Despite claims that they will face a $100 million budget shortfall, Kansas school districts actually maintain $175.7 million in their contingency reserve funds as of the beginning of the year. Dale Dennis, Deputy Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education, admits that the emergency dollars can actually be used to remedy budget woes, but laments that once the districts use the money, there will be none left.
Read more about the Kansas budgetary drama online at Kansas Watchdog.
Steve Miller at Texas Watchdog revealed that Ronald Green, who is the leading candidate for Houston City Controller, owes $120,043.11 in backed federal income taxes. These liens go as far back as 2002.
While Green maintains he has done nothing wrong and that his liens are part of standard procedure when disputing the amounts of tax bills. His opponent, Pam Holm, disagrees.
“It says, one, he’s got a lot of nerve, and two, he has no respect for the voters,” said Bethel Nathan, Holm’s campaign manager. “If he can’t handle his own finances, how can he handle the city’s finances? If he comes back and says he paid this, we would ask for proof. And if he says he worked out a payment plan, it doesn’t matter – look what you did going back to 2002.”