Kaine decries proposed 'cuts' to pet program

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and former Gov. Tim Kaine is calling $81 million in "cuts" to the Virginia Preschool Initiative as proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell in his two-year budget plan "fiscally unwise."

As governor Kainechampioned the program that offers public preschool classes to at-risk 4-year-old children in the commonwealth.

Kaine said the cuts will hurt Virginia families and the state itself in the long run in a press release Monday.

"The proposed removal of $81 million in funding from early childhood programs in the introduced biennial budget has the potential to hurt thousands of children and their families now and in the future," Kaine said. "It signals a retreat from Virginia's commitment to winning the battle for talent. And, it represents a short term approach to expense cutting that will actually prove fiscally unwise in the future.

"The more we do to help our youngest succeed, the more the Commonwealth succeeds. Saving at children's expense is always the wrong approach."

The McDonnell administration said the $81 million is not a cut, but a "targeted savings" realized by "readjusting" the expected enrollment in the program in fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

Secretary of Finance Ric Brown said when the Department of Education turned in it's budget request for the program to the governor's office it was based on an assumption that every eligible 4-year-old child in the state would participate.

What it didn't account for, Brown said, is families not taking part.

The savings were realized by adjusting the rate for "non-participation," Brown said.

Brown said McDonnell's proposed budget actually increases funding for the Virginia Preschool Initiative over fiscal year 2012 spending levels and does increase the number of available in the program.

The two-year budget proposal increase spending by $5 million in 2013 more than 2012 and $5.5 million in 2014, Brown said.

Comments

[Reasonable Thought]

Kind of like the manufactured "War on Christmas". Drama queen rant, try listening to you crazy tea baggers for more than 5 seconds. Talk about drama queens.

[John Collins]

Reasonable Thought-thank you for that drama queen rant.

"FoxNews,Rush, Hannity, Beck, Blackwater, Halliburton, Walmart, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, blah blah blah". Who will be the next created boogeyman from the loony toon leftists? STAY TUNED!!

[Wylie E. Coyote]

@ reasonable thought: yes, education is key to success in this country, but some are educated enough to know that the nanny state will be there to provide the hand outs and that is all the education they want to know. Multiple babies = free money and this thought process puts a strain on society. Just think how better society would be if we didn't encourage their actions by pandering for their vote through social programs. I, for one, would like to keep more of the money I earn so I can enjoy my life the way I want vs. supporting other's who are enjoying their lifestyle.

[Reasonable Thought]

Jack, do you realize the greatest predictor of educational success in this country? Your parents income. The haves get, and the have nots do not. Of course, looking at the blatant ignorance displayed by your comment, I really should not expect empathy from you. Turn back on Fox and Limbaugh so you can be even more uninformed.

[Jack]

The Virginia Preschool Initiative that Kaine loves so much is nothing more than a socialist free baby sitting service to take care of the multiple babies for the welfare queens.