💰 Expiration of Prop 123 Looms Large for Arizona's Underfunded Schools
💰 Expiration of Prop 123 Looms Large for Arizona's Underfunded Schools
🏫 Education Funding Woes: Arizona's Flat Tax Wipes Out Billions for Schools
Based on the 10/29/24 Buckmaster Show on KVOI-1030AM.
🧠 Mindmap of today’s show
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
"We're not going back to an all tariff, import tariff, and no income tax. That's not going to happen." - Shelly Fishman, on the unrealistic nature of some Republican proposals
"School boards are the last vestige of grassroots governance in the country." - Dr. Robert Hendricks, on the importance of local school board elections
"The flat tax has really fundamentally undermined the ability of the state to invest in lower income families to help make sure that they have stability, to make sure we have teachers in our K-12 system and improve our high school graduation rate, and peter our ability to invest in affordable housing." - Dr. Dave Wells, on the impact of Arizona's flat tax policy
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🤖 The Buckmaster Show talked about important things happening in Arizona. There were three guests:
🧑💼 Shelly, who talked about the economy and how people feel about the government.
🧑🏫 Dr. Hendricks, who talked about problems in schools, like not having enough teachers and school boards becoming too political.
The big issues were: 🤑 how the state's tax plan has hurt schools and made it hard for them to get money, and 🗳️ how school board elections are becoming more like other political races, which is not always good for students.
🗝️ Takeaways
The economy's performance under Biden has been a mixed bag, with lower unemployment but higher inflation compared to Trump
Partisan divides persist in evaluating economic metrics, with Democrats generally faring better
Arizona's education system faces funding challenges, including the looming expiration of Prop 123
School board elections are becoming increasingly politicized, with concerns about narrow agendas undermining nonpartisanship
⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:
📻 What They Discussed
The Buckmaster Show on October 29, 2024 featured a discussion on a range of issues facing Arizona, including the state's economy, education policies, and the upcoming midterm elections.
The guests included Dr. Dave Wells, the research director for the Grand Canyon Institute, a nonpartisan think tank; Shelly Fishman, a financial consultant; and Dr. Robert Hendricks, a former Arizona School Superintendent of the Year and current president of the Interfaith Community Services Board of Directors.
🗳️ Midterm Elections and the State of the Economy
The discussion began with an analysis of the upcoming midterm elections and how the state of the economy could impact voter sentiment.
Shelly Fishman provided a nuanced perspective, noting that the answer to the question "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" could vary depending on the time frame considered.
While the Biden administration has seen lower unemployment rates and a stronger stock market than the Trump era, the high inflation rates experienced during the pandemic recovery have been a major political liability.
Fishman also highlighted the partisan divide in economic performance between Democratic and Republican administrations, with the former tending to outperform the latter on key metrics.
🏫 Challenges Facing Arizona's Education System
The conversation then shifted to the state of Arizona's education system, with Dr. Robert Hendricks, a longtime educator and administrator, providing insights.
Hendricks discussed the impact of the state's flat tax policy, which has resulted in significant funding cuts for public schools and the discontinuation of programs like the Arizona Teacher Academy.
He also expressed concerns about the increasing politicization of school board elections, with candidates running on divisive platforms that could undermine the nonpartisan nature of these local governance bodies.
Hendricks emphasized the importance of school boards serving the needs of all students rather than pursuing narrow agendas.
💰 The Expiration of Proposition 123 and the Need for New Funding
A key education-related issue that was raised was the impending expiration of Proposition 123, a 2014 measure that has provided $300 million annually in funding for teacher salaries and other educational priorities.
Hendricks discussed the challenges of replacing this significant funding source, which has helped to offset the state's chronic underfunding of public education. He noted that the legislature and governor have struggled to reach an agreement on a solution, leaving the future of this critical funding in limbo.
🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary
🚨 Arizona's Twisted Path: Flat Taxes, Underfunded Schools, and Partisan School Boards
As a progressive Chicano journalist, I'm deeply concerned about the troubling trends emerging from the discussions on the Buckmaster Show. Arizona's conservative leadership has enacted policies that systematically undermine public education and concentrate wealth among the elite, all while cloaking their agenda in the guise of "reform."
Let's start with the flat tax championed by former Governor Ducey. As Dr. Dave Wells from the Grand Canyon Institute explained, this disastrous policy has cost the state a staggering $2 billion per year, with 70% of those tax breaks going to households earning over $200,000.
The result?
A severe disinvestment in the very programs and services that support working families and marginalized communities - things like teacher salaries, school funding, affordable housing, and more.
As Dr. Wells put it, the flat tax "fundamentally undermines the ability of the state to invest in lower-income families." This is a textbook example of the right-wing strategy to starve the public sector to justify privatization schemes like school vouchers. It's an assault on the principles of equity and equal opportunity.
And speaking of education, the news only gets worse. The expiration of Proposition 123 - a temporary funding measure passed in 2014 - is looming, and Arizona's leaders have failed to agree on a solution to replace the critical $300 million it provides annually for teacher salaries and school resources. As former Superintendent Dr. Robert Hendricks warned, this could exacerbate the state's already dire teacher shortage and undermine efforts to support student success.
But perhaps the most disturbing trend is the increasing politicization of local school board elections. These once-nonpartisan bodies are now battlegrounds for culture war issues, with candidates running on divisive platforms around topics like book bans, transgender rights, and the bogus specter of "critical race theory." As Dr. Hendricks noted, this threatens to undermine the core mission of school boards - to serve the needs of all students, regardless of their background.
The implications of these developments are dire. By starving public education of resources, elevating partisan interests over the well-being of children, and entrenching wealth inequality, Arizona's conservative establishment is betraying the very principles of justice, equity, and opportunity that should define a just society.
As a Chicano journalist committed to social progress, I call on all Arizonans who believe in the transformative power of education to rise up and resist these insidious attacks. Our children's futures - and the future of our state - depend on it.
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👯 People Mentioned
Bill Buckmaster
The host of the Buckmaster Show
Dr. Dave Wells
Research director for the Grand Canyon Institute
Quoted saying: "The flat tax has really fundamentally undermined the ability of the state to invest in lower income families to help make sure that they have stability, to make sure we have teachers in our K-12 system and improve our high school graduation rate, and peter our ability to invest in affordable housing."
Shelly Fishman
Financial consultant
Quoted saying: "We're not going back to an all tariff, import tariff, and no income tax. That's not going to happen."
Dr. Robert Hendricks
Former Arizona School Superintendent of the Year
Current president of the Interfaith Community Services Board of Directors
Quoted saying: "School boards are the last vestige of grassroots governance in the country."
Justine Wadsack
Mentioned as an example of a problematic legislator
Wendy Rogers
Mentioned as an example of a problematic legislator
Fred Duval
Former Arizona Board of Regents member, credited with the idea of the Arizona Teacher Academy