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>> NEW MEXICO SCHOOLS AND TAXPAYERS RECEIVED A MIXED
REVIEW FROM THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THIS
WEEK. THE FEDS GRANTED NEW MEXICO A
WAIVER FOR UNDERFUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION IN 2010.
NOW, KEEP THAT DATE IN MIND, 2010.
BECAUSE, THE YEARS AFTER THAT FEDS SAY THE STATE UNDERSPENT
OR LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO UNDERSPEND.
THAT IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW THAT SAYS
STATES HAVE TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE SPECIAL EDUCATION
FUNDING EVERY YEAR. HINES WROTE AN EXCELLENT
SYNOPSIS IN THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL THIS WEEK IF YOU ARE
LOOKING FOR MORE. DAN, LAWMAKERS HAVE HEARTBURN
OVER THIS IN THE SESSION BECAUSE FELT THE STATE PUBLIC
EDUCATION HADN'T KEPT THEM IN THE LOOP AMONG OTHER THINGS
AND NOW THE STATE HAS TO FIND OR SET ASIDE, I SHOULD SAY,
ABOUT 37 TO 40 MILLION, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE, TO
COVER THIS THING IN CASE WE DO NOT GET THIS WAIVER.
LET'S LAY SOME BLAME HERE. WHO IS TO BLAME?
IS IT OUR EDUCATION SECRETARY DESIGNATE, HANNAH SKANDERA?
>> I AM NOT SURE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BLAME HER FOR A
BUDGET SHE INHERITED. '11 BUDGET WAS PASSED IN '10,
'10 WAS PASSED IN '09, THOSE WERE BOTH UNDER RICHARDSON'S
TIME. >> '13 IS UNDER REVIEW AS
WELL. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN
THAT HAPPENS. YOU'RE MAKING A CRUCIAL
MISTAKE, SAYING, WELL WE HAVE GOT FACTS ON THESE TWO, LET'S
LUMP IN THE OTHER ONE, SO WE CAN BRING SKANDERA IN.
SHE IS DEALING WITH STUFF THEY INHERITED.
WHAT I FIND EVEN MORE INTERESTING IS THAT YOU HAVE
REPRESENTATIVE STUART OUT THERE CRYING FROM THE ROOF
TOPS SAYING IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAD TOLD THEM --
WELL, DON'T YOU HAVE A CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE EDUCATION?
DON'T HAVE YOU HAVE LEADERSHIP, DON'T YOU HAVE
PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING DAILY ON EDUCATION ISSUES?
THIS IS STUFF THAT I WOULD SAY --
>> ARE YOU ASSUMING THOSE FOLKS WERE TOLD?
>> IT IS THEIR JOB TO KNOW. >> IT IS NOT THEIR JOB -- YOU
KNOW, NOT EVEN CLOSE, WHEN WE DID THE BED TAX WE HAD THIS
EXACT DEAL WITH GOVERNOR RICHARDSON.
BED TAX, DO YOU REMEMBER THE BED TAX?
IT IS RIGHT HERE ON THIS GENE, BED TAX WAS THOSE PEOPLE TOLD
US THAT CME WAS GOING TO APPROVE.
WE AS LEGISLATORS HAD TO GO TO CME AND FIND OUT THEY WEREN'T
GOING TO APPROVE IT. IT IS INCUMBENT ON THE
LEGISLATORS TO DO THEIR JOB. THEY ARE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
HERE. >> DAN MAKES A GOOD POINT, OUR
CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, HOW MUCH ARE THEY ON THE HOOK ON
THIS OR IS IT ALL MR. RICHARDSON.
WHO IS AT FAULT HERE? BECAUSE, SPECIAL EDUCATION,
THIS COULD REALLY WORK OUT NOT WELL FOR OUR STATE.
>> THIS IS AN EMBARRASSMENT. THIS IS BAD NEWS FOR PARENTS
OF KIDS WHO HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND REGULAR
STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE SHORTED BECAUSE -- AND HAVE
BEEN SHORTED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, BECAUSE OF THE
BUREAUCRATIC BUNGLE IS WHAT I CALL IT AND LACK OF OVERSIGHT,
YES. BUT, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE
DONE HERE BECAUSE -- AND I THINK THAT OUR FEDERAL
LEGISLATORS MAY BE TRYING TO APPROPRIATE SOME MONEY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE RESERVES,
PROBABLY. BUT, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
NEEDS TO CLEAN THIS UP AND THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE DOING
IT. THEY ARE CONTINUING TO -- THE
FAULTS OF THE PAST AND PROVIDING INCONSISTENT
INFORMATION TO BOTH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO THE
LEGISLATURE. IT IS A VERY TECHNICAL AREA.
HINES DID A VERY GOD JOB OF EXPLAINING MAINTENANCE OF
EFFORT. >> STOP YOU RIGHT THERE.
THAT TERM MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, AGAIN, BY LAW, SO, WE
DON'T UNDERSPEND TO TRY AND GET MORE FEDERAL MONEY, WE
HAVE TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF EFFORT HERE.
SO, LET'S ASSUME THOSE FIRST TWO YEARS, 2010, 2011, GOING
FORWARD, WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS SITS NOW?
DO WE LOOK LIKE WE'RE IN THE CLEAR HERE?
ARE WE GOING TO MISS OUT AT SOME POINT?
WHAT IS YOUR BEST GUESS? >> WE ARE IN DANGER OF MISSING
OUT QUITE A BIT. THIS IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT.
THIS IS A REAL FAILURE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, POSSIBLY TWO
ADMINISTRATIONS, BUT ALSO EVERYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN
THIS AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THE BUDGET IS DOING.
HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND -- YOU KNOW -- I WAS SITTING ON THE
COUCH WHEN I READ THIS STORY, MY FIANCEE' AND I, AND HE
SAID, HOW DO YOU UNDERSPEND BY 34 MILLION?
YOU UNDERSPEND BY BASICALLY NOT FUNDING PROGRAMS PROPERLY,
IN THE HIRING PEOPLE PROPERLY. IT IS MISMANAGEMENT.
PERIOD. I LOVE HOW DAN -- IN DAN'S
VERSION OF THE WORLD, THE LEGISLATURE IS THE MAIN BRANCH
AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS SORT OF DOWN HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE HAS OVERSIGHT AND SOME
RESPONSIBILITY BUT THEY ARE NOT THE FRONT LINE PROVIDERS.
THE EXECUTIVE IS THE FRONT LINE PROVIDER.
THE AGENCY PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE.
>> WHERE DOES THE BUDGET COME FROM?
>> WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
>> TOM, YOUR SENSE OF THIS AS WELL?
>> I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF GUILTY PARTIES AND TO LAY
BLAME ON THE SECRETARY DESIGNATE, ON THE LEGISLATURE,
IF WE WANT TO BRING IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON THIS, WE
COULD TOO, BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME STUFF GOING ON
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE MENTIONED AS
WELL. THESE WERE ALL ENACTED IN
2010. IN 2009, YOU SAW THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF IDEA FUNDING, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
EDUCATION ACT, YOU SAW THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FEDERAL
FUNDING EVER, AND THEN IT ALL STEADILY DROPPED OFF.
SO, A CASE COULD BE MADE THEY WERE SETTING THE STATES UP,
KNOWING THAT WE ARE GOING TO START CUTTING BACK FROM HERE
ON OUT. OTHER THING IS, OR THE OTHER
POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS IS
RECEIVED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER
STATES THAT ARE ALSO TARGETED WITH THE SAME KIND OF ISSUE,
YOU HAVE KANSAS, NEW JERSEY, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND,
COINCIDENTALLY, THEY ARE ALL REPUBLICANS, AND WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF NEW JERSEY, THEY ARE GOVERNORS THAT TOOK OVER
IN 2011. LET'S JUST START SPENDING THE
MONEY, LET'S FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THE 46,000 STUDENTS
IN NEW MEXICO GET THE KIND OF EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED AND
DESERVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. >> I WANT TO FINISH WITH YOU.
YOU MENTIONED THERE IS OTHER RAMIFICATIONS AND SOMETHING IS
NOT BEING SPENT, BEING HELD HARMLESS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
SOMETHING ELSE -- >> SPECIAL EDUCATION IS
DIFFERENT THAN EVERYTHING ELSE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE LEGAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CIVIL
RIGHTS LAW TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SERVICES TO KIDS WITH
DISABILITIES IN THE SCHOOL. SO THOSE SERVICES, BY AND
LARGE, HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BUT THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH
THE MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT ON THE REGULAR
STUDENTS. SO, THAT IS A PROBLEM.
AND, IT IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR FAMILIES WITH PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEIR SERVICES ARE BEING CUT
IN ANOTHER AREA AND DD WAIVER HAS SUSTAINED A LOT OF CUTS IN
THE PAST YEAR. THERE IS A LOT OF DISCONTENT.
>> INTERESTING. THIS IS ONE TO WATCH CLOSE,
NOT THE LAST TIME DAN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS, WE'LL HAVE
ANOTHER LAP.