"The Overton Window to the Future"
By: Michael S. Levine

Over the past few years with the spiraling economy, administrators, teachers, union members, police officers, and civil servants were scrutinized. A carefully choreographed ballet has pitted the aforementioned groups against one another with Governor Cuomo acting as the maestro. Two percent tax caps, superintendents' salary caps, and union benefits dance across the public stage as the man behind the curtain tends to his political spin.

Throughout this entire government restructuring process, the Governor touts his message of reclaiming New York for the people. The critical detail that is constantly omitted is the democratic process that is being ignored. The people have voted and spoken ad nauseum. They voted on school budgets and elected school board members focused on finance reform.

At what point did the constituency of "we the people" forfeit our voice and advocacy. Governor Cuomo is partied to the political problem. Yes, school finance reform is needed along with collective bargaining reform, however, politics should not be the pulpit for this mechanism of change.

In the days of antiquity, religious institutions and school systems were the stabilizing factors of civilization. However, in our country the federal government has painted the country with a broad brush and created unfunded mandates that constantly drive up the cost of education. Politicians, not local educators, created the high stakes testing environment that we find ourselves in. These mandates drain the reserve funds of school districts that the Governor is currently attacking.

Previously, districts managed their finances and raised money through interest bearing accounts, renting out space, and with tax anticipatory notes and revenue anticipatory notes. The money resting in the bank accounts of these public institutions is there as a testament to fiscal planning from business officials not political generosity. Laws grant school districts the authority to reserve a determined percentage of their budget in their reserve funds. Recently, politicians are attempting to unearth a fraud that they claim was perpetrated against the public. Newspapers publish dollar amounts that schools reserved and then politicians chastise schools for saving more than they spent.

The time has come for political spin to stop. Lives are being uprooted, retirements ruined, and mortgages deferred. The public school system that graduated some of the finest American minds is worthy of saving. It begins today, or it ends tomorrow.