Recently,
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has made national headlines with his
attempts to strip collective bargaining rights from workers. Taking
crucial protections from working people is just one part of Walker’s
plans. His assault on the working class is multi-faceted.
Walker’s
proposals for the Wisconsin state budget include $900 million in
funding cuts for education. Even before Walker’s announcement, 2,000
teachers in Wisconsin had already received pink slips; that number is
sure to increase. If these proposals are enacted, the education
budget will be slashed by 9 percent statewide.
Walker also
wants to limit school districts’ legal right to raise property taxes,
which cuts yet another $600 million from funds school districts would
normally get. Of course, neither Walker nor the Democrats have
proposed an increase in taxes for the wealthy and corporations which
would be the real solution to the crisis. If Walker’s budget
becomes reality, more teachers will be laid off, class sizes will
become larger, fewer classes will be offered, and extracurricular
activities will be cut.
School districts
throughout Wisconsin are laying off teachers and face big budget
shortfalls. One relatively small school district in Janesville, Wis.,
with 10,000 students, has a $10 million deficit. This district would
lose an additional $5 million in aid under Walker’s plan and would
have to lay off more teachers. Milwaukee Public schools, the biggest
district in the state would lose tens of millions of dollars.
Public workers’
jobs in libraries and health care are also at risk. Tens of thousands
of public and private sector workers have come out demanding that
Wall Street, not the working class should pay for the crisis that
Wall Street created. We all must show solidarity with our brothers
and sisters in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana and follow their examples
across the United States.
