It’s the Spending, Stupid: Another in a Series

Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach and publisher of Nevada News & Views

(Chuck Muth) – OK, so the Clark County school district wanted to give its unionized teachers a raise – because, hey, what better way to say “Thanks for the mediocrity” than paying those dropping the ball more money, right?

But there was no new tax revenue to fund the $135.5 million windfall.  What to do, what to do?

Then it hit them like the hot fist at the end of a wet kiss!

“Cuts,” school superintendent Pat Skorkowsky discovered.

Indeed, according to a Sunday story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal (open under new management!), the district decided giving teachers more money was more important than “safety, playground and other necessary facility repairs.”

Apparently the definition of “necessary” is open to interpretation – at least when the teachers union is involved.

But the bottom line is this: Once you tell any government entity that it’s getting no more money, it will be forced to set spending priorities rather than raise taxes.

Which is the underlying purpose of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.  Once tax hikes are taken off the table, all manner of other options are put into play.

A valuable lesson conservatives understand, but RINOs refuse to accept.