Members of the Maryland General Assembly rushed to social media to placate jittery constituents and businesses who feared adverse impact on their pocketbooks by the proposed sales tax in House Bill 1628 to pay for Kirwan Commission reforms (“Maryland Democrats plan $700M tax package to begin funding education overhaul after demise of large sales tax bill,” March 5). This may sound like a win for many. However, if we do not get this right, it may ultimately turn out to be a loss for children.
It is imperative that we fully fund the Kirwan Commission recommendations. The legislators may pat themselves on the back for passing the school construction bill (House Bill 1). But, they should know that walls do not teach. It is the teachers who do the heavy lifting along with support staff while they conduct programs that need funding. Teachers deserve good pay, and our children deserve a good education. It is not enough to defeat a source of revenue to fund the Kirwan Commission, legislators must answer if no sales tax, then what is the workable alternative source of revenue?
The General Assembly must find “Ways and Means” to fund Kirwan. An inadequate response would be a surrender to a governor who is representing entrenched interests against public schools to deny children a future that they deserve.
Sachin Hebbar, Lutherville
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