When the Marriage Amendment was passed by the people of Wisconsin a little over a year ago, pro-homosexual organizations vowed to continue to fight for domestic partnership benefits on the local and municipal level. A recent Milwaukee Public School Board Finance Committee resolution is a fresh example of the pro-homosexual goal to infiltrate local school boards and municipalities. In a 4 to 1 vote, the Committee recommended a resolution that the Milwaukee School Board support domestic partner benefits for Milwaukee school district employees, regardless of the employees’ sexual orientation or family status.

If the school board passes the resolution, Milwaukee could join Madison, La Crosse, Sun Prairie and Middleton as the only public school systems in Wisconsin offering domestic partner benefits.

Board member Jennifer Morales, who drafted the resolution, insists the proposal is all about better education for “the children.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out, however, that Morales has a conflict of interest. She is in a lesbian relationship with Tina Owens, an MPS teacher. While Morales will lose her health insurance benefits when she leaves the school board, teachers benefit from lifetime contributions to health insurance costs. Morales drafted a resolution that would directly benefit her, as a partner of a Milwaukee public school teacher, if it is passed by the school board.

Morales defended her domestic partner benefits proposal by comparing it to the work of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., claiming that the proposal was about, in her words, being “fair to everyone.” It’s unclear how the recommendation is “fair to everyone,” since it gives benefits based exclusively on employees’ same-sex or heterosexual lifestyle choices. Not only that, Milwaukee taxpayers would have to pay for those lifestyle choices!

Milwaukee taxpayers have already been handed a 9% tax increase this year by their school board, who really wanted a 16% tax increase in this year’s school budget. The board has not conveyed to their taxpayers how their huge tax increase and ridiculous proposal are going to improve the Milwaukee public school system, a system that is struggling with violence, low attendance and high school graduation rates and even lower test scores.

Where are the creative plans to use the increase in tax revenue to responsibly improve the schools? If the school board is really interested in attracting quality teachers, what is it doing to improve the level of discipline and order in the school system? Where are all of the taxpayer money and the government handouts going?

Currently, 48 employees of the Milwaukee Public School district receive an annual income ranging from over $101,000 to over $169,000. Their fringe benefits range from over $15,000 to over $70,000. It’s safe to say that including domestic partner benefits could get very expensive for Milwaukee taxpayers.

If the Milwaukee Public School Board is truly interested in improving its school system, they need to start focusing on the facts instead of instituting special treatment for so-called “domestic partners.” Because of the public outrage over the 16% property tax increase proposal, the school board agreed on a 9% increase. While that is still a hefty property tax increase, it shows that the citizens of Milwaukee can influence the decisions of their elected school board officials.

Concerned listeners from Milwaukee should contact their elected school board member to voice their opinion on these proposed domestic partner benefits. Call the Milwaukee Public School Office of Board Governance at 414-475-8284 or go to their website and follow the link to School Board Members. Citizens all across Wisconsin should see this action by the Milwaukee school district as a shot across the bow for their own communities. The Milwaukee public school system is a trendsetter and news of its action will travel quickly. Milwaukee families and taxpayers should not have to bear an additional tax burden to provide benefits for public school employees who have chosen alternative lifestyles.

For Wisconsin Family Council, I’m Judith Brant, sitting in for Julaine Appling, reminding you the Prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.