“State departments and programs have had to operate under stringent conditions for many years when the economy was performing poorly and general fund revenues were inadequate to meet community needs. With easing financial constraints, we can now address these public funding issues in a fiscally positive environment.”
What she didn’t say:
The state Board of Education says it needs $94.3 million to fund its operating costs and another $368 million for “capital improvement,” which includes fixing 97 aging schools, according to the Dec. 21, 2005 Honolulu Advertiser. That’s $462.3 million total. Yet Lingle’s new budget plan includes just $138.8 million for public education—a little less than half of which goes towards capital improvement. And times aren’t exactly tough, either: Lingle’s budget also includes a whopping $300 million in “tax relief.”
-Anthony Pignataro
Comments
comments