Texas PTA calls for higher taxes
AUSTIN – Americans for Prosperity State Director Peggy Venable released the following statement today regarding the Texas PTAs call for higher taxes:
The Texas PTA is advocating raising taxes and raiding the rainy day fund. While the group may be well-intentioned, they are misguided.
We all want a good education for Texas students.
While the PTA’s message is “Fund our future,” we at AFP believe Texas taxpayers have provided adequate funding, but school districts are not spending those funds wisely. We have a counter message: fund the classroom and teachers. We can cut education spending without cutting instruction.
Education spending in Texas has grown five times faster than student enrollment. But less than half of the total K-12 education dollars are spent on instruction.
Texas schools have a one-to-one ratio of teachers to non-teachers. More than 200 school district superintendents have a base salary (not including their rich benefits) which is higher than the salary paid to the Governor of Texas.
Additionally, Texas taxpayers are over $101 billion in school district debt. That debt will fall on future taxpayers who are today’s students.
The PTA is specifically calling on Governor Perry to support raising taxes and raiding the Rainy Day Fund. Texas taxpayers sent a strong message to elected officials in November. That message didn’t include raising taxes or spending more than available revenue.
We at Americans for Prosperity, representing over 100,000 Texas taxpayers, want to see spending priorities changed in public schools.
Today is the last stop of a two-day press tour where Texas PTA “has been calling on Governor Perry to untie the hands of legislators to secure additional funding and authorize the use of the Rainy Day Fund, as well as raising the tobacco and alcohol taxes and increasing other fees.”
We at Americans for Prosperity recommend PTA members review their various school district “snapshots” on the Red Apple Project websitewww.RedAppleProject.com to find out more about their own ISD’s spending.
Texas families are tightening their belts and shouldn’t be strapped with higher taxes or higher state spending.
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Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens to support restraining state and federal government growth and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP is more than 1.7 million activists strong, with activists in all 50 states. AFP has 32 state chapters and affiliates. More than 85,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial contribution to AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose candidates for public office.
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I have a friend how is a teacher with ten years experience and there school and name will remain anonymous and we often discuss education issues. Here is a quot
“I agree with the counter opinion… look at what ISDs are spending on NON teachers. Teachers are the front line and deal directly with the students. Money should go there.
ex: why does a school have a $ 40,000 digital sign but crappy desks and chairs?”
I think this teacher brings up a very valid point.
Why? Because it is a racket. The assistant to the assistant superintendant of curriculum oversight or whatever is just a well connected drone cashing in and doing whatever he/ she is told by the centralized authority.
In other words parents are being PLAYED. Thank God for AFP and a few brave citizens going up against the collective machine. Just because the edu-drones pull their hankies out at the hearings and plead “for the children” doesn’t make them any less thuggish – it’s just the modern technique. And boy has it worked!
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