Every gubernatorial election you can depend upon the WEA to align themselves with the Democratic candidate, no matter who it is. They donate the hard-earned money of their dues-paying teachers and they try to rally the troops to go door-to-door to support their choice.
Why do they do this? Is it because the Democratic candidate will support education? Will they give the teachers raises? Will they actually do anything constructive for the education system?
The facts and history says they will not.
The last pay raise, over and above a cost of living raise, was by Gov. Spellman, a Republican. He stated he valued education and felt the teachers deserved a pay raise so he gave them 4 percent. Not a princely sum but it was a raise.
The WEA responded by supporting Gov. Gardner with money and time. Gov. Gardner immediately re-negotiated the state timber contracts, saving hundreds of millions of dollars for the timber industry of which he was an heir. That money would have gone directly into the education fund for the state. Instead, it went into the lumber industries’ pockets. He did not give teachers raises, saying there was no money in the budget for that.
The WEA again supported him with money and time.
Then came governors Lowry, Locke and Gregoire. Again, WEA spent time and money for these campaigns but they found no money for teachers. They even ignored Initiative 732. The Democrats have also brought us into the education crises we are in now … but still the WEA supports them.
Inslee has a vague idea that there is a need for education funding and maybe has an idea how to fix it; McKenna has a clear idea of the problem and a clear plan.
Teachers educate yourselves!
Jim Brauch
Everett
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