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Wednesday, Jun 4, 2003 |
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Posted on June 03, 2003 Schools will get more money
The state Education Department picked up $8 million for new school buses that will come from unclaimed state lottery prize money. The deal reached last week did not help replace the state's aging fleet. While the current year's budget, which ends June 30, already uses some lottery money to buy buses, Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman said more needs to be done. "What we need to do is get an ongoing replacement program in place for this state," he said. Leatherman's comments came after six hours of negotiating Monday between three House members and three senators, who have to sell the new compromise to their colleagues Tuesday when they return to their desks. Last week, the budget committee reached an agreement after working from 8 p.m. Wednesday to just before 7 a.m. Thursday. While the House adopted the measure, the Senate rejected it. That frustrated House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. On Monday, he handed out examples from budgets stretching back to 1998 that weren't challenged. The "new and improved" deal, Harrell said, will "get us out of this unprecedented situation in which we found ourselves." Harrell and Leatherman, R-Florence, said they don't want a repeat of last week. "I would hope the Senate would go ahead and do the people's business as, frankly, they should have done last week," Leatherman said. The two legislators spent much of Monday behind closed doors then talked about potential compromises with others on their negotiating teams. Leatherman's conferees were able to get House negotiators to dump proposals that would have let districts spend less on public schools and forced more record checks to determine eligibility for Medicaid. House conferees kept state funding for an abstinence-based sex education program they favor and won detailed reviews of the state Medicaid program along with notice to lawmakers when changes are made in eligibility or the scope of programs offered. The committee agreed to put $40 million in state lottery money into a kindergarten through fifth-grade reading program, up from $37 million in last week's budget deal. Before the conference committee met, House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Columbia, lashed out at leadership in the GOP-controlled Legislature. While the state had been making gains in education, "the Republican majority's budget mess will not only bring that progress to a halt but will send our state full speed in the wrong direction," he said. Even though schools must take a cut in the 2003-04 budget year, education's share of state spending is at its highest level in five years, said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville. "The problem is we have less money to spend overall," he said. At the same time, the state Health and Human Services Department will receive all that it asked for in Medicaid programs, Wilkins said. No surprise Former Spartanburg resident Gregg Scott of Pensacola, Fla., agrees with the fellow who said folks shouldn't be surprised to learn that they can't depend on the lottery to meet the needs of education. "We have the same problem in Florida," says Mr. Scott. "The state had its public relations people loading the radio stations, TV and newspapers with statements telling the people how the profits from the lottery would fund education. The thing they didn't tell us was that it would replace the funds originally slated for education. Funds appropriated from the general fund for education were replaced by the lottery money, and this gave politicians more money they could waste on useless projects. I don't know when people will learn that they can't believe anything a politician promises." UGLY COMMUTE: Ann Rutledge of Spartanburg is wondering why businesses think it is necessary to advertise on so many billboards. "It really is a shame to have to see all of that alongside the commute between Spartanburg and Greenville," she says. "Most people traveling the interstates want to know where the pit stops are for food, lodging for the night and gasoline for their vehicles. They're mostly just passing through. They're not looking for nightly entertainment or where to buy a pair of shoes or where to purchase patio furniture, books, etc. There is nothing wrong with advertising, but does it have to be in enormously huge signs along an interstate?" NOT AMUSED: A truck driver was driving on the interstate when he came to a sign that read, "Low Bridge Ahead." Before he could brake, the bridge was straight ahead, and he got stuck under the bridge. Cars backed up for miles. Finally a police officer arrived. The officer got out of his car, walked up to the truck driver, put his hands on his hips and said with a slight giggle, "Got stuck, huh?" The truck driver, not amused, promptly replied, "No, officer. I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gasoline." IMPRESSED: Teresa Brown of Spartanburg encourages anyone looking for a hairdresser who goes the extra mile to visit Sharon Tipton at Kensington Place. "I was diagnosed with cancer and told her I would be in to get her to help with my hair, and she even offered to come to me," says Mrs. Brown. "I thought that was something. It takes an extraordinary person to be willing to do something that helpful. She's been a big help ever since. More people should be like her, willing to take more time for others. I encourage people to pay her a visit and welcome her to Kensington Place, which is just off John B. White Sr. Boulevard." BLIMPY: Don Watson, not to be outdone, is suggesting that The Stroller stay at the dock the next time we go fishing. "We were on that pontoon from 4 in the afternoon until 5 the next morning, and the reason is that The Stroller kept losing his fish," quips Blimpy. "If anybody fishing in Lake Murray catches a fish with six hooks in its mouth, that's the one The Stroller let get away. And I doubt that it weighed more than a pound." We have to hand it to Blimpy, though. He's definitely in the know when it comes to pounds. ODDS AND ENDS: Players for the Spartanburg Stingers, a collegiate team that will call Duncan Park home this year, are in need of host homes for the summer. If you have a spare bedroom through Aug. 6, call the Stingers' general manager, Lenny Mathis, at 591-2250. And mark your calendars for The Stroller's Macaroni Monday with the Stingers on June 16. Bring an unopened box of macaroni and the Stroller logo at the top of the column to the gate for admission. Then shake the heck out of your macaroni box when The Stroller throws the first pitch -- and, too, when the Stingers make those big plays. And when the game is over, leave the macaroni, and we'll make sure it's used to feed the hungry. Game time is 7 p.m. |
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All material ©2003 Spartanburg Herald-Journal | |
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