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Tom McClintock: To understand education budget, start with math
Los Angeles Daily News ^ | May 15, 2005 | Tom McClintock

Posted on 05/16/2005 2:24:48 PM PDT by calcowgirl

The multimillion-dollar campaign paid by starving teachers unions has finally placed our sadly neglected schools at the center of the budget debate.

Across California, children are bringing home notes warning of dire consequences if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's scorched-earth budget is approved -- a budget that slashes Proposition 98 public-school spending from $42.2 billion this year all the way down to $44.7 billion next year.

That should be proof enough that our math programs are suffering.

As a public-school parent, I have given this crisis a great deal of thought and have a modest suggestion to help weather these dark days.

Maybe -- as a temporary measure only -- we should spend our school dollars on our schools. I realize that this is a radical departure from current practice, but desperate times require desperate measures.

The governor proposed spending $10,084 per student from all sources. Devoting all of this money to the classroom would require turning tens of thousands of school bureaucrats, consultants, advisers and specialists onto the streets with no means of support or marketable job skills, something that no enlightened social democracy should allow.

So I will begin by excluding from this discussion the entire budget of the State Department of Education, as well as the pension system, debt service, special education, child care, nutrition programs and adult education. I also propose setting aside $3 billion to pay an additional 30,000 school bureaucrats $100,000 per year with the proviso that they stay away from the classroom and pay their own hotel bills at conferences.

This leaves a mere $6,937 per student, which, for the duration of the funding crisis, I propose devoting to the classroom.

To illustrate how we might scrape by at this subsistence level, let's use a hypothetical school of 180 students with only $1.2 million to get through the year.

We have all seen the pictures of filthy bathrooms, leaky roofs, peeling paint and crumbling plaster to which our children have been condemned. I propose that we rescue them from this squalor by leasing out luxury commercial office space. Our school will need 4,800 square feet for five classrooms (the sixth class is gym). At $33 per foot, an annual lease will cost $158,400.

This will provide executive washrooms, around-the-clock janitorial service, wall-to-wall carpeting, utilities and music in the elevators. We'll also need new desks to preserve the professional ambience.

Next, we'll need to hire five teachers, but not just any teachers. I propose hiring only associate professors from the California State University at their level of pay. Since university professors generally assign more reading, we'll need 12 of the latest edition, hardcover books for each student at an average $75 per book, plus an extra $5 to have the student's name engraved in gold leaf on the cover.

Since our conventional gym classes haven't stemmed the childhood obesity epidemic, I propose replacing them with an annual membership at a private health club for $39.95 per month. Finally, we'll hire an $80,000 administrator with a $40,000 secretary because, well, I don't know exactly why, but we always have.

Our bare-bones budget comes to this:

5 classrooms --                              $158,400
150 desks @ $130 --                           $19,500
180 annual health club memberships @ $480 --  $86,400
2,160 textbooks @ $80 --                     $172,800
5 CSU associate professors @ $67,093 --      $335,465
1 administrator --                            $80,000
1 secretary --                                $40,000
24 percent faculty and staff benefits --     $109,312
Offices, expenses and insurance --            $30,000
   TOTAL --                                  $1,031,877L 

The school I have just described is the school we're paying for. Maybe it's time to ask why it's not the school we're getting.

Other, wiser, governors have made the prudent decision not to ask such embarrassing questions of the education-industrial complex because it makes them very angry. Apparently the unions believe that with enough of a beating, Gov. Schwarzenegger will see things the same way.

Perhaps. But there's an old saying that you can't fill a broken bucket by pouring more water into it. Maybe it's time to fix the bucket.

Tom McClintock represents the 19th District in the California state Senate. Write to him by e-mail at tom.mcclintock@sen.ca.gov.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: budget; calbudget; california; education; mcclintock
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1 posted on 05/16/2005 2:24:49 PM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: A CA Guy; ALOHA RONNIE; ambrose; Amerigomag; AVNevis; B4Ranch; BillyBoy; Bonaparte; BurbankKarl; ...

McClintock Ping!

I'm going to bite the bullet here. I want to formalize a "McClintock Ping List." Up to now, anyone I have pinged has been on a totally involuntary basis.

Please let me know via freepmail if you want on or off this list.


2 posted on 05/16/2005 2:32:22 PM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: calcowgirl
Maybe it's time to fix the bucket.

Fix the bucket. Redistrict NOW. (And elect Tom Lt.Gov)

3 posted on 05/16/2005 2:33:29 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP ("The Republican Party is the France of politics" - Laz)
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To: calcowgirl

That is simply brilliant.


4 posted on 05/16/2005 2:34:41 PM PDT by AmericanChef
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To: calcowgirl

Tom McClintock for Lt. Governor in 2006:

http://www.tommcclintock.com/


5 posted on 05/16/2005 2:35:21 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket (Proud Member: Internet Pajama Wearers for Truth)
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To: calcowgirl

keep me on the list.

McClintock bump!


6 posted on 05/16/2005 2:35:33 PM PDT by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: calcowgirl

Cut out sex education and other liberal indoctrination programs and there'll be enough funds for english, science, math, history, social studies, art, music.


7 posted on 05/16/2005 2:36:04 PM PDT by Mulch (tm)
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To: calcowgirl

The system of government education in America today remains an utter failure. After 40 years of social engineering by liberals and the current crop of big government Republicans, only a miracle can turn things around.


8 posted on 05/16/2005 2:36:59 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("Don't let the bastards grind you down." General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell)
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To: calcowgirl

Very nice editorial. It's so darned reasonable - but perhaps California will embrace its vision anyway. I wish Texas would, too.


9 posted on 05/16/2005 2:37:20 PM PDT by Puddleglum (Thank God the Boston blowhard lost)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

You got it!


10 posted on 05/16/2005 2:40:44 PM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: calcowgirl

Here is hoping that McClintock can continue to build his standing with sensible liberals and moderates in CA so that he can be our next governor.


11 posted on 05/16/2005 2:43:26 PM PDT by pogo101
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To: calcowgirl

They still teach math in schools in California?

I'm shocked to hear that! :-o


12 posted on 05/16/2005 2:43:48 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... The War on Terrorism is the ultimate 'faith-based' initiative.)
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To: calcowgirl

...but of course!


13 posted on 05/16/2005 2:45:55 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan
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To: calcowgirl


14 posted on 05/16/2005 2:48:13 PM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: calcowgirl

Outstanding


15 posted on 05/16/2005 2:48:20 PM PDT by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, FINISH LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
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To: calcowgirl

BTTT


16 posted on 05/16/2005 2:52:10 PM PDT by kellynla (U.S.M.C. 1st Battalion,5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Div. Viet Nam 69&70 Semper Fi)
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To: calcowgirl

I'm not from CA, but I do love Tom McClintock... use your judgement.


17 posted on 05/16/2005 2:55:46 PM PDT by thoughtomator (A government-funded artist is an incompetent whore)
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To: calcowgirl
One local high school principal was bemoaning recently the fact that declining enrollment at his school meant they didn't receive as much ADA (average daily attendance) money from the Feds. The school's fund raising arm (a non profit foundation) has started a campaign to recoup that money from other sources.

I am amazed that no one seems to point out to them the obvious fact that it costs less to educate fewer students. All together now .... DUH!

18 posted on 05/16/2005 2:57:41 PM PDT by RightField (The older you get ... the older "old" is !)
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To: RightField

sheesh .... I forgot to mention that this is a California "distinguished" school.


19 posted on 05/16/2005 2:59:23 PM PDT by RightField (The older you get ... the older "old" is !)
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To: calcowgirl

DAMM~!~ THATS GOOD


20 posted on 05/16/2005 3:01:11 PM PDT by Mr. K (some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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