Bowing to Steve Kagen

From the Green Bay Press on the pork Steve Kagen was handing out. I wonder if Steve Kagen set up this meeting so all these superintendents could bow before Kagen, kiss his ring and beg for the so called free money. It must of been a sight. A giant sucking sound filled the room.

"Stimulus means additional funds for area school districts

BY MALAVIKA JAGANNATHAN • mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com • February 2, 2009 " Stimulus means additional funds for area school districts | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-Gazette

Schools in Northeastern Wisconsin could see a slice of the economic stimulus pie with approximately $60 million in increased federal funding over the next two years, U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen said Monday.

The funding is part of the $819 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in the House of Representatives last week. The Senate took up its own $900 billion version on Monday with President Barack Obama urging swift passage.

The dollars will be allocated using the existing federal formula with increases in construction grants, special education funding and Title I or low-income subsidies, although there would be some “strings attached,” said Kagen, D-Appleton.

Strings attached, there is always strings with a democrat.

Several superintendents met with Kagen on Monday morning in Green Bay to discuss the impact the money could have in their districts.

Despite the estimates by House Committee on Education and Labor, Kagen warned there is no guarantee that districts will get exactly that amount when the money is allocated between July and October.

“This will provide millions of dollars to local school districts that need the money now,” Kagen said. “The sad fact is they won’t get the money fast enough. It will take a while to trickle down into schools.”

It will take a while to trickle down? Money first in July and October? Could take up to two years? Just in time for Kagen to run again, how convenient. I thought this is a stimulus package for the bad economy. Why the hold up? How many jobs will this create? How does this help the economy? Why not the money right away and why not all this year?

With funding dependent on enrollment numbers, some rural districts with declining enrollment may not benefit as much as their growing urban counterparts.

“They’re not being punished, but they’re not being rewarded either,” Kagen said.

The taxpayers are being punished and the teachers union is being rewarded. How nice.

Gillett School District, which could get an estimated $322,500 more in funding, continues to lose students each year. It also has to fight three larger districts around it from attracting students through the school choice program. The district loses three students for every one it gains through the school choice program, superintendent Stuart Rivard said.

First if Gillett continues to lose students, why not cut back? Why not merge districts? Alas, even my own school district(Gillett)is looking for the stimulus money. Some $161000.00 for the next two years. My thought on Gillett getting only $322,000 is that the area is in a stronger republican voting area of Oconto County. Kagen must of planned it that way. He wants to stick it to the right wing voters.

Although superintendent Wendell Waukau of the Menominee Indian School District isn’t counting on these dollars, he knows his district could benefit from any additional support to prop up existing programs such as a newly instituted freshmen academy or an anti-truancy program.

“It’s going to give us a couple of years to maintain these programs,” Waukau said. “Would we like more? Sure, but we appreciate what we are getting.”

At least Mr Waukau was honest when he said,“Would we like more? Sure, but we appreciate what we are getting." Let's see how much Menominee might receive.

Menominee would receive $1.73 million over the next two years in the estimates. Menominee County is the poorest in the state and one of the poorest in the nation.

Holy cow, 1.73 million. That's over five times more the amount then their neighbors to the east in Gillett. Let me check again, how much? 1.73 million dollars?

The main point here is this is not a stimulus program. It's a pork packed payback to the teachers union and for some ares that delivered votes for the democrat party. I thought Steve Kagen promised last fall that he wanted to go back to Washington to stop wasteful spending. I guess Steve Kagen might of mislead his constituents.

Let's see, Kagen says about the pork package. Will be strings attached, may not get what they think, won't get money fast enough, and "they’re not being punished, but they’re not being rewarded either". Where's money for the rest of us? Let's recap the three school districts.

17.5 million for Green Bay.
322,000 for Gillett.
1.73 million for Menominee.

Almost 19 MILLION DOLLARS! Don't feel bad, Steve Kagen is giving Milwaukee schools
84 MILLION. That's $84,000,000.00

The children in k through 12 that are in school today will be paying for this pork package. I am not happy that Kagen is strapping this to our children and grandchildren. Steve Kagen should be embarrassed.

I hope someone took pictures of this meeting today. When this debt comes home to roost ,Steve Kagen's hands will be all over it. It will look good to whoever runs against him in 2010.

Wake up people of the 8th district.