Stimulus or Swap?

If it looks like a swap and quacks like a swap . . . it's probably not going to stimulate our economy. So, Texas' last minute application for education stimulus money was approved. And, no matter how many times Arne Duncan told us this money was for school improvement, the reality is that was not a stimulus you just felt, that was a hole being plugged:

Texas teachers will soon get raises, thanks to a state application for federal stabilization funds, which was approved Friday.

The application – submitted by Gov. Rick Perry just 18 minutes before the July 1 deadline – is the first phase of a two-part process to send more than $3 billion in federal stimulus funds to Texas schools.

Most of the money will be spent on $800-per-employee pay increases for teachers and select other educators, much to the ire of some school superintendents and Democratic members of the state's Congressional delegation, who feel the money is being inappropriately used.

They argue the state shifted funds intended for education to other purposes and then plugged the whole in the education budget with stimulus funds, an unintended use of the money.

“The governor was able to augment the rainy day fund,” said Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio.

In a release, the Texas Education Agency said the stabilization money will help address a decline in a state endowment fund that is used for general education spending.

Gonzalez said he was frustrated by what basically amounted to “a shell game” although he was pleased teachers would see raises.

“What's done is done,” Gonzalez said. “We didn't want to penalize the state.”

A spokeswoman for the TEA said local districts would begin receiving the money by September 1.

Instead of reforming education in Texas, we are standing still. At least our teachers get a raise - they deserve it. Our dear Republican leaders yanked money away from the education budget then held out their hand and asked big government to plug the hole back up. The teabaggers took the tea bag out of one cup and put it in another. Then, they asked the government for "more tea bags, please." That's all they did.