D.C. Democrats Target Gov. Perry Ed Commissioner Robert Scott

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas  Democrat Congressmen Chet Edwards & Lloyd Doggett have shown their true colors. Not only did they and their Democrat cronies attach more than $20 billion in domestic spending provisions to the crucial Supplemental War-Spending Bill (H. R. 4899) passed by the House on July 1st they attached Amendment #2 specifically focusing on Texas as an attempt to take revenge on Texas Gov. Perry Commissioner of Education Robert Scott  and indirectly putting many ISDs in harms way.   Gov. Perry and Commissioner Scott were wise enough to recognize the dangers presented to our Texas public schools by Obamas plan to federalize public schools through the Common Core Standards and Race to the Top:

1. National standards → 
2. National tests →
3. National curriculum →
4. Teachers salaries tied to students test scores →
5. Teachers teaching to the test each & every day →
6. Federal indoctrination of our public school children

Texas has spent the last four years carefully rewriting its own standards for both English-Language Arts-and-Reading as well as Science & Social Studies). Through it all Gov. Perry and Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Robert Scott refused to dismiss that excellent work.  They  on behalf of Texas  along with Alaska turned down the Obama administrations federal carrot" by refusing to participate in Common Core Standards and Race to the Top. Now Gov. Perry and Commissioner Scott have a target on their backs. CONGRESSMEN CHET EDWARDS & LLOYD DOGGETT Playing Politics with Texas School Funding Democrat Congressmen Chet Edwards and Lloyd Doggett added Amendment #2 to H. R. 4899 that will keep Texas state education officials from deciding how $800 million in federal aid to Texas public schools should be spent.

Amendment #2 States:  For Texas to get the $800 million for the public schools Gov. Perry would have to guarantee that Legislatures for the next three fiscal years (through 2013) would appropriate school funding that equals or exceeds current funding levels.

First problem:  The Texas Constitution does not give a Governor the authority to tell the Legislature how to spend its appropriations. Second problem:  The Governor does not have the Constitutional authority to bind future Legislatures to explicit appropriations amounts. CONGRESSMEN CHET EDWARDS & LLOYD DOGGETT Usurping the Constitution What Democrats Edwards and Doggett have done is to attach an amendment to federal legislation that usurps the authority of our Texas Constitution.  I wonder how most Texans would feel about that! Even if the two unconstitutional problems were resolved Texas would not be able to utilize the $800 Million in H. R. 4899 because those federal funds would have to be distributed through the federal Title I program. According to data provided by the Texas Education Agency recently 852 school districts across exas would receive less funding than they would get through Texas present state funding formulas. This means 852 public ISDs will actually lose money if Texas allowed the amendment designed by our Texas Democrat Congressmen to usurp our Texas Constitution.  BIGGEST IRONY OF ALL Congressmen Edwards & Doggett Hurt Local Schools Within Their Own Districts! Under Amendment #2 the public schools in Congressman Chet Edwards District 17 would lose $7448696.  Congressman Lloyd Doggetts school districts would lose $2407276. I can hardly wait until the school superintendents in those Congressional districts learn what their Congressmen have done to them. Congressman Doggetts Beef" Last year Congressman Lloyd Doggett complained loudly that the $3.2 billion Stimulus Funds should have gone to the public schools and that instead the money was kept in the Texas Rainy Day Fund. Is Doggetts contention accurate? Gov. Perrys Concerns with Stimulus Funds From the very beginning Gov. Perry said Texas should only take Stimulus funds for one-time expenses. Texas school districts knew the funding was only for two years. Gov. Perry warned on February 17 2009 in the Houston Chronicle:

In Texas we actually know it is a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth. If we dont we may end up with an old nag said Perry who has been critical of such federal spending and voiced concern over whether the state could afford federal strings."

Did Texas Public Schools Get Their Share of the Stimulus Funds? On 7.20.09 the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts said that the federal Stimulus law sent Texas at least $6.4 billion for public education over two years.

1. A billion went for low-interest school construction bonds renovation & land purchases;
2. Another $2.2 billion was sent to ISDs for special education or at-risk students; and
3. The final $3.2 billion of the Stimulus money is what the Legislature used to plug budgetary holes.

The Stimulus money was not to be used by schools for maintenance costs. Austin ISD received about $41 million over two years and around $39 million was given to other Central Texas school districts.  Similar amounts went to school districts all across the state. Were there definite accountability rules built into the Stimulus funds?  The Dallas Morning News recently reported it was reported that school districts were allowed to use up to $25000 of the Stimulus funds with no federal reporting; unfortunately it is almost impossible to track those funds. On July 24 2009 (Austin American-Statesman) Congressman Lloyd Doggett reported The U.S. Department of Education has approved Texas application for using $3.2 billion in federal stimulus money." The Austin American-Statesman went on to say:

That money will be used to pay for textbooks and a $1.9 billion increase in school funding which covers an $800 raise for all Texas teachers… There had been concerns that the Texas application might not win federal approval… Congressional Democrats had complained loudly that Texas misused its stimulus money by filling the states budget holes with the federal dollars while leaving untouched the $9.1 billion rainy day fund.

The Stimulus funds went to pay for Special Education and-or at-risk students school construction bonds textbooks and teachers raises. Texas kept its Rainy Day Fund locked away for future emergencies. The U. S. Department of Education approved Texas application for the $3.2 billion and Texas public schools did indeed get a huge share of the Stimulus funds. Per Pupil Spending in Texas Michael Q. Sullivan of Empower Texans recently reported on May 19 2010:

Texas taxpayers now spend $11084 per year per child on public education. But less than half of it makes it toward instructional expenses… Ten years ago Texas was spending just $5857. (If per-pupil spending had increased with inflation itd be just $7542 now not $11084.)… We had 22 percent more non-teachers on the payroll in 2009 than in 1999.

CONGRESSMEN EDWARDS & DOGGETT  No Grounds for Complaint I see no reason for Democrat Congressmen Edwards and Doggett to fault Texas for its use of the Stimulus funds. The truth is that Texas public schools got a huge infusion of money and the Democrats have no grounds whatsoever to add the Texas-specific Amendment #2 to the war spending bill. CONGRESSMEN EDWARDS & DOGGETT  Political Theater" Obviously Amendment #2 was written to create political theater in an election year where Democrats Bill White Congressman Chet Edwards & Congressman Lloyd Doggett are on the November ballot. Republican Bill Flores is a well-qualified conservative candidate running against Chet Edwards and Gov. Perry has a very successful record on which to base his re-election.  Conservative physician Donna Campbell is running against Lloyd Doggett. I would say that all three White Edwards and Doggett have reasons to worry about Nov. 2 2010. Because the House legislation is different from the bill previously passed in the Senate H. R. 4899 must go back to the Senate for final approval.