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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2001 |
Contact: Rep. Mark Moses Tel.: 586-8500 |
Education Department's 10 year Plan Not Acceptable
House Republicans said today the Department of Accounting and General Services' 10 year catch-up plan for old repairs at public schools is unacceptable and shows the concept of government reform is still foreign to the majority party and the bureaucracy.
"If your bathroom is in need of repair, would you accept waiting 10 years before you fixed it?" asked Rep. Mark Moses (R-Kapolei, Ewa, Waipahu). "Everyone talks about reforming government and here is a prime example of where it should have occurred but didn't."
Moses said the passage of a bill that would allow taxpayers to designate $2 of their tax refund for school repair and another that would allow projects under $100,000 to circumvent the procurement process avoid the real problems.
"Raising more money for schools and circumventing the procurement process are not the answers to fixing our schools," he said. "The real answer and the real reform is fixing our process so repair and maintenance can be done in a timely and cost effective manner. And that means improving how DAGS and every department does its work--or taking the job away entirely. No government entity should be allowed to say that waiting 10 years to repair a leaking pipe or fixing a hole in the wall is part of a 'plan'."
Republicans said education reform was part of their caucus package and will continue to be a priority. "We've talked about reforming our educational system from day one and our reform is not about new ways to raise money or give tax credits. Our reform has to do with reducing the bureaucracy," said Galen Fox, House Republican Leader. "Everyone complained about standards for teachers. Where are the standards for those who provide our children's learning environment?"
Fox said the bureaucracy needs to meet measurable performance goals. "We should be asking 'What is a reasonable time for a repair to be completed?' Repairs just have to be done in a timely manner. And if you can't do it in a timely manner, we should find someone who can."
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