R.I. / Milan School board slashes budget

In a direct illustration of how the enormous deficit created by Bush affects local taxpayers, many of whom voted for Bush because they mistakenly thought they'd get a few hundred dollars of tax breaks from him, the Rock Island - Milan school board has announced deep cuts in personnel and programs as well as a school closing, all designed to cope with lower levels of funding from both state and federal sources.

Salaries of 45 teachers are expected to be cut from a proposed budget for next fiscal year because of immediate money problems. Several thousand more dollars in savings may occur from cuts to the sixth-grade music program, staff development and textbooks and from reducing other staff: $132,213 by closing Grant Elementary and about $450,000 from retiring teachers.

The district is trying to close a projected $2.5 million deficit in the education fund by trimming nearly $1.3 million in spending from the budget and using $1.2 million from the surplus. But projections could change again because the district is still negotiating teachers' pay and benefits, district comptroller Mike Oberhaus said.

Fewer revenue sources and lower enrollment are the main reasons for the staff cuts, Mr. Foster said. The district received $531,000 more in local taxes but didn't receive more state money. Federal aid dropped by $236,000.

Each year, the district must approve a budget without knowing just how much it will get from grants and state and federal aid.

As the story illustrates, as the Bush administration hurries to "starve the beast" by reckless and excessive tax cuts and limitless spending sprees, the states are reeling in debt, and getting only a fraction of the money they used to get from the federal government. So the states slash aid to municipalities in turn, and then the municipalities must turn around and raise local taxes.

This is the direct affect of people's short-sighted and ignorant belief that somehow taxes can be slashed, revenues cut, as spending explodes at the federal level, and somehow this will all work. The dummies have bought the Bush snake-oil that 5 minus 3 equals 10. Bush pays off the truly wealthy, who have enough money to never have to worry about a thing, and thus need it the least, and then bribes the middle class with a few hundred dollars which he sells as a tax "rebate", but which in fact is only an advance on future refunds, and yet half the people still haven't caught on to this flim-flam.

Bush, Rove, and their elite backers are brilliant. They spend tax dollars more recklessly than any time in history, in the process trying to bankrupt New Deal programs, pay off their elite supporters like no other investment they make ever could, and in doing so, pass off this huge problem onto the backs of local governments and future generations.

Now these same people who think Bush is great will be the first to howl against local taxes going through the roof without ever being smart enough or honest enough to connect the dots and admit they have Bush to thank for the situation.

By running up world record deficits, letting no-bid contracts to his cronies who are literally stealing BILLIONS of dollars in Iraq and for so-called "Homeland Security" schemes and other reckless give-a-ways, Bush and the billionaire elite in this country are literally robbing the American public. By the time the costs trickle down on the public, most won't even realize who's picking their pockets. When they end up paying huge local and state taxes, they'll blame local and state officials, not Bush, even though those extra taxes are in effect going directly into the pockets of Bush and his ultra-elite supporters.

And until more people stop believing every cock and bull story told to them by Bush and his compliant press, this looting will continue, and it's costs will bring a lot of pain and suffering for generations to come.