Editor
AUSTIN, Texas - Yesterday's postcard scene from local protests against proposed school closings and massive teacher layoffs was a small lemonade stand in front of the State Capitol, where parents continue to insist state officials have been unwilling to look for alternatives. The kid-managed drink stand drew some attention from a small amount of customers, yet it seemed to serve as a symbolic stab at showing state legislators school funds could be found in a variety of ways, lemonade included.
At the heart of the matter is the state's $27 billion shortfall, a deficit playing havoc with budgets for everything from law enforcement to education. In the emotional war against school closings and teacher layoffs, parents here have rallied behind their respective schools and even called out some legislators they deem unresponsive. As one put it during a TV interview, "Texas is turning its back on our kids."
Larger cities like Houston and Dallas and San Antonio also face wrenching decisions. As a region, the Rio Grande Valley stands to be hit harder proportionally, mainly because it draws from tax revenues paid by richer school districts such as Plano and the affluent Austin Westlake district. Parents of children in those school districts say they could weather the budget storm if they were allowed to cut into those funds being sent elsewhere by the state.
Austin school district officials expect a shortfall in 2011-12 of $94 million to $113 million of its $842 million in operating expenses. Last week, trustees unanimously voted to cut 485 jobs districtwide. The district has more than 86,000 students.
And while teachers continue to be blamed for demanding annual increases, many of them point to fund-bloated programs. Said one during an interview with an Austin TV station: "Time to cut the huge salaries of the administrators and then ban all the overblown athletic spending too! Stadiums, artificial turf, Jumbotrons. When will the madness end?"
It'll be a cold day in Austin, but all involved in the school budget action say they will keep putting the heat on the Legislature and on Republican Gov. Rick Perry, a politician many blame for his staunch desire to trim the tremendous state deficit by targeting school funding...
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25 comments:
mr. Editor, a lot of good info here. Good article, as always with The Tribune. thank you. It is cold here too!
yeah, I wonder how much our superintendent makes? Those guys make as much money as pro football players! Enough. Greedy guys. they'll take the money to the bank while kids don't get enough books. Pay them less!
Rothlisberger should be in jail, not at the Super Bowl. How he got out of that rape mess in Georgia is beyond me. He is not a role model. Hope Packers kick his ass.
I can't stand the overweight buffoon Rapisberger, and his pack of hoodlums.
As much as I hate to say this, I think the rapist and his team will win.
This is what happens when people start believing sound bites of no new taxes and smaller goverment. Poeple from Texas ought to be ashame of themselves for creating this mess. And lets not forget two bit politicians who go around peddling around snake oil to masses, yes you to, Aron Pena.
MR. Editor, there is no doubt on anyone's mind your writing skills are outstanding.
And of course you have to be objective when expressing your views, but please me more forceful. These bastards (politicos) deserve no mercy.
Very good info. The Trib. is doing it again. Good post, people should be worried, some educational programs might not be funded next year.
Instead of forcing women to see pictures of unborn children,Mr. Hairdo, the Goveno, (as they say Georgia), ought to be looking for alternatives and resolve the budget crisis.
Rick Perry is a dumbass. Didn't he graduate 2.1 from Texas A&M? The bare minimum!
Poor bus drivers and janitors and kitchen helpers are not to blame! Poor people. Cut salaruies of principals and supertendents!!
Tribune's stories are always better than those of other bloggers. THanks.
even Jerry Deal's blog is writing half-stories. The Tribune gives you more on the same topics. Those other blogs are awful.
ANONYMOUSES:...Once more, we thank our readers for their kind words regarding our work. Our position on public education is that it should be overhauled, but not on the backs of children or bottom-rung employees. We do feel administration salaries are out of control. As for other Blogs, well, we let our work speak for us. Others have their own standards, or lack thereof.. - Editor
jerry Deal's blog is okay most of the time but he's an older man who probably gets tired. The other blog by Tony Chapa is just children's stuff. he's not smart enough.
Why do Republicans not like health care? America has poor people. Duh!
I like Jerry's blog, but he isn't writing anything worth reading. And Myharlingen is something else, they don't write, they cut and paste.
The only blog who comes to the Trib. Is Rio Grande, blog, and maybe Juan Montoya's blog, he to is a journalist. The other blogs are simply amatours.
Anon, the U.S. has a lot of poor people, God only knows why they don't care for less fortunate people. Self-centered sob's.
The Valley would be hit hard if we didn't have Medicaid. have yu seen all the clinics up and down the highway? We now have more clinics than bars!
Yeah, Jerry Deal is on the downslide or something's up with that guy. His blog needs to be made more interesting. Tony Chapa never had it and never will. He's like a cheap taco. You may try it but it pisses you off cause it's so bad. Wish The Tribune would office in the Valley, like in Harlingen. then we'd see some fireworks. Just saying.
Green Bay over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl! Any takers? they're playing indoors. edge goes to the Packers is what I say.
Mubarak asked for it by being a puppet to the U.S. Se vendio! Goodbye, Hosni!
There are a couple of blogs, in harlingen, Chicken buckets,and askharlingen.blobspot.com/
But all they do is post pictures no write ups.
Jerry Deal is 78 years and runs or helps out 3 small newspapers. So the old dude is tire out.
I think the Trib. can report on Valley events, Alactraz is pretty good at reading up, on the Valley.
Can you believe that Harlingen and Rio Hondo are planning to resurface the football stadiums playing turf.
What a redicoulos spenditure. I am writing a letter to the editor at this time, and expressing my thoughts.
Thank you Mr. Editor, for providing us with this information. The local blogs in Harlingen and Brownsville have gone silent. Long live the Trib, and the editor, Patrick Alcatraz.
The cold weather is coming to Texas, it's getting nice and cool here in the LRGV. It's okay, down here we get 11 months of heat and 30 days of cool weather.
I am teaching with a great - pay salat=ry here in lovely paradise and so friendly San Marcos, Aguascalientes - Mexico.
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