Jackson Jambalaya

Are there any details in the bill, or are these just lump-sum disbursements? For instance, what will UMC do with $4,500,000? Supposedly they have a billion-dollar budget, so why do they need this?

Lots of shameful wasteful spending there. Lots of it for items that in no way should even be funded by the taxpayes.

Funny how all the 3 big schools have exactly the same needs. One would think that in these times, only the true needs would be funded and a desire for politically motivated equality would be laid aside. I am sure that all 8 universities have an ample wish list to pull out when anyone asks how much money they want. It is time to cut back and discern the difference between wants and needs for education funding.

I noticed that most of the state agencies fall under the executive branch. Is this how they circumvent Haley's cuts?

WTH is DPS gonna do with $18 mil?

Hob Bryan is correct. Bond bills are financed over many years at relatively low interest rates. It's a good way to make infrastructure improvements to things like bad bridges.

You can look at the details for each of these by looking at the bill - although it is over 250 pages. Much of it is redundant legal speak required for bond bills. But it identifies the specifics that the money is to be used for. (BTW, not defending the items, just explaining.)

As to 11:54, the DPS $18 million is mostly for the construction of the new crime lab.

2:27, $20 million is for the bridge fund. And every year the state is spending bond money on infrastructure such as bridges. That's not the question - what's questioned is the small local issues - renovating a community theater, building the Emmitt Till Museum, etc. But just because interest rates are low doesn't mean we need to spend more.

The practice of giving , for example, junior colleges all equal amounts of money for " improvements" is common in these bonds. When I argued strenuously that some junior colleges needed the money but others did not, I was informed " we can't punish a junior college for managing well". It was an absurb argument as one campus was hit by a tornado and needed much more money...hardly a " management" issue,
Also, at the end of each fiscal year, EVERY agency comes in to spend money at every office supply or equipment store in the State as they find it hard to justify increases if they were to run a surplus.
IF anyone is really serious about the budget and not just trying to appease the taxpayers who are frustrated with escalating government costs, it's time to change the procedures. It's the ONLY way to get the budget under control and every single politician knows it. But, we cannot so easily divide the spoils or have a grateful constituency if they actually reform the process.

The $4.5 million that UMC is getting is towards funding of construction for the new school of medicine. The actual price of construction is said to be upwards of $60 million...

I find it interesting that the State Fire Academy which trains our Volunteer Firefighters to save our lives and property only gets 400,000 when the ZOO get 1.3 mil!

But how much does it cost to train a year's worth of firefighters, and how much does it cost to maintain a zoo for a year? I don't know either answer, so I can't say if the difference in the amounts is relevant or not. I think they're both important.