[Vision2020] Andreas's Arguments

Fri May 11 18:48:36 PDT 2007

Andreas, 

  I agree with you that the state should mostly fund education. However, I disagree with you on the federal and local funding issues. 

  When a state takes federal funding it becomes dependent on it, and is then required to follow its incompetent unfunded mandated plans like "No Child Left Behind."

  On the local level, I think that people in a community have every right to give their own money to education. 

  I would agree with a formula though on how state funding is allocated based on wealth of the community. I disagree with federal matching because that magnifies and intensifies the differences in the poorer and richer districts. You are going to give a million dollars to a rich neighborhood, but only 200,000 to a poor one because that is all it could raise? I think federal funding should be used to equalize the poorer public school systems. 

I also think a better way to go is to incorporate school vouchers, or refund a portion of the cost of educating a child to a private institution. This would increase funding for public school on a per child basis, leaving more money for those that are poorer of disadvantaged. 

  Best,

  Donovan 

Andreas Schou <ophite at gmail.com> wrote:
  G --

Farankly, this entire mess could be avoided by funding education
straight from the state coffers, with a federal match, with funding
determined on a per-student basis, rather than a "how rich the parents
are" basis. Until that's done, equality of educational opportunity in
this country will be simply laughable.

-- ACS

On 5/11/07, g. crabtree wrote:
>
>
> Tom, your argument with regard to the president works wonderfully to
> illustrate the patent unfairness of the MSD's supplemental levy scheme for
> obtaining additional funds. Every four years you get an opportunity to elect
> yourself a new national leader. Even if you fail, the scoundrel is out in
> eight years no matter what. With the levy, once its in its in forever.
> Perfectly reasonable people who, for reasons of their own, are not in favor
> of the tax increase must be constantly voting to keep the increases at bay.
> Those in favor must only get lucky once and the rest of the community is put
> upon into perpetuity. Plus, if the levy fails the district simply wears down
> the voters by marginally reducing the amount they ask for and coming back
> again and again until they finally succeed. Once they establish the new,
> albeit slightly lower bonus they simply come back with their hand out a
> little sooner then they might have had the original levy passed and start
> the whole nightmare over again. To establish a modicum of fairness in this
> process the levy's should:
>
> A. Sunset after a given number of years. (If Moscow's economy were to
> seriously tank, property values plummet and school district enrolment
> numbers shrink drastically, do you really think we should be bound by levy's
> from the distant past?)
>
> B. Require at least a 60% or greater voter approval. (I'd prefer 75%)
>
> C. Be put to a single vote at regularly scheduled elections (to avoid voter
> fatigue and cherry picking election dates)
>
> g
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tom Ivie
> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 9:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Taxpayer Rights
>
> I thought about this for a little while and decided that it is much like
> voting for a President. Someone elected without a "mandate" can still
> become President (Clinton). A "simple" majority (even if decided by a
> court) can still make you President (Bush II). When we vote, those of us 18
> and older, are voting for those who can't yet vote (those not 18 and not yet
> legal to vote yet -as in immigrants). But they have to live with the outcome
> of that vote until the next opportunity arises that they MAY be able to vote
> if they have become of age or legal to vote -become a U.S. citizen.
>
> Donovan Arnold wrote:
>
> The Wietz lawsuit raises some important questions in my mind, particularly
> regarding taxpayers and their rights.
>
> Is it fair, first off, to have a vote to pay taxes for an indefinite amount
> of time? Seems rather unfair, voting to tax people in the future that have
> not been given the right to decide what tax level they feel is fair. Being
> told, "People in the past already voted and so you don't get to decide,
> ever, unless of course you want to raise the tax rate."--hardly seems
> reasonable to me.
>
> Second, at what point is the minority tax payer able to rebel against the
> taxes levied upon him/her by the majority? What rights do they have to
> protect them from out right exploitation and thievery by the tax levying
> democratic majority?
>
> Third, are property taxes even fair or just? Taxing people on where they
> live, even knocking those on fixed incomes right outta their homes?
>
> Finally, placing the entire burden of running schools, the largest expense,
> squarely on the back of property owners seems rather harsh, is not greatly
> unjust.
>
> What do you think? Am I wrong to think that there should be some limits
> placed on what the democratic majority can do to the minority taxpayer that
> just feels completely robbed and stripped of the fruits of their hard labor?
> Is it possible Gerry Wietz and other feel the same way?
>
> Best,
>
> Donovan
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