What? This Isn't Enough?

So now we see more contours of a possible budget compromise...

• A 2.5 percent pay cut in salaries for all school employees, including teachers and administrators, saving the state $117.5 million over two years.

• Reduce basic per-pupil school support by $100 in each year, saving the state $85 million.

• Reduce higher education funding by $20 million over two years, putting the cut from 13.54 percent to 15.34 percent.

• Eliminate a senior citizens property tax assistance program with 16,609 participants who, on average, get a refund of $267 a year. It would save $1.2 million over two years.

• Not fund a portion of the self-directed autism program, saving $2.8 million.

• Reduce Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up funding by $19.3 million for the biennium. That includes a $5 per bed-day reduction for nursing homes, a 0.7 percent rate reduction for dental services, a 15 percent rate reduction for surgical centers and ambulance services, and increased costs to counties.

• Not funding subsidized child care for 295 children of people on welfare, saving $2 million.

• Reduce mental health services by $2.3 million.

• Reduce supported living arrangements for mental health services.

• Eliminate a high-intensity team to deal with those with mental health needs, saving $1 million.

• Eliminate supported living arrangements for 54 positions, saving $3 million.

• Shift costs of youth parole services to the county for about $5.5 million.

• Reduce room and board funding for youth with mental health programs, saving $1.4 million.

Amazingly enough (or not), it's still not enough for Sandogibbons and his merry band of Senate "Rethuglican'ts". So where do we go from here? It's still up in the air, but I'm getting a better sense that it will be a hard and painful landing regardless of who claims "victory". And regardless of what anyone else says, keep bugging those legislators and let them know what you think of this nonsense.