What follows is a portion of an email I received from Rep. Robin Vos (R) of Caledonia.
What to Expect Now That Democrats are in Control
Removal of the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) - The QEO is a tool used by school districts to reign in salary and benefit costs. If school districts provide at least a 3.8% increase in salary and fringe benefits for teachers each year, they can avoid going to arbitration with the teachers' union - which often leads to higher increases that take away from the other priorities in school districts' budgets.
Governor Doyle announced a few days after the election that he will be working to remove cost control measures like the QEO. Like Obama, Doyle owes the Teachers' Union too much not to do this now when passage of the measure is almost certain because both houses are controlled by Democrats.
School administrators and school boards have already expressed extreme worry for their budgets if the QEO is removed. But taxpayers should ultimately be the most worried because they will bear the brunt of any major increases realized by school districts due to raises and fringe benefit cost increases that significantly exceed the rate of inflation. In the mid 90s before the QEO was enacted, annual property tax increases were going through the roof. My fear is we will again see increases like those if the QEO is repealed.
Tort Reform - To control costs in the court system, Wisconsin has strict rules limiting the possibility of frivolous lawsuits against doctors. Last session, Rep. Tony Staskunas introduced a bill that opens the door to removing the prohibition of frivolous lawsuits. These kinds of awards create multi-million dollar paydays for the Democrats' trial lawyer allies which in turn raise everyone's health care costs.
State Representative Robin Vos
2 comments:
If the state removes the taxing controls in place right now, the only people that will protect the taxpayers are conservative local elected leaders. Make sure you get to know what those running for spring election for school, town, and village boards believe in when it comes to fiscal spending. If all controls are removed your local elected officials can still pass responsible budgets.
Chuck Poole
The QEO is not the problem. I would like to get rid of the QEO, but at the same time we need to get rid of binding arbitration. Arbitration boards were loaded with past school officials that always sided with the teachers causing the huge increases we have seen in the past.
Back in the 60s and 70s, teachers went out on strike. This showed their true colors. It was about them, not the children. It is the same today, but they don’t have to go on strike to get their increases.
The average teacher makes more in 9 months of work than the average taxpayer makes all year. That’s before we include the huge benefit packages and early retirement. The average tax payer works until Medicare kicks in (67 for me). Most teachers plan to retire soon after 55 years old. That’s an extra benefit that doesn’t show up on any spreadsheet of teacher’s cost.
If you look at the increases that the well paid state and county workers have made, you will find that their increases pale in comparison to the teacher’s union.
The company that I work is doing quite well and last year I received a 2% increase. Many companies had lower or no increases in wages. Even after my 2%, I had to pay for higher insurance cost as well as higher taxes and cost of goods.
The QEO guarantees a minimum of 3.8% of both salaries and benefits. That is before they figure in the extra increases for years of service and more increases for more education. The WGSD school board gave the teachers a 4.1% increase in both salaries and benefits. With the years of service increase and education increases, this turned out to be about a 4.5% increase.
As I write this, the three houses to the North of me are empty. Many houses in the town and village are in foreclosure. Many businesses have closed resulting in loss of jobs and tax base. The most recent is the new Shell station just up to the road from Fox River Middle School.
Why do we all have to “tighten our belts” when the schools do not?
Let’s get rid of the QEO and binding arbitration. Let the teachers go out on strike.
Paul B.
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