First in Flight ... From Education

News out of Raleigh this a.m. is that a legislative joint education appropriations committee is proposing spending cuts to education amounting to more than $150 million, more than double the amount proposed by Gov. Mike Easley in February in his budget plan.

"The proposed cuts are widely seen as a bargaining tactic to win support for such unpopular steps as raising the cigarette tax or continuing a half-cent sales tax that is due to expire."

Cool move: hold education spending hostage to a tax on that sacred cow tobacco.