KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Teachers Protest Gov. Gibbons' Education Proposals
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Teachers organized a Tuesday rally in Carson City to protest proposed budget cuts to education.
They're pretty fired up, thanks to Governor Jim Gibbons and his State of the State address Monday.
The address included a rather odd proposal: Gibbons plans to create what he calls an "education gift certificate." "These will be available at many state facilities, like the DMV, or you'll be able to download one off my website," the Governor explained in his speech.
The idea is to take donations to fund teacher salaries. "Your money is spent only on teachers' salaries," explained Gibbons, "for those of you who can afford to help our teachers, I encourage you do it."
When those in education heard this part of the speech, they were stunned. "My mouth dropped," said Ken Buhrmann, president of the Washoe Education Association, "what is he trying to do- make us charity cases? We're professionals and that's insulting."
At a press conference after his speech, one reporter asked the Governor where this all stops.
Do we go on to fund our police and firefighters through donations, too?
The governor tried to chuckle it off. "I did not propose that," he answered.
Like police and firefighters, teachers feel they play a vital role in the state, and they say the Governor doesn't get that. "Education's first. It's the first target he seems to aim at."
In recent hearings at the legislature education officials have been pleading for two things:
They want flexibility to enact the cuts and most importantly they want the cuts to be as small as possible.
That would likely take some new revenue sources, potentially through increasing state fees already in place, such as those you already pay at the DMV.
The governor shot down those ideas, but the teachers say something will need to be done. "You can't have your cake and eat it too," Buhrmann added, "if you want essential services, if you want a fine education system, you have to pay for it some way."
Lawmakers will need to decide how much to cut education going into a special session scheduled for February 23.
