Jackson Free Press

After soundly criticizing the federal Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act earlier this month, Gov. Haley Barbour has apparently reversed his decision, telling lawmakers and school officials yesterday that he will apply for funds to help Mississippi schools.

"Although I would have voted against this legislation were I in Congress, I intend to apply for the approximately $98 million in funding for K-12 education," Barbour wrote to legislators. "Our taxpayers, and their children and grandchildren are on the hook for the debt resulting from this federal spending, and it does not require us to raise taxes or make other negative policy changes, so I believe Mississippians should receive the extra funds for education purposes."

However, the bill, which is designed to save some 2,000 teaching jobs, will not increase the federal deficit. To pay for the measure, the act closes a tax loophole for corporations and cuts $11.9 billion from the national food stamp program. Last year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act temporarily increased funding for food stamps.

In the governor's letter to school officials, he urged them not to spend the funds in the current school year.

"Given that you have already finalized your school year budgets, contracts are in place, and you have identified funding sources to fund the executed budgets, please save these unexpected funds for the extremely difficult budget year in FY 12," Barbour wrote.

In an Aug. 9 statement, Barbour made it clear that he wanted no part of the federal funds.

"There is no justification for the federal government hijacking state budgets, but that is exactly what Congress has done," he wrote.

Previous Comments

ID

159450

Comment

I guess my problem is that I just haven't seen Haley's apoplectic repudiation of the Bush administration and its massive deficit spending back during relatively good times. NOW he doesn't want to fund education because of the debt that he says is... being left to children. If your party can't manage to quash deficits with control of the White House and Congress when the country is in a growth mode, where's the moral authority to be outraged by deficits during the Great Recession? Since WWII, deficits have gone up as a percentage of GDP under four presidents -- Reagan, Bush I, Bush II and now Obama. And so NOW the GOP's wunderkind policy governor is worried about the chirren?! Uh-uh. Especially when it's exactly the wrong policy. We're in recession now, unemployment is over 10% and that means that TAX RECEIPTS are down and spending needs are up. So... deficits. (Remember: You put both Income and Expenses on the P&L.) When will we see things stabilize? When the economy comes back. How do we make that happen? The GOP argument -- cut tax revenues. Hasn't worked yet. We will get the economy back by creating jobs and innovating into new markets. We can't compete with rice paddy wages in China. So we need to find something Futuristic to invest in... and invest in it. (Cue the SyFy music.) How? Deficit spending on infrastructure and education (so that people are qualified for the Jobs of the Future). One obvious place to go... retool our energy economy with massive government investment, R&D and a Mission to the Moon-style campaign to get this country's entrepreneurs and workers on-board with the plan. Let's get off *oil* over the next 25 years... and make money doing it!

Author

Todd Stauffer

Date

2010-08-20T09:50:18-06:00

ID

159453

Comment

He's really talking out of both sides of his mouth. He's not for it but he'll apply for it anyway? Sigh.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-08-20T10:34:47-06:00

ID

159454

Comment

I'm with you on the "chirren" comment, Todd. If he gave ONE WHIT about "the children" he would give them a good, well-funded, free education in order for Mississippi to have a minimally educated working class that would enable "the children" to rise out of poverty and possibly work and pay taxes. But, you know, that's a freaking novelty to him, right? Oh, and he wouldn't cut all Medicaid benefits and payments to people who provide preschool day treatment services to kids under the age of 6 with no warning. And, he wouldn't reduce Medicaid payments for medical services to low income children. And, he wouldn't keep increasing the roadblocks to keeping "the children" enrolled in Medicaid and receiving health care. OH, and he...well, I think that's enough for now. I got a "CHIRREN" in my office asking if he can rap for me. Much better to listen to that on a Friday afternoon than to Haley's driveling crap. I love how he throws that "deficit" crap around when its DIRECTLY CONTRARY to the actual FACTS concerning this bill.

Author

Lori G

Date

2010-08-20T11:24:16-06:00

ID

159455

Comment

Is the photo some type of editorial statement or just bad photography?

Author

kudzuking

Date

2010-08-20T12:25:10-06:00

ID

159457

Comment

Just call it his flip-flop face, kudzuking.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-08-20T12:35:39-06:00

ID

159458

Comment

Todd - you are really a breath of fresh freakin' air! I mean!? I just don't freakin' (I want to use another word so badly, but I'm trying to get back on Ladd's good side) get what's so damn hard about trying to save teachers? Then scream deficit and debt for future generations? Yeah the rich peoples children!?

Author

Duan C.

Date

2010-08-20T12:51:15-06:00

ID

159459

Comment

Thankfully, not his "O" face.

Author

Lori G

Date

2010-08-20T13:00:08-06:00

ID

159460

Comment

As my daddy told me, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t." Haley seems to have that move down pat.

Author

Ronni_Mott

Date

2010-08-20T13:15:42-06:00