According to the official bond statement, (Texas) employers will pay an extra assessment intended to generate more than $300 million annually, starting this year, and peaking at $478 million at the end of the decade.
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From the Texas Association of School Boards | TEA fires 178 employees, July 15, 2011 – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) laid off 178 employees this week in its continuing effort to reduce its operating budget by $48 million – 36 percent of its budget. The current firings are in addition to 91 employees laid off in February of this year, bringing the total number of positions eliminated through layoffs and attrition to 343 positions. Staffers being laid off will receive 45 days of severance pay, the same amount that was given in February. The total number of employees left at TEA after this round of layoffs will be 717.San Antonio Express-News | Schools preparing to sue the state over funding, again | By Gary Scharrer, July 16, 2011, AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers who left town recently after cutting public education and doing little to fix school funding disparities have guaranteed another school finance lawsuit, according to educators and lawyers involved in the case. They expect to file a school finance lawsuit later in September.
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram | Texas debt practices contradict Perry's rhetoric | By Mitchell Schnurman, July 16, 2011 – Texas' public debt has more than doubled in the past decade, but people often say it's different from federal debt. Most of the money pays for facilities, roads and other infrastructure, not social programs. Here's one exception: In November and December, the state's public finance authority sold $2 billion in bonds for unemployment benefits, and it's authorized to sell $1.5 billion more if necessary.
Texas Tribune | Texas Communities struggle to fund public safety, By Brandi Grissom, July 14, 2001 – The tiny East Texas town of Alto made national headlines this summer when it furloughed its five-man police department in an effort to save money in this ailing economy.
But Alto is hardly the only Texas community struggling to fund public safety amid falling tax revenues and shrinking state and federal aid. Most cities aren't taking the drastic measures Alto did, but they're finding other ways to scale back costs, said Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League.
City officials in Alto, population 1,100, seem to have tired of the attention to their budget crisis, after stories on CBS News and in The Wall Street Journal, and an attempted robbery at the local bank. Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell, who is now responsible for law enforcement in Alto, didn't respond to calls requesting comment. A call to the city offices on Wednesday was answered by a woman who identified herself only as the "city secretary" and adamantly declined to comment about the situation, citing legal advice.
6 comments:
Good for the schools. They should have filed a lawsuit against the
State 5 years ago.
However, in the last lawsuit against the State, slightly more than 10 years ago, the Court decided to implement the now infamous "Robin Hood Clause" whereby deemed "wealthy" school districts turn over a percentage of their collected property tax dollars to deemed "poorer" districts.
The Robin Hood Clause is a disturbed perspective on how to equalize education among all districts.
So, God only knows what the Court will decide this time. "Be careful what you wish for..."
See "A Follow up on Texas Politics and Public Education" at
http://theuniverseatyourfeet.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-up-on-texas-politics-and-public.html#more
.
This is a propros of nothing, but it just occurred to me:
Farmers in almost every county in the state are getting low-cost loans to help them survive the exceptional drought. What about people who own restaurants and stores, whose business has fallen off due to hard financial times?
Those business owners make up much more -- percentage wise -- of the work force than farmers. I think I read that only about 3% of Americans make their money from farming or ranching now.
I mentioned before that new trough-shaped solar panels create more power than the standard flat panels.
Now a Colorado company, Abound Solar, has developed panels which "make solar cells using glass-coated thin film cadmium telluride instead of high-cost crystalline silicone." Company man says, "Our panels aren't the most efficient, but they are the most cost effective."
The Abound panels are aimed at lowering solar panel costs so that more people can afford to switch to solar power, altogether or in part.
See article "Solar Is Ready to Launch" at www.cleantechnica.com.
Great examples of why we need to watch spending and taxation rates at every level. But remember... The only place you reasonably have any expectation to be heard is locally... County, City, ISDs, MUDs, etc.
If our local governments don't get their CAPITAL spending under control, more and more PEOPLE will be laid off, and property taxes and local fees will continue to increase.
We'll have big new roads that few people drive (SM Loop and Old Bastrop Highway come to mind) and that we won't be able to afford to repair, and more people in the unemployment line, and more people at risk of losing their property.
Smart moves today matter.
The county budget process starts August 2nd. Some budget watchers will be meeting in San Marcos on the evening of Wed, July 27th to plan a strategy to inform, engage and empower taxpayers in this process.
We'd like a core team of 2-3 people from each precinct to help us follow the goings-on and report back to our neighbors. If you'd like to be part of this project, write to me... sam_brannon@hotmail.com
You 'member when Rick Perry was out of pocket for a few days recently -- when he had "minor back surgery?" I think he had work done on his face instead. He's suddenly pinker, and seems to have fewer wrinkles, and his face looks a bit thinner.
Guess he's out to look his purty best before he goes wooing voters in other states. He's now "ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille."
Rick Perry, in an ad for the right wing prayer meeting in Houston, clearly stated that our economic and social travails are totally in the hands of God.
For once I agree with Herr Grubernor. He has nothing to offer the nation. He should get out of politics and become a preacher.
I'm sure Hagee and the other pathetic racist preachers need some competition.
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