We take seriously in Washington State. Our state constitution gives education top priority.
Washington State Constitution,
Article 9, sections 1 and 2
• “It is the paramount duty of the state to make
ample provision for the education of all children
residing within its borders, without distinction or
preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex."
• “The legislature shall provide for a general and
uniform system of public schools.”
Meanwhile the Washington State Legislature is locked in a special session costing
$10,000 dollars a day because the GOP calls cutting $74 million dollars from education their "paramount duty".
Rob McKenna (R) has been promising for over a year to increase funding for public education. Now what is he doing to break the dead lock. NOTHING.
Turns out that this candidate can't even wait until he's elected to start breaking his promises.
Democrat Jay Inslee: “Clearly embarrassed by a failed effort to cut funding for K-12 and higher ed, Republicans heard the message that $74 million in cuts to our schools and colleges was $74 million too much. Cutting education is the least ‘sustainable’ budget option they could have chosen, and reversing course is the first step to finding a solution and ending the special session.”
Rob McKenna: “Washingtonians must wonder why budget leaders are not working through this impasse as they have in the past; through negotiations, and only then going into a brief special session to pass a compromise proposal.....
The Capitol Record
An unnamed source within the State Democratic Party who has been monitoring the special session daily confirmed today that Rob Mckenna's campaign leadership is in direct contact with the GOP budget leaders who continue to attempt to steam role cuts or attach unacceptable conditions such as charter schools to the bill in a not so veiled attempt to undercut the hated (by them) teachers union.
I asked why the Democrats aren't revealing this.
He answered that the legislature is a small place. We all know who people are and who they work for and answer to. They know I send reports to the Democratic Party. I see who they answer to. None of these maneuverings are on the record but we see the whispered conversations and non verbal communications that go on. It isn't illegal just hypocritical. The GOP and three DINO State Senators hijacked the budget process but don't have the votes in the house to lay waste to education. They knew that in when they were doing it. So now they blame the Democrats for not just throwing up their hands and saying you win.
Rob McKenna knows exactly what is going on in the legislature and could end the stalemate with a nod. If he's really the education candidate now is the time to speak up.
Governor Gregoire said yesterday that while the Democrats are willing to negotiate they aren't willing to surrender the whole educational system to the GOP. She said that the charter school issue had been settled and that revisiting it in the budget was a non starter and that she would veto any bill that contained it.
This my friends is a preview of life under a Republican Governor and a Republican Legislature. As a high tech state our entire economy will grind to a halt within a few short years if we don't educate our children to do more than clean restrooms as the Newtster would have us do. Rob McKenna is not the educational candidate.
Support Jay Inslee for WA-State Governor.
During the special session Rob McKenna is barred by state law from accepting campaign contributions, Jay Inslee is not. During the three day period between the regular session and the special session McKenna raised $250,000. This is a preview of the expected flood of 1% money we expect to pour in to buy our state government. We desperately need to support Inslee while McKenna is in the penalty box of his own choosing.
Visit our new Kossacks for Inslee ACT BLUE page and donate $3.00 as a way of saluting the three DINO Senators who are costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in special session fees.