, like me, your chins would hit the floor in disbelief!
Not caring if the next steps ever happen, our state legislators are celebrating and our schools will once again be left holding the bag.
After Prop. 123, Arizona voters will most likely never fall for their “It’s all about the kids” nonsense ever again.