Help for Teachers or Hurt for Education?

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

So the POTUS and the congress pushed through another bill aimed at helping teachers and other civil servants. Although I am an educator I am not sure if this bill is a good thing for education. The bill is aimed at saving teachers jobs and also jobs for police and firefighters. There is even money for Medicare that doesn't have to be spent on Medicare.

Washington, D.C. (Aug 10) – The U.S. House of Representatives closed out its emergency session today finalizing H.R. 1586 authorizing funding for states avoiding massive lay-offs this fall. Nearly, 140,000 educators risked being furloughed at the beginning of the school year if the bill was to fail.
The bill passed the House 247 to 161 with only one Republican voting in favor of the bill, and three Democrats voting against the bill.
The bill authorizes $16 billion for Medicaid funding and $10 billion for education all at the cost of reduction of food stamps for families in need.- WorldNewsVine

Enrollment has been declining in California for the last several years. My question is if we have less students shouldn't we have fewer teachers? If we don't need teachers yet "save" teachers' jobs isn't that a just a form of  welfare? That may seem harsh, but, if education is supposed to be about the students why would spend more on teachers if declining enrollment says we need less? And as a 21 year education vet one thing I know is that if "the the big wigs" can put money in the "general fund" and use it for pet special "projects" they will. Because if the money is not coming every year than it is only a band-aid on a severed limb. Saving teachers jobs just to save jobs does not automatically help student achievement. 

Perhaps someone is trying to buy votes.