Posted by The Legislative Fiscal Office has released in pdf format, a comparison of the Governor’s proposed 2012 Education and General Fund recommendations to the current budget.. What follows is from a quick once over. The more eye balls reviewing these numbers and letting their Legislators know what they think, the better.
From a quick once over of the education budget over, appears we will see several programs chopped. Among them are continuing education for paramedics, Gadsden State Community College’s economic development and allied health sciences & nursing funding, robotics & controls research & education at UA while others like the medical and dental school scholarships, Lyman Ward, Talladega College, community service grants (AKA patronage money) are trimmed. There are 5% increases in Rehabilitation programs and what looks like a new million dollar appropriation to Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine for breast cancer research.
Total proposed education spending will be $5,495,000,000, a 3% increase over next year.
The general fund proposal, shows the announced dropping of funds for tourist attractions/hall of fame and cuts for functions as diverse as food for prisoners (43%), District Attorneys (20%), Legislature (36%), ADECA (76%), Forensic Sciences (21%) and many others. Medicaid is receiving a 87% increase in funding, Public Safety 5%, and Mental Health 18%. Interestingly, community service grants are zero funded.
Total proposed general fund spending will be $1,820,923,687, an 8% increase.
For those wanting more granularity (and have the strength), a 359 page executive budget document is available from the state finance department.
The Alabama House has the General Fund budget as HB122, and Education budget as HB123, in the Senate, they are SB133 and SB132 respectively. Might be fun to track these bills as they get amended.
While budget cuts will be painful for some, tax increase legislation (as of this writing) has not been introduced and with the very carefully multi-generational nurtured anti-tax mood among the electorate would be a long uphill slog if introduced.
Again more eyes are needed to review these documents and let the powers that be know what you think.
update: lets add a link to Bama Fact Check’s review of the claim 217 line items were cut.
If the Governor and Legislature are serious about saving money how about
1) Stop bailing out the PACT. You cannot recoup a 50% loss without earning a 100% yield. Those who are saving for retirement can see this as a scam on the taxpayer. Yet the fund managers are already crying for more bailout money…500M was not enough.
2) Closing and consolidating funding for our 2 and 4 year “public” colleges. How many “public” colleges do we need? 2-4 year degrees are a dime a dozen. Trade schools maybe the key to helping our young find and earn a paycheck.
A million dollars in new money for breast cancer research for Auburn’s School of Vetinerary Medicine? Is this someone’s idea of a joke?
43% cuts in food for prisoners? At a time when food prices are skyrocketing?
Glad to see mental health and rehabilitation funding increased, though.
ebbyoddy know cow got 8 breastesess per udder.. yall aint recognize a cost savings when you see it? dis hea aubrens maffs. bit its gon be no bidz too.
Am I reading the Governor’s General Fund budget correctly, the office of the clerk of the House is zeroed out?
Hope you’re reading that way, I read it that way too, nice to know am not hallucinating. Lots of other what the pucks in there.
wonder if/why Bentley hates Greg Pappas…
surely Hubbard will change it
What’s this $10,000,000.00 “Alabama Innovation Fund”? Looks like “NEW” money. Is this a slush fund for the Repubs??
I imagine the Alabama Innovation Fund is a state level version of the Federal Social Innovation Fund.
“The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is an award-winning national initiative focused on helping low-wage workers obtain good careers while at the same time ensuring that employers have the high-quality skills that will enable them to succeed in this highly competitive economy.”
Here come the increases in our property taxes to fund breast cancer research for cows. . .The funding for mental health and rehab is probably dollar for dollar match money, as is the Alabama Innovation Fund. It doesn’t have to be funded, but we would lose out on any money in the future if we don’t put it in as a line item today.
MH funding comes largely from the state, but Medicaid pays for some services. Hospitalization is covered IF the state hospital is accredited; therefore it is vital that the state psychiatric hospitals pass regular inspection by the Joint Commission on Health Care Facilities. Even though some money comes from Medicaid, hospitalization is very expensive. For example, nurses must be on duty 24 hours, plus other staff. The state is trying mightily to reduce the number of hospital beds. Community Mental Health Centers take much of the load.
Intermediate care and outpatient services are much cheaper but again, funding is the problem.
Nevertheless, MH in Alabama is shockingly under-funded. There are 1,600 persons on waiting lists for placement in group homes. As one administrator said in a meeting, “Last year we were scraping the bones. This year we’re going to be scraping the calcium off the bones.” Five percent of our population receives MH services.
Vocational Rehab, under the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, receives three dollars in Federal money for every one dollar we put in. The more we can put in the ADRS budget, the more we can get from the Feds. Rehab is also under-funded, even though investment in rehab services returns over $20 for each dollar spent.
As for property tax increase–that hasn’t happened and won’t happen, thanks to the special interests lobbying the legislature. Our property taxes are a joke.
How has Whatley managed to fit Elizabeth and Alicia into his schedule…………must be a busy man!