The folks from the Simple Majority campaign were out in Tri-Cities yesterday drumming up support for the idea that school levies should be able to pass with a 50% majority instead of a 60% supermajority.
They are concerned that some voters who support education but don’t vote in off years won’t get their ballots in this year. Lisa MacFarlane, who chairs the effort said in the Tri-City Herald today: “We have to get this on the radar screen of people who support education but who are not good voters,” said Lisa Macfarlane, president of the League of Education Voters. “Our opposition is voter apathy and lack of awareness.”
Of course, there are a few people who still think the supermajority is a good idea. For example, Dan Newhouse who had this to say: “I don’t see this as an education issue, I see this as a tax issue.”
You can imagine Dan around the house. Someone in the family says, “We are out of milk.” Dan responds, “That’s not a milk issue, that’s a money issue. So, no milk. Or “It snowed. We need a new snow shovel.” Dan: “That’s not a snow shovel issue. That’s a money issue.”
Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Here’s an old saying that would help Dan get past the rut he’s in. A stitch in time saves nine. In other words, we are facing an increasing competitive global economy. Our kids and our country better take the steps necessary to compete with new economic engines such as India, China and the European Union. Or, we can face a dwindling GNP and our the next generation will be worse off.
What Dan is really saying is that he doesn’t want to invest in our kid’s future. It’s not worth it to Dan. He’d rather personally have the money.
I’d rather give our kids a fighting chance. Vote Yes for the Simple Majority.