Perry, White on the state's school funding shortfall
As the year began, I noted that we were going to concentrate on school funding issues as one of the priorities of this blog for 2010. With that in mind, I asked Gov. Rick Perry and Democratic gubernatorial challenger Bill White to explain how they would reduce the $5 billion school funding shortfall that is likely to dominate next year's Legislature. As the Morning News' Bob Garrett reported recently, the $5 billion represents the difference between property tax cuts promised in 2006 and revenues coming in from the business tax and other sources to pay for that tax cut.
Here are the answers from each candidate. Tell us what you think.
RICK PERRY'S RESPONSE
Gov. Perry has always made education a top priority, even when times have been tight, and he has the experience Texas needs to ensure our education demands are met during these challenging economic times. Just like he did in 2003, when the state faced a $10 billion shortfall, Gov. Perry will work with legislators to prioritize spending and balance the budget without raising taxes, all while ensuring Texas schools receive the dollars they need to effectively educate Texas children. From 2000 to 2009, the state's share of public education spending increased from $11 billion per year to $21 billion per year - a 91 percent increase.