Educational Funding

I was recently reading a news story of 50 buses that drove to the Capital (Denver) and rallied to not cut funding for K12 education (http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=599726).  I understand the importance of funding, but when the state does not have any money and needs to make cuts to balance the budget, what are they supposed to do?  Is this a tax payer problem?  Is it a education problem?  I am not sure what the answer is, but it seems that they could have written an e-mail, sent 1 bus up there with several bus drivers aboard and still delivered the same message.  This trip cost that school district over $5000.  In my opinion that is not a wise use of tax payer dollars.  It seems that North Dakota is one of the only states that is being responsible with their money and they actually have a surplus!  I know a lot of the mess that we are in comes from the Federal government and works its way down, but we are in this situation and school districts are going to have to do more with less.  They are going to have come up with innovative ways to teach students on a low budget.  Students are going to have to start copying notes and work sheets instead of copies being printed out, more students will have to ride a bike or get a ride to school.  Professional development opportunities will have to be transformed into professional learning communities and sharing ideas between grade levels.  It can be done and students can still achieve!