Nearly 16,000 Wisconsinites Demand End to Walker Education Cuts

MADISON, Wis. — The names of nearly 16,000 Wisconsinites who have signed One Wisconsin Now’s online petition in just over the last week demanding an end to Gov. Scott Walker’s unprecedented attack on public education were deliver today to the Governor and leaders of the state Joint Finance Committee. JFC has a scheduling hearing today to discuss Walker’s plans to cut of $834 million from public education, skyrocket tuition for students in Wisconsin and dismantle the technical college system — all to pay for unprecedented tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest.

“The people of Wisconsin have spoken and they are united against Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to dismantle public education,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “Gov. Walker’s education scheme is a payoff to Walker’s funders paid for by Wisconsin’s families.”

Gov. Walker’s dismantling of the state’s public education system to pay for tax breaks for corporations includes:

• Walker’s budget cuts an unprecedented $834 million from our kids’ public education including the first time in history schools’ local revenue is current below present funding levels.
• Walker’s budget puts college education further out of the hands of Wisconsin students by hiking tuition at UW-Madison by an astonishing 20 percent, privatizing the university and putting it under lockstep control by his hand-picked partisans.
• Walker’s budget slashes hundreds of millions from early childhood education programs, including cuts to the program designed to combat fraud and improve child care in Wisconsin.
• Walker’s budget slashes $100 million in student aid, targeting disadvantaged and minority aid in particular and completely ends the Wisconsin Covenant college affordability program.
• Walker’s budget raises taxes on low-income Wisconsinites by $51 million by gutting the bipartisan Earned Income Tax Credit and the Homestead Tax Credit.

“What makes Gov. Walker’s cuts to education most offensive is that he has pushed for over $200 million in new tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy at the same time,” said Ross. “Every dime in tax breaks to big business and the wealthy is coming out of the education funds of our kids.”