Americans: So quick to give to the world, yet so blind to thier own issues

[DrMoab]

Here's a thought - why not a bunch of people who aren't going to have kids, or whose kids are grown, get together and start a district somewhere where there is no school, therefore no teachers/principals/school board/people to kvetch, and therefore can safely lower the property taxes due to no educational expenses? Any comments?

After all, why pay for a service you don't need, IF you can get a bunch of people who don't need the service to get together and agree they don't need it...

5-90

Why not just have vouchers so I can send my kids to private school or home school them and you can pay to keep your kids in public school. I really don't understand why nobody likes this idea..If you had more kids in private schools it wouldn't cost so much to run the public schools and the kids would get a better education anyway because they would be less crowded and the ones who wanted there kids to get a better education in a private school could afford it easier because they wouldn't have to pay for everyone elses kids....Its a win win situation.

 

[bchulett]

I assume you live in a place that has a school? Thus a Taxing District for said school? Ya gotta pay.

Where in the hell are there homes with no schools? ... I don't live in Leisure World for god's sake. So yea, I pay for all those rugrats that pass by the house each day ... hoping a teacher will teach them something useful... so they can enter the job market and pay taxes so I can retire and live off them someday ... right ?

This is commerce and the American way in action !!

 

[red91]

Why not just have vouchers so I can send my kids to private school or home school them and you can pay to keep your kids in public school. I really don't understand why nobody likes this idea..If you had more kids in private schools it wouldn't cost so much to run the public schools and the kids would get a better education anyway because they would be less crowded and the ones who wanted there kids to get a better education in a private school could afford it easier because they wouldn't have to pay for everyone elses kids....Its a win win situation.

BOY...this one is EASY...Government doesn't like competition. Especially when it cuts into school funding since Johnny isn't there anymore. It would prove they have a poor product.

 

[DrMoab]

BOY...this one is EASY...Government doesn't like competition. Especially when it cuts into school funding since Johnny isn't there anymore. It would prove they have a poor product.

I understand why the Government doesn't like this idea....what I don't understand is that this keeps comming up in elections and the PEOPLE turn it down. I just don't get it.

 

[Glenn B]

Didn't they try that? They called it Florida. Send all the Gummers there. The only problem is... the Gummers and Adult Diaper wearing crowd need folks to tend for them (since most kids won't do it themselves). That means younger employees. Younger employees tend to become attracted to each other. That usually reslults in AIDS transmission or Babies. That leads to schools... and taxes.

Now, keep in mind, school taxes are just a small part of your property taxes. The County gets it's chuck, every "junior taxing district" gets their share.... it adds up quickly. Of course, it is all voted on and approved by the LOCAL voters. It is a never ending chain.

Here's a thought - why not a bunch of people who aren't going to have kids, or whose kids are grown, get together and start a district somewhere where there is no school, therefore no teachers/principals/school board/people to kvetch, and therefore can safely lower the property taxes due to no educational expenses? Any comments?

After all, why pay for a service you don't need, IF you can get a bunch of people who don't need the service to get together and agree they don't need it...

5-90

 

[Glenn B]

Beats the hell outta me. But I will be looking for it in another 10 years when my youngest is done with that school stuff.

You do know they PAY you to live in Alaska though..right?

Where in the hell are there homes with no schools? ... I don't live in Leisure World for god's sake. So yea, I pay for all those rugrats that pass by the house each day ... hoping a teacher will teach them something useful... so they can enter the job market and pay taxes so I can retire and live off them someday ... right ?

This is commerce and the American way in action !!

 

[red91]

I understand why the Government doesn't like this idea....what I don't understand is that this keeps comming up in elections and the PEOPLE turn it down. I just don't get it.

the NEA is the single biggest PAC in the country. Millions of dollars, backchannel, help to keep it down I'm sure.

 

[RichP]

Here's a thought - why not a bunch of people who aren't going to have kids, or whose kids are grown, get together and start a district somewhere where there is no school, therefore no teachers/principals/school board/people to kvetch, and therefore can safely lower the property taxes due to no educational expenses? Any comments?

After all, why pay for a service you don't need, IF you can get a bunch of people who don't need the service to get together and agree they don't need it...

5-90

That was done in NJ, south jersey as I remember, out in the pine barrens area. They built a bunch of retirement [Over 50 and no kids living with you] communities along Rt 70. Taxes were VERY low as the communities had their membership fees for roads and such, minimal to be sure. Word got out and one of the BIG developers bought several thousand acres and put up 2500sqft homes and the race was on, within 8 years they had to build new schools, fire dept, rescue squad, police [communities had their own security] and taxes went from $600 a year to almost $7,000, my aunt and uncle had to move out so they went to florida.. Those people commute to North Jersey, Phila and NYC daily.
Whatcha need is to BUY a town or municipality and zone it for over 50 but if the economy booms around you you can look forward to defending that zoning in court...

 

[5-90]

Why not just have vouchers so I can send my kids to private school or home school them and you can pay to keep your kids in public school. I really don't understand why nobody likes this idea..If you had more kids in private schools it wouldn't cost so much to run the public schools and the kids would get a better education anyway because they would be less crowded and the ones who wanted there kids to get a better education in a private school could afford it easier because they wouldn't have to pay for everyone elses kids....Its a win win situation.

They keep trying that out here, and it always falls apart. I don't have a problem with the idea - but I think the principal issue is the generalised Socialist mentality out here in California - "If you don't have to pay, neither do I. If I have to pay, so do you." There's also the issue that the people without kids - or people like me whose kids are "all growed up" are gonig to want a say in what happens to the money that isn't getting used on their kids - for whatever reason. Chalk it up to Human nature.

Meanwhile, the people like me that think it's a good idea are conspicuously (sp?) short in number.

 

[Glenn B]

Meanwhile, the people like me that think it's a good idea are conspicuously (sp?) short in number.

The minority usually is. I think the peoblem there is failure by the minority to put their views forth in a manner that normal people can grasp.

 

[5-90]

I have a much cheaper easier solution to the guy who breaks into my house....Its called a Kimber .45ACP. About $650.00-$900.00. Way cheaper then feeding him for the rest of his life...I love the third strike rule...I think they need to use it for everything but speeding tickets. Put um away for life for that crap and if they commit a third violent crime and are convicted don't even send them to the jail....take them out in front of the courthouse and stone them to death!

You validate my premise toward the end - "commit a third VIOENT crime" (emphasis mine.) I also have a hard time with the "life in prison" thing, it's the "life" that is the variable - how long am I/are we, as a taxpayer(s), going to have to pay for support and maintenance on this guy? It's like alimony payments - I dont' have any trouble with paying your share of child support, but why should I support someone who should be able to find work? Leaving aside the fact that I don't care for the idea of divorce anyhow, of course... It's not a religious objections, it's personal.

Of course, the problem with shooting an intruder (again in CA) is that YOU could get into more harangue than the guy you shot, nevermind the fact that he wouldn't have gotten shot IF he hand't been housebreaking in the first place...

Still, I think you'd find that a lot of people who are forced to turn to housebreaking end up doing so because they were made felons, probably due to drug convictions (and I think drugs should be decriminalised then regulated before the problem will start to solve itself, see above,) and therefore are not able to get jobs due to the perception that the "rulers of the working community" have developed of felons in general. I have no trouble with the fact that people are expected to disclose their records for something serious, but it is increasingly rare that anyone wants to give them a chance at getting going again, and the welfare rolls are swollen enough. That doesn't even account for someone who was "pushed" into a felony - say, getting nailed for a murder charge when it was clearly self-defence, or a man I know who was railroaded into a double vehicular manslaughter conviction despite all the evidence in his favour - AND the fact that if the parties in the other vehicle had been wearing their seat belts, they would have not only lived but probably walked away... Now what for him?

5-90

 

[Urban Redneck]

Just kidding man. :kissyou:

My next door neighbor is a Principal of an elementary school. He seems to work pretty hard and he's a good man but during those three months of summer when I'm still going to work daily putting in about 55 hours a week, getting called in to work on my weekends or being called in to work on a day I had scheduled vacation, it's kinda hard believing he needs more pay when he's playing tennis or golfing daily those three months. He pays less than half of what I do for health insurance and gets a slightly higher standard retirement package as his employer (the state) has higher basic matching contributions.

I've got to call SPOBI on this one. I know plenty of principals, 6 to be exact. They are on the 260 day schedule like most other people. They may get 3 weeks of vactation, but that is because they have been on the job for a while, in the districts I know of, 5 years. Principals, in Illinois, don't fall under the NEA contract stuff, except when it comes to retirement. That is because they were teachers who worked their way up. One of the principals I know, would put in a minimum of 6 days a week, 10 hours or more per day. You would go past the school at 8;30-9 at night and he'd still be there, then back at 6 the next morning. This guy would go to people's houses to discuss their kids progress and what he could do to help them. I don't know how much this guy gave away during the year, to families that needed it, but it was a lot.

 

[5-90]

The minority usually is. I think the peoblem there is failure by the minority to put their views forth in a manner that normal people can grasp.

Or perhaps that the "majority" doesn't want to bother reading opinions? Everyone here seems to understand what I have to say without too much difficulty...

Here's something I read a while ago that makes sense - "The political Right is too independently-minded to be as organised as the Left - that is why the Left usually wins on issues." More than a grain of truth to that...

5-90

 

[Urban Redneck]

Here's something I read a while ago that makes sense - "The political Right is too independently-minded to be as organised as the Left - that is why the Left usually wins on issues." More than a grain of truth to that...

5-90

Yeah, cuz gay marriage went over so well.....

 

[Glenn B]

Yeah, cuz gay marriage went over so well.....

Hehehe

 

[Glenn B]

The majority usually ignores the minority. Not because they are always insane, just a tadd "odd" for the most part.

Or perhaps that the "majority" doesn't want to bother reading opinions? Everyone here seems to understand what I have to say without too much difficulty...

Here's something I read a while ago that makes sense - "The political Right is too independently-minded to be as organised as the Left - that is why the Left usually wins on issues." More than a grain of truth to that...

5-90

 

[ACE]

I've got to call SPOBI on this one. I know plenty of principals, 6 to be exact. They are on the 260 day schedule like most other people. They may get 3 weeks of vactation, but that is because they have been on the job for a while, in the districts I know of, 5 years. Principals, in Illinois, don't fall under the NEA contract stuff, except when it comes to retirement. That is because they were teachers who worked their way up. One of the principals I know, would put in a minimum of 6 days a week, 10 hours or more per day. You would go past the school at 8;30-9 at night and he'd still be there, then back at 6 the next morning. This guy would go to people's houses to discuss their kids progress and what he could do to help them. I don't know how much this guy gave away during the year, to families that needed it, but it was a lot.

Not SPOBI. He'd own up to it. He's my tennis partner during the summer as well as my friend. I give him crap about his perks and he gives me crap about mine. He's a good man and a damn good Elementary school Prinicipal but he's not underpaid. He's generous with his time at school and dedicated as I am at my job. I am salaried based on a 40 hour work week but I put in about 55. He does about the same when you factor in after school activites or events.

 

[DrMoab]

Of course, the problem with shooting an intruder (again in CA) is that YOU could get into more harangue than the guy you shot, nevermind the fact that he wouldn't have gotten shot IF he hand't been housebreaking in the first place...

Man. I swear everytime you Cali guys open your mouth it just makes me that much happier where I am :laugh3:
When I got my conceled wepons permit, the guy that gave the class told us of this law here...Basicly it states that if ANYONE is in your house for ANY reason uninvited...you have the right to shoot and thats it. Can't remember what the law is called but basicly if you feel threatend in any way in your house...Now this means that if someone is breaking into your car you can't shoot them because its not in your house...but if they are in your house and you feel threatend....shoot them...just kill them if you do or they might sue you.
This also goes for your moterhome,tent,hotelroom...anywhere you are living for that time you have the total right to protect yourself.

 

[catyrpelius]

We need a tax break for kids going through college. i work full time and i go to school full time. I average about 250 a week net then they take out about 35 bucks a week in taxes. Plus last year i owed an aditional 400 dollars. Its all alittle rediculius, im a 19 year old student going to a communtiy college to try and cut down on school loans. I dont have two nickels to rub together and the state and feds still want their cut of what little i make??? I mean come on leave me with something for the jeep

 

[Glenn B]

I will play Devils Advocate here: Why?
One presumes you will suffer though school, no? It is not like college grads are smarter than non-grads..... it just shows they can stick out an insane situation for a given amount of time, and as such will be abobe a non-grad in the hiring pool.

So why should you get a tax break? Seriously?
You will probably move on to some well paying gig, and eventualy forget about those days of eatin Mac and Cheese. Meanwhile, the taxpayers subsidised your earning potential?

Hmmm. You go to College in order to get a better paying job...... why should working taxpayers give you a break?

We need a tax break for kids going through college. i work full time and i go to school full time. I average about 250 a week net then they take out about 35 bucks a week in taxes. Plus last year i owed an aditional 400 dollars. Its all alittle rediculius, im a 19 year old student going to a communtiy college to try and cut down on school loans. I dont have two nickels to rub together and the state and feds still want their cut of what little i make??? I mean come on leave me with something for the jeep