House GOP budget adds $550 million to education
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Republicans in the state House want lawmakers to add about $550 million to K-12 education this year as the first step in a multi-billion-dollar effort to fully fund classrooms.
Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, unveiled his proposal Thursday that contained only one area of tax revenue - a plan centered around ending a tax break for residential telephone services. His budget proposal would block teacher cost-of-living increases, shorten the amount of time low-income families can get assistance and cut state agency budgets further.
"I'm convinced that when we finish up (this session), we can balance this budget with reforms, resizing and reduction - without new tax increases," Alexander said.
Some lawmakers have argued that the state needs to add some $1 billion to education this year in order to satisfy the Supreme Court's funding mandate, and the Legislature is looking to add an estimated $4.5 billion to K-12 education dollars by 2018.
Alexander's plan includes adding about $800 million to programs like class-size reduction and full-day kindergarten in response to a state Supreme Court ruling that says the state isn't adequately funding basic education. However, his budget plan would also suspend automatic cost-of-living increases for teachers, saving some $300 million.
Elsewhere in the budget, the GOP would extend an assessment on state hospitals to help pay for Medicaid services. Alexander also embraces President Barack Obama's health care reform to help balance the budget, saying that he expects the Medicaid expansion is here to stay and that it will save the state money for years to come.
"I don't know how to do this without utilizing it," Alexander said. "I think I should."
Alexander said he would shorten the amount of time financially struggling families can get support under the state's so-called WorkFirst program from five years to four years.
Democrats in the House and both caucuses in the Senate are expected to release their budget proposals in the coming weeks.
Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, unveiled his proposal Thursday that contained only one area of tax revenue - a plan centered around ending a tax break for residential telephone services. His budget proposal would block teacher cost-of-living increases, shorten the amount of time low-income families can get assistance and cut state agency budgets further.
"I'm convinced that when we finish up (this session), we can balance this budget with reforms, resizing and reduction - without new tax increases," Alexander said.
Some lawmakers have argued that the state needs to add some $1 billion to education this year in order to satisfy the Supreme Court's funding mandate, and the Legislature is looking to add an estimated $4.5 billion to K-12 education dollars by 2018.
Alexander's plan includes adding about $800 million to programs like class-size reduction and full-day kindergarten in response to a state Supreme Court ruling that says the state isn't adequately funding basic education. However, his budget plan would also suspend automatic cost-of-living increases for teachers, saving some $300 million.
Elsewhere in the budget, the GOP would extend an assessment on state hospitals to help pay for Medicaid services. Alexander also embraces President Barack Obama's health care reform to help balance the budget, saying that he expects the Medicaid expansion is here to stay and that it will save the state money for years to come.
"I don't know how to do this without utilizing it," Alexander said. "I think I should."
Alexander said he would shorten the amount of time financially struggling families can get support under the state's so-called WorkFirst program from five years to four years.
Democrats in the House and both caucuses in the Senate are expected to release their budget proposals in the coming weeks.
So I guess the budget crisis is solved???
One can no longer say, "throwing good money bad" as the US dollar is not good money. Government caused inflation makes savings dollars worth less daily.
One size fits all government schools don't work - Johnny can't read or write - can text some however. Information is gained with hip hop (if that is what it is called)
Bring on the political party arguments. Â If you people spent as much time helping and actually trying to make a difference in your community as you do arguing over which party is more at fault (as if there is a difference) we might actually get some things done. Â Party line arguments are the stupidest thing to argue about. They are a waste of time and accomplish nothing.Â
Carry on with your pointless banter about how your party's daddy can beat up their party's daddy. Â Ridiculous.Â
@The206Â Ok Great Wise One, please enlighten us ignorant unwashed masses as to what we should be talking about. Thank God you are here, we would be so lost otherwise.
@70MonteCarlo @The206 With a response like that I can only gather that you are a member of a political party?Â
"Alexander also embraces President Barack Obama's health care reform to help balance the budget, saying that he expects the Medicaid expansion is here to stay and that it will save the state money for years to come."
I am guessing that when they say, "saving money," they actually mean that runaway costs will strangle us but it will be too late to turn back as the Feds wave au revoir  in the rear view mirror after three years, shouting, "So long, suckas!"
OK, so a Republican want's to finance education - by removing a tax break for residential telephone services...and who pays this? Will our phone bills go up?
Isn't that a tax increase?Â
Oh, but then he also want's to take it out on the poor kids who have the least chance for long term success in being educated for a job...?
Yep, long term thinking by a Republican...
It'll cost you!
@OrcasThunder How many people have residential phones anymore? I only know a couple. My elderly neighbor and my grandparents.
@Tattooed_Angel2 @OrcasThunder Exactly, elderly people that this would hurt the most. Many of us are not as active and don't need a cell phone so we rely on our home phone. We don't feel the need to talk/text 24/7 and many of us cannot afford both.Â
When times are tough and you are on a fixed income you find ways to lower your monthly expenses. At least if you are responsible you do. Giving up my cell phone was one of my cuts.
@Darn it! @Tattooed_Angel2 @OrcasThunder Exactly - the costs of mobile service is outside of the budgets of many of the elderly and the poor.Â
For myself, I prefer land line specifically because I do NOT want to be reachable everyplace I go... In fact, the cell phone I do have is an as simple as it can get TracFone, a gift from my daughter who said I was "of that age where I might need to make an emergency call"...it's great to be loved...<G>
@OrcasThunderand what are your thoughts on democrats stripping college tuition assistance away from those who serve our country? Â that was a federal program that cost less than what this state bill is being proposed for. Â or maybe we could have paid for this if democrats hadn't just approved $350 million for illegals to go to college yesterday...
@nobelprizeme @OrcasThunder You might want to check your facts on who approved the $350 million for illegals to go to college. Here's a quote from the news article:
The measure's bipartisan 77-20 vote was highlighted by impassioned speeches by Republicans who broke ranks with their party to vote in favor of the bill.
"People will seek this nation out from all over the world. They want a life of opportunity," said Republican Rep. Charles Ross of Naches. "These kids, I want them to someday go to Cornell,
@nobelprizeme Yep. Taking away college tuition assistance for our military members and giving it to the illegals. What a great country we live in.
Well thinkin like a Democrate ain't been cheap either.
@AKjohnThinking like there is any difference between the two will cost you the most.Â
Thinking like a politician isnt cheap.
The Republican solution to funding education is to cut it and the Democratic solution is to blindly throw money at schools to keep unions happy. How can we expect excellent public schools when the people controlling them are so dysfunctional?
@lakeviewHow is adding 550 million a cut? You must be using Obama's definition of cut...
WOW! You hit the nail on the head with that one.
Man, what a joke the WA GOP is, RINOs all of them. We have one of the most bloated and corrupt education systems in the country.
If you think things like this are the only problems, I have some sinking bridge pontoons to sell you:
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2014303247_audit23m.html
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/05/12/2141404/art-jarvis-leaving-as-tacoma-schools.html
How does this directly benefit them I wonder? They usually don't act otherwise.
Politicians dont do anything that doesnt benifit them. Thats the problem.
Block teacher cost of living raises - this is supposed to get teachers to do a better job or attract people to the job in the first place. "Hey, come take this job, we pay less than the private sector and don't give simple cost of living raises.."  This has never worked in getting talented people to switch jobs, ever!!!!
@Sanctuary The people of this state voted to give the teachers a yearly cost of living raise, I guess the legislature doesn't care what the people want. I don't believe they have rec'd one COLA since we voted it in. We can't balance the states budget on the backs of teachers. They've already been put on furloughs the last couple years, many of them are working several hours for free now, along with buying their own books and classroom supplies. If our state continues down this road, we won't have any teachers left that are worth having.
Well having worked in the non government private sector most of my life I will admit that freezing pay raises and cutting off other benifits that were expected are wrong, but happen all the time.
In business the CEO will tell you that morality is defined by the bottom line. I know guys that have worked their asses off only to have their retirements stripped.
I know guys that have been company men and thrown the wolves due to the economy.
So, is it wrong? Yes. But just like any employer, the government is out of money, so be grateful like the rest of us that are still employed in these times and find a way to cope.
Otherwise lots of luck.
@AKjohn The corporate "bottom line" attitude is what is destroying our country today. The almighty dollar is the most important thing. It 's one thing to make a profit, it's another thing to make a profit at the expense of the well being of your employees.   By the way, I am not and never have been a teacher. I would just like to see our kids get a quality basic education. We all benefit from that, in the long run.
"I'm convinced that when we finish up (this session), we can balance this budget with reforms, resizing and reduction - without new tax increases,"Â Â
So long as we agree to throw the poorest of the poor under the bus.