On September 19th, there is a General Obligation Bond vote for Albuquerque Public Schools. I encourage everyone to go out and vote. You can check out the APS position on this by going here. I specifically encourage you to click on the project list and download the PDF.
If you do, I think you’ll be as surprised as I was to see this item:
State Mandated Chart of Account System…………..$3,800,000
Think about that. Regardless of how you feel about APS’ track record to date, this is pretty amusing. The state had about a billion dollar surplus last year, and they passed an unfunded mandate that will slice off more than 1% of the bond money right off the top.
These are the same people who complain that No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate. The same people who can afford to build trains and spaceports. The same people who line item veto desperately needed repairs for an APS High School.
To put this $3.8 million amount in perspective, consider that it would have covered more than a third of the cost to build a new elementary school on the Westside.
Don’t forget to vote.