Yes, at least now it is over. As reported by the Idaho Statesman, the education budget has finally passed the legislature and was signed by the governor. I realize there are many ways to look at the final figures.
"Democratic lawmakers have said all session that the state could do more to hold public education harmless in these difficult economic times.
The state has roughly $400 million in rainy-day funds. In addition, Idaho will carry $80 million in federal stimulus money for use over the next two years.
Lawmakers could have done "much better. The Legislature left almost $400 million of the taxpayers' money sitting on the table," said Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise.
During this week's floor debate, Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly, D-Boise, said she was "very sad to be part of the first Legislature to cut funding for our public education system. We're doing something we've never done before. And we're leaving our children behind. Our kids deserve the best."
Then there is this perspective.
'Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, pointed out that education took a smaller percentage cut than did most state agencies.
"Education got the best," he said. "We gave them the best. This is not being driven by the Legislature. This is being driven by the economy."
Most in education expected a dismal budget this year. We are neither uninformed or unaware of the national economy. I would disagree with the statement, "This is not being driven by the Legislature. This is being driven by the economy."
It is and has always been about the Legislature's need for control. When the majority party pushed an unwise and shortsighted change in public education funding in that now famous one day session August 2006, they created a policy change that shifted funding from a relatively stable source, (property tax revenues) to a now proven unstable source (general fund revenues). Now look what has happened.
The legislature, controlled by the majority party, has for the past decade reduced the local control of school districts by continually decreasing the discretionary dollars in each budget. There are many examples in this year's budget reduce school districts ability to respond to decreased fund.
I find it ironic that all session, Republican said, we need to save the reserve because we don't know how bad this economy will get. And today, Governor Otter is using a one month increase in incoming state revenue as a reason to support his latest transportation compromise.
"On Friday, Otter suggested that preliminary tax revenue numbers from April were "better than expected." He said the economic downturn has slowed.
"I hope they receive this news on the economy with the same appreciation and same hope that I have," Otter said."
The bottom line for me is the final outcome was all about choices. There is too much money left in various reserve accounts. While I do not advocate spending those accounts down to zero, I do believe the legislature could have done better.
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