That's what House Appropriations Chairman David Obey has been saying, but I've been skeptical, arguing that these new spending levels (on education at least) will become the "new normal" and that interest groups will push hard to maintain them. Today came confirmation of this theory. Note this quote from Mary Kusler, a lobbyist for the American Association of School Administrators, that appears in this USA Today story:
Title I and IDEA "are areas where they cannot cut back three years from now."
"Cut back"? We're looking at $140 billion in new spending for education, and the establishment is already asking for more.
