It’s school budget time in New York State. And as a school board member, I receive email upon email about all things budget related, most particularly the state operating aid formula, which is dwindling. And people come out to advocate for their particular bailiwicks, whether it be protection of a particular program or maintaining the fiscal discipline that can be enforced when the budget comes for a public vote.
I’m not interested here in staking a claim on either side in my particular corner of the world. The virtues of a program are (usually) self-evident, as is fiscal caution. The larger point is the way we pay for government services is no longer sustainable. If you’re someone who wants to eliminate government on principle, the answers are easy. If you’re like me, and believe what public service provides for people is necessary to enhance the quality of people’s lives these are challenging times.
To me, the first thing is to look at what other states with similar issues do differently than New York does. Two things that come immediately to mind are Medicaid and volume of government. I tend to think Governor Cuomo gets this; the new Medicaid director has been directly involved with reining in Medicaid costs in Wisconsin. I don’t have anywhere near the expertise to suggest a solution, other than to know the present formula that spends more real money than any other state’s and saddles county government with half the state’s costs cannot work any longer.
And anyone who thinks the solutions to the Medicaid problem is easy and just involves slashing spending should keep in mind nearly half of Medicaid recipients also receive Medicare, including most residents of nursing homes, something Medicare barely pays for.
The other issue would seem easier: eliminating the multitudes of government we have. New York is about 3.5 times the size of Maryland. New York has over 600 school districts, Maryland, seventeen. Cattaraugus County, my home county, has about 83,000 people. We have 12 school districts. Allegany County, just to the east has 55,000 people, also 12 school districts. Cattaraugus County has over 30 courts, 40 town and village governments and 29 fire departments.
Again, I think the Cuomo Administration gets it. This is somewhere where substantial savings could occur without affecting most people’s daily lives. But it still won’t be easy; people have largely resisted this movement as it’s popped up over the years. Their identities are formed through their community schools, through fire departments they’ve volunteered with their entire lives. Small town elected officials justifiably believe they’ve devoted themselves to working for their communities for little pay and less credit. But, there aren’t a lot of alternatives left.
It’s a local election year in New York. Don’t vote for anyone who can’t articulate a position on the size of local governments.
Excellent points, Phil.
ReplyDeleteHow would you feel about moving towards a system like they have in Hawaii, where there is one board of ed and one curriculum for the entire state?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that might work here to cut down on the administrative costs and get money back in the classrooms where it belongs. The one board of ed could be maybe made up of elected superintendents from the county level. Maybe local municipalities could have one or two administrators ---I don't know, still debating it. There has to be a fiscally responsible solution. Then again, in our state we even have superintendents in districts with zero students. So frustrating.
I think one school system in a state as large as New York might be unwieldy. But I would apply a similar principle, using county-wide school districts in the rural counties, perhaps keeping the NYC and five other urban distracts intact.
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