Links for 2011-03-08

"Syosset is nearly 3 1/2 times wealthier than West Genesee. It spent $25,990 per pupil in 2008-09, compared to West Genesee's $13,854.

And that disparity is likely to grow under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed budget.

The governor's school aid cuts would equal 0.77 percent of Syosset's general fund budget. But they would blow a 6.8 percent hole in West Genesee's general fund. Superintendent Christopher Brown told his school board recently that the district would have to cut 62 full- and part-time positions, drop a year of middle school art and eliminate its seventh-grade reading program and high school Latin classes, among many other reductions. That's while increasing the tax levy by 4.8 percent and freezing employee salaries."

"In a recent discussion with a very highly-placed political figure, I heard something disturbing. We were talking about the series of cuts that public higher ed has taken over the last few years, and why it seems like the legislature keeps coming back for more. He mentioned that he has had some candid discussions with legislators, and this is what they told him:

When they cut budgets for police, the phones ring off the hook. When they cut budgets for fire departments, the phones ring. When they cut budgets for K-12, the phones ring. But when they cut public higher ed, nobody calls. (Naturally, when they raise taxes, the phones never stop ringing.)

It bothered me because it rang true (no pun intended)."