Hopefully in 2010, the state Democrats will not pass the proposed cuts in education from Governor Mitch Daniels' desk. He says this is "our last resort. K-12 spending is half the entire state budget, and it will have to contribute something to keeping us in the black." Really Governor Daniels, really?

This is the guy who in the last campaign wanted to "cut property taxes yet give teachers more money" (2008 TV Campaign ad) and now he wants to cut the budget by $300 million (http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/indiana/education-funding-to-_be-cut-mitch-daniels). What are you thinking, Governor? It was you who wanted all day kindergarten, it was you who signed public law 221 into action, and it is you, now, who is not keeping a key campaign promise, and why? How can you do such a flip-flop? Why are you doing this? It is clear to me that Governor Daniels does not keep his eyes open down the road.

I hear all the time from right wing pundits that President Obama's spending spree will hurt future generations because of the deficit. First of all, blame the 43rd President for that one, and second of all, hurting education now is more harmful to future generations than the deficit.

Governor Daniels was the candidate who wanted to keep jobs in Indiana in the 2004 campaign, and now in 2010 we will see (more) new teachers leave Indiana to take jobs in Florida, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, and Nevada because the education jobs are leaving the state (unless you know someone). We will also see Title 1 teachers and new teachers out of a job. What is worse are the cuts in budgets in the arts that would come. Schools can say bye-bye to music and art teachers, which are among the most influential.

Look, I understand the Indiana budget is tight, but there are other places to make cuts than in education. The best part time gig in the state is being a state legislator. For the three months Indiana Legislators are in session, they make roughly $35,000 for their "service," (base pay plus reimbursements) (http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2006/11/ind_govt_could.html) and Governor Daniels makes roughly $90,000 for his "service" (http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=207914). While a hike in their pay will certainly not happen any time soon, why should they not cut their pay? That is leading by example. If Governor Daniels and the Legislators (both Reps. and Senators) cut their own pay and the sessions by half, I bet taxpayers would have pay less taxes and education would not see a $300 million budget cut.

Cutting education is ridiculous. The state needs more teachers and smaller classrooms, but I would not expect anything less from an education opponent like Governor Daniels. Even the 45th District's Representative Bruce Borders, who has a solid record of being the antagonist with education (http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=34050), supports the cut. How do I know? He supports anything Governor Daniels does. In my opinion (as if you could not tell), he (Rep. Borders) wants public schools to fail, so people would be forced to use a voucher system.

Any kind of cut in education by politicians is detrimental to future generations. I can only hope more people catch on to the drum I am beating.

Till Next Time.