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Reverse Recall
Nobody has ever tried this, but as the governor et.al. frantically
search for senate GOP votes to raise revenue for the schools, why not
toss in a reverse recall as a threat if the R's don't budge?
A reverse what?
Heretofore, when the anti-tax gaggle has wanted to intimidate
lawmakers into opposing anything that even looks like a tax increase,
they eventually trot out the recall option: Vote for that tax boost
and we'll try to boot you out of office.
So why not flip it: If you DON'T vote for more revenue, we'll try
to boot you out of office.
Oh my that would be nasty.
But think about it. The schools now confront a whopping $292 cut
for every school kid who walks through the door. The governor is
urging the education lobby, see yesterday's blog, to get in the game
and turn up the heat on republicans who are loathed to put up a green
light on new revenue. Tossing the recall card on the table might up
the ante.
However there are only four republicans that could be threatened;
the rest are all term-limited out of office at the end of next year so
trying to recall them is a waste of time; they are leaving anyway.
Thus the reverse recall strategy, as far-fetched as it is, could be
more fruitful in the house where a ton of republicans want to hang onto
their jobs.
Nobody has talked about actually doing this, but to be honest
nobody has really considered the option…until now.
search for senate GOP votes to raise revenue for the schools, why not
toss in a reverse recall as a threat if the R's don't budge?
A reverse what?
Heretofore, when the anti-tax gaggle has wanted to intimidate
lawmakers into opposing anything that even looks like a tax increase,
they eventually trot out the recall option: Vote for that tax boost
and we'll try to boot you out of office.
So why not flip it: If you DON'T vote for more revenue, we'll try
to boot you out of office.
Oh my that would be nasty.
But think about it. The schools now confront a whopping $292 cut
for every school kid who walks through the door. The governor is
urging the education lobby, see yesterday's blog, to get in the game
and turn up the heat on republicans who are loathed to put up a green
light on new revenue. Tossing the recall card on the table might up
the ante.
However there are only four republicans that could be threatened;
the rest are all term-limited out of office at the end of next year so
trying to recall them is a waste of time; they are leaving anyway.
Thus the reverse recall strategy, as far-fetched as it is, could be
more fruitful in the house where a ton of republicans want to hang onto
their jobs.
Nobody has talked about actually doing this, but to be honest
nobody has really considered the option…until now.
posted by Tim Skubick at
1:36 PM
5 Comments:
Tim:
Where do you come up with such lame ideas? Ignoring this problem is not going to make it go away. If anything -- Granholm did us a favor and finally showed some guts. Now if we can really tackle the real problem with the schools -- it is not the current pay but the lifetime benefits of pension and health insurance for all these employees retiring in their 50's. The system was never meant to cover all that. Since we the taxpayers are funding this lifetime benefit out of our tax dollars -- that is where the cuts need to be made!!!! Keep in mind that it is the taxpayers that are funding these benefits -- (the employees will say they pay into it but in reality it is paid through our tax dollars) -- Let's just be honest about who is really funding these benefits. Also start consolidating schools and eliminating duplicate administration costs. Also the generous sick leave policies these
employees have needs to go too. Some employees retire with years of unused sick time and they get a check for it when they retire. No private businesses could survive in this economy with such generous policies. I could go on but my main argument is that the days of the cushy MEA laden benefits have to end -- our state cannot afford this.
Talk about lame ideas! Teachers are grossly underappreciated as it is for the tremendous work they do. Raise the taxes, it is needed.
Skooby ... I like your thinking. It's creative and might jar those who have only "no" in their vocabulary for any kind of solution that involves a compromise into saying "Let's work together to find a way out of this mess."
Slight problem with the "reverse recall", the looters will need to get up and actually do something.
Those petitions won't get created, copied and filled out on their own.
The looters find it much easier to kvetch and moan in an attempt to garner sympathy, than to actually do something.
And even if a few of them do circulate a petition, I'd love to see their reactions when thay ask voters (in the middle of a recession, no less)," Hi, I want to raise your taxes to prevent Lansing from making difficult decisions about what its job should be."
Yeah, I give it the flight potential of a cement truck.
Yea give the teachers more money. Just because they can't teach our kids math and science doesn't mean they shouldn't get a raise. Just because our teachers never take responsability for not teaching the kids doesn't mean they shouldn't make the money for it. $60K to $80K for a 9 month work yr. in nothing for all the "teaching" they do. It's not the teachers fault. Stop by my blog sometime. www.bonsifromtheright.blogspot.com
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