Cancel that July 1st deadline on the budget. I guess it's a little too much to expect that these guys get their job done. They have another vacation coming up. Besides, we can push this right up to Sept. 30th if we want. Who cares if other people can't make their plans?
State law requires school districts to have their budget in place by June 30 - the end of the week. That's a problem, because the state budget for next fiscal year isn't done, and may not be for another 90 days.
90 days? Sounds about right. They left business up in the air for a year, and it took them five months to take care of the shortfall on '07. Why should the public schools expect any different this time around? Right back into the fire with you!
The Grand Rapids Public Schools will wipe out their contingency funds. Makes you wonder what the smaller districts who might not have those resources are doing.
GRPS has around $10 million in their "rainy day" fund, but they're planning on spending more than 80 percent of that to pay for the next school year. The problem is, when the next fiscal year rolls around, the fund balance will be less than $2 million and the school is not guaranteed any windfall from the state.
Apparently we are waiting on the list of demands from Mike Bishop, who wants to push this into August. From MIRS, subscription only so I can't link, and pretty much gossip, but that is all we have to go on for now, comes this-
Senate Majority Leader Mike BISHOP (R-Rochester) seems to be anticipating the nuts and bolts of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget coming to a head in August. Meanwhile, word has it that House Speaker Andy DILLON (D-Redford Twp.) is now in a mood to wait and see what Bishop's reform proposals are before pushing ahead with any steps toward a tax hike.This source said that Dillon has come around to the belief that pushing a tax hike without knowing specifically what Bishop wants could well prove to be a "losing" political game for the House Democrats.
Sure. It can be just like budget '07. Letting the Republicans call the shots went so well. We can push this right up to the deadline so we are forced into making bad decisions like selling our future tobacco money for 50¢ on the dollar. Or maybe taking another whack at higher education, an act which produced huge tuition increases at colleges across the state. That's called a back door tax increase, friends and neighbors. Or how about just pushing the debt into '09? Delay those payments and call it "reform".
Or maybe we can just get that tax increase closer to that election year.... and it will be used against the Democrats then.
Losing political game? You guys checked the mood of the electorate lately?
P.S.- yes, I've tipped right back over into "shrill" again. Hard not to for anyone who is paying attention.