Lawmakers need to be held accountable

To the editor:

It's time for a real conversation about school funding in Iowa.

Republican legislators have been rigid in their refusal to consider an increase of State Supplemental Aid above 1.25 percent. At the same time, Democrats have proposed levels of 6 percent, 4 percent, and most recently a compromise of just over 2.6 percent. Republicans have argued that we simply can't afford more than a 1.25 percent increase in aid, that anything greater than that would be unsustainable. This argument is at best, wrong, but more likely it is ideologically inconsistent and masking a hidden anti-public education agenda.

House Republicans also have proposed a flat tax that would result in an estimated drop in state revenue of $373 million in the first year. In the second year, the loss in potential revenue is well over $500 million. As a means of comparison, the Democrats' first proposal of a 6 percent increase in SSA would cost only $266 million.

There is a great deal of incongruity here, and we deserve direct answers from our elected officials. How can it be that Iowa cannot afford a $266 million investment in our children, but can afford a significantly larger decline in revenue? There recently has been talk of holding teachers and schools accountable for student performance. When are we going to talk about holding our elected representatives accountable for providing the funding and resources that schools and teachers need? Our children deserve nothing less.

Pete Clancy

Cedar Rapids