Flores Pitching Hard Ball For McLennan Vote

He says Edwards' vote to fund education cuts off $830 Mil.

In a vehement rejection of Congressional action in its one- day session to fund education, Bill Flores claimed Chet Edwards' vote cut education benefits in McLennan County by more than $2 million.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Representatives back to Washington for a one-day session to fund teachers' salaries. With no budget adopted, it was necessary to do it that way, or face the prospect of students arriving for school with no teachers to take charge of the lesson plans.

When the Senate took action on a funding bill, the Speaker called her troops back to the Capitol to pass the House companion bill.

In an allocation formula stipulated by Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), education funds for Texas would not be available "unless the Governor certifies that the state will maintain the proportion of state education funding for the 2010-2011 fiscal year for two more years," according to a
statement released by Flores' campaign headquarters yesterday.

Here the problem arises that the Texas Constitution
prohibits the Governor from committing to future legislative
spending.

The result: Texas is unable to claim about $830 million
earmarked for the state in the bill.

"With state leaders raising extreme concern about funding
for Texas teachers, students and schools, Rep. Edwards said
he would 'study' the issue and then proceeded to do
absolutely nothing to prevent the Doggett provision from
becoming law, and in fact voted for the bill," Flores' press
release proclaimed.

According to figures released by the Texas Education Agency,
the Doggett provision cost the following school districts.

* Axtell - $75,379
* Bosqueville - $67,970
* China Spring - $311,121
* Connally - $63,763
* Gholson - $9,353
* Hallsberg - $5,390
* Lorena - $203,096
* McGregor - $83,298
* Midway - $765,505
* Moody - $53,568
* Riesel - $73,544
* Robinson - $260,642
* West - $83,229
* Total - $2,138,217