Alabama Politics in
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NOTE: Sen. Hank Sanders has written a weekly column for papers in his legislative district for the past twenty years. These rural, weekly papers lack a web presence, and links to the columns are not typically otherwise available. The column below is provided by Sen. Sanders’ office for inclusion in the Daily News Digest.

Senate Sketches # 1087

By

Senator Hank Sanders

How do we cut as much as $500 million from the Alabama Education Budget? It is a question with which we have now come face to face. There is no escape, no delay. For me, the first challenge is attitude. I must embrace this struggle.

My mother used to say, “Son struggle is like a bad dog. If you come upon a bad dog, he will growl fiercely. If you stand your ground and look him in the eye, he will stop growling and slink away. But if you run from him, he will chase you down, jump on you and be all over you. Struggle is the same way, son.” Cutting $500 million is a mighty struggle. There is no escape. I must embrace the struggle.

A lot of people have communicated with me about the education budget. I have talked with each, but I did not make any commitments. I could not. There was too much critical information I did not possess. Still I embraced the struggle even as I communicated with them.

I refused to read the budget. I did not want to know the details. I decided that I would not worry, but if I did, it would not be but once. Some of us worry over and over about the same thing. We worry about things before they happen and again when they happen. We even worry about worrying. I will not worry, but I will embrace the struggle.

The Governor proposed cuts of $398.2 million dollars below the 2008 Education Budget. The Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) projects cuts of $573.9 million. Until we decide the amount of the cuts, I refuse to get into the details. It does not make sense to struggle with the puzzle pieces when the whole puzzle might change.

One question is how much of the $440 million Proration Prevention Fund will be available for the 2009 Budget. We know that most of it will be needed to prevent proration this year. The Governor projects $62 million for the 2009 fiscal year. LFO projects only $38 million. That alone is a $24 million dollar difference. Even less may be available.

We delayed any action on the budget until we received as many additional monthly revenue reports as possible. The revenue figures for February were dismal. We recognize that things might get even worse than expected.

The figures for March were a little better but not up to LFO projections, not to speak of the Governor’s higher revenue projections. We, however, can’t wait any longer. We have to make decisions based on the information we possess. We must embrace the struggle.

We decided to start the budget in the Alabama House of Representatives. It should start in the Senate since it started in the House last time. However, we have been tied up in the Senate with an extended filibuster. In addition, there is a companion bill that will add some additional revenue. By law, this bill must start in the House. The House is set to consider the budget in committee on Wednesday, April 9^th.

One of the big decisions is how the pain springing from the budget cuts will be shared. State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton, Governor Bob Riley and Alabama Education Association leader Dr. Paul Hubbert feel that the Colleges and Universities should bear the biggest portion of the pain. After all, they receive revenue from tuition and other sources while K-12 cannot charge tuition or effectively raise funds.

The Colleges and Universities want the pain shared proportionately. They urge us to cut each entity by the same percentage. They say that will be the fairest approach. There are other concerns about the distribution between Colleges and Universities.

Last week, Representative Richard Lindsey and I commenced the decision-making process. We met with several leaders from Colleges and Universities. We met with Dr. Paul Hubbert of AEA. We met with Joyce Bigbee, Norris Green and Frank Gitscher of LFO. I met with representatives of the Two-Year College System. I shared some thoughts at a Finance and Taxation Education Committee meeting called for other matters.

Next week, we will communicate with members of our respective committees, State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton and Governor Bob Riley and his Finance Director. We will communicate with others such as leaders of the Alabama Association of School Boards and the Alabama Association of School Administrators. Communication is critical to success, but embracing struggle is critical to our well being.

It is extremely important that Representative Richard Lindsey and I communicate. Lindsey, who is chair of the House Committee for the Education Budget, is smart, hard working, knowledgeable, fair and honest. He’s very concerned about the education of our children. We don’t always agree, but we always reach agreement. We keep talking until we have a meeting of the minds and hearts. We both embrace the struggle, albeit in different ways. We invite others to embrace this struggle.

Now on to the Daily Diary.

Saturday - I worked all day on various matters. I also talked with several leaders including Congressman Artur Davis, Josephine Curtis of Selma and Wallace community College President Dr. James Mitchell. I shared lunch and discussed various issues with my son, Kindaka Sanders. I worked into the night.

Sunday - I did Radio Sunday School with Dr. Margaret Hardy, Radio Education with Perry County Superintendent John Heard and Sunday Review. I participated in Sunday School and attended Church. I met with White Hall Mayor Johnny Jackson and talked with the following: Yvonne Hatcher, Alberta Smith, and Barbara Brown of Selma; Youlanda Curtis of Washington County; and Lee Garen of CNN.

Monday - I talked with the following: Senator Lowell Barron; Carolyn Varner and Kimani Varner of Selma; Judge Marvin Wiggins; Lowndes County Administrator Jackie Thomas; Perry County Administrator Walta Mae Kennie; Selma Businessman Jim Hodo; Representative Richard Lindsey; Senate President Pro Tem Hinton Mitchem; Senator Pat Lindsey; Wayne Vardaman of the Selma Centre of Commerce; State Treasurer Kay Ivey; and Raymond Jones of Colorado. I went to court in support of a young woman in a rape case and traveled to Lowndes County for a meeting and then on to Montgomery for the Senate Democratic Caucus Retreat. I spent the night because a Caucus breakfast was set early the next morning.

Tuesday - I participated in the Caucus Breakfast and talked with the following during the day: Senator Larry Means; Representative Richard Lindsey; Senator Lowell Barron; Lobbyist Tom Coker; Lobbyist Bill Jones of the University of Alabama System; Eileen Jones of Channel 12 Television Station; and Dr. Carol P. Zippert of the Greene County Democrat Newspaper. I met with Representative Richard Lindsey and Dr. Paul Hubbert about the Education Budget and a group from the Public Library. I attended a Senate Caucus meeting and a Senate Session. I talked with many persons.

Wednesday - I went to Montgomery where I attended meetings of the following: Education Committee; Finance and Taxation Education Committee; Judiciary Committee; Economic Expansion and Trade Committee; Local Legislation #1 Committee; Alabama Senate; and Conference Committee on PAC-to-PAC Transfers. I met with numerous leaders about the Education Budget including Dr. Paul Hubbert of AEA and Anita Archie and Gene Murphy of the Two-Year College System. I also talked with others about various issues including Shelley Fearson of the Alabama New South Coalition. Senator Vivian Davis Figures and I spoke to Leadership Cullman County as well as a group from the Early Childhood Intervention Initiative. I traveled to Selma, then to Greene County, returned to Selma and worked into the night.

Thursday - I went to Montgomery where I participated in the following: a meeting with Representative Richard Lindsey and several LFO experts; a Senate Session; a meeting with several Higher Education leaders; meeting Perry County Commissioners Fairest Cureton and Clarence Black; a meeting with Senator Vivian Figures, Senator Bobby Singleton, Businessman Luther Nat Wynn; Don Gilbert; Senator Roger Bedford and others; Senator Zeb Little; Dr. James Mitchell of Wallace Community College Selma (WCCS); Essix Watters of Dallas County; and lobbyist Greg Jones; a meeting with students from F.S. Erwin Elementary School in Wilcox; and a meeting with a group of School Board members about saving small schools. I talked with many other leaders, returned to Selma and worked until 11:30 p.m.

Friday - I began writing Sketches. I talked with the following: Ola Morrow of Maplesville whose brother died; Georgia Blackmon of Pensacola; J. L. Chestnut, Jr. who is in the hospital; Barnette Hayes of Selma; Superintendent of Dallas County Schools Dr. Fannie McKenzie; Ife’ Major who is in the hospital in Atlanta; Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard; Sharon Wheeler of the President Pro Tem’s Office; and Carolyn and Kirk Wheeler of Chattanooga, TN. I participated in the Black Belt Community Foundation Board meeting and talked with several of its leaders including George McMillan of Birmingham, Felicia Jones of Sumter County and Frank Kummel of Lowndes County. I worked into the night.

EPILOGUE - I know attitude is powerful; more powerful than information; more powerful than material resources; more powerful than pain. That’s why I work to get the right attitude when I am tackling a big challenge. And cutting $500 million from the education of our children is a big challenge!

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