Money

Seems to be in greater abundance this legislative session. My former PSU colleague and fellow Department Chair Tom Potiowsky has released the May budget forecast today. It is $215 million higher than the March forecast and should give the legislature enough breathing room to fund K-12 at a reasonable level, while preserving a few rainy day reserves. Since the PERS Board has squirrelled away pretty much all it needs to cover the worst case court rulings (employees win on major pieces of City of Eugene, coupled with Strunk), most of the political and economic pressure now seems to be off the Supreme Court's decision. The Legislature can finalize the 2005 - 07 budget without the specter of an additional PERS financial hit coming from a late and adverse (to employers) decision. I'm still holding to my prediction that next week we could see the City of Eugene decision released. Again, don't anyone think I *know* this to be true because the idea has no support from anyone I know. It just seems that the confluence of events is now right -- the stars are aligned correctly and nothing will drop from the heavens -- if the Court rules next week, regardless of how they rule.

Enjoy the (hopefully) sunny weekend.