GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Brady has made clear school won't be exempt from his budget ax if he's elected governor. To make up for the lost revenue, the Republican mentioned to supporters yesterday that "school districts could absorb that by maybe not offering the pay raises that they put in place."

While it may seem intuitive and reasonable at first glance to ask teachers to forgo pay bumps , Brady's line of argument contains a few flaws. For starters, each district has its own contract that contains different terms, meaning there is no blanket raise that all teachers are receiving. Indeed, teachers in several big districts have already agreed to keep salaries flat until tax revenues perk back up. On top of that, competitive teacher salaries should be a priority for the state, especially when lawmakers in Springfield are reducing the retirement benefits for future employees. We want the most talented people available entering the profession.

The big problem facing strapped districts is that the state systemically underfunds education and can't pay districts cash they are owed on time and in full. Brady claims that school districts could better plan their budgets if he's elected because, in the words of reporter Mike Riopell, "they would actually get what’s promised." Of course, until the state senator actually releases a budget plan, nobody has any idea whether school districts will have a reliable funding source under a hypothetical Brady administration. It makes it tough to take these suggestions seriously.