Thursday, May 28, 2009

So It Goes

Today in Dover the Joint Finance Committee continued to labor over a Herculean task, balancing a budget with a $650 million hole without significant revenue. Chairman, Dennis P. Williams is doing stellar work all the while defending our salaries.

Next week the rest of the legislature is back in session, another week, another chance to do the right thing and file revenue bills. We need substantive and sustainable revenue. Along that line of thought, it is interesting that some legislators who dismiss American Reinvestment and Recovery Act money as "one time money", by the same token have no problem considering salary cuts to balance the budget. How is it that salary cuts are not also "one time money" unless some lawmakers plan on continuing the cut next year, and the year after...

Considerations such as the above scenario are why we are serious as a heart attack about this salary fight. We are not going gently into that good night.
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The House Republican Caucus again this week, has stated their opposition to salary cuts and their willingness to support reasonable tax increases.
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Representative Valarie Longhurst has filed House Bill 157 to guarantee that teachers who are on Family Medical Leave will be returned to their exact same position. This will prevent superintendents who want to take advantage of the situation of FMLA leave to transfer teachers out of their regular teacher assignments.
Hats off to Rep. Longhurst.

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