Who’s Going To Pay?
Sadly, the answer is our children and their schools.
The Florida Legislature wants big education reforms, but they don’t want to pay. We teach our children that when we want something we can’t afford, we save up the money or go without.
When legislators write and pass expensive, unfunded bills, they are writing a bad check on an account they know is empty. It’s fiscal suicide.
Legislators are rushing to pass House Bill 7019 (Senate Bill 736) – a completely unfunded $2 Billion dollar initial taxpayer cost followed by recurring annual costs of $1.8 Billion.
This week the House will hear HB 7019 in session and a full vote for passage is scheduled this Wednesday, March 16. The 2011 Legislative Session is barely a week old.
Passing a massive $3.8 Billion dollar cost to the general public is called raising taxes, even if it’s buried in a reform bill. Concealing unfunded billions in a bill is the height of reckless spending.
There is a profound disconnect between Scott’s proposed $3.3 Billion dollar cut to public education and the extraordinary unfunded spending found in HB 7019/SB736.
Click here to sign our petition and urge House and Senate leaders “Do not adopt Governor Scott’s catastrophic budget.”
HB 7019/SB736 requires the creation of at least 1,000 new high-stakes tests for courses like art, music and P.E. This bill represents an exponential increase in the power FCAT scores have over our children, their schools, funding and teacher pay.
The long-term ramifications of this unfunded bill are unsustainable. Ten years of HB 7019 will cost Florida taxpayers $18 Billion dollars!
The hardworking people of this state do not deserve to be treated like a money tree.
The November elections were clear. Taxpayers don’t want to pay $3.8 billion dollars for an unfunded bill stuffed with unproven reforms. Even the current pilot reform program, Race to the Top with $350 million earmarked for districts falls far short of funding that effort.
Governor Scott asked Floridians to accept painful spending cuts. That means all Floridians, especially politicians. Lawmakers must stop their own reckless spending.
Tell Governor Scott and Speaker Cannon that unfunded mandates don’t work for us.
Let every legislator from your county hear from you. Click here to link to your county’s list of legislators and their contact information.
Lawmakers have to put their credit card away – it’s been declined. Florida taxpayers don’t have the money for HB 7019/SB736.
