Educators brace for year-end proration
By
M.J.
Ellington
Montgomery
Bureau
Published:
Friday,
August
27, 2010
at 3:30
a.m.
Last
Modified:
Thursday,
August
26, 2010
at 10:35
p.m.
MONTGOMERY
- State
school
officials
are
keeping
their
fingers
crossed
that the
governor
won’t
have
to cut
the
current
education
budget
again
before
the
state
fiscal
year
ends
Sept.
30.
State tax revenue, which makes up most of the revenue going to schools, is lower than anticipated. Schools could scrape through the remaining weeks of the current budget year without the need to cut again. But that is not certain by anyone’s estimates.
Tax collections are starting to pick up again but remain slow, Deputy Education Superintendent Craig Pouncey told state school board members Thursday.
State Education Superintendent Joe Morton said he has cautioned local superintendents to hold the line on spending just in case.
The
state
has
filed a
$148
million
claim
with BP
that
could
help if
the oil
giant
pays
off.
Because
Ala-
bama has
separate
budgets
— one to
fund
education
and the
other
for
general
operations
— the
state
has an
easier
way to
document
revenue
losses
because
of
reduced
tourism
along
the Gulf
of
Mexico
in
the
aftermath
of the
oil
spill.
Morton said the claim submitted by the Department of Education is based on concrete information that documents lost revenue.
Morton
added
that
since
Attorney
General
Troy
King
filed a
lawsuit
against
BP, talk
with the
oil
giant
about
the
claim
has
stopped.
“We don’t know where it stands, but if there is a payment between now and Sept. 30, it could ease the current budget,” Morton said.
Florence
City
Schools
Superintendent
Janet
Womack
said she
has
heard
rumors
about
the
possibility
of
another
round of
proration
before
the end
of
September,
but
she’s
heard
nothing
concrete.
Proration,
by law,
could
only
increase
another
1
percent.
If it
comes at
the end
of the
budget
year,
how-
ever,
the
chunk
would
all come
out at
one
time,
possibly
forcing
some
systems
to tap
reserves.
M.J. Ellington can be reached at mjellington@timesdaily.com
Parker Promotes Lifeline Program
MONTGOMERY
– Public
Service
Commissioner,
Susan
Parker,
is
working
with
organizations
around
the
state
informing
citizens
about
assistance
available
for low
income
Alabamians
to
receive
up to
one-half
of the
regular
phone
bill
free
every
month.
The
Public
Service
Commission
is
observing
Lifeline
Awareness
Week,
September
14-18,
2010, to
promote
the
Lifeline
and Link
Up
assistance
programs,
which
offer
discounts
on basic
local
telephone
service.
Through
the
federal
Lifeline
program,
telephone
customers
who meet
income
requirements
are
eligible
for a
discount
of at
least
$10 a
month on
their
bill for
basic
telephone
service.
Link-Up
provides
a
50-percent
reduction
in the
telephone
installation
charge,
up to a
maximum
of $30,
for
quali-
fying
households
that do
not
currently
have
telephone
service.
Citizens
who are
eligible
for
Medicaid,
SSI, or
LIHEAP
are
automatically
qualified.
To find
out if
you
qualify,
contact
your
local
telephone
service
provider
or go to
the PSC
website:
www.psc.alabama.gov
|
|

Alabama
Education
Retirees
Association
Wins
National
Award
for
Statewide
Canned
Food
Drive
Youth across the state benefit from efforts of inspiring retired educators
Washington, DC – The Alabama Education Retirees Association has been awarded an NRTA With Our Youth! Dedication Award by NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community. Award recipients were chosen for their service to youth by an independent selection panel. This award highlights the top contenders that merited distinction for their exceptional work.
The
Alabama
Education
Retirees
Association
(AERA)
developed
a
statewide
canned
food
drive,
entitled
“Yes, We
CAN Feed
Alabama!”
The
items
collected
were
provided
to more
than 103
sites
across
the
state
with the
total
collection
of items
at
17,833
and more
than
$4,000
donated
to food
banks.
More
than
half of
the 80
units
within
the
state
participated
in the
drive.
AERA
also
collected
58
pounds
of food
at their
Annual
Meeting
for the
Montgomery
County
Area
Food
Bank.
Because
of its
tremendous
success,
the
project
will
continue
for
another
year.
“It is
an honor
to
recognize
the
extraordinary
work of
the
Alabama
Education
Retirees
Association
with
an NRTA
With
Our
Youth!
award.
Retired
educators
keep
giving,
even
after
leaving
the
classroom.
Thanks
to the
dedication
of these
volunteers,
multiple
generations
benefit
and go
on to
contribute
to
society,”
stated
Megan
Hookey,
Vice
President
of NRTA:
AARP’s
Educator
Community.
About the NRTA With Our Youth! Program
NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community is committed to learning, voluntary service and civic participation. More than a decade ago, the organization formed the With Our Youth! program to provide volunteer opportunities for community service projects with youth. For the first three years of the program, NRTA made a pledge to serve 1.5 million youth in 2,000 communities with a total of 45 million service hours through its affiliated state retired educators associations (REAs). The goal was met and exceeded.
About NRTA
Founded
in 1947
by
retired
educator
Dr.
Ethel
Percy
Andrus,
NRTA:
AARP’s
Educator
Community
is a
division
of
AARP.
NRTA
members
share a
commitment
to
learning,
voluntary
service,
and
civic
participation.
NRTA is
the
largest
national
organization
that
represents
the
interests
of 50+
educators,
with a
membership
of more
than
one-million
active
and
retired
higher-ed
and K-12
educators
and
school
personnel
at the
local,
state
and
national
level.
The
NRTA
network
includes
a
national
office
in
Washington,
DC, 52
state
and city
associations,
and more
than
2,700
local
associations.
NRTA
members
are
dedicated
to
continuous
educational
opportunity,
advocacy,
and
service
as a
means of
safeguarding
the
economic
security,
work
opportunities,
and
future
well-being
of all
generations.
Visit
NRTA’s
Website
at
www.aarp.org/nrta
for more
information.
About AARP
AARP is
a
nonprofit,
nonpartisan
organization
that
helps
people
50+ have
independence,
choice
and
control
in ways
that are
beneficial
and
affordable
to them
and
society
as a
whole.
AARP
does not
endorse
candidates
for
public
office
or make
contributions
to
either
political
campaigns
or
candidates.
We
produce
AARP The
Magazine,
the
definitive
voice
for 50+
Americans
and the
world's
largest-circulation
magazine
with
over
35.1
million
readers;
AARP
Bulletin,
the
go-to
news
source
for
AARP's
millions
of
members
and
Americans
50+;
AARP
Viva su
Segunda
Juventud,
the only
bilingual
U.S.
publication
dedicated
exclusively
to the
50+
Hispanic
community;
and our
website,
AARP.org.
AARP
Foundation
is an
affiliated
charity
that
provides
security,
protection,
and
empowerment
to older
persons
in need
with
support
from
thousands
of
volunteers,
donors,
and
sponsors.
We have
staffed
offices
in all
50
states,
the
District
of
Columbia,
Puerto
Rico,
and the
U.S.
Virgin
Islands.
Auburn University
The Marriage and Retirement Study
EXPLANATION OF STUDY
PURPOSE
OF STUDY:
Although
we know
much
about
the
detrimental
effects
of
marital
conflict
and
divorce
on
individuals,
we know
relatively
little
about
the
positive
benefits
of
marriage
on
individual’s
health
and
well-being
as they
adjust
to
retirement.
The
purpose
of this
investigation
is to
determine
the
effects
of the
marital
relationship,
including
marital
communication,
love,
and
support,
on both
spouses’
health
and
well-being
during
the
period
following
retirement.
We hope
to
accomplish
these
goals by
observing
200
couples
during
several
marital
interaction
tasks
and
assessing
their
cardiac
health,
as
well as
their
reports
of their
general
well-being
and
health
behaviors
(including
exercise
and
nutrition).
Given
that
most
couples
at this
point in
their
lives
will
have
been
together
for many
years,
we are
also
interested
in
understanding
how the
couple’s
relationship
develops
over the
course
of time.
Relation-
ships
grow and
develop
just as
the
individuals
within
them do,
and we
hope
that by
interviewing
couples
about
the
history
of their
relationship
to tap
into
these
changes.
My goal
in
gathering
this
information
is
to
assist
future
couples
with
issues
surrounding
the
marital
relationship
and
well-being
as they
adjust
to
the
monumental
changes
in their
lives
that
often
accompany
retirement.
PROCEDURE:
Participating
couples
will be
invited
for a
visit to
the
Auburn
University
Laboratory
on
Marriage
and
Retirement.
In this
visit,
designed
to last
approximately
2-1/2 to
3 hours,
couples
will be
escorted
to our
laboratory
“living
room”
where
they
will
engage
in
several
videotaped
marital
communication
tasks
and have
their
blood
pressure
monitored.
These
include
(1) a
problem-solving
task
where
spouses
discuss
an area
of
disagreement
and try
to reach
an
agreeable
solution
or
compromise;
(2) a
discussion
task
where
couples
talk
about a
good
relationship
memory;
and (3)
a
communication
task
where
couples
discuss
an issue
of
importance
to each
spouse.
Both
spouses
will
also be
interviewed
about
family
life and
receive
a packet
of
questionnaires
to
complete
at home.
After
the
questionnaires
are
mailed
back,
couples
will be
compensated
$75 for
their
participation.
STUDY
CRITERIA:
Couples
fitting
the
following
criteria
will be
eligible
for
participation
in the
study:
(1)
married
couples
with
both
spouses
living
at home;
(2) both
husbands
and
wives
agree to
participate;
and (3)
neither
spouse
is
currently
working
at a
full-time
job.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
The
privacy
of each
couple
will be
guaranteed
by
placing
only
identification
numbers
on all
interview,
questionnaire,
videotaped
and
audiotaped
materials
collected
during
the
course
of the
study
and by
examining
the data
only at
a group
level.
Also,
any
information
gathered
is
stored
in
locked
cabinets
within
the
university
laboratory
and will
not be
seen by
any
person
not
affiliated
with the
research
group.
Further,
all
staff
and
personnel
coming
in
contact
with the
couple
will be
special-
ly
trained
to
protect
the
confidentiality
of the
couple.
TERMINATION:
Any time
a couple
desires
to
terminate
participation
in the
study,
they
need
merely
convey
that
sentiment
to Dr.
Rauer,
the
Principal
Investigator.
They
will not
be
contacted
further.
If a
family
wishes
to
terminate
after
the
completion
of the
visit
but
before
the
completion
of the
question-
naires,
they
will
receive
only
$45.
RISKS/BENEFITS:
Some of
the
questionnaires
will ask
couples
to
report
on their
marriage
and
family
life.
Couples
are free
to leave
unanswered
any
question
they do
not feel
comfortable
answering.
With
respect
to the
benefits
of the
study,
most
couples
enjoy
participating
in
research
of this
kind. It
gives
them an
opportunity
to
connect
with
each
other
and
learn
about
their
strengths
as a
couple.
Further,
as
part of
the
visit,
spouses
will
have
their
blood
pressured
monitored
at
intermittent
intervals
throughout
the
visit
and will
get
feedback
on their
blood
pressure
levels
if they
so
desire.
In
addition,
all
couples
will
receive
$75 for
completing
the
study
and a
summary
report
of
findings
will be
sent to
each
couple
upon
completion
of the
study.
Finally,
the
knowledge
we
acquire
from
this
research
will
allow us
to offer
recommendations
to
mental
and
physical
health
professionals
that
will
benefit
both the
relationships
and
well-being
of older
adults
as they
make the
retirement
transition.
PERIOD
OF TIME
REQUIRED:
The
estimated
amount
of time
required
by each
family
will be
approximately
5-6
hours
including
the
laboratory
visit
and the
time
needed
to
complete
questionnaires
at home.
The
outline
below
gives an
overview
of the
laboratory
visit.
1) Couple interview (30 mins)
2) Story of our relationship task (30 mins)
3) Picture book baseline (5 mins)
4) Marital problem-solving task (15 mins)
5) Good memories together task (10 min)
6) Break
7) Individual interview (45 mins)
8) Marital discussion task (20 mins)
Couple Questionnaires
At the first visit, couples will be given a packet of questionnaires
(one for
wife and
one for
husband)
to
take
home and
complete.
These
will be
asking
you
about
your
marriage,
health,
and
lives.
We ask
that
you
return
the
questionnaires
within a
month of
coming
into the
laboratory.
We will
provide
a
stamped
envelope
so you
can mail
these
back to
the
research
laboratory
once you
have
finished
them. We
estimate
the
questionnaires
will
take
approximately 2 to
4 hours
total
for each
spouse.
Further
questions
concerning
the
study or
information
regarding
scheduling
of
visits
can be
directed
to
Dr. Amy
Rauer at
Auburn
University:
(334)
844-3176
or
arauer@auburn.edu.
BABY
BOOMERS
"LEANING
INCREASINGLY
REPUBLICAN"
(CT).
Doyle
McManus
writes
in the
Chicago
Tribune
(7/8,
534K),
"Voters
over the
age of
50 are
leaning
increasingly
Republican,
according
to
recent
polling
-- and
that
includes
members
of the
giant
baby
boom
generation
between
50 and
64." A
Pew
Research
poll
"released
last
week
found
that
most
voters
over 50
say they
favor
the
Republicans
in
November's
congressional
election.
Voters
in their
30's and
40's
were
evenly
split;
voters
younger
than 30
favored
the
Democrats."
This
trend
"is big
problem
for
Democrats,
in two
ways,"
says
McManus,
who adds
that
"older
voters
are a
bloc the
party
doesn't
want to
lose.
...
About
two-thirds
of
November's
voters
will be
50 or
older."
Secondly,
McManus
notes,
"The
defections
may
reflect
a
deeper,
longer-term
trend:
The baby
boom
generation
appears
to be
growing
more
conservative
as it
ages."
Anna
Merrill
Pritchett /
AARP
Alabama
Associate
State
Director
/
Advocacy
Outreach
201
Monroe Street / RSA
Tower
Suite
1880/
Montgomery,
AL 36104
334-954-3065 / 334-462-3011
(cell)
apritchett@aarp.org
The
challenge,
to live
up to
our
better
selves,
to
believe
well of
our
fellow
men and
perhaps
by doing
so
to
help
Create
the Good.®
to
experiment,
to
explore,
to
change
and to
grow.
—Ethel Percy Andrus, AARP Founder
![]()
I was a teacher for 22 years. I am so happy to have this chance to get published.
~
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this contest! I've been wanting to get published for years!
Dear fellow State and Local Retired Educator Leaders,
The
quotes
above
are from
educators
in
Kentucky
and New
York who
are
participating
in a
competition
for
aspiring
authors.
I
thought
that you
and your
members
would
like to
know
about
The
National
Children’s
Book of
the Year
contest
which is
sponsored
by the
National
Association
of
Elementary
School
Principals
Foundation
(NAESPF).
The cut-off date for submissions is February 15, 2011 and you can download the entry form by clicking here; then please choose the “download” button in the upper left part of the screen. Or if you prefer, visit NAESPF’s website: http://www.naesp.org/NAESP_Foundation.aspx
NAESPF
and NRTA
have a
strong
working
relationship.
We are
happy to
share
information
that
could
help
local
retired
educators’
associations
respond
to the
interests
of their
current
and
prospective
members.
If you
would
like a
free
supply
of
printed
entry
guidelines
and the
application
to
distribute
at
local
unit and
chapter
meetings
this
fall,
please
email my
colleague
Gene
Ruiz
with the
quantity
needed
at
gruiz@aarp.org.
In advance, thanks for letting your members, friends and family know about this opportunity!
With
best
regards,
Megan
Megan
Stevens
Hookey
Vice
President
NRTA:
AARP’s
Educator
Community
![]()

Save
Yourself
a Trip
by
Visiting
Social
Security
Online
Social Security Administration
Here are some of the things you can do if you visit Social Security Online at www.socialsecurity.gov. You may link to Social Security through the RSA Web site as well at www.rsa-al.gov.
Apply for benefits. You can apply for Social Security retirement, spouse or disability benefits, and Medicare over the Internet. If you are applying for disability benefits, you will need to complete the disability report, which is also available online. Need to take a break or look for some records to answer your questions? You can leave the application partially completed and return at any time to complete your application or report. After you have applied, you can check back online for the status of your application.
See if you qualify for Social Security. You can use the online Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool, or BEST, to see which kind of benefits you might be eligible to apply for. Just answer a series of questions and find out whether you are eligible for retirement, disability or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. You can even find out whether you might be eligible for Medicare benefits. All of this can be done by completing one simple questionnaire, and it only takes about 5–10 minutes.
Estimate your retirement benefits. The Retirement Estimator produces estimates that are based on your actual Social Security earnings record. Retirement estimates are just that, estimates. They will vary slightly from the actual benefit you may receive in the future because:
-
Your Social Security earnings record is constantly being updated;
-
Our calculators use different parameters and assumptions (e.g., different stop work ages, future earnings projections, etc.); and
-
Your actual future benefit will be adjusted for inflation.
Request a Statement. Every year Social Security sends a Social Security Statement to all workers age 25 or older. It arrives about three months before your birthday. Your Statement includes a detailed report of your earnings over the years as well as an estimate of benefits you would receive upon retirement or disability. It also includes an estimate of how much your family would be eligible for in survivor benefits if you die. If you cannot wait for your regularly scheduled Statement, go online! Request a Statement online and Social Security will mail it to you within 2-4 weeks.
Find the Social Security office closest to you. There is so much you can do online, but sometimes you may want to talk with a Social Security representative face-to-face. If that is the case, your first step is to visit the online field office locator. Just type in your ZIP code and find the Social Security office closest to you.
Get a password. If you already get Social Security benefits, there is so much more you can do online if you have a password. With a password, you can check the information and benefit amounts in your Social Security records and change your address, telephone number or direct deposit account information without leaving the comfort of your home.
This is just a sample of the many services now available online from Social Security. So whatever your business with Social Security may be, check out their Web site and visit “What You Can Do Online” at www.socialsecurity.gov.


Former Educator Named AARP President
ARP welcomed Lee Hammond, a former Maryland Retired Teachers Association State President, as its new president. He will serve as AARP’s lead volunteer until 2012.
As AARP
president,
Hammond
will
articulate
the
positions
and
views of
AARP;
provide
leadership;
and
foster
creativity
and
enthusiasm
in
AARP’s
volunteers,
members,
and
staff.
Additionally,
he will
represent
AARP and
AARP/NRTA
members
at key
national
and
international
meetings
and
events.
Hammond,
of
Salisbury,
Md., was
elected
to the
Board of
Directors
in 2002.
He has
chaired
the
Nominating
Committee,
the
Audit
and
Finance
Committee,
the
Membership
Committee
and the
National
Policy
Council.
Hammond
began
his
30-year
career
in
education
in
Wicomico
County,
Md.,
as
a
classroom
teacher.
He then
served
as a
school
administrator
for 25
years,
developing
administrative
and
managerial
skills
while
working
with
diverse
student
and
professional
populations.
Before
joining
the AARP
board,
Hammond
served
as AARP
Maryland
State
President
and as
president
of the
Maryland
Retired
Teachers
Association.
He is a
member
of the
Maryland
Interagency
Committee
on Aging
Services
and vice
chair of
the
board of
Directors
of MAC,
Inc., a
non-profit
Area
Agency
on Aging
serving
four
Maryland
counties.
He is an
ordained
Elder at
Wicomico
Presbyterian
Church
and
previously
served
on the
U.S.
Attorney’s
Health
Care
Fraud
Task
Force
and on
the
boards
of the
Maryland
Rural
Health
Association,
the
Maryland
Commission
on Aging
and the
Holly
Foundation,
a
non-profit
organization
serving
the
needs of
developmentally-challenged
persons.
The
all-volunteer,
22-member
board of
directors
is the
governing
body of
AARP and
approves
all
policies,
programs,
activities
and
services
for
AARP’s
millions
of
members.
Some of
the
major responsibilities
of AARP
board
members
are to
approve
the
budget
and
monitor
the
finances
of the
Association;
determine
the
Association’s
state
and
national
legislative
policy
agenda;
and set
policy
that
guides
the
Association’s
strategic
plans
and
activities.

To: ALRRS Clients
From:
Thelma
Braswell
RE: 2010
Elections
and
Candidates
The 2010 Elections are scheduled as follows:
Primary
Elections
Tuesday,
June 1,
2010
Primary
Run-off
Elections
Tuesday,
July 13,
2010
General
Election
Tuesday,
November
2, 2010
Candidates
The list
of state
candidates
listed
here
are
those
certified
by the
Democratic
and
Republican
Parties
to
the
Secretary
of State
and
certified
by the
Secretary
of State
to the
Probate
Judges.
Dr. David Bronner Interviewed on CNN
Dr. David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, was recently interviewed with CNN for their ‘Building Up America’ series. For a clip of that interview, please click on the link below.
CNN Special - Building Up America
WANTED
Your
Memorable
Moments
In the
Classroom
Justin
Baer is
working
on a
project
for the
NEA
Research
Department
preparing
a book
about
the
past,
present,
and
future
of the
teaching
profession
in
America.
One of
the main
features
of the
book are
short
(1,000
word)
vignettes
submitted
from
active
and
retired
public
school
teachers
describing
memorable
moments
and
experiences
in the
classroom.
The
vignettes
will be
interspersed
throughout
the
book,
which
will
also
contain
commentaries
from
approximately
25
policymakers,
scholars,
and
leaders,
including
Arne
Duncan
and
Dennis
Van Roekel.
He would
like
vignettes
from
retired
teachers.
Retired
teachers
who
write
vignettes
that are
selected
for
publication
will
receive
a copy
of the
book,
which is
scheduled
to be
released
by
Harvard
Education
Press in
spring
2011.
If you have any questions, please contact Justin by clicking on the follow link:
http://www.nea.org/home/38073.htm
Teachers
Retirement
System
Responds
Most
Frequently
Asked
Questions
from
Retired
Members
click here for article from the Retirement Systems of Alabama
Are
You
Planning
to
Retire?
The
Retirement
Systems
of
Alabama
has
published
a
helpful
guide
for
anyone
planning
to
retire
within
the next
year.
Click
here for
the
article.
Alabama tax collections back down for state education, general funds
Members,
Don’t
believe
everything
you hear
on TV.
You may
recall
in
January
Governor
Riley
stated
in
his
State of
the
State
address
that
“there
is no
financial
crisis
in
Alabama.”
Well
figures
don’t
lie.
(See
story
listed
below)
This is
just one
more
reason
why AERA
members
must be
ready to
lobby
when
legislators
begin
work
on
the
Governor’s
budget.
Janice J. Charlesworth
Alabama
Education
Retirees
Association
Executive
Secretary
Alabama tax collections back down for state education, general funds
By
David
White --
The
Birmingham
News
February
02,
2010,
5:30AM

Taxes
collected
by the
state
Education
Trust
Fund
continue
to jump
around
from
month to
month,
with
tax
collections
in
January
dropping
17.5
percent,
or $80.7
million,
compared
to
January
2009,
the
state
finance
department
reported
Monday.
That
followed
a gain
of 13.5
percent
in
December
compared
to
December
2008 and
a drop
of 6.7
percent
in
November
compared
to
November
2008.
Overall,
taxes
collected
by the
trust
fund,
the main
source
of state
tax
dollars
for
public
schools,
colleges
and
universities,
totaled
$1.364
billion
in
November
through
January,
down
$58.7
million,
or 4.1
percent,
compared
to the
same
period a
year
before.
Net
personal
and
corporate
income
taxes in
those
three
months
totaled
$807
million,
a drop
of $41.1
million,
or 4.9
percent,
compared
to the
same
period a
year
before.
Net
sales
tax
collections
for the
trust
fund in
those
three
months
totaled
$367.5
million,
a drop
of $4.9
million,
or 1.3
percent,
compared
to the
same
period a
year
before.
The
state's
2010
fiscal
year
began in
October.
But
acting
state
Finance
Director
Bill
Newton
has
cautioned
about
using
tax
collection
data for
the
first
month,
saying
comparisons
for
October
were
artificially
rosy
because
reported
tax
collections
for
October
2008
were
artificially
low.
A
decline
in trust
fund tax
collections
of 4.1
percent
for
November
through
January
isn't
great
news,
but
it's
a lot
better
than the
result
for the
2009
fiscal
year,
said
state
Rep.
Richard
Lindsey,
D-Centre.
Trust
fund tax
collections
last
year
fell
11.8
percent,
or $702
million,
compared
to the
year
before.
"The
fact
that
we're
falling
at a
much
slower
pace
than we
were at
the end
of last
year, I
guess
that's
good
news.
Not
great,
but good
news,"
said
Lindsey,
who
chairs
the
Education
Appropriations
Committee
of the
state
House of
Representatives.
Gov. Bob Riley in September cut budgeted trust fund spending for this fiscal year by 7.5 percent, a reduction of about $431 million, as falling tax collections made the amount appropriated by lawmakers look unrealistic. Trust fund spending for this year now is forecast to reach $5.32 billion. Bill Newton, the acting state finance director, said he didn't expect any change in that spending level based on tax collections so far this fiscal year.
Paul
Hubbert,
executive
secretary
of the
Alabama
Education
Association
teachers'
lobby,
said he
doubted
there
would be
robust
growth
in the
trust
fund
until
more
people
are
working.
The
unemployment
rate in
Alabama
in
December
was 11
percent.
"We're
still in
an
unsettled
economy.
We're
not yet
out of
the
woods.
It's not
too
encouraging,
frankly,"
Hubbert
said.
General
Fund
The
Finance
Department
on
Monday
also
reported
that
revenues
for the
General
Fund, a
major
source
of money
for
Medicaid,
prisons
and
other
state
functions
outside
education,
totaled
$133.1
million
in
January,
a
decline
of $24.7
million,
or 15.6
percent,
compared
to
January
2009.
For
October
through
January,
the
General
Fund
collected
$444.7
million,
a drop
of
$101.7
million,
or
18.6
percent,
compared
to the
same
period a
year
earlier.
A big
reason
for the
drop is
that the
Legislature
last
year
transferred
to the
General
Fund
money
that
had
been
reserved
to pay
potential
refunds
to
companies
disputing
past
payments
of
business
privilege
taxes.
That
one-time
money
could
account
for
about
$45
million
of the
drop in
General
Fund
revenues
for
October
through
January
compared
to the
same
periods
a year
earlier.
The General Fund this year is budgeted to spend about $1.6 billion.
Join in the conversation by e-mailing White at dwhite@bhamnews.com.

