The Irony To Vi Simpson's Recent Political Posturing

After sixteen years in control the Democrats are still smarting from this past election. Now that Governor Daniels is beginning to fulfill his campaign pledges by shaking up the “business as usual” attitude across the State, the Democrats are utilizing every opportunity to demonize his efforts. Locally, Senator Vi Simpson was quick to the draw. With her sights clearly set on the Governors office in 2008 she took the opportunity recently to blast Governor Daniels for refusing to release millions of dollars in funding that had been promised to the State’s school systems by the previous administration. Politically speaking, it was a great opportunity to criticize the new administration for not funding education; after all, supporting education carries a very high approval rating with the voters. If you recall, it was the Democrats lead by Senator Simpson and the State Finance Committee that failed to adjust spending throughout the 2001 - 2004 recession, during which time the budget surplus disappeared faster than ozone layer. The budget surplus quickly turned into a budget deficit and guess what, the Democrats faced with a millions of dollars of red ink decided to, you guessed it, delay payments to the school systems. In 2002 they devised the scheme of making only eleven payments to the schools rather than the usual twelve, the twelfth payment was pushed into the next biennium. At the same time they gave the local school systems the ability to transfer funds from various accounts like Transportation and Capital Projects to help make up for any shortfall. Faced with the reduction in funding most schools systems simply increased their Tax Anticipation Warrant, or in other words borrowed more money. The Democrats tried to discount the notion that they were somehow cutting funding by suggesting it was simply a matter of timing. To understand this concept more clearly, try delaying one of your house or car payments and see what happens. Which brings us to today, the State is faced with a $600 million dollar deficit and wouldn’t you know it, these same elected officials still want to give money away that they don’t have. Senator Simpson recently implied that Indiana’s financial situation is not as bleak as it is being painted. Senator Simpson you can’t have it both ways, either you were wrong then or you are wrong now, which it is?