2009-2010 Alternative Budget
This week I’ve joined other conservatives in supporting an alternative budget. We’ve taken a different approach to the current budgeting woes. Our main concerns were restoring funds for essential services like education, public safety, corrections & indigent healthcare.
Here’s some highlights:
-The current Senate Finance budget document sits at a $296m deficit from the 2008-2009 Appropriation Base (includes mid-year rescission and 9% reductions).
-This alternative budget includes $674m in “new” money including FMAP (Federal Matching Funds for Medicaid), carry forward balances and other transfers.
-$382m remains following the elimination of the deficit.
-$200m is set aside for tax cuts and debt reduction.
-Other savings occur throughout the other agencies (except higher education) as a result of things like travel reduction, cell phone/pager usage reduction, etc.
-All agencies receive a 2-day furlough.
-All agencies with health care functions have their mid-year 7% cuts fully restored. This results in a 2% cut from their 2008-2009 budgets.
-Department Of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice are made whole and their operating deficits erased.
-Restoring 7% to Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol) allows for 75-100 new troopers.
-Total EFA sits at $2.03 billion which is $.57 billion below the 2007-2008 level.
-The addition of EIA ($.54 billion) takes the level to $2.57 billion. This over $.3 billion more than the 08-09 formula base.
-The flexibility resolution allows all of this to go toward the classroom.
SC has approximately 873,000 students and therefore, with flexibility over $2943 per student will flow to the classroom. This is more than $350 over last year’s base student cost.
-This budget funds education at the highest level in history
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