MATC's Outrageous Budget

News Item:

A budget endorsed Tuesday by the Milwaukee Area Technical College Board would increase the school's tax levy 5% in the coming fiscal year, outpacing inflation and contradicting the growing anti-tax sentiment in the state.

Facts from the story:

• The average pay for a full-time teacher at MATC is $90,845
• Some full-time faculty earn more than $140,425 by taking on additional teaching duties
• Roughly $1.3 million would cover staff pay raises
• The college would set aside $2.2 million in its contingency fund to cover any pay increases that result from ongoing bargaining with teachers
• $939,000 would finance an increase in fringe benefits
• $1.6 million would help maintain operations of Milwaukee Public Television

More facts:

• The Budget would increase spending about 6.3%
• The $309 million MATC has budgeted for 2006-'07 represents a 32.4% increase from its spending at the start of the decade and tops the rate of inflation for that period by roughly 14 percentage points
• Since the 2000-'01 budget year, the college has raised its tax levy 42%, from $93.2 million to the $132.6 million

Outrageous.

Is there any other word to describe this budget, these priorities, the impact on area taxpayers?

And folks wonder why taxpayers wanted a state-imposed cap on local revenue and/or spending.

We can thank these clowns for screwing the taxpayers yet again. Note that most of these unelected board members earn their living solely on the backs of taxpayers, or with significant help from the public trough.