Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Liberal Loudmouth
There’s nothing fun about trimming a budget. Unfortunately, that can’t excuse major cuts to education. There are certain aspects of state infrastructure that should always be prioritized, and education on every level is one of those.
Reader poll
Who do you think is politically correct?
- Ben Cohen 41% 5 votes
- Chet Compton 41% 5 votes
- Dan Thompson 16% 2 votes
12 total votes.
The recent round of budget cuts was, as a whole, necessary. That we are in a recession and can’t burn through as much money as we could a few years ago is not exactly news. And if it is, Hi, I’m Ben, and this is a newspaper.
Regardless of the necessity to trim the budget, education should not have taken such a hit. If Parkinson wants to stabilize the economy, he needs to be just as concerned with the long term as the short. Putting a strain on an already financially-strapped education system only exacerbates the problem. It makes it difficult for schools to maintain facilities, as well as sustain an efficient faculty. The University is going to experience furloughs next year thanks to these cuts, which may save money, but will not benefit anyone’s education.
— Cohen is a Topeka senior in political science.
The Lawrencian
Podcast episode
Politically Correct
State budget cuts
The politically correct team discusses what recent state budget cuts mean for the future of Kansas.
Because Kansas cannot borrow money by law, the state must make deep, difficult cuts in government spending. This eliminates many social services when they are most needed, drains funding for K-12 and higher education and ultimately hinders economic recovery.
The best solution would be to have the federal government offset the state government’s budget shortfall with deficit spending so these cuts would not have to be made. But without that option, the state needs to find sustainable solutions to prevent similar budget crises in future recessions. Our legislators must have the fiscal discipline to maintain a budget surplus during times of economic expansion and use that rainy-day fund in the lean years — basic Keynesian economics.
Even with more cuts to higher education, students can take some comfort in the fact that they don’t go to school in California, where budget cuts forced state universities to increase undergraduate tuition by 32 percent.
— Thompson is a Topeka senior in economics.
The Right Idea
It is the responsibility of governors to balance the budget. Facing historic dips in state revenue, Parkinson has a job nobody envies. The necessity of these budget cuts makes them hard to argue against. But what will we learn from this?
The budget crisis that is already happening in Kansas (and many other states as well, i.e. California) is a predictor of what will happen to the U.S. as a whole if even half of President Barack Obama’s policies are put into practice.
The state budget crises should be an alarm for our federal government. We find ourselves in a struggling economy with a tax and spend Congress and a narcissistic president who has blind faith in government as the solution to all problems. This is not a good combination.
Our experience suggests that we need to pare back government’s future commitments to avoid a similar fate on a national level.
— Compton is a Wichita senior in political science.
Politically Correct: Reviewing Obama's budget proposal
Three panelists sound off on Obama's proposed budget for the 2011 fiscal ...
Editorial: State budget freeze raises concerns
Gov. Mark Parkinson needs to keep his promise and stop cut higher ...
Politically correct: Columnists weigh in on cigarette ...
Cohen, Thompson and Compton discuss Gov. Parkinson's proposed tax increases.
O'Neill: Budget crisis needs bipartisan solution
Economic stability requires the cooperation of both parties.
Politically Correct: Should Kansans support climate change ...
Columnists debate whether Kansans should get involved with climate change legislation.
Editorial: Quality schools need funding
Doherty discusses budget cuts and the importance of school funding.
Patton: Governor lacks leadership
Governor's plan fails to address problem of excessive spending
Parkinson addresses budget shortfall, prevents cuts to ...
In a speech today, Gov. Parkinson released his plan to address budget ...
Educators question Brownback's higher education plans
The newly elected governor takes on a system that has suffered $100 ...
Thompson: Where can we actually make the ...
Parkinson: No cuts to higher education
Governor proposes to increase cigarette or sales taxes instead.
Politically Correct: The public option
Columnists weigh in on the health care debate.
Cohen: Abstinence-only education insane
New bill is a waste of money and won't improve health of ...
Deans prepare for recent budget cuts
KU is searching for ways to maximize resources after an announced $2 ...
Parkinson announces new round of budget cuts
Politically correct: Obama’s report card
Columnists weigh in Obama's progress. Cast your vote in The Kansan's poll.
New state budget slices $2M from education
University officials say reductions were less than expected from Gov. Parkinson’s latest ...
Thompson: The cost of closing state-funded institute
Kansas Neurological Institute may be closed by the state.
University trims expenditures to prepare for budget ...
State agencies will face a 3 percent budget cut for the upcoming ...
Legislators work to fund education budget
Gov. Mark Parkinson recommends an increase in taxes to help fund higher ...
Kansan holds Q&A with Chancellor Gray-Little
The chancellor answers questions about the budget and her time so far ...
Politically Correct: More troops to Afghanistan
Three columnists give their insights on sending more troops to Afghanistan.
Poor funding sacrifices education
Politically correct: same-sex marriage
Three political columnists share their thoughts on laws allowing same-sex marriage.
University budget faces cuts
Amount of operating money reflects the current economic situation.
International Law Society discusses world politics
Several KU professors think the United States and its next president will ...
Kansas may limit University funding
University jobs lost as a result of ...
Eleven staff members lost their jobs in this round of cuts as ...
Smokers feel the heat of rising price
Legislature consider tax on tobacco for revenue.
And the candidates are...
Candidates are outlined for each race with platform statements and general information.
Editorial: Stimulus act won’t help students immediately
While the plan contains benefits, most of the bill's contents won't have ...
Davidson: Education Cuts Reflect A Culture of ...
During a recession, tax revenues are still needed for education.
Chancellor talks budget cuts with Kansas Senate
Hemenway spoke to legislators about his concerns of the effects of Sebelius’ ...
Election primary narrows candidates
Budget deficit forces transportation cuts
Governor’s proposal avoids further cuts to education
Solution for oil price increase debated
With the average gas price in Lawrence at $3.05 per gallon, the ...
Free: Corporate tax avoidance just one reason ...
Even if we weren’t facing these difficult economic times, corporate tax avoidances ...
Brown: Cutting learning communities unfortunate but right ...
While the communities are beneficial, losing them is an economic necessity.
Compton: Looking ahead for state primaries
Chet Compton makes his predictions for Republican candidates.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore speaks at Delta ...
The congressman discusses politics, the economy and the election at Delta Chi ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
I think the fact that the state budget crises are so widespread and that the government has been running a budget deficit for almost my entire life is evidence that financial troubles are present in the federal government (and have been for a while) even if none of Barack Obama's policies are implemented.
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
The budget cuts being made to education aren't going to be as harmful as you think. There is massive waste in the system at the administrative level and there are funds containing billions of dollars that have never been used before but from which it is illegal to transfer money. Don't expect any pain in the classroom.
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
I'm still wondering how Compton turned a state budget issue into a tirade against Obama. Seems to me he has a one-track mind.
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
I'm wondering the same thing, xz007. I'm not sure how health care reform and a stimulus package that included billions to shore up state budgets is going to somehow cause budget crises nationwide. Then again, I'm no policy expert. However, "half of President Barack Obama's policies?" Really? What about the Obama administration's DoE and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's Race to the Top fund, which is going to distribute $4.35 billion to public education nationwide, on a basis of improving performance and closing the achievement gap? Ignore that one, eh? And narcissistic, really? Did we need to take a policy and budget discussion and turn it ugly? On what basis do you call Obama a narcissist? I mean, I could call former President Bush an idiot, but at least that'd be grounded in evidence (mishandling of both wars, ignoring intelligence reports, being on vacation for more than 365 days of his eight-year term, etc.)
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
George Will wrote a thing a while back about how he's a narcissist because he used a personal pronoun 26 times when talking to the Olympic Committee in Copenhagen. I don't have the link to that article, but I do have a link to an NPR article talking about this subject. http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=120496369
Long story short, Obama uses personal pronouns 50-70% less than the 3 previous presidents, first person singular pronouns are about 6% of what everybody says in everyday conversion, and according to Geoffrey Nunberg, linguist at UC-Berkeley, "the great majority of peoples self-references actually signal deference or modesty, not conceit". Sounds to me (as in, this linguist says so) like one can't just count up the amount of times somebody says "I", "me" or "we", which is essentially what Will did.
As far as I know, that Will piece based on Obama's use of "I" was the main piece of "evidence" pointing towards Obama's narcissism and isn't even factually very good.
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
Given that part of the efforts to reduce the budget would be mandatory leaves without pay and "temporary" pay cuts for state employees, I have to wonder how many of the people making the decisions of where to trim will also be taking leave without pay and pay cuts.
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