| To the Editor: Median BG household can't afford more taxes |
| Written by Kenneth Gutbrod |
| Wednesday, 06 February 2013 10:17 |
|
The median household income of $30,000 in Bowling Green cannot support another tax increase. (The Board of Education proposal would increase taxes $310 for the owner of a $150,000 home.) Teachers pay only 9% of their health insurance premium. For administrators the public picks up 100% of their pension and provides generous health coverage. Step increases are not a normal private industry practice. In the private sector it is rare for employers to pick up 100% of dental and vision benefits. In 2010 only 15% of private industry workers were in a defined benefit plan (pension). Even fewer get COLA increases on their pension. The Board of Education pays approximately 100 people a salary of over $75,000/annually. The majority of these people worked 184 days in the year. Additionally, last year the Board paid over $400,000 to employees for cashed in sick leave. The average government worker already has a better pay/benefit package than the average private worker. Society can't afford to widen the gap further. Public pensions and benefits take an ever increasing percentage of the purse. Because of declining wages in the private sector, combined with high rates of medical inflation, the current system is unsustainable. Teacher layoffs and larger class size are the wrong way to achieve budget balance. We need reform in a way that more closely aligns pay and benefits with the private sector. The current trend line will bankrupt us. Citizens should be reminded that by far the highest percentage of their property tax already goes to schools (64%). Additionally, we all pay a school income tax. The Board of Education intends to come back to the voters in 2017 for an even larger tax increase. Private sector citizens/businesses can't afford this burden. The current system cries out for reform. Before any citizen votes for any additional school tax, we should demand that the playing field be leveled between the public and private sectors. All public employees need to participate in the same economic reality as the private sector. This means 401k's in place of defined benefit plans and greater participation in paying for health care. Voters should insist that our representatives crack the golden benefits that we, the ones paying the bill, have seen disappear years ago. We are on a treadmill that misallocates scarce resources. Vote for reform. Vote for families. Vote no! Kenneth Gutbrod Bowling Green |
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Comments
2. Those 184 days are contract days spread across 9 months of the year, and don't include weekends or school "vacations."
3. Contract days are determined by mandated classroom and other face-to-face time. They do not include necessary time for preparation and grading. Claiming that teachers are somehow not full-time and hard working is a dishonest and tired claim used to justify attacks on faculty as "overpaid."
4. Benefits plans (so-called "golden benefits") are cheaper for society as a whole--and your tax dollars--than a lack of benefits or an a la carte, pay-as-you-go system.
5. Teachers are educated professonals who make more than the median income but also contribute to the tax base.
Do you know anything about Dr. Williams' job or qualifications? No, I didn't think so. Do you know anything about his salary? No, I didn't think so. Do you know anything about his field? No, I didn't think so. You are clueless and without honor.
And you apparently never noticed that he is a professor at UT, not at BGSU, where he did teach before.
It's like I said: when you flunked out of school you called your teachers stupid and have been doing so ever since.
You display an amazing lack of command of cause and effect in your logic.
In the real world, school teachers are middle class, not upper class, and as people have explained again and again, there are only 55 days a year when teachers don't work that other people are working, and they aren't paid for them.
I'm sorry that the one teacher you knew was so bad that you assume all of them are bad.
You are the one constantly mocking Dr. Williams for acting superior, when all he ever did was post accurate information, which you did not, Mr. Caron. What is really weird is that you think that people who use logic and facts--which you do not--are the ones who are out of touch with reality. I have news for you. Your views are weird, poorly argued, not supported even by most conservatives, and claiming you have all the answers, claiming that the clearly very intelligent Dr. Williams is stupid, makes you just seem really stupid and nasty. It's like you flunked out of school, called the teachers stupid and have been doing so ever since.
No other profession in society would be bereated for their experience and education levels. I would bet all I have that teachers could pay 15% of their health care and have a severence package reduced to 3 days of time and people would still complain. My friend I spoke of has a masters degree + 60 additional graduate hours and has taught 27 years. What is that person worth in the minds of the conservative anti public education world?
Also, your comment about the "government dime" is inaccurate. If you look at the financing of public universities, they are mostly private institutions nowadays, getting only 26% of their funding from the state. Besides, my travels have been on my own dime, unless you want to audit my mostly private salary.
Your "idea" is ignorant and shows nothing but contempt for teachers, their professionalism , their training, and the fact that they are energetic and constantly retooling to respond to the educational needs of the students.
It isn't the job of universities to give kids jobs. It is the job of universities to educate them so that they can get jobs for themselves.
You really think that educators and educated people are the enemy, don't you?
What on earth is the college-teaching "entitlement gravy train?" Last I checked, college professors work for a living and are held accountable. Salaries aren't "entitlements."
FWIW, the problems the post office has is that they have been forced by congress to fund their pensions far into the future as a payment now in the present. No other government organization has that burden. It isn't "bloated." Again, you are misinforemd.
This guy HATES the idea of education.
He obviously failed out somewhere along the line.
Probably 7th grade.
Maybe you think all health insurance is theft and should be illegal?
Well stated reform is needed!
So if YOUR "private non-public world" is engaged in a race to the bottom when it comes to slashing salaries and benefits, do you think that is a good thing for society? for the economy? Do you think health care should just be fee-for service and out of pocket?
Do you think it unfair that people with a lot of academic training have an advantage when it comes to competing for employment against those who lack that background?
What I would like to see is a status-quo increase, that would allow for cuts in state spending, utility increases, but NO STEP or COLA. Make the conversion to 401K's, the union BE DAMNED. If it takes a strike, SO BE IT!
Also the median household income is $34,000 dollars.
Differences in the calculation of college students and how they are reported. Statistics can be found on the U.S. census website
I recently began teaching. I am from the private sector and let me tell you, the compensation for teaching is MUCH less than a private position requiring equal education and experience. You don't want the playing field leveled. If it were teachers would have much higher compensation.
I don't agree with Robert's points, and he has been "fed a line" about how little public educators pay. But he at least has a legitimate point of view. And he doesn't come across as the clueless idiot you do.
Every year the hand is out for more. Yes, the state funding system is corrupt. We need real cuts. Let's try cutting 1/2 the administration or at least pay. Let's charge for buses, sports and anything else non school day. We could go to a 4 day school week. When "they" say they can't cut anymore--please realize this is crap. Fact is: our local schools (and government)do not do this because they think they are above the law/change. It's great that there are sooo many people making six figures in BG that they vote for every levy. It doesn't hurt you to pay a little more when you make that kind of bank. Our teachers are great! The curriculum is great! Let's get back to what school is for: (EDUCATION) and I think you'll find we don't have a $$ problem at all! Surprise..the jokes on us!
However, teachers work a lot harder and are more up-to-date, engaged, and concerned about the relevance of what they bring to the classroom than you assert, Phil "educators are fungus" Caron.
Maybe we need to shrink the outlying areas we services and give those students to Otsego, MCComb and Elmwood.
This would allow for savings in staff needed and lower transportation costs.
Just another case for the State to reduce from 613 districts to 88. What a huge potential to consolidate and save money.
If I have to pay for your wars and medicare, you help pay for my kids education.
That's the way society works folks. Kids have rights too, not just old hams.
"Back when I was a kids..."
Stop it. Back when you were kids someone paid for your education.
Now return the favor before you're gone...
Well...this part is true..citizens of the past paid for education not administration salaries above the average wage. Citizens before us paid for education..not administration raises every year...citizens before us paid for education..not sports directors and fancy stadiums..citizens before us paid for education benefits beyond the rest of society...Many good leaders of this country came out of one room school houses. There were no administrators and unions playing havoc on this country. It's time that we take back control of the schools. They are our schools..not some board...not some union..We pay for them-therefore we should have a vote and control of where the money goes instead of letting the cronies vote themselves raises year after year..
Funny- you have all the answers but never run for the BOE or anything else. But you always step up to complain.
And please - don't give me the "I'll support schools if they do this" routine.
Most of you whiners NEVER support anything except your fellow whiners and never will.
You want change - run for office. Oh yes that would require you to do more than whine wouldn't it?
Okay I'll let you go back to your whine party now.
Funny how a majority of the board has direct connections to the schools and unions in some form. Every member but one is on a public pension and even some of them are double dipping. There's no way they would ever vote to make changes against their "system." We need new laws stating that there has to be equal representation of interest from the private sector in running the schools. What happened to no taxation without (fair and unbiased) representation.
The tide is changing..I hope people in this county are waking up..Follow the money and I think you will find that "think of the children" threats will no longer work.
First, I do more the first two days of the week than you do the entire week. As for not supporting anything, my business donates more to local school fund raisers in 3 months than you have in your entire life. I just cannot sit back and watching the hands keep coming out when no changes are being made. Talk about whiners, instead of making changes they just cry that money has been cut, blah, blah, blah, and instead of cutting expenses we just need MORE money. The schools don't have a funding problem, they have a spending problem. I'm no longer paying for banked sick days, nearly free health care, continual step raises, more and more "administrators", etc. it has to end. The reason the BG schools didn't get anymore money is because they ARE ALREADY OVER FUNDED!!!!! Take your heads out of the sand sheeple
You earn no good will by calling educators "fungus" and refusing to understand anything about the work they do. And your constant exaggeration, including trying to imply that anybody to the left of your very right-wing self is in a tiny minority shows that you really pay no attention to any public opinion polls or even the results of the last election. Your side lost. Big. Even in Wood County. Mocking me for no good reason won't make it any better.
Does it also make you sick how much lawyers, doctors, other people with graduate and professional degrees are paid? On any statewide or national basis, teachers are NOT overpaid.
New Teachers are all ready going elsewhere!!!!!
ALL the student teachers that have taught my children have all stated they are leaving OHIO.
There are very few education oportunitites in OHIO. Even less for educators who have taken time off to raise kids and now want to get back in the class room.
If you have experience then you have very little chance to get back into education.
Are you seriously suggesting that if students don't get jobs, school teachers should lose theirs?
Where is the responsibility of parents? Of the students themselves?
There's a good reason nobody seriously talking about school reform or teacher accountability--not even on the right--has made the suggestions you have, Caron.
Are you seriously suggesting that taxpayers with no professional involvement in education should be dictating hiring, firing, what is taught, etc.? It's like when you were supporting your crazy, antagonistic, anti-educator friend for the Perrysburg school board.
And, seriously, though, just because the "little band" has no representation in your household doesn't mean that they are not the majority even in this relatively conservative part of the state. You are the definition of a solipsist. Look it up.
I'm sure you've never raised the prices at your business as your costs went up. Still charging the same as 2 years ago, 5 years, 10 years ago? But you expect the cost of education to stay the same or drop.
I will agree with you on this:
I'm sure all you whiners do more whining in two hours than the rest of do in a year.
In the meantime I'm sure you'll all: Whine On!
Also, the same principal goes for the income tax that supports BG school, IF the school were on the same inflation rate of the community then the needs would match. Unfortunately they are spending more the average citizens average raise would support in additional revenue..
You've told us teaching is a such lucrative deal so do it, fix the system while you're there (since you have all the answers), and get rich all at once.
Until then: Whine On!
As a parent this makes me question the quality of education being offered at BGHS.
I can say is this is reason number one for school choice / State Funding to follow a student. Introduce competition into schooling and let the parents choose the best option for their children the cream of the schools will rise to the top.
At what point of increases would you whine"? Every year we're told "this is the last one." Should one have to live in section 8 because the taxes are so high that nobody can even put food on the table? You're probably going to say this couldn't happen..but think again. If we went to say a 25% income tax someone making 100k would still have 75k left and could live. Someone making 25 k would be thrown into poverty (from school taxes alone). The only way to make it work is to create fair brackets and if you make above 60k you would pay 50% of your salary..Below 60k- you pay 10%.(% inflated to make a point). Sooner or later you too, would whine. The reason the rich get richer is because they have money left beyond living..not because someone making lower wages is "wasting" their money.
Reduction of Outside Mills
In 1976, the Ohio legislature enacted House Bill 920, which requires the effective millage of voted property tax levies to be reduced in proportion to rising property values, to protect property owners from paying more taxes on a given levy than they originally approved. The law was subsequently incorporated into the Ohio Constitution as Article XII, Section 2a(C)(2)
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You've obviously only ever worked for someone who worried about everything for you. Have prices gone up at times, yes, has my pay personally gone up with those price increases? NO! Have I taken pay cuts for myself when things got tigh? yes! Comparing me to a school district doesn't really work, I'm actually aware that my compensation can't continually rise regardless of the economy but that's where I'm different. If I could force people to pay me through levies I would be fine!
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