Posted on 02/21/2011 6:34:03 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
(CNSNews.com) - The federal government gave $669.6 million to the public schools in Wisconsin in fiscal 2008, according to the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). That is more than 20 times as much as the $30 million that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is trying to save in the current fiscal year by asking state employees, including teachers, to pay for a fraction of the cost of their own pension packages and health-insurance premium.
Because of this federal subsidy, taxpayers in the 49 other states make a handsome contribution to the salary and benefits packages of Wisconsin school teachers.
Fiscal 2008 is the last year for which the NCES has published the state-by-state dollar amount of federal subsidies for public schools.
Wisconsin faces a $137 million shortfall for the state's current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and a $3.6 billion shortfall for the next two fiscal years.
To help close this budget gap, Gov. Walker, a Republican, has proposed legislation that would make state employees, including teachers, pay 5.8 percent of their salary in contributions to their pension plan and 12.6 percent of what the state pays for their insurance premiums.
The governor’s proposal would also prevent state employees’unions from engaging in collective bargaining over state workers’ benefit packages, allowing them only to bargain over wages. Also, state employees’ wages would not be allowed to increase faster than the rate of inflation (the Consumer Price Index) unless voters approved the increase in a referendum.
Teachers and other state employees and the unions that represent them have been protesting the governor's proposals for the past week.
Gov. Walker’s proposed budget changes would save the state an estimated $30 million this year and $300 million during the next two fiscal years. But that is a pittance compared to the federal subsidies that flow annually into Wisconsin public school system.
In fiscal 2008, according to the U.S. Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, the federal government provided Wisconsin public schools with $669,634,777 [2].
The $669.6 million in federal tax dollars that was directed to Wisconsin public schools in fiscal 2008 is more than 22 times as much as the $30 million that Wisconsin would save in this fiscal year from the changes proposed by Gov. Walker and more than twice as much as the $300 million the governor’s plan would save the state over the next two fiscal years.
Wisconsin spent $10,791 [3] per pupil in its public elementary and secondary schools in fiscal year 2008, according to the NCES. That amount includes salaries and benefits for teachers, school administrators and support staff as well as other school expenses.
Wisconsin’s $10,791 per-pupil spending in its public schools was more than the $10,353 that neighboring Illinois spent; or the $10,048 that neighboring Minnesota spent; or the $9,520 that neighand Iowa spent.
In fact, the $10,791 Wisconsin spent per pupil in its public schools in fiscal 2008 was more than was spent on public schooling by any other Midwest state, according to the NCES.
Wisconsin’s closest Midwest competitor was Nebraska, which spent $10,565 per public in its public elementary and secondary schools in fiscal 2008.
Along with buying GM, these practices of pumping fed money into state affairs is illegal. It’s too easy to screw a company up and then buy it for a profit etc... using paper worthless bully administrative coupons currency to buy out tangible assets built up by those who created them.
The government is running a mafya of paper currency bullies. And saying we cannot own tangible assets like Gold is nationalization horse hookie too. THe only legitimate thing is really the military and the industrial complex... not the people’s businesses.
I pay a little under 4% more this year for my healthcare through my employer. No pension! These union members can do what my family has had tO do. Cut back somewhere else. Downgrade cable, reduce trips to coffee shop, restaurants. Totally doable! Especially when you consider that a dual teacher income household in WI is considered rich in this country by the folks who keep pushing for higher taxes for the Wealthiest Americans.
Key words - "in the current fiscal year". This move isn't about just the current year - it is about savings every year in the future. Taxpayers are sick of carrying the freeloaders, and those that are not are certainly welcome to donate some of their own hard-earned money to the cause.
Vast majority of teachers also contribute a few hundred/month or more for their health care.
Wife also can't imagine those teachers would call in sick to go to a protest; most teachers would never do such a thing.
NEA has killed the golden goose and big time cuts are in line. Those cuts will go full circle and before it's over with; every American will face the same cuts; unionized or not. The only way out of the mess we are in as a country.
More WI public school facts.
Thanks for the ping.
Vouchers are attractive to everyone in middle America because the cost of education for private school in the heartland is lower. Private, corporate or church based schools can be cheaper to what we spend in 2011 on public education and the results range marginaly better to excellent.
This is another reason why WI matters to all of us.
It also proves again that, without a return to robust federalism, we are, well, doomed.
Thank you this is great information to have. My daughter called yesterday for information that’s why I was looking for links. There was a discussion yesterday in a group my daughter belongs to lies were being presented as facts and she wanted to clear that up, needless to say it quickly turned ugly when she did lol. Some members went on the attack and tried to change the conversation to how much Gov. Walker was paid but she wasn’t having it. She told them she wouldn’t allow them to do that it wasn’t the issue and she corrected the bad information. I know she will be happy to have this.
You must be very proud of your daughter - I am - and I don’t even know her. You’ve taught her courage - good for you, Lori. Glad the information was helpful - credit to sickoflibs...
Buchanan's figure was 56K$ per year (as in these links) plus 44K$ in benefits=100K$ total. These are easy to find:
Wisconsin Teaching Salaries and Benefits
The kids who graduate from Maryland colleges/public schools are all socialists. They are taught that a politically driven government monopoly funded by non-stake-holding taxpayers is the most efficient way to provide any service because they don't make a profit (that is an understatement.)
I don't try to tell them what to believe (unlike Hannity) but instead teach them how to investigate and question claims and think logically. Unfortunately some that already have a socialist world view are hopeless.
I do have a conservative friend here whose kids are not socialist, but he paid to send them to private schools where the teachers are Christian Capitalists.
So, we’re all effectively footing the bill for the WI teachers to protest.
Time for vouchers.
Time to end Federal funding of public schools all together.
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