[Winona Online Democracy] Paul,
I agree that it is important that we try to get an accurate picture of the impact to the public as soon as possible. The problem is, though, that it is nearly impossible to discern the impact until more analysis is done. For example, the document outlining the K-12 budget is 69 pages of detailed financial information: http://www.budget.state.mn.us/budget/operating/200405/final/bill_e12_educati on.pdf that must be poured over line by line and analyzed against our local revenue picture to determine whether this proposal is good or bad for our district. Even the 2.2% increase isn't clear. It was calculated by using the new money approved last November by local voters in some districts across the state and then averaging that money for all districts in the state. Now, what does that means for our district in real dollars? I am not sure. It could be good, it could be bad. Another nugget is that, the proposed budget eliminates the 9.9% increase in sparsity, compensatory, transportation, and transportation sparsity that districts received when the $415 was rolled in during the last budget cycle. Transportation is a big cost for us so, again, it's not clear how this will impact us. Overall, I think it is clear that the governor tried to minimize the impact on K-12 education and I know the K-12 education community appreciates that. At this point, though, I simply cannot say whether our district will be negatively or positively effected by the governor's proposals -- it is just too complicated to arrive at an answer at this point because different districts will be impacted in different ways. I'm sure, though, that our Business Office is doing the detailed work to be able to give us an answer and we will report it at a School Board meeting as soon as possible. I, personally, have no interest in claiming the sky is falling . . . I'm just as anxious as you are to know how the budget impacts us so that we can begin to make the decisions we need to make in order to balance our budget into the future. -Steve Kranz, School Board Member -Winona Area Public Schools ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Double" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 8:36 AM Subject: FW: [Winona] Media Reporting Local Facts Budget > Anne and others > > I do not disagree that " the full and complete story of our budgetary > problems will take a while to unfold". The problem is the media is giving > more attention to the down side as if they are reporting "the complete > story" rather than presenting a balanced picture including the increases "in > real money" which K-12 Education is to receive adding to that the money > budgeted for salary increases which will flow to the General Fund fund > balance leaving our district in a better financial condition a year from > now. The earlier expenses are reduced the greater the impact in the long > haul because those savings are compounded every year thereafter. > > I may be wrong on some of my assumptions so I try to ask the questions which > will lead to the correct "and" complete information being reported. > > If the soft freeze was a medium freeze allowing only lane change increases > would that add another year in the model as the steps may have a higher > dollar impact than the grid percentage? Would that enable no k-5 schools > to be closed or is that issue dead? > > > Paul Double > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > PS At least the Governor had the strength and leadership to make a decision > knowing that solving the problem is more important than protecting his > political future. > > ________________________________________________________ > -----Original Message----- > From: Anne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 10:18 PM > To: Paul Double; Online Democracy > Subject: Re: [Winona] Media Reporting Local Facts Budget > > Let me suggest why specific information is not fothcoming as quickly as you > might like. In contrast to previous governors' practices when submitting > their budgets, this time there was a great deal less specificity related to > particular line items proposed for cuts. It has therefore been difficult to > learn those all-important details. I'm afraid the full and complete story > of our budgetary problems will take a while to unfold. > > The governor also diverged from past practice in his decision to allow only > members of his political party to be present at the traditional > pre-announcement briefings. > > Anne Morse > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Paul Double <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Online Democracy <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 5:57 PM > Subject: [Winona] Media Reporting Local Facts Budget > > I ask again when will the public be provided with an assessment of the "real > dollar" impact of the Governor's proposal. What we hear in media sound > bites is the sun has fallen, things will change and we need money, money, > and money. > > What we read between the lines is the reductions in LGA formula will be > offset by a statewide wage freeze which indicates nothing "should" change > for taxpayers except the new rain tax. K-12 education gets a formula > increase in real dollars and the so called wage freeze doesn't include > steps which for most of us means a guaranteed increase doing the same work > because we got older and wiser and became teachers working longer as > teachers. I agree lane changes should be approved and paid. The media > numbers from the county would indicate that county government has the most > to save by the wage freeze however they received the least media focus and > it would appear the bulk of their impact will be in Social Services. > Highway spending may even be increased as a means to get people working and > to pump money into the construction industry. > > Will someone in the media take the time to lay it out for as it stands it > appears for every cut in revenue the state enabled a reduction in cost thus > the proposals are tax neutral????? > > The colleges are filled to capacity with enrollment up and students standing > in line. Their campus cost is fixed and administration numbers not > increasing. Most manufacturing companies would be delighted with this > scenario as it should mean bottom line will get much better as their unit > cost goes down. What is wrong with this picture. Help us understand. > > People want to understand but we need good information to achieve consensus. > > _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
