By Andra Bryan Stefanoni
news@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — If those attending a local legislative breakfast Saturday morning hoped to come away reassured that the state’s economic woes will be resolved soon, their hopes were left on the table with the dirty dishes.
Those in attendance repeatedly heard phrases such as “draconian cuts,” “a tanking economy” and “bleak picture,” from state Reps. Bob Grant, D-Cherokee; Doug Gatewood, D-Columbus; and Julie Menghini, D-Pittsburg; and from state Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott.
At the top of the list for concern: public education.
“School cuts ended up being on the high end, but we suspected that,” Menghini said.
K-12 public education in Kansas claims 52 percent of the state’s general fund, with higher education accounting for 15 percent. Social services (SRS) accounts for most of the remaining two-thirds.
Menghini and the other elected officials said they’d prefer to see any cuts made next school year, rather than four months before the end of the current one.
“Schools are in the midst of contracts with teachers, bus companies, food service,” Menghini said.
Area superintendents have said they have contingency monies for the remaining school year, but Grant said it bothers him that other districts don’t, estimating that some 15 or 20 districts in Kansas are without such funds.
“So we’ve told them they can raise their (local option budgets), but that means we’re just passing the problem on to them. We created the damn problem and we’re not fixing it,” he said.
The legislators reported that next year they will have to cut $1 billion out of the $6.7 billion state general fund.
Several in attendance questioned whether a federal stimulus package would help local cities, counties and school districts.
Legislators responded by saying infrastructure projects must be “shovel ready,” meaning they must have been designed and be ready for bidding. Menghini also cautioned that the stimulus package is not “free money.”
“Don’t be misled into cutting money (from a budget) and then thinking the federal stimulus package will help replace that money,” she said. “You still have to have what’s called a ‘maintenance of effort,’ meaning you continue with what you normally would be doing. You don’t have to match it per se, but you have to put money toward it.”
