I've spoken at nearly two dozen forums and editorial boards in the past few weeks regarding Initiative 884, the billion-dollar education tax increase proposal. I've done point/counterpoint with no fewer than sixteen different people from the pro campaign.
And I've noticed something about the people who are trying to raise our sales tax by 15.4 percent: They're almost all wealthy. These are people who drive expensive sports cars, write checks for more than most of us earn in a year, and talk about sending their children to $25,000-a-year preschool.
These are people who won't even notice the massive tax increase that, if approved, will result in lost jobs for as many as 10,000 families and force most of the rest of us to make tough decisions about what we can do without.
In most cases, these people are also part of the education establishment that already spends more than nine billion dollars a year of our money (an average of $9,434 per pupil per year) to run a school system that fails most of the kids it claims to serve.
Taxpayers can't afford I-884. Neither can students who need and deserve real education reform. Help spread the message! Here's some ammunition:
Facts about I-884
http://www.effwa.org/opeds/2004_08_25.php
An alternative to I-884
http://www.effwa.org/Solutions.pdf
Thank you for spending time speaking/debating at forums re 884. And your EFF fact sheet is excellent.
Regarding the big money people who donated to it. We are talking about 2 million. And if you go down the PDC's list of donations you go way down and you are still in the $10,000 donations. Stefann linked to the PDC list here on Sound Politics in his story about Nick Hanauer - http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/002784.html#002784 - first link.
Posted by: Ron Hebron on October 11, 2004 10:52 PM