Like sands through the hourglass...

The drama continues in the story of the $34 million surplus and whether or not it actually exists. Thank you to Elke for sharing this article from the City Paper. According to what I've read Chancellor Rhee's office claims that the surplus was present and was to be used to fund the new union contract, but the DC CFO claims that the surplus was never confirmed, and that he was "incredulous" to learn that Rhee claimed the $34 million was there. Mayor Fenty asserts that the money was certified as present and is needed to fund the new contract.

Both the letter from DC CFO Gandhi revealing that funding is not present, and a response from Chancellor Rhee can be linked to through the article. The letter from Gandhi is worth reading. Chancellor Rhee ends her letter saying that with a combination of $5 million in the budget and $29 million that has been identified by Rhee and her staff, the contract can still go forward. More is sure to come, and it will be interesting to see how this all unfolds. Stay tuned...