by
Brian Mann on June 8th, 2011
Momentum is growing for a property tax cap, but there’s a lot of pushback right now from local government and school leaders, who say they could be forced to slash programs and services.
The Watertown Daily Times looks this morning at fears among educators that “poor, rural school districts, such as those in the north country, are disproportionately affected by state aid cuts or a tax cap.”
“Our offerings would need to be significantly altered just to get by,” said Joseph J. Eberle, business administrator for the South Jefferson Central School District. “The haves will be successful and productive and the have-nots will not. I think that’s an atrocity.”
So what do you think? Full speed ahead on a tax cap? Or do these warnings give you pause? Comments welcome.
Tags: economy, education, politics
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The Watertown Times carried a similar story yesterday regarding the St Law Co Legislators considering a sales tax increase. Without and increase it’s going to be doom and gloom. Well, maybe it’s time the northern counties and schools got together and told the State they can’t afford to abide by the mandates sent down, that relief is needed to cut costs. Between NYS and Federal mandates the costs are staggering in variety of areas. It’s time to admit we simply can’t afford to give everyone everything all the time.
The problem is elected officials in Albany and Washington pandering for votes. They do this by placing mandates upon schools and local governments, mandates that sound great and most people will support. But then they don’t fund the mandates and pass the cost on to the schools and the local governments who need to get the money from the property tax. Then, guess what? When the voters complain about their property taxes, the state comes to the rescue by offering a cap on property taxes.
This solution works great for Albany legislators because they have their cake and eat it too by taking credit for all the wonderful things they have mandated and at the same time say they are doing all they can to control property taxes.
If this isn’t a scam, I don’t know what is.
Why not just git rid of all of the unfunded mandates and let the chips fall where they may. If a school can’t afford special education or free breakfasts and lunches, well they just can’t afford them. If local governments can’t afford to plow the roads, then let DOT pay for the plowing.
The property tax cap seems good in principle, but as noted by many northern New York school officials, the problem for us is that we’re disproportionally affected by the cut in state education aid. Therefore, if Albany insists upon a property tax cap, than it’s essential that Albany also reform the state education financial aid formula.
The voters here in upstate, NY need to make a stink about this aid formula with their local elected officials. They’ve been hearing about this problem long before any real momentum began to build about a property tax cap and have done NOTHING to address it within their party leadership. Only Addie Russel, to her credit, seems to understand this dilemma and has raised this issue. Now is the time for Blakenbush, Griffo, and Ritchie do raise holy hell about the aid formula. Politically the timing is perfect given the backdrop of what appears to be impending legislation for a property tax cap. Politics being politics, they’re too afraid to rock the boat, but they now have political cover. Go for it, gang!
The cartoon says it all. A tax cap not twinned with mandate relief will be a disaster.
I think it is possible this is Albany’s way of forcing consolidation. They know some schools can’t survive with reduced state aid and a tax cap, the only choice left is closure and consolidation. I am for consolidation but I think this is the wrong way to go about it.
I agree with Mervel. I think this is a backdoor way to close small schools.
This is all just a symptom of lousy leadership at the state level and every single state elected official is to blame.
The property tax is a lousy way to fund schools, and Medicare (Medicaid? I get them confused) should be funded primarily at the state level.
There needs to be a real overhaul of state taxation, funding and leadership.
Requiring teachers to contribute to their health plans could help districts stay under the cap.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20110605/NEWS05/306059962
A little push back against the ever-rising, and ever-largest cost of those health plans would be good too. We know who our local school boards, teachers, and administrators are. We know our representatives, legislators, and governor by name, but we don’t ever see the guys who make and take the most money in this giant scam.
Somebody’s getting rich, but not around here.
Massachusetts adopted a tax cap and their schools consistently outperform New York schools on a host of standard tests and evaluation criteria. Yes; small schools are financially inefficient and some consolidation is necessary. NYS government and government services (e.g. schools) have become bloated. The reality is that we just cannot continue spending at the current pace. We need to start cutting as seriously as some of us have had to do in the private sector.
Just imagine. If we had national health care and there was no such thing as private health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, a huge cost for private businesses, schools and all levels of local government would be gone from their budgets. All health care would be funded by the Federal government and through the income tax.
Pete Klein says: “Just imagine. If we had national health care and there was no such thing as private health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, a huge cost for private businesses, schools and all levels of local government would be gone from their budgets. All health care would be funded by the Federal government and through the income tax.”
This presumes those in charge of such a decision would already be in possession of an adequate education, since without being educated, the logic of such a decision would be too dim to distinguish.
Wow, sounds like a buncha right wing nut jobs in here! You know, at this point I could almost go for a nationalized health care plan. But not if it’s funded off the income tax, that’s just adding more burden to the already overburdened tax payer. Maybe a .25% national sales tax would do it? I dunno, have to look at the figures. Won;t happen anyway, too much money involved.
What say you all about the idea of the schools and local gov’ts banding together and telling the state to stick the mandates where the sun don’t shine? A little civil disobedience might be a good thing I think.
Right on Brother Bret! I’m giving you a “like” even though you aren’t fully there yet.
The income tax is the best way to fund health care and then there is more incentive for tax reform.
I say that local governments hit hard by flooding but not receiving state or federal aid should all band together and declare bankruptcy. If the ratings agencies downgrade their credit ratings they should have a suit prepared to file immediately against Moody”s, S&P etc. for the fraud they perpetrated in the financial melt-down.
Property Tax Cap, one small step in the right direction, State funding for public Education is a must, State funding for Medicare is a must, property tax relief is a must, so get on with it. The circuit breaker has a more pinpointed approach providing help in relationship to income and should be a follow up to the Cap.
We need to return to basic education paid for by NYS and they can cover all the mandates. As for pension,define contribution is a must and defined benefit must go out with the trash. People we must learn to do with less or we will have nothing soon, get involved.
Crazy Horse 2
Knuck- I said “almost”. If it’s “offered” and not mandatory/required (ie-unConstitutional) then I could almost consider it, but not based on the income tax. It would have to be a zero profit/cost system, the taxpayer can’t afford anything more. That’s why it’ll never happen.