[I Was Naked]
When I Wrote ThisAct 1 Defeated in PA
2007-05-17
And thank god for that.
Pennsylvania has been trying to find alternate and new ways to bleed its citizens out of more taxes. I'll hand it to them, they're creative. With the advent of gambling casino's opening in the state, a portion of the revenue generated was supposed to be divvied up between school districts that were in need. However, that led to a great debate of which districts were more in need of funding and to offset it the PTB came up with Act 1 and placed it on the ballot. In essence it asked the voters would they be interested in maybe offsetting their Real Estate taxes for an increase on our earned income tax? Big resounding no. Why are they surprised?
I for one am a single person who owns her home. It has always been my belief that single people without children should not pay school taxes, and the elderly need to be exempt too. Put the burden on the people with kids. Once your youngest graduates high school, apply for relief. How do you enforce it? Simple, you apply the tax base on the number of deductions on their tax returns.
We actually have census volunteers come around, knocking on our doors, asking who lives in our homes, where do we work, and sign on the line. I decline to answer, none of their business. They claim to use it to know how to hire for the school etc. Here's an idea, you take attendence daily, and people have to fill out paperwork when they enroll their kids in school. Start there.
The problem in Pennsylvania is that the funds don't go to the kids benefit, not when School Superintendents earn way over six figures in an Administrative position. They continue to cut programs and lately the high school I graduated from did a huge expansion. What did they add? Classrooms? Nope, a larger gymnasium, and playing fields for sports. There's a crack administrative decision for you. What they don't mention is a little known fact that unless you have the added ability to coach a sport, you aren't hired as a teacher in our school districts.
On finding out how heavily defeated the bill was, the local newspapers report the following statements:
"I guess renters voted fairly heavily," said West Chester school board President Rodgers Vaughn. "Renters were a no vote because they didn't stand to benefit."
Other voters who work in places such as Delaware voted against Act 1 because they didn't stand to benefit, and Vaughn pointed to the Kennett Consolidated School District as a potential example because many in that district work in Delaware.
"Act 72 and Act 1 operated under the premise that school districts are responsible for all of the costs," he said.
Vaughn cited increasing labor costs and benefits as a prime reason why school costs keep increasing."Costs will keep escalating as long as teachers have the right to strike," Vaughn said.
This puts the school district under the awkward position of being placed under the still extant Act 1 tax index restrictions, which require all school tax hikes in excess of the index to be put out for voter approval. At the same time, this puts school districts in a bind when it comes to negotiating teachers' contracts.
Boo fickety hoo. So take away the Unions, that every year wait until the day before school starts to go on strike. So lets take away the three months off, and go to the year round schooling. It definately solves parents child care issues during the summer, since the way yearly schooling works, only three weeks vacation occurs in summer. It alleviates the ability for teachers and bus drivers to file and collect unemployment benefits over the summer, if they don't elect to spread their pay over the months they don't work.
Legislatures need to get over the idea that throwing more tax payer dollars is going to resolve the issues. Money doesn't solve anything, except creating the false need for more. Everyone should know by now, that as your wallet expands so does your own cost of living. How else do we live the American Dream if we don't live beyond our means? Jeez...yep this from the woman who has learned the hard way from trying to maintain a 160 year old house. Less than three years ago I had stellar credit and helped everyone I could. All I wanted was a single family home with a garage, and with my love of decorating and working in the building industry thought I could easily afford this home. Fast forward and as I have stated in my other blogs, going through bankruptcy. But even with that happening, I still will have to sell this house as the real estate taxes keep increasing, the local tax keeps rising, and my school taxes alone are about 3200 on an assessment of 134,000 for my house and land. I was smart enough not to buy a house in the CASD school district where the school taxes run $9000.00 on a $300,000.00 assessment.
So, yes. Stop burdening people without children and the elderly with school taxes. Get over this idea of children being the future and they are a blessing to us all, so everyone needs to contribute. Well if you are going to take my money for their education than I want a say in how they live. If it's taking a village to pay for your kids, than don't get bent out of shape when the same village who is subsidizing their education get involved and vote down these ridiculous tax benefits to people who spit out kids that can't afford them.
I'd love for their to be a worksheet updated yearly maybe handed out at the courthouse when couples apply for a marriage license or hell, maybe still in high school. Here's what it cost to raise a child, now subtract that from your net income, minus, housing and living expenses. Is the bottom line enough to bring a child into the world and pay for their schooling out of your pocket for the next 12 years? No? Then wait til your income increases.
Just some ideas of thinking outside the box.
Barnabus (2007-05-17)
They will never come a time when they don't want more taxes, greed demands it!! There are a zillion hidden taxes, huge tax on gasoline, sneaky sales tax, they get 6%+ and we can't get that much in interest on savings! Had some fun once, on my way in to the polling place, two little old ladiesasked me, "Are you going to vote for the new ___ tax? I replied, "Oh yes! I always vote for anything that will increase our taxes!!" WOW!! they gave me a dirty look!!
[ Back to top ]
Created with ShoutPost
