That's what I get for not reading the Alaska state budget.
Of course, funding for the other special ed programs—last night Palin was referring to kids like her son with Down Syndrome and other disabilities, not necessarily the juvenile boot-camp crowd—has remained about the same under Palin as under her predecessor. Change? Where? Perhaps Palin (and the commenters supporting her) can provide some policy evidence of her emotional appeal....
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Update 12:37: And for days of more fun research, review Bill Fleming's incomparable cataloguing of the disconnect between Palin's words and reality in the comment section of Dakota War College. Amazing, Bill.
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Update 22:00: P.S. to Arri at Comcast: I'm not a Comcast customer, so I can't post on your forum, but my name is Cory Allen Heidelberger (which you can find if you click my résumé and profile in the right sidebar), and I approved the above correction. As far as I know, DailyKos's original story is based on a misreading of the official budget documents... but then I've been wrong before.
----original incorrect post----
Like shooting fish—or moose?—in a barrel...
"To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."
—Gov. Sarah Palin, remarks to the Republican National Convention, 2008.09.03.
Hat tip to Mr. Schwartz: Governor Palin has overseen a 62% reduction in the Alaska budget for schools for special needs kids. The state gave special schools $8 million annually before she took office, $3.2 million after.
Money or mouth—which do you believe?
Her "special needs" kid was born in April this year. I'm guessing she has a whole new appreciation now for this issue and that last nights comment is a pledge she'll keep.
ReplyDeleteYour ideological friends want to kill special needs children themselves before they are born - that's far worse that just cutting some pork spending ear marked for them.
There are two sides to this story - no time to dig now, but she may have had good reason to cut out stuff that never trickled down to help one special needs kid. Liberal programs almost never help those they say they will help. That's just a given.
Look, a governor that cut state spending. I hope she cut waste in other programs too.
ReplyDeletePastor Hickey: Wishing doesn't make it so. Call me when you've got facts. ("just a given"? No, that's a dodge.)
ReplyDeleteAnon: She said she's a friend of special needs kids. She cut programs to help special needs kids. Feel free to provide evidence that 62% of the special schools budget was waste.
you might want to delete this post before you get embarrased.
ReplyDeleteBill Fleming posted this comment on SDWC, Notice the Updates.
Sarah Palin might have changed her mind on this one recently. However, a comment here notes that Palin actually slashed funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%. Budgets: FY 2007 (pre-Palin), 2008, 2009 (all pdfs). UPDATE: This is wrong. As you can see if you look at the list of component budgets here (2007) and here (2009), funding for the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy was broken out into its own budget category, which accounts for the drop in funding for the original item. I regret the error. END UPDATE.
What's disappoints me is the way bills and legislation get approved. A major bill is being considered and overwhelmingly people vote for it. Little did they know that Senator Joe Blow added something that was of interest to him and boom, everyone that voted for the real bill, they now voted for something else in addition. It's not right. Every item that is considered in Congress she be considered separately, not one big bill with a lot of little extras. It's not fair.. to either party.
ReplyDeletehickey didn't you just think it was ok to call women the B word? or I mean say it was ok for Palin to let someone else call women the B word and chuckle and agree with them then invite them fishing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, again please explain the difference between abortion and capital punishment. I am still waiting.
sincerely,
steve hickeys favorite fanatic
Abortion and Capitol Punishment - Abortion punishes the child.
ReplyDeleteCapital Punishment punishes the criminal, convicted by his peers in a court of law.
I can't help but say "Cory made a mistake!" over and over again.
ReplyDeleteGotta love the internet.
Yeah, Anon. Good thing I'm not running for VP -- someone who says things that aren't true could never get that job. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:53. Palin didn't cut spending. In Wasilla she increased it. When Palin was on the town counsil and mayor Wasilla went from no police department to a force of 25. Shortly after becoming mayor, there was a compromise to avoid a recall (fallout from Palin's attempted book banning and firing of the librarian), the city hired a city manager to do tasks that previously were mayorial tasks. She eventually left Wasilla (pop 6,700) with a debt of $20 million.
ReplyDeleteAlaska state spending increased 10% since Palin took office. She failed to sell the jet on ebay, had to use a broker, and lost $600k on her impulsiveness. http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/09/04/alaska-lost-600000-on-plane/ .
Anon 10:53. If you love welfare queens - you'll love Queen Sarah.
ReplyDeleteAs governor for 20 months, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. And Alaska is a state that runs an annual budget surplus from oil and gas taxes.
Yes, it is time to end the welfare state - especially states running surpluses.