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How do our state legislators feel about the city manager’s proposal to cut about 8 percent from the city’s $21 million contribution to its schools—an amount, by the way, that is $4.5 million less than the city contributed 15 years ago? Well take a look at this clip of Rep. Kevin Murphy that was taken April 25 when our legislators met with Lowell members of Stand for Children, a statewide children’s advocacy group. In the clip, Rep. Murphy is responding to a question regarding the Municipal Aid Package that would enable cities to raise revenue without burdening homeowners, but his answer resonates with today’s school budget crisis. As Murphy states, “The city of Lowell’s commitment to public education falls short of where it should be. I was finally saying to my colleagues…we ought to be telling the City Council that they should step up to the plate. We’ve done as much as we can.” The school budget before the council today includes the state’s contribution of $115 million (up $4.9 million from ‘06) and asks the city to contribute the same $21 million as last year. After utilities, special education, salary adjustments, and health insurance increases, the schools netted an additional $1.7 million from the increased state aid–a number coincidently close to the manager’s suggested cut of $1.6 million. I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to bet when Murphy said “stepping up to the plate” he didn’t mean subsidizing city finances on the backs of our children’s education by taking state funding earmarked for the schools and using it for the city’s coffers.