Previous post that Orbusmax featured. 

Apparently, your Washington State Senate Democrats want you to believe they have a "Security for Washington’s future today" budget.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The State Senate budget (SB 5140) overspends greatly… but invests "a maximum of $100,000" for a special education ombudsman.  Only because State Senator Janéa Holmquist has staked her personal reputation on getting this funding - and her press release was written three weeks ago in most respects according to a source within Olympia.

Of course, being a conservative in the mold of U.S. Representative Mike Pence, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn and the Evergreen Freedom Foundation… here are some offsets (okay, cuts) the State Senate could make in its budget (these are biennium numbers):

• $158,000 for a "Manufactured Home Installation Training Account" in Sec. 127 - Community, Trade and Economic Development
  (A subsidy to private business, pure & simple.)

• $590,000 for The Commission on Hispanic Affairs, Sec. 133
  (2 words: Why segregate?)

• $577,000 for The Commission on African-American Affairs, Sec. 134
  (Again, why segregate?)

• $5,487,000 for the Horse Racing Commission, Sec. 146
  (Horse racers can pay for their own commission.)

But hey, if we can't cut the above… then let's consider cutting some of the following out of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's budget:

• (i) $325,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2008 and $325,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2009 are provided solely for comprehensive cultural competence and anti-bias education programs for educators and students. The office of superintendent of public instruction shall administer grants to school districts with the assistance and input of groups such as the anti-defamation league and the Jewish federation of Seattle.

• $1,939,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2008 and $1,939,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2009 are provided solely for K-20 telecommunications network technical support in the K-12 sector to prevent system failures and avoid interruptions in school utilization of the data processing and video-conferencing capabilities of the network. These funds may be used to purchase engineering and advanced technical support for the network.
  (Note the "video-conferencing capabilities")

• (vii) $75,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2008 and $75,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2009 are provided solely for developing and disseminating curriculum and other materials documenting women's role in World War II.

So before we consider gutting SB 5140, Sec. 507, (13) (pg. 94 of PDF)… let's take a look at the above.  Below is the legislation as currently stands (again, thanks to State Senator Janéa Holmquist's pressure cooking that started three weeks ago according to Olympia sources):

(13) A maximum of $100,000 of the general fund–federal appropriation shall be expended to support a special education ombudsman program within the office of superintendent of public instruction. The purpose of the program is to provide support to parents, guardians, educators, and students with disabilities. The program will provide information to help families and educators understand state laws, rules, and regulations, and access training and support, technical information services, and mediation services. The ombudsman program will provide data, information, and appropriate recommendations to the office of superintendent of public instruction, school districts, educational service districts, state need projects, and the parent and teacher information center.

Of course, this still has to pass a Democrat-controlled State Senate that inserted this under Republican fire, then reconcile with the Democrat-controlled State House that in its last published version had the same language in PDF only because they took fire from a State Senate Republican, then both chambers of the legislature have to pass the combined legislation and finally the occupant of the Governor's Office signs off - and can issue line-item vetoes paragraph by paragraph.  The Governor's Office didn't fund the Ombudsman.

Then there's the fact that the ombudsman doesn't have a website yet for whatever reason.  I'd highly recommend modeling the Ombudsman's website after The Oregon Parent Training and Information Center that MaxRedline recommended in a comment last night HERE, Oregon's "statewide parent training and information center serving parents of children with disabilities" has a lending library, training seminars and more.  No reason why we can't copycat this in the State of surplus and spendthrifts (a.k.a. Washington).   

Finally, please give this message to your state legislators: "Please put in your final 2007-2009 biennium budget full time funding for at least one special education ombudsman, one aide to the special education ombudsman and a website" and you can go HERE to find your Washington state legislative district.

Please step up to stop the waste and start the hope!