When Words Lose Their Meaning...
In a recent article by Daniel Scarpinato, a reporter for the Arizona Daily Star, he noted that many elected officials are using the word “decimating” in the same sentence with education.
Governor Brewer accuses the Republican led legislature of “decimating” education in their budget proposal, meanwhile the Democrats accuse Governor Brewer of “decimating” education in her budget plan.
He went on to explain in his article, “The GOP plan, which has the largest of the K-12 cuts, reduces state aid to K-12 by 5.2 percent out of the more than $4 billion the state provides to K-12. When other funds that K-12 receives are factored in, it amounts to a 2.2 percent cut.”
As Scarpinato pointed out, the total reduction to K-12 in the Legislative budget is about two percent, or conversely, education is funded at 98 percent of what it was funded in fiscal year 2009...either way, one can hardly say the reductions decimate education.
This Legislature contends the budget process was difficult, with only bad and worse options, yet this body has done everything within its power to keep education cuts to a minimum. Given the size of the $3 billion plus state deficit, a 2.2 percent reduction to education is not a “decimation.”
Governor Brewer accuses the Republican led legislature of “decimating” education in their budget proposal, meanwhile the Democrats accuse Governor Brewer of “decimating” education in her budget plan.
He went on to explain in his article, “The GOP plan, which has the largest of the K-12 cuts, reduces state aid to K-12 by 5.2 percent out of the more than $4 billion the state provides to K-12. When other funds that K-12 receives are factored in, it amounts to a 2.2 percent cut.”
As Scarpinato pointed out, the total reduction to K-12 in the Legislative budget is about two percent, or conversely, education is funded at 98 percent of what it was funded in fiscal year 2009...either way, one can hardly say the reductions decimate education.
This Legislature contends the budget process was difficult, with only bad and worse options, yet this body has done everything within its power to keep education cuts to a minimum. Given the size of the $3 billion plus state deficit, a 2.2 percent reduction to education is not a “decimation.”