Posted on 07/19/2007 10:02:38 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Looking for a perfect example of why California is unlikely ever to have a balanced budget again until an initiative finally forces lawmakers to end their recklessness? Consider the reaction to a reported Republican proposal on education spending.
Under the GOP plan, education spending would go up 3.8 percent this fiscal year, from $55.1 billion to $57.2 billion. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders back spending of $57.6 billion. So by any rational definition, what the Republicans are suggesting is a modest attempt to contain spending growth as part of an overall effort to bring spending in line with revenue.
Forget rationality from Democratic leaders. Assembly Speaker Fabian NÚñez said “Republicans are asking for cuts that are way too deep,” and declared the GOP wanted to “eviscerate public education.” But Republicans are not asking for spending cuts – just holding the increase to 3.8 percent. Likening this to evisceration – the removal of a vital or essential part of something – is goofy. But in a Capitol dominated by the California Teachers Association, alas, it's unsurprising.
Unfortunately, we can also forget rationality from the media. Here's how the Los Angeles Times headlined its piece on budget talks: “GOP plan: slash aid to schools? Educators say they are shocked as Democrats reveal a Republican plan to cut $400 million to balance state's budget.”
We know journalists have a reputation for struggling with math, but calling a 3.8 percent increase a “slash” in funding is absurd. Here's another key detail the Times left out: K-12 attendance is expected to decline this year.
What a sorry picture. When it comes to budget math, the CPAs are ignored in favor of the CTA. The signature-gathering campaign for a balanced-budget initiative can't start soon enough.
GOP plan: slash aid to schools?Utterly absent from the story is either a straightforward factual mention of the INCREASE, or even the raw data from which one can compute the increase (the prior year's budget, and this GOP proposal for this year).
Educators say they are shocked as Democrats reveal a Republican plan to cut $400 million to balance state's budget.
SACRAMENTO — Republican legislative leaders, vowing to block passage of a state budget until Democrats agree to more spending cuts, have proposed in secret talks to slash $400 million from schools, according to education groups that were briefed on the negotiations Tuesday.
School officials say they were shocked to learn of the proposal at a briefing on the state budget impasse — now in its third week — by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland).
The officials said they were told that, under the GOP plan, the money would be cut out of cost-of-living adjustments for salaries and other expenses and funding for the growth of student populations. The cuts would apply to schools with kindergarten through high school classes and to community colleges.
"We are very concerned," said Scott Plotkin, executive director of the California School Boards Assn. ...
...
"The Republicans are asking for cuts that are way too deep," [Speaker of the Assembly and Democrat Fabian] Nuñez said. "They would eviscerate public education and public safety. We're not going to go there."
F***ing liars. This is like cold-war-era Pravda.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
This is old hack for the Demoncraps - calling increases “cuts” when the increases are not as much as the spendthrifts want.
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