Posted by Honz on February 11, 2005 at 22:24:12 (PST):
In Reply to: Re: Property Tax posted by Speaking Just For Me on February 11, 2005 at 19:22:38 (PST):
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: : : I imagine that when the teachers get a raise so will we in taxes. I wonder if we will ever see property tax relief in Pennsylvania?////Why rag on teachers getting a raise?When you or I get a raise don't you thing the things we make or what we do cost more?Demand better spending by leaders and cut the pork! Then maybe we'll get a tax break.Happy Valentines Day to all!!
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: Charlie, I agree with you most of the way on this one, although I do find some problems with the teachers in PA.
: We now live in a society where it is bad for somebody to get a raise. Maybe jealousy? Could be. I understand that the teachers are paid through public funds. But, why was this never a big issue before?
: I think one of the reasons this was never a problem before is that our tax basin was much bigger, not just regionally but in the U.S. You keep hearing how this off-shoring of jobs will not affect the U.S. Remember when both the GOP leaders and Dem leaders both told us that to survive we have to buy into this global marketing system. Well, ten years has passed and how do things look? Many areas across the U.S., not just Western PA, cannot keep their public services up while keep cutting the taxpayers (not cutting taxes, I am for that to a degree). No matter what side of the aisle you cheer or applaud, it is only simple mathematics that tells us that once you take a high quantity of the good-paying jobs out of the country, you cannot maintain your public services. If we had people working in industries and making some average to above-wages, then the burden would not be so heavy on the current wage earners. This is not economics; it is mathematics. We keep hearing that this budgetary crisis is due to 09/11, a cyclical economy, etc. Guess what? Until more good-paying jobs are brought into this country, the more our standard of living will decline.
: And yes, there are some people making good meny to today, but per capita, it is way down from the 50's and 60's, if you take into account inflation and the cost-of-living, and this is what you never hear on your nightly news. Clinton's bubble with the IT workers came and went real fast. where are thos jobs now? Anybody want to guess?
: I understand what the people are saying when they say teachers make too much money, believe me, but do you want to see everybody making minimal pay and not dumping anymore revenue back into the local economy? The teachers of the ASD should be aware of the area in which they live and not ask for a two-car garage along with a raise.
: As for hiring teachers with less pay, take a look at the "red states." The lowest paying teachers equals the lowest quality education. You can look them up in the stats. The former governor of Texas skinned down the educational system in Texas and the educational funamentals is atrocious, plus you have the highest drop-out rate in the land. You get what you pay for.
It is not that the teachers make too much money, it is that a lot of other people do not make enough.This country has lost too many $15 dollar or more and hour jobs. If we could create emough high paying jobs, in the future there would be no SS defict because those jobs would be bringing in more taxes for the fund. Armstrong County is have and have nots, the teachers, nurses , steel, gas and electric workers and professionals are making a good living, your service workers, clerks and basic laborers are not and there are more of these people.These are the people that can't handle any more tax increases.