The $20.7 billion State Budget passed this week spends more than ever on government programs, and leaves less money for you and your family. The vote in the General Assembly fell mainly along party lines. Senator Hartsell of Concord was the only Republican to vote in favor, and three Democrats, Rep. Coates of Salisbury, Rep. Love of Sanford and Sen. Snow of Cherokee County voted against.
The 2007 budget allows government spending to increase nearly 10 percent, growing much faster than the amount needed for population and inflation growth. Bad news for the taxpayer.
Education spending increased over a billion dollars. Program after program received millions of dollars.
Easley was quoted as saying, “that every child in every corner of every county in North Carolina will have an opportunity to reach their God-given talent and full potential.” Talk about political rhetoric, and symbolism over substance! The government education paradigm has NOT changed. For the most part, families are assigned school by their address, not by choice. The charter school cap has not been lifted, even though thousands across the state are on waiting lists. Teachers do not receive pay based upon how well they teach, and tenure continues to keep poor performing teachers in classrooms. This budget gives all teachers a 5 percent salary increase. Just spending more will never accomplish higher student achievement.
Easley’s pet program that provides lower-income students the opportunity to obtain a college degree debt-free, gained $127 million over two years. This might seem to be a noble idea, but remediation rates in colleges and community colleges suggest a need to do a better job of preparing students before they go to college. Just sending students to college does not guarantee graduation for any income level.
While government speeds ahead with spending more money on similar programs, the new frontier seems to be mandating more of the student’s time in school. The new education fad is to expand the school year, and school day. While some students may need more time on task, requiring blanket policy requirements is not the solution. This week Terry Stoops, Education Policy Analyst for the John Locke Foundation, released an excellent report, Better Instruction, Not More Time, on this trend.
What stops runaway government spending and intrusion? There is one answer, the VOTER. Tax increases and education policy is determined by the Governor and General Assembly. As US anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world: indeed it’s the only thing that ever has!” It is time for change; it is time to become part of that small group of thoughtful and committed people.