This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
Who benefits from a 5.6% school tax levy increase? Not the students!
By Kevin Fischer
Wednesday, Oct 10 2007, 06:34 PM
We now know, thanks to Fred Keller and his blog that every Franklin taxpayer must read, why the Franklin School Board is so hell-bent on raising the school tax levy by the incredibly unreasonable rate of 5.6%.
The money isn’t going to go directly to classroom instruction of our students. The huge tax increase the Franklin School Board is poised to pass will go toward bloated salaries and benefits of top school administrators.
No wonder Franklin School District Business Manager James Milzer spent so much time at the August School Board meeting rattling on and on with dizzying figures that put the audience into a trance. He had to fight for his soon to be growing salary of $119, 893 with total salary and benefit package of $169, 489.
Two months ago in one of my blogs, I asked the following:
If the Franklin School Board adopts a budget with a large, bigger than the rate of inflation tax levy increase of 5.6%, and I sense they will if the board doesn’t hear from enough taxpayers, then I have a simple question for the members: What?
What do we get for that 5.6% tax levy increase?
What does Franklin get for all that extra tax money?
Do we get greater student achievement?
Do we get higher GPA’s?
Do we get more graduates going on to college?
Do we get more graduates going on to college in Wisconsin?
Do we get higher reading scores?
Do we get higher math scores?
Do we get higher SAT scores?
Do we get higher ACT scores?
Do we get better attendance?
Or do we just, as some school members have been quoted, take care of “bodies” (i.e., teachers) and programs?
We now have our answers.
We now know why the Franklin School Board doesn’t want to entertain the idea of any potential cuts to save the beleaguered taxpayers.There certainly are places to cut, especially in a top-heavy administration.
To stand up shamelessly at a public meeting and blame the state for not providing enough funding (a falsehood) and use scare tactics in the form of threatened cuts to popular programs when in reality you’re pushing for a tax increase to keep funding large salary and benefit packages for the top administrators is disgraceful.
No talk of a hiring freeze.
No talk of a salary freeze. Instead, Franklin taxpayers get trampled on again.
There’s a difference, though.
This time, the public knows what’s going on.
This time, the public is wise and gets it.
This time, the people who run the schools have been exposed, time and time again.
We’re on to you guys. And sooner or later, this game of screwing the taxpayers is going to end.
FRANKLIN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PLANNING A 5.6% INCREASE IN THE SCHOOL TAX LEVY, AND ANOTHER HUGE REFERENDUM. CONTACT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NOW TO TELL THEM YOU OPPOSE BIG TAX INCREASES!
