More is not less. An increase is not a cut. Higher is not lower. Pointing this out is not "partisan rhetoric" any more than mathematics or plain English is partisan ("Md. schools deserve better," Feb. 12).
Prince Georges County is receiving $38 million more in education funding than last year. Del. Jay Walker may want more, but saying his county will "lose 600 teachers" after a $38 million increase is absurd. It's a fear tactic. Unfortunately, it's easier to scare people than it is to lead them.
It's also easier to personally attack a person as a "partisan" who has "forgotten our responsibility to provide an adequate education for every child" than it is to engage in a civil discussion based on the facts.
While most counties receive more education funding in Gov. Larry Hogan's budget, some, like Baltimore City, receive less. The "formulas" that reduced Baltimore's education funding this year have short-changed Annapolis for many years. I look forward to addressing this issue with my Baltimore colleagues.
We all want to our children to have a good education, but we also want them to live in a state with good jobs and economic opportunity. A budget that holds spending below what taxpayers sent us, increases total spending by $400 million, increases education funding by $45 million, eradicates an $800 million deficit and caps automatic spending increases balances these needs. It does little good to have great schools if our children are unable to find jobs in Maryland after they graduate.
Education, jobs, taxes, spending and the economy are interrelated. We must balance all of these wisely and honestly. Because it's your money — and our future.
Herb McMillan, Annapolis
The writer, a Republican, represents Anne Arundel County's District 30A in the Maryland House of Delegates.