Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for March 12, 2007 IEA Representative Assembly

From the Chicago Sun-Times...

Gov. enlists teachers union in education fight

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Trying to convert teachers into a political force behind his new business tax plan, Gov. Rod Blagojevich fired up the Illinois Education Association for a brutal fight in the Legislature.

"It will be Armageddon, but we are on the side of the Lord and we will prevail," Blagojevich told more than 1,200 cheering delegates at IEA's annual meeting in suburban Chicago on Saturday.

Blagojevich is counting on new business taxes to fund his "Helping Kids Learn" proposal, first outlined Wednesday in his State of the State address. Without offering specifics, the Chicago Democrat told the teachers the proposal would invest $10 billion in schools over the next four years.

But business groups have condemned the governor's tax plan, arguing that it will drive up consumer prices and discourage companies from doing business in Illinois.

The governor, who contends the plan would ease the tax burden on the middle class, said lobbyists would approach lawmakers and "twist arms" to prevent it from passing.

"They're going to try to convince them to get off of tax fairness and go back to taxing people," Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich's plan would boost school funding by $1.5 billion next year -- a 23 percent increase. More than half of the new education money -- $800 million -- would go to increase the guaranteed minimum spent on each student in the budget year beginning July 1. Another $60 million would expand preschool programs to reach about 12,000 more children.

The governor received a rousing ovation and an endorsement for his plan, a much different response than he drew during the gubernatorial campaign when the IEA decided not to endorse any candidate.

The union plans a rally in Springfield on May 2 in support of school funding.

Teachers interviewed Saturday said they back the Blagojevich plan for a "gross receipts tax," which would produce about $6 billion a year by taxing business transactions and capture money from the state's growing service sector.

Service businesses would pay a higher rate than manufacturers and other traditional businesses, while small companies would be exempt altogether.

Vickie Mahrt, a speech pathologist from Normal, supports Blagojevich's plan. But she warned that the administration may have to convince people in the Bloomington-Normal area who work for State Farm Insurance that it won't harm business.

"But those people pay taxes like everybody else," Mahrt said.