Wednesday, December 2, 2009

LETTER - Legislature must make education the state’s No. 1 priority

LETTER - Legislature must make education the state’s No. 1 priority - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel
Saugatuck, MI —

For 10-plus years, the Michigan Legislature has failed to address structural budget problems, and we can’t afford another lost decade. The 1.6 million kids in our great state deserve a high-quality, 21st century education.

Proposal A does not work. This was a school-funding system built mainly on property tax and sales tax revenues. Both sources have collapsed in the past couple of years.

Lansing is using schools for party-line rhetoric. This is unacceptable. Education must be a priority. How can Michigan attract new businesses and new employees if we destroy our public schools? More money is spent on prisons than education — what message does this send?