One on One - Marti Coley

The 2009 Legislative Session was a tough one. Lawmakers cut billions of dollars from the budget because of a slow economy. Some of those cuts were in education.

In Bay County, the school district is having to slash close to 20 million dollars from its budget.

Dist. 7 Rep. Marti Coley voted to cut the budget. The former educator said it was a tough decision, but had to be done. “People say, how can you not fund education,  we are funding education,” we increased education spending by 41% over the last eight years” Coley said. This year, Rep. Coley says legislators did cut education, but less than they cut healthcare, and she says they only cut per student funding by 130. per student.

When asked about the lottery dollars and why that doesn’t fund education as much as it could, Rep. Coley says it does. “Most of the money goes to Bright Future Scholarships for middle income families”, Coley said.

“Raising taxes isn’t the answer, we have to have a business friendly state, Coley says, or people won’t come, they will leave and we will be in worse shape.”

To hear the extended interview with Rep. Coley, click below.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/12 at 06:52 AM
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Ms. Coley, 

I believe Jackson county holds some of your family members, and I believe that you have recieved a letter letting you know of the injustices on the children of Jackson County by child molesters. Jackson county continues to let child molesters off to walk the streets. Some of these are self employed and go into the homes of Jackson county residents.  what is wrong with our justice system. Evidence is right in front of their face but still they make the wrong choices about several men in this county. Help your family lives here too.

Above comment posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  07/14  at  07:59 PM
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