From the office of State Del. Mary-Dulany James:
Annapolis – in the General Assembly’s closing days of the 2013 legislative session, Delegate Mary-Dulany James has thankfully negotiated an extra $1 million for spending on K-12 education in Harford County next year.
The relentless efforts of Del. James as an advisor on the House-Senate conference committee have yielded the result of more money for spending on education in Harford County. The state’s local funding formula did provide an accurate appropriation to Harford County schools when looking at numbers, but local officials have made clear the burden any decrease over last year would have.
“This additional money will help to smooth out the effects of a rigid formula that can’t always account for the real world’s demands,” said James. The General Assembly will be reviewing the state’s method for calculating local school funding next year during the 2014 session.
After numerous meetings this session with representatives of K-12 education in Harford County, Del. James has learned very well of the need for additional funding in order to continue the tradition of providing the best public education in the nation.
“This money will help to provide relief in the classrooms that so many of our teachers in Harford County have asked for so they are able to deliver the quality education that all of our children deserve,” said James.
Perhaps they could use the funds for teacher raises. It would be nice to be able to retain experienced teachers in this county instead of continually slapping them in the face.
Last year’s step and 1% COLA cost a bit over $5mil…
Del. James does not say that this is 1 million less than what was approved in the Senate and she actually worked to cut the 2.1 extra provided for in the Senate version on the conference committee.
Bill,
The $2.1 million extra that the Senate would have provided was money they were going come up with by underfunding the state pension system by $100 million and use that money to pay off political favors.
But how does she report and extra million when it was reduced bu half…just tell the truth sometimes.
Hungryformore,
‘Pay off political favors’ sounds to me like bribery on the installment plan.
Mary, What funds? There are NO funds. A $4 million cut became a $3 million cut. Notice, please, the word ‘cut’. But I guess the Dems used that special super secret math that they invented. The same math that allows MOM to say he has done nothing but cut, cut, cut since taking office while the total spend has gone up, up, up very year.
The point is the press release is dishonest. She took a million less and did not work to get an extra million as stated.
Let me get this straight… The state budget originally gives Harford schools $4 million less than last year. The Senate restores $2 million of the difference. Del. James worked to get that money cut back to the $4 million loss because she has faith in the wealth formula. When the committee ultimately only restored $1 million (in other words a $3 million cut from last year), Del. James takes credit for that $1 million that she tried to have removed altogether.
How stupid does she think we are?
How stupid does she think we are? She thinks we are pretty d**n stupid. After all, the evidence includes the fact that she got elected so I would say she has a pretty good case.
voted yes on the gas tax, then sends out this shameless self promotion. idiots in Edgewood and Joppa areas that keep electing this piece of tired liberal work better wake up.
Nice of MOM to allow a Democrat to announce this information.
And she was dumb enough to do it. How clueless do you have to be to announce an obvious cut as an increase? I guess she thought no one could actually count. No wonder O’Malley doesn’t even respect his own fellow party hacks.
I wouldn’t call people in Edgewood or Joppa idiots but she does work tirelessly against the interests of her constituents. Of all the people in Maryland the people in Edgewood will be hurt disproportionately by a gas tax increase. It’s one of the most regressive taxes that exists.
relentless efforts? Cool down the rhetoric, Luke Horah. Sometimes less is more.
By “relentless efforts,” her aide means “behind the scenes undermining the county while plotting to ultimately take credit for something I worked against.”
Del. James needs a lesson in negotiation. Before her “negotiation” Harford County Schools were to lose $2 million in state funding (thanks to a Senate amendment that softened the blow from a $4m loss). After her “negotiation” Harford County Schools will now lose $3 million. That’s not a very good negotiation in my book.
I hope that Cindy Mumby from The Dagger calls her out on this.
I don’t think she really cares. Her kids are not impacted by this decision.