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The Daily Herald has a good story today that lays out the pitfalls of the governor’s proposed education budget.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed adding $400 million to the stateâ€™s multibillion-dollar budget pie for education, but lawmakers say once his pet programs are funded, suburban schools will be scrambling for financial crumbs.

Included in the added spending is $45 million for new preschool programs the governor wants and $10 million for his plan to reduce elementary grade class sizes. Plus, the governor already promised $100 million to help Chicago public schools.

That quickly drops the total to $245 million before lawmakers even consider how to plug the money into existing programs. Once funding recommendations from the Illinois State Board of Education are added, the original $400 million for preschools through high schools quickly evaporates.

Read it all.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 8:18 am

Comments

Once again Chicago benefits while everywhere else gets screwed including the universities. Perhaps instead of dumping 100 million into a failing school system with teachers who are subpar it would be better to invest that money in the teachers of the future at Universities such as ISU which produce as significant quantity of Illinois’s teachers. All bias aside, this would be a great idea…yet it doesn’t get votes so the money will be squandered as usual.

Comment by ISU REP Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 8:23 am
OH HUM more of his do nothing headlines.More free press for him.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 8:29 am
1/4 of it right off the top for Chicago Schools? And that’s because City of Chicago taxpayers pay so much more of the state taxes? Because Chicago has demonstrated that it uses tax-payer money so well in it’s school system?

Comment by North of I-80 Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 9:01 am
HAHAHAHA that was a good one North….I hope that was utter sarcasm!

Comment by ISU REP Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 9:25 am
Rich: When is the press going to see through Blago’s spin on his education and health care programs. This gov has robbed and borrowed money to expand WELFARE. With program names like Illinois Families First, All Kids and now state funded Pre-school, Rod is making people think he is helping all the citizens of Illinois. In reality, all these programs are shoveling billions more tax dollars to the poor, while he cuts transportation, recreation, state universities, law enforcement and regulatory spending, programs those who pay taxes may benefit from. Middle class taxpayers will not see anything from Blago’s health and education programs. It’s all for free medical services and pre-school for those who pay no or little taxes. When the bill comes due for this, guess who will pay? Certainly not those who are receiving these Blago give-aways.

The press should have got it when Blago changed the name of the Dept. of Public Aid to the Dept. of Health and Family Services. The agency performs the same function, but when this administration dumps more tax money into the agency, Blago can brag how he has increased spending for health and family services rather than welfare.

Comment by Taxpayer A Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 10:06 am
North of I 80 I got a better idea why don’t Chicago form it’s own state.There wouldn’t be to many south of I 80 complain.Hey Blago could be your first governor.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 11:42 am
The cost of Preschool for All as studied under Gov. Ryan was estimated to be 440.8 million dollars a year after a 10 year roll out. This governor’s math isn’t adding up. The commission report that explains it all is here: http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/preschoolIL.pdf
When I called the Gov’s office about the cost discrepancy, they really didn’t want to hear it.

Comment by Kara Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 11:53 am
Kara you just found out what a lot of us already know.1 They do not want any bad news.2 They do not care.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 12:37 pm
Once again Puffery’s math does not add up. There is an article in the Sun Times talking about how hair do’s job numbers don’t add up. Here is the address: http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/blago22.html

It is indicitive how the governor can’t tell the truth about anything.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 3:11 pm
When we built our k through 12 school in Gallatin Co. a few years ago the taxpayers voted in a property tax increase of aboput thirty percent. We funded the majority of the bill over a 20 year period. Do I understand correctly that the Gov. is wanting to give Chicago 100 mill. up front to help their troubled schools? Our school is about a mill. in debt. Do you think he would be willing to pony up half that for a county 350 miles from Chicago? If you showed him a map without the county names on it would he even be able to pickout Gallatin Co? Also we have paid our school off and have no building debt.

Comment by NIEVA Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 5:51 pm
Taxpayer A; those people you are talking about almost certainly pay a higher percentage of their incomes on state taxes than you do, unless you also happen to be in the bottom 10 percent of incomes in Illinois.

Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Feb 22, 06 @ 9:32 pm