Baseline Budgets, School Aid, NYC wounded and cat dissection

I have read a number of articles in which East Greenbush School Superintendent Terry Brewer has decried New York’s “baseline budget” as the cause for a potential 2%-5% additional increase in our school tax levy.

I have read news articles elsewhere that the current baseline budget provides an increase of $382,000,000 for education.
Some one is not being entirely truthful. Before I go into a rant, I should request from Mr. Brewer, a plain language explanation of how an increase of $382 million dollars in the state education budget could lead to a decrease in aid to East Greenbush. I have read Mr. Brewer’s convoluted and evasive reasoning in the EGCSD Newsletter and came away with more questions than answers. I will do as Mr. Brewer has suggested in the newsletter, and call my representatives in Albany. I will ask them the same question. Then I will compare answers and see if the truth is anywhere to be found. I hope that other concerned citizens will do the same. I have a hunch that Mr. Brewer is trying to help his friends in the New York State Assembly to get an even bigger State Budget than that proposed by the Governor.

In order to help discern the truth I would like Mr. Brewer to answer the following questions. What was the actual dollar amount of state aid last year and what is the actual dollar amount of state aid in this year’s baseline budget in dollars and cents. Don’t use alternate terms like “prior year spending levels” and “current law requirements”.

In a mass mailing dated 9-10-2001, Mr. Brewer states: “The impact of reduced aid to our school district is approximately $1.3 million dollars.” I find it hard to believe that state aid has been reduced by $1.3 million when the education budget has increased by $382 million. Maybe the answer lies in the way Mr. Brewer worded his statement. Why did he say: “The impact of reduced aid…” when he could have said, The amount of reduced aid...? It seems he may have learned Clintonspeak. We get enough smoke-and- mirrors from the politicians.

We’ve been spending more than the State has been able to collect for a long time. The State continually raises tax rates and has devised many new and ingenious ways to plunder its citizens but still must borrow billions of dollars to meet expenses.

We’ve had a prolonged period of economic growth where school districts and other collectivist entities (except the military) have been allowed to spend like drunken sailors. Naturally, no economy can rise forever. Peaks and valleys are inevitable. If schools simply increase spending every year without regard for years when everyone else is cutting back, they can have the effect (impact) of turning a slowdown into a recession, or a recession into a depression. Much of the growth in our nation’s economy can be attributed to the windfall profits of the stock market and tax revenue generated from them. The devastation visited upon New York last week has severely reduced the amount of revenue our government can expect to be generated there. Indeed we must tighten our belts in order to help the city recover. We need to give back, not demand more. If Mr. Brewer wishes to be a “School and Community working together” he ought to act more like a compassionate and understanding partner and less like a greedy and demanding boss.

Lastly, if we had school choice, education would cost less and parents could easily find a school that doesn’t compel cat dissection. End of rant. Thank you.

David Crawmer