Times have definitely changed. It used to be that some things in life were absolutely certain. Death and taxes have always been the two most prominent, but there were some other things that you could count on as true as the north star.
I've mentioned before that I grew up in the town where Dow Chemical and Dow Corning are headquartered back before they merged. It used to be that if you were able to get a job at Dow or Corning, you were set for life. Yes, you might get moved out of the state or out of the country, but you could count on retiring from there with a nice pension and probably some stocks as well.
While others might argue against this, the government used to be something you could always count on as well. It wasn't necessarily that they looked out for your best interests, I think we all know that isn't the case, but they were at least there. At the very least they gave the impression they were working together towards the best interests of the public.
That's certainly not the case anymore. Now it is almost a contest to see how annoyed they can make the other side of the aisle. There is no compromise, there is no professional courtesy, there is just enmity and conflict.
The state of Michigan has had two shutdowns since it was established in 1837.
The first took place in 2007 on October 1st and lasted for a very brief four hours. Though relatively short, the impact of this shutdown shook several areas of Michigan infrastructure. State campgrounds were closed as I alluded to in my post on Monday, road construction crews were halted, lottery sales were stopped, and state police patrols were cut back.
As I said, it only lasted four hours, so by the end of the day things were back to normal. The second shutdown happened in 2009 and lasted only two hours also on October 1st. Many state employees were preemptively issues lay off notices, but they ended up being irrelevant given the quick resolution of the shutdown.
As we approach October 1st, we are once again faced with the possibility of a government shutdown. You might wonder why this date is so significant.... October 1st is the date that the senate and house need to agree on a budget so it can go to the Governor to sign.
Given the extreme divisiveness in politics these days, it's safe to assume that this shutdown isn't going to get resolved nearly as quickly as in past years. Working in the public school system, this is a pretty big deal for @mrsbozz and I. While businesses who sell liquor are concerned given they wouldn't be able to order liquor from the state control commission, schools are more concerned about how they are going to be able to feed and transport their students.
A while ago the state implemented a free lunch and breakfast program for all students. In the past it used to be that only families who qualified got free or reduced meals. If the politicians can't agree on a budget, that program will likely be shuttered. Families who qualify for free and reduced status will still get those benefits, but other families who haven't filled out the paperwork or didn't qualify will have to start paying.
As a school district we aren't going to not feed a kid, but this brings up some issues since the money has to come from somewhere.
What a lot of people don't realize is that schools get a state aid payment once or twice a year based on their student count. It used to be once upon a time each student in our district was worth about $7700. That money would come from the state and pretty much be our budget for the whole year. If they don't come to an agreement on a budget, that money will not come.
The republican led house has offered a proposed budget, but it basically guts much of the funds allocated to public schools. For example, their proposed budget takes 1 billion dollars out of the school aid fund and moves it to higher education. They do this frequently which honestly makes no sense. Colleges and Universities can charge and raise their tuition rates, so why do they need money that should be going to public schools (who can't/don't charge).
Unfortunately, this seems to be the modus operandi of a party that feels public schools should be defunded and private or charter schools should be the norm. Their proposal also eliminates a transportation categorical allocation that is very important for districts like mine where the geographic area is much too large for students to walk to school or parents to drop them off.
While I doubt the end result will be quite that extreme, finding a compromise is likely going to take a lot of back and forth and since politicians aren't down in the trenches, there is likely still going to be a lot of collateral damage to programs and services at the local public school level. Things that seem irrelevant from the state house actually have a huge impact on the students at a local level.
Technology is pretty important, so while I am not too worried about my job, I fully expect my budget will be frozen if this carries on too long. I also expect any kind of raise will be off the table next contract review.
The district I work for is lucky enough that they have a fund balance that can cover the salaries and bills if the shut down last for more than a couple hours, but some districts aren't in the same position. They face having to shut their doors or not paying their employees if the budget can't be resolved and the state funding gets cut off.
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I don't know where all the money goes. Here in Florida, the state lottery was started with the all of the proceeds going to education. Before that, property tax paid for education...but property tax for education never went away and yet the schools are always short of money and it has never been otherwise for as long as i can remember.
Whether or not more money should be going to higher education in your state I couldn't say. State schools are obviously state funded (which is why you get in state tuition rates among other things). Tuition in general has risen much faster than inflation for at least the past 25 years. It may not be practical to just raise rates more. But again, why those rates have risen so much raises the question of where the money goes. It's like that everywhere though. And why can't any government actually have a balanced budget? I was reading where Michigan spends nearly $5000 per person per year and has been operating at an $800 million+ deficit for years. This year they cut 0.4%, lol. Really? Yet whenever a fraction of a percent is cut, it's a disaster.
I don't doubt there are a lot of things that could be done differently, but cutting the fundamental programs that ensure children are taken care of is pretty dumb. We have lottery money and there is a portion of gas tax that goes to the schools, but really that should be going to the roads. They have a bunch of new revenue from the legalization of weed and all the taxes and fees that collects, but we have no clue where that money is going. It's just disappointing to know they are going to drag this on and use it as a political stunt and the students are going to be the ones to suffer.
Politicians the world over piss me off, they forget they are here to serve us the people first and foremost.
Indeed!
Isn't it strange how "government shutdown" always means "no campgrounds" and "reduced police for crime response," but not "We're dropping all charges for victimless crimes to reduce the burdens on the court system?" Why is the question always, "why isn't government spending more," but not, "why is this a service the government should provide in the first place?"
Yes, those are very good questions. It's disappointing and maddening!
I thought it's only in Africa that the education sector gets to be cheated, reading this made me to understand that it rains every where.
Yeah, it is bad everywhere. People think education is important but not enough to protect it from stuff like this. It's more of a out of side out of mind sort of thing.
It's a pity
It’s crazy how decisions made far away can have such immediate effects on local schools and communities. Kids still need to eat, buses still need to run and teachers still show up, yet a political stalemate can throw it all into uncertainty.
That's definitely true. Also unfortunately, both sides leverage situations like that for political gain.
It’s frustrating that the focus shifts from solving problems to gaining political advantage.😌
Washington is broken, no one is willing to work together anymore. There are no consensus builders of the days of past, so everyone is trying to look tough as nails before they blink at the last minute. It's getting kind of old that they all just can't get their jobs done and work together. Too much political "hate" has developed in our nation, it makes me worry about the future of our nation.
As a nation we do need to cut back our spending and stop increasing our debt though or we are screwing over the future generations who will have to deal with it. I don't know the solution, I don't think anyone does, maybe that's the problem...
I agree with everything you just said! :P :)
This is one of those times when the saying, Elections have consequences has relevance. I think you can trace the increase in private school enrollment to decisions about segregation and prayer in school. These are value judgements. People want to decide who can go to school with their kids, and the cultural influences they want their kids exposed to. Private school gives them that choice. Who should pay for that? Is it in the interest of society for children to be siloed so they grow up in their separate cultural cubicles? That is a matter the electorate can decide. I sent my kids to private schools, for different parts of their education, for different reasons. I didn't ask anyone to pay for it. We didn't get a new car, or furniture, but the kids went to private school when I thought that was important.
As for this:
Why? It's a ridiculous expenditure. Free lunch for those who need it, yes. Everybody else can pay for it. Give them an extra gym class. Music. Art. Free lunch for middle/upper class children. Ridiculous. Stuff like that is why local populations are voting down school budgets.
It's funny that people seem to think we have any control over any of it. We are just here to do a job. Which is educate the kids. You can get mad at the policies all you want, but if you are taking it out on the school employees you are barking up the wrong tree. Although unfunded mandates from the government are no longer legal, they still find ways to push them through.
I know you're not responsible. :) Somebody somewhere is happy. We need money for so much and this crazy policy gets pushed through.