Dorn wants to spare schools from budget slashing

Washington's incoming superintendent of public instruction, Randy Dorn, wants to protect education funding from the budget ax, even going so far as to suggest raising taxes to keep schools operating as usual.

In an interview Wednesday, he stated:

It'll be a real choice of, what are the priorities. And to me there isn't a choice on what is a priority. The priority's already been determined by our constitution. That's the paramount duty...It's pretty simple to me. I don't get to push the button on budgets but I sure can try to influence.

According to the Washington Constitution, education is "the paramount duty" of the state; in other words, it's our biggest responsibility. Sending less money to our already struggling schools is irresponsible. Raising revenue, while not an attractive option, will serve the state better in the long run by producing students who are better prepared for advanced education or challenging work, and by producing less high school dropouts who will contribute much less tax revenue over their lifetime than their better-educated peers.

When the economy is rolling again, we will need educated people to fill the workforce. We don't want to fall behind states and countries that kept investing in their young people even in this time of crisis.

Raising revenue is always a hard sell but a few things will make it even more challenging this year. One is the governor's campaign pledge not to increase revenue. Another is Tim Eyman's Initiative 960, which requires a two thirds supermajority of both houses of the Legislature to pass a tax increase, plus approval from a vote of the people.

The Supreme Court is currently considering a legal challenge to I-960, which, if successful, would strike down the supermajority requirement.

Despite Gregoire's reluctance to raise taxes, we believe that when the Legislature gets in up to their elbows in the budget mess, they will have to consider the huge cost to society that cuts to education and other vital public services would have. The harm to schools is just the tip of the iceberg.

We are proud of Dorn for being brave enough to put the issue out there. Let's wait and see if he gets any company.