Why I'll be voting YES on 5

There's a lot of terrible, poorly analyzed, misleading misinformation about Proposal 5 out there. I'm going to dispense with the hype. I'm advocating a YES vote on Proposal 5, because I believe it's a good idea, and it's the right thing to do. Here's why: Michigan's public schools suffer from a statewide structural budget deficit. This means that the way funding and spending are structured under our laws, the gap between what we get and what we need keeps getting bigger. This has nothing to do with overspending or irresponsible spending at the local level (which is the opposite of what 5's opponents would have you think). That is a completely different issue, perhaps a good topic for another post. It is the structural deficit that is causing our educational funding problems, among others. It is this structural deficit that requires a solution. Let me give you an example. Over the last three years, insurance rates, energy costs and retirement costs have all increased in the double-digit percentages each year. Our per-student funding has increased less than 5% each year, sometimes much less than 5%. And, as you know, the value of a dollar decreases each year that goes by. Let's talk for a moment about these uncontrollable costs: Energy. Now, unless you think it's a good idea for our kids to wear long underwear and coats in their classrooms, there isn't much we can do about energy costs. We have been cutting energy usage and conserving since long before I showed up on my local BOE, and the gains in that area have pretty much been made. Retirement costs. Retirement costs are mandated by the state. We have no discretion whatsoever as to how much they cost, or who they apply to. We are obligated to follow the law. Worker's compensation. Worker's comp insurance -- required by the state. Health insurance. Since our teachers are already the second lowest paid in the county (belying the "special interest" complaint of the anti-5ers), and we save a bunch of money with a self-insurance program administered by BCBS of Michigan, there is little to nothing that can be saved in that area short of not providing benefits or curtailing them substantially (which will fly like a lead balloon, if you're thinking of moving in that direction). There are more, but I'll stop there so as to not bore you to death. So let's do the math. Approx $50 Million budget. 5% or greater gap each year. Year one, we have to structurally remove $2.5 Million. Year two, the same. Year three, the same. Year four, the same. In other words, in the time that it takes for a child to start and finish high school, we are required to make structural changes to our district's budget to cut a whopping $10 Million or more! All the while, we must provide higher quality educational programs and tailor our teaching to the individual children we serve to ensure that we can compete for students with surrounding district. We are not alone. This is a problem all over the state. As uncontrollable costs increase, funding either stays the same or decreases. As we try to implement higher standards and compete with neighboring districts, we seek more money to hire more and better educational leaders, upgrade our technology, while still keeping the lights and heating our schools. Who is to blame for this sorry state of affairs? Our Legislature. The Legislature adopts Michigan's budget. And unfortunately for Michigan's children, the last 15 years have seen one group of politicians in charge of the Legislature who appear to be interested only in secret caucus/strategy meetings, gerrymandering districts to ensure their continuing ability to wield power, and taking potshots at our Democratic Governor. Our Republican Legislature has faced many challenges, to be sure, but there is no excuse for failing to invest in our kids. There is no excuse for failing to prioritize educational funding in Michigan. There is no excuse for cutting business taxes with no plan in sight to replace the money that our schools and children rely on to prepare for their futures and for their prosperity. And since our Legislature has been a miserable failure at generating revenue and prioritizing public education spending, the only way to get the job done is to do it ourselves. We the voters get to decide whether or not we want to have strong public schools. We can decide how strong our public schools will be. We can deprive Lansing of the power to reach into the pockets of our children to solve the "grown-up" problems they've created themselves due to their own lack of foresight and lack of action. Our structural deficit is a problem that needs solving. Not tomorrow, not next year -- now. Only by voting YES on 5 will our politicians in Lansing begin to take note of their continuing, collective failures to solve the problems that confront us. Proposal 5 does not mandate any extraordinary funding. All it does is link funding to the age-old concept of inflation, and require the Legislature to keep pace. As we all know, a dollar today is worth less than a dollar was five years ago. Under Proposal 5, if they give a dollar now, they have to give a dollar next year, plus inflation. That's all. It's not a lot. But it's a darn good start. Vote YES on 5. UPDATE: I've scanned the BOE's resolution in support of Proposal 5. You can click to read it here.