Time to say no to Mead

For years, Olympia politicians failed in their constitutional obligation to adequately fund public schools, instead diverting revenues to expanding state government and forcing school districts to go begging to local voters for funding, which resulted in the McCleary decision.

Instead of cutting the bloated state government they created and redirecting those misappropriated funds back to the schools, state politicians have significantly raised taxes to satisfy McCleary and sent those funds to the school districts. Mead school administrators and the unions quickly blew through that money and are now back to begging local voters for a new levy to significantly raise our property taxes. Of course, they tell us we must do it “for the children.”

If we don’t say no to this now, then when? And if we don’t stop this ever-spiraling tax escalation, then we just set ourselves up for more of the same. We never are able to satisfy their continuing demands for more. It is high time to make schools live within their budgets, just like we have to.

Mark McFall

Colbert