School Funding Rip Off

Greatest raid on the treasury in state history

Reposted from Ohio GOP Blog

Opposition continues to grow against a constitutional amendment proposed yesterday, which would demand that Ohio provide every student with a high-quality education without saying what that is or what it would cost.

"Not only does the proposed amendment require a massive tax hike, it fails to provide property tax relief to all Ohioans," said state Sen. Kevin J. Coughlin, an Akron-area Republican. "That means that Ohioans will be sending more of their hard-earned money to Columbus while quite possibly paying the same amount or more in local property taxes. Any way you cut it, this is a massive money grab." (The Columbus Dispatch)

Even as the education advocates rolled out their proposal, the coalition they had carefully sought to assemble during months of closed-door meetings had begun to fray around the edges. On the eve of the rollout, big city mayors criticized the plan for not providing a price tag or a way to pay for it - a concern echoed by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland during a recent interview. (The Plain Dealer)

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic held an afternoon telephone conference with reporters from across the state to explain why he withdrew his support after being involved in more than 40 meetings and countless phone calls during the past two years. Plusquellic said he could not support an initiative that did not clearly explain the total cost and the source of money to pay for it. (Akron Beacon Journal)

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, said the amendment's mandate that Ohio education and local government spending be a priority could force services like health care, senior citizens and hunger relief to take a back seat. "To pit school children who need a quality education against senior citizens who must make choices between food and medicine is unacceptable," she said. (Dayton Daily News)

''This appears to be an attempt by the teachers' unions and activists to conduct the greatest raid on the treasury of Ohio in the state’s history. They want to ensure that only their interests, and not the interests of the taxpayers, are addressed.'' - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett (Statement)