Contrary to the assertions of Stanley Feldman (“Vote ‘no’ on Prop. 123 — it’s a bad deal,” April 29), not only is Proposition 123 a good deal, it’s an absolute necessity to put the state and our students on track for success.
Here’s a list of reasons why Prop. 123 needs your support:
1. Prop. 123 delivers more than half a billion dollars into Arizona’s public K-12 system within one year and $3.5 billion over the next 10 years. This money is already being slated by districts for teacher pay raises.
2. Prop. 123 protects the state land trust, a $75 billion asset that exists to support public education. Under Prop. 123, the trust’s $5 billion investment portfolio is still projected by independent economists to grow by more than $1 billion. Additionally, Arizona’s trust includes 9.2 million acres of state trust land worth approximately $70 billion.
3. In return for billions of dollars in aid, the education community that sued the state for more funding allowed the Legislature to have several “triggers” that protect the state’s ability to budget for other vital functions, like health care and public safety, in the event of economic emergencies. The plaintiffs consulted with numerous economists to make sure that these triggers could only be applied during true crises, not through discretionary actions by lawmakers.
4. Prop. 123 is the “first step” to fix Arizona’s public education system. This referendum settles a five-year lawsuit that could continue on for even longer. Prop. 123 is not a solution for every issue with our education system. It does, however, provide the means for teacher salary increases to help stop teachers from leaving our schools and students.
5. Prop. 123 works by increasing payments from the state land trust. Arizona was granted this authority through an amendment to the Enabling Act passed by Congress in 1999.
There is no truth to claims that Prop. 123 creates a legal conflict with the federal government. Members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have already researched and debunked this baseless claim.
6. Prop. 123 provides guaranteed and sustained help for our public schools. Commitments like teacher salaries require continual funding – not one-time surplus expenditures. Prop. 123 is overwhelmingly supported by the education and business communities for its ability to deliver for Arizona’s 2,000 public schools, 50,000 educators and 1.1 million students. Prop. 123 does not spend the state’s savings and is not dependent on optimistic revenue projections.
7. The “next steps” after Prop. 123 will not be determined or defined by politicians. It will be determined by the education, business and child advocacy coalitions and voters who will continue to demand improvements to our schools.
Rather than support the education community that fought to put Prop. 123 on the ballot, opponents who call themselves public education supporters frame the proposition as a matter of “trust” between the voter, the teacher and the legislator.
Some, like Feldman, urge that we reject this proposal and force educators to “fight it out in the courts” for several more years while they rally the pro-education forces — again — to take over the Legislature.
If these efforts were to fail, what would we say to our kids, to our educators?
It is a shame that far too many would rather settle grudges with the Legislature instead of actually helping our teachers make a living wage.
This sideline advocacy ignores the teachers and educators who stand to immediately receive pay raises if Prop. 123 passes.
It also defies common sense by refusing to recognize that Prop. 123 is progress, and that we will continue to seek improvements to our public K-12 schools.
Arizona needs to support Prop. 123 on May 17 to make a stand for public education.
