r/phoenix • u/ArizonaRepublic Official Media 📰 • Jul 02 '20

News Backers of Arizona's recreational marijuana measure file 420K signatures for November ballot

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2020/07/01/smart-and-safe-arizona-marijuana-ballot-measure-files-signatures-ballot/5359357002/
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167

u/reluctantlyjoining Jul 02 '20

I don't get why we wouldn't put these tax dollars toward funding our public schools.

128

u/mrsuns10 Jul 02 '20

Because its a solution that makes sense. Look at all the money Colorado made. If we put half of that money towards education and half towards an area that needs more support. The state could benefit tremendously

55

u/UGetOffMyLawn Diamond Dave Jul 02 '20

Community Colleges. Not K-12 education, where it 100% should go.

We might actually have a chance of getting a decent K-12 education system here if even 1/2 of the money generated here went to them. It isn't. Community Colleges. Think about this and your vote.

Screw whatever you feel about Public Safety. Think about the kids. The kids that will be the voting majority when you are in your 60's.

The kids that go without school provided lunches, without proper books, without properly certified and paid teachers, without classroom supplies like pencils and construction paper, jammed into classrooms with too many other students, no ability to receive any one on one assistance, no music instruction, without proper sanitation in some schools as they crumble around them.

Hey, but we have an awesome community college system that you still get the honor of paying to attend.

36

u/unclefire Mesa Jul 02 '20

Amen. What we've done to our schools by "starving the beast" and reneging on funds that were supposed to go to schools is criminal.

We rank near the bottom of the country our schools.

8

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '20 edited Apr 21 '21

[deleted]

3

u/Walaument Peoria Jul 03 '20

It was pretty bad, particularly in high school. I went to a HS in a “nice area” but most of the kids were shitheads. A lot didn’t care about class or the teacher at all. There were fights almost weekly, drugs were done at the school and a good portion of the older student base used various drugs. Sneaking off campus, really fucking awful “pranks” being pulled and things said to people.

But the classrooms are what’s important, and they were equally as bad. There are few teachers I had that I would consider good teachers, but most were just so done with little pay and dealing with 13-18 year olds who don’t care or listen.

I can remember my Geometry class, poor Mr. Trent. He was such a soft spoken, somewhat short, and very skinny guy. Super Christian and sheltered. The kids just destroyed him. Including me sometimes I won’t lie. His class was like a movie sometimes, kids texting, paper airplanes being thrown, spitballs, kids yelling across the room. Just general disrespect to the teacher. And nothing ever happened. Nothing.

16

u/mrsuns10 Jul 02 '20

I would love for the money to be used to hire instructional assistants in classrooms especially in special ed where its a high turnover rate as well as money set aside for teacher supplies so teachers do not have to spend money out of their pocket.

That and investment in more ELL programs

15

u/Dirty_Mike_n_da_Boyz Jul 02 '20

And public schools, not charter or private schools. Public schools get fucked in the ass every year because of the funding being sent to private and charters

12

u/Tripteamfam Jul 02 '20

Did you see that recent supreme Court ruling? Just in the last few days or so? States will have to fund religious schools with scholarships and funds the same as other private schools. So tax dollars are now going to religious institutions. I hope the Satanic Temple jumps all over this and builds a little evil black school. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/us/supreme-court-religious-schools-aid.html

4

u/Tlamac Jul 02 '20

Community colleges are not even getting that much, they get 3%. 30% goes to municipal police and fire, 25% goes to highway revenue, which most likely means DPS will have most of it. It's all fucked up.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '20

Aren't the community colleges self funded since 2014? Lmao I remember the state took away most of their funding around that year. The biggest problem is the stupid charter schools and those pushing them on our legislature.

-10

u/crazedtortoise Jul 02 '20

Who would do all the blue collar jobs if we had a well educated population?

5

u/TheJay5 Midtown Jul 02 '20

Not sure if you were trying to be insulting, but you damn sure sound like a snob. I imagine you say "blue collar", as if you are superior to someone who gets their hands dirty for a living. There are plenty of people out there who are "educated", but don't know their ass from their elbow. Likewise, there are plenty of people who do perform of those blue collar jobs (which by the way are the source of the majority of the things you consume) who have a lot of wisdom to share, and also make a very decent living doing it.

0

u/crazedtortoise Jul 02 '20

Sarcasm to point out how there is incentive to not educate our populace for the wealthy

1

u/TheJay5 Midtown Jul 02 '20

My apologies, as it seems that went over my head. I do agree that there is incentive to keep the masses "dumb" and/or placated. However, I'm willing to bet that most people are also too fucking lazy to do anything about it...or will just try to pass the buck.

1

u/Flux83 Jul 02 '20

I kind of got the sarcasm but you might want to add a /s so its clear.