Comments about ‘Gov. Gary Herbert's budget focuses on education’

As a Democrat I can now understand by the Utah Education Association supported Republican Gov. Herbert's re-election. The proposed outlines of Gov. Herbert's new state budget for the coming year seems to continue Gov. Huntsman's policies for the most part, as a politically moderate budget so far as described. Even though there is no mention of climate change that Gov. Huntsman was concerned about, as a Utah taxpayer and Democrat, I can support the broad Gov. Herbert's budget outline as described.

Waaayyy to much money being spent. When will we ever get the message? Republican does NOT mean fiscal conservative or believer in small government. Utah's fiscal spending has been out of control for a couple decades now. And please, don't tell me that compared to other states, we are much better off. Other states are spending in ruinous fashion and should never be a benchmark for us. I worry that Herbert and Bell are becoming RINO's.

It is too bad the legislature tends to ignore the proposed budget of the Governor each year always adding unneeded spending for chest thumping and other stupid things. This budget sounds like a good start with some funding for growth. It will still be a cut and a step backward for education, but at least it doesn't seem to be off a cliff where we had been aimed the last two years.

A true recovery is based on a well-educated populace. The Governor's proposal is not as favorable to education as he wants it to sound. Our current recovery is finally (if slowly) underway and it's time to start returning the money lost during the cuts. Don't let the current super-conservatives in our legislature forget that they have been reducing the proportion of tax money spent on education over the last several years. They don't favor education very much, either.

So this "pro education" budget doesn't even provide enough money to pay for the increase in student population that is coming.

Guess where the rest of that needed money will come from. Yep that is right. Get ready teachers. Less pay and less benefits will once again be in order.

SAD.