JFC Cuts Markell’s Bloated Education Budget for Bureaucrats
Some real good news to start the Memorial Day weekend. Some of the cuts were to positions that had previously been funded by Race To The Top but are now transitioning to the state. They actually cut $3.75 mill in bloat:
The Joint Finance Committee voted to eliminate 10 controversial, high-paid positions in the Department of Education to find more than $1.5 million in savings as they continued to mark up Markell’s $3.9 billion budget proposal.
Lawmakers on the budget-writing committee also reduced funding for additional education initiatives, including teacher preparation programs, data analysis and recruitment efforts.
They almost did even more, as a proposal to cut an additional $2 mill in “additional funding related to Race to the Top failed by a 7-5 vote.”
For all intents and purposes, the disastrous failure that is/was Markell’s full embrace of Race to the Top has ended. It’s just a question of how long it takes for the edifice to crumble and for something more sane and productive to take its place. Candidates for governor in 2016 had better bring something to the table.
Tags: Delaware education policy, El Somnambulo, Race To The Top, Steve Tanzer Delaware
I have been aware of and objected to this entire proposal as an abuse of taxpayer/educator interests from the moment it was presented and have made that clear to all of my colleagues in discussions on this consideration. Just to make the public aware I am posting this brief comment.
I’ve read and considered that $7.5 million proposal and the entire $7.5 m package should be rejected as not effective and/or beneficial. No part of expanding DeDOE (especially under the guise of continuing ill-founded RTTT initiatives) will get my support. I arrived at that decision after much thoughtful consideration and many dialogues and cannot fathom the 6 votes for it. Extremely disappointing behavior by JFC in a bitterly tight economic situation.
Representative John Kowalko
Jesus, John. Seriously.
Yeah “seriously”, as in “serious” money that could be used elsewhere while still seeing absolutely no effort in constructing higher tax brackets to secure a stable revenue source. “Serious” as a heart attack when you realize that cuts will be imposed that will “seriously” damage the economic health of businesses in Delaware (eroding spending capabilities among the middle class spenders) but still growing a bloated DOE which has already grown personnel by over 10% in the past few years. “Seriously” addressing a budget proposal that still includes substantial handouts for special interests and pet projects and prolonging the failed RTTT initiative that continues to plunder education needs and taxpayer money. Yeah, you’re damn right that I’m “serious” Glad you noticed.
John Kowalko
You’re just better than everyone else, John. As you constantly remind everybody.
I’ve never made that claim but I certainly appreciate your opinion of me in that context. I imagine that now I’ll never have to remind you. One less item on my checklist of important things to do: impress Steve.
John K.
We need an independant audit. These scumbags are stealing from us.
Wonder what the grown ups in Leg Hall think about all this?
Step very carefully AQC or someone may ask if you know any grownups and what motivates you to feel comfortable judging them as such. Snarkiness demands a certain amount of intellectual honesty and objectivity to be taken seriously.
John K.
You’re not so good at the whole battle of the wits thing John. And, you don’t scare me.
You certainly do not merit enough of my regard to even consider trying to scare you. I have scant little time and no motivation for legitimizing your attempt to position yourself as a person of consequence but please don’t mistake a pacifist in your imagined battle for an unarmed combatant such as yourself.
John K.
Certainly not many of us in the trenches will morn the loss of overpaid bureaucrats who sit around an office somewhere and come up with new mandates to make our jobs even harder.
Oh John, lol.
Recipie to get your agenda enacted. 1) Excoriate the JFC on a blog for not cutting enough. 2) Lose a blustery tit for tat with an anonymous commenter like AQC. 3) Repeat 4) Top tax bracket magically appears, saving day.
Nuttingham, FTW.
Ha! He said the adults in Dover.
Only Dover liberals would be spouting the same talking points as the Republicans running for President. “DOWN WITH COMMON CORE.. DOWN WITH RTTT… roll back the presidents agenda… F the civil rights community and their concerns with Opt Out. We’ll tell them whats best for their kids”
At this rate the Rs in Dover don’t have to talk much.
I haven’t had a dog in this fight, but as a Democrat, should I really be excited about cutting funding for Teacher Prep, Data analysis, and teacher recruitment funding, which I guess is used to get more minority teachers in classrooms?
Recipie to get your agenda enacted:
If that’s the recipe that gave us a 36-3 vote on HB 50, I’ll take more of it please for upper-bracket tax increases.
It’s a different recipe, unfortunately. And dissing people whose votes you would court is no way to get them.
HB 50 was symbolic, this is substantive. And JFC actually took some positive steps. Just not enough for some.
Well Puck,
Thats short sighted… cause 36-3 doesnt matter if the Gov vetos the bill in July… soooo I really don’t want that recipe for upper bracket tax increases.
Those tactics are only good enough to convice the cowards in the house. Havent actually seen it create substantive policy though.
Preach El