Reading yesterday’s Denver Post made me think that just maybe someone had inflicted the infamous pseudo-Chinese curse on Colorado K-12 education. After all, what could be more “interesting” for many than a potential lawsuit by the Colorado Education Association against Governor Bill Ritter for failing to honor Amendment 23?
Kudos to Post editorialist Vince Carroll, who just a few days ago pushed state treasurer Cary Kennedy on the need for intellectual honesty and her longtime allies at CEA on the need for consistency:
So why the restrained reaction so far from many education advocates to Ritter’s proposed cuts? Why isn’t the teachers union threatening a lawsuit rather than contenting itself, in the words of a spokeswoman, with lobbying lawmakers “to put kids first”? Why aren’t the authors of Amendment 23 speaking out?
Well, reluctantly or not, the first rumblings of possible legal action now have emerged. My only question is–What’s causing the holdup? Is it that CEA and company are:
- Feeling stung by buyer’s remorse after spending more than $40,000 to elect Bill Ritter in 2006? OR
- Fearing that a lawsuit against Ritter would put them in the same company as the Independence Institute (celebrating 25 years today)
Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
And I can relate to their hesitancy in leaping to action, as the situation has me feeling conflicted, too. I’m no fan of Amendment 23′s budgetary restrictiveness, and believe that these difficult times present an opportunity for radical innovation to make the funding of our schools more efficient.
Nevertheless, the constitution is the constitution.
If the lawsuit indeed goes forward, and eventually reaches the Colorado Supreme Court, the only question left will be how conflicted the justices feel in trying to split the Amendment 23 baby between two of their closest friends (and whether they would even take it up before the 2010 elections).
“Interesting times”, indeed….
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[...] As my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow has noted, the potential showdown between union-backed Ritter and the Colorado Education Association over the proposed cuts could make for “interesting times.” [...]