Comments on: New governor to face at least $1bil shortfall

By: MB

MB — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:07:05 +0000

No, you don’t educate your children for $700 per year. Unless you do it in the middle of a field and you yourself subsist on air alone.

By: Anon E. Mouse

Anon E. Mouse — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:27:06 +0000

Just think how badly they could screw things up if they were there full-time!

By: vjp

vjp — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:10:40 +0000

Yeah. [snark] We had more important stuff to talk about than this. [/snark]

By: tx2vadem

tx2vadem — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:10:35 +0000

MB, there is a long way to fall. I mean Texas has a functioning economy despite their government in Austin. Besides any problems we create by messing up the education system won’t manifest themselves for many years. Heck, that is most things that require investment (like infrastructure). And, of course, blowing our money on conspicuous consumption is the best investment we can make.

By: vjp

vjp — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:09:21 +0000

Our system is not designed to force Richmond to take governing seriously. And we pay the price.

By: tx2vadem

tx2vadem — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:54:22 +0000

It pays your rent? Are you on TANF?

By: Don

Don — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:21:08 +0000

Mouse,
I agree 100% that $11,000 ($5,800 state funds) per student is outrageous. I educate my children at home for $700 per year per student. I’m not a lawyer but I’ve heard that vouchers would be ruled in violation of Virginia’s constitution while tax credits would pass constitutional review. So, I urge tax credits vice vouchers. Also, $6000 seems too high because it would cause mass exodus from public schools in the first year alone. I urge starting the tax credit at $1000 and allowing the state and local governments to rebate a portion of the savings to the taxpayers and use a portion of the savings to increase the spending on the disadvantaged children. Win-Win for everyone except the teacher’s union.

By: Max Shapiro

Max Shapiro — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:54:51 +0000

I’ve spent quite some time looking at the budget. It pays my rent. I’ll leave it at that.

By: MB

MB — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:59:55 +0000

I do wonder how much damage will be done before Richmond finally wakes up and decides to take governing seriously. I fear there may be at least one more term’s worth of willingness.

By: vjp

vjp — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Spend some time with the budget, Max. And don’t forget that we’ve already had, as the article points out, $7 bil in revenue cuts.

By: Max Shapiro

Max Shapiro — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:29:09 +0000

“I would be surprised to see any governor in Virginia over the next four years not support a spending increase,” he said.

Is that quote right? Raising taxes and increasing spending doesn’t help anything. I’d like to see lower taxes and less spending, but if we gotta raise taxes I definitely don’t want to see any rise in spending unless its on roads. Cut a bunch of the BS and move it to transportation along with new revenues. No need to increase spending for other things.

By: Anon E. Mouse

Anon E. Mouse — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:37 +0000

Here’s an idea for saving money while improving education: Vouchers.

Virginia spends over $11,000 per pupil annually. Offer $6000 vouchers, and we save $5000 for every student that takes one.

By: Steve Vaughan

Steve Vaughan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:22:39 +0000

vivian,
Spot on. Nobody has been talking about this. When I tried to get specifics from the campaigns on how they might deal with what’s likely to be closer to a $2 billion hole in the budget, what I got from both sides was platitudes and pandering. Both campaigns insisted on talking about the ridiculous promises they’ve made, all of which will COST money.