Commercial Featuring School Board Member Supporting Walker is Misleading

Click on the post to see the article in the Journal Sentinel Online regarding commercial featuring the school board member (identified in the article as Waukesha School Board member Karin Sue Rajnicek) lauding Governor Walker's school finance reform. The part that makes one hot under the collar is when she says they are "saving money from our biggest costs AND PUTTING IT BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM WHERE IT BELONGS." Really? How exactly is a funding cut redistribution of funding? There are no funds being redistributed to anybody or anything. It's all CUT CUT CUT. Or take from savings and pray the boiler holds together another year. She must not pay attention during the finance section of their meetings.

Even if ECSD administration had not locked in contracts only expecting 5 percent contribution to the insurance instead of the targeted 12 percent, there still wouldn't have been extra cash to throw at programming. They might have dodged the whole "take the deficit out of the fund 10 balance" problem, but as for any money being left to invest in the classroom, that is pure fantasy on somebody's part. A very sad misrepresentation of what is truly happening across our state.

That brings up the next topic, that of the rabid recall fever taking Wisconsin by storm. I support the proponents right to seek a recall. I even respect their dogged determination to show up at every public gathering that won't throw them out (though I do kinda draw the line at them soliciting signatures at the St. John's Bazaar last weekend). But in the end, I can't with all good conscience rationalize spending a predicted $650,000 in state funding to finance a recall and untold millions in local funding to put on special elections all over Wisconsin because we disagree with a particular political party which so happens to have won the popular vote last year. Unless being ignorant of the finer points of school financing is a crime (or maybe just ignorant in general), there is little evidence that applying the recall process to Walker is called for. Sure, he's a nincompoop and a fool, but let's consider the whopping 30 % voter turnout / apathy that ushered this ignoramus into office in the first place. Any recall election should take place only with the folks who originally took their civic duty seriously and prioritized voting on that first Tuesday in November last year. Since there is no way to prove who voted last fall, there is no way to recreate the voter roster for a recall. Those who suddenly got "non-participants" remorse do NOT get a say in a recall. Next time, get off your ass and vote.