I got an email from the superintendent of the school district where my younger daughter goes to school talking about the impact of state budget funding cuts.
Now to be fair to this man he runs a school district that is heavily impacted by the whole Robin Hood fiasco that transfers money from so-called wealthy school districts to poorer school districts.
But with that said l was nonetheless struck by his email. The state funding cut is a big number, no question. But when you divide that number by the bigger number, the district’s total budget, it comes to six percent.
Since the recession started in 2008, virtually every American enterprise has found a way to cut at least six percent in expenses and still get the job done. And while the cuts were no doubt difficult, most businesses made them without whining.
But let a government enterprise have to cut six percent and the howling begins. And there in a nutshell is why the country is going broke. It’s the disconnect between economic reality in the private sector and economic fantasy in the public sector.
The only way to fix it is to shrink the public sector.
I have always believed that the Local, State and Federal Government at in places they have no business being. I hate to bring it up again, but many Federal and State agencies are not mandated in either the Federal or State Constitutions and their spending of Tax Dollars uncalled for.
Once established, the tend to take on lives of their own and grow totally out of control. School districts forget that they are to teach, not branch out into sports, hire “feel good” employees and spend without accountability. It is time to return to basics…teach our children without the Federal Dept. of Education, without campuses that resemble resorts and stadiums that cost more to operate than they are worth.
That’s my thoughts….
Ricko- Tyler, Tx
With all the state budget talks and talks of taking money from education and other things, I have yet to hear any of the so-called politicians discuss any plans to give up some of their “hard earned money”. Maybe as Texans we should look at how much of our tax dollars fund all of the politicians pet projects. Let’s try and see how much money we could save if we cut funding to political salaries. I never realized how much money these people make, just google it and I think you will be just as amazed as me, for instance the mayor of Houston makes over 250,000 a year. I do not believe that we should be taking the education of our children lightly. We as a society are falling behind other countries in education.
sorry so long winded but that is my thoughts
1/4 of a million dollars a year.
The man is already rich, before he “got” the job.
Did he “apply” for the position “as” a job?
Or as a “service” to the citizens of Houston?
If he is there to “serve” Houston, why does he even “need” a salary?
It’d sure save a lot of tax money if every politician, judge, and any number of other “political” type offices, salaries were cut by say 60 percent.
I would “LOVE” to see 10 percent of that as my annual salary.
Five percent would be nice.
Maybe then I could at least afford to pay the higher gas prices.
Speaking of gas prices.
I want to know why the oil companies, and all the various subsidiary corporate entities who derive a profit from petroleum products; decide to “dig into their own pockets” by cutting their profit margin, thus helping the economy regenerate itself quicker.
Or at least cutting the burden on those who live below the poverty level a little bit.
And what about budgets?
Near the end of the fiscal year, “every single” state agency “of any kind” immediately emptys their remaining budget from the previous year, on “any” purchase; such as a completely remodeled office; just so they don’t risk budget cuts for the new year.
Would’t you think that it would help the tax burden for everyone who must pay property taxes, if the money wasted remodeling an office that wasn’t essential to the continued operation of the state agency were saved for: Oh, I don’t know, maybe to pay a teachers salary?
I’ll stop this rant here to prevent writing a book.