Different Name, Same Old TABOR

WEAC President Stan Johnson issued the following statement today following the announcement of the Republican legislative leadership's so-called "Taxpayer Protection Amendment" proposal:

"This amendment would cause irreparable harm to Wisconsin's great schools at a time when we all know that our economic future is more dependent than ever on what our children learn in school. The Republican leadership's proposal is a collection of arbitrary and inflexible formulas that take politics into account but ignore the state's future and the well-being of our children.

"To name just one example, this proposal would fail to address how schools should handle variables such as the rising number of special needs students or the enormously under-funded mandates of the federal government's so-called No Child Left Behind Act.

"TABOR is fundamentally flawed and reckless fiscal policy just like previous, failed TABOR proposals and the TABOR law that has decimated public education and children's services in Colorado. No matter what name the party's leaders want to give to this proposal, its purpose is to tamper with the state Constitution instead of making tough decisions and having real discussions about public resources in the light of day."

For more information about the real impact the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) would have on the people of Wisconsin visit the OnWEAC resource page at http://www.weac.org/Capitol/2005-06/feb06/tabormap.htm.