Texas GOP Demands Tax Break on Yachts, Huge Cuts to Schools, Medicaid and Nursing Homes

[marmar]

Booman Tribune, via AlterNet:




Texas GOP Demands Tax Break on Yachts, Huge Cuts to Schools, Medicaid and Nursing Homes


Texas faces a $15 BILLION to $27 BILLION state budget deficit this year.

Texas ranks anywhere from 36th to 44th in the nation on spending per year for K-12 pupils (depending on the methodology used) and yet its Republican proposed budget plans to cut spending on public education (including charter schools which are a favorite of Conservatives) by form $5 BILLION (State Senate) to $10 BILLION (State House of Representatives) this year. Higher education will be cut by another $2 BILLION. Some of the best Public schools in Texas will bear the largest cuts:

Dallas ISD is a portrait of inner-city districts across the country. It is overwhelmingly minority — 67 percent of its students are Hispanic; 26 percent are black. It is overwhelmingly poor — 86 percent of its students qualify for free and reduced meal plans. And it serves some of the most difficult-to-reach children — the state considers 65 percent of its students at risk for dropping out.

But its magnets are regarded as the nation’s best public high schools. Townview’s Talented and Gifted and Science and Engineering high schools have consistently ranked in Newsweek’s top five public schools in the country since 2006. The Talented and Gifted school has been first every year except one since then. All of the Townview schools are rated as “exemplary” by the Texas Education Agency — something achieved by only 10 percent of public high schools in the state. Alumni of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, an exemplary-rated magnet not on the Townview campus, include Erykah Badu, Edie Brickell and Norah Jones.

Despite its renown, in Dallas ISD’s most recent budget projections, Townview stands to lose 27 percent of its full-time teachers. Booker T. Washington faces a 25 percent reduction. By contrast, the district’s comprehensive high schools are losing an average of 12 percent. On Tuesday, Michael Hinojosa, the district’s superintendent, announced that in addition to the teacher cuts, Townview would also lose five of its seven principals to reduce administrative overheard.

.............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/578085/texas_gop_demands_tax_break_on_yatchs%2C_huge_cuts_to_schools%2C_medicaid_and_nursing_homes/

[Angry Dragon]

1. Perhaps they figure they will need all those new yachts

to save the people when the water rises from global climate change........just a thought