Money on Trees

The Riley Administration reports that the Education Trust Fund may have as much as $300 million extra. As The Birmingham News reports, the Governor has suggested that the surplus could be given back to "the families of this state."

 

Governor Riley also said "We're going to fund education. We're going to fund our programs. We're going to do things that we have never done before."

 

Paul Hubbert (D-AEA) raised the obvious point when he questioned returning education dollars to taxpayers when Alabama spends less per public school student than most other states. I'm wondering, though, if Alabama should be sending this money back when so many schools lack funding to properly stock basic supplies like toilet paper.

 

As much as Alabamians may like the thought of getting some kind of extra refund from the state, it seems we should be meeting all of our obligations in schools before we reap some kind of personal windfall.