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This statement is right on
target! I urge all of our
members to get involved at the
local level and lobby your
representatives and senators.
Also, be ready on the state
level when we call on you to
lobby in Montgomery.
Governor Bob Riley recently
stated in his State of the State
Address that “doom and gloom”
predictions made by other
elected officials about state
budgets for the coming year are
a “bunch of bull” pushed by
lobbyists and gambling interests
to try to justify the expansion
of gambling. However, even
employees of the Alabama
Legislative Fiscal Office, who
are responsible for projecting
income for the General Fund and
Education Trust Fund, have
stated cuts will have to be made
and that all revenue sources are
down. I believe we should
operate on the premise that
costs are rising and revenue is
not. The General Fund is facing
a projected shortfall of $600
million and the Education Budget
has been prorated. AERA members
must be ready to lobby and
protect PEEHIP and TRS funding.
Over the past few years, the ETF
proration has totaled 18
percent.
Recently at a legislative
meeting, Auburn Montgomery
Economist Dr. Kevin Derive,
informed the audience that he
believes the economic downfall
is over, and Alabama will need
time to recover. The recovery
will take a few years. An
article in the Washington Post
on January 2, 2010 stated the
past decade is the worse in U.S.
economy in modern times. We need
to face reality and know that
tough financial times are upon
us.
As a result, AERA members need
to lobby or be prepared to lose
benefits or pay much higher
costs. I urge our members to
stay informed and be ready to
put on your “teacher’s hat” to
educate your legislators. There
are some valuable lessons to be
learned during this legislative
session, and we want to be sure
that our legislators understand
the lesson and do the right
thing!
Sincerely,
Janice J. Charlesworth
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