Tight times at HISD

Steve Mark of the West University Examiner offers this overview of the HISD financial picture.

(HISD could face $25m shortfall, more cuts, Grier says, Steve Mark, West University Examiner, 03/30/2010)

The current HISD budget is $1.6 billion. Between lessened revenue from the state, rising health insurance costs, an expected increase in water rates from the city of Houston, among other factors, Grier thinks the district could see a $25 million shortfall.

The result of this revenue shortage is, in the short-term, going to be about labor arbitrage and cost-cutting. Both of these policies are sure to spark off another round of arguing with Houston Federation of Teachers chief Gayle Fallon. Hopefully one that involves more name-calling and public outbursts by Houston's most entertaining member of the Courtesan class royal attendents.*



*Let me change that word to remove anything remotely sexual from the post in deference to my more sensitive readers. The idea of a courtesan class, in political terms, is equivilent to the scores of Royal attendents that were ultimately responsible for the demise of most monarchies throughout history. Once the listing of royal sycophants reached a breaking point, so did the ruling legitimacy of the pontif. The Courtesans who survived were those that were smart enough to pledge fealty to the next monarchy, and thus went on with the sole goal of preserving their unearned piece of the public largesse. Today's equivilent is the rapidly growing public sector.