Wingnut Florida Governor Rick Scott is preparing to gut Florida's Public Education System. He says his cuts will result in savings to Florida Homeowners on their property tax bill. You won't believe how much these "big savings" will be. He is doing this at the same time he is trying to spend millions more on Florida's wealthiest students. More below the fold.
Florida's Wingnut Republican Governor Rick Scott is at it again. He is gutting Florida's Education System. Even worse he is doing this gutting at the same time that he is asking the Florida Legislature to spend millions to expand vouchers for primarily wealthy students. Today's Palm Beach Post asks an important question:
Is a $2,335-a-year pay cut for the average teacher worth a $44.72 property tax savings for the average Florida homeowner with a homestead exemption?
That's a key question behind the math that Gov. Rick Scott's administration is banking on for his pared-back school spending plan as the legislature gears up to begin its annual session Tuesday.
Scott proposes a K-12 budget for the coming year that is $1.75 billion less than the current education budget.
In a time when jobs are scarce and education is at a premium to compete, these deep education cuts will have a horrible effect on children in Florida's public schools:
Scott's $16.5 billion K-12 budget proposal would cut per-student spending to $6,196 - $703 less than this year's $6,899.
This would result in property tax savings of less than Forty Four Dollars ($44.00) for the average Florida homeowner. However, the wealthiest Floridaians with the most expensive homes would, of course, get the biggest savings:
Another Palm Beach County teacher, who did not want her name or her school's name used, pointed out that those with the most expensive homes would benefit the most.
"At this point, what are we doing? We're going to give to his friends who have expensive homes," the second-grade teacher said. "So are we looking to give the very wealthy tax breaks at the expense of what we can do for our children to help them compete in the global economy?"
This is an outrage. It is another part of the Republican Party's Nationwide War on Education. For more information on this, see the entire Palm Beach Post article on the subject:
Gov. Scott to cut 1.75 Billion from Education
UPDATE: Think Progress Article on this subject. It is an excellent source of information on this.