VEA teachers union says contact these Finance committee delegates TODAY to DEMAND HIGHER TAXES

[Gopher Broke]

Virginia Education Association

CLA - Urgent Action Needed, Contact Finance Committee Today

Dear Cyber-lobbyist:

House Finance Committee (the revenue committee) will consider all of the revenue enhancement (tax) bills on Wednesday afternoon. The rumor is they plan to clear as many as they can off the docket.

Don't wait ! The time to contact members of the House Finance Committee is now !

MESSAGE TO FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Make certain that there is enough revenue to address the critical unmet needs in education. Vote Yes on Delegate Parish’s HB1081(the Governor’s plan), Delegate Dillard’s HB1270 (funding for the education of at-risk students) and other measures which will provide needed state support for our schools.

CALL, FAX, AND EMAIL!

THE MESSAGE SHOULD BE CLEAR - ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NECESSARY TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL CUTS TO KEEP ESSENTIAL SERVICES!!!

WHO'S MY LEGISLATOR?

To find out who your legislator is, visit http://legis.state.va.us/ and click on "Who's My Legislator?" Enter your address and zip code to get your local Delegate's name and contact information.

You can also call the Constituent Viewpoint/Opinion Line, which is a toll free number. Call 1-800-889-0229, state your issue of concern, and ask that the message be given to your legislator. You may also request that your message be forwarded to multiple legislators.

NOTE: The fax number for all legislators in the Virginia House of Delegates is (804) 786-6310. Handwritten, faxed messages are acceptable. Be sure to include your name and address.

House Finance Committee

The Honorable Harry J. Parrish, Chair (804) 698-1050 Del_Parrish@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Harry R. Purkey, Vice-Chair (804) 698-1082 Del_Purkey@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Kathy J. Byron (804) 698-1022 Del_Byron@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Mark L. Cole (804) 698-1088 Del_Cole@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Thelma Drake (804) 698-1087 Del_Drake@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Franklin P. Hall (804) 698-1069 Del_Hall@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Timothy D. Hugo (804) 698-1040 Del_Hugo@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Robert D. Hull (804) 698-1038 Del_Hull@house.state.va.us

The Honorable William R. Janis (804) 698-1056 Del_Janis@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Joseph P. Johnson, Jr. (804) 698-1004 Del_Johnson@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. (804) 698-1000 Del_Lewis@house.state.va.us

The Honorable L. Scott Lingamfelter (804) 698-1031 Del_Lingamfelter@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Allen L. Louderback (804) 698-1015 Del_Louderback@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Kenneth R. Melvin (804) 698-1080 Del_Melvin@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Samuel A. Nixon, Jr. (804) 698-1027 Del_Nixon@house.state.va.us

The Honorable John M. O'Bannon, III (804) 698-1073 Del_OBannon@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Robert D. Orrock, Sr. (804) 698-1054 Del_Orrock@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Stephen C. Shannon (804) 698-1035 Del_Shannon@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Mitchell Van Yahres (804) 698-1057 Del_VanYahres@house.state.va.us

The Honorable R. Lee Ware, Jr. (804) 698-1011 Del_Ware@house.state.va.us

The Honorable Vivian E. Watts (804) 698-1039 Del_Watts@house.state.va.us

The Honorable John J. Welch, III (804) 698-1021 Del_Welch@house.state.va.us

[Gopher Broke]

del_byron@house.state.va.us, del_cole@house.state.va.us, del_drake@house.state.va.us, del_hall@house.state.va.us, del_hugo@house.state.va.us, del_hull@house.state.va.us, del_janis@house.state.va.us, del_johnson@house.state.va.us, del_lewis@house.state.va.us, del_lingamfelter@house.state.va.us, del_louderback@house.state.va.us, del_melvin@house.state.va.us, del_nixon@house.state.va.us, del_obannon@house.state.va.us, del_orrock@house.state.va.us, del_parrish@house.state.va.us, del_purkey@house.state.va.us, del_shannon@house.state.va.us, del_vanyahres@house.state.va.us, del_ware@house.state.va.us, del_watts@house.state.va.us, del_welch@house.state.va.us

[Jaysun]

Holy crap.

[SoftballMominVA]

Sorry, don't get what's wrong with constituents talking to their representative.

This type of request goes on every day from both parties.

If you disagree, call, it's your right, but it's also EVERYONE'S right to call and express an opinion.

[Moby Grape]

In EVERY state in the union, the NEA message is the same. They have ONE song in the hymnal...more money. Regardless of the rate of taxes in a state, even if they have a lottery...the same tune gets sung by the Educrats...."IF WE DON'T GET MORE MONEY, WE WILL HAVE TO CUT ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS." Education needs REFORM not more money.

[javachip]

Thanks for the nice group of e-mail addresses. Made it easy to cancel out one of the voices for higher taxes.

If liberals' highest priority is the children, why is education the first thing they threaten to cut?

[Gopher Broke]

Some talking points on Virginia's runaway spending....

- The Governor's proposed budget would increase state spending bynearly 13 percent, while family incomes are growing at just 4 percent.

- Over the past 20 years, state spending on public schools has increased more than nine times faster than enrollment.

- Higher education budgets have increased more than three times faster than enrollment (data from Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's Review of State Spending: December, 2003 Update).

- While special interest advocates say we need to spend even more on these programs there is no accounting or research that shows that the extra money would improve public and higher education more than all the money we
are already giving them.

[Jaysun]

Sorry, don't get what's wrong with constituents talking to their representative. This type of request goes on every day from both parties. If you disagree, call, it's your right, but it's also EVERYONE'S right to call and express an opinion.

Maybe it is their right to ask for more taxes. The Government will spend almost $8,500 this year for every man woman an child in the country (from babies to 100 year olds). Of course that figure doesn't count the state and local taxes. Considering I'm one of the poor saps sending Uncle Sam an exuberant amount of money every year, I still feel like one "holy crap" is warranted now and again. Holy Crap.

[Jaysun]

I posted a thread about Education and spending a few weeks ago. The thread shows just one example on a state by state basis, but I've been looking at this for a long time. There is NO correlation between spending and performance in education. The "rich" schools are pumping out illiterates just as fast (faster in most cases) than the "poor" schools are. No matter how you slice it, the constant lament for more cash is a sham.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1052083/posts

[pearlz]

At my last PTA meeting, the teacher representing the state and local union was asking if she could give the PTA directory with mailing addresses of all members to a group called the Virginia Foundation, or something like that. This group, obviously backed by the teacher's unions, is both lobbying legislators and sending out expensive mailings to citizens in support of tax increases.
Unfortunately our PTA president didn't say absolutely not. So once again, PTA parents are going to be used by the union.

[Moby Grape]

Thanks for the info...in my small town, the local school board is pushing for a property tax increase...the usual "we have to do for the kids" mantra is spilling from their uninformed mouths....they simply accept, without doing any homework, the drivel from the educrats...

They say things like. "I know DR. XXXXX knows what he is doing, and surely we need the money...FOR THE KIDS"...