Huckleberries Online

Nonini: Santa Obama Saves Idaho Ed

Posted by DFO

Feb. 13, 2009 3:52 p.m. • 11 comments

Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, now says his controversial bills to make permanent cuts in laws governing school funding and teacher contracts may not be needed at all, what with big money coming Idaho’s way from the federal stimulus package. “It looks like Idaho could be in line for $160 million and some of that money could be available as soon as next week,” Nonini said. Some of the federal money is designed specifically “so teachers don’t get cuts in salary, teachers don’t get laid off and programs don’t get cut,” Nonini said. “We all thought it would be best to just not rush into the hearings”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Earlier: Plan anticipates $110M in school cuts

H/T: Bob

11 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

PatrickH on February 13 at 4:18 p.m.
I must be missing something, where did Nonini make the “Santa Obama” remark?
Charlie on February 13 at 4:34 p.m.
Grinch Nonini might be more fitting.
nic on February 13 at 4:39 p.m.
And by “We all thought it would be best to just not rush into the hearings” what Nonini really means is everyone that opposed him thought it would be best to just not rush into the hearings.
DFO on February 13 at 4:42 p.m.
>I must be missing something, where did Nonini make the “Santa Obama” remark? — Patrick Hoffer.<

I confess. I was using some blog license to put the gist of the article into a short head. Nonini doesn’t have to take the ax to Idaho education b/c the bailout bill will provide the money to cover education shortball. Hence, Santa Claus. DFO swings … and misses …
Arch_Druid on February 13 at 6:15 p.m.
Well, I am presuming that the bill will soon become law. Nonini against the stimulus package and still for all the money that Idaho is expected to get. LOL!
teachum2 on February 15 at 3:06 p.m.
I am a teacher in Idaho. This is nothing short of a union-busting ploy - pure and simple. They’ve tried it many times over the years in various guises, but this is the most blatant. It’s shameful. I was at the meeting with Saylor, Nonnini and Goeddes. The atmosphere was highly charged and no one in the room believed a word they said about the bill not being punitive and mean-spirited and a union-busting attempt. Teachers in Idaho have suffered too many attacks from their legislators to trust them. Then to top it all off, Jim Hammond stood up and lectured everyone on how they just didn’t see the big picture! In the end, we also got a lecture from Nonnini about how we would be held harmless because of the Federal Stimulus money and everyone else was going to suffer. They were insufferable! Mr. Saylor was better and even said he could not support the bill. His wife spoke very eloquently about the need to keep and attract excellent teachers and that these measures would kill the ability to do that.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.