by Ed Naile
Yes, a lot of the soccer moms and portfolio voters you saw at the polls Tuesday were from out of state originally.
You know the ones I am talking about – pony tail, baseball type cap that says Martha’s Vinyard on it or some such thing, driving a Volvo wagon. Its almost like a uni-sex uniform.
Well these "angry at Bush," "anti-war," but don’t really want to get blown up at Starbucks voters just handed New Hampshire progressives a perfect two year storm.
Here is the Education Funding lawsuit time frame from where these "property value" voters came from.
Does it look like Claremont so far?
Feb. 1970 A lawsuit, Robinson v. Cahill, brought on behalf of urban school children, charges the state’s system for funding schools discriminates against poorer districts in a equity suit.
Apr. 1973 The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that heavy reliance on property taxes for education discriminates against poor districts
Jul. 1975 The Public School Education Act, Chapter 212, creates a new state-funding formula for public schools, but lawmakers do not raise taxes to pay for it.
Jul. 1976 The NJ Supreme Court shuts down the public schools for eight days because the Legislature failed to fund the new formula.
July 1976 The first New Jersey state income tax is then enacted!!! (2% now topped out at 7%)
Feb. 1981 New Lawsuit! Abbott v. Burke on behalf of urban school children.
1985 NJ Supreme Court issues Abbott I and orders the legislature to fund education so that urban and suburban children receive equal education.
1986-87 Trial in Abbott before judge.
Aug. 1988 Judge orders a complete overhaul of State’s system of providing urban education.
May 1990 Governor Jim Florio introduces a $2.8 billion state tax increase to pay for the new order to placate the court.
Jun. 1990 The NJ Supreme Court rules in Abbott v. Burke (Abbott II) Education funding in NJ ruled still inadequate and not equal.
Mar. 1991 Governor Florio diverts a paltry $360 million of the new income tax to property tax relief.
Jul. 1992 Education funding litigants re-start Abbott. Now Abbott III.
Jul. 1994 In Abbott III, the NJ Supremes declares education funding unconstitutional. The Court gives the legislature until 1997 to raise more taxes..
Feb. 1995 The NJ Department of Education tries to comply.
Nov. 1995 New Gov. Whitman changes the school-funding formula by capping spending in suburban districts.
Jan. 1997 Education funding litigants sue again to force the legislature to raise more taxes to spend more on the 1990 and 1994 Abbott rulings.
May 1997 The NJ Supreme Court once again declares all previous attempts at raising taxes to fund education unconstitutional, orders more spending and turns authority of the legislature for funding over to a Superior Court judge. (This is where we are going now in 2006)
September 1997 $246 million more taxes ordered to the urban districts to comply with the Abbott IV ruling. Spending between urban and suburban “equalized”.
Jan. 1998 Court orders statewide preschool, and renovations of schools at an additional cost of $312 million a year.
May 1998 The NJ Supreme Court rules again in Abbott V, and orders entitlements for urban school children including: whole school reform, full-day kindergarten and preschool for all 3 and 4 year olds, and a comprehensive state managed and funded facilities program to correct code violations, to eliminate overcrowding, and to provide adequate space urban schools. More supplemental programs are also required such as health and social services, increased security, technology alternative education, school-to work, after-school and summer-school programs.
Jul. 1999 Education litigants sue again at the NJ Supreme Court level for more tax money.
Mar. 2000 NJ Supreme Court, in Abbott VI, rules that the State had failed to comply with previous rulings and orders more spending.
Jul. 2000 Legislature enacts school construction program for school districts statewide.
Apr. 2001 Administrative Law Judge Masin says: not enough.
Sep. 2001 Litigants sue again for fully funding preschool.
Oct. 2001 Supreme Court issues first half of Abbott VIII.
Feb. 2002 Supreme Court issues second half of Abbott VIII.
Feb. 2002 Gov. McGreevey Administration enters fray.
Mar. 2002 McGreevey Administration spends and extra $233 million more trying to satisfy courts.
Jun. 2002 Supreme Court issues orders one year freeze of Abbott “remedies”.
July 2002 – August 2005 One set piece of legislation and court case after another.
Jan. 2006 The NJ State Board of Education adds “rural” districts to its list of underfunded schools.
May 2006 The NJ Supreme Court issues an orders funding freeze, while legislature comes up with spending plans.
May 2006 The NJ Supreme Court sets time frames for district school districts to request more tax money and orders state to pay for all opening expenses for new schools.
November 2006 Governor Corzine who has already increased the sales tax by 17% is looking to consolodate 618 school districts in 21 county district to provide PROPERTY TAX relief! He is looking at handing control of all school spending, with veto power over even local budgets, to a soon to be created SUPER-SUPERINTENDENT.
This can only get better.
