I just spoke to my cousin who is a teacher in Houston. She called crying because there is a strong possibility that she may lose her teaching job. She has been teaching for 18 years but some of the teachers had a meeting with the principal and it is rumored that there is going to be a massive layoff in the school system and it will all depend on who is elected govenor. Bill White or Rick Perry. She then forwarded me this article and it pretty much is grim.
http://www.dallasnews.com/...
Legislature likely to cut deep to meet possible $25 billion budget gap
AUSTIN – Texas faces a budget crisis of truly daunting proportions, with lawmakers likely to cut sacrosanct programs such as education for the first time in memory and to lay off hundreds if not thousands of state workers and public university employees.
Texas' GOP leaders, their eyes on the Nov. 2 election, have played down the problem's size, even as the hole in the next two-year cycle has grown in recent weeks to as much as $24 billion to $25 billion. That's about 25 percent of current spending.
The gap is now proportionately larger than the deficit California recently closed with cuts and fee increases, its fourth dose of budget misery since September 2008.
The bottom line: Public schools, college students and government employees, not just poor and needy Texans, might very well lose money, grants, benefits and even livelihoods during and after next year's legislative session.
"They'll have to cut," said former Rep. Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston, the House's budget chief during the last budget meltdown, in 2003. "When you look at the big numbers, I just don't think there's any way that you make it match without making some reduction in education, both higher [education] and public education," or grades K-12.
Recently, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, said the "base budget" introduced by legislative leaders in January probably would assume no use of rainy day money. He said doing so "will give lawmakers a clearer picture. ... The cuts may seem drastic and painful, but this is a discussion we will be required to have."
Two officials familiar with the budget process, who said they were not authorized to speak publicly about current deliberations, said the introductory spending blueprint will contain cuts touching a broad swath of Texans.
They said the base budget, if passed, would force universities and junior colleges to raise tuition again, while slashing financial aid. Teachers, some of whom keep asking lawmakers how big their pay raises will be next year, would be lucky to keep their jobs after the state scales back aid to public schools, the officials said.
"There are going to be entire agencies zeroed out and a lot of employees and programs cut to unsustainable levels," one official said
What Republican Gov. Rick Perry and his Democratic challenger, Bill White, say about the state's looming budget deficit:
RICK PERRY
Plays down talk of a state budget shortfall projected to reach as much as $25 billion. Has ruled out tax increases. Generally says the Legislature should balance the budget the way it did in 2003 – with cuts, not tax increases. Those actions included dropping 180,000 youngsters from the Children's Health Insurance Program, reducing teacher insurance benefits, raising fees and delaying payments to schools and Medicaid reimbursements to doctors.
BILL WHITE
Hasn't endorsed – or ruled out – tax increases. Says he wants to ask agencies how workloads can be reallocated among employees to cut down on cost; look at contracts and see which ones have price-escalator clauses that should be renegotiated based on changes in the market; and look at all the overhead costs of government – such as security, energy and health benefits. Is willing to consider eliminating "outdated" tax exemptions, though he hasn't named any.
Texas needs a reasonable govenor not an IDEOLOGUE like Rick Perry.
This is where Texas is right now. Every democrat in that state should be scared out of their minds and on the ground getting everybody to vote this election because if Perry wins, the folks living in that state are done. More and more folks will be either losing their jobs, and going into poverty while the rich get richer.
How can anybody in their right man vote again for that crook. Under the Rethuglican govenor for the past 8 years and legislation in TEXAS have created a 25 BILLION Dollar HOLE in the budget because of their TAX CUTS ON THE RICH!! They can't blame this on democrats or Obama who they are currently trying to pin this on there. My cousin told me they are running ads there trying to tie their budget problems on the policies of this president. UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!! THE REPUBLICANS ARE TO BLAME FOR THEIR ECONOMIC MESS!! You would think the imbecils voters in texas would wake up and see what is happening but as of today Perry is still winning in the polls. A new poll up shows perry at 10 points ahead.
If you can help Bill white get out the vote, I would suggest you do cause he needs help getting the vote out. I think Latinos are the key to turning that state blue. They key is getting them to the polls.
http://www.billwhitefortexas.com/
I live in Georgia and I have decided to phonebank on behalf of my cousin who is frightened out of her mind. If you want to phonebank for Bill White
Here is the link
http://action.billwhitefortexas.com/...