Comments on: SC Budget: Bigger Than We Thought

By: KP

KP — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:07:32 +0000

So, can we get a response from all of you who think you know that only 45 percent of education spending is “instructional”?

By: baker

baker — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:12:31 +0000

BBeltBuckle — I recall the Policy Council “study” on school spending. And on the non-instructional side, they included such things as librarians and guidance counselors. So, sure, it may be that less than half the money literally goes into the classroom — or, instruction, depending on how you define that. However, to add up supposedly “non-instruction” costs, you’re still talking about people who work directly with students on academic and other issues….not just “educrats” sitting in a district office.

By: KP

KP — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:40:54 +0000

By the way, that’s not just me talking, it’s the Budget and Control Board’s spokesman.

By: KP

KP — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:37:47 +0000

The Budget and Control Board web page proves that what the Policy Council says about instructional spending is misleading. The 45 percent that goes for instruction according to their spreadsheet does not include anything except teachers — not guidance counselors or librarians or libraries or cafeteria workers or food or school bus drivers or transporation or coaches or athletic programs or computers. All necessary and completely legitimate expenditures.

But the only way the Budget and Control Board could get as low as 45 percent, even counting all those things as “non-instructional” expenses, is to include capital projects and debt service as operating expenses, which is not something you see on private sector spreadsheets.

By: BBeltBuckle

BBeltBuckle — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:54:14 +0000

baker,
go to the budget and control board web page, then their office of research and statistics, finally click on the local government finance report.
download and read the excel spreadsheet…
and wow, you can see for your self that public schools spend only 45 cents per dollar on instruction!
if you think even the B&CB bean counters are disredited, you are further out to left field that we imagined!

By: liz shepherd

liz shepherd — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:39:04 +0000

The state of South Carolina is paying for fraudulent Ghost Accounts established inside the SSA , inside Medicare Part D

It’d be nice to know what this fraud costs, wouldn’t it?

By: Mike Honcho

Mike Honcho — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:26:03 +0000

Yes Catherine, interesting commentary. I read the whole report, including the title page and noticed it said South Carolina Policy Council, not Mark Sanford.

Your words speak to your agenda.

It appears that this report calls for exactly what you want. Read the state budget and dollars are broken into three categories, general fund, other fund, and federal funds. The ‘revenue’ you speak of in higher education typically comes in the form of federal dollars.

Other funds are typically fees and scholarships.

Your funding dilemma takes a whole new twist if you can accept that every street corner doesn’t need a ‘satellite campus.’

By: baker

baker — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:22:42 +0000

Interesting commentary, Catherine.

I don’t doubt there’s waste in SC government. And if we’re spending money But it was the Policy Council and Mark Sanford who came up with the less-than-half-the-money-goes-to-the-classroom education “study”….it’s been exposed as misleading over and over. So, I don’t exactly trust the Policy Council’s so-called research.

I do think Ashley Landess has a point, though, about “inaccessible” and “complicated” or whatever. Not much room for disagreement to me in that regard.

By: BIN News Editorial Staff

BIN News Editorial Staff — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:27:32 +0000

Wow! It’s from THE sc policy council! They sound very impotent.

Ashley’s fake group is as impotent as scrg. As impotent as clubforgrowth. As impotent as the wacko at voiceforvoucherscams. As impotent as sic(k) willie.

Impotent clones. willie, your bogus front groups are exposed.

Your voucher worms “turn” in compost.

But a new day is dawning in SC.

Voter see through your scams.

BIN News Editorial Staff
Always, Flair and Balanced

By: scguy123

scguy123 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:20:12 +0000

FITS future articles:

Davis is a leader within Senate…
Davis sets himself apart…
Davis endorsed by Sanford for 2010…
Davis is our man for 2010!

All paid for by Davis or Sanford.

Come one people, we all know Sanford wants Sanfordite in the West wing of the State House before he runs for president.

The nightmare is coming to me now…”All of my success is because of my predecessor, Republican Presidential candidate and Governor Mark Sanford” – Governor Tom Davis.