- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Dallas and help keep the future of Dallas Observer free.
The Dallas County Community College District Web site is thick this week with missives from Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jerry Prater and Chancellor Wright Lassiter Jr., who remain furious with Governor Rick Perry for vetoing last Friday $153,979,799 in funding approved by the state Legislature. That money was to go toward community college employee group health insurance for the 2008-'09 fiscal year, and it's estimated that DCCCD will eat $15.7 million of that bite out of the budget.
Already, community colleges across the state are trying to figure how to make up the budget shortfall -- by raising tuition, most likely, to compensate for the actions of a governor who, in essence, said the community colleges were greedy liars just before he took away their $150-plus million.
On Wednesday, Prater and Lassiter posted to the site a note in which they wrote, "In addition to being disappointed with the action, we emphatically disagree with the assertion that we 'falsified' our appropriations request... We are especially dismayed because in your budget proposal earlier this year, you included a full group health insurance appropriation to community colleges. We went through all of the hearings of the 80th Legislative Session, and there was no indication from you that this was a matter of concern. Your veto and the companion language misrepresent our actions. Both are painful and unnecessary." That was followed by yesterday this detailed explanation from Lassiter, along with a list of people to call -- including, of course, the governor. --Robert Wilonsky
Keep the Dallas Observer Free... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Dallas with no paywalls.