Johnson Applauds Doyle's Position on Education Funding

WEAC President Stan Johnson speaks to members of the Kettle Moraine Educators Association. Johnson applauded Attorney General James Doyle's position on protecting education funding from state budget cuts.

WEAC President Stan Johnson on Tuesday (February 12, 2002) applauded State Attorney General James Doyle for saying education funding should be protected from budget cuts. Doyle is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Johnson quoted from a February 6 Ozaukee-Washington Daily News article in which Doyle said prudent management would be a hallmark of his administration if he were elected governor. According to the article:

"Doyle said certain programs need to be protected however. Education is one of those programs."

It went on to quote Doyle as saying, "You can't promise our schools money to sustain their needed programs and then suddenly take it away."

Johnson praised Doyle's stance in a conversation with about 180 members of the Kettle Moraine Educators Association. Johnson later attended a Kettle Moraine School Board meeting with the KMEA members and spoke about the need to fairly compensate teachers and support staff. Like more than 300 locals statewide, the KMEA teachers have been working without a current contract since June 2001.

Johnson emphasized to members that WEAC's support for Governor McCallum's budget adjustment plan is focused on its K-12 provisions. McCallum's plan to overcome a $1.1 billion state deficit protects K-12 funding from cuts.

WEAC is working to also protect funding for the Wisconsin Technical College System and for state programs in which WEAC Council #1 members work.

Johnson pointed out that plans by both the Assembly Republicans and the Senate Republicans severely cut K-12 funding, and Democrats have not yet announced their plans for addressing the deficit. Therefore, he said, it is "a no-brainer" that WEAC would be supporting the only plan right now that protects K-12 funding from cuts.

However, he said, Doyle is the only Democrat at this point who has stated he would protect K-12 funding, "and we applaud that." The other Democratic candidates for governor are U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, and State Sen. Gary George.

"I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am president of WEAC," Johnson said. "And that means I support people who support K-12 education and Wisconsin's great schools."

Johnson pointed out that WEAC has a strict member-driven procedure for determining which candidates it will support in any statewide election. That procedure includes questionnaires, interviews, and a review of voting records. It involves the WEAC Political Action Committee, the WEAC Board of Directors, and - most importantly - a ballotting of all WEAC members who contribute to the Political Action Committee, which is the vast majority of members.

WEAC's Candidate Recommendation Procedure

Posted February 13, 2002