Guest Column: Dems Face Hurdles Winning Over Public
A quick look at some polling crosstabs on attitudes toward cutting public education spending suggests Democrats face significant obstacles in their announced effort to mobilize public outrage against the $4 billion cut to public education that will be at issue in the special session.
As the accompanying table illustrates, the Democrats are representing the positions of their base in attitudes toward public education. The table, drawn from results of the May 2011 University of Texas/Texas Tribune statewide poll, presents approval for proposed budget cuts related to public education cross tabulated by responses to our hypothetical congressional vote choice item ...
Comments (12)
Luisa Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Do the Repubs just hate kids and love fetuses?
Marcus Cunningham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The GOP line on this is just wrong though. Just because their supporters won't listen to the facts doesn't mean it shouldn't be tried. A special session is perfect for a full debate on school and budget issues.
jpt51
The polls that will cause a seismic shift will occur AFTER the new fiscal year begins and the pain is felt by; teachers, students, parents, people seeking health services, people wanting to contract with the state, driving down deteriorating roads - all while watching Red McCombs get $25 million of our tax money, (each year of the biennium) for a one weekend a YEAR Formula 1 racetrack. Any reduction in our children’s future education is unacceptable. Come back in six months and share the shift in attitudes and who is given the blame. Did I mention all of the folks who are angry as a hornet at what Susan Combs did by leaving personal information exposed on the interenet for a year. Do you think she any chance of ever getting reelected? The absence of concern by the Lege and Gov. on this issue has been telling. They're not off the hook for their laxidasical response..
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Luisa: We love kids. We don't want to leave them bankrupt and entirely enslaved on an uncaring government. A 6% budget cut across the school is a reflection of private sector reality on the public sector; a reflection that is less painful now than later. Without the economic stabilization funds retained this year, you'll be looking at even larger cuts in 2 years, as the bankrupt federal government ends more and more of its unsustainable support. Deal with it now or those kids will deal with it - with a LOT greater pain- later.
Unlike the Dems, we dare to do the math out farther than the current cycle.
Leesa Monroe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
But mike our taxes have gone down in Texas dramatically. Propery taxes were reduced and then the recession happened which furthered reduced taxes due to fall in property values. Texas, unlike the federal government,is not bloated. Why cNt we raise fees for fishing license, drivers license, car tags, etc. ? I just don't understand the "hold the line" stance. I don't understand what debt we would be leaving Texas students by fully funding their education. Yes, federal government needs to curb spending but state spending is totally different issue.
?ony Cardone via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The problem is, Mike, is that Republicans look to only one side of the budget. Rather than raising revenue through increases in taxes, they look to cut the budget. When it comes time to cut the budget, the first people to go are groups that don't vote, and that's young children. You may do the math farther out than the Dems, but not everything can be measured in dollars. Cutting education will close the gap in the budget, but it will almost certainly hurt our state in the long run.
Kimberly Thompson Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Mike, this isn't a reflection of the private sector reality. It's the reflection of a structural tax deficit. One that Rick Perry created. One that his comptroller and deputy governor warned him would create an imbalance. Don't fall for their marketing and talking points. They want to blame the recession, but this was predicted well in advance by the comptroller. See the link below. She didn't have a crystal ball, Mike, she had a clue. Unlike Rick Perry who the republicans in this state seem to be willing to follow off the cliff.
Kimberly Thompson Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://www.window.state.tx.us/news/60515letter.html
Jennifer E.
Perry created this mess, now he expects us to live with it. Yes, we must live within our means. But what are "our means"? They are artificial numbers that can be changed. Perry refuses to minimally increase taxes. Why? Because he knows the more money he saves for greedy businesses the more money they'll donate to his presidential campaign.
Ben Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Mike, sounds like you have all the fux nooze talking points down perfect.
whiskeydent
Prof. Henson's analysis is simply flawed.
Legislators -- not members of Congress -- are making these decisions, and they are the ones who will be held accountable by the voters. Mixing in Congress raises up different, negative images in some voters' minds, while others probably had the sense to know that Congress isn't making these decisions.
Further, the options do not get to real hot buttons, such as firing teachers, closing schools and reducing academic programs. This academic-style approach is divorced from emotion-driven, real-world political messaging and therefore is hardly meaningful. Republicans buying into it are whistling past the graveyard.
Mike Miller
The chart is useless unless 1) you state exactly what the question is; and 2) whether revenue increases were part of the responses allowed.