Too often, we’re told everything is fine or that the answer is to just spend more money to make things work better. But those of us working full-time and still falling behind know neither of those is true.
Look at education. Every year it feels like another referendum shows up on the ballot asking us taxpayers to pay more. And we often step up because we care. At the same time, private schools are receiving more public dollars every year with far fewer requirements and less oversight, while public schools face constant oversight and have to justify every additional dollar.
That’s not accountability. That’s two sets of rules. Parents should absolutely have options, but taxpayers deserve accountability. If we’re going to invest public money in any school, then we should expect transparency and real performance standards across the board.
And it’s not just education. Look at wages. People are working full-time, doing everything right, and still can’t get ahead. Of course, people should better themselves and pursue opportunity, but an economy where hard work alone isn’t enough to get ahead, and prices continue to rise in increasingly concentrated industries, is a system that needs fixing.
This isn’t about left or right. It’s about whether the system is working for the people paying into it or just protecting the people at the top. We don’t need more excuses. We need results. No special treatment. No rigged systems. Just a fair shot with systems that work for the people they’re supposed to serve.
Mike Van Someren, Delafield
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hardworking taxpayers deserve accountability and fair systems | Letter
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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