Sharon Bulova(D), Corey Stewart(R), and Stephen York (I)
all blast Kaine and McDonnell for the freeze proposal for the Local Composite Index. It is a worthwhile read and further proof that this is a bipartisan state issue. The Northern Virginia jurisdictions will be severely hampered by this decision should it be passed.
Reprinted from the Washington Post:
Insult from Richmond
By Sharon Bulova, Corey A. Stewart and Scott K. YorkEducation is the silver bullet. Our children are our future. These are things we know intuitively, and in these uncertain economic times, we must continue to strengthen this foundation to ensure our economic recovery and success in a global marketplace.
As governments at every level face significant budget shortfalls, elected officials are wrestling with difficult decisions and painful cuts. In Northern Virginia, unfortunately, our challenge is exacerbated by a recent state budget proposal to freeze the local composite index (LCI) for K-12 education.
The LCI is the measure used to determine state and local shares of K-12 funding in Virginia. The formula uses data (growth in student population, local income, retail sales and property values) to determine a locality’s ability to pay for its schools. It is part of the routine distribution for education funding that occurs every two years. It has been in place for four decades.
Traditionally, the funding formulas disadvantage Northern Virginia, as revenue is redistributed to areas with fewer resources. This year, however, with property values plummeting and school enrollment growing, the formula would actually trigger an improved share of funding for Northern Virginia jurisdictions.
But in his final budget presentation in December, former governor Tim Kaine proposed freezing all Virginia localities at the previous LCI for one year. This move would cost Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties $118 million. Ironically, localities outside of Northern Virginia, whose comparative wealth increased, would get additional assistance.
Northern Virginia is proud to be the economic engine of the state. We put significant local dollars into K-12 because we know that our first-rate educational system is a key to our quality of life, bringing major Fortune 500 companies to our area, benefiting all. Our residents and businesses understand that maintaining excellence in our schools is a critical component needed to lead us out of this national recession.
A freeze in the LCI is patently arbitrary and an insult to our jurisdictions. We have played by the rules, and this unfair change would pull the rug out from under us at a time when we can afford it least. Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and the General Assembly must not allow this proposal to stand.
Sharon Bulova (D), Corey A. Stewart (R) and Scott K. York (I) are chairmen, respectively, of the boards of supervisors in Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties
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By washingtonpost.com editors | January 31, 2010; 10:45 AM ET
It is good to see those 3 join together, and all on the same page on this issue, that seems to be a really big problem for the schools in Northern VA. PR was right – this is not a political (party) issue but rather a geographic one. It’s good that they sent this in to the Washington Post and got the paper to print it, to bring some light on the issue. It also probably says they must be trying to lobby hard the General Assembly delegates, I would guess.
Glad these leaders wrote the letter. This isn’t a patisan issue, but
a regional one. Our children are being rolled by brute power politics
in Richmond (to hell with right and wrong, we have the votes so
Drop Dead Northern Virginia!).
Most of us understand the “pie” being smaller due to revenue shortfalls,
but that doesn’t explain why the distribution “slices” wouldn’t change in
percentage based on the formula Virginia has used for over fourty years.
It was a clever move by Kaine to freeze things based on last year’s numbers. He had to know it would benefit the rest of the state, and be to the detriment of Northern VA. And, of course as the rest of the state has more delegates, he had to know there would be support to get that passed. It is a numbers game, and as PR said “we have the votes so Drop Dead Northern Virginia!” I like that, as it describes perfectly what goes on in Richmond and the General Assembly.
I agree, PR and GR. Even though we now are reduced to a medium pie, the lower jurisdictions shouldn’t be getting all the pepperoni.
I was glad to see those 3 team up in a united effort.
Both Governors are wrong. They ought to stick in another factor into the equation to take our woes into effect.
It was great to see all 3 leaders of the Fairfax, PWC, and Loudoun team up like this. That makes their message more powerful, and as PR has been saying, it shows this issue crosses political party lines, and is a regional issue (between Northern VA and the rest of the state).
The equation needs modifying, or else at the very least the proportioning of the allotments should not be frozen at 2009’s levels.
Surprised that our local “newspaper” – the News & Messenger – has ignored
this vital issue that impacts thousands within its readership area. Papers
large and small all across Virginia have addressed it – but not the N&O.
I’m not surprised, the News & Messenger seems very selective on their reporting at times, in my opinion. Now, if the issue was political and had a controversy right here in Northern VA, rather than everyone in Northern VA being on the same side, I’m sure they’d jump right on it. That’s what I’ve observed of their reporting. I’m not a big fan of them, for that reason alone – not to mention I could not stop them delivering their “free” newspaper to my townhouse when I was away on business trips – despite repeated phone calls to them to NOT deliver any of their free newspapers to my house ever. Maybe that poisoned them against me. I’d come home to 5 or more of these things tossed all over my property – making it very obvious I was not home for some duration of time. But that’s getting off the subject, however I don’t look favorably on them for that reason.
The News and Messenger just isn’t the Manassas Journal Messenger. I am afraid those days are gone. My biggest complaint is that there is never any follow up on stories and articles.
For instance, what’g going on with the OIT misdeeds in the county? What charges were places? When is the trial? Are attempts being made to get the county’s money back?
True enough, they merged and their website is now “insidenova.com”. Doesn’t seem to have changed much in my opinion. And I agree, you never see any follow-up stories to big stories they report. That is one thing at least the Washington Post usually does well.
I come from a family of newspaper readers and have taken the local paper(s)
for years, but that may change soon due to down hill slide of the N&M.
Every newspaper in Virginia has done at least one story/editorial on
the L.C.I. crisis that will have a massive impact on school funding, but the
N&M has ignored it — PWC schools will take a 22M hit, Manassas 3.8M
and MP nearly 1M – but you wouldn’t know anything about it from our
local “newspaper”.