Reading an article in today's Detroit News (full article) about protesters at the Mackinac Policy Conference, who apparently held a news conference, which was " organized by A Better Michigan Future, a coalition of about 50 union and public interest groups". One of the quotes from a teacher really caught my eye:
" 'It can't be possible that everyone really believes that corporations need the money more than children,' said Tammy Hazley, a special education teacher from Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools."
Ms. Hazley, let me ask you a simple question: From where does the money come to pay your salary? I'll answer the question for you, ma'am: it comes from taxes.
If, by the tax policies imposed on businesses by politicians to fund schools, libraries, parks, mass transit, subsidized housing, road commissions, police, fire, ambulance, etc., businesses which operate in your district have to downsize in order to remain profitable, how many of that company's former employees are going to be able to pay their taxes? Especially in an economy like Michigan has had for the last 8 years?
So, if the persons in your school district don't have jobs, they move away. Or they stop paying taxes because they have lost their homes from forclosure. How much revenue is coming in from those people who aren't paying taxes any more? How much tax revenue is being generated by that company you want to raise taxes on which has had to cut its operation to the bone just to stay alive? Is that tax revenue amount more or less than it generated when times were good and its operations were expanding? And how many more people will it have to lay off if you increase their tax burden? And what effect will that have on the tax base in your district? Not to mention the amount of tax revenue not being generated by the companies that have already gone out of business. But by law we still have to educate their kids.
So in light of these economic realities, and your expressed desire to have yourself in a classroom to teach students, isn't it in your best interest, Ms. Hazley, to see that those corporations that give people in your area jobs so they can buy houses and pay taxes [edited to add] are successful and thriving? You really need to let go of the socialist claptrap you have been taught during your time in the Public Schools and step into the real world. Because socialism doesn't work. It never has and it never will.
Now - why are you on Mackinac Island protesting instead of being in your classroom teaching? Did you take a vacation day, or did you call in sick?
2 comments:
Yes, I am a teacher. To answer your question "Did you take a vacation day, or did you call in sick?" - the answer is neither. My school district's last day was Friday May 27th. You see, many school districts have had to lengthen each school day and shorten the school year in order to save money due to the state providing less funding. The quote in the Detroit News came at the end of a statement I made regarding specific cuts Upper Peninsula school districts are being forced to make due to the $470 dollar per pupil reduction as well as the reduction of categorical funds.
A question back to you is...school districts are held accountable by state testing and school report cards. If schools are found to be failing, they can lose funding. Will corporations be held accountable as well? If the tax changes do not produce the desired results - more jobs - will they have to give the money back?
TH
TH - Fair enough on the vacation time question. I thought that the state law mandated a number of days schools should be in session, but perhaps UP schools start earlier, or as your comment suggests, it is hours based. Downstate schools tend to be done in the first week of June, hence my question.
As far as accountability goes, you are certainly proving my point as to your economic saavy, as you are setting up a red herring argument. The question is not about businesses "giving back" money which was taken from them in the first place. If that were the issue, then how much money would be due back to the taxpayers of this state for the abject failure of schools from Benton Harbor to Detroit over the last 40 years?
You show your leftist, statist worldview very clearly. You start from the presupposition that the state owns that money, and knows best how to manage society, educate children, lower cholesterol, and allocate wealth. All we have to do is look around to see the financial and social mess that this worldview has created.
No TH, in November the people of this State resoundingly rejected the idea that the answer to every problem is to throw more tax money at it. If the educational establishment cannot adapt, it will go the way of the dinosaurs.
I would challenge you to break out of this idealogical trap you find yourself in and find a way to take your education, experience, and skills and market them. Start a business that caters to the special needs families you currently serve in the Public Schools. You will feel much better about yourself because you won't be at the mercy of shrinking school aid budgets, while providing a useful service to your community. That would be something to be proud of. Don't let union-think destroy you!
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