Letter: Representatives should remove vouchers from budget proposals by Cheryl Andrist
Editor:
Scott Walker’s budget proposes expansion of voucher schools in Wisconsin. This program provides taxpayer money for students in the state’s biggest cities to attend private schools. At the same time, Walker and the legislature have made huge cuts to state funding for our public schools in the past two years and plan virtually no increase for them in the budget for 2013-2015.
Many school districts in northern Wisconsin, including Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Elcho and Northland Pines, have had to pass referendums recently to keep their schools running. Here are a few examples of the amount of money some northern districts have lost in state aid to fund voucher schools: Rhinelander, $60,725; Crandon, $36,775; Tomahawk, $32,867; Niagara, $44,444; Merrill, $264,460.
Do you want your tax dollars taken from our public school kids and used to support private schools elsewhere in Wisconsin? If not, please contact your representatives and tell them “no” on vouchers. Sen. Tom Tiffany, Rep. Rob Swearingen, Rep. Mary Czaja and Rep. Jeff Mursau should be trying to remove vouchers from the budget proposal and voting NO on them as a separate bill. A “yes” vote from them would tell us that they absolutely do not represent the constituents of the Northwoods.
You can also sign this petition that has begun locally, which will be delivered to Madison before the budget debate begins. Vouchers aren’t a Democrat-Republican issue; all taxpayers are affected by this misuse of our money. http://signon.org/sign/support-public-schools.fb26?source=c.fb&r_by=194354.
Please speak up for our public schools!
Cheryl Andrist, Rhinelander
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