Yesterday I wrote an opinion about the State budget crisis and how it was affecting education K-12. Some online searching today gave me more information to back up my claim that if the Conservatives push too far on the cuts, they will find them selves in a Blue Capitol Dome in the next biennium. I might have to find me a bit more moderate Texan to vote for as well. Even a Texas Democrat can pass for a Republican in Congress.
This blah blah blah... coming out of Austin this week, such as David Dewhurst saying that he and Gov. Perry could be tied down, staked and tortured and they wouldn't raise taxes or dip into the rainy day fund! That is nothing but lines from a bad movie script that ignores the duty they have to fund education as it should be in this State - a constitutional requirement.
How about taking the Education Stimulus money from the last Biennium that was meant for education and teachers and use it this year? That $3millioin + was supposed to be used IN ADDITION to the money the State was supposed to fund anyway. I worked on federal grants for seven years in the mental health field. The biggest no-no was to not use federal funds to supplant local funds. Now, Perry is crying foul that the Fed's won't release education dollars unless he agrees to use the dollars as they are intended IN ADDITION to regular budget dollars. I say, make sure the Governor doesn't have any more piles of money for his own use for "economic development"as he's had for the last two years. Now that he used that money to bring all those Corporations here to create jobs, he needs to give some to the schools to educate the students that came with them.
Dip into the "rainy day" fund. Despite what some are saying about the purpose of the fund being for emergencies, like hurricannes, tornados, invasions from outer space; the fund was created for economic downturns. This is a downturn!
In the same poll cited below, 20% of Texans said use all or most of the fund to help the budget deficit. 43% said take a bit of it and 36% say don't use any of it (but save it for the space invasion). That's 63% that say use all or some of the fund to help weather this crisis. If Texas is truly is the healthy State that Perry says in his promos, it will rebound. But, it will not rebound if these drastic cuts are made. It will be like starting over again.
Dip into the "rainy day" fund. Despite what some are saying about the purpose of the fund being for emergencies, like hurricannes, tornados, invasions from outer space; the fund was created for economic downturns. This is a downturn!
In the same poll cited below, 20% of Texans said use all or most of the fund to help the budget deficit. 43% said take a bit of it and 36% say don't use any of it (but save it for the space invasion). That's 63% that say use all or some of the fund to help weather this crisis. If Texas is truly is the healthy State that Perry says in his promos, it will rebound. But, it will not rebound if these drastic cuts are made. It will be like starting over again.
The only thing other than health care for the elderly, children and mental health care that I feel is more important than education spending is immigrations. It is because of poor illegal immigration management by the Feds that Texas has many of it's problems now. Health and Education are suffering due to the dramatic increase in those who are here illegally. Many are paid poorly by those who seek to misuse them due to their illegal status and use public medical facilities and ever district is required to education a child, legal or not, and can't even ask the question as to their status. The Hispanic population has grown so rapidly, more than half the state is now Hispanic. That's not a bad thing if they were all legal.
But back to the topic of education. State politicians cannot seriously tout improvements in education in Texas and then rip the financial footing that has provided the improvement out from under those that have been in the trenches working to improve student learning.
Each person that has a child in school needs to make their voices heard with their representative. Our State Representative has already picked up the water bucket and is carrying it for the most conservative GOP element. He has told me that teachers are over paid for the supply and demand job market in Texas. He has cited examples of districts that are $8-10,000 behind on the entry level job pay scale for the Metro-plex and thinks its time to , if not reduce pay, let it simmer where it is for a while.
State leaders are also passing the buck back to local school boards by telling them they have other options for income such as property taxes and " fund balances" to fall back on. Of course, some districts have Nuclear power plants and shopping malls, and the Barnett Shale, if they are lucky. Those that don't will just take a piece of those that do. Interestingly, many of these same Legislators are the ones that set up the finance system that we currently have in Texas that only gave districts a 4 cent ceiling to raise revenue from property owners without having a vote. That four cents has had to last five years and may have to last another two. In the economic climate we have today, the chances of passage is very small especially when the local representative gets involve and casts doubt on the veracity of the need for such increase. That's playing dirty ball and leave a lot of grim on his hands and a sick feeling in my stomach.
State leaders are also passing the buck back to local school boards by telling them they have other options for income such as property taxes and " fund balances" to fall back on. Of course, some districts have Nuclear power plants and shopping malls, and the Barnett Shale, if they are lucky. Those that don't will just take a piece of those that do. Interestingly, many of these same Legislators are the ones that set up the finance system that we currently have in Texas that only gave districts a 4 cent ceiling to raise revenue from property owners without having a vote. That four cents has had to last five years and may have to last another two. In the economic climate we have today, the chances of passage is very small especially when the local representative gets involve and casts doubt on the veracity of the need for such increase. That's playing dirty ball and leave a lot of grim on his hands and a sick feeling in my stomach.
Texans believe that education spending is second only to medical care for the elderly, children and the mentally ill. This is from a poll taken of 700+ Texas last Fall about the priorities for the 2011 Texas Legislature (see below). Texas lawmakers are ignoring this opinion. Someone has to make them listen.
Be that someone.
Just Sayin...
AR
Says it all:
"In a place [Texas] where government is already lean, there aren't many areas to make up that kind of cash [$27-31 billion]. The budget blueprint Texas' Legislature is mulling would mean layoffs for tens of thousands of teachers, closure of community colleges, and a severe reduction in state services for the poor and those with mental health problems". By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times - February 7, 2011 - Reporting from Austin, Texas http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-texas-budget-20110207,0,348... (I am loathed to quote from the LA Times, but truth is truth. I wouldn't be any better than those Democrats I criticize for refusing to speak the truth when it doesn't match the party line they play for. )
Texas Lyceum – State Polling of Issue Facing the 82nd Legislature 2011
Q. 36 Which of the following would be your FIRST priority for maintaining or increasing
funding during the next round of state budget negotiations?
First Choice Second Choice
27% 26% Aid to public schools (K-12)
20% 22% Supplements to local school districts to offset property tax reductions
13% 11% Funding for universities and junior colleges
30% 33% Funding health care for the elderly, the mentally ill, and poor children
3% 7% Funding for prisons
6% 2% Don’t know/Refused/NA
Executive Summary of State Attitudes -
http://www.texaslyceum.org/media/staticContent/PubCon_Journals/2010/State_Issues_Executive_Summary_with_Charts_FINAL.pdf
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