Friday afternoon, House Education Chairman John Moore (R-Brandon) participated in a panel discussion on public education funding in Mississippi. During his remarks, Chairman Moore presented a list of reasons the Republican Party just isn't into fully funding public education in Mississippi.
Moore's reasons include:
- Hurricane Katrina
- The BP oil spill
- WorldCom filing for bankruptcy in 2002
- No new sources of revenue
- Medicaid taking a greater share of the budget (while refusing to accept federal funds to offset the cost)
- Tornadoes
- Education funding wasn't his problem prior to 2012 (even though Moore has been in the legislature since 1996)
- The Mississippi Highway Patrol
Folks, this is the Republican Chairman of the House Education Committee rattling off a weak list of excuses why his party refused to fully fund public education during their four years in the majority. We have heard a lot of grandstanding and lip service from the Republicans about how much they want to fund public education, but the result is a list of lame excuses why they won't. The Republicans give us many reasons why they aren't fully funding public education, yet they don't list any reason why they should. No discussion about poverty. No discussion about economic development. No discussion about keeping young professionals in Mississippi after they graduate.
It would be more honest of the Republicans if they just came out and say how they really feel: "Public education, we're just not that into you."
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