Are You Surprised By This BLATANTLY Partisan News: "[Kentucky] House Budget Ignores Dilapidated Schools In GOP Districts"?
House budget ignores dilapidated schools in GOP districts
By Tom Loftus
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The budget bill the House passed Wednesday would pay to replace eight school buildings that are among the state's most dilapidated, and all are in the districts of Democrats who voted for a crucial revenue measure last week.
But seven such schools — in the districts of Republicans who voted against the revenue bill — were not funded. And that generated a torrent of GOP criticism Wednesday.
“It's not really about the kids and the horrible conditions of our schools,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover of Jamestown during the debate Wednesday on the budget, which passed on a near party-line vote of 65-33. “If it was you would’ve funded all the schools. Republican or Democrat districts, they are all Kentucky kids.”
The budget bill's “Critical School Needs” plan includes $684 million in bond funds for 65 school projects, and 50 of those projects aren't as badly in need of replacement as the seven schools in Republican districts, according to rankings of need posted on the Department of Education's Web site.
Key Democrats who oversaw the budget process acknowledged that the vote on the revenue bill last Thursday was key in deciding which projects — water and sewer projects, as well as schools – got funded.
“People who stood up on this floor last Thursday and ... cast a vote to pay for it got priority,” said Rep. Rick Rand, the Bedford Democrat who is chairman of the House budget committee, told one Republican critic during the floor debate.
The decisions on funding projects, and the $2.2 billion in new debt contained in the House bill, were key areas of criticism by Republicans during the hours-long debate on the budget measure, House Bill 290. It now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, which is bound to make many changes in the funding of projects and programs.
Gov. Steve Beshear and leaders of both chambers have refused to support a general tax increase. So they've been forced to find other ways to account for a projected $1.5 billion revenue shortfall during the next two-year budget period.
Beshear proposed legalizing video slot machines at the state's horse race tracks — a step he said would generate $780 million over two years — as one step to closing the gap. But leaders of both chambers rejected the idea.
The House took a dozen different steps to balance the budget, including cutting spending more than Beshear proposed and assuming the state will get more federal stimulus funds for the Medicaid program.
One of those steps was a bill — HB 530 — that among other things would suspend for two years the ability of a business to carry forward past operating losses to offset its taxable income.
Last Thursday only one House Republican — Rep. Jim Stewart of Flat Lick, voted for HB 530, which passed with the votes of majority Democrats who have solid control of the House.
The budget passed by the House includes a $11.4 million school project and a $2 million water project in Stewart's home county of Knox.
Hoover complained that Stewart's water or sewer project was the only one in a Republican district funded out of the $169 million worth of such projects authorized by the budget.
The bonds for schools, water and sewer projects and roads are what House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said were part of a House initiative to create jobs during the current economic recession.
Regarding schools, he told reporters earlier this week, the House focused on those schools in what the Department of Education lists as being in the worst condition — called Category 5, or the next-worst condition, called Category 4.
A review of the categorizations of all public school buildings, on the Department of Education Web site, shows that the House bill funds repairs or replacement of eight of the 18 Category 5 schools, and about 50 of 150 in Category 4.
But about 10 projects to be funded are in lower categories, or aren't on the Department of Education's list at all, including $1.25 million for a gym in Floyd County, Stumbo's home county, and a $30 million Model Laboratory School in Madison County, represented by Democrat Harry Moberly of Richmiond.
Stumbo has acknowledged that the vote on the revenue bill was a key factor in apportioning of projects.
“We don't believe the people who voted against the revenue bill thought that there was a problem with jobs in their community,” Stumbo told reporters earlier this week.
Asked about the children who attend dilapidated schools in districts of Republicans who voted against the revenue bill, Stumbo said, “They probably need to talk to their state representatives.”
Editor's comment: Now's the time for Senate President David Williams, and other fair minded folks, to "DEEP SIX" this House SCAM of a budget.
By Tom Loftus
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The budget bill the House passed Wednesday would pay to replace eight school buildings that are among the state's most dilapidated, and all are in the districts of Democrats who voted for a crucial revenue measure last week.
But seven such schools — in the districts of Republicans who voted against the revenue bill — were not funded. And that generated a torrent of GOP criticism Wednesday.
“It's not really about the kids and the horrible conditions of our schools,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover of Jamestown during the debate Wednesday on the budget, which passed on a near party-line vote of 65-33. “If it was you would’ve funded all the schools. Republican or Democrat districts, they are all Kentucky kids.”
The budget bill's “Critical School Needs” plan includes $684 million in bond funds for 65 school projects, and 50 of those projects aren't as badly in need of replacement as the seven schools in Republican districts, according to rankings of need posted on the Department of Education's Web site.
Key Democrats who oversaw the budget process acknowledged that the vote on the revenue bill last Thursday was key in deciding which projects — water and sewer projects, as well as schools – got funded.
“People who stood up on this floor last Thursday and ... cast a vote to pay for it got priority,” said Rep. Rick Rand, the Bedford Democrat who is chairman of the House budget committee, told one Republican critic during the floor debate.
The decisions on funding projects, and the $2.2 billion in new debt contained in the House bill, were key areas of criticism by Republicans during the hours-long debate on the budget measure, House Bill 290. It now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, which is bound to make many changes in the funding of projects and programs.
Gov. Steve Beshear and leaders of both chambers have refused to support a general tax increase. So they've been forced to find other ways to account for a projected $1.5 billion revenue shortfall during the next two-year budget period.
Beshear proposed legalizing video slot machines at the state's horse race tracks — a step he said would generate $780 million over two years — as one step to closing the gap. But leaders of both chambers rejected the idea.
The House took a dozen different steps to balance the budget, including cutting spending more than Beshear proposed and assuming the state will get more federal stimulus funds for the Medicaid program.
One of those steps was a bill — HB 530 — that among other things would suspend for two years the ability of a business to carry forward past operating losses to offset its taxable income.
Last Thursday only one House Republican — Rep. Jim Stewart of Flat Lick, voted for HB 530, which passed with the votes of majority Democrats who have solid control of the House.
The budget passed by the House includes a $11.4 million school project and a $2 million water project in Stewart's home county of Knox.
Hoover complained that Stewart's water or sewer project was the only one in a Republican district funded out of the $169 million worth of such projects authorized by the budget.
The bonds for schools, water and sewer projects and roads are what House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said were part of a House initiative to create jobs during the current economic recession.
Regarding schools, he told reporters earlier this week, the House focused on those schools in what the Department of Education lists as being in the worst condition — called Category 5, or the next-worst condition, called Category 4.
A review of the categorizations of all public school buildings, on the Department of Education Web site, shows that the House bill funds repairs or replacement of eight of the 18 Category 5 schools, and about 50 of 150 in Category 4.
But about 10 projects to be funded are in lower categories, or aren't on the Department of Education's list at all, including $1.25 million for a gym in Floyd County, Stumbo's home county, and a $30 million Model Laboratory School in Madison County, represented by Democrat Harry Moberly of Richmiond.
Stumbo has acknowledged that the vote on the revenue bill was a key factor in apportioning of projects.
“We don't believe the people who voted against the revenue bill thought that there was a problem with jobs in their community,” Stumbo told reporters earlier this week.
Asked about the children who attend dilapidated schools in districts of Republicans who voted against the revenue bill, Stumbo said, “They probably need to talk to their state representatives.”
Editor's comment: Now's the time for Senate President David Williams, and other fair minded folks, to "DEEP SIX" this House SCAM of a budget.
Labels: Democratism, Keeping them honest, Kentucky politics
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 9:09 AM
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