Teacher's Union afraid of voters

New president wants to kill TABOR before it reaches referendum
MADISON – Kill the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) before the voters have a chance to vote on it.Because the voters want it. If it gets to them, it’s going to become law. So stop it before anyone has a chance to vote. That’s official policy of AFT-Wisconsin (the American Federation of Teachers), now that their new president, Andy Gussert, has taken over. In an interview with WisPolitics, Gussert was asked whether he and other TABOR opponents will be able to “kill it in the state Senate.”Gussert’s answer: “I hope so. … We want to kill it legislatively.”“It’s obvious why spending interests would want to kill TABOR before it gets to the voters,” said Rep. Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue), author of TABOR. “Poll after poll shows large majorities of Wisconsin voters favor constitutional limits on taxes and spending. If TABOR gets to the voters, it will pass. It will become law.”“They’re afraid of that,” Lasee said. “Afraid their gravy train might stop.”In the interview, Gussert also suggested that, once educated on TABOR, people won’t support it.“If that’s the case, why not just let it get to referendum?” Lasee asked. “Why not let the people vote it down?”“Because they know the people won’t vote it down, because they’re wrong about TABOR,” Lasee said.Lasee pointed out Gussert’s statement that “It’s bad for economic development. It’s bad for business.”“Colorado’s economy is one of the fastest-growing in the nation,” Lasee said. “In every measure: population, personal income, gross state product, new business startups, job creation. Colorado is a leader. Their economy has taken off since their voters passed TABOR into law.”“Andy either doesn’t know the facts, or he does, and knows he has to lie about them,” Lasee said. “But this much is clear: AFT and other government unions don’t want to give voters the chance to limit how much taxes and government spending grow. They want a government without limits.”