TOPEKA – The governor on Thursday used $90 million in cuts to the state budget and various accounting maneuvers to fill a $160 million shortfall.
The move comes the day after fiscal year 2010 began and includes a 2 percent reduction to general state aid for kindergarten through 12th grade. Higher education also saw another 2 percent, or $15 million taken from its budget.
“There is no way to spin this that this is not going to create pain for them,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat.
The state budget has already been cut three times since January, and this time departments who had watched their money disappear previously – such as the Department of Corrections – were left untouched.
While Parkinson’s moves eliminated a further $90.6 million, he leaned on more money coming from the federal government, delayed projects and other money sources to add $69.3 million back into the budget. The proposal does not include any tax increases or delay anticipated tax decreases.
Included in that portion of the proposal is:
$30 million in delayed road maintenance programs from the Department of Transportation
$2.8 million taken from the Health Care Stabilization Fund,
$4.15 million no longer needed to make Cessna bond payments.
The governor said he hoped the cuts would be enough to keep the budget in the black.
On Monday, Parkinson also said he plans to ask the State Finance Council to allow the state to borrow $700 million from its self to cover payments due in July.
Other cuts to the budget include:
2 percent, or $641,512, reduction to Department of Health & Environment
2 percent, or $132,477, cut to the School for the Blind
2 percent, or $196,395, cut to the School for the Deaf
Eliminating $50,000 in grants for the Arts Commission.
Parkinson also gave his office, the lieutenant governor’s office and the Attorney General’s office 2 percent cuts totaling almost $250,000. He also asked Legislative Agencies, which include research, post audit and the Legislature to cut $540,000.
For more, read Friday’s Wichita Eagle.
11 Comments
The state of Kansas could save money by having just one school superintendent per county. There is no reason to have school superintendents for every school district in Kansas especially in sparsley populated counties in central and western Kansas. By consolidating school superintendents the state would save millions of dollars.
littleoldlady has a very good comment. I remember when that was the way it was, or at least in many counties in Kansas and other States. I am sure that will fly like a lead balloon this day and age tho. To many unions. One thing tho I see year after year is using 2-3 school busses with just a few on each one going, to the same game. Have been told that the 1st team does not want to ride with the 2nd team and the girls can not ride with the boy teams anymore. These busses are not cheap to operate when the games are several miles or hours away. Also why do these high school teams and college teams have to stay at the Hyatt and other hotels the average person can not afford to stay at.
cut 100% of the assistance to these mexicans who are getting free handouts. sick and tired of seeing it happen. if anything spend some money to deport the leeches.
First, let me say upfront that I am not employed in any manner nor have I ever been by our public school sytem or any public school system.
I don’t mind people stating their views, even when I disagree with them. It’s what makes this country great. What I do mind is when people make statements where they have done NO research to back up their claims.
Consolidation of Superintendents, perhaps not a bad idea. But at best it saves 2 million dollars, a far cry from the 200 million cut this year. And by the way Superintendents, not union. The union would probably agree with you all on this one.
Don’t know where you see the buses with one or two students riding to games, could happen I suppose. Big savings, highly doubtful.
Finally, the last comment is so outrageous and racist it’s hard to believe the Eagle hasn’t removed it. Most of the Hispanics you see are citizens, and there are no free handouts to illegal immigrants. Can children of illegal immigrants attend public school? Of course it’s Federal Law.
It’s unfortunate to see so many making uneducated and hateful statements about the children of Kansas. May you learn to love thy neighbor as God suggested.
First of all the goodies that the politicans receive as extras should all be stopped.All government employees should have a across the board cut in hrs. and numbers.The school buses with only 1 or 2 students should be cut back,so what if it is only a few thousand dollars,every penny saved will help and will not be a waste.The real savings should be in the government over stock of extra workers.This should be done at city,state and in Washington most of all.The free plane trips all the freebies should bestopped.
What happened to all the stimulus money? Wasn’t some of that supposed to go education? Someone needs to check the governor’s pockets…
sure .. cut education .. but leave the plans that care costing millions to rebuild the State Capitol .. its reaching the level of about … almost 300 million … yeah .. and they just approved another 39 million to try and finish their pork project on the back of the hard workings citizens.. you and me.
the governor has signed on with a pack of the devil in wasting our hard earned money .. they dont care .. its free money for them.
down with the governor and those small committees that are sucking the tax treasury to waste and pork.
go republicans.
dont be fooled .. the governor is a republican .. but he calls himself a democrat .. its an inside job, he is not a democrat … he is s phony.
rocknrolltaz …
I know your type … Mexicans are hard working people and they dont leach … you are a fool to even think that … I think people like you should be deported back to Europe.
give me a break buddy … slander is not a good thing to engage in unless you are prepared to be corrected and slandered back.
your frustration would be better aim of the real leaches in the system .. the pork projects that republicans are wasting your tax dollars on .. let me hear you complain about the pork of the nearly $300 million to remodel the state capitol.
you beef is with elected officials who dont do crap for you and your concerns of frustration and anger that you feel about your life.
I know .. I use to be like you.
The dirty little secret is that now they have cut spending the educational outcome won’t get worse, and will probably get better. They could probably cut a whole lot of money out of the education budget and still get the same results or even an improvement. But this rag isn’t going to tell you that. And as far as the skimulus money, Yes We Can (And No You Won’t). Good Job!
Kansas should have combined counties long ago. City and county police and other agencies could save a lot of money by combining.
Why does our governor/state/counties/cities think it is ok to continuously cut funds from MY childrens education. They have already dumbed up the curriculum as much as possible. Oh i can see how kellogg needs NUMEROUS face lifts with elaborate EXPENSIVE artwork. PRIORITIES first kansas. Way to look out for our kids. GO KELLOGG!!!