So. Republicans yanked $30 million in JTED funds from last year’s budget, and now they’ve had second thoughts and want to restore the money. And by “second thoughts,” I mean the business community climbed on their backs for cutting one of the best educational programs in Arizona for creating skilled workers who can come out of high school ready to fill needed positions in the private sector. Republicans joined with Democrats who voted against the cuts last year and agreed to restore, well, not the whole $30 million, but close: $28 million.
I’d say good for the Republican legislators, except they’re the bastards who voted to effectively kill JTED in the first place, and all they’re doing is giving back 93 percent of what they took away. That’s no more praiseworthy than the decision by Ducey and the Republicans to restore $300 million a year in education funding, 70 percent of the money they illegally stole in 2009. It’s the deadbeat dads scenario all over again, where they’re agreeing to start paying part of the child support they withheld from their kids. I guess you can say with JTED, they’re not taking the money from the kids’ trust fund like they are with the Proposition 123 deal they want the voters to pass, but that sure as hell doesn’t make them heroes.
Yet, apparently, they want to be proclaimed as heroes, according to the last line in Howard Fischer’s article on the subject. Lately, I’ve found that the literary critical skills I learned in college to analyze works of literature are valuable in understanding the commentary Howie lays between the lines in some of his reporting about the wheeling and dealing at the state capitol. Sometimes what Howie leaves unsaid, hinted at, is the most interesting part of the article. Here’s that last line.
The Senate president [Andy Biggs] also insisted that the Republican majority should get credit for restoring the funds even though it was a GOP budget last year that first cut the dollars.
Did you catch Howie’s transitional phrase, “even though”? It’s a skillful segue from the Republicans wanting credit for restoring JTED funds to reminding the reader that they’re the ones who made the cuts in the first place.
The way Republicans deal with education funding is stunning. It’s the rough equivalent of dad giving his kid a spanking, then asking for a “Thank you” when he stops.
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2016.
Well said!
But are there any facts available supporting your notions?
Finally something seniors no matter where they are from can identify and support in Arizona’s quest for education funding. High school programs that actually prepared young graduates to move directly into the work force. Hurry before we are all gone and no one left that remembers, typing, bookkeeping, home economic, various shop classes that gave basic skills so we could move immediately to jobs waiting to be filled. Employers were willing to provide additional training after hiring as workers produced profits from their labors and the boss could see value in the investment in training additional skills. The college education came for many after earning educational benefits under the GI Bill of Rights. Which refers to Department of Veterans Affairs education benefit earned by members of Active Duty, Selected Reserve and National Guard Armed Forces put into law in 1944. Anything we can place into our educational system to better prepare our young people to move into the real world and become productive and able to sustain themselves should be one of our educational goals. Let’s give credit to those Republicans willing to admit a possible mistake in removing funding from JTED. Friends of the educational opportunities provided by JTED, do not gloat. It often times requires bravery, yes courage to admit mistakes. Every legislature across the country will have bills introduced at the beginning of each session to correct flaws after laws are put into practice and results recorded.
Please, drill sergeant, may I have another????
The de-funding of JTED was one of the most shortsighted attempts to save money yet. The cuts were looming in my FIRST campaign for TUSD school board–I spoke to JTED leadership about the possibility of teaching students how to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency and solar installation and even at that time they were worried. Yes, the legislature has, after years of desperation on the part of CTE and JTED students and teachers, managed to take its foot out of its mouth, but that doesn’t excuse their original mistake. I only hope that every JTED and CTE student, and every public education student in Arizona remembers who is responsible for the Deadbeat part and votes accordingly when they have the chance: both in May and in November.
The bottom line is that Arizona’s vengeance against educating its population has to end! It is unhealthy for the 80% of the population that attends public schools, where teachers perform miracles with less and less resources. In addition, it is just not tenable to invite business to the state and offer the children of incoming executives a miserably funded public education system.
Be positive and believe in miracles.
With this articles anology you have to know there are deadbeat schools.
So I take now you guys support government funded corporate welfare? Taxpayer money is being used to train future employees, because “it’s for the good of the country?”
Yet you guys never mention VA Benefits that have become a joke under the current President.
The giant sucking sound is simply education money.