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July 27, 2006
Report on Education to the Community
It is an exciting time for Montana’s educational system. All facets of Montana’s education preparedness and delivery have been or are being re-analyzed. Study and coordination on three educational fronts over the past 18 months, has brought into focus the new buzz-word, seamless-education. The term’s primary message is the encouragement to think of preparation and readiness for the next level of education. We are re-thinking educational from top to bottom.
Montana’s School Boards, parents, Board of Education, Supreme Court, and Legislature have created the underpinnings for a system of high quality K-12 education. My committee on education initiated the legislative process by creating a definition of education. Post-session, I was appointed to the interim subcommittee on higher education (PEPB) that includes Regents, and the Governor’s office, where we negotiated strategies that included, among others, reducing potential tuition costs, improving transferability of credits, and introducing performance measures.
At the other end of the learning spectrum, participating in the recent Governor’s School Readiness Summit, we heard that he in consultation with a full array of national education experts, found unanimous agreement that the best investment in education is in the support of child-parent services from age zero-five. The summit brought together community teams from across Montana to define and coordinate appropriate services for the zero to five group, most of which currently exist in some form.
Parents, and others helping to better prepare children for school, will lessen the strain on the K-12 system by reducing the decline in academic performance that begins to appear for some by age 9. This group it is found were often not ready for school and gradually fall behind. Expanding kindergarten availability will be part of the bridge to better success. Additionally, the K-12 system, and parents, will need to reinforce preparedness in life skills and focus on successful work-force entry as well as two and four year higher-ed program entry.
Inherent in this discussion are the costs of implementing an improved system. There will be considerable competitive pressure on the legislature from sectors of this educational continuum for more financial support. Much of this will be well justified, but contrary to political rhetoric now heating up, we will have a difficult balancing act in meeting other absolute financial obligations and all the needs of education even in a surplus year. Ongoing expenses of education should be funded with revenues that are also thought to be ongoing or we will find ourselves forced to either cut programs later or raise taxes.
The primary reason for hope and excitement is that we find people pulling together toward the common goal of helping develop the full potential of our people, which in turn insures Montana’s future. The key ingredient is rediscovering that a child’s future is very significantly affected by the circumstances of the first five years of life.
Senator Bob Hawks
District 33
Education and Cultural Resources Committee
Post-Secondary Education Policy and Budget Subcommittee
Bozeman Committee of Governor’s School Readiness Summit.
Posted by admin at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2006
Montana Homeowners Finally Get Their Due
Much is being made of the projected $500 million that Montana will soon have in the "bank". While it's been labeled a surplus, perhaps it is best considered a timely windfall for addressing persistent needs including property tax relief.
The Republican Party and the Governor are each proposing property tax breaks. When considering such proposals remain mindful that over the last 20 years state and federal legislators have successfully shifted taxes from corporations and ultra-wealthy people onto lower and middle-class wage earners. Nationwide, the oil industry is effectively taxed at just 11%, a sweet deal that amounted to tax saving for oil companies if $1.5 billion in 2000 and more than $10 billion since 1968. In Montana annual property taxes paid by out-of-state electricity producers were cut in half by 1999 Republican legislature.
The Republican's current proposal calls for more of the same by favoring large corporations and wealthy out-of-state homeowners. Four electrical energy companies would see their taxes reduced by $3.4 million annually, and 5 out-of-state homeowners alone (holding property with a median market value of $6.7 million) would see their taxes reduced by $38,000, or an average of $7,610 annually.
Most importantly, the Republican’s proposal would make these reductions permanent. Such permanence seems misguided and unacceptably liberal given other needs. Our corrections system is about to burst with methamphetamine addicts and Montana's public pension programs are headed for a $1 billion (or more) shortfall.
In sharp contrast, the Governor's proposal would provide a $400 rebate only to Montana homeowners. Large energy corporations and out-of-state homeowners would get zip. Most importantly, the Governor's proposal calls for a one-time rebate not a permanent tax break, thus retaining our ability to meet other future needs.
The Governor,s proposal recognizes two important facts that escaped the Republicans: 1) these uncertain times justify a measured and conservative approach to fiscal policy, and 2) it is time for lower and middle-class Montana homeowners to be favored by the state's fiscal policies rather than corporations and wealthy "out-of-staters".
Mike Phillips
Posted by admin at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2006
News
The Billings Outpost has three good Articles:
Governor helps orphans; Burns helps leaseholders
Brian Schweitzer perfects nuclear fusion, promises power too cheap to meter.
Burns' bill would allow (but not force) oil and gas leaseholders to donate their leases to the Save-the-Front activists. The enviros could then tear up the leases with Uncle Sam's promise not to issue new ones. The generous leaseholders would then take a tax write-off, shifting the cost to you, me, Aunt Hilda and other taxpayers.
Schweitzer outflanks GOP on tax rebate idea
Like him or loathe him, Schweitzer made a masterful political move, and I've no doubt that the metaphorical Republican cloakroom is steaming with irate strategists trying to figure out some way to take this issue back. After all, control of the next Legislature hangs in the balance.
Do they really think that we are not concerned about our kids being killed and maimed in Iraq, or the size of the national debt, or health care, decent housing and wages? They probably think we don't care about our elected officials taking huge amounts of money from crooked lobbyists either.
Queen City News:
Burns's debate performance gets press pass
the mainstream media has transformed itself into a megaphone for each partisan side. At some point, the media's pious invocations about the importance of a free press ring awfully hollow when the Fourth Estate seems more like a servant to the interests and lies of political opportunists like Burns.
Posted by admin at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
July 05, 2006
Governor Schweitzer's square deal: Legislation to Suspend Water Tax
(GREAT FALLS) Governor Brian Schweitzer today announced he intends to propose to the 2007 Legislative Session a bill to suspend the water tax (HB 22). The suspension would apply to those who paid less than $400. Under this proposal those people would get their money back. The Governor has targeted hardworking Montanans, not big corporations to receive the benefit.
"I want to give Montanans a square deal," said Governor Schweitzer. "The acceleration of the adjudication process is critical to protecting Montana's water. But it can be done without placing an unnecessary burden on family farmers and ranchers."
The Governor's proposal:
Suspend the Water Tax (HB 22) -The "Square Deal" proposal would set aside about $20 million in one-time money for the water adjudication process. Under this proposal, water users who paid $400 or less would get their money back.
House Bill 22 was a scheme hatched in the Environmental Quality Council, a committee appointed by the 2003 Senate and House leadership under Speaker Doug Mood (R-Seeley Lake) and President Bob Keenan (R-Bigfork). The bill was brought before the 2005 Legislature by Rep. Walter McNutt (R-Sidney). The bill received support from the lobbyists of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and the Montana Farm Bureau.
"I have been in all 56 counties and folks don't support this," said Governor Schweitzer. "I have been listening to people from across the state and I have opposed this idea since it was first proposed in 2004. Those who claim they represent the farm and ranch people of this state should be listening too."
The average amount paid by the close to 90,000 Montanans was $45.00. This is the second announcement in a series of announcements to come on "Schweitzer's Square Deal with Montanans."
Last week the Governor announced his proposal for rebating Montana homeowners $100 million of one time money or about $400 per homeowner. The Governor's proposal would give all the money to homeowners not to big corporations.
The Schweitzer administration has not raised taxes and does not support raising taxes. Governor Schweitzer advanced legislation that eliminated the business equipment tax for 13,000 small businesses. Recently Montana was ranked number 9 in best tax code for business and 12th best in state and local tax burden by The Tax Foundation and has the third fastest growing economy.
Posted by admin at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2006
CI 97
Helena IR: Governor says SOS would kill his flat rebate plan
"If we pass SOS, I can't send $400 back to your home," he said. "If SOS passes, my hands are tied."
4&20 Blackbirds: Governor puts a stake through the heart of 97
Cry me a river, folks. In the end, there's no mandate on how the Governor and the legislature deals with the budget surplus. They can do what they want with the money. And they're giving it to us, regular Montanans. If the gift helps defeat CI-97, all the better. Then we'd be helping ourselves twice.
Posted by admin at 08:23 AM | Comments (0)
More news on the Square Deal
* Progressive State Network MT: Governor Proposes Fair Tax Rebate
* City Lights: Observations from the peanut gallery
And then, on cue, come the comments from the Republican spokesman, reduced to sputtering by the governor’s superior dramatic skills.
Posted by admin at 08:16 AM | Comments (0)