Schools Need Cash, not "Confidence"

State Representative Russell Olson (R-Madison) is daring me to throw the doublespeak flag:

...[T]he one issue all agree on is that the system for funding education in South Dakota is broken.

Do I mean that the state isn't adequately funding K-12 education? Not necessarily. Do I think that teachers should be paid more? In most instances, yes. However, teacher pay is a local issue, and I believe we need to find a way to give the proper assurance to local administrators and school boards, giving them the confidence in continued funding to adequately pay our teachers [Russell Olson, "Legislative Report," Madison Daily Leader, 2008.01.14, p.3].

The system's broken, but the state might still be funding schools adequately. Half of school funding comes from the state, but teacher pay is a completely local issue. Hmmm....

I welcome clarifications on the good legislator's actual meaning there. In the meantime, I will suggest school administrators and board members around the state might respond, "We don't need confidence: we need money!"