$300K

down the fucking drain. The Nevada Legislature's Special Session didn't accomplish a goddamned thing in terms of a budget, so Governor Kenny Guinn is calling for yet another special session on the 30th.

Which means that teachers like myself who seek to get regular work are going to be put on hold--again. What is going to happen is the Republicans--and face, it, the Republicans are the ones chiefly responsible for the mess--are going to screw around so much that many of us will leave the state in search of teaching jobs or have to go into another line of work.

It's sickening. The Republicans are playing a game of chicken here:

"Democrats remained opposed to the payroll tax proposal, even though it has been compromised. The tax bill that was defeated Wednesday night in the Senate had a 1.1 percent payroll tax on all wages, although the state could tax only the first $21,500 of any annual wage. On Thursday, the rate was dropped to 0.95 percent."

Fuck the damned poor--that's the Republican way.

But there's this:

"Republicans remained opposed to other aspects of the plan, including a tiered franchise fee and a real estate transfer tax.

"'We just felt it was too big of a hit on business and that it what we are concerned about,' [Sen. Ann] O'Connell said."

Well, it's nice to be honest for a change and care only about big business and fuck the little guy. And screw the children most of all:

"Each school district in Nevada still will receive the final DSA [Distributive School Account] payment from the 2001-2003 state budget this month, said Doug Thunder, the Nevada Department of Education deputy superintendent for administrative and fiscal services. The next payment would be due in August but cannot be made unless the tax plan and public education spending are approved by the Legislature.

"The legislative impasse would not affect money schools receive from sales and property taxes, about 45 percent of Nevada funding for public schools, Thunder said.

"Current teachers will be paid through August, Thunder said. But the inability to pass a tax plan and funding for education will hamper the hiring of new teachers, lawmakers said.

"'The education establishment is depending on us,' Buckley said. 'If we are not able to reach resolutions, offers to teachers will not be made and schools could be forced to close. I don't think anyone wants that to happen.'"

Don't count on it. There are a lot of people in this state who don't give a rip about the schools. There are about five Republicans who have contributed to the mess here, and they are playing games.

By the way, Clark County School District has put in a hiring freeze. Since it recruits more than 70 percent of its teachers from out-of-state, those potential teachers will be looking elsewhere for jobs.