Quick recap of House Budget
March 18, 2008
The House is on “vacation” this week (which means many of us get to focus on our paying jobs for an unheard of five straight days).
Sorry for limited posts this week but if you’re into numbers, here’s the budget the House passed last week.
If you prefer a quick recap, read on.
THE GOOD
* Fully funded Education Finance Act ($94 million); fully funded LIFE, HOPE, and Palmetto Fellow Scholarships; funded teacher salaries at $300 above southeast average
* Annualizations were less this year ($168 million) than last year ($270 million).
* This was the first year we received an Earmark List on our desks
* No doubt the House will spend less than the Senate
THE BAD
* The debate lasted less than 16 hours for roughly seven billion dollars (that’s a seven with NINE zeros: $7,000,000,000).
* The Earmark List arrived on our desks the morning of the Budget Debate and allowed very little time to draft any amendments (without staff help, it was difficult to even find the section of the budget where the earmark was placed).
* State Employees received a 1% pay raise
THE UGLY
* We spent less than fifteen minutes “debating” the Capital Reserve Fund and there were only two amendments. The Capital Reserve Fund spends $124,000,000.
* We voted against spending $1,500 for a Senior Citizens Center in Columbia (granted, I wouldn’t necessarily agree state funds should go to that local center but with the money going to all sorts of things, saying “no” to $1,500 was more of a confirmation of my previous post on the budget than anything else). As info, Rep. Chris Hart (D - Richland) offered the amendment as well as amendments which would fund programs to help curb our state’s gang problem. I actually voted for that because one amendment took the money from a NEW PROJECT (new earmark) and instead funded an area that the state legislature addressed in the past - but without funding. My logic - how do we fund NEW things when we have an issue we all agreed is a problem for our state - but did not fund?
* No doubt the House will spend less than the Senate
Comments
4 Responses to “Quick recap of House Budget”
Got something to say?
You were voting like a Democrat again as the only Republican to vote with a bunch of Democrats against your GOP brethren. No wonder you can’t get anything done. By the way, you bragged last year about the expansion of the CHIPS program. Guess what, that wasan earmark. No agency requested it so I guess that makes you guilty of supporting a 22 million dollar earmark. You see, you rail against earmakes like a real grandstander. That means you want to abdicate your legislative duties and let agency directors call all the shots and be totally in control. Go ahead and keep voting like a Democrat and being a hypocrite.
“Lex Gop”,
Wow! Nothing like anonymous posts…kinda like anonymous earmarks I guess. Anyway….
First - rather than most that “abdicate their legislative duties” and just look to see how their buddy in the chamber votes, I look at every issue and don’t view it with a R or a D behind it.
That being sad, no one (except an anonymous poster) would call my votes “like Democrat” or ever “hypocritcal”. My votes are not for anyone but the people of our state.
While others vote to appease members or to gain “points” inside the dome, I vote to represent District 71 and others throughout the state.
How is it hypocritical to vote for something that passed the House (gang prevention) two years ago and it is STATEWIDE instead of a NEW PROGRAM in ONE COUNTY?
I do appreciate your comments; however, all others on this site have names attached to them.
Agree of disagree with me. Support or don’t support me. All I ask is that you post your name next time. Afterall, I’m all about disclosure.
Thanks,
Nathan
I work at a large state agency in Columbia. I am hearing rumors that state employees may be RIFed in the 2009 financial year. If this is true, I would prefer keeping jobs to receiving a 1% raise for state employees.
I was always under the impression that state employees got “cost of living raises” every year. What does 1% cover?
I’m a state employee and I’d like to know how our state salaries compare with neighboring state salaries. I’m sure you’ll find we are way low. It use to be desireable to be a state employee. Not so any more. Our benefits have decreased - I’m guessing - about 50% over the last 15 years. A 1% raise is a real slap in the face. I’d like my salary to be like teachers salaries and see us in a higher percentage for the southeast region.